MINORS 2015 PLAYING RULES These rules do not take the place of any official Babe Ruth or Cal Ripken rules as published in the official baseball rulebook. These rules pertain to local league play only. 1. Game time is 5:45 PM, PROMPT, on weeknights. Night games will start no later than 8:30 PM on nights on which they are allowed. Saturday games starting times are determined by mutual agreement between coaches, but no later than 6:00 PM without lights. No inning will begin after 8:00 PM on school nights. 2. Immediately following the meeting with the umpires at the plate, each team will take a position on their respective baselines, remove their hats and face the flag for the Pledge of Allegiance to be led by the home team manager. All fields are to have some American Flag visible from the field. 3. Visiting team has the field 25 min. prior to game time, for 20 minutes. 4. Home team will provide 2 new baseballs for each game. Game balls must have the official Cal Ripken logo. 5. Free Substitution and running batting order. 6. A game is forfeited when a team fails to field 9 players at the start of the contest. If, with the game in progress, a player is injured or is forced to leave the game for good reason, the game may be resumed with no less than 8 players, with the line-up spot(s) of the absent player(s) being considered an out if that spot comes to the plate. 7. For regular season games will be six innings and players must play a minimum of 3 innings, an inning being constituted by 3 consecutive outs or 9 batters. (Teams with 14 or more players will have a 2 inning minimum for their players.) If a player comes late, he will become the last batter in the batting order and will NOT be subject to this rule. Player arriving late but before the 3 rd inning must play. Player arriving late after the 3 rd inning must be discussed by both coach s and agreed upon by both coach s with an Umpire present as to his playing eligibility. 8. A game called because of darkness, rain, tie score, etc., must be completely replayed, unless it is an official game (4 complete innings, or 31/2 innings with the home team ahead). All tie score games will be completely replayed by the end of the season. A game needing to be rescheduled, must be rescheduled (not played) within 2 days. All regular season games must be played before the stated end of the regular season.
9. Throwing equipment as a result of anger shall result in automatic expulsion by the umpire. A bat thrown as a result of poor grip shall result in a warning by the umpire. A second offense by the same player will result in expulsion and an automatic out. 10. The home team will be responsible for paying umpires. 11. Each team is required to have appropriate First-Aid supplies, as listed in Appendix C of this document, at all practices and games. 12. NO jewelry, except religious medals and Medical Alert bracelets & necklaces, will be allowed to be worn while playing. 13. There will be NO tobacco products, alcohol, or profanity allowed within the playing field, as described by field ground rules, including bench and dugout areas. Any violation will bring immediate expulsion, subject to rules set forth in the by-laws. 14. Minors will play regular season games with 60' base paths 46' 6" pitching mound 15. A courtesy runner for the catcher must be used only when there are two outs. There will be no courtesy runner for the pitcher. The Courtesy runner will be the player who made the last out 16. No more than 9 batters shall come to the plate in any one inning, except the last inning, when it s required to play for three outs. When the ninth batter of the inning steps to the plate, there is automatically 2 outs. A strikeout ends the inning. On a walk or hit batter - the ball is dead, runners advance only if forced, and the ball is dead inning over. On a batted ball, if an out cannot be made on the 9th batter by a force play or by tagging a runner, the ball must be thrown home and any defensive player receiving the throw must touch home plate to end the inning. 17. Players must wear a face mask when warming up a pitcher, both on the sidelines and on the field between innings. Protective cups must be worm by ALL catchers, including warm-up catchers. It is highly recommended that all players, regardless of position, wear a protective cup. 18. In the interests of safety, catchers CANNOT block the plate if they do not have the ball, nor can they go up the line to wait for a throw, thus blocking the runner. All runners must slide to any base attempted, if being played on in order to avoid a collision with a fielder. HEAD FIRST SLIDES ARE STRICTLY PROHIBITED EXCEPT WHEN RETURN TO A BASE! Any unnecessary or inappropriate contact with the fielder, in the opinion of the umpire, will result in the runner being called out. In addition, any willful and malicious contact with the fielder, in the opinion of the umpire, will result in the runner being called out and the runner being ejected from the game, subject to suspension according to the by-laws. 19. STEALING OF THIRD BASE ONLY allowed on any pitched ball once the ball has passed the batter. No other runner may advance during the steal attempt. The catcher or pitcher may
