Minors Rules - 2016 (as of 4-13-2016)
Updated 4-13-2016
Max Runs Per Inning changed to 4 for 2016
2016 Rules
Coaches Responsibilities
¨ Each game shall be run in a relaxed environment. The intent of this program is to teach, encourage improvement and have fun. Coaches must set an example of good sportsmanship and insure that good sportsmanship is shown by their players. Players should be encouraged to cheer FOR their team, but not AGAINST the other team. Winning and losing are part of the game, but should never be the focus. Coaches are reminded to review the Coaches Code of Conduct which they are required to sign for further details about what is expected of them.
.. Coaching Box - The only equipment that a coach may have and use in the coaching box is a stopwatch, a rules books (hard copy) and a scorebook (hard copy). Cellular phone must stay in the pocket for emergency purpose only. Coaches may NOT video or record the game from a Dugout or Coaches box.
¨ Lopsided scores are discouraging to players on the losing end so running up scores is frowned upon. Measures to avoid this from happening include preventing runners from taking extra bases when a lead is sizable.
¨ The game can be stopped at any time to give corrective instruction to the players, with care taken not to overuse this to the point of delaying the game. Coaches may be on the field during preseason games only.
¨ No one -- including coaches from either team -- is permitted around the backstop or the entrance to the field from the dugout during a game in order to avoid creating a distraction to the batter or pitcher. Coaches must enforce this rule and umpires will be instructed to stop the game until the situation is corrected. Coaches aren’t allowed on the field during play.
¨ Players must remain on their respective benches when their team is at bat, except for the on-deck batter (behind home plate) and any player serving as a first-base coach (who must wear a helmet). Coaches must assign a “safety coach” to enforce this rule to avoid injury.
¨ Umpires are in charge of the game once it begins. Coaches must provide a good sportsmanship example for players and parents by not arguing judgment calls with the umpire. Coaches are free to ask the umpire for rule clarifications. If a coach is ejected from a game, the coach will be subject to the disciplinary action outlined in the Mahwah Youth Sports Boosters Bylaws (Appendix III.5). If a player is ejected from a game he will be suspended for one game, that game being the next official game played following the ejection.
¨ Coaches are expected to inform the parents of their players about proper behavior immediately before, during and after games. Parents should not linger around the dugout during the games. Parents also aren’t allowed on the field during the games. Most importantly, parents should never argue with umpires for any reason. Infractions such as these may lead to the
umpire halting the game until the coach has corrected the situation. Failure to comply may lead to a forfeit of the game. Failure to comply with this rule will lead to disciplinary action as determined by the Mahwah Youth Sports Boosters’ Spring Player Agent.
¨ If an umpire issues a warning to a team for an infraction it is the responsibility of the coach to communicate the warning to the players with an explanation. Throwing equipment, inappropriate language and any form of unsportsmanlike behavior isn’t allowed by either players or coaches. Infractions will lead to team warnings from the umpire after which the next person to commit this offense will be ejected from the game. If a player is ejected from a game he will be suspended for one game, that game being the next official game played following the ejection. Multiple ejections will lead to disciplinary action as determined by the Mahwah Youth Sports Boosters’ Spring Player Agent up to and including suspensions.
¨ Home team must supply game balls.
¨ Coach of the winning team and losing team must notify the league director of the score, the number of umpires who officiated the game and the number of innings pitched per pitcher. This notification must occur by the next day to ensure team records are kept current. Coaches must notify the league director if a game is rained out.
¨ Both the home and away teams are responsible for removing bases and equipment from the field equipment boxes and replacing them in the proper boxes when play has ended. Please take care to ensure that equipment is kept together so the next team to use it has everything it needs.
¨ Coaches must ensure that proper equipment is being utilized. This applies in particular to the barrel size of the bat. (see equipment section)
¨ Coaches should inform the league director when first aids kits need to be replenished.
¨ If after the season schedule is set a coach becomes aware of a conflict that will cause a forfeit, it is the responsibility of the coaches of the two teams affected to agree on a convenient date to play the game and then inform the league director so that umpires and fields can be assigned.
¨ Postponements or cancelations will be made in accordance with the Mahwah Youth Baseball game postponement procedure. Weather updates may be found online on our Weather Page - see the link above the rules.
¨ From the time thunder is heard or a lightning flash is observed, a game will be suspended for 30 minutes. The lightning detection systems at Airmont and Continental Soldiers Park have a five-mile radius. When there are lightning strikes within five miles of the system a siren will sound and a strobe light will be activated. The initial siren will go off only once for 18 seconds, while the strobe light will stay on for 30 minutes after the last strike. If the strobe light is on it means there is lightning in the area. When all is clear, a horn will sound for 18 seconds and the strobe light will turn off. Only at that time and as long as thunder isn't heard again may players and coaches take the field.
