Yukon General League Rules 2000

2009 2009

The Canadian Valley Baseball Association (CVBA) = is a collaboration of the baseball programs organized by the El Reno Little Leag= ue, the Optimist Club of Mustang, the Piedmont Sports Association and the Yukon Optimist Sports Club. The CVBA board is made up of representatives from each city’s league. This board, with input from other league officials, governs the rules, policies and practices of the CVBA.

General League Rules

1. P= layer Eligibility:

1.1. See age specific rules= for age playing rules. (Changed 2008)

1.2. A birth certificate, hospital certificate, baptismal certificate, or equivalent religious or leg= al document shall certify dates of birth for player eligibility. This document should be presented to a league official at sign-ups or to the team coach p= rior to the first regularly scheduled league game. Photo static copies of any of= the above documents are acceptable.

1.3. Date of birth document= ation turned into the team coach should be forwarded to baseball coordinator prio= r to the first regularly scheduled league game. Each coach should keep a copy of these documents for his/her records.

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2. R= osters:

2.1. The names of each play= er must be listed on an official roster maintained by the baseball coordinator= for each CVBA city. Each coach is responsible for providing the baseball coordinator with a signed original copy of his team’s roster prior to playing any preseason games. This becomes the official roster. Failure to d= o so will result in forfeiture of all games played until the roster is turned in= .

2.2. Players may not be add= ed to the team roster after the preseason games without the approval of the age g= roup coordinator, baseball commissioner and the CVBA board. If during the season= a team’s roster drops to 9 players or less, the coach may request to ad= d additional players as long as they meet the eligibility requirements and are not liste= d on another team’s roster.

2.3. A player cannot be car= ried on the roster of more than one team at any given time. This includes the rosters of teams playing in other organized leagues.

2.4. Players listed on the = roster cannot be more than one year younger or one day older than the division designated on the roster. Example: A roster for 12-year-old division cannot contain a 10-year-old player and if a roster contains even = one player older than the rest of the players, that team must play in the divis= ion corresponding to the age of the oldest player.

3. Recru= iting Restrictions:

3.1. After the official roster has been turned in to = the baseball coordinator, recruiting players or transfers from other teams, in = any league, is prohibited. Once a player is carried on the roster of a team in = any league, they can only be moved to another team with the written consent of = the player’s custodial parents, current coach, future coach, and the leag= ue coordinator(s) of both teams. The form RC-001 must be completed and signed = by all parties listed.

3.2. Players who wish to change teams in the off-seas= on or prior to the start of a new season may do so.

4. Coach= es Certification:

= 4.1.   All coaches (head coach and assistant coaches) a= re required to be certified by the National Youth Sports Coaches Association (NYSCA).

= 4.2.   This certification must be renewed annually in o= rder for the coach to remain “active”.

5.      Condu= ct:

5.1.      All persons participating in this association mu= st accept and abide by its rules and regulations. Failure to do so may result = in disciplinary action, up to and including removal from the league.

5.2.      The head coach of each team is responsible for t= he conduct of his assistants, players and fans to ensure that there is no unsp= ortsmanlike conduct, foul or profane language, and/or unruliness towards opposing playe= rs, parents and/or spectators.

5.3.      Penalty:

5.3.1.      First occurrence:         The umpire shall warn = the coach about the violation.

5.3.2.      Second occurrence:     The violator(s) will be removed from the ballp= ark if not corrected.

5.3.3.      Third occurrence:       The umpire shall forfeit the game.= The team with the coach responsible for the conduct will receive the loss due to the forfeit.

5.4.      There will zero tolerance for misconduct towards= any umpire. Any attack (verbal or physical) toward an umpire will be reviewed by the league’s baseball coordinator and/or the CVBA board for permanent dismissal from coaching. No warnings are needed for coach dismissal due to misconduct toward an umpire.

5.5.      No protests will be al= lowed; conduct is considered a judgment call.

6.      A= lcoholic Beverages:

6.1.      The CVBA and member leagues absolutely will not condone or permit alcoholic beverages or anyone intoxicated on the grounds during the game. If alcohol is present and the person does not leave the grounds, the umpire has the authority to forfeit the game to the opposing t= eam.

7.      P= rotests:

7.1.      Protest will be allowed for violations of playing rules and player participation rules only. Provided that the umpire and opposing coach(es) have been notified at the time of the said violation.

7.2.      The Umpire shall announce that the game is being played pending protest and all positions and game situations shall be noted= .

7.3.      The protest must be submitted in writing to the respective league baseball coordinator within 24 hours of the completion of= the game, accompanied by a fee of $25.00. This fee will be refunded to the coach filing the protest if the protest is ruled in his favor. Under no circumsta= nces will the protest fee be refunded if the protest is lost. =

7.4.      Each CVBA facility will be responsible for manag= ing the protests filed at their park.

8.      Disci= plinary Action:

8.1.      When a coach, player or fan is ejected from a ga= me they will be suspended from their next 2 games (tournament or league).

8.2.      Violations of the pitching rules will result in = a 1 game suspension of the coach on the first offense along with the forfeiture= of the game(s) in which the violation occurred. The second violation will resu= lt in a full calendar year suspension of the violating coach along with the fo= rfeiture of the game(s) in which the violation(s) occurred.

