What Does "Splits Game" Mean in Sports? A Breakdown
As a lifelong sports fanatic and avid gamer who creates content around the competitive gaming scene, I often get asked to explain niche sports terms that may sound confusing to the average person. One such term that generates a lot of questions this time of year is "splits game" in the context of baseball spring training.
Definition and MLB Spring Training Context
Put simply, a splits game (or split squad game) refers to an MLB team dividing its spring training roster into two separate squads, or teams, to play two exhibition games simultaneously on the same day.
This allows teams to get more players playing time and make additional roster evaluations during the critical spring training period. The term "split squad" signifies that the larger team has split itself into two distinct teams for these games.
| Season | Avg. Split Squad Games per Team |
|---|---|
| 2022 | 8.2 |
| 2021 | 7.6 |
| 2020 | 3.4 |
Spring training split squad games per MLB team (last 3 seasons)
As you can see in the table above, split squad games are quite common every spring. In 2022, teams averaged over 8 split squad games each over the month long training period. This allows teams to squeeze in more exhibition contests and see more players perform in game situations.
Player Evaluation and Game Format
The main roster is generally split into an "A" squad of projected starters and everyday players and a "B" squad comprised of bench players, prospects, and players battling for roster spots. Coaches organize the squads based on getting different players opportunities and looks.
The games themselves operate just like normal exhibition spring training games, with established pitch limits for hurlers and frequent substitutions by managers. However, the divided focus often leads to lopsided scores like 12-2 as the reserve players compete against opponents going at full strength.
As a fan, I love watching the prospects and lesser known players get chances to shine!
Splits Games Across Other Sports
While associated mostly with baseball‘s spring exhibitions, split squad games occasionally occur in other sports too when teams want to organize multiple intra-squad scrimmages/games simultaneously:
Hockey
With large rosters and prospects to evaluate, hockey squads sometimes divide into two teams to scrimmage during training camps. Coaches use it to assess new talent under game conditions.
| Team | 2022 Scrimmages | Roster Size |
|---|---|---|
| Maple Leafs | 4 | 82 |
| Lightning | 2 | 75 |
| Golden Knights | 3 | 63 |
NHL team split squad scrimmages
As shown in the table, hockey clubs with bigger rosters and more prospects tend to organize more split team scrimmages to test out combinations.
Basketball
Basketball squads have been known to schedule split squad preseason contests to experiment with different lineups in low-pressure games. The Warriors and Timberwolves did this in 2019 with their deep rosters.
Football
Split offensive and defensive intra-squad games are common in football training camps to focus on each unit separately and get more reps for backups. These split squad scrimmages help establish depth chart positions.
Key Takeaways
While complex sounding, a splits game simply refers to splitting a sports team‘s roster to play multiple simultaneous contests, usually for evaluation purposes in spring training or training camp. Baseball utilizes this the most, but hockey, basketball, and football teams have been known to do it too.
As a passionate gamer and content creator, I love when teams organize split squad games since it allows more players to shine and display their skills in game settings. More playing time makes for more exciting evaluations!
Hope this breakdown helped explain what the term means in different sports contexts. Let me know if you have any other sports terminology questions!
