GLENCOE BASEBALL ASSOCIATION

FINAL 2015 BRONCO LEAGUE GENERAL POLICY AND RULES

I.GENERAL POLICY STATEMENT

The objective of our association is to provide a supervised and organized program with equal importance given to the following:

A. Each player should have an enjoyable experience, conducting himself/herself with discipline and good sportsmanship.

B. Each player should be taught individual and team baseball skills, gain an appreciation of game strategy, and participate in an effort to win each game.

C. Good sportsmanship and self-discipline begin with the adults participating in the program. The adults must set an example on the field for the players to follow, conducting themselves with maturity and restraint. There is nothing wrong with making every effort to win a game, but not at all or any costs.

II. LEAGUE RULES

A. Other. All other rules not addressed herein shall be in accordance with the “Official Baseball Rules” published by the National Baseball Congress.

B. Field Measurements. Baselines will measure 70 feet. The pitcher's rubber will be 48 feet from the front edge of the rubber to the apex of home plate.

A batted ball to Right Field at Glencoe’s Bronco Field striking any part of a tree in fair territory shall be ruled dead and the batter will be awarded a Double. Base runners shall advance two bases from the base they occupied before the pitch was thrown.

A batted ball landing fair in Left Field at Glencoe’s Bronco Field and then ricocheting foul to the left of the tennis courts shall be ruled dead and the batter will be awarded a double. Base runners shall advance two bases from the base they occupied before the pitch was thrown.

C. Duration of Game:

1. 7 Inning Games. An official game consists of seven (7) innings. However, under the circumstances detailed below, an official game may end upon either more or less than 7 innings played.

2. Two Hour Rule. No inning may begin more than two hours after the initial starting of the game. (The two-hour rule is from actual starting time, not scheduled starting time). The determination of the time expiration shall be at the time the last out is made in what would be the final inning. If the two-hours are reached during an inning, then the entire inning shall be completed, subject to “official game” rules below. The time limit is waived for all play-off games.

3. Maximum Runs in An Inning. A maximum of 5 runs can be scored by any team in any of the first five innings. The maximum run rule does not apply after the 5th inning [(or, in an interleague game against a KWBA team, after the 6th inning)]. The maximum run rule will not apply to playoff games. (This is the honor system between the coaches; umpires will not be asked to monitor this).

4. Official game. A game shall be “official” after five full innings have been played, or if the home team has scored more runs in four innings than the visiting team has in five innings at the time the game has stopped (e.g., weather, time limit, darkness). If the game is called for any reason before it is official, it shall be considered a suspended game and will be resumed from the point of adjournment. The full team roster is eligible when the game is resumed. (Any new players in attendance when the game is resumed shall bat only after all original players have batted again once the game is resumed. For example, if the last out were the no. 5 batter, the new players would be inserted in the batting order after the no. 5 batter hits in the resumed game. Further, if adjournment occurs during an inning, to the extent possible, upon resumption players should return to the positions they were playing at adjournment).

In the event that the Championship Game is suspended, it will be resumed later that day or the next day, subject to scheduling restrictions. The Championship Game will not be called even if it is an “official” game based upon the rules below.

5. Extra Innings. When a game is tied at the end of 7 innings, extra innings shall be played until there is a winner (or until the game is called by the umpire under and in accordance with the two-hour rule).

6. 12-Run "Mercy" Rule. If a team is ahead by 15 runs after five or more full innings (or if the home team is leading by 12 runs and the visitors have already batted five innings), then the game will be terminated and the team ahead declared the winner. The losing coach may then elect to continue the game for practice, but only until the two-hour time limit expires or until 7 innings have been played, whichever occurs first.

7. Stoppage During An Inning. If a game is called (stopped) by an umpire during an inning, but after it is official, the score shall revert back to the end of the previous inning if the away (visiting) team has not completed batting in its half of the inning, or if the home team is losing and it has not completed batting in its half of the inning. Players and coaches shall not, in the umpire’s judgment, delay the game (e.g. continuously walking batters) with the aim of influencing a decision to stop play and thereby causing the score to revert back to the end of the previous inning. If the umpire determines that the game has been intentionally delayed, the game shall be suspended from that point and completed on a different date. The umpire shall contact the League regarding the decision and related circumstances.

D. Playing Rules:

1. Forfeiture. The penalty for failure to comply with any of these playing rules, or any of the pitching rules in Section E below, will be forfeiture of the game.

2. Required Play In the Field. Each player shall play in the field for at least four (4) innings of each game. Further, except for illness or injury, no player shall sit out more than one inning more than any other player on his/her team and each player shall sit out once before any player sits out twice.

3. Different Positions. Coaches are encouraged to play players in various positions during a game, and, in fact, each player must, during the first four innings of each game, play at least one (1) full inning at an infield position, pitcher or catcher, and one (1) full inning in the outfield,

4. Pitching Opportunities. Coaches are encouraged to give each player the opportunity to pitch. Any player who desires the opportunity to pitch in a game AND has demonstrated the ability to throw the ball over the plate must be allowed to face at least 3 batters during the course of the season.

5. Batting. The batting order must list all members of the team present. All players will bat consecutively around the order (i.e. through 12th or last rostered player). A player who is sitting out an inning for a fielding substitution shall still bat in his/her place in the order.

6. Free Substitution. Free substitution will exist for each inning. A defensive player shall not be moved from his/her position in the middle of the inning in the field (except for illness or injury) unless the player is the pitcher or the pitcher's replacement.

