simsbury spring babe ruth (sbr) local league rules - League Athletics
SIMSBURY SPRING BABE RUTH (SBR) LOCAL LEAGUE RULES The Official Regulations and Playing Rules for Babe Ruth League Inc., shall apply unless otherwise indicated in these local rules.
MANAGERS AND COACHES ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR COMPLIANCE WITH ALL BABE RUTH LEAGUE, INC. AND SIMSBURY BABE RUTH LOCAL RULES. ANY DEVIATION FROM THESE RULES WILL BE CONSIDERED UNFAIR SPORTSMANSHIP, AND WILL BE ADDRESSED BY THE SBR BOARD OF DIRECTORS. 1) Legal Game – A legal game will be five (5) full innings (4 ½ innings if the home team is ahead). Any game suspended before it is a legal game will be replayed as a new game. 2) Suspended Games – Any game suspended with the scored tied after five (5) complete innings will resume at the exact point of suspension of the original game. The lineup and batting order of both teams shall be exactly the same as the moment of the suspension. A player who was not with the team when the game was suspended may be used as a substitute. (Ref. Official Rules 4.1d) 3) Curfews of Games – No inning may start after 9:00 PM on a school night or 10:00 PM any other night. The time limit for games is two (2) hours and thirty (30) minutes. No inning in any game may start more than two (2) hours and twenty (20) minutes after the first pitch. There will be a two (2) hour time limit on scheduled doubleheaders. An inning may not start after 1 hr and 50 minutes into the game. 4) Protest Rules – Game protests should be avoided if at all possible; however, in cases where the manager feels that a protest is necessary, the following rules apply: a. Protests will be considered only if they deal with the interpretation of the rules of baseball. No protest shall be permitted on judgment decisions by an umpire. b. Any protest for any reason must be submitted by the protesting manager first to the umpire-in-chief on the field of play and then in writing to the League President within 24 hours of the completion of the game. The umpire-in-chief shall submit a report to the League President within 12 hours of the completion of the game. These reports shall detail their account of the protested play. Protests will be considered by the League President and his Board within 48 hours of receiving both written reports. If the protest is upheld, the game shall be replayed from the point of the protested call to completion. c. The League President, Division Director and an appointed committee of board members shall hear and resolve any such protest, involving playing rules or the use of an ineligible pitcher. If the protest is allowed, the game will be resumed from the exact point the infraction occurred. Note: (1) The withdrawal of an ineligible pitcher after that pitcher has been announced, or after a warm up pitch has been thrown, but before that pitcher has thrown a pitch to a batter, shall not be considered a violation. Note: (2) This rule does not apply to charges of infractions of regulations such as field decorum or actions of league personnel or spectators which must be considered and resolved by the Board of Directors. 1
d. Protest made due to use of ineligible pitcher may be considered only if made to the umpire before the umpire(s) leave the field at the end of the game. Whenever it is found that an ineligible pitcher is being used, said pitcher shall be removed from the mound and the game shall continue under protest or not as the protesting manager decides. e. In lodging a protest, the manager must specify to the home plate umpire the exact nature of the protest. The protest must be made immediately after the protested play occurs, and before play resumes. Resumption of play occurs with the delivery of the next pitch. 5) Player’s Equipmenta) Metal cleats are allowed. b) No jewelry may be worn while playing. Note: A Medical Alert or religious bracelet does not constitute jewelry. c) Catchers must wear a” dangling type” throat protector, helmet, and protective cup both during games and while warming up pitchers. 6) Slide or Avoid Contact Rule – A base runner may not run into a defensive player who has possession of the ball. The offensive player must either slide or attempt to avoid the defensive player in any legal manner. Anyone violating this rule will be declared out whether the defensive player holds the ball or not. If a player runs into the catcher, the player is out and is removed from the remainder of that game. (Position of other runners on the bases will be left to the judgment of the umpire.) In concert with the Slide or Avoid Contact rule, the defensive player cannot block the path to 1st, 2nd or 3rd base without possession of the ball. In the case of home plate, if the ball is being caught, or in the catcher’s glove, then, and only then, the catcher can protect home plate. If, in the opinion of the umpire, a defensive player blocks the path to a base without the ball and the offensive player slides or avoids contact and results in being tagged out, the umpire will call "Obstruction,” declare ‘no out’, then award base.. If, in the umpire’s judgment, the contact was malicious, further suspensions up to two (2) additional games may be recommended to the board by the umpire. The umpire’s written report of the circumstances must be provided to the board within 12 hours of the completion of the game. The board will pass judgment on the ruling within 48 hours of receiving the report. 7) Pitching Rules –The manager must remove the pitcher from the mound when said pitcher reaches the limit of 95 pitches in a given day. The pitcher may remain in the game at any other position. If a pitcher reaches the daily limits listed below while facing a batter, the pitcher may continue to pitch until any one of the following conditions occurs: 1. That batter reaches base; 2. That batter is put out; 3. The third out is made to complete the half-inning.
