Frontier League Institutes Sudden Death Extra Inning Tiebreaker

January 28, 2022

Sauget, IL – The Frontier League of Professional Baseball announced the introduction of a sudden-death tiebreaker to determine the winner of extra-inning games.


For any regular-season game tied at the end of regulation (nine innings for a traditional game and seven innings for a double-header game), and remaining tied following one inning of play using International Tiebreaker (ITB) rules, a sudden death inning will determine the winner.


Field managers will meet with umpires with the home manager choosing offense or defense. For the team on offense, the player on the lineup card immediately preceding the batter due up will start on first base. The defensive team will have three outs to prevent the offense from scoring. If the team on offense scores they will win the game, while if the defensive team retires the side without scoring a run, they will win. As with the ITB runner, if the runner placed on first base scores, the run will be unearned. The sudden death rule guarantees that no game will be played beyond 10.5 innings or beyond 8.5 innings for a double-header game.


“While sudden death will not happen every game, we believe when it does it will have the fans on their feet,” commented Kevin Winn, Deputy Commissioner for On-Field Operations. “Created by a former manager, this initiative received overwhelming support of our current field managers and Rules Committee.”


The rule was first proposed by former Florence field manager Dennis Pelfrey, who currently manages in the San Francisco Giants’ organization. It was refined by a committee of Frontier League managers and administrators, including managers Andy McCauley of Evansville, Quebec’s Pat Scalabrini, and Ottawa’s Bobby Brown.


“Short of playing traditional extra innings, the sudden death tiebreaker is the best option for determining the outcome of a game,” stated McCauley, the Frontier League’s winningest active manager and 2021 Manager of the Year. “With regard to game time, injury prevention, and a baseball strategic outcome I feel the new sudden death rule could be an innovative solution.” 


The Frontier League of Professional Baseball is an official Partner League of Major League Baseball and the largest of its kind in professional baseball. The Frontier League has moved over 1,000 players to MLB Teams in its 29-year history. The 2022 Frontier League season opens on Thursday, May 12. Please visit www.frontierleague.com.

Frontier League

Latest News

By Davide Disipio July 10, 2025
Ottawa, ON - Mac Lardner (win, 3-2) tossed seven scoreless innings while AJ Wright went 2-for-3 with a double, a homer, and three RBI - helping the Ottawa Titans (24-27) to an 8-0 blanking of the Tri-City ValleyCats (28-23) on Wednesday. [...]
By Davide Disipio July 9, 2025
Ottawa, ON – The Frontier League has announced Ottawa Titans’ catcher Victor Cerny as an addition to the Atlantic Conference roster for the upcoming 2025 Frontier League All-Star Game, in Troy, New York, home of the Tri-City ValleyCats, on Wednesday, July 16. [...]
By Davide Disipio July 9, 2025
Ottawa, ON - Grant Larson (win, 5-5) gave the Ottawa Titans (23-27) eight frames of one-run ball while the offence continued their dominant ways in a 6-1 victory over the Tri-City ValleyCats (28-22) on Tuesday. The club has now won nine of their last ten and 12 of their previous 15 overall. [...]
By Davide Disipio July 8, 2025
Ottawa, ON – The Frontier League has announced its coaching staffs for the upcoming 2025 Frontier League All-Star Game, in Troy, New York, home of the Tri-City ValleyCats, on Wednesday, July 16. The Titans will be represented by pitching coach David Peterson as a member of the Atlantic Conference coaching staff. [...]
By Davide Disipio July 8, 2025
Ottawa, ON – The Ottawa Titans, a member of the Frontier League, the largest and longest-running MLB Partner League, announced that select remaining 2025 games will be broadcast in both English and French on Rogers TV Ottawa cable television through HomeTeam Network (HTN). [...]