7. Nine Fielders. Nine (9) players will play defensively in the field.

8. Dropped Third Strike. No batter may advance to first by virtue of a dropped third strike.

9. Base Running:

(a) A normal three step lead-off will be allowed, but a runner may not proceed any further until after the ball leaves the pitcher’s hand. Runners who are on first or second may attempt to steal or otherwise advance to the succeeding base(s) after the ball is released. If a runner goes beyond three steps before the ball is released, at the umpire’s discretion, the runner will either be called out or the play will be called dead and the runner will be ordered back to the bag. After one warning per team per game, the next runner for that team who leaves the base early will be called out. A runner on 3rd can advance only on: (i) a batted ball; (ii) a walk with the bases loaded; or (iii) a pickoff attempt at 3rd base only. For avoidance of doubt, if a runner tries to steal 2nd base, a runner on 3rd may not attempt to advance on the throw.

(b) Attempted straight steals of home are prohibited. Bunting is permitted, except that suicide squeeze bunts are prohibited. Additionally, a player is prohibited from showing a bunt and then swinging away, or from attempting a swinging bunt.

(c) Base runners must slide on any “close play” (head first slides ARE ONLY ALLOWED WHEN RETURNING TO A BASE e.g. on a pick off attempt at 1st base). A “close play” is a play where thedefensive player has the ball before the runner arrives at the base, or where the ball is in play at the base. A runner is out if he/she fails to slide and the runner is subject to immediate ejection if he/she tries running through or bowling over a defensive player in proper position or with the ball in his/her possession. “Proper Position” means that the defensive player may not “block” a base. The defensive player must use a “straddle and tag” or a “catch and sweep” technique. The umpires shall have absolute discretion in determining whether a “close play” or a running/bowling over of a player has occurred.

(d) A defensive player shall not interfere with a base runner if he/she does not have possession of the ball or is not playing the ball. This rule also prohibits a defensive player without the ball from positioning himself/herself in the basepath of an oncoming runner (e.g., infielders cannot stand in the basepath so as to make a base runner who tries to advance by stealing a base have to run around the infielder). If the umpire rules that the defensive player interfered with the base runner, then the base runner shall be called safe and may be awarded an extra base or extra bases.

(e) There is no pinch runner for the catcher (catcher of record) except when there are two outs. In order to speed-up play, coaches should have catchers dressed and ready to go on the field upon the termination of the team's at-bat. The pinch runner is the player that made the last out. Coaches are encouraged, but not required, to pinch run for the catcher when there are two outs.

(f) Except in situations involving catchers on base with two outs, courtesy runners will only be allowed when a player has been hurt on a play. If a player is going to bat despite an injury, that player must also run for himself/herself and must play in the field. In other words, hurt players are not allowed just to bat without also having to run and play the field.

10. Overthrows:

(a) If the ball goes out of play, runners advance, without risk, to the base they were going, plus one (1) base.

(b) If the ball remains in play, runners advance at their own risk.

(c)If the ball goes out of play on an attempted pickoff, each runner can advance only to the next base.

11. Infield Fly Rule. The "infield fly rule" shall apply.

E. Pitching Rules:

1. No Returning to the Mound. If a pitcher pitches more than one (1) inning, the innings must be consecutive. A pitcher who is withdrawn from the mound shall not be permitted to return to the mound as a pitcher in the same game.

2. Out Limitations. No pitcher may pitch more than 9 outs in any game. Other than in any calendar week in which any part of the playoffs takes place: (a) no pitcher may pitch more than 15 outs on consecutive days within a calendar week; (b) no pitcher may pitch more than 2 days in a row within a calendar week; and (c) no pitcher may pitch more than 21 outs per calendar week unless a team is scheduled for more than four games during a week, in which case such number shall be increased to 30. In addition to the maximum innings restrictions per game and week, we strongly encourage coaches to limit pitchers to 60 pitches per game at the Bronco level.

3. Calendar Week. A calendar week is from 12:01 a.m. Monday to 11:59 p.m. the next Sunday.

4. Excessively Wild Pitchers. Any pitcher who hits three (3) batters in an inning or five (5) batters during a game will not be allowed to pitch again in that game. This rule may be waived by the home plate umpire if a batter could/should have moved to avoid being hit.

5. Warm Ups. To avoid undue delay of games, pitchers shall be allowed no more than eight (8) warm-up pitches, whether between innings or at any time during the game. (Pitchers should warm up properly on the sidelines whenever possible, especially before games begin and when a new pitcher will start a subsequent inning).

6. Same Day Pitching. If pitching in more than one (1) game the same day (suspended game, etc.), a player may pitch any combination of outs in the games provided he/she does not exceed the maximum number of outs per day as set forth above.

7. Mound Visits. A coach shall be permitted one trip to the mound per inning. On the second visit, the pitcher must be removed from pitching. An injury to the pitcher shall not constitute a trip to the mound.

8. Position Switches With Pitchers. A pitcher who is changed during an inning must take the position vacated by the new pitcher, unless that vacated position is catcher. In that event, teams will be allowed one extra position change for the departing pitcher.

9. Balk Warnings. There shall be one (1) balk warning per pitcher.

10. No Hidden Balls. There are no hidden ball tricks allowed.

13. No Intentional Walks. A pitcher must pitch to each batter. A team shall not ask the umpire to waive this rule for the purpose of issuing an intentional walk to a batter.

F. Equipment Rules:

1. No Metal Spikes. Tennis shoes or rubber-cleated shoes are allowed. No metal spikes are permissible.

2. Bat Rules. All Metal and Alloy bats with a maximum barrel of 2 ¼” diameter, a maximum BPF of 1.15, a maximum length of 33” and with a maximum differential of minus 12 are allowed. Composite barreled bats meeting these requirements will be allowed if they are approved for Little League play as evidenced by a stamp on the bat.