The nature of a best-of-seven series requires that the series be tied 3–3 going into game seven, such that either team can take the series (advancing further in the playoffs or winning the championship) by winning the game. Because of this decisive nature, game sevens add an element of drama to their sports.[according to whom?][2][3][4][5][6] Aside from North American sports leagues, game sevens are also a fixture in many other sports around the world, mostly in baseball, basketball, and ice hockey leagues. Most codes of football do not employ a best-of-seven series (or any best-of-x series in general), hence game sevens are not played in those leagues.[citation needed] Some playoff rounds (such as MLB's current Division Series) are played in a best-of-five format, such that game five has similar qualities to those described above, though the suspense and drama have less time to build in a shorter series. Furthermore, the World Series of 1903, 1919, 1920, and 1921 were played in a best-of-nine format, though none of the four went to a decisive game nine.
In the World Series, there have been 40 decisive game sevens through the 2022 season; visiting teams have won 21 of those games.[8] Four non-decisive game sevens have been played, in the World Series contested as best-of-nine series (1903, 1919, 1920, 1921); none went to a game nine.
Longest game seven in innings. In the 12th, Muddy Ruel doubled after a dropped foul popfly by Giants catcher Hank Gowdy. Ruel scored on a game-winning RBI double by Earl McNeely.
Jackie Robinson's final Major League game. Last postseason game at Ebbets Field and Dodgers' last postseason game before moving to Los Angeles. As in the 1955 World Series, the only game won by the visiting team was Game 7.
Bill Mazeroski hit a walk-off home run to win the Pirates the championship. Last postseason game in Forbes Field. Last postseason game for Yankees' manager Casey Stengel. Highest scoring game 7 in World Series history. As of 2021, this the most recent time that a Pittsburgh sports franchise has clinched a championship in Pittsburgh.
Pitching through immense pain and on two days rest, Sandy Koufax throws a 3-hit shutout to win the Series and World Series MVP. The home team won all games of the series except for Game 7.
Mickey Lolich outduels Bob Gibson for his third win of the Series. The Tigers rallied from a 3–1 deficit to win the series. First Game 7 loss by the Cardinals in the World Series.
The Pittsburgh Pirates, powered by NLCS and World Series MVP Willie Stargell, rally from a 3–1 deficit to win the series. The Pirates were the last team to win a game seven on the road until 2014.
The Royals also won the 1985 American League Championship Series in seven games, becoming the first team to win two game sevens in the same postseason. Royals became first team to win the World Series after losing the first two games at home. The Royals were the last team to come back from 3–1 down to win a title in any of the five major men's professional sports leagues until the Cleveland Cavaliers won the 2016 NBA Finals after trailing 3–1. The Royals are so far the only team to come back from 3–1 deficits to win both their League Championship Series and the World Series in the same MLB postseason.
Mets become the first team to be one strike away from elimination and come back to win the World Series. Bill Buckner's infamous 10th-inning fielding error at first base allowed the Mets to win Game 6 in a walk-off and force Game 7.
As in 1987, the home team won all games of the series. The Twins won in the bottom of the 10th on a walk-off single by Gene Larkin scoring Dan Gladden after 9+1⁄2 scoreless innings of play. Jack Morris goes all ten innings for the Twins and is named the Series MVP. Twins centerfielder Kirby Puckett hit a famous walk-off home run in the bottom of the eleventh inning of the previous night's game to force this decisive game.
Florida becomes the first wild card team to win the World Series. The Marlins rallied for one run in the bottom of the ninth to tie and won in the eleventh on an Édgar Rentería RBI single off Charles Nagy.
Arizona rallied for two runs in the bottom of the ninth for a come-from-behind win, capped off by Luis Gonzalez hitting the winning RBI single off closer Mariano Rivera. As in both 1987 and 1991, the home team won all games of the series.
Cardinals became the second team to be one strike away from elimination and come back to win the series, which they did twice. Just like the 1991 series, a walk-off home run in the bottom of the eleventh inning of game six, forced this decisive game with David Freese providing the firepower.
The Giants became the first NL team to win a game seven on the road since 1979. NLCSMVP and eventual World Series MVPMadison Bumgarner, normally a starter, pitched five scoreless innings of relief on two days rest to save the Giants' third title in five years.
Chicago Cubs' first World Series win since 1908.[47] Game played between the two teams (Cleveland Indians and Chicago Cubs) with the longest active championship droughts. Dexter Fowler the first player ever to lead off a World Series Game 7 with a home run.[48] The Cubs are the first Major League Baseball team to come back from a 3–1 series deficit to win the World Series since the 1985 Royals and the first since the 1979 Pirates to do so by winning Games 6 & 7 on the road. Most recent World Series game seven to be decided in extra innings. First extra-innings game seven to be won by the road team.