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Pitchers must adhere to the following rest requirements: • If a player throws 81 or more pitches in a day, four (4) calendar days of rest must be observed. • If a player throws 61-80 or more pitches in a day, three (3) calendar days of rest must be observed. • If a player pitches 41-60 pitches in a day, two (2) calendar days of rest must be observed. • If a player pitches 26 - 40 pitches in a day, one (1) calendar day of rest must be observed. • If a player pitches 1-25 pitches in a day, no (0) calendar days of rest are required. The manager must inform the opposing manager that the batter at the plate is the last batter for the pitcher to throw to and will record the pitch count as the maximum number of the nearest pitch count number/ rest requirement threshold (i.e., 1-25; 26-40; 41-60; 61-80; and 81or more pitches). Ex. Pitcher reaches 78 pitches and the manager notifies the opposing manager that this is the last batter for that pitcher to face. The pitcher then throws an additional eight pitches (where the batter reaches base, or the batter is put out, or the batter makes the third out of the inning) for a total of 86 pitches in the game. The manager will enter the pitcher count as 80 pitches (which requires four (4) days of rest given the pitch count/ rest day requirements). Note: In suspended games resumed on another day, the pitchers at the time the game was halted may resume pitching at the start of the resumed game provided said pitcher has observed the required days of rest. Pitch Count Reporting - Managers are required to post complete and accurate pitch counts to the SBR website within 24 hours of the completion of their game or prior to 3 hours before their next game, whichever comes first. Pitches thrown in suspended games and games where one (1) inning has been completed must also be entered as these pitches shall be charged against pitcher’s eligibility. Failure to comply will result in the following: First offense-the manager will be given an informal warning from the Spring Director. Second offense- the manager will receive a formal written warning. Third offense- the manager will be suspended for one game. Fourth offense- the manager will be required to appear before the Board of Directors and will be suspended for a minimum of three (3) games. Fifth offense- the manager will be suspended for the remainder of the season and playoffs. Violation of any part of this regulation can result in protest of the game. Once a pitcher has been removed from the mound, he cannot return to the mound in that game. 8) Extra Hitter (EH)On offense a manager may chose to use an Extra Hitter (EH) as the tenth player on offense but may also chose to use only nine players on offense. If the EH is used and the EH is a High School Player then an "at bat" in an offensive inning constitutes one inning of play towards the rule stated in subsection B of Section 9 of this document.
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9) High School Baseball Players (“HS Players”)High School players will be eligible to play when the Freshman and JV seasons are both completed. HS players are not allowed to participate in ANY Babe Ruth team activity (practice, games, etc) until their HS seasons are complete. Violation of this rule negates their HS player’s eligibility for CIAC play. Any HS player, who leaves or is dismissed from his HS baseball team after the SBR Draft, will be ineligible to play until the end of the HS baseball season. A) HS Players Pitching Rule
HS players are only allowed to pitch three (3) innings/nine outs COMBINED per game. (e.g. 5 HS players on a team, can only pitch three (3) innings combined, NOT three (3) innings per HS player) HS players are only allowed to pitch a total of nine (9) innings/twenty-seven (27) outs COMBINED in a week. A pitching week is defined as Monday thru Sunday. If, for some reason, due to rain outs or other issues which require a team to play four (4) games in one “pitching week” rather than the normal three (3) games, HS players may be able to pitch a COMBINED twelve (12) innings/36 outs in total. Again, adhering to the rule of three (3) innings/nine outs MAXIMUM per game.
