2018 MINORS Division Rules
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2018 MINORS Division Rules The rules below have been put in place for player safety, player development, and playing time. Coaches are competitive and each wants their players to advance skills and to win, however egos must remain off of the playing field. Coaches must keep one another accountable for the betterment of the league, but doing so in a professional manor. ALL MVLL coaches have a lot of impressionable eyes and ears watching and listening to everything that takes place on the playing field.
To achieve this, the following MVLL rules will apply: 1. TIME LIMITS a. On school nights, no new inning will be started after 7:15 p.m. in the interest of rest/ school responsibilities, except for the playoffs.
2. SAFETY & FIELDING a. Since Minors Division is all about learning and having fun, try to give players an opportunity to play as many positions as possible. Avoid the temptation to keep certain players at anyone position consistently until the playoffs. Player safety, based upon ability, should play a big part in a coach's decision with respect to fielding.
b. As there are no on deck circles, players must remain in the dugout. Handling of bats by players in the dugout or outside the fence is prohibited. The only player to be holding or swinging a bat is the batter while in the batter's box. c. Players can be loaned to play the field for the opposing team if one team has less than 9 players. d. Four outfielders is permitted so long as coach’s agree prior to first pitch.
3. BATTING a. Minors Division is “Coach and/or Machine Pitch” all season. b. Put together a batting order using all your team's available regular season roster players. Try to rotate the list so that all players get the chance to be leadoff hitter at least once during the regular season. Once the playoffs arrive, a set order based on player ability may be used. c. The runner gets only one (1) base on an overthrow if the ball is in foul territory; any ball overthrown in fair territory is live unless thrown back to the mound in the chalk circle. The play is stopped once there is an attempt to return the ball to the pitcher. However, be conservative when sending runners on fair territory overthrows (especially early in the season). Discourage chaotic and extended plays by encouraging your team to get the ball back to the pitcher. d. A maximum of five (5) runs can be scored by either team in all but the last inning of the game. Unlimited runs (at coach's discretion) may be scored in the final inning of the game. e. There is no use of the scoreboard. The players get distracted by the score of a game.
4. Season Schedule - The season is divided into three parts FIRST PART: April 28 through May 11th i. Games will be four innings long.
ii. No strike-outs: each batter will get up to 7 pitches. If there is no hit by the last pitch, the batter must hit off of a tee. iii. Regardless of number of outs, the entire batting order will hit at least once during the first inning. Any runs scored after the third out in the first inning will not count. Three outs will end each of the next innings. iv. There must be the same number of at bats for the first inning (i.e. if one team has 10 players and the opposing team only has 9 players, then the team with 9 gets one extra at bat only if the team has not made 3 outs - so it stays even.
SECOND PART: May 12th through May 23rd i. ii. iii.
Games will be five innings. Players no longer bat around in the first inning - all innings end after three outs. 5 (swinging) strikes and the batter is out. To get players used to being selective with pitches, batters will get a maximum of 8 pitches (unless the batter hits a foul ball on the last pitch) to keep the game moving at a reasonable pace. Tees will no longer be used.
THIRD PART: May 24th through Playoffs i.
ii.
iii.
Move to 3 (swinging) strikes and out for the remainder of the season, keeping the maximum of 8 pitches. If no hit by the last pitch, batter will be out (unless the batter hits a foul ball on the last pitch). Coaches, if in agreement, may switch to “Coach Pitch” during this phase of the season and for playoffs. Before each game, two head coaches will discuss and decide on a game-by-game basis. Umpires are to be used for the playoffs.
2018 MINORS Division Rules The rules below have been put in place for player safety, player development, and playing time. Coaches are competitive and each wants their players to advance skills and to win, however egos must remain off of the playing field. Coaches must keep one another accountable for the betterment of the league, but doing so in a professional manor. ALL MVLL coaches have a lot of impressionable eyes and ears watching and listening to everything that takes place on the playing field.
To achieve this, the following MVLL rules will apply: 1. TIME LIMITS a. On school nights, no new inning will be started after 7:15 p.m. in the interest of rest/ school responsibilities, except for the playoffs.
2. SAFETY & FIELDING a. Since Minors Division is all about learning and having fun, try to give players an opportunity to play as many positions as possible. Avoid the temptation to keep certain players at anyone position consistently until the playoffs. Player safety, based upon ability, should play a big part in a coach's decision with respect to fielding.
b. As there are no on deck circles, players must remain in the dugout. Handling of bats by players in the dugout or outside the fence is prohibited. The only player to be holding or swinging a bat is the batter while in the batter's box. c. Players can be loaned to play the field for the opposing team if one team has less than 9 players. d. Four outfielders is permitted so long as coach’s agree prior to first pitch.
3. BATTING a. Minors Division is “Coach and/or Machine Pitch” all season. b. Put together a batting order using all your team's available regular season roster players. Try to rotate the list so that all players get the chance to be leadoff hitter at least once during the regular season. Once the playoffs arrive, a set order based on player ability may be used. c. The runner gets only one (1) base on an overthrow if the ball is in foul territory; any ball overthrown in fair territory is live unless thrown back to the mound in the chalk circle. The play is stopped once there is an attempt to return the ball to the pitcher. However, be conservative when sending runners on fair territory overthrows (especially early in the season). Discourage chaotic and extended plays by encouraging your team to get the ball back to the pitcher. d. A maximum of five (5) runs can be scored by either team in all but the last inning of the game. Unlimited runs (at coach's discretion) may be scored in the final inning of the game. e. There is no use of the scoreboard. The players get distracted by the score of a game.
4. Season Schedule - The season is divided into three parts FIRST PART: April 28 through May 11th i. Games will be four innings long.
ii. No strike-outs: each batter will get up to 7 pitches. If there is no hit by the last pitch, the batter must hit off of a tee. iii. Regardless of number of outs, the entire batting order will hit at least once during the first inning. Any runs scored after the third out in the first inning will not count. Three outs will end each of the next innings. iv. There must be the same number of at bats for the first inning (i.e. if one team has 10 players and the opposing team only has 9 players, then the team with 9 gets one extra at bat only if the team has not made 3 outs - so it stays even.
SECOND PART: May 12th through May 23rd i. ii. iii.
Games will be five innings. Players no longer bat around in the first inning - all innings end after three outs. 5 (swinging) strikes and the batter is out. To get players used to being selective with pitches, batters will get a maximum of 8 pitches (unless the batter hits a foul ball on the last pitch) to keep the game moving at a reasonable pace. Tees will no longer be used.
THIRD PART: May 24th through Playoffs i.
ii.
iii.
Move to 3 (swinging) strikes and out for the remainder of the season, keeping the maximum of 8 pitches. If no hit by the last pitch, batter will be out (unless the batter hits a foul ball on the last pitch). Coaches, if in agreement, may switch to “Coach Pitch” during this phase of the season and for playoffs. Before each game, two head coaches will discuss and decide on a game-by-game basis. Umpires are to be used for the playoffs.
