MANITOWOC COUNTY YOUTH SPORTS, INC. YOUTH BASEBALL PROGRAM 2016 PEANUT LEAGUE RULES *****SPECIAL NOTE: Unless noted in this document, all league rules are to follow the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) Baseball Rules Book. I. ORGANIZATION 1. All entries for teams desiring to play in the Peanut League must submit entry by the date established at the Annual Spring Meeting each year. 2. Peanut League play will commence the last week in May. 3. Peanut games will be played on Wednesday evenings. Any team may, by mutual agreement with the opposing team, change the date of time of play if necessary. The Peanut League commissioner must be notified of the change. 4. All games are scheduled to start at 6:00 p.m. and 6:15 p.m. deadline. 5. Starting in 2016, to be eligible to play in the Peanut League, a player may not reach his/her 9 th (ninth) birthday before June 1 st of the current year. 6. The following dimensions shall apply for the layout of the ball diamonds for Peanut games: Base path distance - 60 (sixty) feet Pitcher s mound distance - 40 (forty) feet (this distance is from the front of the pitching rubber to the rear point of home plate). A 15 (fifteen) foot arc is required to be marked (chalked) from the rear point of home plate between the third base and first base foul lines (defines a region in fair territory). 7. 3 (three) outs or 10 (ten) batters shall constitute an inning in the Peanut League. 8. 5 (five) innings shall constitute a Peanut game. EXCEPTION: If a game is called because of weather or darkness, 2 ½ (two and one-half) innings will be considered a complete game if the home team is in the lead. 9. Tournament games for first/second or third/fourth places to establish HOME TEAM is by means of a flip of a coin-heads or tails. II. EQUIPMENT 1. Steel spikes are NOT ALLOWED! Any player actively listed in the lineup found wearing steel spike shoes, shall change them immediately before the player can continue to participate in the game. 1
2. All players shall wear baseball caps with the exception of the catcher, who must wear a full plastic cap along with a catcher s mask. 3. Players shall wear a full protective helmet while batting and running the bases. (This means a helmet equipped with earflaps). 4. The official ball for the Peanut League will be determined each year at the Officer's, Commissioner's, and Director's Meeting. 5. The use of the aluminum bat is legal, however, if used, it must be intact. Any change in the basic form of the bat causes it to be outlawed. 6. An adjustable tee will be used in the Peanut League. III. ROSTERS (PLAYERS - RESTRICTIONS) Definition of Roster: Rosters without exemptions will be unlimited. Rosters with exemptions will be limited to 15 (fifteen) players by the 15-3 rule, explained in Rule III. Rosters 4a. 1. No players shall change from one team to another after the start of the season. By June 1 st, a roster is to be filed with the Peanut League Commissioner. Failure to do so will result in forfeiture of all games until such roster is filed. 2. Players are limited to play on one team and one league only to give as many players as possible an opportunity to play. (This pertains to teams and leagues within MCYS program only!) In regards to participation in youth programs, a player shall participate in one only, unless special permission is obtained from the Steering Committee. 3. To be eligible for tournament play, players must be on the roster and participate in at least 50% of the league games. Exceptions to this rule must be approved by the Steering Committee. 4. To be eligible for MCYS league and tournament play, players shall be rural residents, living in the area of the sponsoring team. Any exceptions to this rule must be approved by the Steering Committee. a. 15-3 Rule - Each sponsoring community may use their own direction establishing a roster for each team, with the exception of teams utilizing exempt players. i. Exempt players are defined as follows: Any player outside of the team s normal boundaries of which they may draw players. ii. If the roster submitted includes exempt players, that roster will be limited to 15 (fifteen) members, with no more than 3 (three) exempt players on the roster. iii. Any roster submitted with exempt players is subject to MCYS Steering Committee approval prior to the start of the season, and may not be changed after approval is granted. 2
