Rules and statistics reference

Banana Ball glossary: rules, positions, and statistics

Banana Ball keeps baseball’s core positions and statistics but adds inning points, ball-four sprints, trick plays, fan challenges, and Showdown. Banana Ball uses roster labels, scoring terms, rules, and statistics with specific meanings.

Banana Ball terminology

A–Z glossary index

Banana Ball terms name scoring rules, lineup positions, batting, pitching, fielding, game records, and standings.

Banana Ball terms

Banana Ball rules and scoring

Ball-four sprint: Ball-four sprint is the live running action that starts when a hitter reaches ball four instead of receiving a walk. Every defensive player must touch the ball before it becomes live, and the hitter may advance as many bases as possible.
Equalizer Point: Equalizer Point is an additional point for the visiting team when its trick-play total is higher than the home team’s total entering the final inning.
Final inning: The final inning is the closing regulation inning. Unlike a normal inning point, every run in the final inning counts toward the team’s point total.
No bunting: No bunting is a Banana Ball rule that prohibits a bunt. A hitter who bunts is ejected from the game.
No stepping out: No stepping out means that a hitter who steps out of the batter’s box is charged with a strike.
No walks: No walks means that ball four starts a sprint instead of awarding a conventional walk.
Points: Points are the Banana Ball scoring units that decide the winner. A regular inning awards one point to the team with more runs, while special rules can add an Equalizer Point or Showdown points.
Runs: Runs are the scores recorded during an inning. Runs determine most inning points, but runs and points are different values on a Banana Ball score line.
Steal first: Steal first is the Banana Ball rule that lets a hitter attempt to reach first base on any pitch, including a passed ball or wild pitch.
Two-hour time limit: The two-hour time limit means that a new inning cannot start after two hours. If the game is tied when the limit ends, the game moves to Showdown.

Banana Ball terms

Challenges and game mechanics

Banana Ball Challenge: Banana Ball Challenge is the Rule 10 review system that gives each team one challenge and also defines a fan challenge.
Challenge categories: Challenge categories are fair or foul ball calls, force or tag play calls, catch plays in the outfield or infield, and missed base calls.
Fan Challenge: Fan Challenge is the one fan-participation challenge available alongside each team’s regular challenge opportunity.
Fan foul catch: A fan foul catch is a clean catch by a fan on a foul ball. The catch counts as an out; a bobble or juggle does not qualify as clean.
Golden Batter: Golden Batter is a once-per-game lineup choice that lets a team send any hitter in its lineup to bat in any spot.
No mound visits: No mound visits means that a coach, catcher, or other player may not visit the pitcher on the mound at any time during the game.
Showdown: Showdown is the tiebreaker used when the game is tied at the end of the two-hour limit. Each round gives the hitter and defense a defined setup until one team wins.
Showdown rounds: Showdown rounds are the staged tiebreaker situations after a tied game reaches the two-hour limit. Round 1 uses a pitcher, catcher, and one fielder; Round 2 uses a pitcher and catcher; Round 3 uses a pitcher, catcher, and one fielder with the bases loaded, and later rounds continue until one team wins.
Showdown Shutdown: A Showdown Shutdown is a defensive result in which the hitter is out, so the round earns no point.
Trick pitch: A trick pitch is delivered with the pitcher engaged with the rubber under Banana Ball trick-pitch conditions. A violation is called a ball.
Trick play: A trick play is a Banana Ball defensive play performed in a non-routine way that produces an out. Any player on the diamond can record a trick play.

Banana Ball terms

Positions and lineup roles

Roster labels use standard position abbreviations. A slash-separated label combines roles, such as RHP/UTL/ENT for a right-handed pitcher, utility player, and entertainer.

