Professional Baseball Weekend Three-Game Series Canceled Due to Heatwave... Games to Start at 7 p.m.

"Cooling Break" System Introduced for Players

The weekend three-game series of the professional baseball league was canceled nationwide due to the scorching heatwave. The start time of the games will also be postponed from the original 6:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) held an emergency executive committee meeting on heatwave countermeasures on August 6, 2026, at the Baseball Hall in Dogok-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, attended by the general managers of all 10 clubs and Jang Dongcheol, Secretary General of the Korea Professional Baseball Players Association, where these decisions were made. Following the cancellation of all professional baseball games on August 5 and 6, the KBO decided to cancel all 15 games that were scheduled to be held at five stadiums nationwide from August 7 to 9.

Yonhap News Agency

As a result, the total number of games canceled this season due to the heatwave has increased to 30. Including games canceled due to rain and other reasons, the total number of canceled games has reached 55.

The KBO secretariat and the 10 clubs will prepare detailed heatwave measures and facilities over the weekend and have decided to resume the league starting August 11, 2026.

The game start time will also be adjusted through September 6, 2026. Whereas previously games started at 6:30 p.m. on weekdays and 6:00 p.m. on weekends, now all games—both weekday and weekend—will begin at 7:00 p.m. However, returning to the previous schedule will be decided flexibly depending on future weather conditions.

Exceptionally, games held at the indoor Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul will start at 7:00 p.m. on weekdays, 6:00 p.m. on Saturdays, and at 2:00 p.m. on Sundays based on the broadcast schedule.

For the Futures (secondary) League, all games will be canceled until August 10, 2026, and until August 31, 2026, the start time for night games will be changed to 7:00 p.m. Alternatively, upon agreement between both clubs, games can be moved to commence at 10:00 a.m.

Specific game operation guidelines related to the heatwave have also been established. If a heatwave emergency warning is issued for the area where the stadium is located before 1:00 p.m. on the day of the game, the game will be immediately canceled.

When a heatwave advisory or warning is in effect, the game supervisor will continue to measure the perceived temperature at the site starting from 1:00 p.m. If the perceived temperature reaches 35 degrees Celsius at the start of the game, or if a serious risk is assessed, the decision to cancel the game will be made at least three hours before the scheduled start time.

Even if the game is not canceled, if necessary, the start time can be postponed up to 7:30 p.m. After a game has started, decisions to suspend or continue the game will be made based on temperature and the condition of players and spectators.

A 'cooling break' for the players will also be permanently introduced. The inning changetime after the third and seventh innings will be extended to four minutes to ensure a sufficient rest period. If necessary, the cleaning time after the fifth inning may also be extended to a maximum of six minutes.

In the case of extra innings, an additional four-minute break will be provided after the ninth inning.

For spectator safety, stadium entry times will be flexibly adjusted to minimize outdoor waiting, and shade canopies, cooling fog systems, water supply facilities, and emergency medical staff will be supplemented. KBO and club safety managers will establish a hotline to monitor and manage occurrences of heat-related illnesses in real time.

Bak Geun-chan, Secretary General of the KBO, stated, "There was an 8-to-2 split of opinion regarding the cancellation of all weekend games. Those in favor said that resuming games without sufficient measures could lead to problems, so we must be fully prepared before proceeding. Opponents argued that fans are eagerly waiting for baseball and that some stadiums had temperatures suitable for weekend games."

Regarding concerns that consecutive cancellations due to the heatwave might add pressure to the remaining league schedule, he responded, "Currently, the consensus is that the safety of the spectators and players should take priority over the future schedule."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.