Baseball-Softball-Basketball

Updated 06/21/23

RULES – 9/10YO Rec Divisions
In case of rain, see our Rain out Policy link for how games are completed.

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.
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 65' for 9/10YO. On turf fields, this is the second nearest to home plate base anchor slot as the nearest is 60', followed by 65' and 70'.
2.  Pitcher rubber to home plate is 46' for 9/10YO.
3.  Music is not allowed to be played once the game starts.
4.  The infield fly rule applies.
5.  The dropped third strike rule does not apply.
6. Fake bunting and swinging for a pitch is not allowed and the batter will be called out.
7. There are no bunting limits.
8. There are 3 outfielders, 4 infielders, a pitcher and a catcher on defense. Players must be in their position as shifting is not allowed.
9.  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, 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.

Scorekeeping
1. We keep score in the spring. We do not keep score in the summer and fall.
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 and fall, games end at 90 minutes.
4. In the spring, no new inning starts after 90 minutes. There is a 6-inning limit. There is a 10-runing mercy rule after the 4th inning. As well, 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.

Stoppage of Play
1. This is a stop the runner format.

Coach Participation & Positioning
1.   No more than 4 coaches can participate to coach during a game.
2. When on offense, teams can have a 1st base coach, a 3rd base coach and one coach in front of the dugout. All other coaches must be in the dugout.
3. 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.

Pitchers
1. New pitchers to an inning are allowed EIGHT warm-up tosses that include any in front, behind or on the mound. In case a pitcher is replaced due to injury or illness, the new pitcher will be given additional pitches to properly warm up.
2. Existing pitchers are allowed FIVE pitches after their second and following innings.
3. If three batters are hit during the game by a pitcher, that pitcher must be pulled from pitching and cannot return to pitch later in the same game.
4. The pitcher must be pulled on the 2nd trip to the mound in the same inning.
5. A pitcher may re-enter the same game unless he was pulled due to 2nd trip in same inning.
6. Pitching limits are as follows:

- Counted pitches are only those thrown to a live batter and exclude warm up pitches.
- A pitcher once reaching the limit on a batter they started before reaching their planned max will be allowed to complete that batter. For example, the first pitch to a batter is 35. To complete the batter requires 4 more pitches. If pulled or inning ends, the count is recorded as 35.
- One day of rest, for example, means if a pitcher threw 28 pitches on Monday, they cannot pitch until Wednesday.

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.  Lead offs are not allowed 9/10YO play. The runner cannot advance off the base until a thrown pitch passes home plate. If a player leaves early, a team gets one player warning, and then each player thereafter is called out. This is a judgement call by the umpire and not a call that can be challenged.
2.  Any base can be stolen. Once the pitcher is on the mound, the play is considered stopped until the next pitch.
3.  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.
4. 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.
5.  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.

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)