WBSC new game-clock regulations successful again

WBSC new game-clock regulations successful again
30/10/2019
Average game time at the Baseball Europe/Africa Qualifier was 2 hours 31 minutes. It was the second positive trial ahead of the Premier12, WBSC Flagship baseball event

The baseball Europe/Africa Qualifier confirmed the faster average game time trend registered at the Pan Am Games. The 15 games played in Bologna and Parma, Italy, had an average duration of 2 hours and 31 minutes.

The fastest game of the Europe/Africa Qualifier was the opener between The Netherlands and Czech Republic, that lasted 1 hour, 52 minutes.
The only game that came close to the general 3-hour benchmark was Italy-Israel, played on 20 September in Parma. Game time was 2 hours and 58 minutes.

The 20-games at the Pan Am Games in Lima, Peru, were the first trial of the new WBSC game clock regulations and registered an average game time of 2 hours, 30 minutes. The same rules will apply to the second edition of the WBSC Premier12.

The WBSC Flagship baseball event will be the first chance to qualify for the 2020 Olympics for National Teams of the Americas and Asia/Oceania Regions.

“Showcasing a faster, more action-packed baseball game will help us continue to globalise our sport and attract new audiences, while improving the presentation of our sport in multi-sport programmes like the Olympic Games, Asian Games and Pan Am Games,” commented WBSC President Riccardo Fraccari.