iv. Exempt players are subject to annual review and approval by the MCYS Steering Committee prior to the start of each season. 5. In Peanut League play, a type of free substitution will be allowed. All players may be freely substituted, but shall be required to sit out one full inning when removed from the game. Example: A player removed in the last half of an inning will be required to stay out the last half of that inning and the first half of the next inning 6 (six) outs. Peanut pitchers may pitch a maximum of 2 (two) innings in any 1 (one) game. 6. In the Peanut League, starting in 2016, coaches will pitch to their own team s batters. Each at-bat will proceed until the batter strikes out {3 (three) strikes}, is called out on a defensive play on a batted ball, or makes it safely to base on a batted ball. No walks will be issued. The defensive pitcher displaced by the coach will assume a defensive position near the mound, to either side of the coach pitching. The coach pitching is not allowed to interfere with any defensive play being made on a batted ball. When a batted ball is being played defensively, the coach pitching will leave the mound area to allow the defensive pitcher full access to the mound. At this time, the tee will be used. The batter shall be allowed to 1 (one) practice swing only, before the ball is placed on the tee for hitting. When the ball is placed on the tee for hitting and batter knocks the ball off the tee with a bat, it is a strike. NOTE: For safety, have the catcher wear protective helmet and mask at all times. In the Peanut League, regardless of the count, any Peanut batter hitting 2 (two) foul balls off the tee shall be declared out. 7. Each team may play with a maximum of 10 (ten) players on the field, of which 4 (four) must be outfielders. When the tee is used, a pitcher must keep one foot on the rubber until the ball is hit. 8. A team failing to field 9 (nine) players at game time shall forfeit the game. IV. BASERUNNING 1. Peanut players may not score on a wild pitch. However, any runner may advance at his/her own risk, if there is a play made upon any base runner. 2. It is recommended that all managers instruct the base runners that have run past first base and have not made a break or started for second base, to return to first base via foul territory so there is no question as to the runner s intent. 3. In Peanut games, when the ball is thrown into foul territory, runners shall advance only one base they are headed for at the start of the play, but any attempt to advance shall be made at the runner s own risk. EXAMPLE: The batter hits a ground ball that is fielded and thrown over the first baseman s head; the runner may take second base [at his own risk] and only second base unless the defense attempts to make a play. 3
4. If a defensive player, in a force out situation has already touched the base and is no longer in the base line, the runner shall not go out of the baseline in an attempt to make contact with the defensive player. 5. If a runner stands up and runs into a defensive player, the runner will be declared out for the interference. If such contact is, in the opinion of the umpire, malicious or flagrant, the runner shall be ejected from the game. If in the opinion of the umpire, the runner s interference also prevented an out on the batter-base runner; the umpire shall declare the batter-runner out. (Special emphasis should be placed on double play situations where this rule will apply!) 6. No base runner shall, upon seeing the catcher or another defensive player who has the ball waiting for the runner, deliberately and with great force, crash into the defensive player in hopes of jarring the ball loose. The umpire shall declare such runner out, and if in the umpire s opinion, it is flagrant act; the runner shall be ejected from the game. 7. There shall be no stealing in the Peanut League. Peanut players may not lead off until the ball is hit. Any contact with the tee or the ball shall be considered a hit ball. The umpire shall warn each team twice during the course of the game. On the first two violations, the player in violation shall be returned to the base he/she occupied before the pitch. Each subsequent violation shall result in the runner being called out. A 15 (fifteen) foot arc shall be drawn from the tip of home plate extending into fair territory from the 3 rd base line to the 1 st base line. Should a fair ball fail to go beyond the 15 (fifteen) foot arc on a 3 rd strike, the batter shall be declared out, the ball declared dead, and no runners shall advance. If a defensive player chooses to touch a batted ball within the 15 (fifteen) foot arc with the intent to make a play, the ball is live and in play. NOTE: Special emphasis must be given to the fact that the catcher must be in his/her defensive position in the catcher s box behind the plate. The area between home plate and the arc shall be declared foul territory. 8. There shall be no infield fly rule call in the Peanut League games. 9. In Peanut games, if a ball being returned to the defensive pitcher is mishandled, runners may not advance. 10. In order to call a time out during the game, a defensive player must have the ball in his/her possession in the infield and runners must be stopped from advancing to the next base. The umpire may only grant time out. 11. Appeal procedures and guidelines for: a. Missing a base. b.leaving a base on a caught fly ball before the ball is first touched. Live Ball Appeal - can be made by any fielder in possession of the ball touching the base missed or left too soon on a caught fly ball or by tagging the runner committing the violation if still on the playing field. 4
