How Many Outs Are in an Inning?
In this article
A full inning of baseball has six outs: three for each team. The visiting team bats in the top half of the inning until the defense records three outs, then the home team bats in the bottom half until it makes three outs.
Outs at a glance
| Outs | |
|---|---|
| Half-inning | 3 |
| Full inning | 6 |
| Per team in a 9-inning game | 27 |
| Total in a 9-inning game | 54 (51 if the home team doesn't bat in the 9th) |
| 7-inning high school game, per team | 21 |
| 6-inning Little League game, per team | 18 |
Getting the third out is called retiring the side. See what "the side" means.
How outs are made
There are many ways to make an out: strikeouts, groundouts, fly outs, force outs, tag outs and more. Our full guide to the types of outs in baseball covers each one. A double play records two outs on one play and a triple play records all three.
The exceptions that confuse people
- Four strikeouts in one inning. If strike three is dropped and the batter reaches first, the pitcher still gets the strikeout but no out is made. See the dropped third strike rule.
- The fourth out. After the third out, the defense can appeal a base-running mistake and replace the third out with that one to take a run off the board. See the fourth out.
- Runs on the third out. A run doesn't count if the third out is a force out, or if the batter is put out before reaching first, even if the runner crossed home first.
Youth league twists
Most youth leagues keep three outs per half-inning but add a run limit, ending the half-inning after five runs (or another number) in the younger divisions. Many also use a mercy rule and time limits.
Related reading
- How does baseball work?
- How long is a baseball game?
- How to read a baseball scoreboard: the "Out" light shows outs in the current half-inning
Frequently asked questions
How many outs are in an inning?
Six. Each team gets three outs per inning, three in the top half and three in the bottom half.
How many outs are in a nine-inning game?
Each team gets 27 outs, for 54 in total. If the home team is ahead after the top of the ninth, it doesn't bat, so the game ends after 51.
Can there be more than three outs in a half-inning?
Not really. But a fourth out can be recorded on an appeal to replace the third out and cancel a run, and a pitcher can record four strikeouts in an inning when a batter reaches on a dropped third strike.
Do youth leagues use a different number of outs?
The three-out rule is universal, but many youth leagues also end a half-inning after a maximum number of runs, such as five.
