Berea, Brooklyn, Brook Park, Columbia, Fairview, Middleburg Hts., N. Olmsted, O. Falls, & Parma Hts.
OHSAA Baseball Rules apply, except as amended herein
RULE 1.00 PHILOSOPHY & OBJECTIVES
1.01 The Program is designed to provide wholesome recreational activity for residents of our communities.
In addition, such a program should teach basic skills, most important of which is sportsmanship.
1.02 Objectives of the Little League Program include the following: to familiarize its participants with the rules and fundamentals of the game; to assist them in development of baseball skills, and most importantly to have fun.
1.03 Each community is responsible for any disciplinary action necessary within their own teams. Any issues arising between cities will be dealt with by other cities in the league not involved in the dispute. All away teams must respect and follow all rules when playing as the visitor. Each community has the authority to remove spectators/coaches/players from visiting teams.
RULE 2.00 UNIFORMS, EQUIPMENT, & THE PLAYING FIELD
2.01 Jerseys and caps are provided by the BBA and must be worn by each player during the game. Jerseys cannot be altered, and must be tucked in. PLAYERS MAY NOT WEAR SHORTS DURING GAMES.
2.02 Metal spikes are not permitted.
PENALTY: First Infraction in the game: a team warning is issued, all players must change their spikes and all coaches are restricted to the dugout.
Additional Infractions in the game: players caught wearing metal spikes are ejected
2.03 Bats with barrels that are 2 ¼” in diameter do not have a drop limit. Bats with barrels that are 2 ⅝” in diameter must have at most a drop -10 (E.g. a bat with a length of 30” has to weigh at least 20 ounces).
Minimum barrel size is 2 ¼” and maximum barrel size is 2 ⅝”
2.04 The batter, on-deck batter, all base runners and batboy must wear a protective helmet when on the field.
PENALTY: A base runner that deliberately removes his helmet while the ball is in play shall be declared out. The ball would remain alive and in play.
2.05 Bases will be a distance of 65’, the pitching distance 46’
2.06 A safety base will be used at 1st base whenever possible.
2.07 The official game ball will be the MacGregor 76 OR equivalent provided by the home team.
2.08 School and travel players are permitted. These players must be distributed evenly amongst all teams in the city they are participating for.
RULE 3.00 GAME PRELIMINARIES & GROUND RULES
3.01 RUN RULE – If a team is losing by ten (10) or more runs after four (4) innings, or eight (8) or more after five (5) innings, the game is over and official.
3.02 TIME LIMIT – No new inning after one (1) hour and 45 minutes. If the time limit is not reached prior to the end of the 6th inning and the score is tied, an extra inning will be played.
NOTE: Official starting time begins with the first pitch and is kept by the umpire. Once the time limit has been reached, tied official games will remain tied. Official tie games will not be continued at a later date
3.03 Only a Head Coach, 3 assistants, players in uniform, and bat boy are permitted in the dugout.
3.04 The defensive players presently in the game, the batter, one (1) on-deck batter, and two (2) base coaches are the only personnel permitted on the field. Coaches and players must remain in the dugout.
3.05 Two (2) adult coaches may coach the bases. They need not be in uniform.
3.06 OVERTHROWS - OUT OF PLAY - Runners are awarded bases as governed by High School Baseball Rules, which summarily state:
A. If the first throw by an infielder - two (2) bases from the runner’s position at the time of the pitch.
B. On any other throw - two (2) bases from the base runners position at the time of release.
C. On any pitch by the pitcher from the pitcher’s plate, one base from the base runners position at the time of the pitch.
3.07 A batted ball, which bounces fair past first or third base, and then out of play, is a ground rule double.
RULE 4.00 STARTING & PLAYING THE GAME
4.01 A regulation game consists of six (6) innings unless extended because of a tie score, or shortened because the home team needs none or only a fraction if it’s half of the final inning; or because of weather, curfew, run rule, or time limit.
4.02 The league follows the state rule on a delay due to lightning, 30 minutes
4.03 Teams have a ten (10) minute grace period FROM THE SCHEDULED STARTING TIME to have the legal number of players (minimum of 8) present to start the game.
CALL UP PLAYERS: 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.
4.04 When a game is called, it is regulation and considered complete:
A. If four (4) innings have been completed and 1 team has the lead.
B. If the home team is ahead after three and one half (3 ½) innings have been completed.
NOTE: If the game is called and the 2nd inning is complete but neither A or B are reached, or if 4 or more innings have been completed and the game is tied with time remaining in the time limit, the game will be continued at a later date from the exact point at which the game was stopped. If the 2nd inning has
not been completed (6 outs recorded per team) the game will be rescheduled and started over.
