KBO puts an 11-inning limit this season

KBO puts an 11-inning limit this season. January. 23, 2025 07:43. by Kyu-In Hwang kini@donga.com.
The Korean Baseball Organization (KBO) will only have 11 innings at the maximum in a match starting from the upcoming season. Next year, it plans to implement the Asian quota system. At Tuesday's first board meeting of this year, the KBO revised the organizational regulations and league rules, according to its announcement the following day.

The shortening of regular season extra innings from 12 to 11 is due to the introduction of the pitch clock system. “After all, a pitch clock, once it is put in place officially this season, will increase the burden of pitchers,” the KBO said. “A shorter length of extra innings will lessen the physical strain on players and shorten game durations.” Out of the 59 extra-inning games played last season, 13 reached the 12th inning.

Starting in 2026, each team can add one player from a Baseball Federation of Asia (BFA) member state or Australia to its pool of foreign players, which currently has three. The KBO said this would help strengthen the league's competitiveness. Consequently, the number of players on the active roster will increase from 28 to 29 next year.

In addition, the KBO has decided that any post-season game that is interrupted after starting due to weather or other circumstances will be suspended rather than declared a no-game or a called game. It also changed its rules to prevent post-season doubleheaders. This came after last year’s Korean Series Game 1 was suspended, causing KIA and Samsung to play the rest of Game 1 as well as Game 2 two days later.