2010 INTERLOCK BASEBALL RULES AND
REGULATIONS
ARTICLE 1 -TEAM RESPONSIBILITIES
1)
All teams must have nine (9) players on roster to start the
season.
2)
A team must be ready to play within 15 minutes after the
scheduled game time or the game will
be forfeited.
3)
All team members must have shirts or tops of the same color
with an identifying number on the back.
4)
The home team is responsible for one (1) new game ball and
two (2) good used game balls each game.
ARTICLE 2 - SCHEDULE
1)
The official league schedule must be followed.
2)
Once the schedule has been set, no changes will be
made. The only exceptions are due to
inclement weather conditions or school activities. Rainouts
must be rescheduled within TWO WEEKS of cancellations; failure to do so will
result in the scheduler rescheduling the game or forfeit. All cancellations must be entered into the
MTAA web site (www.mtaaonline.org,
then “BASEBALL”, then “REPORT SCORES”).
The home team must contact the opposing team and umpires of a
cancellation at least one (1) hour prior
to game time, sooner if possible.
3)
Games that end
in a tie and have reached official status shall be recorded as a tie.
ARTICLE 3 - MANAGER
& COACH RESPONSIBILITIES
1)
Ensure the accurate recording of the scorebook to include
team names playing, date, playing venue, proper player names with jersey
numbers, and batting orders.
2)
Review the scorebook with the opposing team at completion of
game to verify accuracy.
3)
Supervise the conduct of the team at all times, to include
players, assistant coaches and fans.
4)
Have team ready to play at the designated time.
5)
Quickly address unsolicited spectator assistance or
inappropriate behaviors, especially towards umpires or the opposing team.
6)
Pay the required fee to the umpire before the start of the
game (See ARTICLE 8 below).
7)
Report
Score/Rainout to Interlock Score keeper within 48 hrs. Failure to do
so will result in a forfeit. Both teams are responsible for reporting
game scores (which is why the scorebooks from both teams should be verified for
accuracy after the game), and the home team is responsible for reporting rain
out.
8)
Go to www.mtaaonline.org
to report scores and rainouts.
9)
Rainout scheduling – Home team manager is responsible to
find a field and call opposing manager to reschedule the game. Home team organization is also responsible to
schedule umpires.
10) The Manager is
responsible for themselves, their coaches, their players, and their fans. Any berating of the umpires WILL NOT BE TOLERATED UNDER ANY
CIRCUMSTANCES!! An investigation
will be conducted with input from all organizations involved to determine if
the violator can continue to coach/attend/play in future games. Do not
question the umpire’s calls!! These
are young umpires and they will make mistakes.
The best you can hope for is that the mistakes even out by the end of
the game. If they don’t, be an adult and
live with it!
ARTICLE 4 - FIELD
CONDITIONS
1)
All fields must have visible foul lines between home plate
and first and third base and batters box.
2)
Any pitching rubber in front of the one in use must be
removed at the request of the opposing coach.
3)
The pitching rubber is measured from the front of the
pitching rubber to the rear of home plate.
4)
9-10 (Minor) - 60 foot basepaths and 46 feet from the
pitching rubber to home plate.
5)
11-13 (Major) - 75 foot basepaths and 50 feet from the
pitching rubber to home plate.
6)
The umpire has the right to suspend play if he/she feels the
field is unsafe, with input from both coaches.
7) No vinyl
baseball will be used; all baseballs must be equal to a WilsonLLB for 9-10.
8) All batters
boxes should be 4x6.
ARTICLE 5 - PLAYING
RULES
1)
Major league rules will be followed unless altered below.
2)
All batters and base runners must wear full protective
helmets (covering all of the head and ears) at all times.
3)
Sneakers, rubber spikes or soccer type shoes are
acceptable. Absolutely no metal spikes.
4)
Catchers must wear full protective equipment, including a
cup.
5)
THERE ARE NO
BAT RESTRICTIONS FOR EITHER THE MINOR OR MAJOR DIVISION!!!!
6)
One pitch constitutes an inning thrown by that pitcher.
7)
No pitcher is eligible to pitch on consecutive days during
the season.
8)
Pitchers can re-enter a game, providing they are not over
their maximum innings allowed per game.
9)
No one is allowed to stand behind the backstop. Distance should be determined and marked by
the home team.
10) "Must
slide or avoid contact" rules will be enforced. A
player cannot slide into 1st base, the result of that will the
player being called out. A fake tag
will result in an extra base being awarded to the base runner affected, to
others only if forced (PIAA Rule 8, Section 3, Article 2). Any flagrant contact will result in an
ejection of the player.
11) Every field
will play a standard catch and carry rule.
All areas will establish out of
play lines and mark them if possible.
12) All areas are
to use a "safety lime" product for the lining of the diamond.
13) No person
under the age of 18 is to be allowed in the coach's box without protective headgear.
14) All ground
rules will be gone over five (5) minutes prior to the start of all games. Establishing the ground rules is the
responsibility of the home team. No
players will be allowed on the field at this time.
15) The infield
must be ready for the visiting team 15 minutes prior to presentation of ground
rules.
16) All overthrows will be according to
major league rules. See definition at
the end of rules.
17) A calendar
week is Sunday to Saturday.
18) A team may
play with eight players. A team without
eight players at the starting time will have a fifteen-minute waiting period. After this period, a forfeit is
declared. In case of injury, illness or
ejection during a game, a team may complete the game with less than eight
players.
19) An inning consists of either 5 runs or 3 outs. The only exception being the last inning,
which is unlimited runs, play until 3 outs are made. Both teams must bat in the last inning if
the visitor is ahead to be official, otherwise it reverts back to the previous
inning. If the last inning WILL NOT be the 7th
(Major) or 6th (Minor) due to time, weather, or other
considerations, the managers from both teams, along with the umpires, will need
to identify and agree upon the last inning before
it begins for it to be unlimited runs.
20) For all games:
no new inning will start after 2 hrs
from the actual start of the game.
21) Weekday games:
In case of darkness, the managers & umpire are to meet in the 4th
inning to agree which inning will be the last inning.
ARTICLE 6 – MINOR
(9-10) SPECIAL RULES
1)
Minor (9-10) games are six (6) innings, with a minimum of
four (4) complete innings being played to count the game as official (i.e. team
behind in score, whether home or away, must bat at least 4 times for the game
to be “official”).
2)
Pitchers may pitch four (4) innings per game with a maximum
of eight (8) innings per calendar week, but may not pitch on back-to-back days
during the season.
3)
Every player will be placed in the official batting order
(all players bat whether in the field or not).
4)
All players in the lineup are required to play two (2)
defensive innings or six outs. There
will be free defensive substitution, provided each player meets the two
defensive inning requirement.
5)
All play stops when the ball is in control of the pitcher in
the vacinity of the mound.
6)
A fifteen run rule will apply. The umpire will call the game after four (4)
full innings when the deficit is 15 runs or greater, providing each team has
had an equal number of at bats. The
umpire is then excused and the game will be official.
7)
Team leading by 10
runs – runners can only advance on a batted ball (no steals / no advancement on
passed balls).
8)
A runner who leaves the base before the ball passed the
plate will be called out. One warning per
team per game before a runner is called out.
9)
A team can score a runner from 3rd
base ONLY 1 TIME PER INNING due to a wild pitch or passed ball.
All other runs need to be scored via a walk or a hit (up by 10, must
score via walk or hit ONLY).
10) A catcher drop
third strike, the batter is automatically out regardless of the status of first
base. All other runners may advance at
their own risk.
11) No advancement
on catcher overthrows to second and third base on steal attempts, AND NO
ADVANCEMENT FROM 3RD
12) NO “CAT AND
MOUSE GAMES”, especially between 3rd and home. If a runner attempts to advance past 3rd
on a play (before pitcher has the ball), and then makes any move to return to 3rd,
the play is over and the runner must be sent safely back to 3rd.
13) A player who
is ejected from the game is not an automatic out.
14) No balks and
no infield fly rule.
15) No intentional
walks are allowed.
16) Minor teams
may use a fourth (4th) outfielder.
The decision to use a fourth outfielder is voluntary on the part of each
team, each game.
ARTICLE 7 – MAJOR
(11-13) SPECIAL RULES
1)
Major (11-13) games are seven (7) innings with a minimum of
five (5) complete innings being played to count the game as official (i.e. team
behind in score, whether home or away, must bat at least 5 times for the game
to be “official”).
2)
Pitchers may pitch five (5) innings per game, with a maximum
of ten (10) innings per calendar week, but may not pitch on back-to-back days.
3)
Every player will be placed in the official batting order
and will bat in turn whether they were in the field or not.
4)
All players in the lineup will be required to play two (2)
two defensive inning or six outs. There will be free defensive substitution,
provided every player plays the required innings in the field.
5)
Team leading by 10
runs – runners can only advance on a batted ball (no steals / no advancement on
passed balls).
6)
EACH individual
pitcher will be given one (1) warning before enforcement of the balk rule. When a balk is called by an umpire, whether a
warning has already been given or not, play is immediately stopped.
7)
A fifteen run rule will apply. The umpire will call the game after five (5)
innings when the deficit is 15 runs or more, providing the team behind has had
an equal amount of at bats. The umpire
is then excused and the game will be official.
8)
Dropped 3rd
Strike
(called or on the swing): the batter can run if no one is occupying first base
AT THE TIME OF THE PITCH, and can run if there are two outs no matter how many
runners are on base. All other runners
may advance at their own risk (Example: runner on first with less than 2 outs
attempts steal of 2nd base and the pitch results in a dropped 3rd
strike – the batter is out and runner advances to 2nd at own risk).
9)
The balk rule is in effect (#6 above) and there is an
infield fly rule.
10) Intentional
walks are not allowed.
ARTICLE 8 – UMPIRES
& FEES
1)
Each umpire (2) will be paid $15.00 per game. Each team will
pay 1 umpire. Umpires should be paid before going over the ground rules. If
only one umpire shows he gets $30.00 and home team finds a parent volunteer to
help.
2)
Umpires have full control of the game at all times.
3)
Any attempt by coaches or players to berate, belittle,
intimidate, or interfere with the umpires during the execution of their duties
will mean expulsion from the league for the party(s) involved. This applies to after the game as well.
4)
The home plate umpire must wear a chest protector and
protective facemask at all times during the game.
ARTICLE 9 - EJECTIONS
1)
Players - An intentional thrown helmet, bat, or any
other object will mean an automatic ejection, from that game only. A second ejection will be for two additional
games. A third ejection will result in a
season long suspension.
2)
Coaches - First ejection will be for that game only, a second
ejection will be for two additional games, and a third ejection will result in
a season long suspension.
3)
Independent board action may be taken after the first
ejection depending upon the seriousness of the violation.
4)
A coach may appeal a suspension to the respective league
coordinator within 24 hours of a suspension.
5)
The umpires will give both teams a warning before the game
pertaining to #1.
ARTICLE 10 –
ORGANIZATIONAL PLAYOFFS
1)
At the end of the regular season, each organization will
conduct both Minor and Major playoffs.
2)
Every team will be eligible to participate in their
organization’s single elimination playoff.
3)
Each Organization should follow the same seeding procedure:
a.
Record
b.
Head to head competition
c.
Season winning percentage
d.
Winning percentage versus common opponents
4)
The winning team from the Minor and Major division will
represent their organization in the Interlock Championship Series.
ARTICLE 11 -
INTERLOCK CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES
1)
The Interlock Championship Series will consist of a two (2) game
Minor tournament and a two (2) game Major tournament. For 2010,
2)
For 2010, the Major and Minor tournament will include West
York,
3)
Championship games will be 7 innings for the Majors and 6
innings for the Minors.
4)
A game that ends in a tie after 7 innings (Majors), or 6
innings (Minors), and is suspended due to darkness will be picked up where it
left off as soon as possible.
5)
The number of innings a pitcher can pitch per game remains
the same as regular season and a pitcher is not allowed to exceed the number of
innings per week, but may pitch back-to-back games/days. Please use your common sense on this one.
6)
All rules from regular season apply during the
organizational play-offs and Interlock Championship Series.
ARTICLE 12 -
SCOREBOOKS AND REPORTING
1)
Each team will be provided with a scorebook. The home team is the “official” book.
2)
At the end of each game, both home and away teams should
compare scorebooks for score accuracy.
3)
Innings pitched for each player need to be accurately
identified in the scorebook. The book
should indicate the players name and number, as well as the amount of innings
pitched. Remember, one pitch to a batter
constitutes an inning pitched.
4)
Report game scores and rainouts through www.mtaaonline.org. Both teams are responsible for score
reporting, and the home team is responsible for reporting a rainout.
5)
Rainouts – if a game is cancelled due to rain, the
rescheduled date MUST be reported on the MTAA web site. This game must be rescheduled within two
weeks. Failure to have the game
rescheduled within two weeks will result in the game being rescheduled for you
or forfeit.
OVERTHROWS
Rule 7.05 (g)
Two bases when, with no spectators on the playing field, a thrown ball goes
into the stands, or into a bench (whether or not the ball rebounds into the
field), or over or under or through a field fence, or on a slanting part of the
screen above the backstop, or remains in the meshes of a wire screen protecting
spectators. The ball is dead. When such wild throw is the first play by an
infielder, the umpire, in awarding such bases, shall be governed by the
position of the runners at the time the ball was pitched; in all other cases
the umpire shall be governed by the position of the runners at the time the
wild throw was made. If over throw occurs from the pitchers mound only one base
is awarded.
Revised March 9, 2010 mw