8.3.      If a team coach files a formal protest reporting= rules or conduct violations, the league in which the offence occurred will conven= e a hearing to consider disciplinary action.

9.      F= orfeits:

9.1.      If a team fails to appear, shows with fewer than= 8 players or refuses to begin play within 15 minutes past the scheduled game time, the game shall be forfeited to the team not at fault.

9.2.      There will be $50.00 forfeiture fee to be paid b= y the forfeiting coach, to the respective field in which the game was to be playe= d. This fee must be paid prior to the team’s next scheduled game, or subsequent games will also be forfeited.

9.3.      Forfeit fees will not have to be paid if the fie= ld coordinator where the game is to be played is notified of the forfeit at least 72 ho= urs in advance of the scheduled game time.

10. R= escheduled Games:

10.1. Games canceled due to = bad weather or unplayable field conditions will be rescheduled.

10.2. Games called due to bad weather, power failure, etc. that do not constitute a full game will be rescheduled and played from the point at which the game was stopped until t= he remaining time has expired or until regulation innings have been completed.=

10.3. Teams that request to = have a game rescheduled MUST contact the field coordinator where the game is sched= uled at least 72 hours in advance of the scheduled game time. The team th= at requests the reschedule is responsible for working with the field coordinat= or and the opposing team to make sure that the game is rescheduled and played.= If for ANY reason the game is not played, it will be counted as a forfeit by t= he team making the original reschedule request.

10.4. Each CVBA city will ha= ndle the rescheduling of games on their respective ball fields. Every effort wil= l be made to reschedule games on weeknights; however, it may be necessary to schedule some games on a Saturday in order to play them by the “end of the season”.

10.5. All games must be comp= leted by the date designated as the “end of the season”. Games cancel= ed or called on the last day(s) of the season will not be made-up. =

11. T= rophies and Awards:

11.1. Trophies will be awarded for 1^st, 2nd and 3^rd place in divisions containing five or more teams.

11.2. Divisions with four teams or less will be awarde= d 1^st and 2^nd place only.

11.3. If the CVBA determines that unusually large divi= sions are appropriate, those with nine or more teams will also be awarded 4^t=
h place, and those with eleven or more will be awarded 5^th place trophies.

11.4. In the event of a tie in the standings, duplicate “place” trophies will be awarded and the following place will be skipped. Example: If there is a tie for 1^st place between two teams, each team will receive 1^st place trophies. Th= ere will be no 2^nd place trophies awarded and the third team will receive 3^rd place trophies.

11.5. No trophies will be awarded to any team owing fi= nes or fees.

CVBA Baseball Rules

1.      The CVBA sh= all play by the current “High School Baseball Rules” as published by the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFSH), unless the “CVBA Baseball Rules” make exceptions. CVBA Baseball Rules take precedence over the NFSH High School Baseball Rules.

2.      The home te= am shall be listed on the schedule and score card last and bat last. The home = team shall sit on the 3^rd base side of the field and the visiting team shall sit on the 1^st base side of the field.

3.      The home and visiting teams shall provide a scorekeeper. The home team will be the “official” scorekeeper. Either coach or the umpire may inspect = the official score record at any time during a game.

4.      The head um= pire on the field is responsible for preparing game scorecard. At the end of the game, a coach from each team must sign the game scorecard verifying the fin= al score. The umpire must also sign the scorecard and turn it in along with the game balls to the field coordinator each night in order to collect his fees= .

5.      The batting= order of each team (last name and first initial) must be presented to both scorekeepers prior to the beginning of each game. All line-up changes must = be reported to the scorekeepers and the home plate umpire.

6.      A team must= have at least eight (8) players to start the game. An automatic out will be reco= rded when 9^th position comes to bat. Upon arrival, the 9^th player must be immediately inserted into the lineup in the 9^th position.

7.&n= bsp;     All teams 10 years old and under will bat the roster (all players will bat). Teams 11 years old and above will bat the lineup (p= lay regular baseball).

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8.&n= bsp;     Participation Rule:

8.1.      Each player carried on a team’s r= oster must play at least 6 defensive outs in games they attend that go 4 or more innings, or, 3 defensive outs in games that go 3 innings or less.

8.2.      The coach may bench a player for discip= linary action, but the opposing coach and the home plate umpire must be notified before the start of the game.

8.3.      The Prep (13-14 year old) age group is exempt.

9.&n= bsp;     Substitution Rule:

9.1.=       In any instance in which a team does not have an eligible substitute for a player who becomes ill, is injured, or is ejected from the lineup by an umpire, the last substitute removed from the lineup by the coach who is eligible to play may be used as a substitute.

9.2.=       A substitute is classified as a player not on the starting lineup.

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10.&= nbsp; League approved balls must be used.

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11.&= nbsp; Bats designated as “Tee Ball” bats may only be used in the T-ball division of the league. No softball bats will be allowed. The Prep (13-14 y= ear old) division the of use NFSH regulation baseball bats (i.e. –3oz dro= p, 2⅝” diameter and marked as meeting the BESR performance standar= d) is recommended. The 3 oz drop= will be left up to the player however lighter bats can not be used in High School sponsored games.

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12.&= nbsp; Protective cups are required for catchers in the 7yr o= ld PM and up. Protective cups are optional for all other players. (Changed 2008)<= /span> ~~All male players, T-ball and older, must wear a protective cup.~~

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13.&= nbsp; Steel Cleats will not be allowed in league games ages T-Ball through 12 years old= .

