LONG LAKE PEE WEE BASEBALL RULES – 2013 ELIGIBILITY: All boys 11-13 years old as of March 1st of the current year are eligible. A player may not play in (2) different divisions within the league. TEAM PLACEMENT: Returning players may be placed on the same team as the prior year. New players, or players that want to switch teams, will be placed in a “player pool”, and will be assessed at sign up. Assessments will be held at the time of sign up to help distribute talent among teams. Player drafts will be held after the final sign up. Parents who are coaching can have their kids on their team. Although more assistant coaches are likely and desired to keep with the intent of the League’s Team Placement rules, the league will recognize only (1) coach and (2) assistant coaches. The intent of these placement rules is to maintain parity in the league, with the emphasis on spreading out the pitching, as well as ages of the players. UNIFORMS: All jerseys are required to have identification numbers on them. All players should wear long pants, to avoid scrapes from sliding/falls on the infield. No metal spikes. The batter, on deck batter, all base runners, and the catcher must wear helmets. HOME TEAM RESPONSIBILITIES: Chalk base lines and batter’s box Supply the game ball. Pay the home plate umpire (from league funds) VISITING TEAM RESPONSIBILITY: Supply base umpire. UMPIRES: Home plate umpire will keep track of balls and strikes, and make any calls at 3rd base and home plate. Base umpire (by Visiting Team) makes any calls at 1st and 2nd base. Either umpire can call “time” to stop play. 1 LONG LAKE PEE WEE BASEBALL RULES – 2013 BATS: All bats must be stamped with the Official Little League stamp or BBCOR stamp. The stamp must be visible. Bat barrels will measure 2 ¼ inches. Bats with major dents or severely worn grips cannot be used. Both team coaches must agree that a questionable bat is acceptable, or it cannot be used. FIELD: 1st and 3rd base will be 60 ft. from the rear of home plate. 2nd base will be 60ft from 1st and 3rd bases. The pitchers mound rubber will be 46ft from the rear of home plate and centered between 1st and 3rd base. TEAMS AND PLAYERS: The league will do its best to ensure that teams consist of a minimum of (10) ten players, and a maximum of (13) thirteen players. A team must field a minimum of (8) eight players, or they shall forfeit the game. The defensive team may have a maximum of (9) nine players in the field at any given time. INFIELD POSITIONS (6): Pitcher, catcher, 1st baseman, 2nd baseman, 3rd baseman, shortstop. OUTFIELD POSITIONS (3): left fielder, center fielder, right fielder COACHES: Coaches will act in a sportsmanlike manner. Base coaches are required for 1st and 3rd base. All coaches should remain in the coaching boxes (except for injuries) while their team is batting. GENERAL GAME RULES: Games will be (5) five innings long or 1 ½ hours long with no new innings started after 6:50 PM for 5:30 PM game or 8:30PM for 7:00 PM game. 5:30 game needs to be off field by 7:00 PM. This is due to high use of the Pee Wee field. In the event of inclement weather, or time constraints under which a game might be called early, the game will be considered complete after (4) four innings, or (3-1/2) three and one-half innings, if the home team is ahead. Any team’s half of an inning will be considered over when (3) three outs have been made, or a total of (7) seven runs have been scored, with the exception of the last inning, where the number of runs allowed to score, for either team, is unlimited. 2 LONG LAKE PEE WEE BASEBALL RULES – 2013 GENERAL GAME RULES: cont Mercy rule is 15 runs after 4 innings. In the event of a Tie game, the teams can play up to a maximum of two innings to determine a winner. Any pitcher can pitch, but only for a one inning maximum. Each player, on a team of 13 or less, is to play no less than (2) full innings in the field each game, unless for injury, disciplinary reasons set forth by the coach, or if the mercy rule or the inclement weather rule is in effect. If a team has more than (13) players, coaches will do their best to even out playing time according to their particular circumstances and player abilities. Free substitutions, including pitchers, may be made any time during the game, after the umpires have called “time”. All players are to remain inside the dugout unless they are on defense, batting, on deck, or running the bases. No negative chatter from either team. A batting order must be established before the game, and followed throughout the game. Every player should be included in the batting line-up, even if they are not playing in the field. Late players can be added at any time, to the end of the batting order. The other coach must be notified if a player is added after the game starts. Pitchers are allowed to pitch 3 innings per game, 6 innings per week. A player that pitches in any part of an inning shall have that inning count towards his 3 inning per game maximum. A player may re-enter the game at pitcher only once. An eligible player that replaces a pitcher during an inning, because of injury, does not have to count that partial inning towards his 3 inning per game maximum, or re-entry rule. Pitchers are not allowed to throw curve balls. Bunting is allowed. Remember that a foul-tip bunt after two-strikes is an out. Infield fly rule is in effect. 3 LONG LAKE PEE WEE BASEBALL RULES – 2013 GENERAL GAME RULES: cont Stealing is allowed, after the ball crosses home plate. 1. Unlimited bases can be stolen, including home. 2. On a walk, the hitter is awarded first, and any base runner forced to move because of the walk is awarded one bag. 3. If a time out has not been called, it’s still considered a live ball, and base-runners can advance beyond the awarded bases. It’s just like in the Major Leagues, when a catcher misses ball four, and it rolls to the backstop, most times a runner on 3rd will steal home and score. Leading off is allowed, after the ball crosses home plate DROPPED THIRD STRIKE RULE: The batter becomes a runner when the third strike called by the umpire is not caught, providing (1) first base is unoccupied or (2) first base is occupied with two out. So, what does this mean?    