Marysville Junir Baseball & Sftball Assciatin (MJBSA) 18U Pny League Baseball Rules (Rev. March 2017) NOTE: Any rules listed in italicized/red text, indicate changes r clarificatins frm the current seasn in cncert with baseball prgrams apprved by the MJBSA bard. Age Qualificatins The 18U PONY League is pen t bys r girls wh are between the ages f 14-18 as f January 1st, f the current registratin year. Field Dimensins Pitching rubber: 60 feet frm the back f hme plate. Basepath: 90 feet Distance frm hme t 2nd base: 128 feet Player Participatin Each player in attendance f any game must play tw cntinuus innings f defense and bat at least nce. The entire rster will be the batting rder. All batters must fllw the batting rder as established by the cach. If there are nly eight players the ninth psitin will nt be an ut. If a player is placed n disciplinary restrictin by the cach, ntice must be given t the umpire staff and the ppsing cach prir t the start f the game. The tw-inning participatin rule can and shuld be waived in event f injury. Players wh are nt under restrictin but nt allwed t play innings due t a shrtened game will start the next game. Insufficient Number f Players A team may start and play with a minimum f 8 players in the 18U (PONY) League, withut penalty. N uts will be given fr absent batters. If a team has an insufficient number f players at game start time r after the game starts, n mre than 15 minutes will be given t find eligible pickup player(s). At the end f 15 minutes, the team shrt f players will autmatically frfeit. If a base runner is injured n the field and cannt cntinue and player number drps belw 9 fr 18U (PONY), the player wh made the last ffensive ut will pinch run fr the injured runner. Teams are allwed t finish a game with 7 players in the event f an injury and there are n eligible pickup players t be fund. N uts will be issued if the injured player is due t bat. Pickup-players are permitted t be used thrughut the regular seasn and turnaments as lng as the fllwing stipulatins are met: The ppsing cach and the umpire are ntified prir t the start f the game. The pickup player plays in an utfield psitin nly. The pickup player bats last in the lineup. The Pick-up player may play any psitin n the field and bat in any rder in the line-up. Pick-up players must be frm the league lwer (i.e.: 18U PONY league must pick up players frm the 13U American League) Pick-up players must be current members f the MJBSA r a participating assciatin, in gd standing.
Teams may nly pick up enugh players as t cmplete their rsters fr that game (9 players fr 18U). Pick-up players can nly be used t supplement teams and may nt be used in place f riginal players if the players is present and is able t play. Players that chse t play-up as regular players n the rster f a MJBSA affiliated team in an lder age league are ineligible t play as a pickup player in the lwer age grup even thugh they are age eligible. N mre than (2) pickup players can play per team, nt t exceed a starting lineup. (i.e.: 18U PONY League can pick up tw players t a maximum f 9 players) Caches d nt have t play late arriving player(s), if the player(s) arrive after the 3rd inning has been cmpleted. Late arriving team player(s) that have been substituted by a pickup player(s), must replace the pickup player(s) upn arrival, unless the late arriving player(s) have already been suspended due t disciplinary actin. All disciplinary actins must fllw the guidelines as stated in Article IX; Frmal Hearings f the MJBSA Cnstitutin. Equipment All batters must wear NOCSAE (Natinal Operating Cmmittee n Standards fr Athletic Equipment) apprved batting helmets with NOCSAE apprved face guard. Batters must wear a batting helmet with apprved face shield at all times when n the field f play (n-deck circle, batter s bx, base paths, r any lcatin where batting is taking place) during all MJBSA sanctined practices r games. This prtective equipment shall cver bth ears and temples. It is illegal t wear any ther headgear when batting r running while participating in MJBSA. Chins straps are mandatry and must be fastened at all times when wearing this prtective equipment. A team warning will be issued t bth teams fr any MJBSA player nt intentinally wearing specified prtective headgear n the first ffense. Offending player must take crrective actin immediately r player will be declared ut after the play is ver. Player will be declared ut immediately n the secnd ffense nce the player enters the batter s bx. Rubber r Steel baseball cleats are permitted. The hme team will respnsible fr prviding (2) new game balls, made f leather, at the start f each game. MJBSA will prvide game balls which shall be issued the beginning f the seasn Each player must wear a baseball glve. A first baseman may use a glve designed specifically fr that psitin. The catcher s psitin glve will be used at the catcher psitin nly. Bats may be made f wd, aluminum, and ther materials manufactured specifically fr baseball play. Bats used fr PONY league will nt have a bat barrel diameter greater than 2 5/8 and must have a length/weight differential n greater than a -3 (a -5 and -7 are nt a legal bats ). Safety items. Bth caches and the umpire staff must be ntified f all medical prtective items prir t the start f the game. Prir release frm the attending physician must be available fr review. Offense Ohi High Schl Athletic Assciatin rules are in effect except fr the MJBSA league specific rules listed belw. A licensed umpire must be behind the plate. Bunting is permitted. Slug bunting (squaring t bunt, pulling back t a full swing psitin, and hitting) is prhibited. The batter will be declared ut and a dead ball will result with all runners returning t the base (s) they started frm. Run Rule: A maximum f 7 runs can be scred per inning during a game.
