Hokes Bluff Youth Sports
HOKES BLUFF
OFFICIAL RULES
OFFICIAL RULES OF PLAY
OF THE
HOKES BLUFF BABE RUTH BASEBALL LEAGUE, INC.
RULE 1- SELECTION OF COACHES
Section 1.
Coaches will apply by application to the Board Officers requesting a coaching position of the coming year. This application should include previous experience and qualifications. This application is to be submitted no later than the first available date after sign up prior to the upcoming season. The application should include the first (1st) coaches having a team the previous year and desiring to coach in the same division the next year will have first (1st) consideration for those teams. Coaches having coached the previous year in one division and desire to move to another division will have second (2nd) consideration in that division. Coaches will be selected by majority vote of the board.
Section 2.
The coaches and managers are expected to conduct themselves in a responsible manner. They should instruct players on good sportsmanship and exemplify the same attitude themselves at all times. There shall be NO TOBACCO, including smokeless tobacco used on the playing field. (Babe Ruth Baseball, Inc. rules prohibits this and regulations governing both tournament and local league play).
Section 3.
For cause, managers or coaches may be suspended or terminated. Suspension or termination may result from violation of the By-Laws, Rules of Play, or practice properly adopted by the board or for any conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the League. Refer to Code of Conduct for managers and coaches.
Section 4.
Anywhere in this rule that a manager and or coach is used it shall apply to both coaches and managers.
Section 5.
No manager or coach can coach more than one team in a division a season.
Section 6.
Managers and Coaches field responsibilities include but are not limited to the following: Lining fields, putting out bases, and pitching machine. Coaches need to be sure there are liners in garbage cans (liners can be found in the concession stand). Coaches are responsible for raking fields. Coaches are responsible for cleaning dugouts and cleaning up under the bleachers on their side of the playing field. This can be done with the help of parents. Coaches are responsible for putting up bases and pitching machine. Managers and coaches need to ensure that infield is only taken five (5) to ten (10) minutes prior to game starting. All games are subject to be moved to the 13 year old field.
Failure to follow these rules will result in disciplinary actions determined by the Board.
RULE II- UPPER DIVISION TEAMS
Section 1.
All players will be assessed a playing fee which will be set by the board. The playing fee must be paid to the Treasurer of the League before a player’s name can be included on the official roster.
Section 2.
The League will provide sponsors for the upper division teams. The League will provide equipment for said teams.
Section 3.
Upper division teams must abide by the rules for the selection of players and by the rules of play enforced by the league in which they play.
RULE
Section 1.
Rules governing the selection of players: The board and the approved managers/coaches shall be present at the selection of the respective players. The President will preside over the meeting.
Section 2.
The selection of players shall be a draft system. The coaches from each division shall draw for their turn in which they will draft. Example: 1234,4321,1234,4321, until the draft is complete. The child of a manager or first coach shall be placed on the managers/coaches team automatically. In the event of brothers or twins the other child would go on the same team under the sibling rule as the last draft pick of that team. This procedure shall apply to the Bambino, Minor, Rookie, and T-Ball divisions. Each child is required to tryout in each division. In the event that a child does not come to tryouts their name will be drawn from a hat in order of the draft after all other players have been selected. Any problems that occur in drafts will be presented before the board. The hat pick players on the team with the most players will be placed in a hat and will be drawn again. The time on this is one week. After one week any problems will be presented before the board. Each team shall be composed of a maximum of fifteen (15) players and a minimum of twelve (12) players. The Board will determine the number of teams based on the number of available players. Age shall conform to eleven (11) and twelve (12) year olds conforming to the National Rules and Regulations. All players must try out for the draft excluding the children of the manager or first coach. Section 4. A child playing Babe Ruth Baseball cannot play on any other league or travel ball team during regular season and All-Stars. As of 4-22-2009, travel ball will not allowed in Hokes Bluff Cal Ripken 12 & under. Penalty will be 2 League Game Suspension and the player will not be eligible for All-Stars. Section 5. If a child moves into the community after the season begins he may register with the board. The board will decide if said child is to be placed on a team and which team said child is placed. Any child signing up after the draft will be a hat pick. The Board will determine number of coaches pulling from the hat. Section 6. If a team is deleted it shall be the last team formed or other considerations. Section 7. The following procedure will be followed in the event a child quits a team for any reason. The manager of the team to which said child has been assigned will notify the board immediately. The board will verify through contact with the child’s parent or guardian that said child has quit the team. The board will then notify the team manager of said child’s date of termination. Any child who officially quits a team and later decides he or she wants to be reinstated must apply to the board for readmission. Readmission of a child the Hokes Bluff Babe Ruth Baseball shall be solely at the discretion of the board. Section 8. The following procedures will be followed in the event a child is hurt and unable to play. If a team is reduced to less than a figure established by the League due to injury or illness which is substantiated by a doctor’s certificate, then the injured player shall be placed on the Injured Reserved List for a minimum of twenty-one (21) days from date of doctor’s