Ocean Springs Baseball Organization 2018 Local Rules
Ocean Springs Baseball Organization 2018 Local Rules OSBO is divided into 6 divisions: Tee-ball (ages 4-5), Tee-Ball (age 6), Coach Pitch (ages 7-8), Minors (ages 910), Majors (ages 11-12) and Babe Ruth (ages 13-15). The following section pertains to all divisions.
Preliminaries 1. The head Umpire shall be identified. If there is no umpire, the Managers can get a volunteer or cancel the game. If the game is played with a volunteer umpire, it will count for record. The volunteer umpire becomes the head Umpire. 2. All Umpires and Managers shall have a copy of the Local Rules and the playing rules of Cal Ripken Baseball in their possession at all games. 3. All roster players present will be placed in the batting order for the entire game. Each player on a team roster is required to participate in each game for a minimum of six (6) defensive outs. Exception: All players will participate on defense in the T-Ball Division. 4. Line ups shall consist of jersey number and last name at a minimum. Managers shall exchange line ups prior to the game. Any player not present when line ups are exchanged shall be removed from the lineup. If the player comes late, the player shall be added at the end of the batting order and opposing team notified. 5. FORFEIT RULES: There shall be no forfeits unless approved by the OSBO Board of Directors. Games that cannot be played when scheduled due to lack of players shall be rescheduled unless both Managers approve to play the game with less than 9 players. OSBO does not want to punish players and parents because a few players did not show up. Therefore, the OSBO rule shall be that a team may begin a game with less than 9 players if both Managers agree. The team that is short a player (s), shall not take an out when that slot comes to bat. If agreed, the game will be official. 6. The head Umpire shall duly note the game starting time and the game ending time according to time limit rules. He/She should relate the starting time to both Managers and the official scorekeeper provided by the home team. The scorekeeper must record the time in the official score sheet. The Head Umpire shall also use a stop watch if available. This is the most accurate means of exactly measuring the length of the game. However, the official time shall be recorded in the event the stop watch is inadvertently stopped during play. In that case, the official time recorded can be used to determine the time limit. Sportsmanship 7. All Managers, Coaches and Umpires will remember that the game is for the children and not the adults. Player development, teamwork, good sportsmanship, fair play and fun should always be placed above any personal desire to “win”. 8. Managers, Teams and Parents shall cheer for their team and not against the opposing team. It is the Manager’s responsibility to control his/her team fans. The Umpire has the authority and responsibility to control the fans as he/she deems necessary, including ejection from the ballpark. No obscenities will be allowed from any player, Coach, Manager, or fan. Use of obscenities may result in warning or immediate ejection by the Umpire. The Umpire will address any of the following items asking the Manager to stop the activity. 9. -No excessive noise making by teams in the dugout such as rattling the fences 10. -No chants that are directed at the opposing team or a player on the opposing team 11. -No antagonizing remarks from one Coach / Player to the opposing Coach / Player
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12. -Any activity deemed unsportsmanlike by the Umpire 13. The use of tobacco or alcoholic beverages in any form is prohibited on the playing field, benches and/or dugouts.
Game Scheduling 14. During the course of the season it may be necessary to reschedule games that were not completed due to inclement weather. Games will be made up based on field availability and time. It will be the responsibility of the Division Representative to reschedule the games with Board approval. When a make-up game is scheduled, it will be the responsibility of the Coaches and/or Managers to inform the players. Inclement weather, approved school functions, other functions approved in advance by the OSBO Board of Directors (BOD) and/or games ending in a time or exceeding a time limit are the only acceptable reasons for rescheduling. All requests from Coaches and/or Managers to reschedule games must meet criteria list above and be approved by the BOD.
Protesting or Clarifying Rules 15. All Managers, Coaches and Umpires will be familiar with these rules as well as the Official Regulations and Playing Rules for Little League Baseball and Cal Ripken Baseball. In those instances where an interpretation of the rules is necessary, the Umpire’s decision will stand and may be revisited after the game by the OSBO BOD for future instances but will not affect the outcome of the game. 16. Managers shall not yell at the Umpire at any time. OSBO will have a zero tolerance policy for this action resulting in ejection from the game. The Manager shall call time out and walk to the Umpire for a meeting. At that time, any rules interpretation can be discussed without any parents or players hearing. If the Manager would like the opinion of the second umpire, he shall politely ask at that time. This does not have to be granted by the Umpires. If the Manager needs to confer with the opposing coach, he shall ask the Umpire to invite the opposing Manager to confer. OSBO desires to avoid protests by working out the ruling at the game. If a manager or coach is ejected from a game, he will serve a one game suspension and be unable to attend the next regularly scheduled game. If a manager or coach is ejected a second time in the same season, he will be required to appear before the Board and be subject to suspension for the remainder of the season. 17. All protests will be handled in accordance with LLORR or Cal Ripken Rules. 18. Managers and Coaches shall not argue Balls and Strikes. This is a judgment call. The Umpire shall define the strike zone prior to the game. OSBO will have a zero tolerance policy for this action resulting in ejection from the game.
Record Keeping 19. For divisions with pitching, the Manager shall maintain a pitching record of their own in the event that a pitcher’s eligibility is challenged. 20. RECORD SEASON - In all divisions the season champion will be decided on the best overall record. Games that end in a tie will be recorded as a tie. The highest win percentage, the least loss percentage will decide the season record. If two (2) or more teams are tied for first place at the end of season play, the winner will be determined by head-to-head competition. If still tied, least runs given up then most runs scored in those head-to-head games. The winning team’s manager in each division shall have first opportunity to manage that division’s all-star team and if declined by the first place manager, the opportunity will be offered to the second place manager and down the standings until accepted.
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Miscellaneous 21. The Manager is responsible for ensuring that any adult inside the fence interactingwith children has a completed Background Check with OSBO. The list is available from the BOD. A parentmay help with the Manager present and work to get a Background Check submitted. 22. Under no circumstances is a child who is not registered with the league allowed to play or practice with any team as they are not covered by insurance. If a Manager or Coach allows this to happen, he/she will be personally responsible for any injuries that may occur to the child or by the child. 23. General complaints or questions will be directed first to the division representative and then to President of the League via email ([email protected]) if a satisfactory response is not obtained from the division representative. 24. Batting helmets that have been painted or airbrushed will not be permitted. Umpires will be responsible for enforcement of this rule. Exception: Tee Ball Regular Season can have airbrush. 25. It is the responsibility of the Manager and/or Coach to keep the parents of his/her players informed. 26. The local league rules will be reviewed and modified as required by a majority vote by the OSBO BOD. 27. Only Coaches, Managers, designated assistants and players are allowed in the dugout. 28. Returning Managers that are approved by the BOD for the current season will be assigned to the same team, if they desire. Protected Players can be changed. There are no returning players. OSBO now has a re-draft. 29. All Managers are responsible for ensuring that their dugouts are cleaned up immediately following their games.
Injured / Sick Player 30. The Cal Ripken Baseball Rules were written with tournament play in mind. As a result, the rules for replacing an injured player focus on using a substitute not currently in the game. In OSBO, all players bat with free substitution. Technically, all players are currentlyin the game. Therefore, local rules are necessary for actions to be taken when a player is injured or sick, and cannot continue to play. 31. Replacement Base Runner: If a player cannot continue as a base runner, the last recorded out resulting from an at-bat is the replacement runner. (Not the last recorded out on the bases. Thelast batter that did not reach base is the replacement.) 32. Replacing Batter While at Bat: If a player becomes injured during an at-bat and cannot finish the at bat, the last recorded out resulting from an at-bat replaces the injured batter assuming the count. The replacement batter finishes the at-bat. If the injured player does not return to the game, refer to Rule 28 for actions to be taken the next time that slot comes up in the lineup. If the player does return to the game, this re-entry can only occur one time per player. If the same player leaves the game again or refuses to bat, then the player shall be removed for the remainder of the game and Rule 28 shall be followed for his slot at bat. 33. Injured or Sick Player Does not Continue: If a team with 10 or more players in the lineup has a player that leaves the game due to injury or sickness, the team will simply skip that spot in the line up each time. The team is not penalized with an out. If a team with 9 or less players in the lineup has a player that leaves the game due to injury or sickness, the team will NOT record an out each time that slot appears in the lineup. The teams will continue the game skipping that slot. The team will not forfeit.
