Effective:
March 2010
Following
are local rules to be used as a supplement to the Official Little League
Softball Rules book which each team manager has. The Little League Official
Softball Rule book governs all rules not covered in this local rule
document.
ARTICLE I - LEAGUE
PHILOSOPHY
Teamwork, participation, and sportsmanship will be
reinforced throughout the season.
ARTICLE II – LEAGUE PLAY
Section 1
No official league
standings will be kept. Emphasis is on LEARNING THE GAME, PARTICIPATION,
SPORTSMANSHIP AND FUN! Home team is
responsible for “scorekeeping”. There
will be an end of season tournament where results will count towards advancing
in the tournament.
Section 2
Games will be 5
innings, time permitting. No new inning after one (1) hour and forty-five (45)
minutes of play. Drop dead is at 2
hours. Umpire is responsible for
official time. Game time officially
begins at game time listed on the schedule.
Section 3
OFFICIAL GAME: If
time or weather does not permit a full game, 4 innings shall constitute a game.
Section 4
Home team is
responsible for supplying the game ball.
Visiting team supplies the back up ball.
Section 5
A team will have
nine (9) players on the field at a time: catcher, first baseman, second
baseman, third baseman, short stop, pitcher and three outfielders. A team can play with fewer than 9 players if
they are short players for any given game.
Section
6
Each
child will not sit out more than 2 innings in any game. This includes games which only go 4 innings
due to weather or time constraints. Any
player not starting in a game will start in the next scheduled game.
Section
7
Home
team will supply plate umpire.
Section 8
One manager and two
coaches are the maximum allowed for each team during games. Two adult coaches are allowed as base coaches
but one coach must always be in the dugout with the team. They are not allowed to touch the
runners. One defensive coach is allowed
in the outfield when their team is on defense.
Section
1
All team members in
uniform must be listed in the official batting order at the beginning of each
game and will bat in that order, until conclusion of the game. Player’s not present at the beginning of the
game will be added to the bottom of the batting order.
a. A batter will be
declared out if she bats out of order.
b. A team’s at bat
will consist of three outs or five runs scored, whichever occurs first.
c. In the case of a
five run rule, the inning is automatically terminated when the fifth run is
scored. This rule is also applicable to
the last inning.
Section 2
The batter is out after 3
strikes. If 4 balls are thrown by
pitcher, than a coach pitcher will enter the game to throw 3 more pitches, at
which time the batter is out if a hit is not made. The strike count stays the same when the
coach enters the game and the batter is out if they reach 3 strikes total. Each coach’s pitch is considered a strike, so
if the coach comes in with 2 strikes on the batter than only one pitch is
thrown. A foul tip warrants additional
pitches.
Section 3
Approved
little league softball bats only may be used.
Section 4
No on-deck batter
is allowed to take practice swings and must always be supervised by team parent
or assistant coach AT ALL TIMES.
Section 5
Infield fly rule
will not be in effect
– 3 –
Section 1
No leading off or
stealing. Runner must stay on the base
until the ball is batted or reaches the batter.
Section 2
Runners must avoid
collision with fielders.
Section 3
Runners must touch
bases and tag up on fly balls.
Section 4
Runners are allowed
to overrun first base.
Section 5
OVER THROW RULE:
Only
one (1) base will be taken for an overthrown ball to a fielding baseman when
the ball goes out of play. Base runners are
not to advance on overthrown balls if the ball stays in play. This includes overthrows to 2nd
base and includes other base runners on the bases. On balls out of play a dead ball is called
and all base runners advance one base.
Section 6
Runners may advance one base on a hit within the infield. Hits to the outfield (either to the grass or
fielded by an outfielder) allow for two bases if the runners are able to safely
take those two bases (ie they are at jeopardy and are not awarded those bases
unless they safely earn them).
Section 1
Outfielders will
not be allowed to play in the infield and must remain at least ten yards behind
the baseline until the ball is hit.
Outfielders are not allowed to field bases except in the case of backing
up bases for overthrows. They are
allowed to field an overthrow and touch the base for an out but are not allowed
to be the primary base defender during any play.
Section 1
The
coaches will pitch for the first 2 innings of each game and kids will pitch the
last 3 (or more if extra) inning of each game.
This will be the case for the first part of the season (April). Starting in May, if pitchers are progressing
and the league directors and managers agree, we will move to kids pitching all
5 innings in the game (again with coaches pitching after 4 balls).
When
the Coach is pitching (first 2 innings):
The coach will pitch 3 pitches to each batter. The batter will either get on base or be out
after the 3rd pitch. Only reason a 4th
(or more) pitch is thrown is if the batter fouls off the last pitch.
When
the kids are pitching (last 3 innings): After
four balls thrown to any batter, the coach pitcher will enter the game and
pitch up to 3 final pitches to the batter.
In order to speed the pace of the game, each of the coaches pitches are
counted as a strike. The strike count
continues when the coach enters the game, so if the coach enters with 2 strikes
on the batter and throws one pitch, than the batter is out if a hit is not made
or the pitch is not fouled off. If the
batter continues fouling off the 3rd pitch she will continue to
receive pitches until either the ball is put in play, missed entirely or not
swung at.
If
a batter has zero strikes, the coach has 3 pitches
If
a batter has one strike, the coach has 2 pitches
If
a batter has two strikes, the coach has 1 pitch
The
strike zone is as called for in the Little League Rule Book and (The strike
zone is that space over home plate which is between the batter’s armpits and
the lower knee when the batter assumes a natural stance. The strike zone is extended from a softball
outside the width of home plate which normally aligns with the batters box
lines). We are encouraging a large
strike zone to speed the game along and to promote batters to swing. This strike zone applies during the first 3
innings when coaches are pitching and the last innings when kids are
pitching. When coaches come in to pitch
the last 2 innings after four balls, each of the coaches pitches is treated as
a strike.
Section 2
Each
pitch must be a legal pitch as described in the Little League Handbook (Section
8, pages 75 and forward). It is very
important that pitchers are taught proper form and technique as illegal pitches
and non pitches are counted as balls.
Pitchers will pitch from a mark 35 feet away from home plate. There will be no intentional walks.
Section
3
DEFENSIVE
pitcher will stand near the COACH Pitcher to play the ball defensively. If the batted ball hits the COACH pitcher,
the ball becomes dead immediately and the batter advances to first base. All other base runners will advance one (1)
base.
Section
4
If
more than 1 inning is pitched than one calendar day of rest is required for all
pitchers. A player may pitch a maximum
of 3 innings in a game. A maximum number
of 6 innings is allowed in any calendar week (calendar week starts on Sunday
and runs through Saturday).
Section
5
As
described in the “blue book”, a pitcher can be moved from pitcher to another
fielding position and back to pitcher in the same game.
Section 1
Metal cleat shoes
are not permitted.
Section 2
An 11-inch Level 1
Safety Softball will be used.
Catchers must wear full
protective gear, including helmet throat protector, helmet, mask, chest
protector, shin guards.
Batters must wear
approved league helmets with face masks.
Section 3
Base distance is 60
feet.
Section 4
Bats must be
softball bats less than 33 inches in length and 2 ¼ maximum diameter.