Banana Ball ball four in the showdown rule
Ball four in the showdown puts a runner on base (second base in rounds 1 and 2; second and third with two runs scoring in rounds 3 and up), and the count resets.
The details
- The same batter may keep batting, or the manager may send up someone else and choose who runs.
- Showdown runners cannot take leads or advance on wild pitches or passed balls.
- Further ball-four sprints push the runners along and can score the round's maximum points.
By the numbers
26 of 517 games with box scores were decided with showdown tiebreaker points. Examples: Oct 3, 2026, Oct 4, 2026, Oct 10, 2026.
Calculated by NanaBall from official box scores.
How this rule changed
- 2026 added: Ball four in the showdown now places runners and resets the count instead of a plain sprint. [1][2]
| Season | How the rule read |
|---|---|
| 2026 | Ball four in the showdown puts a runner on base (second base in rounds 1 and 2; second and third with two runs scoring in rounds 3 and up), and the count resets. |
Sources: 2026. Summaries written by NanaBall.