SPRING 2023 season – 7/8YO Division Baseball:
**Rules violations are to be identified at the time of infraction. We expect coaches to work together throughout a game to minimize any issues. Thus, we do not have a post game protest process.

**In case of rain, see our Rain out Policy link for how games are completed.

**If playing on turf, coaches are ejected for the game or practice for sunflower seeds or gum. Players are given one team warning before players are ejected. Two ejections for a team in a game or for the season will result in that team being removed from use of turf for the rest of the season.**

We will provide game balls and will provide 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. 


Coach/Parent Behavior
1. Any parent or coach ejection will result in an ejection for the current game and the next game. Ejection for arguing after the game will result in an ejection for the next 2 games.

2. If ejected, the person must leave the park. Failure to do so to include a delay to do so will result in a ban for the rest of the season or tournament. A return to the park by a banned or ejected person prior to the timing allowed to return will result in the removal of the team from our league without any refund.

3. If an umpire’s call needs to be discussed, that must occur only by the head coach. Assistant coaches coming onto the field to discuss or argue a call with an umpire will be ejected from the game.

4. Any parent that comes onto the field to argue a call or play will be immediately removed from the park and will be banned from the league and facilities indefinitely.

5. Any person involved in fighting will be immediately removed from the park and will be banned from the league and facilities indefinitely.

6.  Use of profanity, cursing or any offensive language not suitable for children will result in an immediate ejection and removal from the park. Determination of not suitable will be at the official's discretion.

Equipment
1. Only 1-piece catcher's masks are allowed. 

2. Teams are to only use the game balls we provide, all unused at the start of the game.

Before the Game
1.  Games will be cancelled due to weather on the decision of the league. 

2.  Please have your team warm up in the outfield prior to the game with no use of the infield – fair or foul territory – before the game. We do this to preserve the game prep that occurs to the field.

3.  Teams need to be in the dugout ready to start the game five minutes prior to the scheduled game start. It would be ideal to start the 5:30PM weekday games a few minutes early considering a second game occurs.

4. Before the game starts, teams are to have all their equipment in the dugout and kept there for the entire game.


Field & Game Limits
1.  Base paths are 60'. Pitching distance from the front of the circle to home plate is 35’. A 12’ circle will be drawn at the mound.

2.  No new inning will start after 65 minutes. There is a 6-inning limit per game.
If any time remains on the clock when the last out in the bottom half of the inning is recorded, a new inning will start as long as neither team is mathematically eliminated.

3.  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.
     a. In 8YO, kids get three swings.
     b. In 7YO they can have five swings.

4.  The infield fly rule does not apply.

5.  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.

6.  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 Coach must be granted the time out by the umpire meaning the umpire calls the official time. The clock does not stop.

7.  Music is not allowed to be played during games. <This can be disruptive to adjacent fields, so we have this rule>


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, sit in the 2nd, play 1B in the 3rd but cannot sit the 1st and 2nd.

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.  An inning is complete when a team scores 5 runs or 3 outs are recorded, whichever occurs first.

2.  The game will stop when the losing team cannot score enough remaining runs to tie the game.

3. The visiting team is responsible to have an adult keep the scoreboard controller and the home team is responsible to have an adult keep the official book.


Bats
1.  ALL bats must have the "USA Baseball" factory stamp to be used.

2.  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.

3.  If a batter slings his bat, the team will receive a warning. Any bat slinging to occur after the warning will be recorded as an out.


Coach Participation & Violations
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 until to fair territory until the play is stopped.

4.  A base coach is not allowed to touch a base runner during the course of live play, so if a coach reaches out and touches a player to help him stop and return to a base or a push to go to the next base, the runner will be called out.

5.  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.

6.  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.


Coach Positioning
1.  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.

2.  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, there are two ways:
     a.  The defense must get the ball to the player (pitcher) at the pitcher position and the pitcher (and only the pitcher) must be physically located in the circle. If the pitcher wants to stop play, they must raise both arms to stop play. Once they raise both arms, they give up their team's right to make a play.
     b.  The infielder has the ball in front of the lead runner and the umpire calls time. That will stop all runners.

2. In regard to where to continue or have the runner return once play is stopped, base runners will return to a base based on the following:
     a.  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.
      b.  The lead runner determines the status for runners behind them. 


Overthrows
1. A runner running 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. In 8YO play, the play will stop on a second "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.
**Regarding the original overthrow at 1B for the batter, the batter cannot advance on the original (first) overthrow but could advance further on a second overthrow**

4.  In 7YO play, 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.

5.  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 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.

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.  No sharing of helmets can occur.

4.  The outfielders must be in the outfield grass. The outfielders must be positioned behind the start of the outfield grass until the ball is hit.


Player Shortage & Sub Rules
1.  If you need a Substitute player due to a short roster (less than 11), use a player from the existing rec division (example: 7YO can get a player from another 7YO team but not from 8YO) or a younger division. An "open division" player cannot sub in rec play.

2. A sub may play any position except pitcher and may bat anywhere in the lineup as 5th or later.

3.  Subs must wear their team's uniform and not the uniform of the team they are subbing for. Subs from other teams are to be identified prior to the start of the game.

4.  Subs cannot be added to the lineup card once the game starts.

5.  Teams cannot sub using a player outside of our league. Penalty for any violation - Head coach suspension for next game. 

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.  There are no sliding method rules except at home plate. 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. A head-first slide at home is recorded as an out.

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 (excluding the overthrow at 1B), 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.  Runners cannot leave the base until the ball is hit. Runner will be called out for leaving the base early. Teams will get one warning.


End of Season Tournament Seeding
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)