The Players
.
Each player must be in proper baseball attire (no shorts).
¨ . .
¨
Pitching
.
There are no balks.
Note: These pitching rules have been instituted to assist in the development of pitchers in a safe manner. Recent studies have detailed arm problems that can affect young players when they are overworked in pitching situations. Coaches should exhibit good judgment to not pitch players beyond their limitations. Coaches should work with the player and the player’s parents when necessary to avoid overwork. Although Mahwah Youth Baseball hasn’t implemented the same rules as Little League Baseball concerning pitch counts, coaches should take note of these rules and use them as a guide. The Little League Rules are as follows:
The number of pitches allowable under the new regulation is based on the pitcher’s age.
Specific rest periods are in place when a pitcher reaches a higher threshold of pitches delivered in a day. The table below gives an overview of the number of pitches that will be allowed a day for each age group during the regular season.
League Age - Pitches allowed per day
17-18 105
13-16 95
11-12 85
10 and under 75
The rest periods required are listed below.
Pitchers league ages seven through 16 must adhere to the following rest requirements:
• If a player pitches 61 or more pitches in a day, three calendar days of rest must be observed.
• If a player pitches 41 to 60 pitches in a day, two calendar days of rest must be observed.
• If a player pitches 21 to 40 pitches in a day, one calendar day of rest must be observed.
• If a player pitches one to 20 pitches in a day, no calendar day of rest is required before pitching again.
Base running
Max Runs Per Inning changed to 4 for 2016
2016 Rules
Coaches Responsibilities
¨ Each game shall be run in a relaxed environment. The intent of this program is to teach, encourage improvement and have fun. Coaches must set an example of good sportsmanship and insure that good sportsmanship is shown by their players. Players should be encouraged to cheer FOR their team, but not AGAINST the other team. Winning and losing are part of the game, but should never be the focus. Coaches are reminded to review the Coaches Code of Conduct which they are required to sign for further details about what is expected of them.
.. Coaching Box - The only equipment that a coach may have and use in the coaching box is a stopwatch, a rules books (hard copy) and a scorebook (hard copy). Cellular phone must stay in the pocket for emergency purpose only. Coaches may NOT video or record the game from a Dugout or Coaches box.
¨ Lopsided scores are discouraging to players on the losing end so running up scores is frowned upon. Measures to avoid this from happening include preventing runners from taking extra bases when a lead is sizable.
¨ The game can be stopped at any time to give corrective instruction to the players, with care taken not to overuse this to the point of delaying the game. Coaches may be on the field during preseason games only.
¨ No one -- including coaches from either team -- is permitted around the backstop or the entrance to the field from the dugout during a game in order to avoid creating a distraction to the batter or pitcher. Coaches must enforce this rule and umpires will be instructed to stop the game until the situation is corrected. Coaches aren’t allowed on the field during play.
¨ Players must remain on their respective benches when their team is at bat, except for the on-deck batter (behind home plate) and any player serving as a first-base coach (who must wear a helmet). Coaches must assign a “safety coach” to enforce this rule to avoid injury.
¨ Umpires are in charge of the game once it begins. Coaches must provide a good sportsmanship example for players and parents by not arguing judgment calls with the umpire. Coaches are free to ask the umpire for rule clarifications. If a coach is ejected from a game, the coach will be subject to the disciplinary action outlined in the Mahwah Youth Sports Boosters Bylaws (Appendix III.5). If a player is ejected from a game he will be suspended for one game, that game being the next official game played following the ejection.
¨ Coaches are expected to inform the parents of their players about proper behavior immediately before, during and after games. Parents should not linger around the dugout during the games. Parents also aren’t allowed on the field during the games. Most importantly, parents should never argue with umpires for any reason. Infractions such as these may lead to the
umpire halting the game until the coach has corrected the situation. Failure to comply may lead to a forfeit of the game. Failure to comply with this rule will lead to disciplinary action as determined by the Mahwah Youth Sports Boosters’ Spring Player Agent.
¨ If an umpire issues a warning to a team for an infraction it is the responsibility of the coach to communicate the warning to the players with an explanation. Throwing equipment, inappropriate language and any form of unsportsmanlike behavior isn’t allowed by either players or coaches. Infractions will lead to team warnings from the umpire after which the next person to commit this offense will be ejected from the game. If a player is ejected from a game he will be suspended for one game, that game being the next official game played following the ejection. Multiple ejections will lead to disciplinary action as determined by the Mahwah Youth Sports Boosters’ Spring Player Agent up to and including suspensions.