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14.&= nbsp; Runners must slide to avoid contact when a defensive player is trying to make a pla= y at a base or home plate. Umpires shall have the authority to call the runner o= ut and/or eject a runner. This is a judgment call and cannot be protested.

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15.&= nbsp; The designed hitter rule will not be allowed in any games.

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16.&= nbsp; Batters may not throw the bat; the umpire shall give one (1) warning per game per t= eam. On the second and all subsequent occurrences in the game, the umpire will c= all the batter out. Throwing the bat will result in = a dead ball, no advancement on a hit ball is allowed. Batter re-bats with hit coun= ted as a strike. (Added 2008)

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17.&= nbsp; The infield fly rule will be in effect for all age groups except tee ball.

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18.&= nbsp; Age specific rules.

18.1.        Tee Ball

18.1.1.El Ren= o, 4-6 year olds.......................= ........................................................... pg     6

18.1.2.11

18.2.        Machine Pitch, 7&8 year old.................................................................= ................ pg   13

18.3.        Pitch, 9&10 year old.................................................................= ............................ pg   15

18.4.        Pitch, 11&12 year old.................................................................= .......................... pg   16

18.5.        Prep, 13-14 year old...................................................................= ........................... pg   17

El Reno T-Ball Rules (Ages 4-= 6)

Player Eligibility:

Player cannot turn 7 prior to May 1st of ye= ar playing. Players must also turn 4 years of age before May 1st of year playing to be eligible. There are NO Exceptions to age eligibil= ity.

If a coach plays an illegal player, by acci= dent or not, the team will be forced to forfeit all games in which that pla= yer took part in. No Exceptions to this rule will be allowed.<= /o:p>

Coaches must present both a Roster a= nd Birth Certificates for each player on their team before the start of the First league game. Teams not following this rule will forfeit each game until both roster and birth certificates are turned into the League Coordinator. Changes can be made to your roster once turned into the league.

Forfeit games will be played once umpires h= ave been hired for the games. However, they will be treated as a practice = game and the outcome will not count toward league standings. Teams forfeiti= ng a game for not turning in a roster will be given a loss toward league standings, while their opponent will be awarded a victory.<= /span>

Coaches are urged, but not required, to mak= e a copy of the birth certificates of players on their team and keep them = in their possession in case a question arises during a game concerning the age status of any player. This way a coach can present the certificate= , if requested, to answer any questions.

Coach & Umpire Con= duct, Rules Knowledge and Game Protest Procedures

Coaches and umpires will follow professional conduct at all times. Profanity or excessive arguing over umpire calls will not be allowed. Coaches can ask for an explanation from the umpir= e, but it must be done in a proper manner. Coaches that abuse the conduct rule will be given a warning from the umpire. If improper conduct continues, the coach will be removed from the game and the ballpark an= d MUST serve a one-game suspension. Two ejections from games in a single seas= on will call for the immediate removal of that coach from the league for = the remainder of the season.

Each coach will be given a copy of these ru= les. They must sign a copy of the rules and return them to the league presi= dent prior to the start of the season.

A copy of the T-ball leagues rules will be given to the head of the umpires for the El Reno Baseball League. Each umpire calling T-ball will read the rules and sign a copy to be return= ed to the head of umpires before the first league game is played. (This r= ule is in place so both coaches and umpires will have a common understandi= ng of the league rules going into the season.)

Protest of games will be done inside the umpire’s hut, ONLY, upon the conclusion of the contest in question. Coaches protesting a. game will pay a $25 fee before the hea= d of officials and the league president hears their case, Coaches may state their case to the head of umpires and the league president, but then m= ust leave the hut while the league officials make their decision. If a rul= ing goes in favor of the protesting coach, the $25 fee will be returned. T= he $25 fee will not be returned for decisions going against the protesting coach. All decisions on protest games will have an explanation given f= or the ruling and coaches will be shown in the rulebook where the decision was derived from. If a coach feels he wants to protest, he must notify= the umpire immediately of the alleged infraction or the protest is not val= id. Protest must be before the next live situation.

Field Specifications

The bases will be 50 feet apart.=

The distance from home plate to second base will be 70 feet 8.5 inches (70 8½ inches).
The batting arc will be located 10 feet from home plate between the foul lines.

The field position mark will be an arc loca= ted 40 feet from home plate between foul lines.

A thrown bat arc will be located 7 feet beh= ind home plate from foul line to foul line.

A catcher’s starting position will be designated by a line behind the thrown bat arc. Catcher should be on g= rass area behind home plate.

Local League Playing R= ules

High school baseball rules will govern all play in T-ball except for the following exceptions as adopted by= the T-ball rules committee and approved by the El Reno Baseball Board of Direct= ors.

A.    Games must start with = no fewer than eight players, but teams will not be penalized for having less t= han ten players on the field while playing defense.

B.     Every child must play = both a fielding and batting position in each game.

C.     There will be a maximu= m of ten (10) defensive positions.

D.    An inning will start a= s soon as the last out or the run limit for each inning has been reached by the ho= me team in the previous inning. Each half inning will consist of three outs or seven runs, which ever comes first.

