RULES – 7YO Division Baseball:
See our Rain out Policy link for how games are completed when interrupted by weather.
See our Required Behavior for requirements for all participants.
Equipment
1. Our club provides game balls and catcher's gear. Any use of non-league provided catcher's gear must follow what we supply - one piece catcher's helmet, chest protector and shin guards.
2. ALL bats must have the "USA Baseball" factory stamp to be used. Use of any other bat results in an out called. This is treated as a dead ball where runners return to the base prior to the struck ball.
Before the Game
1. Games and practices will be cancelled due to weather on the decision of the league. We will provide 48-hour notice on rescheduled games.
2. Unless playing on turf, teams cannot warm up on the infield prior to the game in foul or fair territory. They must warm up in the outfield. We do this to preserve the dirt surface.
3. Teams are to be in the dugout area ready to start the game 5 minutes prior to the scheduled game start.
4. The coach that attends the plate meeting prior to the game will be the only coach that communicates with the umpire throughout the game concerning rule interpretations. Judgement calls may not be disputed.
Field & Game Limits
1. Base paths are 60'. On turf fields, this is the nearest to home plate base anchor slot.
2. The pitching distance from the front of the circle to home plate will be 35’.
3. Music is not allowed to be played during or prior to games.
4. There is a 5-pitch format where kids must bat the ball into play during those five pitches. If a player fouls the 5th pitch, the at bat continues with another pitch and continues as long as the batter is making contact. If they do not, they are out. In 8YO, kids get three swings. In 7YO they can have five swings.
5. The infield fly rule does not apply.
6. No bunting or half swings are allowed. A struck ball by bunt or half swing is called foul and counts as a pitch. Two attempts during each at bat results in a strike out.
7. Per game, each team has one time out available prior to the 3rd inning and a second time out in the 3rd inning or later. This can be used while hitting or playing defense. The clock does not stop.
8. A team receives a warning for any player slinging the bat and any slinging of a bat after the warning results in an out for anyone on the team receiving the warning.
Player Participation
1. All players must be in the batting order to bat.
2. Players are not to sit consecutive innings in the field meaning a player can play 1B in the 1st inning, sit in the 2nd inning, play 1B in the 3rd inning, but cannot sit the 1st and 2nd consecutively.
3. Players arriving after game time are to be placed at the bottom of the order.
4. Courtesy runners are encouraged to be used for catchers. Use the last batted out as the courtesy runner.
Score keeping
1. We keep score in the spring. We do not keep score in the summer and fall. The home team keeps the official book, the visiting team maintains the scoreboard.
2. Across all seasons, an inning is complete when a team scores 5 runs or 3 outs are recorded, whichever occurs first.
3. In the summer, games end at 60 minutes. In the fall, games end at 65 minutes.
4. In the spring, no new inning starts after 60 minutes. There is a 6-inning limit. Games will stop when the losing team cannot score enough remaining runs to tie the game. And in the spring, regular season league games excluding the tournament may end in a tie.
Coach Participation & Positioning
1. No more than 4 coaches can participate to coach during a game.
2. The pitching coach is not allowed to coach while pitching to their team once the batter reaches 1B. The pitching coach must have one foot inside or on the circle.
3. Once the pitching coach pitches and the ball is put in play, the pitching coach is to exit the field to foul territory between Home Plate and First Base and not return into to fair territory until the play is stopped.
4. If a batted ball strikes the adult pitcher and the adult pitcher tries to get out of the way per umpire judgment, the count restarts. If determined not trying to get out of the way, this is a dead ball and the count continues.
5. If an adult pitcher places any of their balls on the ground or loose to be pitched and a batted ball strikes one of them, the batter is out and all runners return to their starting base.
6. When on offense, teams can have a 1st base coach, a 3rd base coach and the pitching coach. All other coaches must be in the dugout.
7. When on defense, teams are limited to one coach being in front of the dugout. All other coaches must be in the dugout. The one coach standing in front of the dugout must remain in front of the dugout and not towards home plate or a base or the outfield.
