Savannah Bananas play by Banana Ball rules. Here's what they are

When it comes to the Savannah Bananas, a team that prides itself on making baseball fun, regular baseball rules are thrown out the window.

Unlike a normal nine-inning baseball game, the Bananas play Banana Ball, which is wildly different from regular baseball.

The Bananas return to Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati, and if you’ve never been to one of their games, here’s how Banana Ball is played.

The Savannah Bananas visit Great American Ball Park for a three-night stint June 19-21. The show kicks off at 7 p.m. June 19-20. The Bananas’ final game has an early start time of 3 p.m. June 21.

The Savannah Bananas, currently on their Banana Ball World Tour, which consists of 81 games across 45 states, will play three games at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati. The season began in February and runs until late September.

Banana Ball is baseball but with nine rule changes designed to speed up the game and create a more entertaining experience for fans. Bananas games have a two-hour time limit.

Fans attending a Bananas game should expect a wide variety of antics, such as dancing umpires, players wearing kilts and more. Here are some of the rules of Banana Ball:

• Fans can make outs: If a spectator in the crowd catches a foul ball, it’s an out.

• Batters can steal first base: If a pitcher throws a wild pitch, or if there is a passed ball, a batter can take first.

• No walks: On ball four, the batter runs to first and can advance to as many bases as possible while the catcher has to throw the ball to every position player before the batter can be tagged out.

• Each inning is worth one point: Whichever team wins the inning gets that point until the final inning.

• Two-hour time limit: No inning can start after one hour and 50 minutes unless the game is tied.

• No stepping out: If a batter steps out of the batter’s box, it’s a strike. 

• Showdown tiebreaker: If the game is tied after nine innings or two hours, a tiebreaker showdown takes place with only the pitcher, batter and one fielder. 

• No mound visits: Pitchers are left to their own devices to dig themselves out of a hole. No mound visits are allowed from the coach, catcher or any other player during the game.

• No bunting … ever: Batters who bunt are immediately ejected from the game.

• Challenges: The coach of each team holding onto a challenge prop can throw or shoot it onto the field before the next pitch. Each team only gets one challenge unless the play in question is overturned by the umpiring crew, in which case the challenge is retained.

• Golden batter rule: Either team can send any hitter in the lineup to bat in any spot once a game, including toward the end when the game is on the line.

Fans can make outs: If a spectator in the crowd catches a foul ball, it’s an out.

Batters can steal first base: If a pitcher throws a wild pitch, or if there is a passed ball, a batter can take first.

No walks: On ball four, the batter runs to first and can advance to as many bases as possible while the catcher has to throw the ball to every position player before the batter can be tagged out.

Each inning is worth one point: Whichever team wins the inning gets that point until the final inning.

Two-hour time limit: No inning can start after one hour and 50 minutes unless the game is tied.

No stepping out: If a batter steps out of the batter’s box, it’s a strike. 

Showdown tiebreaker: If the game is tied after nine innings or two hours, a tiebreaker showdown takes place with only the pitcher, batter and one fielder. 

No mound visits: Pitchers are left to their own devices to dig themselves out of a hole. No mound visits are allowed from the coach, catcher or any other player during the game.

No bunting … ever: Batters who bunt are immediately ejected from the game.

Challenges: The coach of each team holding onto a challenge prop can throw or shoot it onto the field before the next pitch. Each team only gets one challenge unless the play in question is overturned by the umpiring crew, in which case the challenge is retained.

Golden batter rule: Either team can send any hitter in the lineup to bat in any spot once a game, including toward the end when the game is on the line.

Banana Ball is essentially baseball’s quirky cousin and comparable to the Harlem Globetrotters, the entertaining traveling basketball team. The sporting event is also a spectacle of choreographed dances that go viral, outreagous costumes and tons of fan involvement. The game itself is nearly identical to regular baseball but with a few rule changes, such as playing on a two-hour time limit.

The game is scored with teams tallying points for innings won instead of runs scored. According to the Bananas’ website, if you win the inning, you get the point. Other rules include prohibiting mound visits, as well as bunting and stepping out of the batter’s box between pitches.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: What are the rules to Savannah Bananas games? Banana Ball explained