LITTLE LEAGUE BASEBALL

BROSSARD 1999

HOUSE LEAGUE RULES

PREAMBLE: The official rules used will be the rules of the Little League. The following enumerated house league rules will have precedence over the Little League rules.

REFERENCE: For each rule, a reference in the margin corresponds to an age category to which the rule is applied.

* Applicable for all categories

TB T-Ball (5 - 8yr)

MI Minor (9 - 10yr)

MA Major (11 - 12yr)

JS Junior & Senior (13 - 16yr)

HOUSE LEAGUE RULES: 1999

1. BEHAVIOR ON THE BASEBALL FIELD

* All players, coaches, umpires, markers or spectators:

· using improper language,

· using disgraceful gesture,

· throwing equipment,

· bumping into or against an official, an umpire or a coach, or

· at the judgment of an LNDB official, handles oneself unpleasantly or anti-sportsmanlike;

will be THROWN OUT OF THE GAME. The incident will be submitted to the baseball committee. No player can be suspended without the baseball committee’s authority.

2. LENGTH OF GAME

2.1 * The Home plate umpire will have the official time.

2.2 * During a regular season game and during a playoff game, the length of a game will be 2 hours from the schedule time, except for T-Ball 5-6 whose games will be 90 minutes. During the last 15 minutes of a game, no new inning shall start. The umpire will indicate the last player at bat. During the final playoff game the game time limit will be waived.

2.3 * The game cannot end by a walk, nor by a batter hit by a pitch, unless the batter produces the winning run with the bases being loaded. The last batter must hit the ball or be called out on 3 strikes. At the judgement of an umpire and after a warning, a game can be stopped and the victory can be given to the other team if one team deliberately delays the game. In this context, an umpire can deny the substitution of a player.

2.4 MI If the last batter received 10 pitches for balls, an automatic home run will be awarded.

2.5 MI-MA-JS A team cannot score more than 6 points per innings. After the 6th point, the half inning will be considered completed, regardless of the number of outs.

2.6 MI-MA All games normally last 6 innings; however a game that cannot be completed due to weather conditions or because of darkness shall be considered valid if:

· a minimum of 3½ innings have been played and the home team scored more runs than the visiting team,

· or the game lasted a minimum of 1½ hour even if the 3½ innings were not completed. In this case, if the home team scored less runs than the visiting team, the official count shall be based on the last complete inning.

2.7 JS Games in these categories will last 7 innings. The game becomes official after 4½ innings or 1 hour and 45 minutes.

2.8 * For all categories, with the exception of T-Ball, the 6th inning (Minor & Major) or the 7th inning (Junior & Senior) shall be open.

2.9 * Any regular season game being canceled will not be rescheduled, unless it is the last scheduled game and it has an influence on the standings.

3. GAME LOST BY DEFAULT

3.1 * Any team that can play less than 7 players loses the game by default. Based on the schedule time of the game, a minimum of 15 minutes can be granted for a team to attain its minimum 7th player.

4. WITHDRAWAL OF A TEAM

4.1 * Regardless of the reason, any coach or assistant coach that withdraws its team or refuses to play the game will lose the game by default. The coach and assistant shall be suspended until their case is addressed by the LNDB Baseball management.

5. PROTEST

5.1 * No PROTEST will be accepted except in the case of a player eligibility

6. PLAYERS

6.1 * METAL CLEATS are strictly prohibited at all times.

6.2 * The use of a JOCK STRAP for boys and girls is mandatory.

6.3 * During any game, the baseball uniform must be worn. The uniform consists of a

· baseball shirt, baseball pants and a baseball cap. The baseball shirt must be tucked into the baseball pants. This call is at the discreation of the umpire.

6.4 * Each player present at a game must be registered on the batters line-up.

6.5 * A player arriving late at a game will not be allowed to play if the 2nd inning has started.

6.6 * A player is not allowed to be benched more than one inning per game, unless each player on the team has already been benched one inning. Following a warning, the team could lose the game. Exception for the pitcher where he/she must be benched BEFORE or IMMEDIATELY AFTER pitching. It is the score keeper’s responsibility to verify any wrongdoing and report the infraction to the director of category.

