Editorial guide · Rules Explained
MLB Extra Innings: The Runner-on-Second Rule and How Games End
How MLB handles games tied after nine innings, including the automatic runner rule, and what it means for the final score you see on the tracker.
Baseball games tied after nine innings continue into extra innings. Since 2020, MLB has used a rule placing a runner on second base at the start of each extra half-inning to encourage scoring and prevent excessively long games.
How extra innings work
Each extra inning follows the same away-then-home format as the first nine. The away team bats first, and if the home team takes the lead at any point, the game ends immediately (a walk-off). Extra innings continue until one team leads at the end of a completed inning.
The automatic runner
Starting in the 10th inning, each half-inning begins with a runner on second base. The runner is the player who made the last out in the previous inning. This rule significantly increases the chances of scoring and has made extra-inning games shorter on average.
Reading extra innings on the tracker
MatchTracker shows extra innings as additional columns beyond the 9th. A game in the 11th inning will show 11 columns in the line score. The final score reflects all innings played, and runs scored via the automatic runner count the same as any other run.
Postseason difference
The automatic runner rule does not apply in the postseason. Playoff extra innings use traditional rules with no runner on base, which can produce marathon games.