B) HS Players in the Field A HS Player may only play a maximum of FIVE (5) innings, “in the field” per a SEVEN (7) inning regulation game. HS players MAY be allowed to play “in the field” should a game go into extra innings, but will NOT be able to pitch in any of those extra innings, unless the three (3) inning/nine out HS maximum pitching rule, per game, during regulation, had NOT been exhausted. For HS Players inning count in the field, a pitch of a defensive inning that a HS player “plays in” constitutes 1 inning of play. An "at bat" in an offensive inning constitutes 1 inning of play. There are no "half innings" or "partial innings"......... 10) Playing Time – All players must play at least four (4) innings (3 innings in a limited 6-inning game) in the field and have at least one (1) at bat in every game. When the team’s roster is expanded to 14 or more, the player-minimum innings is reduced to three (3) innings. If this is not possible because a game is shortened, the manager must start those player(s) in the next game and those players must be allowed to play what is required for that game plus what was missed in the prior game. Failure to comply will result in the following: First offense-the manager will be given a written warning. Second offense- the manager will be suspended for one game. Third offense- the manager will be required to appear before the Board of Directors and will be suspended for a minimum of three (3) games. Fourth offense- the manager will be suspended for the remainder of the season and playoffs. 4
11) Eligible Players – Teams may play with fewer than nine (9) players. If additional players arrive after the start of the game, they may be inserted in the line-up at the end of the order. Teams may not play with fewer than eight (8) players. If a team does not have at least eight (8) players present ten minutes after the scheduled start time for the game, the game will be declared a forfeit. If a team has only eight (8) non HS Players the short team will place a HS Player from THEIR team who is not in the game, in a Corner Outfield position on defense only - HS Player will NOT HIT IN THE BATTING ORDER. Short team will hit eight (8) players in the corresponding offensive inning. 12) Substitution Rule – Any starter may be withdrawn and re-entered in any position in the batting order as soon as that player’s substitute has played six (6) defensive outs in the field AND batted once. Once a non-starter is taken out of the game that player may not re-enter. 13) Balk Rule – All balks will be called. (No warnings)
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MANAGERS AND COACHES ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR COMPLIANCE WITH ALL BABE RUTH LEAGUE, INC. AND SIMSBURY BABE RUTH LOCAL RULES. ANY DEVIATION FROM THESE RULES WILL BE CONSIDERED UNFAIR SPORTSMANSHIP, AND WILL BE ADDRESSED BY THE SBR BOARD OF DIRECTORS. 1) Legal Game – A legal game will be five (5) full innings (4 ½ innings if the home team is ahead). Any game suspended before it is a legal game will be replayed as a new game. 2) Suspended Games – Any game suspended with the scored tied after five (5) complete innings will resume at the exact point of suspension of the original game. The lineup and batting order of both teams shall be exactly the same as the moment of the suspension. A player who was not with the team when the game was suspended may be used as a substitute. (Ref. Official Rules 4.1d) 3) Curfews of Games – No inning may start after 9:00 PM on a school night or 10:00 PM any other night. The time limit for games is two (2) hours and thirty (30) minutes. No inning in any game may start more than two (2) hours and twenty (20) minutes after the first pitch. There will be a two (2) hour time limit on scheduled doubleheaders. An inning may not start after 1 hr and 50 minutes into the game. 4) Protest Rules – Game protests should be avoided if at all possible; however, in cases where the manager feels that a protest is necessary, the following rules apply: a. Protests will be considered only if they deal with the interpretation of the rules of baseball. No protest shall be permitted on judgment decisions by an umpire. b. Any protest for any reason must be submitted by the protesting manager first to the umpire-in-chief on the field of play and then in writing to the League President within 24 hours of the completion of the game. The umpire-in-chief shall submit a report to the League President within 12 hours of the completion of the game. These reports shall detail their account of the protested play. Protests will be considered by the League President and his Board within 48 hours of receiving both written reports. If the protest is upheld, the game shall be replayed from the point of the protested call to completion. c. The League President, Division Director and an appointed committee of board members shall hear and resolve any such protest, involving playing rules or the use of an ineligible pitcher. If the protest is allowed, the game will be resumed from the exact point the infraction occurred. Note: (1) The withdrawal of an ineligible pitcher after that pitcher has been announced, or after a warm up pitch has been thrown, but before that pitcher has thrown a pitch to a batter, shall not be considered a violation. Note: (2) This rule does not apply to charges of infractions of regulations such as field decorum or actions of league personnel or spectators which must be considered and resolved by the Board of Directors. 1