If on a pitch which is called strike three (whether swung at or not), the catcher does not catch the ball (including if it bounces before he catches it), the batter is not automatically out. He can try to run to first base before the catcher either tags him with the ball, or throws the ball to first. An exception to this is if there is a runner on first base already. (This is because that runner would then have to go to second, and the defense could try and get 2 outs on the play. To prevent that from being able to happen, a batter is automatically out on strike 3 if the catcher does not catch ball, when there is a runner on 1st) An exception to this exception is if there are already 2 outs, then the batter is not out even if there is a runner on 1st. Catchers: Remember that you have to catch the pitch on the 3rd strike. If you get complacent and let it tip off your glove, the ball is live, the batter can run, and all sorts of chaos can happen on the base paths. Be aware if the batter starts running in a situation where he is automatically out. Do NOT throw the ball to first base, risking an overthrow and allowing other baserunners to advance. Do, however, keep an eye out on other baserunners, who may mistakenly think they need to run, and can get thrown out easily. Also, be aware of the rare but critical situation where the bases are loaded with 2 outs. All you need to do this in this instance is step on home plate, as all runners are forced to run. 4 key points to remember: 4 LONG LAKE PEE WEE BASEBALL RULES – 2013 1. Try to catch the pitch cleanly, so you don’t need to worry about points 2, 3 and 4. 2. Always know the situation prior to the pitch! Know if you need to get the batter out or not – don’t throw the ball if you don’t have to. 3. Remember that you can avoid having to throw the ball, by tagging the batter if you can. 4. If you do throw the ball, remember that other baserunners can run. If you have time, look them back to their base, so they don’t advance. Batters: The biggest thing to remember here is to run after a dropped third strike. Always! Many times I’ve seen a batter swing and miss, and stand at the plate feeling sorry for himself, until a coach or teammate yells at him to run, and he gets thrown out by a step. If he started running right away, he might have been safe. As a batter, don’t worry about whether you are automatically our or not, or even look to see if the catcher caught the ball. On strike three, just start running towards first base. This accomplishes the following:    If the catcher did not catch the ball, you already have a running start towards 1st base. He cannot just tag you now, he needs to throw the ball. And if he did catch the ball, there is no harm. (Other than maybe some good-natured ribbing when you get back to the dugout) If there is a runner on 1st base, run anyways, because the catcher may forget the situation (or hasn’t read this article!), and throw the ball. If he makes a bad throw and it ends up in the outfield, the other runner(s) can advance. (You as a batter are out anyways.) Remember that the ball is live if the catcher does not catch it, or if the ball bounces before it gets to him. Keep this in mind, if you swing at low pitches with 2 strikes on you. In extreme situations, you may want to swing at a wild pitch if you are confident it won’t be caught, and you can make it to first base before the catcher retrieves the ball and throws it. Base Runners: Similar to a catcher, you need to know the situation prior to the pitch. Specifically you need to know whether or not you have to run. Very simply, unless there are 2 outs, you never need to run. Either the batter is automatically out, or there is no force. Remember the following points: 1. Unless there are 2 outs, do not be fooled into running to second because you see the batter running to first. He is automatically out, and he is trying to fool the defense, not you. 2. Always be alert for where the catcher is throwing the ball. For example, if you have a good lead on 2nd base, and the catcher throws to first, you may be able to get to 3rd base safely. Throwing of the bat, whether it is accidental or otherwise, will not be tolerated. The batter will get only (1) one warning per game. If the bat is thrown a second time during that game, the batter will be automatically called out, and asked to return to the dugout. The batted ball will be declared a dead ball, and all base runners must return to the bases they were on before the ball was batted. 5 LONG LAKE PEE WEE BASEBALL RULES – 2013 FANS: It is every fan’s right to cheer and support any player and/or team, keeping in mind the philosophy that our program is for the children, and their ability to enjoy this experience. If anyone’s conduct should, in any way, dictate the outcome of a play or a game, by intimidating a player, team, coach or umpire, then it is in the children’s best interest that the game not continue. RULE CHANGES: Our goal is to have and maintain a consistent set of rules for each league. Each individual set of league rules has been written by coaches / members of that league. Each year, rules should be read, changed if needed, and agreed upon by a majority vote of the coaches in that league, before practices start. Rule changes can be made during the season, but only with unanimous approval from the coaches in that league. Each year, at the first coaches meeting, representatives will be chosen for each league, to be the main contact person for that league. These representatives will handle questions / details / rule changes that pertain to their individual league. Current league representatives are listed under the "League Contact Info" tab. All rule changes need to be reported to the League Director. 6