Cardinal Classic Tournament Rules – 8U Coach Pitch Baseball, 46’ / 60’ Mound / Bases
Sponsored by Sun Prairie Youth Baseball – Sun Prairie, WI
Youth Baseball Complex – 910 South Bird Street, Sun Prairie, WI 53590
Website: www.spll.org
TOURNAMENT RULES
This tournament is sponsored by Sun Prairie Youth Baseball (SPYB), with all games scheduled to be played at the Sun Prairie Youth Baseball Complex, 910 South Bird Street (approximately 1-2 blocks south of the intersection of Bird Street and Linnerud Drive). Fields are 46/60. SPYB follows Little League Official Regulations & Playing Rules. Refer to the official publication for the complete set of regulations and rules (aka “The Little Green Book”). The purpose of this document is to emphasize the main points of the Official Little League rules and describe local interpretations added by SPYB.
· Carry-ins are not allowed, nor are pets. This will be posted at entrances to the complex & will be policed. Concessions are provided. City ordinances prohibit consumption of alcohol on tournament grounds.
· Rosters & birth certs must be available to the tournament director if requested. Age using April 30 birthdate.
· Tie-breakers for pool play when seeding into bracket play: overall record, head-to-head, fewest runs allowed, total run differential (10 runs max per game), coin flip. For seeding into bracket play, tournament director reserves the right to adjust teams’ seeds +/- 1 spot to ensure new competition and at least a 3rd game against a 3rd different team – you didn’t come to play at least 3 games and end up only playing 2 unique opponents.
SAFETY REGULATIONS
1. If lightning occurs, the game must be delayed a minimum of 30 minutes. Players are required to seek shelter. After 30 minutes pass since the last lightning, the umpires and coaches will decide if the game will resume.
2. On deck Batters are not allowed at any time.
3. Catchers are required to wear a protective cup. It is highly recommended that every player wear a cup.
4. Runners must slide at all times when a play is being made on the runner or the potential exists for such a play. The umpire may call the offending runner out without warning.
5. For players’ safety, players may not slide "head first" unless they are diving back to a base already touched. The penalty for sliding head first is the player will be called out.
6. We are using a double "safety" base for first base. Hitters must use the ORANGE "safety" base when there is a potential play at first base. If the ball is hit beyond the infield, the hitter may round first base using the "white" base. If the runner gets confused and touches the "safety" base, he/she will not be called out for missing the base. The orange base is considered foul territory.
7. No metal spikes.
8. No hitting or soft-tossing into the fences with hardballs for warm-up.
OFFICIAL PLAYING RULES
1.10 Bats shall be no larger than 2 1/4" in barrel diameter and 33" in length. Aluminum bats must have a grip of cork, tape or composition material, and the grip must extend 10 inches from the small end. Wood bats are acceptable, but it cannot be painted or laminated. BIG BARREL BATS ARE NOT PERMITTED.
1.11SPYB* Shirts of all players must be tucked in. Hats worn with the bill facing forward.
1.11(a) A pitcher shall not wear any items on his/her hands, wrists, or arms that may be distracting to the batter.
1.11(j) Players are not allowed to wear jewelry at any time. “Jewelry” is defined to include rope necklaces, rubber bands, and rubber wristbands.
3.00 Game Preliminaries
3.00SPYB* In pool play, Tournament Director will designate Home team for each game to simplify game administration. Each team will be Home and Away the same number of times. In bracket play, the team with the lowest seed number (i.e., seed #1 is lower than seed #2, etc.) will be the Home team. The Home team is responsible for keeping the official book.
4.00 Starting and Ending the Game
4.04SPYB* All players on the roster must bat in a continuous order. A player that leaves the game must be reported to the umpire and opposing coach.
4.06 No manager, coach, or player shall use language which will, in any manner, refer to or reflect upon opposing players, managers/coaches, umpires, or spectators.
4.10SPYB* A regulation game consists of 6 innings. If a game is called by the umpire, it is a regulation game if 4 innings have been completed (3.5 innings if Home team is winning). No new inning can start after 1 hour and 30 minutes.
A. A new inning begins immediately after the third out of the prior inning.
B. The plate umpire shall be the official timekeeper.
C. The championship game shall be played to completion if daylight and weather permit.
D. For pool play, tied games that are within the time limit constraints follow “California Rules”: starting with the 7th inning, the last batter of the previous inning will start at 2nd base as a runner for the next inning, the new inning starts with 1 out. Tied games going beyond the time limits shall result in a tie.
E. For bracket play, starting with the 7th inning, again follow “California Rules”: the last batter of the previous inning will start at 2nd base as a runner for the next inning, the new inning starts with 1 out. Only difference from pool play is we play until there is a winner.
F. 15-run rule in effect after 3 innings, 10-run rule in effect after 4 innings, 8-run rule in effect after 5 innings. Championship games only: 15-run rule in effect after 4 innings, 10-run rule in effect after 5 innings.
4.16SPYB* No more than 10 defensive players may play in the field. No more than 6 defensive players (pitcher, catcher, and 4 more) may be positioned in the infield. You may play a “short CF behind 2B” but that player must be positioned in the outfield at the start of the pitch. There must be a minimum of 8 players on a team to start an official game. Players may be added to the team and batting order if they arrive late. Coaches must place these players at the end of the batting order and report these new players to the opposing team and umpire.
6.00 The Batter
6.05(b)SPYB* There will be no advancement to first base by the batter following a dropped 3rd strike. Batter is out.