E.     Game Time limit will b= e one (1) Hour. Should an inning begin before the one-hour limit, that inning sha= ll be completed (top and bottom halves).

F.      Defensive plays at fir= st base must consist of a thrown ball (with the exception of the first baseman= ). Example: Balls hit to players other than the first baseman must be thrown, = not run, to the first baseman. Defensive plays at other bases may either be thr= own or ran. The first baseman may run and tag the base if the ball is hit to hi= m/her and the first baseman makes the fielding play.

G.    Runners may not advanc= e on overthrows to any base.

H.    Runners may not advanc= e once a fielded ball is thrown to the infield. The “Infield Line” wil= l be designed by an imaginary line between first and second/second and third. Runners one half (1/2) of the way between bases when the ball crosses the infield line will be allowed to proceed to the next base only.

I.      = All balls hit in the d= irt area will be considered live balls until the umpire calls time. Defensive p= layers can field a ball in the dirt first and run it to a base other than first (Throwing Rule).

J.      = All defensive players (excluding catcher) must stay beyond the 40-foot fielding mark until the ba= ll is batted into play.

K.    Batters, base runners = and catchers must wear batting helmets. Chinstraps are advised but not required= . If batter has no chinstrap the helmet should fit snug on player.

L.     2 defensive coaches wi= ll be allowed on the field.

M.   1 offensive coach may = assist the batter. Once the ball is in play, the batting coach removes the batting= tee and bat from the playing area.

N.    The umpire shall place= the ball on the tee or hand it to the batting coach for placement on the tee. T= he umpire will then announce play ball.

O.    A legal batted ball is= one, which travels beyond the batting arc and remains past that line and within = the foul lines. Base runners advance on legally batted balls.=

P.      Since there are no strikeouts in T-Ball, batters may swing until they are able to place the ba= ll into legal play.

Q.    Throwing of bats will = not be allowed. Bats thrown outside of the arc around home plate will result in the batter being ruled out and all base runners will be held at their current positions. Bats, which are dropped inside the arc and roll outside the arc, will not be considered a thrown bat. Thrown Bat can also be discretion of t= he umpire.

R.     If a game is tied afte= r the 1 hour time limit or 5 innings, another inning will be played to determine a winner. During the extra inning each team is allowed only one out, if the g= ame is still tied than the game will be recorded as a tie and the game will be over.

S.      All Defensive Players = within 2 ft. of the 40 ft. infield arc will be required to wear a helmet. No excep= tion to this rule.

T-Ball Coach

Printed Name:         &= nbsp;           &nbs= p;            &= nbsp;           &nbs= p;            &= nbsp; Signature:             =             &nb= sp;            =             &nb= sp;            =

T-Ball (6 & under)= - Mustang

Field Specifications:

Bases:        &= nbsp;           &nbs= p;     50 feet with 33-foot player line

Home to Second:      = 70 feet 8 inches

Legal Hit Arc: &nb= sp;           10-f= oot radius arc (measured from the back of home plate), from the first base line= to the third base line, in front of home plate.

Pitching Circle:      =      6-foot diameter circle centered at crossing of foul lines centered 36 feet from ba= ck of home plate.

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1.      To be eligible for this division a player must be at least 4 years of age before sign-ups begin for= the current year (February) and may not turn 7 years old before May 1^{st
of the current year.}

2.      Game time limit shall = be 60 minutes (1 hour). Immediately after the third out of an inning, the next in= ning begins, except if game time has elapsed. If there is any time remaining at = the end of an inning, another inning will be played.

3.      Regulation games shall= be 5 innings long, unless game time has expired.

4.      Three innings (2&frac1= 2; if the home team is ahead) constitutes a complete game if the game has to be called for any reason other than the run rule or time limit (i.e. inclement weather, power failure, etc.).

5.      Only 6 runs may be sco= red in a ½ inning or 3 outs to complete a ½ inning whichever comes first.

6.      If a team is leading i= ts opponent by at least 13 runs after 3 innings (2½ innings if home tea= m is ahead) have been played or at least 7 runs after 4 innings (3½ if ho= me team is ahead), the game shall be terminated and the team ahead is declared= the winner.

7.      All players will be pl= aced in the lineup of the scorebook and all players will bat. If a player becomes sick after the start of the game, a line shall be marked through their name= for their bats thereafter with no penalty. If a player arrives late, their name will be added to the bottom of the batting order.

8.      One coach from the tea= m that is batting shall be responsible for adjusting the tee to the satisfaction of the hitter. The umpire shall then place the ball on the “tee” a= nd call aloud “Play ball”. The coach will then be responsible for removing the “tee” and bat from the playing area after the ball= has been hit legally on or past the legal hit arc.

9.      The batter is allowed 3 swings. It is not counted as a swing if the bat accidentally knocks the ball off the tee while addressing the ball.

10. The ball is put into p= lay when a batter hits a legally batted ball. A legally batted ball is a ball h= it into fair territory and travels on or past the 10-foot legal hit arc. Any f= air ball that does not travel on or past the legal hit arc on the third swing w= ill be considered an illegally hit ball and the batter is called “OutR= 21;. A ball hit into foul territory on the third swing will be considered a foul ball and the batter shall continue to bat. All balls hit fair (on or past t= he legal hit arc) is fair even if the batter hits the tee.
11. No bunting is allowed.= The batter must take a full swing. Penalty: The batter shall be called “Out”.

