WINTER PARK BABE RUTH
LOCAL RULES – Fall 2012
Rookies Division
The purpose of the Rookies division is to further the players understanding of the game while developing their baseball skills. The regular season games are not intended to be competitive so as to encourage the development of all players, in all aspects and positions of the game.
H.1. ALL GAMES SHALL START AS SCHEDULED, OR BEFORE WHEN BOTH TEAMS MUTUALLY AGREE THEY ARE READY. FOR WEEKDAY GAMES NO NEW INNING MAY BEGIN NINETY MINUTES (1.50 HOURS) AFTER THE LEAGUE SCHEUDLED START TIME OF A GAME. FOR WEEKEND GAMES NO NEW INNING MAY BEGIN ONE HOUR AND FORTY FIVE MINUTES AFTER THE LEAGUE SCHEUDLED START TIME OF A GAME
H.2. ANY INNING NOT COMPLETED SHALL NOT COUNT. THE SCORE REVERTS TO THE LAST COMPLETED INNING.
H.3. RAINOUTS AND SUSPENDED GAMES WILL NOT BE MADE UP UNLESS MUTUALLY AGREED BY BOTH TEAM MANAGERS. NO MANAGER OR COACH MAY RESCHEDULE A GAME WITHOUT THE CONSENT OF THE COMMISSIONER FOR THE DIVISION. IT SHALL BE THE HOME TEAMS RESPONSIBILITY TO CONTACT THE Commissioner TO RESCHEDULE GAMES. REGULAR SEASON RECORDS AND STANDING SHALL NOT BE KEPT.
H.4. REGULAR SEASON GAMES WILL BE CONSIDERED COMPLETE REGARDLESS OF THE INNINGS PLAYED.
H.5. THE LEAGUE WILL BE MADE UP OF PLAYERS LEAGUE AGE SEVEN (7) AND EIGHT (8) YEARS OF AGE. LEAGUE SIX (6) YEAR OLDS MAY PLAY ROOKIES IF THEY HAVE TWO SEASONS OF PRIOR T-BALL EXPERIENCE. LEAGUE AGE NINE (9) YEAR OLDS MAY PLAY IN ROOKIES AT THE DESCRETION OF THE PLAYER AGENT. A PLAYERS LEAGUE AGE IS THE CHILDS AGE ON APRIL 30TH OF THE SPRING SEASON OR APRIL 30 OF THE FOLLOWING SPRING FOR FALL SEASON.
H.6. ALL GAMES WILL BE FIVE (5) INNINGS, TIME PERMITTING. GAMES MAY END IN A TIE.
H.7. EACH TEAM WILL BE ALLOWED THREE (3) OUTS OR NOT MORE THAN FIVE (5) RUNS IN EACH INNING. THE 5TH RUN MAY BE SCORED AS A RESULT OF A HIT. THE 5 RUN MAX RULE APPLIES TO ALL INNINGS INCLUDING THE 5TH INNING.
H.8. NOT MORE THAN TEN (10) PLAYERS WILL BE ON THE FIELD DEFENSIVELY. THE ADDITIONAL PLAYER WILL BE IN THE OUTFIELD. EACH TEAM WILL HAVE A FULLY EQUIPPED CATCHER. OUTFIELDERS MUST BE 15 FEET OR MORE FROM THE INFIELD CLAY. THERE MAY BE ONLY NORMAL INFIELDER POSITIONS AND (EXCEPT FOR THE PITCHER POSITION) THEY MUST BEGIN EACH PLAY NO CLOSER TO HOME PLATE THAN THE LINE OF THE BASE PATH. THE PITCHER MUST BE LOCATED WITHIN ARMS LENGTH OF THE COACH OPERATING THE PITCHING MACHINE.
