(USA SOFTBALL RULES APPLY EXCEPT AS AMENDED HEREIN RULE)
BEREA BASEBALL ASSOCIATION
RULES AND REGULATIONS FOR 7/8 YEAR OLD MACHINE PITCH LEAGUE
Only the Executive Broad of the Berea Baseball Association my change or modify these rules.
RULE 1.0 DIVISIONS & PLAYER ELIGIBILITY
1.01 LEAGUE DIVISIONS & PLAYER AGES
Age 8 - A ball player cannot turn 9 years old prior to January 1st.
1.03 Exemptions to the above rules must be approved by the Executive Board
RULE 2.0 UNIFORMS, EQUIPMENT, AND THE PLAYING FIELD
2.01 Jersey, pants, caps, and socks are provided by the Berea Baseball Association and should be worn by each player during the game. No shorts or modifications to the provided uniform are permitted. Jerseys cannot be altered and should be tucked in. Earrings or other piercings, watches, necklaces, or other loose jewelry must be removed prior to the start of a scheduled game. Medical alert jewelry or religious emblems are permitted provided that they are taped down or otherwise secured prior to the player taking the field.
2.02 Baseball bats must meet Little League specifications and standards and have the USA Softball certification stamp. They should be made of wood or of material tested and approved acceptable to Little League standards. Bats may be taped or fitted with a sleeve for a distance not exceeding 16 inches from the small end. T-ball and baseball bats are not allowed.
2.03 Bats may not exceed 30 inches in length or 2 1/4 inches in diameter.
2.04 Illegal bats must be removed. If an illegal bat is discovered after a ball is hit, the batter will be called out and the base runners will be returned to their original bases.
2.05 Balls, bats, catching equipment, and helmets are supplied by the BBA. Coaches and players should respect this equipment. A ball player, without prior warning, may be ejected from the game for throwing his equipment in anger. A team warning will be issued in regard to any further infraction of the rule, resulting in a forfeiture of the game. Batting helmets must be worn by a player when on-deck, batting, running bases, or coaching a base.
2.06 No metal spikes are allowed
2.07 Playing Field: Bases will be a distance of sixty (60) feet and the pitcher's mound will be forty-five (45) feet from home plate.
2.08 Batting Helmets: All batting helmets must be SEI/NOCSAE certified and have a SEI/NOCSAE certified faceguard.
2.09 Catcher's Chest Protector: All chest protectors must have SEI/NOCSAE certified and have a SEI/NOCSAE certified commotio cordis plate installed.
RULE 3.0 GAME PRELIMINARIES, GROUND RULES
3.01 Only the team head coach, assistant coaches, players in uniform, and a batgirl are permitted in the dugout or playing area. The batboy must wear a batting helmet when on the field of play.
3.02 Players, coaches, and assistants should not address, or mingle with spectators, nor sit in the stands during the game in which they are participating in, with the exception of controlling unruly behavior.
3.03 The home team will occupy the first base dugout. The home team will also be the official scorekeeper.
3.04 Infield Fly Rule: The infield fly rule is not applicable in this league
3.05 Appeal plays (runner missing a base, runner leaving early on a tag up, etc.) will be the responsibility of the umpire and decided immediately. No appeal from the coach or player is necessary.
3.06 In the event of an extreme possible injury (ball impacting player, player collision, etc.), time will be called and play will stop (dead ball). Runners may not advance after time has been called and may be sent back to the base that he was originally occupying or running to at the time of the injury based on "dead ball" rules.
RULE 4.0 STARTING AND PLAYING TIME
4.01 Infield practice will be determined by the time left before the start of the next game. The umpires will have the authority in this matter. There will be no infield/outfield practice after the first inning.
4.02 Regulation Games: Games are to be one (1) hour long with no new inning started after the first forty-five (45) minutes of play. There are no minimum or maximum innings needed to constitute a complete game. Play will be discontinued at the one (1) hour mark regardless of which team is ahead.
4.02a Continued Games: Any game suspended due to weather, acts of nature, equipment malfunction, or curfew will be replayed, continued, or cancelled at the discretion of the league director.
4.03 Games will begin at scheduled times, provided the umpires and fields are ready for play. The umpire will record the starting time in the home team scorebook. Rain delays and cancellations after the game begins are at the umpire's discretion. The following rules will apply in lighting disturbances:
4.03a A 30-second or less flash-to-bang count will result in removal of all players from the field to an appropriate shelter
4.03b Thirty (30) Minute Rule: Once play has been suspended, there must be at least a 30 minute wait after the last flash of lightening is witnessed, or thunder is heard, prior to resuming play.
4.04 Run Rule: There will be no run rule. The inning or half-inning will end when the batting team reaches the bottom of the order or three (3) outs are recorded. The maximum number of batters per inning is equal to the number of players in attendance on the larger team that game.
4.05 Number of Defensive Players: The team will field eleven (11) players in defensive positions. Five (5) of these players will be positioned in the outfield or a minimum of ten (10) feet beyond the base paths. No player may play the same defensive position for more than two (2) innings.
4.06 Teams must have a minimum of eight (8) players on the field no later than ten (10) minutes after the scheduled start of the game. Teams fielding seven (7) players will forfeit the game.
4.07 On Offense: All players will remain in their original spot in the batting order for the entire game. Players who arrive after the game begins will be assigned to the spot(s) following the last player in the batting order when the game began.
4.08 On Defense: If more than eleven (11) players are in attendance, the “extra” player(s) will remain on the bench when their team is in the field. No player shall be on the bench for more than one (1) inning except in the case of injury or other disability.
