Short answer: Yes—the World Series is contested in a best-of-seven format. Details:
- Structure: The series lasts up to seven games, with the first team to win four games declared the champion. This has been the standard format for the World Series for most of its history, with a brief exception in 1919 when the series used a best-of-nine format.
- Home-field pattern: Home-field advantage is typically determined by regular-season outcomes and follows a 2-3-2 hosting pattern, meaning the team with home-field hosts games 1, 2, 6, and 7 if necessary, while the other team hosts games 3, 4, and 5. This arrangement adds strategic depth to the series.
- History and rationale: The best-of-seven format balances competitiveness and practicality, aiming to ensure the champion truly earns the title while keeping the series engaging and finite. This format has been in place for the World Series since the early 20th century, with 1919 being the notable exception.
If you’d like, I can pull the latest specifics about the current World Series format rules or recent playoff variations from reliable sources.
