A standard softball game consists of seven innings. Each inning is divided into two halves: the "top" half where the visiting team bats and the home team fields, and the "bottom" half where the home team bats and the visiting team fields. Each half ends when the batting team records three outs. This seven- inning format is consistent across most levels of play, including high school, college, and professional softball

. If the score is tied at the end of seven innings, extra innings are played until a winner is determined

. Additionally, some leagues may apply a mercy rule to end the game early if one team has a large lead after a certain number of innings