First instance of back-to-back game sevens since 2001–2002. First World Series championship for the Astros, who became the first AL team to win a World Series Game 7 on the road since 1972. The Astros became the second team to win two winner-take-all game sevens in the same postseason since the Kansas City Royals in 1985.[50] First major professional sports championship in Houston since 1995.
This is the first best-of-seven postseason series in any of the major North American sports where the visiting team won all seven games. This was the Nationals' first World Series win and the first time a Washington-based team won the World Series since 1924.
All playoff rounds in the National Basketball League (NBA) are now in a best-of-seven series format so all rounds can have a maximum of seven games. The NBA Finals has been consistently played in a best-of-seven series format since its inception. The game sevens where the championship was awarded:
Final game for Celtics Bill Russell and Sam Jones. Jerry West was Finals MVP, the first time the award was given, and only time it has gone to a player on the losing team.
Fifth time that the Celtics and Lakers met in a game 7. Kobe Bryant won his second consecutive Finals MVP award, scoring 10 of his game high 23 points in the fourth quarter, as well as grabbing 15 rebounds to clinch the victory for the Lakers.
First away team to win game 7 of the NBA Finals since 1978. The Cavaliers also became the first team in the four major men's professional sports leagues to come back from 3–1 down in a championship round since the 1985 Kansas City Royals and first team ever to do so in the NBA Finals. First major professional sports championship in Cleveland since 1964.
Ice hockey
Kontinental Hockey League
In the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) playoffs, game seven can occur in all playoff series. The KHL playoffs' final series, the Gagarin Cup Final, has seen five series decided in game seven.[70]
The game sevens where the Gagarin Cup was awarded are:
In Liiga (or Finnish Elite League) playoffs, game seven can occur in all playoff series except the wild-card rounds. The Liiga playoffs' final series has seen several series decided in game seven.
The game sevens where Liiga awarded gold medals and the Kanada-malja include:
In the National Hockey League's (NHL) Stanley Cup playoffs, game seven can occur in all playoff series.[75] The Stanley Cup became the NHL's de facto championship trophy in 1926, and the league instituted the best-of-seven series starting in the 1938–39 season. No Stanley Cup Finals game seven has ever ended with a 1–0 score.
The game sevens where the Stanley Cup was awarded are:
Toronto came back down 0–3 in the series to win the Stanley Cup. The Leafs were the first team in North American professional sports to win a playoff series after trailing 0–3.[77] It remains the only time in the Stanley Cup Finals where a team won a championship series after trailing 0–3.
The home team won all games of the series except for game seven. Chicago led 2–0 in the deciding game at home before allowing three unanswered goals and losing the game.
First Stanley Cup Finals featuring two former World Hockey Association teams. The Hurricanes became the first Stanley Cup champion to miss the playoffs in the previous season and the following season. This was Rod Brind'Amour's first and only Stanley Cup in his 21-year playing career.
The home team won all games of the series, except for game seven. First time the away team won game seven of a championship round, in any major professional sport, since the 1979 World Series.
The home team won all games of the series, except for game seven. Not only does Boston became the first city to win all four major sports championships in the 21st century, but also Vancouver failed to become the third city to win the Stanley Cup after hosting the Olympic Games the previous year.
St. Louis becomes the last of the five surviving teams from the 1967 NHL expansion to win the Stanley Cup. Jordan Binnington becomes the first rookie goaltender to register 16 postseason wins in NHL history. The road team won five of the seven games of the series, except for games one and four. This is also the first championship for a team based in St. Louis since 2011.
Florida won the first three games of the series by a combined score of 11–4. Edmonton rallied back from a 3–0 series deficit by winning the next three games by a margin of two or more goals, forcing a seventh game in the series in which they had the opportunity to overcome the deficit. However, Florida avoided a historic reverse sweep and won the last game of the series at home to become the southernmost team ever to win the Stanley Cup. This was the first game seven of a championship round since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and also marked the first time that the home team had won a game seven of a championship round since the 2013 NBA Finals, which was consequently the last time that a team based in the Miami area won a championship up to that point.
Comebacks
This table below lists teams that, after being down three games to none, have forced a seventh game.
The New York Islanders are the only team to have twice fallen behind 0–3 and then forced a game seven in the same postseason; in the 1975 Stanley Cup Quarterfinals (which they won) and then the 1975 Stanley Cup Semifinals (which they lost).[95]
Major sports leagues
This table summarizes the above results for the three major sports leagues in North America that play seven-game series: