NEW HORIZON
YOUTH SPORTS
LEAGUE
2008
Baseball and Softball
Rules Book
NEW HORIZON YOUTH SPORTS LEAGUE
MEMBER ASSOCIATIONS
DARDENNE ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION
2080 Hanley Road
Dardenne Prairie, MO 63368
Office: 636-561-6889
Email: jhcroak@aol.com
www.dardennesports.com
LAKE SAINT LOUIS PARKS & RECREATION
200 Civic Center Drive
Lake Saint Louis, MO 63367
Office: 636-625-1200
Email: tvanatta@lakesaintlouis.com
NEW MELLE SPORTS & RECREATION
Home: 636-798-2877
Email: tkeiner@centurytel.net
www.newmellesports.com
RIVER CITY ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION
P.O. Box 2082
St. Peters, MO 73376
Board Room: 636-939-9952
Email: playball@rivercityathlete.org
WENTZVILLE PARKS & RECREATION
968 Meyer Road
Wentzville, MO 63385
636-332-9236
email: troyk@wentzvillemo.org
DISTANCES
DIVISION MOUND TO PLATE BETWEEN BASES
PITCH MACH 36 FT 55 FT
ATOM I 40 FT 60 FT
ATOM II 40 FT 60 FT
BANTAM I 45 FT 65 FT
BANTAM II 48 FT 70 FT
BANTAM II SELECT 50 FT 70 FT
MIDGET I 50 FT 70 FT
MIDGET II 54 FT 80 FT
JUVENILE 60 FT 6 INCHES 90 FT
8 UNDER 32 FT 55 FT
10 UNDER 35 FT 60 FT
12 UNDER 40 FT 60 FT
14 UNDER 40 FT 60 FT
16 UNDER 40 FT 60 FT
PART I – ASSOCIATION RULES PAGE
- RULE 1 AGE DIVISIONS 1
- RULE 2 TEAM REGISTRATION &
CURRENT SEASON 2
- RULE 3 MEMBERSHIP TERMINATION 2
- RULE 4 REGISTRATION OF PLAYERS,
MANAGERS & COACHES 3
- RULE 5 REQUISITE QUALIF. OF PLAYERS 9
- RULE 6 PLAYER TRANSFER 10
- RULE 7 COACHING & UMPIRING 10
- RULE 8 SCHEDULING 11
- RULE 9 CONDUCT 13
- RULE 10 PROTEST PROCEDURES 16
- RULE 11 RULES VIOLATIONS 18
- RULE 12 TOURNAMENTS 18
- RULE 13 PLAYER PARTICIPATION 19
PART II – PLAYING RULES
- RULE 1 BASEBALL AND SOFTBALL 23
- RULE 2 BASEBALL 29
- RULE 3 SOFTBALL 33
RULE 1 – AGE DIVISIONS
SEC. 1 – All Member associations shall abide by all rules, as set forth by the League Board of Directors, without change or alteration.
SEC. 2 – These rules may be amended, altered, or repealed only by the action of the League Board of Directors. The Board shall consist of at least one (but not more than two) member from each Athletic Association (Association hereafter). When a unanimous League Board decision cannot be reached the President of the River City Athletic Association shall decide the issue.
SEC. 3 – Divisions shall consist of not less than four (4) and not more than eight (8) teams. The age and classification requirements for the league are as follows:
BASEBALL Birthday Between These Dates
ATOM I 5/1/99 - 4/30/00
ATOM II 5/1/98 - 4/30/99
BANTAM I 5/1/97 - 4/30/98
BANTAM II 5/1/96 - 4/30/97
MIDGET I 5/1/95 - 4/30/96
MIDGET II 5/1/94 - 4/30/95
JUVENILE 5/1/92 - 4/30/94
SOFTBALL: 8U 5/1/99 - 4/30/01
10U 5/1/97 - 4/30/99 12U 5/1/95 - 4/30/97
14U 5/1/93 - 4/30/95
16U 5/1/91 - 4/30/93
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RULE 2 – TEAM REGISTRATION AND CURRENT SEASON
SEC. 1 – Teams desiring to play during the current season must complete the Official Team Roster form. The Member Association must approve all team rosters. Each roster must state:
(A) The official name of the team applying.
(B) The names, addresses, and phone numbers of the team manager and coaches, if appointed by the manager.
(C) The age division in which the team desires to participate.
SEC. 2 – Teams in all leagues will be ranked according to ability and placed into divisions as described in PART 1, RULE 1,
SEC 3.
SEC. 3 – The current season shall start on August 16th and shall continue through, and include, August 14th of the following year.
SEC. 4 – Any team playing in the Association may not play in any other League Member Association of the same division.
RULE 3 – MEMBERSHIP TERMINATION
SEC. 1 – The membership of any team may be terminated by:
(A) Resignation
(B) Action of its own Member Association
SEC. 2 – A team that has previously resigned, or that has been suspended by its Member Association, may appeal at any time to its Member Association for reinstatement.
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RULE 4 – REGISTRATION OF PLAYERS, MANAGERS, AND COACHES
SEC. 1 – No team shall, at any one time, have over fifteen (15) players on its roster or on the player’s bench without written approval from the Home Association. At the discretion of the Home Association additional players may be added to the roster.
SEC. 2 – A team roster must have a minimum of twelve (12) players in boys and girls divisions, no exceptions without Member Association approval.
SEC. 3 – Managers are responsible for insuring that all registration forms are filled out in ink or typed, and the player’s signature is in the handwriting of the player. Players in the ATOM and 8u divisions who cannot write may print their names.
The parent or legal guardian of each player shall be responsible for the authenticity and validity of all player registrations and must sign in the space designated. The absence of parental authorization on the Official Roster will automatically render the player ineligible until such time as said authorization is obtained.
SEC. 4 – In order to be eligible to participate in an Association game a player must be properly registered on the Official Roster or Roster Revision form.
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Verification of proper age shall be the responsibility of the Member Association and the team manager. Teams fielding players older than the upper age limit shall forfeit all league games that said player has participated in, unless prior approval for the player participation has been secured from the League’s Board. Said player, or players, shall be removed from the team’s roster and the team will be permitted to play the balance of the League schedule.
The League Board shall be empowered to prevent any team without a valid roster on file with all Associations from playing in League play.
Any team playing without a valid roster on file shall automatically forfeit all League games played prior to the submission of the valid roster.
SEC. 5 – OFFICIAL ROSTER
(A) The players, manager, and coaches of each team must be registered on the Official Roster and said roster must be filed, by the team manager, with the Association of which the team is a member within the time limit prescribed by the League.
(B) A player may be registered with more than one League team at any time during the current season (i.e. ATOM I player can also register on an ATOM II team, but not on another ATOM I team).
(C) Roster registrations of players, managers, and coaches apply to the current season only.
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(D) In case of an emergency, non-playing coaches may replace coaches who are properly registered, for one game only, by signing the Official (home team) Game Lineup Sheet before the start of the game involved. Coaches so registered shall have all the rights of the non-playing coach they replace for that particular game only.
(E) The Association Board of Directors reserves the right to reject the roster registration of a prospective player, manager, or coach.
(F) Changes in a team’s Official Roster must be filed with the Member Association of which the team is a member on or before the third (3rd) day prior to the regularly scheduled, or re-scheduled, League games in which the change is to become effective.
(G) No change will be recognized if filed later than the time specified, except that such change shall then become effective for the next following game of the team.
(H) No player shall be registered in the Association during the last six (6) scheduled League games of a twelve (12) games or longer schedule.
(I) In the event of an emergency, as determined by the League Board of Directors, a manager desiring to make an addition to the Official Roster after the time limit set forth in “H” herein must receive the unanimous, written consent of ALL team managers in the division in which the team participates. Said consent shall be delivered to the League Board and shall be subject to the
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approval of the League Protest Committee before such player is eligible to play with the team. The requested addition must not otherwise be in violation of any other rule of the Association. No emergency shall be allowed after the League schedule has been completed.
(J) All revisions to the Official Roster requiring the player’s signature shall also require the authorization signature of the player’s parent or legal guardian.
Any violation of the previous shall result in the automatic probation or suspension from participating in any League Association.
SEC. 6 – The team manager, or interim team manager, should always have a copy of the approved Team Roster and all approved roster revision forms in his/her possession at all League games. If a roster check is called and the roster is not present at the field the game may continue under protest of the opposing manager. A $50.00 protest fee must be posted with the Home Association office immediately following the game of concern. A Home Association Board member, or Board representative, shall have the player(s) in question write his/her name, address, telephone number, hair & eye color, and parent’s first names on a piece of paper and sign it. The game will go on as scheduled. The Home Association will check the validity of the player(s) in question within one (1) week from the game being protested and send a letter to the protesting manager with the results. If the player(s) in question is determined to be illegal, each game in
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which that player participated shall be declared forfeited and
the manager shall be automatically suspended from all games until he/she goes before the Association BOD where further action may be taken. If there is no League approved roster on file it is an automatic forfeit and any previous games played may be reviewed. The manager could face up to a one game suspension for each game played prior to the roster being turned in to the Association.
SEC. 7 – The registration of a player on an Official Roster does not exempt him/her from protest at a later date provided sufficient proof of ineligibility is presented at the time of the protest.
The Association, upon proper evidence by any bona fide team member of the Association, must declare the player in question ineligible and his/her team automatically forfeits any games in which such player has played as a member of that team.
SEC 8 – The Home Association has the right to declare any player a “Free-agent” at any time for just cause. In the event a player is declared a “Free-agent” the team manager must, upon written notification, submit to his/her Home Association, a new Official Roster containing this change.
SEC. 9 – In the event that a manager or coach is suspended from one of the member Associations, if the suspension is invoked, that manager or coach will be prohibited from managing, coaching, or umpiring in any League game, or playing with any Association team for the duration of the
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suspension. Each Member Association will provide copies of all suspension letters to the other concerned Member Associations. If a dispute arises between Member Associations regarding disciplinary action taken by one of the Member Associations the League Board of Directors will rule upon the matter and decide final disciplinary action.
SEC. 10 – Each Home Association shall, at the end of each season, submit to the League Board a list of those players or members considered to be ineligible to participate in their
Home Association for the following year as a result of failure to fulfill obligations or commitments by either the player or the parent. All Member Associations will keep on file a composite list of these players.
SEC. 11 – (Applies to boy’s divisions only) no League manager shall be allowed to place a division II player on a division I age team’s roster.
SEC. 12 – After a tentative player signs a League Roster, the player is bound to that team unless the specifications of RULE 6 are utilized. The manager may not release that player without approval of that player. The commitment will last until the end of the current season.
SEC. 13 – All managers, coaches, and players whose signatures appear on the Official Roster must be registered members of a Member Association. If they are not properly registered, the Home Association will remove their name from the roster. If the person in question is a player any, and all, games in which he/she played will be immediately forfeited.
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RULE 5 – REQUISITE QUALIFICATION OF PLAYERS
SEC. 1 – No player shall be eligible, without written permission of the Home Association, to:
(A) Play an Association game if said player shall have received a monetary or other valuable consideration for his/her services rendered previously as a player on a baseball or softball team.
(B) Be a member of a team in the Association if said team receives more than its actual expenses since the opening of the current season.
(C) Receive compensation for his/her services rendered to a team of the Association. This shall not operate to prevent suitable prizes or awards being given to the players.
SEC. 2 – A player participating in a baseball or softball game played for monetary consideration, pecuniary stakes, or wages when such a game is not sponsored or authorized by the League shall be considered as having personally received a monetary or other valuable consideration.
Any violation of SEC 1 or SEC 2 shall result in the immediate suspension of said player from participating in all Association activities.
SEC. 1 – No player shall be eligible to play with another League Association team unless the manager of the team with which that player previously signed has properly released him/her. Such release shall be filed by the releasing manager on an Official Roster and must be approved by the Home Association.
SEC. 2 – Any player violating the previous section shall stand automatically suspended from play in the League for the balance of the season.
SEC. 3 – A player, upon being released from one team, may not play with another team in the Home Association until eight (8) days have elapsed. However, this does not prevent a player from registering with a new team during this eight day waiting period.
SEC. 4 – After the fourth (4th) scheduled League game of the current season, a player who is officially registered with a team of any Association, if released, shall be ineligible to play in any other Member Association, on a team of higher standing or division, than that of the team with which he/she originally played.
RULE 7 – COACHING AND UMPIRING
SEC. 1 – A player, manager, or coach is prohibited from umpiring in any official League game in the same division in which his/her team participates unless both managers of the participating teams agree to it. The penalty, if no agreement
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is made, shall be an automatic protest and the game will be re-scheduled and replayed in its entirety.
SEC. 2 – When only one umpire shows up, the home team will attempt to provide: 1: an approved umpire of the Association; 2nd: an impartial umpire; finally: a fan of the home team. The visiting team has the right to refuse the selected umpire. If an acceptable umpire cannot be located within five minutes the game shall proceed with the umpire stationed behind the plate.
SEC. 3 – If no umpire is available each team will try to find one umpire. These umpires must be acceptable to both teams. The selected umpires will determine who will be the umpire-in-chief. If only one umpire can be located the game will proceed with that umpire behind the plate. The home plate umpire shall be the umpire-in-chief.
RULE 8 – SCHEDULING
SEC. 1 – Official schedules shall be made available prior to the beginning of the League season, showing dates, starting times, locations, and opposing teams for all League games. The earliest, regularly scheduled League game shall not be prior to the second Saturday in April. The final regularly scheduled League game shall be determined on an annual basis by the League Association.
8u Division teams shall not have scheduled, nor begin play of, any game starting after 8:59 p.m. No League games shall be scheduled to start after 9:30 p.m.
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All divisions, except Juvenile games, may schedule regular League games beginning on the 2nd Saturday in April.
Juvenile division games may not be scheduled before the day established by the Missouri State High School Athletic Association (MSHSAA).
SEC. 2 - The last named, or numbered, team on the League schedule for the regular season League games shall be the home team. If the game is rescheduled for any reason the same team shall be the home team for that game.
SEC. 3 – In the event of a postponed or suspended game the Home Association’s scheduling coordinator will supply both the home and visiting team’s managers with the rescheduled date with seven (7) days of the postponed game. If the last game of the season is postponed or suspended it must be played within five (5) days of the postponed date if it has a bearing on the League championship.
The Home Association must give the visiting manager a rescheduled date not closer than two (2) days to a scheduled League game, if possible. Any manager who bilaterally or unilaterally plays a League game, which has not been scheduled by the Home Association, shall be charged with a forfeit.
SEC. 4 - The Home Association may postpone a game due to inclement weather prior to the game. In this event each manager is responsible for contacting the Home Association’s rainout number to verify if the game is to be played. Once the game has officially started only the Association’s member on duty may postpone the game.
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The umpire-in-chief has the authority to temporarily suspend any game in progress.
SEC 5 – If two or more teams are tied for a League championship at the close of the season a tie shall be declared and each/all teams involved will be awarded 1st place trophies. Each Home Association is responsible for purchasing trophies for their eligible teams.
SEC. 1 – The manager of a team is responsible for the proper conduct of his team, coaches, and followers of the team. All that is dishonorable, unsportsmanlike-like, or unbecoming a gentleperson is condemned. The use of intoxicants or tobacco or profane or vulgar language by players, managers, coaches, spectators, or League officials is strictly prohibited. This restriction applies to the field of play, player’s benches, or anywhere in close proximity to the field of play.
SEC. 2 – No manager, coach, player, or spectator shall initiate any “physical contact” with any umpire or official, nor will such manager, coach, player, or spectator make any “verbal threats of physical harm” toward any umpire or official.
Any violation of the “physical” or “verbal” threat ruling will result in automatic forfeiture of the game and permanent banishment of the violator from all League Associations. Physical assault will likely result in arrest and criminal charges being filed by the umpire, official, or Association.