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Tee-Ball Division (ages 4-6) The Tee-ball division is for players ages 4-6 who want to learn the fundamentals of hitting and fielding. The primary goals of Tee-Ball are to have fun, to instruct the children in the fundamentals of baseball and to allow them to experience the value of teamwork. Umpires Umpires will not be provided for 4-5 T-ball, the Coaches shall umpire the games. The base runner coach on first can make out-safe calls at first. The base runner coach on third can make out-safe calls at third. The field coach in the outfield can make out-safe calls at second. The hitting coach can make out-safe calls at home plate. The base running coaches can decide if runners go to next bag or return to bag when time is called. Time shall be called by the hitting coach at home plate. Remember it is T-Ball for the kids. If there is no umpire available for 6 year-old T-ball the above will apply.
1. 2.
3.
Before the Game Managers shall exchange line ups and determine who is keeping the official score and working the scoreboard. Manages shall establish how many players are batting in the lineup. This is important for batting during the first two innings. If a player shows up late during the batting process in the first or second inning, the player shall be added to the end of the lineup and the opposing team notified of the new number. Games have a 1hour time limit. An inning may be started prior to time limit being reached and the game will end when that inning is completed. Games which end in a tie, after the time limit has been reached, will be scored a tie. Coaches are encouraged to not start a 3rd inning just before the time limit. This will greatly delay the late game. The goal is to play at least 2 complete innings in T-Ball with a possible 3rd if things are moving quickly and the coaches think the players are up to it.
First and Second Inning Batting and Counting of Runs In the first / second inning of play, all players will have a turn at bat. Runs shall not count after 3 outs are made by the defensive team. Batting will continue until all players have a turn at bat but the runs shall not count. 6. If one team has lesser players than another team AND 3 outs have not been achieved before the last batter in the lineup is scheduled to bat, the team shall continue to bat until the same number of batters has a turn as the team with more players. For example, one team has 10 players and the other team has 12 players. The team with 12 players batted all 12 players with runs counting when the 12th batter took a turn at bat. Then, the team with 10 players reaches the 10th batter in the lineup with less than three outs. That player shall not be announced as the last batter. Instead, the team shall continue until 3 outs or the 12th batter, whichever comes first. This will ensure that both teams had the equal opportunity to score the same amount of runs with the same number of at-bats even though the line up count is different. Exception: The team with more players bats first and the defense gets 3 outs prior to or equal to the number of the last batter on the team with lesser players. If this occurs, the team with lesser players shall announce last batter when the last batter in their lineup comes to the plate. For example, the team with 12 players bats first. The defense makes 3 outs during the at-bat of the 10th batter. The 11th and 12th batters bat for fun only with no runs counting. Then, the team with 10 players comes to bat. This team with only 10 batters should announce last batter when the 10th and last batter in the lineup reaches the plate. Batting an additional 11th and 12th batter is not fair as runs were not counting during the 11th and 12th bat of the opposing team. 7. IF YOU DECIDE TO PLAY A 3RD INNING, REGULAR 3 OUTS IS IN EFFECT 4. 5.
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9.
10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20. 21. 22.
Placement of Defensive Players 8. Coaches should place defensive players in a normal manner of baseball. This includes 6 infielders playing the positions of Pitcher, Catcher, 1st Base, 2nd Base, 3rd Base and Short Stop. Only 6 players shall occupy the infield. Players shall NOT be placed in a manner making a travesty of the game. If this is being done in the Umpire’s judgment, the Manager shall be instructed to properly position and coach his players before the game resumes. For example, coaches cannot station several players very close to the batter knowing the batter is weak and cannot hit the ball past the pitcher. OR, coaches cannot position several infielders on the 3rd base side because the batter only hits the ball in this direction. An Infielder shall NOT play closer than half way from 1st / 3rd base to home plate. For example, your 3rd baseman can only move in half way down the baseline in the infield grass before the ball is hit. He or she cannot move closer than half way. A good judgment is equal to the pitcher’s circle. Only the 3rd and 1st basemen are allowed to move in as close as halfway. Short stops and 2nd basemen shall come now closer than 5 feet on the infield grass. The Pitcher shall keep one foot in the circle until the batter strikes the ball. The Catcher shall remain at the back of the home plate circle until the ball is hit. All other defensive players shall remain in the Outfield grass until the ball is hit. The team in the field may have three (3) Coaches and/or Managers in the field. Coaches and/or Mangers will take their position in the outfield grass and remain on the grass during the live ball. Playing the Game Play Ball: The Umpire takes his position behind the Pitcher in the infield. The Coach of the team batting places the ball on the Tee holding his hand over the ball until the Umpire says “play ball.” At that time, the coach ensures the catcher is safely behind the batter and instructs his batter that it is safe to hit the ball. Fair Ball: There is a 10-foot foul ball arch for batters which the ball must pass for it to be fair. If playing on a field with infield grass, the ball must reach the grass and remain in the grass to be fair. If playing on a dirt infield, an arch drawn at 10-feet from the center of the plate shall be used for judgment. Overthrow: Runners will be allowed only one (1) base on an overthrow to First Base inside the playing field. OSBO encourages players to make an out attempt at first base. Runners will be allowed one (1) base on any other overthrows if the ball is out of the playing field. If the ball remains in the field of play on throws other than first, runners are not limited to one (1) base. Dead Ball (Time): For 6 year old tee ball, play stops when the pitcher has control of the ball inside the pitcher’s circle or vicinity in the judgment of the Umpire. For 4-5 year old tee ball, play stops when any infielder has control of the ball in the infield and is not attempting to make a play on any baserunner. For both age groups, play also stops when any fielder has control of the ball in front of the lead runner. Outfielders must relay the ball to an infielder in the pitcher’s circle who then calls time. Outfielders cannot call time in the infield. Note: During play, it may become confusing for an Umpire as to who as an outfielder before the ball was hit. If the Umpire calls time when and outfielder holds up the ball in the infield, the play will be considered dead. At that time, the Coach of the offensive team can remind the Umpire that the player was an outfielder. However, the play will not be replayed, and there shall not be a protest. Batters: The team at bat will keep all players in the dugout except the batter. The next batter will only enter the field of play after the ball is dead. All players on the roster will bat. Dugout: Each team will have at least one Coach, Manager and/or parent in the dugout to maintain order. Base Runners: Each runner that has reached a distance greater than halfway to the next base will be awarded the base they are advancing to and no more. Runners less than halfway will return to the previous base. This is a judgment call of the Umpire and shall NOT be protested by the Coaches. OSBO will have a zero tolerance for protesting this judgment call.
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Note: When the player is very close to half-way, the Umpire will use his judgment based on the location of the player with the ball as to whether to grant the player the next base. Again, it is difficult for an Umpire to see all runners at the time the play is dead. So, judgment is used. For example, if the 2nd baseman calls time on the infield close to 1st base and a runner going to 3rd base is very close to half way, the Umpire will award the runner 3rd base. If a short stop calls time on the infield close to 2nd base and a runner going to 2nd base is very close to half way, the Umpire will send the runner back to 1st base. 23. 10-Batter Rule: After the 1st and 2nd inning, only 10 batters shall bat per team per inning. This is not a 10run rule. It is a 10-batter rule. If the 10th batter reaches the plate before 3 defensive outs, the batting team’s coach shall notify the Umpire that this is the last batter. The Umpire will announce “last batter, two outs.” At this time, there are two outs regardless of how man defensive outs have been recorded. The play ends when an out is made or forward progress is stopped. If a defensive player possesses the ball in front of a runner blocking the baseline, the Umpire shall call time before the collision / tag. We want to avoid collisions. 24. Last Batter Rule: When the last batter of any inning (either end of line up for innings one and two or 10th batter in inning three,) comes to the tee, it is automatically two outs and last batter is announced. This means that a force out during this at bat negates all runs. 25. Scoring: During the first and second inning, runs shall not count after 3 outs are made. During other innings, the runs shall count until 3 outs are made, or until an out / stoppage of forward progress is made during the last batter. If a force out is made during the live ball hit by the last batter, no runs shall count during the play. If a defensive player has control of the ball blocking the baseline to home plate and the Umpire calls time, no more runs shall count. If a defensive player has the ball blocking the baseline other than home plate and the Umpire calls time, any runners ahead of that runner being blocked are allowed to score at the judgment of the Umpire. For example, the short stop stands between 3rd base and 2nd base with the ball blocking the progress of the runner going to 3rd base and the Umpire calls time. The runner that is between 3rd base and home plate is allowed to score. For example, the 2nd baseman stands with the ball at 2nd base blocking the progress of the runner going from 1st to 2nd and the Umpire calls time. The runner between 3rd base and home is allowed to score. The runner between 2nd base and 3rd base is not allowed to score. The Umpire shall instruct the scorekeeper as to which runs count. It is not the exact time the out is made as in real baseball. We do not wish to create a situation of a defensive player colliding with an offensive player to make the out more quickly. If you wish to stop all runs, then your defensive player should go to home plate with the ball. OSBO has zero tolerance for protesting this call. 26. Infield Fly: There is no “Infield Fly” rule in effect. 27. 10-Run Rule: There is no “10-run” rule. 28. Dominant Player Rule: A single player is not allowed to run around with the baseball tagging runners unless he is making a baseball play. Outs on runners at 1st base shall be made by throwing to 1st base unless the ball is fielded in a manner that a tag is the natural means for making the out in real baseball. For example, the batter hits a ground ball right down the 1st base line and the 1st baseman fields the ball 5 feet in front of 1st base as the runner approaches. The 1st baseman can tag the runner instead of touching 1st base. For example, the batter hits the ball on the right side of the mound close to the 1st baseline and the pitcher fields the ball before the runner passes. The pitcher can tag the runner. For example, the pitcher fields the ball by the 3rd baseline and the runner is halfway to 1st. The pitcher CAN NOT run down the runner from behind going to first because the runner is slow and the pitcher is dominant. OSBO wants the kids to learn baseball. 29. All other rules are governed by the Cal Ripkenrulebook.