6.7 * In the case of insubordination of one of his players, the coach must advise the umpire of his/her intention of expelling the player for the game. The score keeper shall write on the back of the score sheet the actions taken.

6.8 TB-MI-MA Players must be rotated from one defensive position to another at each inning. No player shall play in the outfield during two consecutive innings.

7. THE PITCHER

7.1 MI-MA A player cannot pitch more than 3 innings per week during the regular schedule games or during the playoffs. One single pitch constitutes an inning pitched. The scheduled week starts on MONDAY and ends on SUNDAY. The rule does not apply to the final game of the year.

7.2 JS A player cannot pitch more than 5 innings per week. One single pitch constitutes an inning pitched. The rule does not apply to the final game of the year.

7.3 MI Intentional walks are not permitted. If the umpire judges the walk to be intentional, the home plate umpire will advance all runners on the bases and make the pitcher throw to the same batter again.

7.4 MI There will be no base on balls during the first two weeks of the season.

7.5 TB(7,8) Starting with the first game in July, the coach (or the assistant) will pitch the third and fourth inning to his team. There will be no base on balls nor called strikes. The coach does not play defense.

8. THE BATTER

8.1 TB-MI-MA There is no warm-up circle for the batter waiting for his turn.

8.2 MI-MA On a third strike, when the pitched ball hits the ground, the batter is out automatically.

8.3 * Batters must use a helmet tied under their chin.

8.4 * If the last batter is hit by a pitch and he cannot bat again, he will be replaced by the next batter in the line-up.

9. THE RUNNER

9.1 TB-MI-MA The runner must slide feet first. This rule applies when a runner advances one or more bases. This rule does not apply when the runner is returning to his original base or when he/she is caught in run down.

9.2 * Runners must use a helmet tied under their chin.

9.3 TB-MI Steeling home is not allowed. The runner on third base can only advance to home plate if the ball is hit or if all bases are occupied and the batter gets a walk.

9.4 * The runner must slide or avoid the defensive player. NO CONTACT WITH THE DEFENSIVE WILL BE ALLOWED. If according to the umpire the contact is intentional, the runner is removed from the game and can be suspended. If according to the umpire the contact is not intentional, the runner is removed from the game. If the defensive player causes an obstruction, the runner is declared safe.

10. THE COACHES

10.1TB-MI-MA The adult coach must request a stop in play to the umpire to talk to the umpire or to a player and this must be done outside the foul lines.

10.2 JS During the stop of play, the coach can visit his/her pitcher and can cross the foul line.

10.3 * A coach who is given a stop in play to speak with any defensive player will be credited a visit to the pitcher.

10.4 * A coach may visit his/her pitcher twice an inning. On the 3rd visit, the pitcher must be replaced. During a game, the coach may visit his/her pitcher 3 times. On the 4th visit, the pitcher must be replaced.

· only one stop of play per inning is allowed for the team at bat.

· in T-Ball, 2 stop of play are allowed per inning for the team on defense and one stop of play for the team at bat.

10.5MI-MA-JS Only one adult instructor per team can be positioned as a base coach and must remain in this position until the inning is completed.

10.6 * The usage of ANY FORM OF TOBACCO AND ALCOHOL is strictly prohibited on the baseball field and on the bench.

11. RESERVE LIST

11.1MI-MA-JS A team anticipating a shortage of players can call up a replacement player from the lower category. It is permitted to call up as many players to a maximum of 11 players including the replacement players.

· The players that are called up from a lower category must play the entire game as per the normal rules.

12. SANCTION

At the discretion of the baseball committee, any rules not being followed (6.6, 7.1 and 11.1) can cause the team to lose the game.

T-BALL RULES (7-8)

1. A minimum of 9 players is required.

2.. All players are entitled to bat. If a team has more players than the other, an equal number of batters must be assured.

· ex. The white team has 15 players and the red team has 13. When the red team bats, all 13 hitters bat plus the first two players on the line up. The following turn at bat starts with the third batter in the lineup.

3. When the ball is under control the player is not required to raise his hand. The umpire will stop the play when no play is possible.

4. The batter is not allowed to throw his bat after hitting. The batter will be called out without any warning and the runners cannot advance.

5. Players must be rotated from one defensive position to another at each inning. No player shall play in the outfield during two consecutive innings.