Rookies

Season is April - mid-June:

Pre-Season

Practices only to learn the basics and prepare for the season.

Regular Season

Developmental play to help build skills in game situations.  Records during the regular season will not matter so play to make your team better.

Objective: To be safe, have fun and enhance fundamental baseball skills while teaching teamwork and sportsmanship

League Rules

Equal opportunity for all players to play all positions at least one time during the season. If a player feels uncomfortable by pitching or catching a player does not have to play those positions as long as their parents have been conferred with and their permission is received.

• Play 8 games

• Games will have 6:00 pm start time

• Games will be played on Wednesdays

  • Games could be played on a Monday, Saturday or other nongame day if make up is required due to weather.

Game Duration:

• A maximum of 5 innings will be played with 1.30-hour time limit

  • No new inning shall start after 1 hour & 15 minutes of play

• 3 outs per side complete one inning.

• Win/Loss score will not be kept

Umpires:

• Coaches serve as umpires

Number of Players

• Ideal number of players per team is 10 to 12 players

• Up to 10 players can play defensively.

  • Maximum of 4 infielders with 1 pitcher & 1 catcher with the balance of fielders in the outfield

  • No player will sit more than 1 inning at a time

  • Each player must play at least six outs defensively

• All players will be in the batting order. The side is retired when 3 outs are made or when a team has batted through the order

• There are no automatic outs for having less than 9 players

• A team may not play with less than 7 players

• Batting order must rotate every game

Offense (Batting & Base Running)

• All players in attendance will be placed in a continuous batting order

• All players arriving late will be placed at the bottom of the batting order. A player is defined late once the game starts

• There is no bunting

• There will be no infield fly rule

• Batter will be giving a total of 8 pitches (4 from player & 4 from coach) to put the ball in play. If the batter has not put the ball in play after the 8 pitches and 1 additional swing from tee, the batter is retired (no out is recorded)

  • For first 4 games batter is allowed 1 swing off the tee

    • If batter swings and misses, batter is retired

    • If batter swings and hits tee, batter is retired

    • If batter hits foul ball, batter is retired

  • For last 4 games batter will not be allowed to use the tee

• Batter can strike out by swinging at 3 pitches

• There will be no base on balls or hit by pitches allowed

• Stealing is not permitted on past ball from catcher

• Runners may advance until the ball reaches the infield within the base paths.

  • Runners may only advance one base on an overthrown ball

  • After the first overthrown ball, play is considered dead

• Sliding: sliding is not required, but runners who do not slide may be called out if an umpire believes the runner interfered with a defensive player

• Cannot slide headfirst when advancing

• Can slide headfirst diving back to a base

• A runner may leadoff once the ball reaches the plate

Pitching Distance

• 40’ measured from back of home plate

Pitching Rules

• Beginning of each inning the pitcher will be giving up to 5 warm up pitches not to exceed 1 min in time.

• Pitching must start with a child pitcher NO EXCEPTIONS

• Kid pitcher will pitch 4 pitches to every batter. Once a pitcher reaches 4 pitches a coach will step in and relieve.

  • The coach will throw only 4 pitches and can choose to pitch from 1 knee overhand half the distance to the plate or throw from 40’ mound.

• Batter will be giving a total of 8 pitches (4 from player & 4 from coach) to put the ball in play. If the batter has not put the ball in play after the 8 pitches and 1 additional swing from tee, the batter is retired (no out is recorded)

• Strikes will be called. The head coach for the batting team only will call balls and strikes from behind the mound. Batters cannot walk but can strike out no matter who is pitching (coach or player pitching).

• No base on balls or hit by pitch (walks)

• No balks

• If batter foul tips the last pitch, batter keeps at bat until a hit, strike (swing or not)

• Pitchers will throw 8 pitches to the batter until either:

• Batter puts ball in play

• Batter strikes out

• Or tee used

• A pitcher once removed from the mound cannot return as a pitcher for the remainder of the game

• Each player is limited to 2 consecutive innings, but the pitcher may remain in the game at another position.

• Any player on the team roster may pitch unless that player has played catcher for 4 or more innings that day.

• For game management purposes, a coach should back up the catcher to keep the game moving.

Equipment

• Players will be provided a jersey and hat

• No metal spikes allowed

• Only official regulation USSSA or USA baseball stamped bats may be used

• For protection of the player, we recommend all boys wear a protective cup

• Catchers must wear all protective gear, including cup

• All batter and base runners are required to wear a batting helmet

• Coaching equipment provided

  • 1 Bat, catcher’s gear, helmets, practice & game balls, portable bases, batting tee, equipment bag

Field Clean up

• Home team is responsible raking the field after the game.

THINGS TO REMEMBER

• Please educate your parents. Many complaints can be handled in advance if you make the parents aware of the rules and exceptions

• Everyone is volunteer

• We are learning the fundamentals of the game

• Teach players all the rules including base running. Make sure they understand no leaving the base until the ball has crossed the plate, a base runner is out if hit by a batted ball.

• Make this season fun for everyone involved

• Poor sportsmanship will not be tolerated