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Coach Pitch Division (ages 7-8) 1. 2.
3. 4.
5. 6.
7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12.
13. 14. 15.
19.
20. 21. 22.
Umpire will take his/her position behind the pitching machine. All games will have a 1hour and 20 minute time limit. An inning may be started prior to the time limit being reached and game will end when that inning is completed. Games which end in a tie, after the time limit has been reached, will be recorded as a tied game. No inning may start after 9:00 p.m. To aid in enforcing this rule, Coaches and/or Managers will have players warmed up and ready to play games at game time. Late game players should begin warm up outside of the field. Early game Coaches and/or Managers shall clean up their dugouts and vacate them to the late game team before having their post-game talk. Such a talk should be had outside of the playing area. The team in the field may have two (2) Coaches and/or Managers on the field. Coaches and/or Managers will take their position behind the outfielders. Play stops when the pitcher has control of the ball in the pitcher’s circle. Each runner that has reached a distance greater than halfway to the next base will be awarded the base they are advancing to and no more. Runners less than halfway will return to the previous base. Play will also stop when an infielder has control of the ball in advance of the lead runner. There will be no base stealing. There is no overthrow rule in affect. There will be no “gentlemen” agreement prior to the game. Coaches can choose to stop the runner at second base on an overthrow. This will not be enforced by the Umpire. The team at bat will keep all players in the dugout except the batter and the on deck batter. Each team will have at least one Coach, Manager, and/or parent in the dugout to maintain order. A team may score a maximum of seven (7) runs perinning. There is no “Infield Fly” rule. The “10-run” rule will be in effect after 4 innings, at which time regulation game time will end. Each batter will get five (5) pitches or 3 strikes. A batter cannot end his at bat with a foul ball. Umpires will not call strikes on balls in the strike zone which were not swung at. This will be the judgment of the umpire and not count toward the 5 total. Coaches must be completely behind the line at thirty-five (35) feet while pitching the ball. A batted ball which strikes the coach will be a dead ball and the batter will resume the at-bat. Runners will not advance. Following the last game, each Manager will ensure that their respective dugout is clean. 16. Coaches should place defensive players in a normal manner of baseball. This includes 6 infielders playing the positions of Pitcher, Catcher, 1st Base, 2nd Base, 3rd Base and Short Stop. Only 6 players may occupy the infield. Players shall NOT be placed in a manner making a travesty of the game. If this is being done in the Umpire’s judgment, the Manager shall be instructed to properly position and coach his players before the game resumes. For example, coaches cannot station several players very close to the batter knowing the batter is weak and cannot hit the ball past the pitcher. OR, coaches cannot position several infielders on the 3rd base side because the batter only hits the ball in this direction. An Infielder shall NOT play closer than half way from 1st / 3rd base to home plate. For example, your 3rd baseman can only move in half way down the baseline in the infield grass before the ball is hit. He or she cannot move closer than half way. A good judgment is equal to the pitcher’s circle. Only the 3rd and 1st basemen are allowed to move in as close as halfway. Short stops and 2nd basemen shall come no closer than 5 feet on the infield grass. The Pitcher shall keep one foot in the circle and behind the coach until the batter strikes the ball. Page 7 of 15
23.
All throws to home plate shall be received by the CATCHER not another player. The penalty for a violation of this rule is the runner attempting to advance to home plate will be called safe. This rule does not prohibit any fielder from running to home plate with the ball and making a tag.
24.
The catcher is not required to wear a catcher’s mitt and may use his regular fielding glove if desired. Bunting is allowed but there is no fake or slash bunting permitted. A batter shall not square to bunt then pull back and make a swing at the ball when pitched. This is unsafe for those charging to cover the bunt and a violation of this rule will result in the batter being called out. All other rules are governed by the Cal Ripkenrulebook.
25.
26.
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Minors Division (ages 9-10) 1. 2.
3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.
9. 10.
11. 12.
It is mandatory that the Coaches and/or Managers provide pitching eligibility along with the batting order and line-up. Each game will have a 1 hour and 30 minute time limit, or 6 innings, whichever comes first. An inning may be started prior to the time limit being reached and game will end when that inning is completed. Games which end in a tie will be recorded as a tie. To aid in enforcing this rule, Coaches and/or Managers will have players warmed up and ready to play games at game time. Late game players should begin warm up outside of the field. Early game Coaches and/or Managers shall clean up their dugouts and vacate them to the late game team before having their post-game talk. Such a talk should be had outside of the playing area. The “Infield Fly” rule is in effect. The “10-run” rule will be in effect after four (4) innings, at which time regulation game time will end. Following the last game, the Home Team Manager will ensure that the scoreboard is turned off and both managers will ensure that their respective dugout has been cleaned. Managers will have Umpire duties as determined by the league Umpire in Chief. Teams are limited to scoring 6 runs perinning. No fake bunting followed by swing at the pitch. A batter shall not square to bunt then pull back and make a swing at the ball when pitched. This is unsafe for those charging to cover the bunt and a violation of this rule will result in the batter being called out. Stealing is permitted; however, there is no leading off and the base runner cannot leave the base until the pitch crosses the front of home plate. The catcher may call timeout prior to returning the ball to the pitcher when there is a runner on third, and the catcher has possession of the ball at or near homeplate, and the runner makes no serious attempt to advance. With two outs, a team may elect to run for the catcher of record from the previous inning. If this is done, the runner shall be the last batted out. Pitching limitations will be as follows:
If a player pitches 2 innings or less in a game, they can pitch in the following game that week. If a player pitches 3 or more innings in a game, they cannot pitch in the following game that week unless they have had two days rest. Thus if your games are on back to back days or with only one day in between, a pitcher can only pitch two innings in your first game and still be eligible to pitch in your second game that same week. A player may only pitch a total of six innings in any week (defined as Monday through Sunday). If a pitcher throws one pitch in any inning, that is considered as one inning pitched; we do not measure 1/3 innings. Any violation of the pitching rules will result in forfeiture of the game by the violating team as well as a one game suspension for that team’s manager. 13.
All other rules are governed by the Cal Ripken rulebook.
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Majors Division (ages 11-12) 1. 2.
3. 4. 5. 6. 7.
8. 9. 10. 11. 12.