¨ Home team must supply game balls.
¨ Coach of the winning team and losing team must notify the league director of the score, the number of umpires who officiated the game and the number of innings pitched per pitcher. This notification must occur by the next day to ensure team records are kept current. Coaches must notify the league director if a game is rained out.
¨ Both the home and away teams are responsible for removing bases and equipment from the field equipment boxes and replacing them in the proper boxes when play has ended. Please take care to ensure that equipment is kept together so the next team to use it has everything it needs.
¨ Coaches must ensure that proper equipment is being utilized. This applies in particular to the barrel size of the bat. (see equipment section)
¨ Coaches should inform the league director when first aids kits need to be replenished.
¨ If after the season schedule is set a coach becomes aware of a conflict that will cause a forfeit, it is the responsibility of the coaches of the two teams affected to agree on a convenient date to play the game and then inform the league director so that umpires and fields can be assigned.
¨ Postponements or cancelations will be made in accordance with the Mahwah Youth Baseball game postponement procedure. Weather updates may be found online on our Weather Page - see the link above the rules.
¨ From the time thunder is heard or a lightning flash is observed, a game will be suspended for 30 minutes. The lightning detection systems at Airmont and Continental Soldiers Park have a five-mile radius. When there are lightning strikes within five miles of the system a siren will sound and a strobe light will be activated. The initial siren will go off only once for 18 seconds, while the strobe light will stay on for 30 minutes after the last strike. If the strobe light is on it means there is lightning in the area. When all is clear, a horn will sound for 18 seconds and the strobe light will turn off. Only at that time and as long as thunder isn't heard again may players and coaches take the field.
The Players
.
- Players may be freely rotated into and out of the game. Note exceptions for Pitchers and Catchers.
- Each player must play a minimum of three innings in the field in each game.
- No player can sit two innings in a row.
- Players may not play the same position more than two innings a game except for the catcher position
Each player must be in proper baseball attire (no shorts).
- A single, continuous lineup will be used. Each player must bat in his normal rotation, whether or not he played in the
field. - Coaches are encouraged to play all players at all positions over the course of the season. Safety considerations should be made to avoid putting players in defensive positions in which they may not be able protect themselves
- Any player arriving late to a game shall be added to the bottom of the batting order However, that can't take
place during the middle of an inning. If one complete turn of the batting order already has occurred the late player would have to wait until the last spot in the order comes around again. - If a player is unable to finish a game, that player’s spot in the batting order is skipped over without an out being recorded.
- Catchers must wear a protective supporter in addition to full catcher’s gear. This applies during play, warm-ups, and in the bullpen.
- By mutual agreement prior to the game, coaches may decide to use 10 defensive players in the field with the extra player playing in the outfield (i.e. four evenly distributed outfielders).
- Once players are placed into defensive positions at the start of an inning, they must remain in that same position for the remainder of the inning. An exception to this rule is allowed in the case of an injury or when pitchers are being replaced during an inning. If the pitcher is being replaced, he must go to the position of his replacement. Exceptions are first base or catcher, and swaps at these positions will be allowed only for safety reasons
- A pitcher, a catcher and a maximum of four infielders are allowed during a game. The rest of the defense must play in the outfield.
¨ . .
¨
Pitching
.
There are no balks.
Note: These pitching rules have been instituted to assist in the development of pitchers in a safe manner. Recent studies have detailed arm problems that can affect young players when they are overworked in pitching situations. Coaches should exhibit good judgment to not pitch players beyond their limitations. Coaches should work with the player and the player’s parents when necessary to avoid overwork. Although Mahwah Youth Baseball hasn’t implemented the same rules as Little League Baseball concerning pitch counts, coaches should take note of these rules and use them as a guide. The Little League Rules are as follows:
The number of pitches allowable under the new regulation is based on the pitcher’s age.
Specific rest periods are in place when a pitcher reaches a higher threshold of pitches delivered in a day. The table below gives an overview of the number of pitches that will be allowed a day for each age group during the regular season.
League Age - Pitches allowed per day
17-18 105
13-16 95
11-12 85
10 and under 75
The rest periods required are listed below.
Pitchers league ages seven through 16 must adhere to the following rest requirements:
• If a player pitches 61 or more pitches in a day, three calendar days of rest must be observed.
• If a player pitches 41 to 60 pitches in a day, two calendar days of rest must be observed.
• If a player pitches 21 to 40 pitches in a day, one calendar day of rest must be observed.
• If a player pitches one to 20 pitches in a day, no calendar day of rest is required before pitching again.
Base running
- A pitcher may not pitch more than six innings in one week. A pitcher may not pitch more than two innings in one game.
