mercyrule

Mercyrule is a term used primarily in team sports to describe a rule that ends a game early when one team has achieved a sufficiently large lead. It is a variant spelling of mercy rule, and in some contexts may be called the run rule or slaughter rule. The intent is to spare players the strain of an extended game and to prevent blowouts from affecting standings or safety.

The exact trigger for a mercyrule varies by league but generally involves the leading team being ahead by a specified margin after a defined number of innings or half-innings. If the threshold is reached, the game ends at that point with the trailing team recorded as the loser. Common configurations include a lead of 10 runs after 4 or 5 innings, though other margins and inning requirements exist depending on the competition.

Mercy rules are most common in youth and amateur baseball and softball, as well as some high school and college formats. They are less common in professional play, where games typically proceed to completion, though certain tournaments or formats may adopt similar constraints in early rounds. Variations reflect differences in league philosophy, scheduling, and safety concerns, and official rulebooks will specify the applicable run-rule or mercy rule in each sport.

In practice, mercyrule serves to keep games fair and manageable, reducing fatigue and preventing lopsided results from unduly influencing standings. Related terms include mercy rule, run rule, and slaughter rule.