FCAA - Minors(10U)Division Rules Fall 2017
** All Minors division games will be played in accordance with official Cal Ripken/Babe Ruthrules and regulations unless otherwisedifferentiatedin the following FCAA-specific Minors division rules/regulations.
1.Team Responsibilities
✓Each teamwill provide anewgame ball to the Umpire before every game; a sufficient # of game balls will be supplied to Headcoaches by the League Director before the season starts.
✓Field preparation/maintenance is the responsibility ofBOTH teams.(Failure to comply can result in lost practice time slots, suspension of manager and/or otherpenaltiesdeemed appropriate by FCAA Executive Committee)
oPregame- dragging the infield, raking the baselines/mound/homeplate area, and chalking the baselines/batter’sboxes
oPostgame- cleaning your respective dugout(all games), dragging/rakingthe infield(if last game of day), filling holes/prepping the mound (if last game of day), and covering the mound/home plate and securing with sand bags (if last game of day).
2.Time Limit
✓No new inning will start after 1 hour and 50 minutes has elapsed from the official starttime.
✓The umpire will declare the official start timeat the end of the home plate coaches meeting and notify theofficialscorekeeper(Home team)whoshall record the timein the scorebook.
✓The umpire is responsible for keeping the official time.
✓Time limit will apply to all regular season and playoff games except the Championship game(full six innings).
3.Tie Games
✓Regular season games can end in a tie.
✓Playoff games tiedafter six inningswill play extra innings up to time limit, then 1 additional inning and finally use theTexas Tie-breakersystem (last official batter from the previous inning placedat 2Bwithoneout).
✓The PlayoffChampionship game will not bedetermined by Texas Tie break but instead use regular baseball extrainning rules.
4.Run Rule
✓15run leadafterfour(4)inningsor 8 run leadafterfive(5)innings.
✓A team can score a maximum of seven (7) runsin a singleinning.
5.Official Games–If a game is suspended/terminated before six (6) innings are complete or time limit has expired, it will be considered official if four (4) innings have been completed (3 ½ innings if the home team is winning).
6.Player Requirements to Start/Finish aGame
✓Each team must have a minimum of eight (8) players at the “official start time” for agame to begin. In the event the minimum cannot be met, the game is considered aforfeit and the win goes to the team that has the required number of players.
✓In the event both teams cannot field the minimum number of players, the game shall bedeclared a double forfeit.
✓If a forfeit occurs, both managers may petition the League President, the LeagueDirector, and the Athletic Director to reverse the forfeit and reschedule the game.Ifunanimous consent of ALL five parties (three mentionedand both team managers), the game may be rescheduledand countedin the standings.
✓Once the game is started,a team may continue to play even if the number of playersfalls below eight (8).
✓A player who leaves a game due to injury or illness is skipped over in the batting and isnot considered an out when his/her turn at bat arrives.
✓If the player is ejected from the game orleaves for reasonsotherthan injury/illness,an OUTis recorded when his/herturn at batoccurs.An exception will be made only if the opposing coach agrees.
✓If a player arrives after the start of the game, the playerwill be added to the bottom of thebatting order.
7.Dugout/Batting Cage Assignments
✓TheHometeam will occupy the 3B dugout and is assigned one of the smaller batting cages between Fields 4 & 5 for pre-game batting practice.
✓TheVisiting team will occupy the 1B dugout and is assigned one of the batting cages between Fields3 & 4for pre-game batting practice.
8.Pitchers/ Pitching
✓A pitcher that has been removed fromthe mound on the manager/coach’s first visit orbetween innings may return topitchinsubsequent innings(applies to starting pitcher only).
✓On a manager/coach’s second trip to the mound in the same inning to the same pitcher,the pitcher must be removed from the mound and cannotpitch againduringthatgame.
✓Pitcher limitations/rest requirements are dictated by the chart below and a maximum of six innings per week (Monday-Sunday).An additional two (2) innings per week are authorized for players during Advanced Baseball/All-Star games but thepitcher’srest requirements apply for all games.
o0-40 no days rest
o41-65 oneday rest
o66-75 twodays rest
oOnce a pitcher reaches75pitches in a game they mayfinish thecurrentbatter
✓A pitcher and catcher may not exchange positions in the same inning.
✓A game in which an ineligiblepitcher is used is declared a forfeit.
✓Coaches from both teams are required to send/email their player pitch counts to the League Director and opposing coach as soon as possible but no later than 12 hours after a game’s completion. Official scores will be based on the Home Team scorekeeper’s input to the umpire for official documentation turned in to the concession stand after the game.
9.Playing Time Rules
✓Noplayershall sitmore than two inningsbefore all players sit one inning.
✓No player shall sit two consecutive innings.
✓Each team shallfield 10 defensive players (four outfielders) if 10 or more players are present at the game.
10.Batting/Base RunningRules
✓ALLrosteredPLAYERSpresent at a game will be included in the batting order.
✓Batting helmet face masks are recommended, especially for less experienced players, but NOT required.
✓There are NO slash bunts. Once a player squares to bunt, he/she can only take or bunt that pitch. Infielders may start on the grass or charge the plate at any time but coaches must usetheir utmostdiscretionon SAFETY when employing/directing such defense.
✓Head first slides while advancing to any base/home plate are HIGHLY discouraged. Head first slides retreating back to a base are allowed.
✓Catchers are not allowed to block home plate without possession of the baseball. If a catcher blocks home plate without/before the baseball arrives and it prevents a sliding baserunner from reaching home plate, the runner is safe.
✓Leading off isNOTallowed. Players can steal/advance once a pitched ball crosses the front of home plate or is put in play by the batter.
✓Ifa runner leaves the base earlyon a pitch where the ball is NOTput in play,the runner shall return tohis/her previousbaseunless he/she is thrown out by the defense in which case the out stands.
✓If a player leaves the base early on a ball put in play, the followingpenaltiesapply based on the impact leaving early has on the play.
oIf the ball is fielded such that a force or tag out can be reasonably made, the runner that left early is OUT as are any other runners thrown/tagged out on the play.
oFor base hits (1B, 2B, 3B, or inside the park HR), all players on baseand thebatter can only advance one base.
oFor a HR over the fence, no penalty applies.
Runner Retreat – Once a player retreats back towards a base with the defensive player in front of him with the ball, the play will be deemed dead, unless the defensive player is attempting to throw the ball or make a play. (If the runner retreats towards the base and the ball is being thrown to the pitcher, play is dead). Umpire’s discretion will be used on when is play is dead.