1. POLICIES ON CONDUCT
1. The coaches shall promote sportsmanlike conduct and control the behavior of their players, assistant coaches, fans, as well as themselves.
2. A player or coach who swears, throws a bat, or batting helmet, or is otherwise disruptive or unsportsmanlike shall be given a verbal warning by the umpire. A player or coach who engages in such conduct may, at the umpire’s discretion, be ejected from the game.
3. Ejection of a player, coach, or manager from any game by the umpire for a substantiated violation of the Rules will subject the ejected person to appropriate disciplinary action after review by the Commissioner.
2. EQUIPMENT AND UNIFORMS
1. Rubber-cleated shoes are highly encouraged. Metal Spikes are allowed, although they are prohibited on turf fields (Columbus and Shewridan).
2. During games, all players are required to wear full uniforms. The uniform shirt should be tucked in and brim of hat facing forward at all times.
3. The ONLY bats allowed for use are USA Baseball Stamped bats, BBCOR Bats, and all Wood Bats, including Composite Wood. Bats that are marked with a USSSA Stamp and 1.15 BPF are NOT ALLOWED. If a player uses an illegal bat and a pitch is thrown, the batter will be called out and all runners will return to the base they were at when the pitch was thrown. The defensive team has until the next pitch is thrown to make a claim on an illegal bat.
4. Any player who is catching for a pitcher must wear a catcher’s mask, including the time when the catcher is “warming up” the pitcher and no batter is present. All players must wear cups.
5. No jewelry may be worn.
3. FIELD SPECIFICATIONS
1. The distance between bases is 90 feet.
2. The distance from the pitcher’s rubber to home plate will be 60 feet 6inches.
4. GAME TIME, GAME BALLS, INNINGS, RUN RULE
1. All games will begin at game time. Please have all players arrive at least 15 minutes prior to the start of the game for warm up. A 15-minute grace period will be given before a forfeit is declared.
2. The home team must provide two (2) new baseballs for the game balls for each game. If the condition of the game balls deteriorates during the game, the umpire may require either or both teams to provide one or more new game balls.
3. Regulation games will be seven (7) innings for the Pony League. Each game will have a time limit and NO NEW INNING will start after 2 hours has elapsed.
4. When a game is tied at the end of regulation, it will go into extra innings, if time allows according to the time limits outlined in Rule 4.3
5. There is no limit to the amount of runs that can be scored in a particular inning. OPTIONAL: During regular season games if both managers agree prior to the start of a game, the game can be played using a maximum runs per inning rule. The league recommends seven (7) if coaches agree to play with a run limit.
6. Any team that compiles a 10 run lead after 5 complete innings shall be declared the winner.
5. PACE OF PLAY
1. The pitcher will be allowed a maximum of 7 warm-up pitches between innings.
2. If there are two outs and the team at bat has its catcher for the next half inning on base, the catcher on base can be removed from the base and be replaced by the player who has made the last out. In addition, if there are two outs and the catcher of the hitting team is not on base, the umpire should remind the coach to get the catcher ready to start the next half inning.
6. SUBSTITUTION/PLAYER PARTICIPATION: MINIMUM NUMBER OF PLAYERS
1. Every available player on a team will bat in a continuous batting order in a game.
2. A late arriving player will enter at the end of the batting order as the last batter in the score book.
3. A team must have eight (8) rostered players present to start the game. In the event a team cannot field eight (8) rostered players after the game has started, the team may continue playing with no less than seven (7) rostered players. During regular season play, there is no penalty to playing with only eight (8) players.
4. All players present during a game must play at least 4 complete innings in the field. 3 of these innings must be in the field prior to the start of the 6th inning
5. Substitution during regular season play: If a team does not have ten (10) players of their own, they may use a Majors player.
7. PITCHERS
1. Each pitcher may pitch a maximum of three (3) innings.
2. Pitch Counts are not tracked by the league. However, the league recommends that each team track the pitch count.
3. A pitcher who has withdrawn from the mound will not be permitted to return to the mound as a pitcher in the same game.
4. If a relief pitcher comes in cold, the umpire should allow the pitcher to warm up properly with at least seven (7) pitches.
5. Any pitcher who hits three batters during a game will be immediately replaced and will not be allowed to pitch again in that game. The home plate umpire may waive this rule if a batter could/should have moved to avoid being hit.
6. The umpire will warn the pitcher when a balk occurs in the first instance for each pitcher. Subsequent balks will be penalized at the discretion of the umpire
8. BASE STEALING, CONTACT, and INTERFERENCE
1. Lead-offs and Base-stealing are allowed at all bases. Runners are permitted to slide head first when sliding back to a base, or if they are sliding to the next base.
2. Intentionally initiating contact at any base is prohibited. If, in the umpire’s judgment, the runner either tries to make contact with the fielder or does not make an effort to avoid unnecessary contact, the runner is called out.
3. Any defensive player who does not have possession of the ball shall not impede the progress of the offensive player as he or she runs the base. The offensive player will be awarded the base and other as seen fit by the umpire.
4. A baserunner must make every attempt to avoid a defensive player who is fielding the ball in the baseline. If the baserunner interferes with the defensive player in this situation the baserunner will be called out.
9. BATTING and BUNTING
1. If a player shows bunt, they must either bunt the ball or pull back. If the player shows bunt, pulls back, and then swings, a dead ball will be called, and the batter will be called out.
2. A batter who throws their bat is given a warning. If that players throws their bat a second time, he is automatically out and a dead ball will be called.
10. SCOREKEEPING AND STANDINGS
1. Each team must supply a scorekeeper who is responsible for maintaining a game score book for that team. Scorekeepers should confirm the game score with each other at the end of every half inning. Head coaches, if requested, must supply one another with the batting lineup prior to the start of play.
2. League standings will be kept and will be the primary determinant for playoff seeding.
3. All scores must be submitted by the winning team to the league commissioner.
4. The League Commissioner has the authority to make final interpretations and applications of and changes to these rules at any time.