What is the criteria for a perfect game?

[Rin04]

I was just wondering if it would still count as a perfect game if some one had an error. Does anyone know?

thanks

[KPucks]

Nope. 27 up, 27 down. Nothing else is a perfect game.

[Rin04]

Ok thanks. Its just that my friend claims that if there was an error there could still be a perfect game.

[thetongueofire]

Ok thanks. Its just that my friend claims that if there was an error there could still be a perfect game.

tell him he's wrong ... its only a perfect game if no one gets on base at all by any means...

[Amazinz]

The exception to the rule is an error that does not allow a baserunner such as a misplayed foul ball. In this case it would still be a perfect game.

[jpbusta]

Nope. 27 up, 27 down. Nothing else is a perfect game.

[LBJackal]

I heard from somebody a while ago that if an error is commited, the game isn't considered "perfect" even if no batters reach base. ie: a dropped fly ball in which the player is thrown out at first if he doesn't run fast. I don't even know if that's considered an error though............I was skeptical when I heard it but thought I'd mention it. It sounds like a stupid rule, but ya never know.

[KPucks]

It makes sense to me that it would be a perfect game if somebody dropped a foul ball b/c the batter still didn't reach place, keeping the 27 up, 27 down intact.

[Tavish]

I don't think a game with *any* errors classifies as a perfect game. I couldn't find any references to a 27 up 27 down game with a foul ball error so I'm not sure if it has ever happened. It would suck to lose a perfect game on an error like that, but perfection is supposed to be hard to obtain.

[Urge]

Author Paul Dickson in The New Baseball Dictionary (1999) describes it with, "A no-hitter in which no opposing player reaches first base, either by a base hit, base on balls, hit batter, or fielding error; i.e., the pitcher or pitchers retire all 27 opposing batters in order."