3rd-4th Baseball RULES
Age Limits:– 9-10 year olds may play. Any player turning 11 before Sept 1 must play at the next level.
- Baseballs: The home team provides 1 new ball per game and it will be a RIF 10 or ball a step below a hard ball
- Rules: Follow Little League rules.
- Distances: The field will have 60-foot base paths and a 46-foot mound.
- Shoes:Steel spikes are not allowed, Players must wear tennis/sport/baseball style shoes, socks must also be worn. No sandals
- Bats: Must be hardball bats
- Hitters: The entire roster bats every game
- Batting helmets: Must be worn at all times by any offensive player while on the field of play.
- Strike outs:The dropped third strike will still be a strike out no matter what.
- Overthrows:Any ball that travels 10 or more feet into foul territory will be considered an overthrow, and runner may advance 1 base only. Infield overthrows are treated the same as foul ball overthrows.
- Bunting:– Is ALLOWED. However, if a player squares up to bunt he/she can not slap hit or slash hit. The batter can pull back and not commit on a bad pitch or thought to be a ball. 2013
- Thrown bats– A thrown bat is one that is wildly propelled more than 6 feet. Violations will be automatic outs and play stopped immediately, with no runners advancing.
- Leading off: Runners may not leave the base until the pitched ball crosses home plate. Leaving sooner is an automatic out.
- Stealing: Is allowed after the ball crosses the plate. You can not steal home plate.
- Wild pitches: Base runners from 3rdbase cannot score on a wild pitch. The other baserunners may advance.
- Sliding:All runners must avoid contact with fielders.
- Number of fielders: There may be up to 10 defensive playerson the field. There shall be a maximum of 6 infieldersat one time. The 4 outfieldersmust stay in the outfield grass. March 2010
- Defensive substitutions: There will be free defensive substitutions.
- Pitchers:get 5warm up pitches per inning. New pitcher receives 8 warm up pitches
- Pitchers:Cannot pitch more than 3 innings (or 9 outs) unless the game goes to extra innings and then he/she can pitch 1 extra inning.
- Wild pitchers: A pitcher shall be removed from the game after hitting 3 batters at anytime during the game.
- Players: A team must have at least 8 to play a game. Less than 8 is a forfeit.
- Catchers: All catchers’ equipment is required.
- Scoring limits: 6runs maximum per inning, except last inning can score the same as winning team.
- Length of game: Games begin at 6:15 p.m.and no new innings started after 8:15 pm. The home plate umpire is the official timekeeper.
- Rainouts– Home coach will call game off by 5 p.m.
- Coaches: Are not allowed to touch base runners. Violations will cause the runner to be out.
- Umpires: Home team provides home plate umpire while visitors provide base umpire. Umpires are not to coach players during play.
- Ground rules: Prior to the game the home team will describe the fields ground rules to the visiting coach and umpires. Additional rules must be agreed upon prior to the game.
- Scorekeepers: Each team should have their own scorekeeper and scores should be compared every inning.
- Ejection from the game:– The Waushara County baseball program will enforce rules of fair play and sportsmanship. Failure to follow these rules by anyone in attendance could cause a forfeit of the game. Any parent ejected from the game will cause his/her child to be ejected as well. That parent must leave the area immediately. The player may play in the next game. Any Coach ejected will leave the field immediately and will be suspended for the next game as well. The Coach may not be in the area of the field when ejected or suspended. Players ejected will leave the area when ejected and is also suspended for the next game. The suspended player must sit on the bench in the next game he attends in order to fulfill his suspension. Failing to appear at the next game will not complete the player’s suspension.