Defense There will be 9 defensive players allwed n the field. They are t be psitined as fllws: 3 must be psitined in the utfield 4 must be psitined in the infield 1 must be psitined at the pitcher s mund 1 must be psitined at the catcher s psitin There will be pen substitutins. The infield fly rule will be enfrced in 18U PONY league. The infield fly rule applies when there are fewer than tw uts, and there is a frce play at third (runners n first and secnd base, r bases laded). If a fair fly ball is hit t the infield r utfield and is catchable by an infielder with rdinary effrt (based upn the umpire's judgment), the batter is ut regardless f whether the ball is actually caught r nt. Pitchers The elevated pitcher s mund is ptinal in the 18U PONY League. There will be ne balk warning per pitcher befre a balk is called and a penalty is awarded. Each pitcher will be limited t a maximum f 5 innings per game. The pitching week begins n Mnday and ends n Sunday. This will nt be adjusted in the event f makeup games. Nte: 1 pitch thrwn in an inning cunts as a cmplete inning. The pst seasn turnament will be treated as a week unt itself. The inning cunt fr pitchers des NOT reset t zer fr turnaments that cntinue int the fllwing week. The batter must make a reasnable effrt t avid being hit by errant pitches. Failure t d s in an attempt t take ne fr the team will result in a dead-ball. Catchers Catchers are required t wear the fllwing: NOCSAE prtective head gear and face prtectin with thrat prtectr Chest prtectr Shin guards A gender apprpriate athletic supprter and prtectin A mitt designed especially fr the catching psitin Base Running, Stealing & Sliding Runners are allwed t lead ff and steal. If a catcher makes an attempt t thrw ut a runner attempting t steal, the ball will remain live and the runner may advance at his/her wn risk. If a pitcher thrws t any base, in an attempt t hld a runner, and the ball hits the fielder, the ball is live. Base runners must avid interference with a fielder in the prcess f fielding a ball r making a play at a base. OFFENSIVE INTERFERENCE is an act by the team at bat which interferes with, bstructs, impedes, hinders, r cnfuses any fielder attempting t make a play. Base runners appraching 2nd, 3rd, r hme plate, when a play is imminent, will be declared ut if there is a cllisin between the runner and the fielder attempting t catch the ball r making a tag r frce ut if n attempt t slide is made. Fielders may nt bstruct a base runner in the prcess f running the bases. If the fielder is nt in the prcess f fielding the ball r making an ut attempt directly at a base. OBSTRUCTION is the act f a fielder wh, while nt in pssessin f the ball and nt in the act f fielding the ball, impedes the prgress f any runner. The runner will be awarded the base they were advancing t in the event f bstructin. Safety Cncerns & Equipment Abuse
Any player identified as thrwing r abusing any equipment, be it accidental r intentinal, will be issued a team vilatin as fllws: FIRST OFFENSE - Team Warning. Bth head caches will be ntified. SECOND OFFENSE Offending player will be called ut. THIRD OFFENSE Offending player will be ejected frm the game. Penalties will be assessed t each team independent f any vilatins by the ppsing team. Exceptin t the abve is a player wh intentinally thrws a bat. This player may be ejected frm the game at the discretin f the umpire. A player can be called ut and r ejected frm the game if the player s actin(s) is t intentinally harm anther player, cach, r fan. Other General Baseball Rules Caches must remain in the dugut during play unless they are designated base caches (1st r 3rd base cach). Only the Head Cach may apprach the umpire t clarify a call ask a questin. Players shuld remain in the dugut except when they are playing. Players shuld nt be standing in the dugut pening where they culd be hit by a ful ball r errant thrw. Time limits: There are n time limits fr 18U PONY League. Situatins where dictated by back t back scheduling f games, in which case the umpire will infrm bth caches prir t game start time that a time limit is in effect. In this situatin, n new inning will start within 15 minutes f the scheduled start time f the subsequent game. At the umpire s discretin, it may be necessary t call a game fr safety reasns due t impending weather r darkness. If a game has nt gne lng enugh t be called fficial (4 innings fr 18U PONY League), the game will be rescheduled t resume play t cmpletin at the next cnvenient pprtunity. If a game was fficial in length at the time play was suspended AND the bttm half f the inning has been reached AND the hme team is in the lead, the current scre is the fficial ending scre and the game will nt be rescheduled fr cmpletin. Fr this purpse 3.5 innings are sufficient fr an fficial game. Otherwise, games suspended prir t the cmpletin f a full inning, will revert t the scre at the end f the last cmplete inning unless the last inning resulted in a tie, in which case the game will be rescheduled t resume play t cmpletin at the next cnvenient pprtunity. Games tied at the end f regulatin will play a maximum f 3 extra innings as necessary t determine a winner. Games tied after 3 extra innings will be recrded as a tie. Within three minutes f the recrding f a 3rd ut f any at bat, all players frm bth teams must be in psitin and ready t resume play. If, in the umpire s pinin, resumptin f game play is excessively delayed, a team warning will be issued at first ffense. At each subsequent ffense, the first batter will be awarded first base if it is the defensive team respnsible fr the delay. Alternatively, the first batter will be declared ut if it is the ffensive team respnsible fr the delay. Each team is allwed ne warning befre penalties will be invked. When the catcher is n base when the 3rd ut ccurs, the umpire may grant sme leniency. Hwever, if the catcher is n base when the 2nd ut ccurs, a curtesy runner is encuraged t help avid ptential delays in the game. MJBSA 18U PONY league teams play teams in surrunding cmmunities. There is cnsiderable pprtunity fr incnsistencies in rules. In all cases, the visiting team will be expected t abide by and respect the rules f the hme team. The MJBSA PONY League cmmissiner and (r) MJBSA Directr f Baseball and (r) ther appinted MJBSA Bard member will crdinate exchange f respective rules amng surrunding leagues and caches t minimize the pprtunity fr cnfusin.
Per Article XII; Sectin A f the MJBSA Cnstitutin. The MJBSA reserves the right t mdify and change rules as needed thrughut the year. Changes will be referenced in the MJBSA s Bard f Directrs meeting minutes and cnveyed by mem t the Caches, Umpires, ther Officials and interested persns.