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Physical assault is defined as any physical contact with an umpire or official (which may include incidental contact). Verbal assault is any perceived threat to an umpire or official that could result in physical harm. Any person violating this rule will have the opportunity to address his/her Association’s Board of Directors to appeal the banishment decision. This meeting must be requested within five (5) days of the banishment decision and must be heard within ten (10) days of the appeal request.
SEC. 3 – Advertisements for tryouts for the following spring/summer season may be placed at any time during the current season. Advertisements are legal all year round. Tryouts may be held from 12:01 a.m. August 16th through 11:59 p.m. on the first Sunday in April.
Any person affiliated, or attending to be affiliated, with any Member Association may not attend or hold tryouts for any of these Association teams after the first Sunday in April through the 15th of August of the current season. Rosters may be signed for the following season beginning August 16th.
SEC. 4 – Any person affiliated, or intending to be affiliated, with any of the Member Associations who directly, or indirectly, recruits a player before the specified time frame as stated in SEC. 3 shall be suspended from participating in League activities for a period of one (1) year from the time of the incident. This shall also be in effect for recruiting for the current season.
SEC. 5 – Any person affiliated, or intending to be affiliated, with any Member Association cannot recruit a player from
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another team for the purpose of a non-League tournament, practice game, or practice without written permission from the player’s manager. Without written permission the offending person is suspended from all League activities for a period of one (1) year from the time of the incident.
SEC. 6 – A manager, coach, player, substitute, attendant or other bench personnel shall not:
(A) Deliberately throw a bat or helmet.
(B) Call “Time” or any command, or commit any act, for the purpose of trying to cause the opposing pitcher to balk.
(C) Enter the area behind the catcher, or backstop, while the opposing team in on defense.
(D) Use amplifiers or bullhorns during the course of the game.
(E) Use words or actions to incite, or try to incite, spectators into demonstrations; or use profanity or other remarks that reflect negatively upon opposing players, umpires, or any spectators.
Be outside of the designated dugout, bench, or bullpen area if not a batter, runner, on-deck batter, base coach, or a player on defense.
Have any object in his/her possession, other than a score book, while in the coach’s box.
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The penalty for (A) (B) (C) (D) (E) (F) (G) shall be a warning from the umpire (if the offense is judged to be minor). Any repeat of the offense may result in ejection from the game.
Maliciously run into, or collide with, any fielder. The umpire will determine if any contact is malicious or incidental. There will be no penalty for incidental contact. If a fielder is denying a runner the base path, and contact is made, the umpire will judge if this ruling applies, or if the defensive player was obstructing the runner, or if there should be no ruling.
The penalty for maliciously colliding with any fielder is an automatic out on the runner and immediate ejection from the game.
(I) As a baseman, fake a tag on a base runner without having possession of the ball.
The penalty for (I) shall be considered obstruction by the fielder. After all play is complete, the umpire shall award the base runner the base he/she could have reached, in the judgment of the umpire, if the fake tag had not occurred. Repeated violations will result in the ejection of the offending fielder.
SEC. 1 – Each protest must be submitted, in writing, to the Home Association and signed by the manager making the
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protest within 24 hours after the end of the game in question. A protest fee of $50.00 must accompany each protest and a copy of the protesting team’s score sheet. In the event the protest is
disallowed the fee shall not be refunded. If the protest is upheld the fee will be refunded. The Member Association who supplied the umpire will hold the protest fee.
SEC. 2 – Protests can be made only on an interpretation of the rules, violation of the rules, or player eligibility. No judgment call by an umpire can be protested.
SEC. 3 – Whenever an alleged violation of a rule occurs during the progress of the game the manager, or duly registered coach, of the protesting team must ask for “time” and immediately notify the umpire-in-chief that the game is being played under protest. The umpire-in-chief will notify the opposing manager and spectators.
This allows all interested parties to take note of the exact conditions prevailing at the time and will aid in reaching a proper decision of the issue. Failure of the protesting manager to comply with this procedure will nullify and render void any future protest regarding the alleged violation of playing rules referred to herein.