It is mandatory that the Managers provide pitching eligibility along with the batting order and line up. Each game will have a 1-hour 30-minute time limit or 6 innings, whichever comes first. An inning may be started prior to the time limit being reached and game will end when that inning is completed. Games which end in a tie will be recorded as a tie. To aid in enforcing this rule, Coaches and/or Managers will have all players warmed up and ready to play games at game time. Late game players should begin warm up outside of field. Also, Coaches and/or Managers will limit the amount of time they spend warming up pitchers between innings. Early game Managers shall clean up their dugouts and vacate them to the late game team before having their post-game talk. They should have that talk outside of the playing area. The “Infield Fly” rule is in effect. The “10-run” rule will be in effect after 4 innings (regulation game will end). Following the last game, the Home Team Manager will ensure that the scoreboard is turned off and both managers will ensure that their respective dugouts have been cleaned. Managers will have Umpire duties as determined by the league Umpire in Chief. No fake bunting followed by swing at the pitch. A batter shall not square to bunt then pull back and make a swing at the ball when pitched. This is unsafe for those charging to cover the bunt and a violation of this rule will result in the batter being called out. Leading off and stealing is permitted. Balks will be called; however the umpires will be instructed to be very lenient and not call a balk unless the failure to do so would result in a base runner being out. There will no advance to first base permitted when the third strike is dropped or missed- the batter is out with either a swinging or called third strike. With two outs, a team may elect to run for the catcher of record from the previous inning. If this is done, the runner shall be the last batted out. Pitching limitations will be as follows:
If a player pitches 2 innings or less in a game, they can pitch in the following game that week. If a player pitches more than 2 more innings in a game, they cannot pitch in the following game that week unless they have had two days rest. Thus if your games are on back to back days or with only one day in between, a pitcher can only pitch two innings in your first game and still be eligible to pitch in your second game that same week. A player may only pitch a total of six innings in any week (defined as Monday through Sunday). If a pitcher throws one pitch in any inning, that is considered as one inning pitched; we do not measure 1/3 innings. Any violation of the pitching rules will result in forfeiture of the game by the violating team as well as a one game suspension for that team’s manager. 13.
All other rules are governed by the Cal Ripken rulebook.
Ocean Springs Baseball Organization Draft Rules Revision 1 (1-5-2017) Preliminaries It is inappropriate for anyone that participates in the draft to discuss the position in which a player was selected in the draft with anyone outside the draft room. Such behavior shall be considered misconduct and taken into account when approving the person's future affiliation with OSBO. Each Manager has five (5) minutes to make a selection during each round of the draft. All Managers, or designees, must be present to begin the draft. If one Manager is not present, the draft will be delayed or rescheduled. Draft picks cannot be made by phone or email. All must be present to begin. 1.
Annual Redraft/ No Returning Players All players will tryout including Manager's child and Assistant's child. This is done so that the Board can judge the talent of protected players against other players. All players (except the two protected players) will be drafted. Requests for coaches will only be granted if exigent circumstances exist and must be approved by the board prior to the draft.
2.
Tryouts All players (Including protected players) shall tryout and be evaluated by all Managers. Each player shall be given a tryout grade between 1- 5. (5 being the best) for: -Fielding, Throwing, Batting and Running.
The OSBO President and/or Player Agent will solicit the scoring results from certain Managers. This information shall be used by the Board when determining the scenario for the upcoming draft. Scores will not be shared with other Managers. The total score is divided by 4 to dete1mine the player's overall score. Example: Plaver 1
4
3
3
4
Total 14
Final 3.5
Player 2
5
5
4
5
19
4.75
Player 3
4
4
4
4
16
Plaver4
2
2
1
3
8
2
Player 5
1
1
1
1
1
1
Fielding
Throwing
Players I, 2 and 3 are "impact" players Players 4 and 5 are not impact" players
Running
Batting
4
3.
First Round Draft Pick Order The Board will determine the first round draft pick order in each Division based on' the draft scenario. The draft scenario is a function of the number of teams drafting, the talent level of the protected players, the league age of the protected players and the number of impact players in the draft. To determine the order, the Board can use one of several means based on the situation for that Division.
4.
A.
Random Draw All team names are placed in a hat. The Board or designee randomly draws the order from first to last.
B.
Ranking Teams from First to Last in Terms of Tryout Scores of the Protected Players The Board sorts the total score of both protected players in ascending order from least to most. This order shall be the draft order for the first round.
C.
Grouping the Teams Based on Tryout Scores of the Protected Players The Board sorts the total scores of both protected players in ascending order from least to most. The scores for two or more teams are too close to distinguish if one team has an advantage. These teams can be grouped together. The result may be two or more groups within a Division. The groups are still ranked from least to most, but the order within the group isdeteimine by random draw.
D.
Grouping the Teams Based on League Age of the Protected Players The Board totals the league age of both protected players for each team. The teams are sorted from least to most to determine the order. This allows teams with younger players to draft before teams with older players. Teams with the same total can be placed in groups. The order within the group can be determined by random draw or tryout results of the protected players.
Drafting players In the first round, any Manager picking a player that does not have a tryout score of 4 or 5 shall be informed by the Board Member present that this draft choice will affect the competitiveness of the team. The Manager still has the right to pick any player of his choosing. The Board Member present will make every attempt possible to advise the coach to choose a 4 or 5 player and take the other player in a later round. The goal is for the impact players to be evenly spread among the teams. Due to different judgment in talent and different needs of each team, Managers will maintain the right to pick any player in the draft.
5.
Draft Order by Round (All Teams Having Two Protected Players) In the first round, the draft order will move from left to right. In the second round, the order will be right to left. The order will continue to "snake" until all players are drafted.
Example: Team 1 Rd1 Rd2 Rd3 Rd4 Rd5 Protected Manager
6.
Team2
1st Pick 12th 13th
2
nd th
11 14th
Team3 3rd
Team4 4th
Team5 5th
10th
9th 16th 21st
8th 17th 20th
15th
Team6 6th 7th 18th 19th
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Draft Order by Round (Team(s) missing a protected player)
In the first round, the draft order will move from left to right. After the first round, teams without a protected player will get a pick. That order will also be from left to right. In the second round, the order will be right to left. The order will continue to "snake" until all players are drafted Example: Rd1 Rd2 Rd3 Rd4 Rd5 Rd6 Rd7
Team2
Team 1 1st pick 14th 15th
2 13th
Team3 3rd 12th
Team4 4th 11th
Team 5 5th 10th
16th
17th
18th
19th 22nd
nd
Team6 6th 9th 20th 21st
Protected Player X
Coach
7.
X
7th X
X
X
X
X
8th X
X X
Last Round of Draft At the beginning of the last round, if there is not enough players to give each team a last round pick, then those teams required to pick in the last round will be drawn random from a hat. For example, a Division has 3 players left in the last round and 8 teams participating. The next three teams in the draft order will not have to pick those players. Instead, all 8 teams will be placed in a hat and three teams drawn. Those three teams will then draft in order as if they were picking according to the draft board.
8.
Hat Picks OSBO will not have Hat Picks. All players will be drafted. Players not trying out will be discussed before the draft so that any player not trying out who would be an impact player is noted.
9.
Trades At the end of the draft coaches can trade players. All trades must be final before leaving the Draft. All trades must be announced and approved by the Player Agent at the draft. All trades must be approved by the Board member present who has the approving authority of
the OSBO Board.
10. Siblings of Protected Players Siblings of protected players shall be added to the same team as the second round/ third draft pick.
11. Siblings of Drafted Players Siblings of a player chosen in the draft shall be added to the same team in the slot of the following round. Essentially, the Manager takes the sibling as his or her next draft pick. If the Manager has an open slot for a Protected Player and takes a sibling as the first round pick, the Manager will still get the Protected Player pick at the end of the first round and take the sibling as his second round Draft Pick. Exception: If parent says siblings do not have to be on the same team.
12. Late Registrants after the Draft The team in line to choose the next player does not get the next player who signs up late. This would allow a coach to recruit a player knowing the player would be on his team. Late sign-ups will be placed on one of the teams with the least number of players by random draw. For example, a league has 8 teams. At the end of the draft, 3 teams have 12 players and 5 teams have 11 players. A late sign up would be randomly place on one of the teams with only 11 players. If there is just one team at the end of the draft with fewer number of players, the next sign up would be placed on that team only after the approval of the Player Agent and the OSBO Board.
All Star Procedures
Coach Selection 1. The winning team’s manager in each division shall have first opportunity to manage that division’s all-star team and if declined by the first place manager, the opportunity will be offered to the second place manager and down the standings until accepted for each age group. The board will determine which age is offered first based on the coach. (i.e. The first place coach of a 10 year old would be offered the 10 year old slot. If accepted then the 9 year old position would be offered to the first 9 year old coach that follows in the standings. This would not exclude the coach of a 9 year old team from being offered the 10 year spot.) 2. The OSBO Board has final say over all coaching selections for All-Stars. 3. If a manager or coach is ejected from a game for any reason during the season, it will be at the discretion of the OSBO Board whether he/she is allowed to manage or coach an all-start team. Player Selection 4. All-Star balloting will be conducted in a meeting attended by all managers or their designee. Voting will take place, and all votes will be tabulated by the Player Representative and the League President. (Player Representative will be replaced by another Board Member if the Player Representative is a coach for that age division.) The top 11 vote getters are named to the All-Star team. Ties for the last spot will be broken by the All-Star manager. The All- Star manager has the option of adding a twelfth player.