certificate. If players are needed they will be supplied from a list of pool players in that age division. The pool player list will be placed in the concession stand. In the event that a situation occurs where a sibling playing in the same division desires to play on a different team than their brother or sister, a written request must be made in writing to the board by the parent or guardian of said siblings before the draft begins. Section 10. The following rules shall govern Major Division play: Bats should be no shorter than twenty-six (26) inches in length, and must be Babe Ruth League approved. A regulation game shall consist of six (6) innings. The inning officially begins on the last out of previous inning. A team shall have no more than six (6) infielders. Each team shall consist of nine (9) players on defense and each manager shall list all his players (or those present) on the line up form. Only eligible players may pitch. Pitchers are allowed only to pitch six (6) innings in a calendar week. Pitchers must have 2 calendar days of rest if they pitch more than two innings in one game. Official game time shall start when both teams have taken the field and the official umpire signals to begin. The time shall not exceed one (1) hour and forty-five (45) minutes from the first pitch. Time is kept by the official scorekeeper. No innings may start after the time limit is called by the umpire. There will be no tie ballgames. There will be a seven (7) run rule per inning excluding the last inning which will be an open inning. After the play has stopped and the seventh run has scored the inning is over and the offensive team will go on the field. If a team is ahead by ten (10) runs after the fourth inning then the ten (10) run rule will apply. Thus meaning the game is over and the team that is ahead by ten (10) runs is ruled the winner. There is an infield fly rule. Slide rule: a player must slide to avoid a collision at any base when the opposing player has the ball waiting to apply a tag. Each player will play two (2) innings and one (1) at bat per game. Rule IV- MINOR DIVISION Section 1. Ages in Minor Division will be nine (9) and ten (10) year olds. Ages must conform to National Rules and Regulations as of May 1st. Section 2. The following rules shall govern Minor Division play: Bats should be no shorter than Twenty-six (26) inches in length, and must be Babe Ruth League approved. A regulation game shall consist of six (6) innings. The inning officially begins on the last out of previous inning. A team shall have no more than six (6) infielders. Each team shall consist of nine (9) players on defense and each manager shall list all his players (or those present) on the line up form. Only eligible players may pitch. Pitchers are allowed only to pitch six (6) innings in a calendar week. Pitchers must have 2 calendar days of rest if they pitch more than two innings in one game. Official game time shall start when both teams have taken the field and the official umpire signals to begin. The time shall not exceed one (1) hour and forty-five (45) minutes from the first pitch. Time is kept by the official scorekeeper. No innings may start after the time limit is called by the umpire. There will be no tie ballgames. There will be a seven (7) run rule per inning excluding the last inning which will be an open inning. After the play has stopped and the seventh run has scored the inning is over and the offensive team will go on the field. If a team is ahead by ten (10) runs after the fourth inning then the ten (10) run rule will apply. Thus meaning the game is over and the team that is ahead by ten (10) runs is ruled the winner. There is an infield fly rule. Slide rule: a player must slide to avoid a collision at any base when the opposing player has the ball waiting to apply a tag. Each player will play two (2) innings and one (1) at bat per game. RULE V- ROOKIE DIVISION Section 1. All players must be seven (7) and eight (8) years old by the date specified by Babe Ruth, Inc. in order to qualify for competition as of May 1st. Section 2. The following rules shall govern Rookie Division play: Players cannot turn nine (9) before the specified cutoff date by Babe Ruth, Inc. All players on each team bat in order whether playing defensively or not. Any ten (10) players may be placed on the field defensively. Tenth (10th) player shall be placed on the field as a fourth (4th) outfielder. The player assuming the position of the pitcher can be placed on either side of the pitching machine. The catcher takes his normal position in full gear. The game shall consist of six (6) innings or one (1) hour and thirty (30) minutes. Each batter receives a maximum of five (5) pitches. If the ball has not been hit into play the batter is out. If the batter fouls the fifth (5th) pitch they will continue to receive pitches as long as they continue to foul the pitch. The inning is over when three (3) outs have been made. The speed of the ball is measured across the plate. The offensive coach will feed the balls into the pitching machine. Check the machine before your team bats. You cannot adjust the machine during play. The machine can be adjusted after every pitch. The only adjustments to be made after every pitch are the screw the ball sets against. Major adjustments can be made when the inning ends. At that time both managers and umpires need to agree to make those adjustments necessary. The ball will be declared dead when the defensive team stops lead runner. Ball is dead if it hits the pitching machine and only force runners may advance one (1) base. Base stealing is not allowed in Rookie Division. (optional) The ball is declared dead when a player is injured and in the umpire’s judgment is unable to continue to play. There is a seven (7) run rule in every inning except the sixth (6th) inning which is open. When the seventh (7th) run scores the team shall swap offense and defense. Bunting is allowed, but on fifth (5th) pitch a batter is out when a foul occurs. The offensive coaches must be stationed outside the foul line at first and third bases. Defensive coaches cannot be stationed in a way that obstructs the offensive coaches or players on the field. Machine will be set 40 feet at front of machine to back of plate. The speed will be set 38 to 40 RULE VI- T-BALL DIVISION Section 1. To be eligible all players must be five (5) and six (6) years old by the cutoff date specified May 1st by Babe Ruth, Inc. in order to qualify for competition. All players must be placed in the draft with the exception of protected players. Section 2. The following rules shall govern T-Ball Division play. There will be a twenty-five (25) foot arc drawn from the back of home plate. The ball must go beyond this line to be fair. The ball must be thrown inside the pitching circle (not controlled, only thrown inside) for the play to become dead. If the ball is thrown to first base and the first baseman misses the ball and the ball then enters the dugout the play is dead. In every inning there will be ten (10) batters or three (3) outs, whichever comes first. All the players present for the game will bat. All players will play at least two (2) innings in the field. Players on defense may be interchanged at any time because all players bat. A foul on the fifth (5th) strike is an out. Score will be kept in every game. No inning shall begin after one (1) hour and fifteen (15) minutes of play. The game should be played at a continuous pace due to the attention span of the player’s. The ball must hit the ground inside the arc to call time. Section 3. There will be one (1) official umpire and official scorekeeper supplied by the League for each game. The orange T-Ball is the official ball. Section 4. There will be All-Stars chosen at the end of each season. T-Ball will be recognized with the first (1st) and second (2nd) place as in the other divisions of the league. All-Stars will be chosen in the same manner as Rookie Division. SECTION Section 1. Before a game the two (2) managers and the board will meet and determine the eligibility or non-eligibility of each player for that game. The non-eligibility of any player shall be noted in the official scorebook. Tie breaker rule: Head to Head are first decision, second goes to highest seated team and then a playoff game two (2) calendar days later. RULE VIII- RULES FOR Section 1. The following rules will govern the selection of the All- Star Teams. The manager of the first (1st) place team for each division will be the manager of the All -Star team for that division. The manager for the second (2nd) place team in each division shall be the first (1st) coach for the All- Star team in that division. If any of the managers or coaches cannot fulfill the duties required the board will appoint a replacement. A manager must make a request to the Board to not accept any player for disciplinary reasons. Section 2. Each division’s All-Stars shall be comprised of players in that division. It will be the manager of each division’s choice as to how many players will be chosen for All-Stars with a minimum of twelve (12) and no more than fifteen (15) players on each team. The first day that is suitable for all the managers All-Stars will be voted on as usual. All-Star Announcement Ceremonies will be held as usual. Managers will decide to carry twelve (12) or fifteen (15) players. If carrying fifteen (15) all managers will vote on ten (10). If carrying twelve (12) all managers will vote on eight (8). RULE IX- RULES GOVERNING GAME PROTEST, FORFEITURES Section 1. Game protest: Any game that is played under protest must be resolved according to the following format. A letter of protest must be filed with the League President within forty- eight (48) hours. This letter must specify the rule being protested. Protests cannot be made on judgment calls (i.e. balls, strikes, outs, safes). Upon receipt of a valid protest the President and the board will hold a meeting. If a board member has a child on a team that is involved in the protest the board member will abstain. Section 2. Game Forfeiture: Game forfeiture should be used only in extreme conditions. This affects not only an individual but also a number of players. A written statement during the forfeiture must be filed by the Umpires with the League President within forty-eight (48) hours. A game may be forfeited only after a meeting of the Managers, Umpires and official scorekeeper in the press box. This rule is not intended to apply to inadequate roster forfeits. Rainout games are played on the first available field, the first available day at the normal playing times of 5:00 and 7:00 p.m. If agreeable with the President and all four managers, coaches, and if umpires are available then an earlier time may be set. If a game is played on Wednesday it is to be played at 5:00 p.m. or before. The mandatory rules shall apply to all rainout games. If there is a pre-planned team outing on a particular day then that day is not considered an available day. RULE X- LEAGUE UMPIRE RULES Section 1. Rules and regulations are to be carried out as stipulated by the board. Section 2. The umpires shall be responsible for control of action on the playing field. The board shall be responsible for the conduct of all players and person off the field which affects play on the field. Please do not allow parents to yell at kids on other teams by name. The umpire shall call “time” until the President or his designated representative has eliminated the disturbance. Section 3. Failure of an umpire to comply with any part of Rule IX shall result in a review of umpire’s statue by the League President and Vice- President. RULE XI- RULE CHANGES Section 1. The rules of play may be amended, supplemented, or modified by a quorum of the voting members at a properly called meeting, provided that such amendments, supplements, and modifications shall have been presented in writing and reviewed by all members not less than seven (7) days prior to the meeting at which the proposed changes are to be considered. RULE XII- COACHES Section 1. Coaches will be held responsible for all work done on and around the ball fields and on all scheduled workdays. Coaches from each team will be present or someone from that team will be a representative. That person must be able to do physical work (i.e. hauling dirt in wheel barrow). If no one from your team participates you will be accessed a $25.00 penalty with the possibility of suspension. The team will not be allowed to play until the penalty is paid in full. Section 2. Player Fees: 1 Child $65.00 2 Children $100.00 total 3 or more $120.00 total
Section 3.
Section 9.
RULE XIII- ARTIFICIAL NOISE MAKERS
Section 1.
As of 4-22-2009, the use of artificial noise makers will not be allowed during games.