SEC. 4 – In the event the protest referred to herein is withdrawn at the end of the game involved, the umpire-in-chief is so informed by the manager or coach who made the original compliant. There shall be no protest and such action will nullify and render void any future protest regarding the alleged violation of rules referred to herein.
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SEC. 5 – If the protest is not withdrawn as described in SEC 4 herein, it shall then become the obligation of all umpires working the game to file a written report of the incident causing the protest with the Home Association within 24 hours following the conclusion of the game. It shall also become the obligation of the opposing manager to file a written report of the incident within 24 hours of the conclusion of the game.
RULE 11 – RULES VIOLATIONS
SEC. 1 – A team manager shall be required to secure a copy of the Official Baseball or USSSA Softball rules and the Official Rule Book of the League. The manager shall acquaint their players with the contents of both.
SEC. 2 – An umpire has the right to eject any player, spectator, manager, coach, or team for the remainder of the current game only, when, in his/her judgment, such person(s) or team has committed a serious offense of the rules. The umpire can, by written notice to the Home Association, recommend that further disciplinary action be taken in the matter in accordance with RULE 9; SEC 2.
RULE 12 – TOURNAMENTS/ALL-STAR GAMES
SEC. 1 – Division tournaments shall be conducted in strict accordance with the preceding rules with the following exceptions.
(A) Protests will be ruled upon immediately by the tournament director.
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(B) The tournament director will reschedule postponed games. Both managers must accept the rescheduled date or forfeit.
(C) Additional rules to be applied for the tournament will be attached to the tournament entry form.
The team manager must submit, to his Home Association, completed tournament entry forms, along with the entry fee, no later than the date specified by the sponsoring Member Association.
SEC. 2 – (All-Star game information will be submitted at a later date).
SEC. 1 – Each player must be permitted to play a minimum of three (3) defensive innings in every scheduled, or rescheduled, League game for his team, except in the following instances:
(A) The player must be available, able, and willing to play and the manager does not have just cause for withholding the player from the game. If a player is present at the game and will not play, the umpire-in-chief should be notified prior to the start of the game as to the reason. The umpire-in-chief shall notify the opposing manager.
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(B) This player may only enter the game at the discretion of the umpire-in-chief and only if to replace an injured player and only if there are no other players left that are eligible to play.
(C) A player is ejected from the game or removed from the game due to an injury.
(D) The game is terminated before it has become an official game.
SEC 2 – Teams in all divisions shall be required to bat their entire roster of available players. The batting order shall not be changed during the game except that an injured, or ejected player, shall be removed from the line-up. Any ejected player will be scored as an “OUT” at every subsequent at-bat. Any player injured while playing on the field (defensively or offensively) shall not be an out during any subsequent times at bat. Any player who leaves the game, or refuses to continue to play, shall be an out his/her next time at bat only.
All players listed on the batting order must be present at the start of the game. Any player arriving after the start of the game shall be automatically placed at the bottom of the batting order. No player may be placed in the batting order once the leadoff batter has completed his/her second at bat.
If the leadoff hitter is at his second at-bat when another player arrives the new player may replace the leadoff hitter, but must assume any balls or strikes. A player that misses a time at-bat, due to injury or illness, MAY NOT re-enter the game. In the event a player becomes injured or ill while at-bat and
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cannot complete his/her batting turn, the player, (if not on base) who made the last out will replace the batter. This replacement batter will assume any balls or strikes count.
SEC. 3 – The opposing team’s scorekeeper shall be notified, of all withdrawals or additions to the batting order, and of any changes of the pitching position. The home team scorer will be the official scorekeeper.
SEC. 4 - Any suspended game will be treated as a postponed game, it will be rescheduled and played in its entirety at a later date.
SEC. 5 – Free defensive substitution shall prevail in all divisions, except as restricted at the pitcher’s position. A player may be removed from and reinserted into any defensive position as often as desired. Offensive substitution for an injured runner must be by the player who made the last out, if possible.
SEC. 6 – All players must wear numbers on the back of their jerseys. This number is to be a minimum of six inches from top to bottom. Each player must have a unique number and it must be listed next to his/her name on the batting order presented to the opposing score keeper.
