IBF changes Baseball rules in the lead-up to Beijing

(BEIJING, July 30) - - The International Baseball Federation has announced changes to the rules relating to extra innings in the run up to what may be the final Olympic Baseball event ever staged.

Under the new format, the 10th inning will be played in the traditional way. From the start of the 11th inning, teams will have the option of beginning from any spot in the existing batting order while placing the previous two batters on base.

Therefore, if a team leads off with its No. 3 hitter, then the new rules would require their No. 1 batter to be on second base, with the No. 2 hitter on first and none out.

According to Federation president Harvey Schiller, the rule change was devised to save time during games, making the sport more manageable and television-friendly.

These adjustments come after Baseball was voted out of the 2012 London Olympic Games program by the International Olympic Committee, though the sport is now lobbying for re-inclusion in the 2016 program.

The new competition format will have it's first test at the World Junior Baseball Tournament in Canada this week and will be enforced at all Federation-approved tournaments leading up to and including the Beijing Olympic Games.