A game seven is the final game of a best-of-seven series. This game can occur in the postseasons for Major League Baseball (MLB) (League Championship Series and World Series), the National Basketball Association (NBA) (all rounds of the NBA playoffs), and the National Hockey League (NHL) (all rounds of the Stanley Cup playoffs). The game is generally played at the site of the team holding the home advantage across the series. It can also happen on the television game show Jeopardy! with its Tournament of Champions format since Season 38, where a player must win three games to win the final (2-2-2 tie leads to a Game Seven).
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. 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. 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.
The game seven is comparable to a final or to a single game in a single-elimination tournament or to a one-game playoff. A championship series' game seven is equivalent to the Super Bowl game in the National Football League in that the game's winner is the league's champion for the season.
Examples
Baseball
Chinese Professional Baseball League The Chinese Professional Baseball League's championship series, the Taiwan Series, has seen nine series decided in game seven.
Taiwan Series that were decided in game seven include: Year Winning team Losing team Score Site Notes Uni-President Lions Wei Chuan Dragons 13–5 Taipei City Wei Chuan Dragons Sinon Bulls 5–2 Taichung City Capacity audience. Uni-President Lions Sinon Bulls 4–1 Taichung City Capacity audience. Lo Min-ching homered the fifth time and then the sixth in the series. Brother Elephants Uni-President Lions 7–5 Tainan City Capacity audience. Yofu Tetsu saved the Elephants. Sinon Bulls Uni-President Lions 8–6 Tainan City Capacity audience. Chang Chia-hao hit the winning triple in the ninth inning. Uni-President Lions La New Bears 4–2 Kaohsiung County Capacity audience. Nelson Figueroa became the first player taking three starting wins in CPBL playoff history. Uni-President 7-Eleven Lions Brother Elephants 4–0 Tainan City Capacity audience. Luther Hackman closed the game. Uni-President 7-Eleven LionsBrother Elephants 5–2 Tainan City Capacity audience. Lions win their third consecutive championship. Lamigo Monkeys Chinatrust Brothers 11–0 Taoyuan Stadium Capacity audience. Pat Misch pitched the only no hitter ever in Taiwan Series. Lamigo overcomes a 3–1 series deficit to win their second consecutive championship.
Major League Baseball
In the Major League Baseball postseason, a game seven can occur in the League Championship Series and the World Series; a game seven cannot occur in the Division Series of the playoff, which are played as best-of-five series nor can it occur in the Wild Card Series, which are played as best-of-three series.
In the World Series, there have been 41 decisive game sevens through the 2025 season; visiting teams have won 22 of those games. 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.
World Series decided by a game seven: