Babe Ruth Rules

Longwood Babe Ruth Baseball

Prep and Babe Ruth Division

(Revised 9/24/15)

 

Local Rules of Play

 

1. Home Team and Visiting Team Responsibility

            The home team is determined by the official league schedule. The home team is responsible for the following:

  • Supplying two (2) new baseballs to the Head Umpire.
  • Providing an Official Scorekeeper, for the record keeping purposes.

The visiting team is responsible for the following:

  • Keeping the pitch count.
  • Writing the pitch count and pitchers names in the Official Scorebook.

 

2. Time Limit of Games

            To facilitate the consistent start and stop of games, and to provide equitable playing time to all teams the following time limits will be observed. No new inning will start after 2 hours have elapsed from the official start time.

            The umpire will declare the official start time when the defensive team is on the field and the first batter steps into the batter’s box. The umpire shall notify the official scorekeeper of the official start time, and the official scorekeeper shall record the time in the score book. The umpire is responsible for keeping the official time.

 

3. Tie Games

            A tie game shall be declared based on standard Babe Ruth Official Rules. A tie game is considered as ½ of a win and 1/2 of a loss in the standings. If, at the end of the season, two teams have identical records including tie games, head-to-head record will be the first tiebreaker. If still tied, a one game playoff will take place between the two teams involved.

            Playoff games will only be played to determine the first four positions in the standings. The home team in a playoff game will be determined by a coin toss. If a three-way tie occurs, one team will receive a bye in a single elimination tournament draw.

 

4. Slaughter Rule

            In the Babe Ruth Division all games will end when the game is official and either team has a fifteen (15) run lead (Fall Season) or ten (10) run lead (Spring Season) and has had equal times at bat or the home team is leading. Time limits, per section 2, will be in effect.

 

5. Official Games

            A game shall be considered official when one of the following conditions is met. If terminated for any reason after reaching this point, the game results will be officially recorded.

Fall Season:

1. The completion of 5 innings if the visiting team is winning, or

2. The completion of 4 1/2 innings if the home team is winning, or

3. The time limit has been reached.

Spring Season:

1. The completion of 5 innings if the visiting team is winning, or

2. The completion of 4 1/2 innings if the home team is winning.

            Any game that is stopped due to rain or other reason that it has not reached the required number of innings is considered a suspended game and must be played to its completion at a later date. Time limits carry over to the completion portion of suspended games.

 

6. Batting

            For the fall season, all players are included in the batting order. In the spring, 9 batters are listed along with a 10th “Extra Hitter” if available.

 

7. Player Requirements to Start a Game

            Each team must have a minimum of nine (9) players in the Spring, eight (8) in the Fall, at the “official start time” for a game to begin. In the event the minimum cannot be met, the game is considered a forfeit and the win goes to the team that has the required number of players. In the event both teams cannot field the minimum number of players, the game shall be declared a double forfeit, adding one loss to each team in the standings.       If a forfeit occurs, both managers may petition the league president, the division rep, and the player agent to reverse the forfeit and reschedule the game. Upon unanimous consent of ALL five parties (league president, division rep, player agent, and both team managers) the game may be rescheduled, played, and counted in the standings.

            Once the game is started a team can continue to play if the number of players falls below nine (9) but the minimum to continue play is eight (8). If a team cannot field at least eight (8) players, that team shall forfeit the game. If a player leaves a game for any reason, and a substitute is not available, that player’s name must remain in the batting order and is considered an out when his or her turn at bat arrives unless he leaves due to injury or illness.

            A player who leaves a game due to injury or illness is skipped over in the batting order (if a substitute is not available) and is NOT considered an out when his or her turn at bat arrives. For the Spring, a substitute may be inserted if available. If a player leaves a game for any reason other than injury or illness, and a substitute is not available, that player must remain in the batting order and is considered an out when his or her turn at bat arrives. (In the Spring only, a substitute may be inserted if available to avoid the out.)

            If a team cannot field the minimum number of players for a scheduled game because it was scheduled on a recognized religious or school function, the game may be canceled and rescheduled without penalty, provided notification is submitted to the division rep, player agent, and league president at least 48 hours prior to the game date. Games cannot be rescheduled for any other reason.

 

8. Players Arriving after the Start of Games

            If a player arrives after the start of the game, the player must be added to the bottom of the batting order (fall season) or used as a substitute (spring season). Defensively, a late player will be counted as playing a defensive inning for any inning that they missed. For example, if a player shows up after the second inning begins the manager will have to play that player for one inning to comply with the minimum play rules.