Last Revised 7/25/2017
Preliminaries 1. The head Umpire shall be identified. If there is no umpire, the Managers can get a volunteer or cancel the game. If the game is played with a volunteer umpire, it will count for record. The volunteer umpire becomes the head Umpire. 2. All Umpires and Managers shall have a copy of the Local Rules and the playing rules of Cal Ripken Baseball in their possession at all games. 3. All roster players present will be placed in the batting order for the entire game. Each player on a team roster is required to participate in each game for a minimum of six (6) defensive outs. Exception: All players will participate on defense in the T-Ball Division. 4. Line ups shall consist of jersey number and last name at a minimum. Managers shall exchange line ups prior to the game. Any player not present when line ups are exchanged shall be removed from the lineup. If the player comes late, the player shall be added at the end of the batting order and opposing team notified. 5. FORFEIT RULES: There shall be no forfeits unless approved by the OSBO Board of Directors. Games that cannot be played when scheduled due to lack of players shall be rescheduled unless both Managers approve to play the game with less than 9 players. OSBO does not want to punish players and parents because a few players did not show up. Therefore, the OSBO rule shall be that a team may begin a game with less than 9 players if both Managers agree. The team that is short a player (s), shall not take an out when that slot comes to bat. If agreed, the game will be official. 6. The head Umpire shall duly note the game starting time and the game ending time according to time limit rules. He/She should relate the starting time to both Managers and the official scorekeeper provided by the home team. The scorekeeper must record the time in the official score sheet. The Head Umpire shall also use a stop watch if available. This is the most accurate means of exactly measuring the length of the game. However, the official time shall be recorded in the event the stop watch is inadvertently stopped during play. In that case, the official time recorded can be used to determine the time limit. Sportsmanship 7. All Managers, Coaches and Umpires will remember that the game is for the children and not the adults. Player development, teamwork, good sportsmanship, fair play and fun should always be placed above any personal desire to “win”. 8. Managers, Teams and Parents shall cheer for their team and not against the opposing team. It is the Manager’s responsibility to control his/her team fans. The Umpire has the authority and responsibility to control the fans as he/she deems necessary, including ejection from the ballpark. No obscenities will be allowed from any player, Coach, Manager, or fan. Use of obscenities may result in warning or immediate ejection by the Umpire. The Umpire will address any of the following items asking the Manager to stop the activity. 9. -No excessive noise making by teams in the dugout such as rattling the fences 10. -No chants that are directed at the opposing team or a player on the opposing team 11. -No antagonizing remarks from one Coach / Player to the opposing Coach / Player
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12. -Any activity deemed unsportsmanlike by the Umpire 13. The use of tobacco or alcoholic beverages in any form is prohibited on the playing field, benches and/or dugouts.
Game Scheduling 14. During the course of the season it may be necessary to reschedule games that were not completed due to inclement weather. Games will be made up based on field availability and time. It will be the responsibility of the Division Representative to reschedule the games with Board approval. When a make-up game is scheduled, it will be the responsibility of the Coaches and/or Managers to inform the players. Inclement weather, approved school functions, other functions approved in advance by the OSBO Board of Directors (BOD) and/or games ending in a time or exceeding a time limit are the only acceptable reasons for rescheduling. All requests from Coaches and/or Managers to reschedule games must meet criteria list above and be approved by the BOD.
Protesting or Clarifying Rules 15. All Managers, Coaches and Umpires will be familiar with these rules as well as the Official Regulations and Playing Rules for Little League Baseball and Cal Ripken Baseball. In those instances where an interpretation of the rules is necessary, the Umpire’s decision will stand and may be revisited after the game by the OSBO BOD for future instances but will not affect the outcome of the game. 16. Managers shall not yell at the Umpire at any time. OSBO will have a zero tolerance policy for this action resulting in ejection from the game. The Manager shall call time out and walk to the Umpire for a meeting. At that time, any rules interpretation can be discussed without any parents or players hearing. If the Manager would like the opinion of the second umpire, he shall politely ask at that time. This does not have to be granted by the Umpires. If the Manager needs to confer with the opposing coach, he shall ask the Umpire to invite the opposing Manager to confer. OSBO desires to avoid protests by working out the ruling at the game. If a manager or coach is ejected from a game, he will serve a one game suspension and be unable to attend the next regularly scheduled game. If a manager or coach is ejected a second time in the same season, he will be required to appear before the Board and be subject to suspension for the remainder of the season. 17. All protests will be handled in accordance with LLORR or Cal Ripken Rules. 18. Managers and Coaches shall not argue Balls and Strikes. This is a judgment call. The Umpire shall define the strike zone prior to the game. OSBO will have a zero tolerance policy for this action resulting in ejection from the game.
Record Keeping 19. For divisions with pitching, the Manager shall maintain a pitching record of their own in the event that a pitcher’s eligibility is challenged. 20. RECORD SEASON - In all divisions the season champion will be decided on the best overall record. Games that end in a tie will be recorded as a tie. The highest win percentage, the least loss percentage will decide the season record. If two (2) or more teams are tied for first place at the end of season play, the winner will be determined by head-to-head competition. If still tied, least runs given up then most runs scored in those head-to-head games. The winning team’s manager in each division shall have first opportunity to manage that division’s all-star team and if declined by the first place manager, the opportunity will be offered to the second place manager and down the standings until accepted.
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Miscellaneous 21. The Manager is responsible for ensuring that any adult inside the fence interactingwith children has a completed Background Check with OSBO. The list is available from the BOD. A parentmay help with the Manager present and work to get a Background Check submitted. 22. Under no circumstances is a child who is not registered with the league allowed to play or practice with any team as they are not covered by insurance. If a Manager or Coach allows this to happen, he/she will be personally responsible for any injuries that may occur to the child or by the child. 23. General complaints or questions will be directed first to the division representative and then to President of the League via email ([email protected]) if a satisfactory response is not obtained from the division representative. 24. Batting helmets that have been painted or airbrushed will not be permitted. Umpires will be responsible for enforcement of this rule. Exception: Tee Ball Regular Season can have airbrush. 25. It is the responsibility of the Manager and/or Coach to keep the parents of his/her players informed. 26. The local league rules will be reviewed and modified as required by a majority vote by the OSBO BOD. 27. Only Coaches, Managers, designated assistants and players are allowed in the dugout. 28. Returning Managers that are approved by the BOD for the current season will be assigned to the same team, if they desire. Protected Players can be changed. There are no returning players. OSBO now has a re-draft. 29. All Managers are responsible for ensuring that their dugouts are cleaned up immediately following their games.
Injured / Sick Player 30. The Cal Ripken Baseball Rules were written with tournament play in mind. As a result, the rules for replacing an injured player focus on using a substitute not currently in the game. In OSBO, all players bat with free substitution. Technically, all players are currentlyin the game. Therefore, local rules are necessary for actions to be taken when a player is injured or sick, and cannot continue to play. 31. Replacement Base Runner: If a player cannot continue as a base runner, the last recorded out resulting from an at-bat is the replacement runner. (Not the last recorded out on the bases. Thelast batter that did not reach base is the replacement.) 32. Replacing Batter While at Bat: If a player becomes injured during an at-bat and cannot finish the at bat, the last recorded out resulting from an at-bat replaces the injured batter assuming the count. The replacement batter finishes the at-bat. If the injured player does not return to the game, refer to Rule 28 for actions to be taken the next time that slot comes up in the lineup. If the player does return to the game, this re-entry can only occur one time per player. If the same player leaves the game again or refuses to bat, then the player shall be removed for the remainder of the game and Rule 28 shall be followed for his slot at bat. 33. Injured or Sick Player Does not Continue: If a team with 10 or more players in the lineup has a player that leaves the game due to injury or sickness, the team will simply skip that spot in the line up each time. The team is not penalized with an out. If a team with 9 or less players in the lineup has a player that leaves the game due to injury or sickness, the team will NOT record an out each time that slot appears in the lineup. The teams will continue the game skipping that slot. The team will not forfeit.
