NPB Rules Quick Reference

NPB Active Roster: 31 Registered Players, 26 on the Bench - Breakdown and History As of the 2026 season, each NPB club can register up to 31 players on its active roster, of whom 26 can be on the bench for a given game. A quick reference covering the layers from the 70-man reserve list down to the starting nine, the foreign-player limit, and how the cap grew from 28 to 29 to 31. Verified: 2026-07-26
NPB Extra Innings: Games End After the 12th - Rules for the Season, CS, and Japan Series NPB regular-season games in both leagues go at most 12 innings; if still tied, the game ends in a draw (no tiebreaker). The Climax Series is also capped at 12, while the Japan Series allows 12 innings through Game 7 and unlimited innings from Game 8. Includes the verified history, such as the 10-inning cap in 2020 and no extra innings in 2021. Verified: 2026-07-26
Is There a Midnight Rule in NPB? - How Late Can Games Run? NPB games are not cut off by the clock at midnight: what ends a game is the 12-inning limit, and games have in fact continued past midnight (such as a 6-hour-26-minute game in 1992 that ended at 12:26 a.m.). This page also covers the time limits that did exist in the past, like the 3.5-hour rule of 2011-2012, all checked against primary sources. Verified: 2026-07-26
Ejection Rules in NPB - What Happens After the Call In NPB, an ejection is a sanction called by the umpires: the ejected player, manager, or coach must leave the game immediately. The game itself continues - a substitute takes the player's place and a coach takes over for an ejected manager. An ejection alone carries no suspension; fines or further discipline can follow for serious cases. A quick reference with the underlying rules and real examples. Verified: 2026-07-26

Each page reflects the rules as of its verification date.

Record Tracker

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