4.09 No verbal abuse, heckling, badgering, or name-calling of any player, umpire, coach, or fan will be tolerated. There will be no organized noise or chanting prior to, or during the pitcher’s delivery (i.e.: banging bats, shaking the fence, “rally, rally”, etc.).
4.10 If a coach knows ahead of time they will not have 9 players they can use players from the next age group down. Call up players must be registered in the program and wear their original team uniform, not a jersey for the team they are playing up on. They must play the outfield and bat last in the order. Call up players cannot be used if someone has to sit the bench, they can be the 10th player to have on hand in case of injury.
RULE 5.0 THE BATTER & ADDITIONAL HITTER
5.01 Batting Procedure: Every player will bat in the line-up, whether playing in the field or not. Prior to July, each player will receive five (5) pitches before she is declared out. In July, each player will receive five (5) pitches, or three (3) swings, whichever comes first, before she is declared out. The batter will be out on on the 5th pitch regardless if he foul tips or hits a foul ball. At the umpires discretion, the batter may receive an extra pitch if the pitched ball is not within the strike zone or able to be hit.
5.02 Bunting: There will be no bunting in any situation
5.03 Dropped Third Strikes: Not applicable in this league
5.04 A batter will be declared out when failing to bat in proper turn and another batter completes a time at bat in place of the proper batter. Base runners would return to their normal bases. The proper batter may take position in the batter’s box at any time before the improper batter becomes a runner or is put out, and any balls and strikes shall be counted in the proper batter’s time at bat.
5.05 A batter will be issued a warning for a bat that has been “thrown” following a hit ball. A second infraction in the same game will cause the batter to be called out. The next infraction will result in that player being ejected from the game. (Differs from “Equipment Thrown in Anger Rule” RULE 2.04).
RULE 6.0 THE CATCHER
6.01 Catcher’s Maximum Number of Innings: Catchers will be allowed a maximum of two (2) innings per game.
6.02 The catcher must maintain a crouch position with both knees off of the ground while a pitch to the home plate is still “in play”.
6.03 Courtesy Runner: The coach has the option to utilize a courtesy runner to allow the catcher to put on her equipment if there are two (2) outs in the inning. Runner selected will be the player who made the last batted out.
RULE 7.0 THE RUNNER
7.01 Lead Offs: There will be no lead offs permitted.
7.02 Stealing of Bases: There will be no base stealing.
7.03 Overthrows: Play will stop when there is an overthrow (dead ball) to any position. Base runners will not advance.
7.04 When players are advancing to any base, they must slide if the defensive player has control of the ball and is in position to tag the runner out. The umpire may allow casual contact; however, if flagrant contact occurs in the umpire’s judgment, the player causing such contact will be ejected from the game. A base runner that does not slide or surrender and causes contact with a defensive player will be called out.
7.05 Sliding headfirst into any base will not be permitted unless the base runner is returning to the original base. One team warning will be given and any additional headfirst slides will be called out.
7.06 Fielders may not block the base path or base unless they are fielding the ball or have possession of the ball and are making a play on the base runner. No fake tags.
7.07 Base runners must allow a fielder to make a play on the ball. If the runner interferes with the fielder, he will automatically be called out.
7.08 A runner will be called out if he runs more than three (3’) feet away from a direct line between the bases to avoid being tagged.
7.09 If the ball is hit into the outfield, runners may advance until the ball is thrown into the infield. An infielder does not have to have possession of the ball to stop the advancement of the runner.
RULE 8.0 PITCHERS
8.01 Pitcher’s Weekly Maximum Number of Innings: Pitcher is a defensive position only.
8.02 Base on Balls & Hit Batters: Batter will not advance to first base on anything but a ball hit into play.
RULE 9.0 CONDUCT OF COACHES, ASSISTANT COACHES, FANS
9.01 Only the team head coach may address the umpire or the opposing team’s head coach concerning a rules interpretation, disputed call, or questions concerning the game, etc. Violation of this rule by an assistant coach, player, or fan will result in a verbal warning given to the head coach. Any additional or subsequent infractions will result in the immediate ejection of the head coach and or any assistant coach, player, or fan that becomes involved in these meetings.
9.02 If the head coach is unable to attend a game, a designated head coach must be declared to the plate umpire prior to the start of the game. All games must begin and end with a BBA approved, adult coach on the field.
9.03 Head coaches are to keep their assistant coaches, players, and fans under control at all times. The umpire may eject the head coach, assistant coach, player, or fan if he deems necessary, from the playing field area. The head coach will be allowed reasonable time to control his assistant coaches, players or fans before he will be subject to possible ejection. A second ejection for one (1) team (including players, coaches, and or fans) in any game will result in immediate and final forfeiture of the game. Following a second ejection (coaches, players, and or fans) during the season, the head coach will be suspended. Reinstatement is as defined in RULE 9.04.
9.04 Ejection of a coach (head or assistant), or a violation of the rule herein, will earn the head coach a minimum suspension for that game, plus the next scheduled game. Following an ejection, the head coach may not coach again until a committee consisting of the BBA President, The Director of Operations, and the League Director reviews him. If any of the above is not readily available, a preapproved representative of the BBA Board of Directors will serve. During this suspension, the coach may not have any contact with his team prior to, during, or after a game. This also includes any team practices or team outings.
9.05 No BBA coach will be permitted to smoke, chew tobacco, or consume alcoholic beverages while practicing with or coaching a BBA team.
9.06 Profanity by any head coach, assistant coach, or player is subject to immediate ejection from the game.