Well, this is going to be a pretty big change.

The Pioneer League (the baseball organization which includes the Missoula Paddleheads) has announced a series of new rules for the upcoming 2021 Fall season.

There's a few things to dig into there, but I think the big one is this: in the event of a tie game, teams in the Pioneer League will NOT go into extra innings, which is customary in baseball. So, what happens then, you may be wondering? Does the game just end in a tie?

Nope! Instead of going into extra innings, tied games will be solved with a "sudden death" home run duel. Each team gets to choose one hitter who will receive five pitches, and whichever one hits more home runs wins the game for their team. If they end up in a tie, the teams select a new hitter until they can declare a winner.

That is... a pretty radical change from how baseball is normally played. It does have the potential for some supreme entertainment value for the audience, though - plus they don't have to stick around for an extra hour as the game goes into its 12th inning, so that's a plus, too.

They've also added new rules for Designated Pinch Hitters and Runners, revised their "Check Swing" rule to allow the hitter to appeal to the umpire, and increased their umpires from two-man crews to three-man crews.

The Paddleheads' first home game is going to be on May 22nd, and you can find the full schedule right here. Are you secretly hoping for a tie game just to see what this sudden death situation is like now?

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