Baseball · Formats
How many innings are in a Little League game?
A Little League game is 6 innings in the Major and Minor divisions and 7 innings in Intermediate (50/70), Junior and Senior League. Tee Ball games are shorter, with the length set by the local league.
Little League innings by division
| Division (ages) | Innings | Counts as a full game after |
|---|---|---|
| Tee Ball (4 to 7) | Set by the local league: up to 6, ideally 4 or fewer | Local league rules |
| Minor League (5 to 11) | 6 | 4 innings, or 3 and a half if the home team is ahead |
| Major Division, or Little League (9 to 12) | 6 | 4 innings, or 3 and a half if the home team is ahead |
| Intermediate 50/70 (11 to 13) | 7 | 5 innings, or 4 and a half if the home team is ahead |
| Junior League (12 to 14) | 7 | 5 innings, or 4 and a half if the home team is ahead |
| Senior League (13 to 16) | 7 | 5 innings, or 4 and a half if the home team is ahead |
The last column matters when rain or darkness stops a game: once it has gone that far, the result stands. Ages are league ages, which Little League works out from a birthday cut-off, so check the current age chart for your child.
How long does a Little League game last?
As long as its innings take: Little League sets the number of innings, not a clock, and its baseball rules have no time limit. Many local leagues add one for the regular season, usually a set time after which no new inning starts, so the same 6-inning game can be cut short in one town and played out in the next. Ask your league before the first pitch.
Tee Ball is the exception. The local league sets the length, up to 6 innings, and Little League recommends games of 4 innings or 90 minutes or less.
What happens if a Little League game is tied after 6 innings?
It goes to extra innings, just as in the majors. In the regular season, play continues one inning at a time until a team leads at the end of an inning, or until the home team takes the lead in its half, which ends the game on the spot.
Tournament games add a tiebreaker. Under Little League's Tournament Playing Rules, which cover the International Tournament all the way to the Little League World Series, every extra half-inning from the 7th (the 8th in Intermediate, Junior and Senior League) starts with a runner on second base: the player due to bat last in that half-inning.
| When | Team | Scoring play | Points | Score | What happened |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Top 1 | Bears | Two-run single | +2 | 2–0 | |
| Bottom 2 | Wolves | RBI groundout | +1 | 2–1 | The batter is out at first, but it is not the third out, so the run counts. |
| Bottom 4 | Wolves | Two-run double | +2 | 2–3 | Wolves lead 3-2. |
| Top 6 | Bears | Solo home run | +1 | 3–3 | Tied 3-3, and neither side scores again in the 6th: extra innings. |
| Bottom 7 | Wolves | Walk-off single | +1 | 3–4 | The winning run scores and the game ends on the spot. |
Final score Wolves 4, Bears 3 in 7 innings.
The Wolves did not need to finish the 7th: the moment the winning run crossed the plate, the game was over.
Can a Little League game end before 6 innings?
Yes, in three ways:
- The home team is ahead after the top of the 6th. It does not need to bat, so the game ends after 5 and a half innings.
- The run rule. A big enough lead after 3, 4 or 5 innings ends the game early. See the Little League mercy rule for the exact margins.
- The umpire calls it. Rain, darkness or a local time limit can stop a game. If it has gone 4 innings, or 3 and a half if the home team is ahead, it counts.
How many innings do high school, college and MLB games have?
| Level | Innings |
|---|---|
| US high school (NFHS) | 7, the same as the older Little League divisions |
| College (NCAA) | 9, or 7 in some doubleheaders scheduled by conference rule or agreement |
| MLB | 9 |
A tie goes to extra innings at every level. For how runs and innings are counted, see how to keep score in baseball.
How the app handles it
The app offers 9, 7 or 5 innings, not 6, so it cannot be set up for a Major or Minor Division game. For Intermediate (50/70), Junior and Senior League, choose 7. With extra innings on, a tie after the last inning plays on one inning at a time. There is no game clock or time limit, and End match only appears from the last inning, so the app cannot finish a game cut short by time or the run rule. A tied game can be ended from the last inning onward and is recorded as a draw. The app does not track runners, so the tournament tiebreaker runner on second base stays with you.
Questions
How many innings are in the Little League World Series?
Six: the Little League World Series uses the Major Division format, and a tied game puts a runner on second base in every extra half-inning from the 7th. The Intermediate (50/70), Junior and Senior League World Series play 7 innings.
How many innings can a Little League pitcher throw?
Little League limits pitchers by pitch count, not innings: 50 (ages 7-8), 75 (9-10), 85 (11-12), 95 (13-16), 105 (17-18) pitches a day. Pitchers also need rest days after higher counts.
How many innings make an official Little League game?
In the Major and Minor divisions, 4 innings, or 3 and a half if the home team is ahead; in Intermediate (50/70), Junior and Senior League, 5 innings, or 4 and a half if the home team is ahead. A game stopped by rain or darkness after that point counts as complete.
How many innings are in high school baseball?
7 under NFHS rules. Each state association decides its own run rule and any time limits.
Last reviewed September 25, 2026
More baseball guides
All baseball rules, guides and tools
Related
Keep score with one tap.
Sport Score Tracker keeps baseball score on iPhone and Apple Watch, so you can play instead of counting. Offline, no ads, no account.