12. Runners may advance on= ly when the ball is legally hit. One team warning for leading off or stealing, thereafter, the runner is out. The runner may not advance if the ball does = not travel on or past the legal hit arc.

13. Every player must play= a fielding and batting position in each game. Ther= e will be a maximum of ten (10) defensive (fielding) positions. (Added 2008)

14. If a fielder halts the progress of the lead runner, the umpire shall call “TIME”. All runners must return to the base last touched prior to “TIME” be= ing called.

15. Over throws at 1^s=
t base - Balls will be called a dead ball (no advancement).

16. The pitcher is a field= ing position; however, he must stay in the 10-foot pitching circle until the ba= ll is legally hit. The pitcher is required to wear a batting helmet with a face guard.

17. The catcher must remain against the backstop, on the opposite side of the batter, until the ball is= in play. The catcher must wear his equipment. Helmet with mask, throat protect= or, chest protector and shin guards are required.

18. No defensive player (fielding) may play closer to home plate than the 33-foot hash mark on the = base line until the ball has been put into play. Any player within 3 feet of the= 33-foot hash mark must wear a batting helmet.

19. One defensive coach is allowed in the outfield. No contact with the players or ball is allowed. Penalty: Coach will be r= emoved from the playing field for the remainder of the game.

20. Tiebreakers (Mustang):=

1^s=
t extra inning:     regular rules

2^n=
d extra inning:     teams start with 2 outs and runner on 2nd base, the player that made the last out= in the previous inning becomes the runner on 2nd.

3^r=
d and subsequent extra innings: = teams start with 2 outs and runner on 2nd base, the player that made the last out= in the previous inning becomes the runner on 2nd. Each batter will start with 2 strikes.

T-Ball (5 & under = / 6 & under) - Piedmont and Y= ukon

Field Specifications:<= o:p>

Bases:        &= nbsp;           &nbs= p;     60 feet with hash marks at 44 feet on 1st and 3rd base lines=

Home to Second:      = 84 feet 10 inches

Legal Hi= t Arc:        &= nbsp;    10-foot radius arc (measured from the back of home plate), from the first base line= to the third base line, in front of home plate.

Pitching Circle:      =      10-foot diameter circle centered at crossing of foul lines centered 44 feet from ba= ck of home plate.

&nb= sp;

1.      To be eligible for the 5-year-old division a player must be at least 4 years of age before sign-ups begin for the current year (February) and may not turn 6 years old before M= ay 1^st of the current year.

To be eligible for the 6-year old division a player must be at leas= t 5 years of age before sign-ups begin for the current year (February) and may = not turn 7 years old before May 1^st of the current year.<= /span>

2.      Game time limit shall = be 60 minutes (1 hour). Immediately after the third out of an inning, the next in= ning begins, except if game time has elapsed. If there is any time remaining at = the end of an inning, another inning will be played.

3.      Regulation games shall= be 5 innings long, unless game time has expired. Tie games will be allowed.

4.      Three innings (2&frac1= 2; if the home team is ahead) constitutes a complete game if the game has to be called for any reason other than the run rule or time limit (i.e. inclement weather, power failure, etc.).

5.      Only 6 runs may be sco= red in a ½ inning or 3 outs to complete a ½ inning whichever comes first.

6.      If a team is leading i= ts opponent by at least 13 runs after 3 innings (2½ innings if home tea= m is ahead) have been played or at least 7 runs after 4 innings (3½ if ho= me team is ahead), the game shall be terminated and the team ahead is declared= the winner.

7.      All players will be pl= aced in the lineup of the scorebook and all players will bat. If a player becomes sick after the start of the game, a line shall be marked through their name= for their bats thereafter with no penalty. If a player arrives late, their name will be added to the bottom of the batting order.

8.      One coach from the tea= m that is batting shall be responsible for adjusting the tee to the satisfaction of the hitter. The umpire shall then place the ball on the “tee” a= nd call aloud “Play ball”. The coach will then be responsible for removing the “tee” and bat from the playing area after the ball= has been hit legally on or past the legal hit arc.

9.      The batter is allowed 3 swings. It is not counted as a swing if the bat accidentally knocks the ball off the tee while addressing the ball.

10. The ball is put into p= lay when a batter hits a legally batted ball. A legally batted ball is a ball h= it into fair territory and travels on or past the 10-foot legal hit arc. Any f= air ball that does not travel on or past the legal hit arc on the third swing w= ill be considered an illegally hit ball and the batter is called “OutR= 21;. A ball hit into foul territory on the third swing will be considered a foul= ball and the batter shall continue to bat. All balls hit fair (on or past the le= gal hit arc) is fair even if the batter hits the tee.

11. No bunting is allowed.= The batter must take a full swing. Penalty: The batter shall be called “Out”.

12. Runners may advance on= ly when the ball is legally hit. One team warning for leading off or stealing, thereafter, the runner is out. The runner may not advance if the ball does = not travel on or past the legal hit arc.

13. Every player must play= a fielding and batting position in each game. There will be a maximum of ten = (10) defensive (fielding) positions.

14. If a fielder halts the progress of the lead runner, the umpire shall call “TIME”. All runners must return to the base last touched prior to “TIME” be= ing called.