While matching uniforms are encouraged for players, managers, and coaches, failure to comply will not result in the player not being able to participate, however, the player, manager, or coach not in proper uniform must be previously officially registered on the roster, and must be identifiable when participating.
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SEC. 7 – BODY FLUID RULE: Any person with an active flow of blood shall leave the field of play and take measures necessary to stop the blood flow and have the wound properly covered before being allowed to re-enter the field of play.
(A) If, after a reasonable amount of time, and at the umpire’s
discretion, the flow of blood is still present, then the player shall be removed from the game until the flow of blood has been stopped and the wound properly dressed.
(B) Further, there shall not be any apparent blood staining allowed on any uniform (including cap, pants, stockings, shoes, and jersey). The blood stained clothing shall be changed and the “UNIFORM RULE”, in RULE 13, SEC 6, shall be void for the remainder of the game.
(C) If the flow of blood cannot be stopped within a reasonable time, as determined by the umpire-in-chief, the player shall be removed as an injured player and the applicable rules shall apply.
(D) Apparent blood, and/or other body fluids, shall be removed from the bases, home plate, and the pitching rubber with paper towels and disinfectant while using rubber gloves.
(E) It shall be the managers, coaches, and parent’s responsibility to seek the necessary and appropriate action to follow these stated guidelines. Any further actions deemed necessary will be the responsibility of the manager, coaches, or parents.
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RULE 1 – ALL BASEBALL & SOFTBALL DIVISIONS
SEC 1 – All Baseball games of the League are to be governed by the Official Baseball Rules as compiled by the Major League Commissioner of Baseball, and all Softball games of the League shall be governed by the current edition of the United States Specialty Sports Association (USSSA Fast Pitch Official Playing Rules) rules, except where such rules are at variance with any rules of the League.
SEC. 2 – The baseballs/softballs to be used in all Association games will be as follows: Coach Pitch will use RIF ball, Machine Pitch and Atom I & II will use eight & one half (81/2”) inch ball, all other baseball divisions will use nine (9”) ball. 8u and 10u will use eleven (11”) inch ball. All other softball divisions will use twelve (12”) inch ball.
SEC. 3 – Two (2) new balls are required for every regularly scheduled, rescheduled, or elimination League game. The Home Association shall furnish these balls. The home team, if necessary, shall furnish additional balls.
SEC. 4 – Catchers in all divisions must wear Association approved helmets, face masks, throat protectors, body protectors, and shin guards. All players are encouraged to wear protective cups.
SEC. 5 – Players in all divisions must wear Association approved helmets with ear flaps while taking their turn at bat, running the bases, on-deck, or in the coach’s box. If a player
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accidentally loses their head protection while running the bases they need not retrieve it until play is completed. All players warming-up pitchers must wear face masks.
SEC. 6 Metal spikes or cleats are prohibited to be worn by players, except in Juvenile and Junior Divisions. If in violation the player shall have the opportunity to change into proper shoes. Any base runner caught with metal spikes/cleats shall be declared out but given the opportunity to change shoes and continue to play. If no acceptable shoes are available the violating player will be removed from the game and declared as one out only. If a base runner has been declared an out for illegal shoes she shall not be an out her next at bat. Illegal shoes will result in one out, per violator.
SEC. 7 – Games in all divisions shall be seven (7) innings in length. Any reference in the Official Baseball Rules to the (9th) ninth inning shall apply to the (7th) seventh inning of Association games.
(A) All boys division games shall have a time limit of two (2) hours, except for Atom division which will be one hour and forty-five minutes (1:45). All softball games will have a time limit of one hour and forty-five minutes (1:45), except for 8U games which will have a time limit of one hour and thirty minutes (1:30).
(B) At the end of the time limit the inning in progress shall be played in its entirety unless the home team is leading and is at bat. The game shall be counted as legal regardless of the number of innings played. If the score is tied each team will receive one-half (1/2) win and one-half (1/2) loss.
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(C) If the time limit has not expired after seven (7) innings have been played, and the score is tied, the game shall continue until one team wins or the time limit has been reached.