 

9. Pitchers/Pitching

            A pitcher that has been removed from the mound on the manager/coaches first visit or between innings may return to the mound that inning or subsequent innings, as long as the removed pitcher remains in the game. On a manager/coach’s second trip to the mound in the same inning to the same pitcher, the pitcher must be removed from the mound and cannot return to the mound during the game.

            A pitcher may pitch seven innings per calendar week including re-scheduled and make-up games. If a pitcher deliver one pitch, that constitutes an inning pitched. The Babe Ruth calendar week is Monday through Sunday. A pitcher must have 2 full calendar days rest between pitching assignments if he or she pitches more than three innings in any one game. For example, if a pitcher pitches more than 3 innings on Thursday, he or she cannot pitch again until Sunday. A game in which an ineligible pitcher is used is declared forfeited.

            In addition to the inning limitations and rest requirements above, pitchers are also subject to a pitch count maximum of 95 pitches per day (80 pitches in Fall), for the Babe Ruth division. Should a pitcher reach this maximum during a player's at bat, this pitcher is allowed to continue pitching to this batter until his at bat is complete. This pitch count does NOT include pre-game warm-ups or warm-up pitches between innings.

11. Minimum Playing Time Rules

            For both the spring and fall seasons, each player must play a minimum of three defensive innings and have at least one at bat per game. There will be free substitution defensively among all players on official scorecard (both those listed as substitutes and those in the batting order). If a team is mathematically unable to comply with the minimum play rule, they will not be subject to a forfeit.

 

12. Protest

            In the event of a protest condition, the following procedures must be followed:

The protesting manager must call time out before the next pitch is delivered. A protest that occurs on a game ending play condition must be made by noon of the following day to the League President or designated representative.

            Notify the Home Plate Umpire and the Official Scorekeeper who records the protest in the scorebook, and the opposing manager, stating the reason for the protest.

At this point the game continues under a “protest condition, Discussion over the validity of the protest will not occur at this point. The protesting manager must submit, in writing, the conditions which he/she deems protestable. The report must document the specific issue in enough detail for the Protest Committee to rule. The written protest and Committee ruling will be presented at the next regularly scheduled Board Meeting.

 

            A protest request will only be considered if it is in reference to a rule interpretation. A judgment call by an umpire can not be protested. If a protest is dismissed the game’s outcome stands as played. If the protest is upheld the game is replayed from the point of the protest.

 

13. Scorebook

            Both the managers and coaches of each team must sign the official scorebook immediately after the game. If a manager or coach was ejected from the game by the umpire, the scorekeeper MUST note the ejection in the scorebook. The ejected manager or coach may NOT sign the scorebook.

 

14. Dress Code

            The League furnishes each player with a hat, shirt and stirrups or socks. Every player must wear a complete and matching uniform for all league games. This includes matching pants, color to be determined by team manager. A player not in uniform must sit on the bench out of the game until such time as his or her uniform is complete.

            If a player has started the game and is not in uniform, upon notification of the player’s manager by the opposing team manager and/or umpire, the manager must remove the player from the game until proper attire is attained. If the player is not removed by his or her manager, the game is declared a forfeit. It is the responsibility of the opposing team manager to notify the offending player’s manager and the umpire. If the game is completed without notification, the game is considered an official game. The board may take action against managers or players who continually disregard the League dress code.

            Exposed jewelry such as wrist watches, bracelets, large or loop style earrings and neck chains, or any other item judged dangerous by the umpire, may not be worn during the game. Medical alert bracelets or necklaces are not considered jewelry, but if worn, must be taped to the body.

 

15. Team Direction and Strategy

            Authority for team direction, strategy, and leadership rests with the team manager and coach. Team direction, strategy, and leadership during a game must come from the manager and coach who are present on the field. Parents may not “coach from the stands” in the form of giving signals and calling plays.

 

16. Interleague Play

            Interleague play will follow District 8’s agreed upon interleague rules should they exist and supersede Longwood’s local rules.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Important Notes on Ejections and Forfeits

            While the published league bylaws state that an ejected player or coach must serve a next game suspension, the league’s board has adopted the rule that can be found in the Babe Ruth League rulebook. This rule states if a player or coach is ejected from a game, the league president shall decide if additional penalties, such as serving a game’s suspension, will be imposed.

            Should any manager violate the published ‘Must Play’ rules (those rules that mandate at-bats, play time, and infield play), then that game shall be declared a forfeit. The manager also may face additional penalties as determined by the league board.