Breaking down Banana Ball: Here is a Savannah Bananas guide to the rules of the game
Belinda M. Paschal
Spectators attending the sold-out Savannah Bananas games May 24-26 at Huntington Park can count on seeing so much speedy diamond action and high-energy entertainment that there won't be time to get bored.
In other words, it's nothing like a regular baseball game.
Banana Ball is baseball's quirky cousin who marches to their own beat. Besides being a sports event, it's a spectacle of choreographed dances, fan involvement and crazy costumes ranging from kilts to stilts.
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Most notably, the rules of traditional baseball have been thrown out the window to make the game shorter and faster-paced. Check out this quick rundown of the regulations and you'll understand the a-peel of Banana Ball!
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- Each inning is worth one point. Instead of adding up the number of runs for each inning, one point is awarded to the team with the most runs. Only in the final inning does every run count.
- Two-hour time limit. Long, drawn-out games with slow play can cost a team spectators, so no new innings can start after an hour and 50 minutes, unless there's a tie. (See rule No. 9)
- No stepping out. If a batter steps out of the box, it's a strike.
- No bunting. According to a Savannah Bananas video, "Bunting sucks. We're eliminating it. Swing the bat." Bunters will be thrown out of the game.
- Batters can steal first base. If the pitcher throws a wild ball, hit or take off!
- No walks allowed. But batters can sprint. On ball four, the hitter takes off to first and can advance to as many bases as he/she wants while the catcher has to throw the ball to every position player before the batter can be tagged out.
- No mound visits. This just delays the game, which no one wants.
- Fans can make an out. If a spectator catches a foul ball, it's an out.
- Showdown tiebreaker: If a game is tied after nine innings or two hours, it goes to a one-on-one showdown between the pitcher and the batter with only one fielder. Only one out is allowed. If the batter is retired, the other team gets to hit. If the ball is in play, the fielder has to retrieve it and stop the batter from rounding the bases and scoring one point. The showdown lasts until one team outscores the other.
- Banana Ball Challenge Rule: Any spectator can challenge a ruling on the field.
- Golden Batter Rule: A team can send up any batter to hit in any spot in the lineup. This guarantees the best possible match-up at the end of the game − when it matters most.