d. Protest made due to use of ineligible pitcher may be considered only if made to the umpire before the umpire(s) leave the field at the end of the game. Whenever it is found that an ineligible pitcher is being used, said pitcher shall be removed from the mound and the game shall continue under protest or not as the protesting manager decides. e. In lodging a protest, the manager must specify to the home plate umpire the exact nature of the protest. The protest must be made immediately after the protested play occurs, and before play resumes. Resumption of play occurs with the delivery of the next pitch. 5) Player’s Equipmenta) Metal cleats are allowed. b) No jewelry may be worn while playing. Note: A Medical Alert or religious bracelet does not constitute jewelry. c) Catchers must wear a” dangling type” throat protector, helmet, and protective cup both during games and while warming up pitchers. 6) Slide or Avoid Contact Rule – A base runner may not run into a defensive player who has possession of the ball. The offensive player must either slide or attempt to avoid the defensive player in any legal manner. Anyone violating this rule will be declared out whether the defensive player holds the ball or not. If a player runs into the catcher, the player is out and is removed from the remainder of that game. (Position of other runners on the bases will be left to the judgment of the umpire.) In concert with the Slide or Avoid Contact rule, the defensive player cannot block the path to 1st, 2nd or 3rd base without possession of the ball. In the case of home plate, if the ball is being caught, or in the catcher’s glove, then, and only then, the catcher can protect home plate. If, in the opinion of the umpire, a defensive player blocks the path to a base without the ball and the offensive player slides or avoids contact and results in being tagged out, the umpire will call "Obstruction,” declare ‘no out’, then award base.. If, in the umpire’s judgment, the contact was malicious, further suspensions up to two (2) additional games may be recommended to the board by the umpire. The umpire’s written report of the circumstances must be provided to the board within 12 hours of the completion of the game. The board will pass judgment on the ruling within 48 hours of receiving the report. 7) Pitching Rules –The manager must remove the pitcher from the mound when said pitcher reaches the limit of 95 pitches in a given day. The pitcher may remain in the game at any other position. If a pitcher reaches the daily limits listed below while facing a batter, the pitcher may continue to pitch until any one of the following conditions occurs: 1. That batter reaches base; 2. That batter is put out; 3. The third out is made to complete the half-inning.
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Pitchers must adhere to the following rest requirements: • If a player throws 81 or more pitches in a day, four (4) calendar days of rest must be observed. • If a player throws 61-80 or more pitches in a day, three (3) calendar days of rest must be observed. • If a player pitches 41-60 pitches in a day, two (2) calendar days of rest must be observed. • If a player pitches 26 - 40 pitches in a day, one (1) calendar day of rest must be observed. • If a player pitches 1-25 pitches in a day, no (0) calendar days of rest are required. The manager must inform the opposing manager that the batter at the plate is the last batter for the pitcher to throw to and will record the pitch count as the maximum number of the nearest pitch count number/ rest requirement threshold (i.e., 1-25; 26-40; 41-60; 61-80; and 81or more pitches). Ex. Pitcher reaches 78 pitches and the manager notifies the opposing manager that this is the last batter for that pitcher to face. The pitcher then throws an additional eight pitches (where the batter reaches base, or the batter is put out, or the batter makes the third out of the inning) for a total of 86 pitches in the game. The manager will enter the pitcher count as 80 pitches (which requires four (4) days of rest given the pitch count/ rest day requirements). Note: In suspended games resumed on another day, the pitchers at the time the game was halted may resume pitching at the start of the resumed game provided said pitcher has observed the required days of rest. Pitch Count Reporting - Managers are required to post complete and accurate pitch counts to the SBR website within 24 hours of the completion of their game or prior to 3 hours before their next game, whichever comes first. Pitches thrown in suspended games and games where one (1) inning has been completed must also be entered as these pitches shall be charged against pitcher’s eligibility. Failure to comply will result in the following: First offense-the manager will be given an informal warning from the Spring Director. Second offense- the manager will receive a formal written warning. Third offense- the manager will be suspended for one game. Fourth offense- the manager will be required to appear before the Board of Directors and will be suspended for a minimum of three (3) games. Fifth offense- the manager will be suspended for the remainder of the season and playoffs. Violation of any part of this regulation can result in protest of the game. Once a pitcher has been removed from the mound, he cannot return to the mound in that game. 8) Extra Hitter (EH)On offense a manager may chose to use an Extra Hitter (EH) as the tenth player on offense but may also chose to use only nine players on offense. If the EH is used and the EH is a High School Player then an "at bat" in an offensive inning constitutes one inning of play towards the rule stated in subsection B of Section 9 of this document.