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Tee-Ball Division (ages 4-6) The Tee-ball division is for players ages 4-6 who want to learn the fundamentals of hitting and fielding. The primary goals of Tee-Ball are to have fun, to instruct the children in the fundamentals of baseball and to allow them to experience the value of teamwork. Umpires Umpires will not be provided for 4-5 T-ball, the Coaches shall umpire the games. The base runner coach on first can make out-safe calls at first. The base runner coach on third can make out-safe calls at third. The field coach in the outfield can make out-safe calls at second. The hitting coach can make out-safe calls at home plate. The base running coaches can decide if runners go to next bag or return to bag when time is called. Time shall be called by the hitting coach at home plate. Remember it is T-Ball for the kids. If there is no umpire available for 6 year-old T-ball the above will apply.
1. 2.
3.
Before the Game Managers shall exchange line ups and determine who is keeping the official score and working the scoreboard. Manages shall establish how many players are batting in the lineup. This is important for batting during the first two innings. If a player shows up late during the batting process in the first or second inning, the player shall be added to the end of the lineup and the opposing team notified of the new number. Games have a 1hour time limit. An inning may be started prior to time limit being reached and the game will end when that inning is completed. Games which end in a tie, after the time limit has been reached, will be scored a tie. Coaches are encouraged to not start a 3rd inning just before the time limit. This will greatly delay the late game. The goal is to play at least 2 complete innings in T-Ball with a possible 3rd if things are moving quickly and the coaches think the players are up to it.
First and Second Inning Batting and Counting of Runs In the first / second inning of play, all players will have a turn at bat. Runs shall not count after 3 outs are made by the defensive team. Batting will continue until all players have a turn at bat but the runs shall not count. 6. If one team has lesser players than another team AND 3 outs have not been achieved before the last batter in the lineup is scheduled to bat, the team shall continue to bat until the same number of batters has a turn as the team with more players. For example, one team has 10 players and the other team has 12 players. The team with 12 players batted all 12 players with runs counting when the 12th batter took a turn at bat. Then, the team with 10 players reaches the 10th batter in the lineup with less than three outs. That player shall not be announced as the last batter. Instead, the team shall continue until 3 outs or the 12th batter, whichever comes first. This will ensure that both teams had the equal opportunity to score the same amount of runs with the same number of at-bats even though the line up count is different. Exception: The team with more players bats first and the defense gets 3 outs prior to or equal to the number of the last batter on the team with lesser players. If this occurs, the team with lesser players shall announce last batter when the last batter in their lineup comes to the plate. For example, the team with 12 players bats first. The defense makes 3 outs during the at-bat of the 10th batter. The 11th and 12th batters bat for fun only with no runs counting. Then, the team with 10 players comes to bat. This team with only 10 batters should announce last batter when the 10th and last batter in the lineup reaches the plate. Batting an additional 11th and 12th batter is not fair as runs were not counting during the 11th and 12th bat of the opposing team. 7. IF YOU DECIDE TO PLAY A 3RD INNING, REGULAR 3 OUTS IS IN EFFECT 4. 5.
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9.
10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20. 21. 22.
Placement of Defensive Players 8. Coaches should place defensive players in a normal manner of baseball. This includes 6 infielders playing the positions of Pitcher, Catcher, 1st Base, 2nd Base, 3rd Base and Short Stop. Only 6 players shall occupy the infield. Players shall NOT be placed in a manner making a travesty of the game. If this is being done in the Umpire’s judgment, the Manager shall be instructed to properly position and coach his players before the game resumes. For example, coaches cannot station several players very close to the batter knowing the batter is weak and cannot hit the ball past the pitcher. OR, coaches cannot position several infielders on the 3rd base side because the batter only hits the ball in this direction. An Infielder shall NOT play closer than half way from 1st / 3rd base to home plate. For example, your 3rd baseman can only move in half way down the baseline in the infield grass before the ball is hit. He or she cannot move closer than half way. A good judgment is equal to the pitcher’s circle. Only the 3rd and 1st basemen are allowed to move in as close as halfway. Short stops and 2nd basemen shall come now closer than 5 feet on the infield grass. The Pitcher shall keep one foot in the circle until the batter strikes the ball. The Catcher shall remain at the back of the home plate circle until the ball is hit. All other defensive players shall remain in the Outfield grass until the ball is hit. The team in the field may have three (3) Coaches and/or Managers in the field. Coaches and/or Mangers will take their position in the outfield grass and remain on the grass during the live ball. Playing the Game Play Ball: The Umpire takes his position behind the Pitcher in the infield. The Coach of the team batting places the ball on the Tee holding his hand over the ball until the Umpire says “play ball.” At that time, the coach ensures the catcher is safely behind the batter and instructs his batter that it is safe to hit the ball. Fair Ball: There is a 10-foot foul ball arch for batters which the ball must pass for it to be fair. If playing on a field with infield grass, the ball must reach the grass and remain in the grass to be fair. If playing on a dirt infield, an arch drawn at 10-feet from the center of the plate shall be used for judgment. Overthrow: Runners will be allowed only one (1) base on an overthrow to First Base inside the playing field. OSBO encourages players to make an out attempt at first base. Runners will be allowed one (1) base on any other overthrows if the ball is out of the playing field. If the ball remains in the field of play on throws other than first, runners are not limited to one (1) base. Dead Ball (Time): For 6 year old tee ball, play stops when the pitcher has control of the ball inside the pitcher’s circle or vicinity in the judgment of the Umpire. For 4-5 year old tee ball, play stops when any infielder has control of the ball in the infield and is not attempting to make a play on any baserunner. For both age groups, play also stops when any fielder has control of the ball in front of the lead runner. Outfielders must relay the ball to an infielder in the pitcher’s circle who then calls time. Outfielders cannot call time in the infield. Note: During play, it may become confusing for an Umpire as to who as an outfielder before the ball was hit. If the Umpire calls time when and outfielder holds up the ball in the infield, the play will be considered dead. At that time, the Coach of the offensive team can remind the Umpire that the player was an outfielder. However, the play will not be replayed, and there shall not be a protest. Batters: The team at bat will keep all players in the dugout except the batter. The next batter will only enter the field of play after the ball is dead. All players on the roster will bat. Dugout: Each team will have at least one Coach, Manager and/or parent in the dugout to maintain order. Base Runners: Each runner that has reached a distance greater than halfway to the next base will be awarded the base they are advancing to and no more. Runners less than halfway will return to the previous base. This is a judgment call of the Umpire and shall NOT be protested by the Coaches. OSBO will have a zero tolerance for protesting this judgment call.
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Note: When the player is very close to half-way, the Umpire will use his judgment based on the location of the player with the ball as to whether to grant the player the next base. Again, it is difficult for an Umpire to see all runners at the time the play is dead. So, judgment is used. For example, if the 2nd baseman calls time on the infield close to 1st base and a runner going to 3rd base is very close to half way, the Umpire will award the runner 3rd base. If a short stop calls time on the infield close to 2nd base and a runner going to 2nd base is very close to half way, the Umpire will send the runner back to 1st base. 23. 10-Batter Rule: After the 1st and 2nd inning, only 10 batters shall bat per team per inning. This is not a 10run rule. It is a 10-batter rule. If the 10th batter reaches the plate before 3 defensive outs, the batting team’s coach shall notify the Umpire that this is the last batter. The Umpire will announce “last batter, two outs.” At this time, there are two outs regardless of how man defensive outs have been recorded. The play ends when an out is made or forward progress is stopped. If a defensive player possesses the ball in front of a runner blocking the baseline, the Umpire shall call time before the collision / tag. We want to avoid collisions. 24. Last Batter Rule: When the last batter of any inning (either end of line up for innings one and two or 10th batter in inning three,) comes to the tee, it is automatically two outs and last batter is announced. This means that a force out during this at bat negates all runs. 25. Scoring: During the first and second inning, runs shall not count after 3 outs are made. During other innings, the runs shall count until 3 outs are made, or until an out / stoppage of forward progress is made during the last batter. If a force out is made during the live ball hit by the last batter, no runs shall count during the play. If a defensive player has control of the ball blocking the baseline to home plate and the Umpire calls time, no more runs shall count. If a defensive player has the ball blocking the baseline other than home plate and the Umpire calls time, any runners ahead of that runner being blocked are allowed to score at the judgment of the Umpire. For example, the short stop stands between 3rd base and 2nd base with the ball blocking the progress of the runner going to 3rd base and the Umpire calls time. The runner that is between 3rd base and home plate is allowed to score. For example, the 2nd baseman stands with the ball at 2nd base blocking the progress of the runner going from 1st to 2nd and the Umpire calls time. The runner between 3rd base and home is allowed to score. The runner between 2nd base and 3rd base is not allowed to score. The Umpire shall instruct the scorekeeper as to which runs count. It is not the exact time the out is made as in real baseball. We do not wish to create a situation of a defensive player colliding with an offensive player to make the out more quickly. If you wish to stop all runs, then your defensive player should go to home plate with the ball. OSBO has zero tolerance for protesting this call. 26. Infield Fly: There is no “Infield Fly” rule in effect. 27. 10-Run Rule: There is no “10-run” rule. 28. Dominant Player Rule: A single player is not allowed to run around with the baseball tagging runners unless he is making a baseball play. Outs on runners at 1st base shall be made by throwing to 1st base unless the ball is fielded in a manner that a tag is the natural means for making the out in real baseball. For example, the batter hits a ground ball right down the 1st base line and the 1st baseman fields the ball 5 feet in front of 1st base as the runner approaches. The 1st baseman can tag the runner instead of touching 1st base. For example, the batter hits the ball on the right side of the mound close to the 1st baseline and the pitcher fields the ball before the runner passes. The pitcher can tag the runner. For example, the pitcher fields the ball by the 3rd baseline and the runner is halfway to 1st. The pitcher CAN NOT run down the runner from behind going to first because the runner is slow and the pitcher is dominant. OSBO wants the kids to learn baseball. 29. All other rules are governed by the Cal Ripkenrulebook.