(D) A new inning begins immediately following the final out of an inning.
(E) If a proceeding game does not end more than ten (10) minutes prior to the scheduled start of a following game, the following game shall start within ten (10) minutes of the conclusion of the previous game. Under these circumstances no infield practice will be allowed. Under all other circumstances, all games will start as scheduled.
(F) Those Associations that have a field curfew, such as a park or city ordinance, must make the curfew known to both managers prior to the game. Games called because of a curfew or darkness shall be considered stopped because of inclement weather and the rule stated in PART II, SEC. 8(F) shall apply.
SEC. 8 – The umpire-in-chief shall terminate the game in favor of the leading team if, during the progress of any game in the Association:
(A) The home team, after 4½, or more, innings have been completed is leading by ten (10) or more runs, or;
(B) After 3½ innings have been completed the home team is leading by fifteen (15), or more, runs, or;
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(C) The visiting team after five, or more, innings have been completed is leading by ten (10), or more, runs, or;
(D) After four (4) innings have been completed the visiting team is leading by fifteen (15), or more, runs;
(E) Once the game’s time limit has been reached the game becomes official, regardless of the number of innings that have been played (as long as both teams have had at least one official at bat). The inning in progress must be completed unless the outcome of the game is already determined.
(F) If the game is called because of inclement weather, curfew, or darkness it shall be an official game providing that three (3) or more innings have been completed; or if the home team is leading after 2½ innings have been completed. If the game is suspended anytime after the beginning of the 4th inning the score reverts back to the end of the last completed inning, and the game will be official.
SEC. 9 – A team, in any division, must start the game if eight (8) players are present. If a player must be removed from the line-up after the start of the game, the game shall continue unless the team has less than eight (8) players, in which case the umpire-in-chief shall declare the game a forfeit to the opposing team. Should one team not have eight (8) players within fifteen (15) minutes of the scheduled starting time, the umpire-in-chief shall forfeit the game to the opposing team.
Should neither team have eight (8) players both will be charged with a loss. A manager who decides to forfeit prior to the game shall notify the Association scheduler who will
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notify the opposing team’s manager. Managers are cautioned not to accept a forfeit unless the appropriate Association scheduler notifies them.
SEC. 10 – The actual start time begins prior to the first pitch when the Umpire-In-Chief says “Play Ball”.
SEC. 11 - Should a manager, or coach, make two (2) trips to the mound in the same inning, to the same pitcher, that pitcher must be removed from pitching. Violation of the inning pitching rule (as specified in each division) will result in an automatic forfeiture of the game to the opposing team. Once removed from pitching a player may not return to pitch in that same game. However, a removed pitcher may remain in the game at any other position.
During the pitcher’s warm-up throws, if the coach remains with the pitcher after the allotted number of throws, or after one minute, a conference will be charged. If a manager attempts to hold any conference with the pitcher, anywhere, after the pitcher has taken the mound and completed their warm-up, it will be a charged conference.
SEC. 12 – If a base runner approaches a base and the fielder covering that base has the ball, or is in the act of catching the ball, the base runner must avoid contact by sliding, giving himself up as an out, or returning to the previous base. A runner hurdling or jumping over a defensive player to avoid a
tag or collision shall be called out. If the runner does not avoid a collision he shall be declared out, the ball is dead, and all other runners will return to their previously touched base. If the umpire deems the collision malicious the base runner shall be
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ejected from the game. If the umpire deems necessary he may also eject the base runner’s manager. No base runner shall maliciously run into, or collide with, any fielder. There will be no penalty for incidental contact. If a fielder is denying a base runner the base path, and contact is made, the umpire will judge if this ruling applies, or if the defensive player was obstructing the runner, or if there should be no ruling. Maliciously contacting a player is an automatic ejection. The umpire will determine if contact is malicious or incidental. Head first slides into home plate are not allowed and will result in the runner being called out, except for the Juvenile division.
SEC. 13 – Anytime the last pitcher or catcher of record becomes a base runner the manager may substitute a pinch-runner. The pinch-runner must be the player who made the last out, if available.