Team Rules

Baseball Hotline 860-434-4334
Joe Zrenda’s cell 860-227-8608
Joe’s home 860-434-0229

All games are 7 innings, except 10u, 11u and 12u, which are 6 innings.

1. Starters can reenter once, in original spot in lineup order.

2. No pitching restrictions ( Coach’s need to use good common sense) Once a pitcher has been removed from the game or goes to another position, he may not reenter the same game as a pitcher again.  Also, for the starter, the second trip to the mound in the same inning shall require the pitchers removal as a pitcher.  In subsquent innings if it is the third trip in total, a change must be made, even if in previous innings there was only one trip. For all relievers, the first trip to the mound shall require a pitching change.

3. Home team determined by coin flip, and home team is official scorer. Visiting team should check each inning on score. In championship play, the home team shall be the higher seed. During championship play and consolation games, the higher ranked team shall have the choice of being the home or visiting team.

4. Courtesy runner required with 2 outs for pitcher and catcher, otherwise optional. Can’t have same courtesy runner in same inning. All other runners advance at their own risk.. Courtesy runner must be a bench player.  If not available, then the player who made the last out shall be the courtesy runner.

5. Mercy Rule: 13 run mercy rule after 3 innings, 10 run mercy rule after 4 innings, 9 run mercy rule after 5 innings, and a 8 run mercy rule after 6 innings. If winning team is home team and have won by the mercy rule before the start of the bottom half of that particular inning, they shall not hit. If winning team is the visitor, and reaches the mercy rule margin in the top half of the inning, the losing/home team shall have the opportunity to hit in the bottom half of that inning.

6. Can have extra hitter and he may enter the game as a position player. A position player may become the eh, but players must maintain their same spot in the batting order. DH allowed for any position player. A team may use as many eh’s as they would like, but if that player is removed from the game for any reason, when his spot comes up in the order, it shall be deemed an out.

7. Time Limits-In the 10u, 11u, and 12u division, during pool play and consolation play, no new inning can start after one hour and 45 minutes. In the championship round, no new inning can start after two hours, with no time limit for the championship game. In all other divisions, all pool play and consolation games may not have a new inning start after two hours. In the championship round, no new inning can start after 2 hours and 15 minutes and championship game has no time limit.

8. Initial pool play and consolation games can have ties. If a tie exists after the time limit in the championship round, we will use rule where last batter in the order for the upcoming inning shall be placed at second base to start the inning.

9. NFHS rules apply in any and all sliding situations unless specified otherwise below.

A legal slide can be either feet first or head first. If a runner slides feet first, at least one leg and buttock shall be on the ground. If a runner slides, he must slide within reach of the base with either a hand or a foot. (Fed 2-32-1)

An illegal slide occurs when a runner uses a rolling, cross-body or pop-up slide into the fielder; the runner’s raised leg is higher than the fielder’s knee when the fielder is in a standing position; the runner goes beyond the base and makes contact with or alters the play of the fielder; the runner slashes or kicks the fielder with either leg; or the runner tries to injure the infielder. (Fed 2-32-1a-e)

And on a force play at any base, the runner has to slide on the ground in a direct line between the two bases. (Fed 2-32-1f)

A runner may slide or run in a direction away from the fielder to avoid making contact or altering the play of the fielder.

If contact is deemed malicious by the umpire, the player will be ejected for that game and the next game.

10. Tie breakers. Won loss record controls. Runs allowed is the next tie breaker, if still tied, then runs scored.  If still tied, we will use run differential.  If still tied, we will then flip a coin.  The lone exception to this if only two teams are tied and played each other, then head to head would control.

11. Final rankings for playoffs. Best record. In event of a tie, head to head first, then runs allowed, then runs scored after dropping highest scoring game.

12. The host shall provide all baseballs for the game. In the unlikely event we are short baseballs, you will be reimbursed for any baseball you provide.

14.  Playoff Format:  Please see schedule portion of website

15.  ABSOLUTELY NO ALCOHOL OR TOBACCO PRODUCTS ARE ALLOWED IN THE PARK.  Please advise parents of this restriction.  We will lose the fields if there is consumption of these products.  Violaters will be asked to leave.

16.  Immediately after the game, coaches shall give the site director the score of the game.

17. Otherwise, National Federation of High School Rules apply.

18. Failure of a team to show up at game time shall result in a forfeit. Five minute grace period allowed. Exceptions must be approved by director.

19. Rosters are open, however an opposing, however a manager may request a copy of a birth certificate of an opposing player to verify age. May 1 is the cutoff date for ages. A player may not participate in the championship round unless he has played in at least one pool play game with the exception of pitcher.

20. No pregame infield or outfield is allowed. Batting cages outside of field may be shared evenly. Batting cages inside of field may not be used while game is on. Between games the outfield may be used for warm-ups. If teams can not agree how to use the batting cage, no team shall use the cage. Subject to site directors decision.

21.Baseball Director has final say on all rulings.

22. Refunds- No cash refunds, a credit for future games will be provided as follows: In a four game guarantee event, if three or four games have been started there shall be no credit given. If two games have been started, a credit of 25% will be given. If only one game has been started, a credit of 50% shall be given. If no game is started, an administrative charge of $200.00 will be applied, and a credit given for the balance. In a three game guaranteed event, if two or three games have been started, there shall be no refund. If one game has been started, a credit of 40% shall be given. In the event that no games have started, there shall be an administrative charge of $200.00 imposed, and a credit for the rest.

23. A team may protest a rule call only, not a judgement call. A cash protest bond of $150.00 must be given to the site director at that time. The game clock shall stop until the site director, makes the final decision. If protest is denied, the cash bond shall be forfeited.

24. Our site directors are instructed to bring ice to every game, and we will make every effort to have ice at all fields, but please bring your own ice in the event of injury.

25. Catchers may wear a hockey style helmet or a separate mask-helmet combination.

26. If a coach is ejected from a game, he cannot coach in the next game. Any contact with the umpire by a player or coach will result in ejection from all baseball games.

27. In the event there is a possible concussion, the head coach of the injured player suspects that the player has sustained a possible concussion, the head coach can deem the player ineligible from further play until the player has obtained a note from a doctor clearing him.

28.  Tiebreakers.  Runs allowed is the first tie breaker, second tie breaker is runs scored, then run differential.  Head to head competition does not affect the tiebreaker.