15. Defensive plays at fir= st base must consist of a thrown ball (with the exception of the first baseman= ). Example: Balls hit to players other than the first baseman must be thrown, not run, = to the first baseman. Defensive plays at other bases may either be thrown or r= un to the base. The first baseman may run and tag the base if the ball is hit = to him/her and the first baseman makes the fielding play.

16. Over throws at 1^s=
t base:

5 yea= r olds and under – Balls will be called a dead ball (no advancement).

6 year olds and under<= /span> – Balls are LIVE balls. Over throw rule is not in effect. Runners may advance.

17. The pitcher is a field= ing position; however, he must stay in the 10-foot pitching circle until the ba= ll is legally hit. The pitcher is required to wear a batting helmet with a face guard.

18. The catcher must remain against the backstop, on the opposite side of the batter, until the ball is= in play. The catcher must wear his equipment. Helmet with mask, throat protect= or, chest protector and shin guards are required.

19. No defensive player (fielding) may play closer to home plate than the 44-foot hash mark on the = base line until the ball has been put into play. Any player within 3 feet of the 44-foot hash mark must wear a batting helmet.

20. Two defensive coaches = are allowed in the outfield. No contact with the players or ball is allowed. Penalty: Coach will be r= emoved from the playing field for the remainder of the game.

21. If a game is tied at t= he end of regulation play, the tied score will be recorded for the game.

Machine Pitch (7 and 8= year old)

Field Specifications:

Bases            =             &nb= sp;            = 60 feet with hash marks at 37 feet on 1^st and 3^rd base l= ines

Home plate to 2^nd=        &= nbsp;           84 feet 10 inches

Pitching machine circl= e        &= nbsp; 5-foot diameter centered at 39 feet from the back of home plate<= /p>

= 1.      To be eligible for the 7-year-old division a player may not turn 8 before May 1^st of the current year.

To be eligible for the 8-year-old division a player may not turn 9 before May 1^st of the current year.

2.      Game time limit shall = be 70 minutes (1 hour and 10 minutes). Immediately after the third out of an inni= ng, the next inning begins, except if game time has elapsed. If there is any ti= me remaining at the end of an inning, another inning will be played.

3.      Regulation games shall= be 5 innings, unless game time has expired. When a game is tied at the end of re= gulation, extra innings shall be played until a decision is reached.

4.      Three innings (2&frac1= 2; innings if home team is ahead) constitutes a complete game if the game has = to be called for any reason other than the run rule or time limit (i.e. inclem= ent weather, power failure, etc.).

5.      Only 6 runs may be sco= red in a ½ inning or 3 outs to complete a ½ inning, whichever comes first.

6.      If a team is leading i= ts opponents by at least 13 runs after 3 innings (2½ innings if home te= am is ahead) have been played or at least 7 runs after 4 innings (3½ innings if home team is ahead), the game shall be terminated and the team a= head is declared the winner.

7.      All players will be pl= aced in the lineup of the scorebook and all players will bat. If a player becomes sick after the start of the game, a line shall be marked through their name= for their bats thereafter with no penalty. If a player arrives late, their name shall be added to the bottom of the batting order.

8.      Batter will receive 5 pitches or three strikes which ever comes first. No base on balls (walks) a= re allowed. If on the 5^th pitch, the ball is hit into fowl territor= y, the batter may continue to receive pitches until he either strikes out or p= uts the ball into play.

9.      Bunting is allowed. On= ce a batter shows bunt, they must either bunt the ball or tale the pitch. = Penalty: If the batter swings, the batter/runner is out, the play is called “DEAD”, and all runners must return to their previously occupied base.

10. Stealing bases = – Leaving the base early will result in a= dead ball. No advancement will be allowed on a hit ball. (Added 2008)

7 year olds= – Base stealing= is NOT allowed. Runners may advance only when the ball is legally hit. One team warning for leading off or stealing will be given, thereafter, the runner w= ill be called out.

8 year olds= – Stealing of s= econd and third bases is permissible. A runner may not steal home on a pitched ba= ll. No runner may leave the base they are legally on before the pitched ball le= aves the pitching machine. Penal= ty: One team warning will be given if a runner leaves their base before the ball has been released from the pitching machine, thereafter, the runner will be called out.

11. 8 year olds only - If the catcher plac= es the ball into play in an attempt to make a defensive play on a runner, the ball= is considered a live ball and runners may advance at their own risk.

12. The batter may not adv= ance on a called third strike pitch dropped by the catcher; however, (8 year = olds only) runners may advance at their own risk. (See rule 10).
13. If a fielder halts the progress of the lead runner, the umpire shall call “TIME”. All runners must return to the base last touched prior to “TIME” be= ing called. If the runner has advanced past the 30-foot mark, then they may adv= ance to the next base.

14. Pitcher is a fielding position only. The pitcher must stand next to the pitching circle, on either side of the pitching machine, but not in front of or behind the pitching machine. The pitcher is required to wear a batting helmet with a face guard= .

15. The catcher must wear = his equipment (helmet with mask, throat protector, chest protector, protective = cup and shin guards) as specified in official high school rules.

16. No defensive player ma= y play closer to home plate than the pitchers mound or the 37 foot hash marks on t= he base lines before the ball is batted. Any player within 3 feet of the 37-fo= ot hash mark must wear a helmet. Exception: If the batter shows bunt, a fielder may advance to the 37-foot mark, but may go no further until the ball is bunted.