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9) High School Baseball Players (“HS Players”)High School players will be eligible to play when the Freshman and JV seasons are both completed. HS players are not allowed to participate in ANY Babe Ruth team activity (practice, games, etc) until their HS seasons are complete. Violation of this rule negates their HS player’s eligibility for CIAC play. Any HS player, who leaves or is dismissed from his HS baseball team after the SBR Draft, will be ineligible to play until the end of the HS baseball season. A) HS Players Pitching Rule
HS players are only allowed to pitch three (3) innings/nine outs COMBINED per game. (e.g. 5 HS players on a team, can only pitch three (3) innings combined, NOT three (3) innings per HS player) HS players are only allowed to pitch a total of nine (9) innings/twenty-seven (27) outs COMBINED in a week. A pitching week is defined as Monday thru Sunday. If, for some reason, due to rain outs or other issues which require a team to play four (4) games in one “pitching week” rather than the normal three (3) games, HS players may be able to pitch a COMBINED twelve (12) innings/36 outs in total. Again, adhering to the rule of three (3) innings/nine outs MAXIMUM per game.
B) HS Players in the Field A HS Player may only play a maximum of FIVE (5) innings, “in the field” per a SEVEN (7) inning regulation game. HS players MAY be allowed to play “in the field” should a game go into extra innings, but will NOT be able to pitch in any of those extra innings, unless the three (3) inning/nine out HS maximum pitching rule, per game, during regulation, had NOT been exhausted. For HS Players inning count in the field, a pitch of a defensive inning that a HS player “plays in” constitutes 1 inning of play. An "at bat" in an offensive inning constitutes 1 inning of play. There are no "half innings" or "partial innings"......... 10) Playing Time – All players must play at least four (4) innings (3 innings in a limited 6-inning game) in the field and have at least one (1) at bat in every game. When the team’s roster is expanded to 14 or more, the player-minimum innings is reduced to three (3) innings. If this is not possible because a game is shortened, the manager must start those player(s) in the next game and those players must be allowed to play what is required for that game plus what was missed in the prior game. Failure to comply will result in the following: First offense-the manager will be given a written warning. Second offense- the manager will be suspended for one game. Third offense- the manager will be required to appear before the Board of Directors and will be suspended for a minimum of three (3) games. Fourth offense- the manager will be suspended for the remainder of the season and playoffs. 4
11) Eligible Players – Teams may play with fewer than nine (9) players. If additional players arrive after the start of the game, they may be inserted in the line-up at the end of the order. Teams may not play with fewer than eight (8) players. If a team does not have at least eight (8) players present ten minutes after the scheduled start time for the game, the game will be declared a forfeit. If a team has only eight (8) non HS Players the short team will place a HS Player from THEIR team who is not in the game, in a Corner Outfield position on defense only - HS Player will NOT HIT IN THE BATTING ORDER. Short team will hit eight (8) players in the corresponding offensive inning. 12) Substitution Rule – Any starter may be withdrawn and re-entered in any position in the batting order as soon as that player’s substitute has played six (6) defensive outs in the field AND batted once. Once a non-starter is taken out of the game that player may not re-enter. 13) Balk Rule – All balks will be called. (No warnings)
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