H.9. NO PLAYER MAY PLAY ONE (1) POSITION MORE THAN TWO (2) INNINGS CONSECUTIVELY. NO PLAYER MAY PLAY AN INFIELD POSITION FOR MORE THAN TWO (2) CONSECUTIVE INNINGS. EVERY PLAYER WILL PLAY AN INFIELD POSITION FOR AT LEAST ONE (1) INNING IN THE FIRST FOUR (4) INNINGS. EACH PLAYER MUST PLAY AT LEAST 9 DEFENSIVE OUTS for a 5 inning game. & 6 outs for a 4 inning game. THE CATCHER WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED AN INFIELDER.
H.10. On a batted ball that stays in the infield, the most the batter or baserunner can advance is 2 bases. Base runners can also only advance a maximum of 2 bases. The advance to 2nd base is not automatic. This means a base runner on 1st, can only advance to 3rd base. On BALLS HIT TO THE OUTFIELD, THE BASE RUNNERS MAY only ADVANCE TO THE BASE in front of them at there peril, once the ball is in the possession on an infielder. The coach running the pitching machine is designated as the umpire in chief.
H.12. A BATTER IS OUT AFTER FIVE (5) SWINGING STRIKES OR SEVEN HITABLE PITCHES. A FOUL BALL ON THE 5TH SWING IS NOT AN OUT. IF A BATTER HAS TWO STRIKES AND TIPS A BALL THAT IS CAUGHT BY THE CATCHER BEFORE HITTING THE GROUND, THE BATTER SHALL BE CALLED OUT. If the batter fouls off the 7th pitch he/she will be allowed another pitch.
H.13. A BATTED BALL SHALL BE CONSIDERED DEAD WHEN, BEFORE BEING TOUCHED BY A FIELDER, IT HITS THE PITCHING MACHINE. THE BATTER SHALL BE AWARDED FIRST BASE. BASE RUNNERS FORCED TO ADVANCE BY THE BATTER REACHING FIRST BASE SHALL ADVANCE ONE BASE. A BASE RUNNER NOT FORCED SHALL NOT ADVANCE.
H.14. THERE ARE NO WALKS, NO STEALING AND NO ADVANCING BY A HIT BATTER.
H.15. BATTING ORDERS MUST BE CHANGED EACH GAME (Except in tournament play) SO THAT EACH PLAYER GETS TO BAT 1ST, 2ND, 3RD, ETC. THE CONTINUOUS BATTING ORDER MUST BE GIVEN TO THE OPPOSING TEAM BEFORE THE GAME STARTS.
H.16. A PITCHING MACHINE WILL BE USED FOR ALL GAMES. IF A MACHINE IS NOT AVAILABLE, A COACH SHALL PITCH TO HIS PLAYERS.
H.17. TWO COACHES ARE ALLOWED ON THE FIELD FOR DEFENSIVE PLAYER INSTRUCTION. ONE OF THOSE COACHES MUST REMAIN IN THE OUTFIELD. ONE OFFENSIVE COACH SHALL PITCH. TWO OTHER OFFENSIVE COACHES MAY COACH FROM THE FIRST AND THIRD BASE COACHES BOXES. A FOURTH OFFENSIVE COACH SHALL BE ALLOWED TO ASSIST HIS BATTERS, IF DESIRED.
H.18. REGULAR BABE RUTH RULES SHALL SUPLEMENT, BUT NOT SUPERCEDE THESE RULES.
H.19. REGULAR SEASON RULES WILL GOVERN TOURNAMENT PLAY WITH THE FOLLOWING EXCEPTION:
1. ALL TOURNAMENT GAMES MUST BE COMPLETE SIX (6) INNINGS.
2. GAMES THAT CANNOT COMPLETE THE NECESSARY SIX (6) INNINGS DUE TO WEATHER, DARKNESS, OR REASONS BEYOND NORMAL CONTROL SHALL BE CONTINUED AS DESIGNATED BY THE DIVISION PLAYER AGENT, THROUGH SIX (6) INNINGS (UNLESS EXTRA INNINGS ARE REQUIRED).
3. TOURNAMENT PITCHING MACHINE SPEED SHALL BE 42 MPH AND A COACH MAY NOT PITCH, UNLESS NO MACHINE IS AVAILABLE.