2009 World Baseball Classic - Additional Rules

Additional Rules

As was the case for the 2006 Classic, several rules were announced for the 2009 tournament that modified the existing rules for international baseball set out by the IBAF.

Once again there were limits on the number of pitches thrown in a game, though the limits themselves were changed from the previous tournament:

• 70 pitches in Round 1 (up from 65 in 2006)
• 85 pitches in Round 2 (up from 80 in 2006)
• 100 pitches in the Semifinals and Final (up from 95 in 2006)

If a pitcher reached his limit during an at bat, he was allowed to finish pitching to the batter, but was removed from the game at the end of the at bat.

Any pitcher who made 30 or more pitches in a game was ineligible to pitch on the following day. As the Finals were played over three consecutive days, a so-called "pitcher rest equalization" rule was added: a pitcher making 30 or more pitches in a Semifinal was ineligible to pitch in the Final. This negated an advantage the winners of the first Semifinal would have had in the Final.

Instant replay was also available to umpires during the tournament. As was introduced in Major League Baseball during the 2008 season, replays were only used to adjudicate on home run decisions, to determine whether the ball was fair or foul, over the fence or not, and the impact of fan interference.

An alternative version of the IBAF's extra inning rule was also introduced. If after 12 innings the score was still tied, each half inning thereafter would have started with runners on second and first base. The runners would have been the eighth and ninth hitters due in that inning respectively. For example, if the number five hitter was due to lead off the inning, the number three hitter would have been on second base, and the number four hitter on first base. However, this rule was never actually employed in this year's Classic, as the only two extra-inning games in the tournament ended prior to a 12th inning.

All base coaches were required to wear protective helmets, in the aftermath of the death of Mike Coolbaugh and participating teams were required to announce the next day's starting pitcher. Additionally, a modified early termination rule was in effect for the first two rounds; had a team been ahead by 15 or more runs after five innings or ten or more runs after seven or eight innings, the game ended at that point.