Stoppage of Play
1. To stop the play when runners are on base, an infielder possessing the ball must be in front of the lead runner and raise their arms so the umpire will call time. As well, another way is for the defense to get the ball to the player (pitcher) at the pitcher position and the pitcher (and only the pitcher) while physically located in the circle (at least one foot at the circle line) must raise both arms to stop the play. Once they raise both arms, they give up their team's right to make a play.
2. Once the play is stopped, base runners will return to a base based on the following:
- A runner between 3B and home will return to 3B if they are not at the halfway point of the base path or proceed to home if they are at the halfway point of the base path.
- The lead runner determines the status for runners behind them.
Overthrows
Note: An "overthrow" is defined as a throw by an infielder to a specific base where an infielder is at the base and the throw gets past the fielder. An overthrow includes a throw from an infielder to the pitcher. An overthrow excludes throws from outfielders and excludes any throws to a base where an infielder is not on the base. Further, an infielder catching the ball then dropping it is not an overthrow.
1. A batter turned runner after hitting the ball from home to 1B cannot advance past 1B if there is an overthrow at 1B. All other runners may advance.
2. If a runner going from home to 1B attempts to advance on an overthrow at 1B, the play will be stopped. All runners will be returned to their previous base without a chance to advance.
3. The play will stop on the first "overthrow" to a base or pitcher position. At that point, runners can advance at their own risk to the next base. Regardless of what happens with the throw to that next base, the runner can advance no further. As an example, if there is a runner at 1B, the batter hits the ball and an infielder overthrows the batter running to 1B, that original runner at 1B can advance no further than 3B.
Player Positioning
1. Each team will field 10 players consisting of 6 infielders (1B, 2B, SS, 3B, P, C) and 4 outfielders (RF, RCF, LCF, LF). Where players are positioned are defined by traditional locations for these positions.
2. A team must always use a catcher regardless of the number of players they have. Minimum to start a game is 8 players and one of those must be in the catcher position.
3. The player as a pitcher must have 1 foot on or inside the line of the pitching circle and must wear a helmet, which must be their own helmet.
4. The outfielders must be positioned behind the start of the outfield grass until the ball is hit.
Player Shortage & Sub Rules
1. Only players registered in our league may serve as a sub and those subs must be registered in the current age division or younger. What division the player is registered to is what division they are classified from.
2. Teams using a player outside of our league results in a forfeit and head coach suspension for next two games.
3. A sub may play any position except pitcher and catcher and a sub must bat in the lineup as 5th or later. Subs must wear their team's uniform and not the uniform of the team they are subbing for.
4. Subs cannot be added to the lineup card once the game starts.
5. Teams may start a game with no less than 8 players but at any time they have less than 9 players, the 9th player is recorded as a batted out. The game is stopped if less than 8 players and recorded as a forfeit.
6. Teams may start a game on time with no less than 8 players. If a team starts a game and during the game gets to only 7 players, the game will be halted and called a forfeit.
7. If a player starts the game and leaves for any reason, they will be skipped in the order.
Base running
1. Players must attempt to avoid contact. A player can be called out if contact is not avoided; this is a judgment call by the umpire.
2. On any play at home plate, players must slide feet first, if sliding and avoid a collision with the catcher. If not sliding, they must also avoid a collision. The catcher may block the plate only if he has the ball.
3. A base runner is required to do whatever is needed to avoid a fielder who is fielding a batted ball. A runner is out for running out of the baseline, only when attempting to avoid a tag.
4. A base runner running from Home to 1B may turn either direction at 1B but if that turn is towards 2B and an attempt to the next base is made, the runner can be tagged out. If that turn is towards 2B (as opposed to foul territory) but makes no attempt to 2B, the runner cannot be tagged out.
5. Teams will receive a warning for any player leaving the base early and each player leaving after the warning is called out.
End of Season Tournament Seeding (for spring season)
1. The seeding for the tournament will occur in the following order:
a. Win percentage
b. Head-to-Head
c. Runs Allowed (across all games)
d. Runs Scored (across all games)