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Coach Pitch Division (ages 7-8) 1. 2.
3. 4.
5. 6.
7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12.
13. 14. 15.
19.
20. 21. 22.
Umpire will take his/her position behind the pitching machine. All games will have a 1hour and 20 minute time limit. An inning may be started prior to the time limit being reached and game will end when that inning is completed. Games which end in a tie, after the time limit has been reached, will be recorded as a tied game. No inning may start after 9:00 p.m. To aid in enforcing this rule, Coaches and/or Managers will have players warmed up and ready to play games at game time. Late game players should begin warm up outside of the field. Early game Coaches and/or Managers shall clean up their dugouts and vacate them to the late game team before having their post-game talk. Such a talk should be had outside of the playing area. The team in the field may have two (2) Coaches and/or Managers on the field. Coaches and/or Managers will take their position behind the outfielders. Play stops when the pitcher has control of the ball in the pitcher’s circle. Each runner that has reached a distance greater than halfway to the next base will be awarded the base they are advancing to and no more. Runners less than halfway will return to the previous base. Play will also stop when an infielder has control of the ball in advance of the lead runner. There will be no base stealing. There is no overthrow rule in affect. There will be no “gentlemen” agreement prior to the game. Coaches can choose to stop the runner at second base on an overthrow. This will not be enforced by the Umpire. The team at bat will keep all players in the dugout except the batter and the on deck batter. Each team will have at least one Coach, Manager, and/or parent in the dugout to maintain order. A team may score a maximum of seven (7) runs perinning. There is no “Infield Fly” rule. The “10-run” rule will be in effect after 4 innings, at which time regulation game time will end. Each batter will get five (5) pitches or 3 strikes. A batter cannot end his at bat with a foul ball. Umpires will not call strikes on balls in the strike zone which were not swung at. This will be the judgment of the umpire and not count toward the 5 total. Coaches must be completely behind the line at thirty-five (35) feet while pitching the ball. A batted ball which strikes the coach will be a dead ball and the batter will resume the at-bat. Runners will not advance. Following the last game, each Manager will ensure that their respective dugout is clean. 16. Coaches should place defensive players in a normal manner of baseball. This includes 6 infielders playing the positions of Pitcher, Catcher, 1st Base, 2nd Base, 3rd Base and Short Stop. Only 6 players may occupy the infield. Players shall NOT be placed in a manner making a travesty of the game. If this is being done in the Umpire’s judgment, the Manager shall be instructed to properly position and coach his players before the game resumes. For example, coaches cannot station several players very close to the batter knowing the batter is weak and cannot hit the ball past the pitcher. OR, coaches cannot position several infielders on the 3rd base side because the batter only hits the ball in this direction. An Infielder shall NOT play closer than half way from 1st / 3rd base to home plate. For example, your 3rd baseman can only move in half way down the baseline in the infield grass before the ball is hit. He or she cannot move closer than half way. A good judgment is equal to the pitcher’s circle. Only the 3rd and 1st basemen are allowed to move in as close as halfway. Short stops and 2nd basemen shall come no closer than 5 feet on the infield grass. The Pitcher shall keep one foot in the circle and behind the coach until the batter strikes the ball. Page 7 of 15
23.
All throws to home plate shall be received by the CATCHER not another player. The penalty for a violation of this rule is the runner attempting to advance to home plate will be called safe. This rule does not prohibit any fielder from running to home plate with the ball and making a tag.
24.
The catcher is not required to wear a catcher’s mitt and may use his regular fielding glove if desired. Bunting is allowed but there is no fake or slash bunting permitted. A batter shall not square to bunt then pull back and make a swing at the ball when pitched. This is unsafe for those charging to cover the bunt and a violation of this rule will result in the batter being called out. All other rules are governed by the Cal Ripkenrulebook.
25.
26.
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Minors Division (ages 9-10) 1. 2.
3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.
9. 10.
11. 12.
It is mandatory that the Coaches and/or Managers provide pitching eligibility along with the batting order and line-up. Each game will have a 1 hour and 30 minute time limit, or 6 innings, whichever comes first. An inning may be started prior to the time limit being reached and game will end when that inning is completed. Games which end in a tie will be recorded as a tie. To aid in enforcing this rule, Coaches and/or Managers will have players warmed up and ready to play games at game time. Late game players should begin warm up outside of the field. Early game Coaches and/or Managers shall clean up their dugouts and vacate them to the late game team before having their post-game talk. Such a talk should be had outside of the playing area. The “Infield Fly” rule is in effect. The “10-run” rule will be in effect after four (4) innings, at which time regulation game time will end. Following the last game, the Home Team Manager will ensure that the scoreboard is turned off and both managers will ensure that their respective dugout has been cleaned. Managers will have Umpire duties as determined by the league Umpire in Chief. Teams are limited to scoring 6 runs perinning. No fake bunting followed by swing at the pitch. A batter shall not square to bunt then pull back and make a swing at the ball when pitched. This is unsafe for those charging to cover the bunt and a violation of this rule will result in the batter being called out. Stealing is permitted; however, there is no leading off and the base runner cannot leave the base until the pitch crosses the front of home plate. The catcher may call timeout prior to returning the ball to the pitcher when there is a runner on third, and the catcher has possession of the ball at or near homeplate, and the runner makes no serious attempt to advance. With two outs, a team may elect to run for the catcher of record from the previous inning. If this is done, the runner shall be the last batted out. Pitching limitations will be as follows:
If a player pitches 2 innings or less in a game, they can pitch in the following game that week. If a player pitches 3 or more innings in a game, they cannot pitch in the following game that week unless they have had two days rest. Thus if your games are on back to back days or with only one day in between, a pitcher can only pitch two innings in your first game and still be eligible to pitch in your second game that same week. A player may only pitch a total of six innings in any week (defined as Monday through Sunday). If a pitcher throws one pitch in any inning, that is considered as one inning pitched; we do not measure 1/3 innings. Any violation of the pitching rules will result in forfeiture of the game by the violating team as well as a one game suspension for that team’s manager. 13.
All other rules are governed by the Cal Ripken rulebook.
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Majors Division (ages 11-12) 1. 2.
3. 4. 5. 6. 7.
8. 9. 10. 11. 12.
It is mandatory that the Managers provide pitching eligibility along with the batting order and line up. Each game will have a 1-hour 30-minute time limit or 6 innings, whichever comes first. An inning may be started prior to the time limit being reached and game will end when that inning is completed. Games which end in a tie will be recorded as a tie. To aid in enforcing this rule, Coaches and/or Managers will have all players warmed up and ready to play games at game time. Late game players should begin warm up outside of field. Also, Coaches and/or Managers will limit the amount of time they spend warming up pitchers between innings. Early game Managers shall clean up their dugouts and vacate them to the late game team before having their post-game talk. They should have that talk outside of the playing area. The “Infield Fly” rule is in effect. The “10-run” rule will be in effect after 4 innings (regulation game will end). Following the last game, the Home Team Manager will ensure that the scoreboard is turned off and both managers will ensure that their respective dugouts have been cleaned. Managers will have Umpire duties as determined by the league Umpire in Chief. No fake bunting followed by swing at the pitch. A batter shall not square to bunt then pull back and make a swing at the ball when pitched. This is unsafe for those charging to cover the bunt and a violation of this rule will result in the batter being called out. Leading off and stealing is permitted. Balks will be called; however the umpires will be instructed to be very lenient and not call a balk unless the failure to do so would result in a base runner being out. There will no advance to first base permitted when the third strike is dropped or missed- the batter is out with either a swinging or called third strike. With two outs, a team may elect to run for the catcher of record from the previous inning. If this is done, the runner shall be the last batted out. Pitching limitations will be as follows:
If a player pitches 2 innings or less in a game, they can pitch in the following game that week. If a player pitches more than 2 more innings in a game, they cannot pitch in the following game that week unless they have had two days rest. Thus if your games are on back to back days or with only one day in between, a pitcher can only pitch two innings in your first game and still be eligible to pitch in your second game that same week. A player may only pitch a total of six innings in any week (defined as Monday through Sunday). If a pitcher throws one pitch in any inning, that is considered as one inning pitched; we do not measure 1/3 innings. Any violation of the pitching rules will result in forfeiture of the game by the violating team as well as a one game suspension for that team’s manager. 13.