Catcher (C): A Catcher (C) is the defensive player who receives pitches behind home plate and handles plays near the plate.
Center Fielder (CF): A Center Fielder (CF) is the outfielder who covers the central part of the outfield.
Designated Fielder (DF): A Designated Fielder (DF) is a lineup role that may enter any inning at any defensive position under Banana Ball lineup conditions.
Designated Hitter (DH): A Designated Hitter (DH) is a lineup role that can keep its batting position when used defensively, subject to the pitcher-batting condition.
Designated Runner (DR): A Designated Runner (DR) is a player assigned by a team to run once during each turn through the batting order.
Entertainer (ENT): An Entertainer (ENT) is a roster role for a player who contributes to the Banana Ball entertainment performance as well as the team’s game activities.
Extra Hitter (EH): An Extra Hitter (EH) is an additional offensive lineup role. The player may enter the field under specific lineup conditions.
First Baseman (1B): A First Baseman (1B) is the infielder who covers first base and the surrounding right side of the infield.
Guest Player (GP): Guest Player (GP) identifies a player who appears as a guest. GP identifies the player’s statistics category; it does not identify a defensive position.
Infielder (INF): An Infielder (INF) is a player whose roster role covers one or more infield positions.
Left Fielder (LF): A Left Fielder (LF) is the outfielder who covers left field from the hitter’s perspective.
Left-Handed Pitcher (LHP): A Left-Handed Pitcher (LHP) is a pitcher who throws with the left hand.
Outfielder (OF): An Outfielder (OF) is a player whose roster role covers one or more of the three outfield positions.
Pinch Hitter (PH): A Pinch Hitter (PH) is a player who enters the batting order to hit in place of another hitter.
Relief Pitcher (RP): A Relief Pitcher (RP) is a pitcher who enters the game after the starting pitcher.
Right Fielder (RF): A Right Fielder (RF) is the outfielder who covers right field from the hitter’s perspective.
Right-Handed Pitcher (RHP): A Right-Handed Pitcher (RHP) is a pitcher who throws with the right hand.
Second Baseman (2B): A Second Baseman (2B) is the infielder who covers second base and the middle-right side of the infield.
Shortstop (SS): A Shortstop (SS) is the middle infielder who covers the area between second and third base.
Starting Pitcher (SP): A Starting Pitcher (SP) is the pitcher listed to begin the game for a team.
Third Baseman (3B): A Third Baseman (3B) is the infielder who covers third base and the left side of the infield.
Two-Way Player (TWP): A Two-Way Player (TWP) is a player listed with both offensive and pitching responsibilities.
Utility Player (UTL): A Utility Player (UTL) is a player whose roster role covers multiple defensive positions.

Banana Ball terms

Batting statistics

Hitting statistics: Hitting statistics measure offensive production in Banana Ball. They include games, at-bats, runs, hits, extra-base hits, total bases, ball-four sprints, strikeouts, stolen-base events, rate statistics, plate-appearance outcomes, and Banana Ball-specific metrics.
Games played (G): Games played (G) counts the games in which a player appears during the season. The abbreviation GP remains reserved for Guest Player.
At-bats (AB): At-bats (AB) are completed batting results. At-bats are the denominator for batting average.
Runs (R): Runs (R) are the runs scored by a batter.
Hits (H): Hits (H) are successful hits recorded for a batter. Hits describe offensive production but do not replace the game’s inning-point score.
Doubles (2B): Doubles (2B) are hits on which the batter reaches second base without a fielding error or a runner’s action ending the play.
Triples (3B): Triples (3B) are hits on which the batter reaches third base without scoring a home run.
Home runs (HR): Home runs (HR) are hits recorded as home runs in the Banana Ball batting statistics.
Runs batted in (RBI): Runs batted in (RBI) are runs credited to a batter when the batter’s action produces the score.
Total bases (TB): Total bases (TB) add the base values credited by a batter’s hits: one for a single, two for a double, three for a triple, and four for a home run.
Ball-four sprint (B4S): Ball-four sprint (B4S) records a sprint that begins after the pitcher throws ball four.
Strikeouts (SO): Strikeouts (SO) record batter strikeouts.
Walk-off (WO): Walk-off (WO) records a game-ending play that gives the winning team the final result.
Stolen first base (SB1B): Stolen first base (SB1B) records the Banana Ball base-running event when a hitter steals first base on a pitch.
Stolen bases (SB): Stolen bases (SB) record successful advances in which a runner takes a base while the ball is live.
Caught stealing (CS): Caught stealing (CS) records a runner being put out while attempting to steal a base.
Caught stealing first base (CS1B): Caught stealing first base (CS1B) records a hitter being put out while attempting to steal first base.
Batting average (AVG): Batting average (AVG) is hits divided by at-bats.
On-base percentage (OBP): On-base percentage (OBP) measures how often a batter reaches base.
Slugging percentage (SLG): Slugging percentage (SLG) measures total bases per at-bat.
On-base plus slugging (OPS): On-base plus slugging (OPS) adds OBP and SLG.
Sacrifice flies (SF): Sacrifice flies (SF) record fly-ball outs that allow a runner to score.
Sacrifice hits (SH): Sacrifice hits (SH) record bunts or other sacrifice plays credited to advance a runner; Banana Ball’s no-bunting rule governs what can occur in a game.
Hit by pitch (HBP): Hit by pitch (HBP) records a batter being touched by a pitch and awarded first base under the scoring rules.
Grounded into double play (GDP): Grounded into double play (GDP) records a batter’s ground-ball play that results in two outs.
Total plate appearances (TPA): Total plate appearances (TPA) count a batter’s completed turns at the plate.
Pitches seen (PS): Pitches seen (PS) records the number of pitches a batter sees.
Ground outs (GO): Ground outs (GO) record outs produced when a batter puts the ball on the ground.
Air outs (AO): Air outs (AO) record outs produced when a batted ball is caught in the air.
Foul outs to fans (FAN): Foul outs to fans (FAN) record foul balls caught cleanly by fans as outs in the relevant statistics.
Runs created (RC): Runs created (RC) estimate the runs a batter creates from offensive production.
Ball-four sprints per strikeout (B4S/SO): Ball-four sprints per strikeout (B4S/SO) compare a batter’s ball-four sprint total with the batter’s strikeout total.
Pitches per plate appearance (P/PA): Pitches per plate appearance (P/PA) report the average number of pitches seen for each plate appearance.
Batting average on balls in play (BABIP): Batting average on balls in play (BABIP) measures a batter’s hits on balls put into play.
Isolated power (ISO): Isolated power (ISO) measures the extra-base-hit portion of a batter’s power beyond singles.
Ball-four sprint percentage (B4S%): Ball-four sprint percentage (B4S%) reports the rate at which a batter produces ball-four sprints.
Strikeout percentage (SO%): Strikeout percentage (SO%) reports the rate at which a batter strikes out.
Golden Batter (GBAT): Golden Batter (GBAT) records Golden Batter events credited to a player.
Reached on error (ROE): Reached on error (ROE) records when a batter reaches base because of a defensive error.