17. Coaches from each team= will adjust the pitching machine before the game starts. The speed control will = be placed at a level agreed to by both coaches. (A setting of approximately 50= on dial machines or 40 on digital machines is suggested.)

18. After the game has beg= un, if a coach thinks the machine is throwing erratically, he may ask the umpire f= or permission to adjust it. The pitching machine can only be adjusted at the e= nd of a complete inning, with the approval of both coaches and with the permis= sion of the home plate umpire. The umpire’s ruling will stand.<= /span>

19. At no time during the = game is the coach operating the pitching machine allowed to touch the machine in= a way that is considered by a umpire to be altering a pitch. This includes resting hands on the= top of the machine and having feet in contact with the legs of the machine.

20. An adult from the team batting will operate the pitching machine. When the umpire calls “PLAYBALL”, the operator makes sure the batter and catcher are paying attention, then puts the ball in the machine and releases the pitch.=

21. The pitching machine operator may not leave the machine area at anytime while h= is team is batting. The operator may use h= and signals to position the batter in the batter’s box, but otherwise may= not coach or talk to any player while he is on the field.

22. The machine operator must attempt to not block play. The league suggests kneeli= ng behind the pitching machine once the ball is in play.

23. If the batter hits the ball and it falls dead into the pitching circle or hits= the machine, or machine operator, it is considered a “DEAD BALL” and the batter will be awarded 1^st base (base runners will advance in forced situations only).
24. No defensive player may touch or enter into the pitching machine circle. Penalty: Batter is awarded 1^st base. The machine operator will make every effort to protect all players from running into the machine.

Pitch (9 and 10 year o= ld)

Field Specifications:

Bases            =             &nb= sp;            = 65 feet

Home plate to 2^nd=        &= nbsp;           91 feet 11 inches

Home plate to rubber        &= nbsp;     44 feet

Mound height        &= nbsp;           &nbs= p;    4 inches

1.      To be eligible for the 9-year-old division a player may not turn 10 before May 1^st of t= he current year.

To be eligible for the 10-year-old division a player may not turn 11 before May 1^st of the current year.

2.      Game time limit shall = be 75 minutes (1 hour and 15 minutes). Immediately after the third out of an inni= ng, the next inning begins, except if game time has elapsed. If there is any ti= me remaining at the end of an inning, another inning will be played.

3.      Regulation games shall= be 5 innings, unless game time has expired. When a game is tied at the end of regulation, extra innings shall be played until a decision is reached.=

4.      Four innings (3½ innings if home team is ahead) constitutes a complete game if the game has = to be called for any reason other than the run rule or time limit (i.e. inclem= ent weather, power failure, etc.).

5.      Only 6 runs may be sco= red in a ½ inning or 3 outs to complete a ½ inning, whichever comes first.

6.      If a team is leading i= ts opponents by at least 13 runs after 3 innings (2½ innings if home te= am is ahead) have been played or at least 7 runs after 4 innings (3½ innings if home team is ahead), the game shall be terminated and the team a= head is declared the winner.

7.      All players will be pl= aced in the lineup of the scorebook and all players will bat. If a player becomes sick after the start of the game, a line shall be marked through their name= for their bats thereafter with no penalty. If a player arrives late, their name shall be added to the bottom of the batting order.

8.      Pitchers shall not be allowed to pitch more than 5 innings per calendar day. After pitchin= g 3 innings or more in a calendar day the pitcher must have 40 hours= of rest before pitching again. A player may not pitch more than 8 innings in a calendar week. Note: A calendar week is from 12:01am Monday to 12:00 Midnight the following Sunday. A warm up pitch shall be considered as having pitched= 1 inning.

9.      Once a pitcher is remo= ved from the mound, he will not be able to pitch in the remainder of the game, except for the starting pitcher. If the starting pitcher is moved to a defensive position, the player may return as pitcher once per game so long = as that player has not violated rule = 8 or has been placed on the bench.

10. Penalty for violation = of the pitching rule in baseball will result in a game suspension of the coach on = the first offense and forfeiture of game(s) in which the violation(s) occur. The second offense will result in a full calendar year suspension of the coach = and forfeiture of game(s) in which violation(s) occurs.

11. Base stealing is allow= ed.

12. Balks will be called.<= o:p>

13. Any pitcher that hits 5 batters total (per game) will be removed from pitching immediately.

Pitch (11 and 12 year = old)

Field Specifications:

Bases            =             &nb= sp;            = 70 feet

Home plate to 2^nd=        &= nbsp;           99 feet

Home plate to rubber        &= nbsp;     48 feet

Mound height        &= nbsp;           &nbs= p;    6 inches

1.      To be eligible for the 11-year-old division a player may not turn 12 before May 1^st of = the current year.

To be eligible for the 12-year-old division a player may not turn 13 before May 1^st of the current year.

2.      Game time limit shall = be 80 minutes (1 hour and 20 minutes). Immediately after the third out of an inni= ng, the next inning begins, except if game time has elapsed. If there is any ti= me remaining at the end of an inning, another inning will be played.

