Here are some “continuation game” notes you’ll want to refer to that have caused confusion on the past. When I use the term “continuation game”, I’m referring to the inning or two that needs to be played to finish a previously unfinished game. When I use the term “regularly scheduled game”, I’m referring to the game that was on the schedule that had to be pushed back by some amount of time to insert the “continuation game”. When I use the term “original game”, that’s the game that ended early because of a tie or time.
- Many issues how to handle continuation games can be found in 4.12.
- For majors and below, pitchers cannot pitch in both the continuation game and the regularly scheduled game (even if they stay under 20 pitches): see regulation VI (k). For juniors, a pitcher can play in more than one game a day, but there are other restrictions: see regulation VI (k).
- Please make clear in the scorebook that this is a continuation game.
- Pitch count does count and days rest matters, even in the continuation game. As an example, if one of your pitchers pitched 66 or more 4 days ago, they cannot pitch today, not even in the continuation game.
- Pitcher's pitch count starts at zero for Majors and below. A pitcher's pitch count Juniors and above starts at zero for that day. If a pitcher pitches in two games and the first game is a continuation game, treat the continuation game as that pitcher's first game. As an example, if a juniors age player first pitches in a continuation game then his team has a double header, that pitcher can only pitch in the continuation game and the first game of the double header as long as the pitcher observed the 30 or less pitch rule in the first game.
- Players who weren't there on the original game can play. This would be just like somebody coming late to a game. Because we bat the entire lineup, anybody coming late would be placed at the end of the lineup. See 4.04.
- Similarly, if a player was there during the original game but not there for the continuation game, it’s not an automatic out because we bat the entire lineup. See 4.04.
- Pool players can play in the continuation game even if they weren't in the original game. See 4.04
- A player who pitched in the regular game can only pitch if they were the pitcher of record on the last recorded out (see NOTE on 4.12). If not, then that would constitute a re-entry which is not allowed at the majors and below level: see 3.03(c) for pitcher re-entry. For juniors re-entry is allowed if they never left some defensive position, again read 3.03(c) and 4.12.
- If a team cannot field 9, it is not an automatic forfeit. This situation goes to the board of directors for review. See 4.17
- The game start time of your regularly scheduled game will be whenever the umpire says it is. Make sure your official scorekeeper notes that time in the scorebook and if the umpire doesn’t make clear what it is, make sure your official scorekeeper asks.
- The continuation inning(s) will continue until a regulation game is completed. Note that this may be different for each division depending on the local rules. For example, if in your division the local rules state that ties are allowed, then the game will end after 4 completed innings even if the score is still tied. If ties are not allowed, and the score is tied after 4 innings, you should continue until a winner can be decided.
- It is possible for the regularly scheduled game that comes right after the continuation game to push into the next time-slotted game. This is done by design and the no-new-inning rules should not be nullified just because the game goes long. For example, if a continuation game takes 40 minutes and starts a 4pm, that means the regularly scheduled game will most likely start at 4:45pm. If the no-new-inning or drop-dead mark for that division is 2 hours, the regularly scheduled game should continue until at least 6:45pm even if the next scheduled game starts at 6:30pm. The schedule does have a little bit of play in it to accommodate slightly longer games.
- When playing in a division where "first half" and "second half" rules are enacted, which rules you play under is determined by when the continuation inning is being played, not when the original game was played. This means that if the original game that created the continuation situation started in the first half of the season and the continuation inning is played in the second half, the continuation inning will be played under the second half rules.