How Do You Play Banana Ball? Key Rules & Differences

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Learn how to play (and watch) baseball’s exciting, fast-paced cousin

Co-authored by Marcus Pruitt, BS

Last Updated: October 31, 2025 Fact Checked

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• Key Rules
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• History
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• Teams
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• What is Banana Ball?
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• Where to Watch
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• Is Banana Ball scripted?
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• Video

|Show more |Show less

It’s okay to admit that baseball is boring (sometimes)…those long, drawn-out innings can take hours, and they aren’t always fun to sit through! Luckily, Banana Ball is a more exciting alternative. The rules of Banana Ball make the game much faster and entertaining, and in this article, we break all of them down. We also dive into the history of the sport and go over the professional teams to give you an overview of the league. Read on to learn everything you need to know about Banana Ball.

What are the rules of Banana Ball?

Banana Ball is a fast-paced version of baseball that prioritizes entertainment and excitement. It has 12 rules that make for quick, 2-hour games. For example, points are based on innings won (rather than runs), and there’s no bunting or walking. There are also more penalties, showdown rounds, and a Golden Batter Rule.

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Section 1 of 6:

Banana Ball Key Rules

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1. 
   1
   Each inning is worth one point. This is one of the rules that keep Banana Ball fast-paced. Instead of one run being worth one point, Banana Ball values points by innings. So, whichever team gets the most runs in an inning wins the inning and gains a point.

   • This rule applies to every inning but the last, where every run counts as a point. This makes the final inning especially fast-paced.
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   The games have a two-hour time limit. Rather than playing through all of the innings like traditional baseball, Banana Ball has a set time limit of two hours. No new inning can start once the clock has hit 1 hour and 50 minutes, and once an inning starts, it’s played until the batting team gets out three times.

   • Many traditional baseball games go past three hours, so this rule helps keep things fast-paced and full of action.
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   Batters can’t step out of the batter’s box. This rule is pretty simple: batters can’t step out of the batter’s box, and if they do, they’re given a strike. This makes sure they stand inside the batter’s box and keeps them on their toes, adding some light stakes to the game.
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   No bunting. When you’re playing Banana Ball, you can’t bunt the ball. Not only does it slow down the pace of the game, but doing so results in an automatic elimination of the hitter. So when you’re at bat, swing the bat hard and make sure you don’t bunt (unless you’re trying to throw the game).
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   Batters can try to steal first base at any time. When a player is at bat, they can try to steal first base after any pitch, including a wild pitch or a pass ball. They don’t have to hit the ball; as long as the ball is pitched, the batter can try to steal first base.

   • This is another rule that keeps Banana Ball exciting and fast-paced, as the players have to be on their toes any time the ball is pitched, not just once it’s hit.
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   No walking; instead, walks are replaced by ball-four sprints. Rather than walking to first base after the four balls are thrown outside the strike zone, the hitter runs after a ‘ball four.’ Meanwhile, every defensive player (besides the pitcher and the catcher) must touch the ball before it becomes live (is back in play and can be used to get the batter out). The hitter can run or sprint to as many bases as they can in the meantime.
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   No visiting the mound at any time. It doesn’t matter if you’re the coach, the catcher, or any other team member. If you’re not a pitcher, visits to the mound are expressly forbidden in Banana Ball. Besides, mound visits slow the game down and are boring to watch, so it makes sense that they’re not allowed.
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   When fans catch foul balls, it’s an out. This is a fun rule that ensures the fans get involved in the game. When a batter hits a foul ball and a fan catches it, it’s counted as an out. Not only can this help shift the tides of a game, but it also gives the fans a bit of incentive to pay attention and get involved.
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   Ties are broken with a “showdown tiebreaker.” If the two-hour time limit hits and the game is still tied, a showdown tiebreaker commences. The showdown tiebreaker is broken into three rounds. Round one includes a pitcher, a catcher, and a fielder playing against the hitter. Round two includes a pitcher and catcher against a hitter. Round three includes a pitcher, catcher, and fielder against a hitter with the bases loaded.

   • These rounds play like regular innings, where three outs result in swapped sides.
   • If a hitter makes a full run, they score a point. If they get out, they get no points.
   • If the tie isn’t broken by round three, you play another showdown round until a team wins.
   • If, at any time during the showdown tiebreaker, a home run is hit over the outfield wall, the game is immediately won by the batting team.
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    Each team can challenge calls made by umpires until they lose a challenge. Only certain calls can be challenged: Whether or not a ball was caught, whether or not a runner is out, and whether or not a ball was fair or foul. But if a team believes that the umpire was wrong, they can challenge their call until they themselves are proven wrong. The broadcast team reviews the challenges, determines a verdict, and relays the results to the umpire.
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    Each team can send out a “Golden Batter” once per game. Once per game, a team can select any hitter it wants to go up to bat. This adds even more excitement to Banana Ball, as a team can change the tides by sending in their best batter during a close moment in the game. Unfortunately, the batter isn’t actually golden (that’s just the term used to refer to the hitter who’s selected), but depending on their performance, they might as well be golden.
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    An equalizer point is determined before the ninth inning. An equalizer point is a point that is awarded to the visiting team for doing more trick plays than the home team, like a behind-the-back toss or a between-the-legs toss. This rule incentivizes trick plays in Banana Ball, which adds an extra layer of excitement to the game.
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Section 2 of 6:

History of Banana Ball

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1. 1
   Banana Ball was invented in 2018 by Jesse Cole. Cole is the owner of the Savanah Bananas, and he conjured up Banana Ball after noticing that fans left standard games of baseball around the middle of the game. Noticing this spurred him to add some changes to the game to make it faster-paced and more entertaining, which led to the birth of Banana Ball in 2018.