Banana Ball terms

Pitching statistics

Pitching statistics: Pitching statistics measure pitcher usage and run prevention in Banana Ball. They record innings pitched, strikeouts, runs allowed, earned runs, saves, earned run average, foul outs to fans, and minutes per inning.
Innings pitched (IP): Innings pitched (IP) are the innings credited to a pitcher in the Banana Ball pitching statistics.
Pitcher strikeouts (K): Pitcher strikeouts (K) record strikeouts credited to a player as a pitcher. K identifies the pitching strikeout metric.
Runs allowed (R): Runs allowed (R) record the runs charged to a pitcher in a pitching line.
Earned runs (ER): Earned runs (ER) are runs charged to a pitcher without the benefit of a fielding error or passed ball.
Earned run average (ERA): Earned run average (ERA) is the pitching rate that relates earned runs to innings pitched.
Saves (SV): Saves (SV) are saves credited to a pitcher in the season statistics.
Minutes per inning (MPI): Minutes per inning (MPI) records the time a pitcher takes to complete an inning.

Banana Ball terms

Fielding statistics

Fielding statistics: Fielding statistics measure defensive actions in Banana Ball. They record trick-play outs, missed trick plays, errors, and missed defensive plays.
Trick-play outs (TPO): Trick-play outs (TPO) are defensive outs recorded from trick plays.
Trick plays missed (TPM): Trick plays missed (TPM) record missed trick-play opportunities in the fielding statistics.
Errors (E): Errors (E) record fielding mistakes charged to a player in the fielding statistics.
Missed defensive plays (MISSED): Missed defensive plays (MISSED) record defensive plays that were not completed in the fielding statistics.

Banana Ball terms

Game records and standings

Away team: The away team is the visiting team in a game. The home team plays at the listed stadium.
Banana Ball Championship League (BBCL): The Banana Ball Championship League (BBCL) is the six-team 2026 competition that begins Banana Ball’s first league year with all six teams on the road.
Box score: A Banana Ball box score is a completed-game record that shows the final team line, batting, pitching, and fielding tables, plus an inning-by-inning line when that information is available.
Final score: The final score is the completed game’s point result for both teams. A Banana Ball box score can show the final points separately from the runs and hits that produced them.
Home team: The home team is the team listed as playing at the game’s stadium. The away team is the visiting opponent.
Inning: An inning is a game segment in which both teams receive a batting turn. In Banana Ball, the team with more runs in a regular inning earns that inning’s point.
Inning line: An inning line is the score-by-inning row that lists each team’s runs by inning and the team’s total.
Lineup: A lineup is the ordered set of batting and defensive roles used by a team. Banana Ball’s rules describe a ten-spot lineup that includes designated hitter and extra hitter roles.
Point differential: Point differential is a team’s points scored minus its points allowed in the standings.
Roster: A roster is the team list of players and their published jersey, position, status, and related team information for a season.
Standings: Standings are the season table that compares team records and competition measures such as wins, losses, win percentage, points, point differential, and trick plays.
Win-loss record: A win-loss record shows the number of games a team has won and lost in the competition standings.
Win percentage: Win percentage is the share of a team’s completed games credited as wins, shown as a standings measure.