All other rules are governed by the Cal Ripken rulebook.
Ocean Springs Baseball Organization Draft Rules Revision 1 (1-5-2017) Preliminaries It is inappropriate for anyone that participates in the draft to discuss the position in which a player was selected in the draft with anyone outside the draft room. Such behavior shall be considered misconduct and taken into account when approving the person's future affiliation with OSBO. Each Manager has five (5) minutes to make a selection during each round of the draft. All Managers, or designees, must be present to begin the draft. If one Manager is not present, the draft will be delayed or rescheduled. Draft picks cannot be made by phone or email. All must be present to begin. 1.
Annual Redraft/ No Returning Players All players will tryout including Manager's child and Assistant's child. This is done so that the Board can judge the talent of protected players against other players. All players (except the two protected players) will be drafted. Requests for coaches will only be granted if exigent circumstances exist and must be approved by the board prior to the draft.
2.
Tryouts All players (Including protected players) shall tryout and be evaluated by all Managers. Each player shall be given a tryout grade between 1- 5. (5 being the best) for: -Fielding, Throwing, Batting and Running.
The OSBO President and/or Player Agent will solicit the scoring results from certain Managers. This information shall be used by the Board when determining the scenario for the upcoming draft. Scores will not be shared with other Managers. The total score is divided by 4 to dete1mine the player's overall score. Example: Plaver 1
4
3
3
4
Total 14
Final 3.5
Player 2
5
5
4
5
19
4.75
Player 3
4
4
4
4
16
Plaver4
2
2
1
3
8
2
Player 5
1
1
1
1
1
1
Fielding
Throwing
Players I, 2 and 3 are "impact" players Players 4 and 5 are not impact" players
Running
Batting
4
3.
First Round Draft Pick Order The Board will determine the first round draft pick order in each Division based on' the draft scenario. The draft scenario is a function of the number of teams drafting, the talent level of the protected players, the league age of the protected players and the number of impact players in the draft. To determine the order, the Board can use one of several means based on the situation for that Division.
4.
A.
Random Draw All team names are placed in a hat. The Board or designee randomly draws the order from first to last.
B.
Ranking Teams from First to Last in Terms of Tryout Scores of the Protected Players The Board sorts the total score of both protected players in ascending order from least to most. This order shall be the draft order for the first round.
C.
Grouping the Teams Based on Tryout Scores of the Protected Players The Board sorts the total scores of both protected players in ascending order from least to most. The scores for two or more teams are too close to distinguish if one team has an advantage. These teams can be grouped together. The result may be two or more groups within a Division. The groups are still ranked from least to most, but the order within the group isdeteimine by random draw.
D.
Grouping the Teams Based on League Age of the Protected Players The Board totals the league age of both protected players for each team. The teams are sorted from least to most to determine the order. This allows teams with younger players to draft before teams with older players. Teams with the same total can be placed in groups. The order within the group can be determined by random draw or tryout results of the protected players.
Drafting players In the first round, any Manager picking a player that does not have a tryout score of 4 or 5 shall be informed by the Board Member present that this draft choice will affect the competitiveness of the team. The Manager still has the right to pick any player of his choosing. The Board Member present will make every attempt possible to advise the coach to choose a 4 or 5 player and take the other player in a later round. The goal is for the impact players to be evenly spread among the teams. Due to different judgment in talent and different needs of each team, Managers will maintain the right to pick any player in the draft.
5.
Draft Order by Round (All Teams Having Two Protected Players) In the first round, the draft order will move from left to right. In the second round, the order will be right to left. The order will continue to "snake" until all players are drafted.
Example: Team 1 Rd1 Rd2 Rd3 Rd4 Rd5 Protected Manager
6.
Team2
1st Pick 12th 13th
2
nd th
11 14th
Team3 3rd
Team4 4th
Team5 5th
10th
9th 16th 21st
8th 17th 20th
15th
Team6 6th 7th 18th 19th
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Draft Order by Round (Team(s) missing a protected player)
In the first round, the draft order will move from left to right. After the first round, teams without a protected player will get a pick. That order will also be from left to right. In the second round, the order will be right to left. The order will continue to "snake" until all players are drafted Example: Rd1 Rd2 Rd3 Rd4 Rd5 Rd6 Rd7
Team2
Team 1 1st pick 14th 15th
2 13th
Team3 3rd 12th
Team4 4th 11th
Team 5 5th 10th
16th
17th
18th
19th 22nd
nd
Team6 6th 9th 20th 21st
Protected Player X
Coach
7.
X
7th X
X
X
X
X
8th X
X X
Last Round of Draft At the beginning of the last round, if there is not enough players to give each team a last round pick, then those teams required to pick in the last round will be drawn random from a hat. For example, a Division has 3 players left in the last round and 8 teams participating. The next three teams in the draft order will not have to pick those players. Instead, all 8 teams will be placed in a hat and three teams drawn. Those three teams will then draft in order as if they were picking according to the draft board.
8.
Hat Picks OSBO will not have Hat Picks. All players will be drafted. Players not trying out will be discussed before the draft so that any player not trying out who would be an impact player is noted.
9.
Trades At the end of the draft coaches can trade players. All trades must be final before leaving the Draft. All trades must be announced and approved by the Player Agent at the draft. All trades must be approved by the Board member present who has the approving authority of
the OSBO Board.
10. Siblings of Protected Players Siblings of protected players shall be added to the same team as the second round/ third draft pick.
11. Siblings of Drafted Players Siblings of a player chosen in the draft shall be added to the same team in the slot of the following round. Essentially, the Manager takes the sibling as his or her next draft pick. If the Manager has an open slot for a Protected Player and takes a sibling as the first round pick, the Manager will still get the Protected Player pick at the end of the first round and take the sibling as his second round Draft Pick. Exception: If parent says siblings do not have to be on the same team.
12. Late Registrants after the Draft The team in line to choose the next player does not get the next player who signs up late. This would allow a coach to recruit a player knowing the player would be on his team. Late sign-ups will be placed on one of the teams with the least number of players by random draw. For example, a league has 8 teams. At the end of the draft, 3 teams have 12 players and 5 teams have 11 players. A late sign up would be randomly place on one of the teams with only 11 players. If there is just one team at the end of the draft with fewer number of players, the next sign up would be placed on that team only after the approval of the Player Agent and the OSBO Board.
All Star Procedures
Coach Selection 1. The winning team’s manager in each division shall have first opportunity to manage that division’s all-star team and if declined by the first place manager, the opportunity will be offered to the second place manager and down the standings until accepted for each age group. The board will determine which age is offered first based on the coach. (i.e. The first place coach of a 10 year old would be offered the 10 year old slot. If accepted then the 9 year old position would be offered to the first 9 year old coach that follows in the standings. This would not exclude the coach of a 9 year old team from being offered the 10 year spot.) 2. The OSBO Board has final say over all coaching selections for All-Stars. 3. If a manager or coach is ejected from a game for any reason during the season, it will be at the discretion of the OSBO Board whether he/she is allowed to manage or coach an all-start team. Player Selection 4. All-Star balloting will be conducted in a meeting attended by all managers or their designee. Voting will take place, and all votes will be tabulated by the Player Representative and the League President. (Player Representative will be replaced by another Board Member if the Player Representative is a coach for that age division.) The top 11 vote getters are named to the All-Star team. Ties for the last spot will be broken by the All-Star manager. The All- Star manager has the option of adding a twelfth player.
Last Revised 7/25/2017