   • The first game was tested at Lander University on November 2, 2018.
2. 2
   The first official game was played in 2020. On June 26, 2020, the Savannah Bananas stepped onto the field to play the first official game of Banana Ball at Grayson Stadium. Since there wasn’t an official league yet, they played an intrateam game, splitting their team into yellow and green teams and setting the stage for the sport to kick off.

   • The Savannah Bananas played Banana Ball and their regular games in the Coastal Plain League (CPL) from 2020-2022.
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   In 2023, the official Banana Ball Championship League was founded. Banana Ball gained traction in the early 2020s, with teams like the Party Animals and Firefighters debuting soon after the Savanah Bananas.This traction continued all the way to 2023, when the Savanah Bananas started playing Banana Ball full-time and formed the Banana Ball Championship League (BBCL), the official league of the sport.
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Section 3 of 6:

Banana Ball Teams

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1. 
   1
   Savannah Bananas The Savannah Bananas are the team that started it all. They were initially a part of the Coastal Plain League (CPL), but once Banana Ball got popular, they shifted to touring exhibition games exclusively, leaving the league and elevating Banana Ball in the process. They wear jerseys that call back to their name, as they’re drenched in bright yellow with dark blue numbers and lettering.

   • The Savannah Bananas are the face of Banana Ball.
   • Before they entered the league, the Savannah Bananas won three Petitt Cup championships in 2016, 2021, and 2022.
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   Party Animals The Party Animals are the Savannah Bananas’ rival team, and tend to butt heads whenever they’re going against each other on the field. They debuted in 2020 and were the first official opponent for the Savannah Bananas, who played scrimmage games among themselves before the Party Animals stepped onto the scene.

   • They are also based in Savannah, Georgia.
   • The Party Animals tend to wear black or pink uniforms with bright neon green accents.
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   Firefighters The Firefighters are the third team introduced in the Banana Ball League. They are also based in Savannah, Georgia, like the Savannah Bananas and the Party Animals. They wear firefighter-themed uniforms, including helmets and red and yellow tops with flame graphics.
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   Texas Tailgaters Introduced in October 2024 as a part of the 2025 season launch, the Texas Tailgaters are the fourth team in the Banana Ball league. They were initially based out of Savannah, Georgia, but as of September 2025, they have relocated to Texas. Their debut tour, which kicked off in 2025, saw them playing at stadiums in Frisco, San Antonio, and Round Rock.

   • The Texas Tailgaters don’t have an official home stadium or city yet.
   • They wear jerseys that are split into half-red, half-white right down the middle. They have gold numbers and lettering.
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   Visitors In Banana Ball, the Visitors serve as opponents for the Savannah Bananas or Party Animals when the other team is playing against the Firefighters. For example, if the Bananas are playing against the Firefighters, the Party Animals will play the Visitors. They wear grey uniforms with blue numbering, and there are no names on the back of their jerseys.

   • The Visitors are also considered the minor league training wing of the Bananas organization.
   • The Visitors were introduced in June 2024.
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Section 4 of 6:

What is Banana Ball?

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1. 
   Banana Ball is a fast-paced, entertainment-based variant of baseball. Banana Ball’s main goal is to entertain the fans, with players bringing funny antics, over-the-top celebrations, and fast-paced plays to the field. Each inning is worth one point, with the team that gets the most runs in an inning being granted the point. Along with the other rules of the game, like no walking or bunts, this keeps Banana Ball fast-paced and exciting all the way down to the wire.

   • The official Banana Ball League is known as the Banana Ball Championship League (BBCL).

Section 5 of 6:

Where to Watch Banana Ball

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1. 1
   Tune into games at home via YouTube, ESPN, and Disney+. To watch games from the comfort of your own home (or work, during your commute, really wherever you want to tune in), check out ESPN and Disney+. These two streaming services broadcast live games during the season, and if you upgrade to ESPN+, simulcast and on-demand content also become available. You can also check out YouTube to watch select games and past live broadcasts.
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   Watch regular live games at Grayson Stadium. Most regular games of Banana Ball take place at Grayson Stadium in Savannah, Georgia, where the game originated. To catch a live regular game, take a trip to Savannah and grab a ticket, which will run you anywhere from $35 to $125 (depending on the seats you grab). More expensive tickets tend to be closer to the action and offer premium experiences.
3. 3
   Watch World Tour Games at national stadiums, like Yankee Stadium. If you want to catch a live World Tour Game of Banana Ball (where they travel across the United States), check out the World Tour Schedule on their website and see when they’re coming to a stadium near you. In the past, the World Tour’s stopped in cities like Chicago, New York City, Miami, and Tampa Bay, among others.
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Section 6 of 6:

Is Banana Ball scripted?

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1. 
   The entertainment aspect is scripted, but the actual gameplay isn’t. When Banana Ball teams step onto the field, they have scripts for the entertainment aspects of the game, like dances, walk-ups, crazy antics, and celebrations, but the game itself isn’t scripted. Once they get on the field and get the ball in play, the outcome depends on the Banana Ball players, not a predetermined script.

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