6.05(d)SPYB* Infield Fly rule will not be applied.
6.05(e)SPYB* Bunting is not allowed. A bunt will be called a strike. A bunt for a 3rd strike is a strikeout.
7.00 The Runner
7.00SPYB* To speed up games, a pinch runner must be used for a catcher on base when there are 2 outs. The pinch runner is the player that made the last out.
7.00 No base stealing.
7.13 Base runners may only leave the base after the ball crosses home, but must return to base before the next pitch.
SPYB* Runners that leave the base early will be automatically called out for this violation, without warning.
6.00 & 7.00 Batter & Runner Rules, Limits, & Advancement – Specific to Coach Pitch
A. 6 run limit for runs scored in innings 1-4, no limits on runs scored in innings 5+ until 3 outs are made.
B. Play is stopped once the pitcher (player – not coach) has possession of the ball and runners have finished advancing to the next base and/or begun retreating to the base already acquired.
a. Coaches and players have to understand: once the pitcher has the ball, if any runners are already on their way to the next base (no matter if they’re 2 steps off the base they just touched, halfway, or 2 steps from the next base), runners will be allowed to advance at the risk of being thrown or tagged out.
b. Players should call “TIME!” in an effort to stop play – just please note that Umpires must then grant the time-out to bring play to a stop. Patience with umpires is urged in cases where plays may be more chaotic / where there may be multiple runners on the basepaths when pitchers possess the ball – allow umpires to sort out those situations and make final decisions on when/if play was stopped and, if play was stopped, where runners should be placed.
8.00 The Pitcher – Coach Pitch rules/counts
A. Coach may deliver pitches from the pitching plate/rubber or from up to 2 steps (6 feet) in front of the pitching plate/rubber – so coaches are pitching from somewhere in the 40-46 feet range from home plate.
B. Defensive pitchers stand to the opposite field side of the batter (so pitchers stand to the 1B side of the pitching plate/rubber for right-hand batters, to the 3B side of the pitching plate/rubber for left-hand batters). Defensive pitchers may be up to one step in front of the coach pitching, one step to the side from the edge of the pitching plate/rubber, and no deeper than the pitching plate/rubber.
C. No more than 7 pitches per batter. On pitches 1-7, umpires will not call strikes if a batter does not swing. One exception to the 7 pitch limit – foul balls on 2 strikes allow for another pitch to be thrown beyond 7 – in these situations, the batter is out if they don’t swing at the 8th or more pitch in the at-bat. A ball hit into play or a player striking out before a 7th pitch is thrown ends that at-bat. If there are less than 2 strikes and the 7th pitch is thrown and NOT swung at, the batter would be out in that case.
D. Coaches must throw the pitch and then get out of the way. A ball that is hit and first contacts the coach pitching when put into play will be ruled Dead immediately with no play resulting and that pitch not counting. The batter will get back into the batter’s box to hit and that pitch will NOT be counted toward the 7-pitch limit, and all runners return to their previous base – we act as if the previous play did not happen, in this circumstance.
NOTE: a ball hit into play that is first contacted by the pitcher or another player, and THEN contacts the coach pitching, remains Live and in play.
E. If, in the umpire’s judgment, the “Coach Pitching” otherwise interferes with a play after the ball has been hit & fielded/thrown (not the case above, where everything just resets, but on subsequent plays in the field or where balls are then being thrown), it will be SOLELY the umpire’s judgment as to where runners are placed and if any outs should be declared/called.
9.00 The Umpire – Behavior, Appeals, Sportsmanship/Chanting
9.00SPYB* Treat umpires with respect at all times. Failure to comply with this rule can result in ejection from the game. Anyone ejected – coach, player, fan – means that individual is NOT allowed to attend any more games in the tournament. Failure to leave to, and remain in, the parking lot for the duration of the game from which the person is ejected and/or failure to adhere to the rule regarding not attending any more games for the rest of the tournament will subject the team being supported by the ejected individual to immediate forfeit.
9.02(a) Any umpire's decision which involves judgment is final – this may include, but is not limited to, whether a ball is fair or foul, whether a pitch is a strike or a ball, or whether a runner is safe or out. No player, manager, coach, or substitute shall object to judgment decisions. Managers, coaches, and players are required to stay in their dugouts or at their base on judgment calls.
9.02(b) If there is a reasonable doubt that any umpire's decision may be in conflict with the rules, the manager may appeal the decision and ask that a correct ruling be made. Such an appeal shall be made only to the umpire who made the protested decision.
SPYB* Procedure for making an appeal:
A. The manager shall ask for a 'time-out' with the umpire.
B. The managers from both teams shall approach the umpire in a calm manner. Discussion of appeal shall only start when both managers are present with the umpire.
C. Managers must refrain from intimidating the umpire in any manner, such as, but not limited to, shouting, finger pointing, and invasion of personal space.
D. When the umpire makes a final decision, the managers must live with that decision and make no further protests about the call.
9.02(c) If a decision is appealed, the umpire making the decision may ask another umpire for information before making the final decision.
9.03(a) If there is only one umpire, that umpire shall have complete jurisdiction in administering the rules. This umpire may take any position on the playing field, including behind the pitcher, to discharge all duties.
Sportsmanship rule on chanting SPYB: The only chanting / cheering in unison allowed by teams is before the game has started or between innings. Once play has begun, no chanting or cheering in unison is permitted by teams. Doing so will be regarded as unsportsmanlike behavior and penalty is game forfeiture.
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