attempt to throw the runner out at either base. If the ball is mishandled or not caught it will result in a live ball situation and the runner may advance at his own risk. No stealing on a throwback from the catcher to the pitcher, commonly known as a delayed steal, will be allowed. However, any return throw to the pitcher which is dropped by the pitcher and is loose on the ground will be considered a live ball situation and runners may advance at their own peril. Runners cannot take a lead until the ball is past the batter. Runners on first and third base may only advance on a hit ball or, if forced, a BB or hit batsman. One warning will be given to each team. Catchers and pitchers may attempt to make a pick-off' play to any base while runners are returning to a base after a pitch. Any over-throws during the pick-off will result in a "live ball" situation. Runners must be tagged while off of a base in order to be called out. NO STEALING allowed with a 10 run lead. 20. When a pitcher, while in the course of his wind up or delivery, stops and resets as a result of the batter squaring to bunt, a ball, not a BALK, shall be called. 21. Once a 10 run lead is acquired - NO stealing allowed. A 15 run mercy rule will be in effect after 4 innings (or 31/2 with home team ahead by at least 15 runs) and will result in an end to the contest and the team in lead declared the winner. Also, after 4 innings (or 31/2 with the home team ahead by at least 15 runs) the coach of the trailing team may choose to end the contest immediately. No game should continue after the Mercy Rule has taken place. Not even if the coach s agree 22. Base runners who leave the base early, in an attempt to steal will cause the team to be given a warning. Next offense by that team, runner is out. Appeals for runners leaving a base early, missed bases, improper base runner, etc., must be made by the defensive team before the next pitch is thrown. Offensive and defensive interference will be a judgment call by the umpires and can not be appealed. 23. In case of fielder injury due to batted ball, ball is dead, batter and/or all runners advance one base, even if they are not forced. 24. Infield Fly Rule will be used. 25. Official score sheets, as determined by the statistician, will be provided by the league. The winning team is responsible for faxing, mailing or e-mailing the score sheet to the statistician within 24 hours of the contest. Each team should also have the umpire print and sign his name to the score book. 26. The Policy Committee will hear all protests. All protests must be submitted, by fax, mail or e-mail, to the Policy Committee Chairman within 48 hours of game, along with a nonrefundable $25 check payable to LVCRL. 27. Double Rostering - Teams may roster a minimum of 12 and a maximum of 15 players plus double rostered players. Double rostered players should be picked as early as possible by each upper team. If a double rostered player plays up a number of times equal to 50% of his regular scheduled games, he must remain at the higher level permanently. Pitchers that
move up cannot pitch until they become permanent on the team that they have played for at least 4 times. These rules remain the same as in previous years. 28. No players will be allowed to move up to a higher playing level(ex. Minors to Majors) unless the upper team cannot field enough players to play a game. Players must try out for the league age post season all-star teams they cannot try out for a upper level team unless there is not enough players at the level. They must try out for their league age team first and if selected cannot move up to the next level unless they are released by the lower team head coach. Teams with not enough players is constituted as 8 players or less. If a team has 9 players the team may double roster kids from a lower level team(this is recommended). All kids being moved up must be reported to league player agent.
FIELD LAYOUT Minors Baselines: 60 feet Pitching distance: 46 feet Pitcher s plate: 6 inches above home plate level Distance down foul line: 200 feet Outfield distance to pocket in center field: 250 feet PITCHING 1. CURVEBALLS and other similar pitches requiring excess torsion on the arm are BANNED from being thrown at any time, including post-season tournament play.. 2. Minors- A pitcher may not pitch more than two inning in any game and may pitch in a maximum of six (6) innings per calendar week. The only exception is if a game goes extra innings, a pitcher is allowed an additional inning for a total of 3 innings in any game. If a player pitches in four (3) innings, three (3) calendar days of rest must be given before pitching again. Delivery of a single pitch constitutes pitching one inning. 3. Pitch Count Requirements In addition to the innings limitation, pitch counts will also be assessed to determine a pitcher s eligibility to continue. A pitcher will be allowed to throw a maximum of forty (40) pitches over a maximum of two innings, with an additional fifteen (15) pitches allowed for a third inning if necessary. 4. THE PITCHING WEEK RUNS SUNDAY THROUGH SATURDAY. If a player pitched in three or more innings on: SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY and is still eligible, that player can pitch again on: THRUSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY 5. Once a player is removed as a pitcher, he may not pitch, or play the position of catcher, again in the same game. 6. Innings pitched in a game declared "no contest" should be charged against pitchers eligibility for that week.
7. In order to speed up game, a pitch warm-up rule is in effect. Eight (8) pitches will be allowed for each starting pitcher in the first inning and 5 pitches in each subsequent inning. When a team changes pitchers, the new pitcher will get 8 warm-up pitches, then 5 for each subsequent inning he pitches. If the catcher is late, allow him to receive 1 pitch to throw down. Warm-up pitches are not part of the pitch count! 8. There is a time limit 3 minutes between innings. 9. Pitching changes MUST be reported to the umpire AT THE TIME OF THE CHANGE. The pitcher will not be allowed to warm up on the mound until he has reported to the umpire. 10. 2nd trip to mound in same inning, requires automatic removal of pitcher. 11. A pitcher must be removed after hitting 3 batters in one inning or 5 in a game. 12. Violation of any section of this regulation can result in protest/forfeit of the game