Baseball > Inside This Sport

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A shot of the Wukesong Baseball Field during the 2007 "Good Luck Beijing" Olympic test event.

The Olympic baseball competition begins in a round robin format, in which all eight teams face each other once for seven games per team. The teams are ranked according to win-loss records; at the conclusion of round-robin play, the top four teams advance to the semifinals.

Semifinals
The teams ranked 1-4 after round-robin play are divided into two semifinals. There are no "series" in Olympic baseball, so each semifinal is just one game: Semifinal A: No. 1 vs. No. 4. Semifinal B: No. 2 vs. No. 3

Bronze-medal game
The two semifinal losers meet, with the victor getting bronze and the loser placing fourth.

Gold-medal game
The two semifinal winners meet, with the victor crowned Olympic champion and the loser awarded silver.

Tiebreaker system
If, following the round robin, two teams are tied with the same record, the team that won the game between the teams shall be given the higher ranking. If, following the round robin, three or more teams share the same record, the following tiebreaker system is applied: The higher ranking goes to any team that has defeated all of the teams it is tied with. If that does not work out, the higher ranking goes to the team that allowed the fewest runs in games played among the teams. The next-highest ranking goes to the team that allowed the next-fewest runs, and so on. If any teams remain tied, the higher ranking goes to the team that allowed the fewest earned runs in games played among the teams. The next-highest ranking goes to the team that allowed the next-fewest earned runs, and so on. If any teams remain tied, the higher ranking goes to the team that had the highest batting average in games played among the teams. The next-highest ranking goes to the team that had the next-highest batting average, and so on. If any teams remain tied, a coin-flip determines the rankings.

Players
An Olympic baseball team is made up of 24 players. The number of pitchers and position players within those 24 spots differs strategically from team to team and is determined by a country's governing body. No player currently on a 25-man major league roster is allowed to play in the Olympics.

Equipment
Only wooden bats may be used in Olympic baseball. This rule was first in place for the 2000 Games.

Field
An Olympic baseball field features an infield diamond with four, 90-foot sides and an outfield area formed by extending the first- and third-base lines to where they meet a fence that connects them and forms the outfield border.