When is a game official?
A regulation game is nine innings — or eight and a half if the home team leads. If weather ends things early, the game becomes official once five innings are complete (four and a half if the home team is ahead). Anything shorter is suspended and resumed later, not declared over.
- Five full innings, or 4.5 with the home team leading: that is an official game if it is called.
- Since 2007 there is no 'revert to the last completed inning' — tied or short games are suspended and finished later.
- Before first pitch, the home club judges whether conditions allow a start; once the game begins, the umpire-in-chief controls delays and calling it.
- A game called after becoming official is final — the score at the end of the last completed inning stands (with a trailing-home-team nuance).
Rainout after five and a half innings, visitors up 3–2.
Ruling · Official game, final. Five-plus complete innings are in the books, and the visiting lead stands.
Storm hits in the third inning with the home team up 1–0.
Ruling · Not official. It is a suspended game — resumed from that exact point on a later date, not restarted and not awarded.
Decides whether a score is final or merely paused — stats from suspended games only count once the game is completed.
Reference note: one or more section citations on this page are being verified against the current official rulebook edition. The explanation reflects the rule as played; confirm the exact subsection in the official text.