Dead Ball Appeal - once all runners have completed their advancement and time has been called, a coach or any defensive player, with or without the ball, may make a verbal appeal on a runner missing a base or leaving a base too soon on a caught fly ball. The umpire shall then make decision on the play. If the ball has gone out of play, runners must be given the opportunity to complete their base running before the Dead Ball Appeal can be made. 12. When the ball is thrown out of play all runners will be awarded the base that they are going to when the ball is thrown out of play plus one base. EXCEPTION. When the tenth batter of an inning hits the ball into fair territory and the ball rolls or is thrown out of play all runners who were not previously put out shall score. V. HOME TEAM RESPONSIBILITY 1. The home team shall furnish the umpires, 2 (two) per game. The umpires shall eject from the game, any player, coach, or manager for using profane language. The umpire may also eject from the game, for good reason, any person or player at any time he feels it is necessary for the good of the game and the program. Such ejections shall be agreed upon by all umpires working the game and shall be reported to the Peanut League Commissioner as soon as possible, but in no case later than the following day. 2. The umpires shall, in all cases, be persons worthy of the position, of sufficient age to use good judgment, and do a satisfactory job. Attempts should be made to have at least 1 (one) adult umpire per game. (Two adults are suggested, but this is not a requirement in a Peanut game.) The manager or coach of a team involved in a game shall not umpire that game, unless by mutual agreement with the manager or coach from the opposing team. 3. The home team shall furnish the official scorer. Both teams shall submit full names, first and last, to the official scorer. 4. The winning team shall be responsible for reporting results to the Peanut League Commissioner. Results should be emailed to the Peanut League Commissioner, preferably the morning following the game, but in no case, later than 2 (two) days after the scheduled date of the game. VI. MISCELLANEOUS MCYS RULES 1. To promote sportsmanship and fair play, umpires, managers, and coaches should insist that conversation between opposing teams during the game be addressed to play position, rather than name, nickname, or other forms of razzing. This is of prime importance in the younger leagues. We feel it is equally important for spectators to act in the same manner. 2. The Steering Committee will be composed of the Officers, Directors, and Commissioners of the MCYS. It shall be their responsibility to evaluate any problems or questions submitted to them by any member of this program and to make such decisions and take such action as they feel is necessary to rectify these situations. 5
They shall have authority to suspend temporarily or permanently any member of the program, or to make such reprimands as they deem necessary. 3. All such protests or questions should be submitted verbally to one of the Directors from the area in which the protests or question arose. (This is to be done as soon as possible after such problems or questions arose.) It shall then be presented in writing to the President of the MCYS within 24 (twenty-four) hours of the action. A $10 (ten dollar) protest fee shall accompany any protest. This fee will be refunded if found in favor of the protesting team. 4. No protest will be allowed on judgment calls. Any protest of rules or situations of MCYS or National Federation of State High School Association Rules (NFHS) will be decided by the Steering Committee and teams involved. 5. Teams must schedule make-up games within 2 (two) weeks after postponement. If they are not scheduled within this time, a letter may be filed by one of the teams with the Steering Committee regarding forfeiture. 6. Smoking or alcoholic beverages will not be allowed on the playing field or in the play area (dugouts, benches, etc.). 7. All forfeits must be presented to, and granted by the Peanut League Commissioner. 8. The NFHS rule book shall be followed in regard to a regulation game, forfeiture, protest, and other situations, unless herein stated. 9. No player may participate in this program unless they have a current liability form on file with the MCYS. Each team manager is solely responsible that the form is properly filed, along with league roster with the Peanut League Commissioner no later than June 1 st. (See rule III-1 for penalty). 10. There will be no protest allowed in tournament games. 11. If any team fails to show up for their scheduled 1 st /2 nd or 3 rd /4 th place game at the appropriate tournament site and date the MCYS would: a. Impose a fine of $100 (one hundred dollars) which would be paid by the Community who the team plays for and paid to the MCYS Treasurer. This monetary amount would be then given back to the community hosting the tournament. b. All MCYS awards acquired during the year would be forfeited. 12. Any proposed changes or modifications of these rules must be submitted in writing to the Secretary of the League by April 1 st of the next year. The Steering Committee prior to the annual Spring Meeting will discuss such proposal requests and they will make such recommendations as they see fit. 6