4.05 Teams will field nine (9) defensive players; all players positioned in normal defensive alignments.
4.06 Free substitution will be allowed throughout the game. Late arrivals playing time may be reduced proportionately. Players arriving on time must play at least three (3) innings defensively (9 outs) prior to the end of the 6th inning. Penalty: Forfeit of the game if determined to be intentional. Late arrivals should be added to the bottom of the batting order.
4.07 All players bat in a continuous order throughout the game, regardless of who is in the game defensively.
4.08 Any player who does not get his mandatory three (3) innings defensively because the 6th inning is not played, MUST START the next game in which he participates, and play a minimum of 3 innings.
4.09 Every player must play at least one entire game defensively for every three games in which he participates during the regular season.
4.10 Should a player leave the game due to injury, illness, or any other legitimate reason, his at bats are bypassed with NO OUTS RECORDED. If a player is disqualified (ejected from the game) an
OUT WILL BE RECORDED when his turn to bat comes up.
4.10 The BBA reserves the right to place late registrants on teams after the teams are assembled. Late registrants will not be assigned to teams if it is determined that player will negatively affect the balance of the league.
4.11 The home team is responsible for keeping the official scorebook of the game. In the event that the home team cannot provide an official scorebook the visiting scorebook will be official. Both teams are encouraged to keep a scorebook and compare several times throughout the game.
4.12 The manager, ten minutes prior to the start of each game, shall present a lineup card with names & numbers in batting order. Players not on site should be left off the lineup card until they arrive.
RULE 5.00 THE BATTER
5.01 Dropped 3rd Strike – The batter is out but base runners may advance at their own risk.
5.02 Bunting is permitted except with a runner on third base
RULE 6.00 THE RUNNER
6.01 Stealing bases (including home) is permitted
6.02 Runners may not leave the base until the pitched ball has reached home plate. Base runners may advance until the ball is released back to the pitcher by the catcher.
NOTE: If a runner begins his attempt to steal after the ball has been released by the catcher to the pitcher, the umpire shall call “time” and return all runners to their respective bases.
PENALTY: The base runner returns to the base he last occupied at time of the pitch. On a hit or error, he can advance only as far as he is forced to by the runner behind him. If thrown out, the out
stands. This will be the only team warning. Runners shall be called out for any subsequent violations.
EXCEPTION: Any base runner intentionally or flagrantly leaving a base early to gain an unfair advantage will be called “out” by the umpire. Umpire may also declare a runner out, if in his opinion, the runner would not have reached the base safely had he not left early. There will be no warning.
6.03 The High School rule will apply for failure to touch a base, or failure to properly tag up after a caught fly ball.
6.04 (Optional) Speed Up Rule: with two (2) outs and the catcher on base, the manager is encouraged to use a courtesy runner. The courtesy runner would be the person charged with the last out.
6.05 A legal slide must be feet first. A runner will be called out for attempting a head first slide while advancing to a base. A head first slide is legal when attempting to return to a base.
RULE 7.00 PITCHING
7.01 Pitchers may pitch a maximum of 7 innings in one week and only pitch a maximum of 4 innings in one day. A week is defined as Monday through Sunday. Once a pitcher throws a pitch in an inning, that counts as a full innings pitched. It is the coach’s responsibility to accurately track and document the team’s innings
pitched.
PENALTY for violation of this rule is forfeiture of that game. In addition, the Head Coach may be suspended if it is determined that violation of the rule was intentional.
7.02 Once a pitcher is removed from the pitching position, he may not pitch again in that same game.
7.03 Games called prior to becoming official due to rain, time limit, or other such causes will count as innings pitched for each pitcher in that week.
7.04 Pitchers may issue an intentional walk by informing the umpire, who will the direct the batter to proceed to first base. No batter may be intentionally walked more than once in a game.
7.05 The pitcher must be removed from the pitching position for the remainder of the game by the coach:
a. On the 4th visit and any subsequent visits to the mound
b. If the same pitcher has hit 3 batters in the same inning or 4 batters in the game.
7.06 Balks will not be enforced.
RULE 8.00 PROTESTS
8.01 Protests must be declared at the time of the occurrence, and before the next pitch. Protests cannot be submitted over judgement calls (safe/out, ball/strike, etc.). Protests will be ruled on at the field by the field supervisor prior to the next pitch being made