Ties?

- Doesn't this mean that their second round advantage for winning the CL regular season was actually 1.5 games?

I'm not sure if the designation 0.5 is easier to understand, but, yes, the team with a better regular season record wins a tied series.

- What happens when an even-strength series (if there are any) finishes tied after all games have been played?

I'm sure what an "even-strength series" means, but no two teams enter the post-season series tied. There is a tie-breaking system for the regular season. A number of wins, a head-to-head record, previous year's standings, etc.

Alright, time for more clarification.

So the Giants CL playoff series (a best-of-6) was not only one where they get a one-game head-start, but also where they take the series in the case of a 3-3 (or equivalent) split? Which means that they only technically needed 2.5 wins where their opponent needed 4.0?

Do tied games ever get replayed, by rule? Are one-game tiebreakers ever used for playoff berths, by rule?

Sorry to ask so many questions. This is one of the quirks in NPB that I really like, I just would like to understand the rules better.

I'm not sure whether the decimal point notation can be said to be technical, but, yes, the Giants needed two wins and a tie at least to win the series because they had already won the Central League title. And that's actually what they got (in addition to one loss). The opponent needed four wins out of six.

As of 2009, there is no extra game played whatever the reason, be it suspension, called, or tie-breaking.

- As of 2009, there is no extra game played whatever the reason, be it suspension, called, or tie-breaking.

So are you saying they changed the Climax Series rules yet again?

Are there play-off rule changes for 2009? I hope that they would not allow ties in the playoffs like last year. I don't think there is any pro sports league that allows ties in the playoffs, except maybe soccer. Last years series between the Giants and Dragons was a joke with the Giants winning a 7 game series with 2 wins (1 tie and 1 loss). These rules need to be changed!

At least this type of thing didn't happen in the Japan Series, does it have different rules? You play the whole 8 month season to get to playoffs and can't play another couple innings to get a true winner, ridiculous!

- You play the whole 8 month season to get to playoffs and can't play another couple innings to get a true winner, ridiculous!

I think you should address the validity of the Climax Series itself. If you agree with the statement by the leagues that the regular season winner has the League Championship, then the Climax Series isn't a play-off, strictly speaking.

- I think you should address the validity of the Climax Series itself. If you agree with the statement by the leagues that the regular season winner has the League Championship, then the Climax Series isn't a play-off, strictly speaking.

I think that is a fair point, but I think that at least two if not three teams should advance to the playoffs from each league. You play the regular season to make it to the playoffs and get the highest seed possible. Plus it keeps fans interested when more teams still have a shot to get to the playoffs. The team that wins the regular season gets home field advantage, and currently a bye through the first round, that is enough advantage.

Winning under the pressure of the playoffs is what makes you a champion, not taking advantage of a bunch rules that help the regular season champs advance. I understand why the tie is not really a win for the higher seed, I just don't agree with it, the games need to be played until there is a winner.

Yomiuri advanced because the tie removed any chance of Chunichi winning the series. In that case, the higher seeded team advances at that point.

The Nippon Series can have ties as well, it has happened 5 times - 1953, '57, '62, '75, and '86 Nippon Series.

Thank you for all the responses. I think I understand the concept pretty well now. When push comes to shove I think the big advantage gained by the CL and PL regular season champs is too much, but that's not what this thread is about.

On a side note, does one league still play 15 innings before declaring a tie, or do they both just go 12 now?

Both leagues just go 12 now.

Speaking of ties, I've even seen a game called on account of darkness in Maruyama Stadium in Sapporo because they don't have lights!