- One pitch constitutes an inning pitched
- A pitcher’s week starts on Sunday and ends on Saturday
- A pitcher cannot pitch on two consecutive days. However, this rule is waived if the scheduling of a make-up game creates games on consecutive days. This waiver doesn’t change the rule prohibiting a pitcher from pitching more than six innings a week.
- A player can't return to the game as a pitcher after having been removed from pitching during the game
- A pitcher must be removed from the game if he hits two batters in an inning, or three batters in a game. This will be enforced by the umpire with no exceptions.
- No leading is allowed. The baserunner may not leave the base until the pitched ball has crossed home plate. If a player leaves the base early the umpire may return the player to the last base occupied. If that base is now occupied, then the player may be called out.
- No stealing is allowed. The runner isn’t allowed to advance base(s) on a passed ball, wild pitch, or on an overthrow from the catcher to the pitcher.
- If there is the possibility of a play at any base, including home plate, the base runner must SLIDE or ATTEMPT TO AVOID contact with the defensive player. A baserunner may not attempt to run into or knock over an opposing player. Failure to slide or avoid will result in the runner being called out. If a runner intentionally runs into or knocks down an opposing player, he will be called out and ejected from the game. Head first slides are only allowed when returning to a base. A player will be called out otherwise.
- Hurry up rule: When there is 2 outs, the Catcher for the next inning may be removed as a base runner and replaced with the player who last batted out. All other positions must remain as base runners.
- A baserunner may not continue to advance once the pitcher has the ball on or near the mound. The umpire will control this by calling a dead ball.
- The Baseball Rules from the National Federation of State High School Associations shall be followed except for rules specified in this document. In cases in which contradictions exist between these two sets of rules, the rules specified in this document shall supercede the Baseball Rules from the National Federation of State High School Associations.
¨ A regulation game is six innings.
¨ The pitcher’s mound is 46 feet from home plate and the base paths are 60 feet long.
¨ When the home team is ahead, 3 ½ innings shall constitute on official game. When the home team is behind, four innings constitutes an official game.
¨ Tie games are permitted.
¨ A team must have a minimum of eight players throughout the game in order to play a game. If one team only has eight players to play in the field, the other team will still play nine players in the field.
¨ If a team begins a game with seven or fewer players it will forfeit the game and be given a loss in the standings. However, the game will be played with the two teams sharing players. The umpires will officiate the game and the regular rules will be followed.
¨ Bunting isn’t allowed.
¨ There is no infield fly rule.
¨ Intentional walks aren’t allowed.
¨ The dropped third-strike rule isn’t in effect in this league. The catcher doesn’t have to catch the third strike for an out to be recorded.
¨ No inning may start after two hours from the start of the game.
¨ No more than 4 runs (reduced from 5 for 2016 season) per team can be scored in any one half inning. However, the five-run rule limitation in the last inning will be waived for both teams. If 90 minutes have elapsed and only four innings have been played, the umpire will call both head coaches together to decide whether the fifth inning will be the last inning and unlimited runs will be allowed. If that's agreed to, there won't be a sixth inning even if the game has yet to go two hours. If the last inning isn’t completed, likely because of darkness, the score will revert to what it was after the last whole inning that was played. Remember that no inning may start after two hours from the beginning of the game.
¨ There is no mercy rule.
¨ There will be a non-seeded tournament at season's end, in lieu of traditional seeded playoffs.
Equipment ¨
Steel spikes aren’t allowed.
¨ Catchers must wear a protective supporter in addition to full catcher’s gear. This applies during play, warm-ups, and in the bullpen.
¨ Batters must wear protective helmets while batting, on-deck, or as baserunners.
¨ If serving as a base coach, a player must wear a protective helmet.
¨ Composite bats are prohibited, except for those receiving a waiver from Little League Baseball. (Little League Baseball instituted a moratorium on composite bats on Dec. 30, 2010. More information can be found at www.littleleague.org). Bat barrel size may not exceed 2 1/4 inches and should bear the legend “LL Approved.” An “at bat” begins when the first pitch is thrown. If an illegal bat has been used, a batter will be allowed to switch bats before the first pitch is thrown without penalty. If after the first pitch is thrown it is noticed the batter is using an illegal bat he will be called out on strikes. If it’s discovered the bat is illegal once the plate appearance is completed but before the bat is returned to the dugout the defense may take the penalty or the result of the play. No penalty will be incurred, however, once the bat is returned to the dugout.
¨ Wood bats are permitted.
End of 2013 / 2014 Rules
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BELOW ARE THE PRIOR MINOR LEAGUE RULES FOR REFERENCE ONLY.
2012 Minor League Rules May be found on this link