3.      Regulation games shall= be 6 innings, unless game time has expired. When a game is tied at the end of regulation, extra innings shall be played until a decision is reached.=

4.      Four innings (3½ innings if home team is ahead) constitutes a complete game if the game has = to be called for any reason other than the run rule or time limit (i.e. inclem= ent weather, power failure, etc.).

5.      Only 6 runs may be sco= red in a ½ inning or 3 outs to complete a ½ inning, whichever comes first.

6.      If a team is leading i= ts opponents by at least 13 runs after 4 innings (3½ innings if home te= am is ahead) have been played or at least 7 runs after 5 innings (4½ innings if home team is ahead), the game shall be terminated and the team a= head is declared the winner.

7.      Batting order shall be according to Oklahoma High School rules w= ith no free substitution and no designated hitter. Designated runner will be allow= ed for the catcher only and is mandatory with two outs. If a team is playing w= ith only eight (8) players and the ninth player arrives late, their name shall = be added to the bottom of the batting order.

8.      An Extra Hitter (EH) w= ill be allowed, giving a team a 10-player line-up that must be declared before the start of the game and used for the remainder of the game. The EH may occupy= any position in the line-up, but must remain in the original batting order throughout the game. The EH position shall be considered the same as a defensive position, normal substitution and re-entry rules apply. .

9.      Pitchers shall not be = allowed to pitch more than 6 innings per calendar day. After pitching 4 innings or more in a calendar day the pitcher must have 40 hours= of rest before pitching again. A player may not pitch more than 10 innings<= /b> in a calendar week. Note: A calendar week is from 12:01= am Monday to 12:00 Midnight the following Sunda= y. A warm up pitch shall be considered as having pitched 1 inning.<= /p>
10. Once a pitcher is remo= ved from the mound, he will not be able to pitch in the remainder of the game, except for the starting pitcher. If the starting pitcher is moved to a defensive position, the player may return as pitcher once per game so long = as that player has not violated rule = 8 or has been placed on the bench.

11. Penalty for violation = of the pitching rule in baseball will result in a game suspension of the coach on = the first offense and forfeiture of game(s) in which the violation(s) occur. The second offense will result in a full calendar year suspension of the coach = and forfeiture of game(s) in which violation(s) occurs.

12. Base stealing is allow= ed.

13. Balks will be called.<= o:p>

14. Any pitcher that hits 3 batters total (per game) will be removed from pitching immediately.

PREP (13 and 14 year o= ld)

Field Specifications:

Bases            =             &nb= sp;            = 80 feet

Home plate to 2^nd=        &= nbsp;           113 feet 2 inches

Home plate to rubber        &= nbsp;     54 feet

Mound height        &= nbsp;           &nbs= p;    8 inches

1.      To be eligible for the= Prep division a player may not turn 15 before May 1^st of the current year. The eligible player mus= t be 13 before May 1^st of the current year.

2.      Game time limit shall = be 90 minutes (1 hour and 30 minutes). Immediately after the third out of an inni= ng, the next inning begins, except if game time has elapsed. If there is any ti= me remaining at the end of an inning, another inning will be played.

3.      Regulation games shall= be 7 innings, unless game time has expired. When a game is tied at the end of regulation, extra innings shall be played until a decision is reached.=

4.      Four innings (3½ innings if home team is ahead) constitutes a complete game if the game has = to be called for any reason other than the run rule or time limit (i.e. inclem= ent weather, power failure, etc.).

5.      Only 6 runs may be sco= red in a ½ inning or 3 outs to complete a ½ inning whichever comes first.

6.      If a team is leading i= ts opponents by at least 13 runs after 5 innings (4½ innings if home te= am is ahead) have been played or at least 7 runs after 6 innings (5½ innings if home team is ahead), the game shall be terminated and the team a= head is declared the winner.

7.      Batting order shall be according to Oklahoma High School rules w= ith no free substitution and no designated hitter. Designated runner will be allow= ed for the catcher only and is mandatory with two outs. If a team is playing w= ith only eight (8) players and the ninth player arrives late, their name shall = be added to the bottom of the batting order.

8.      An Extra Hitter (EH) w= ill be allowed, giving a team a 10-player line-up that must be declared before the start of the game and used for the remainder of the game. The EH may occupy= any position in the line-up, but must remain in the original batting order throughout the game. The EH position shall be considered the same as a defensive position, normal substitution and re-entry rules apply. .

9.      Pitchers shall not be allowed to pitch more than 7 innings per calendar day. After pitchin= g 5 innings or more in a calendar day the pitcher must have 40 hours= of rest before pitching again. A player may not pitch more than 12 innings<= /b> in a calendar week. Note: A calendar week is from 12:01= am Monday to 12:00 Midnight the following Sunda= y. A warm up pitch shall be considered as having pitched 1 inning.<= /p>
10. Once a pitcher is remo= ved from the mound, he will not be able to pitch in the remainder of the game, except for the starting pitcher. If the starting pitcher is moved to a defensive position, the player may return as pitcher once per game so long = as that player has not violated rule = 8 or has been placed on the bench.

11. Penalty for violation = of the pitching rule in baseball will result in a game suspension of the coach on = the first offense and forfeiture of game(s) in which the violation(s) occur. The second offense will result in a full calendar year suspension of the coach = and forfeiture of game(s) in which violation(s) occurs.

12. Base stealing is allow= ed.

13. Balks will be called.<= o:p>