Supplemental Rules for "Rookie" League

 

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Rules for the Babe Ruth League, Inc., Cal Ripkin Division, will apply unless modified herein.  Rule changes are subject to yearly review by the Officers, Board of Directors, and Rules Committee.

ELIGIBILITY

1. Rookie League players shall be 7 or 8 years of age

2. Age for league purposes shall be the player’s age as of May 1

3. In special situations, players over the age of 8 may be permitted to play in the Rookie League

       a. The decision to permit an older child to play in the Rookie League is vested solely in the Board of Directors

       b. This provision is intended to apply to children who cannot compete safely in their age group

NUMBER OF TEAMS AND TEAM ROSTERS

1. The Rookie League shall have as many teams as deemed necessary by the Board

2. Each team shall consist of 11 to 15 players unless the Board of Directors determines it is appropriate to change the roster size

3. Player assignment shall be as follows:

       a. All players shall be assigned based on school districts, when possible

       b. Siblings playing in the Rookie League shall be assigned to the same team

       c. Requests to play with friends, relatives other than siblings, or on particular teams will be honored where feasible if such requests are not viewed as being detrimental to another team of the League

             i. The League Registrar is responsible for such decisions

             ii. In case of a dispute, the Board of Directors shall make the final decision

       d. No player shall be automatic to any team except as follows:

             i. Coaches’ child(ren) (limited to one head coach and one assistant coach)

             ii. Hardship cases approved by the Board of Directors

       e. Late sign-ups, when accepted by the League Registrar, shall be assigned to a team which, in the judgment of the League Registrar, exhibits the greatest need them the most

SCHEDULE

1. The schedule shall be prepared by the League Scheduler

2. Rescheduling of games must be approved by the League Scheduler

3. Coaches rescheduling a game must notify the head of umpires and arrange for an umpire crew for the rescheduled game           

GENERAL PLAYING RULES

1. Each team will field ten players

       a. The tenth (extra) player shall play in the outfield (beyond the infield dirt)

       b. A team may play with eight eligible players

2. Borrowed players

       a. Borrowing is allowed only with the approval of the League President

       b. The Park Host may approve a borrowed player if the League President is unavailable

       c. No child shall be permitted to play without having first been registered with Wenatchee Youth Baseball for the season and assigned to a team

3. Playing time

       a. Generally, available players on a team shall receive equal playing time in each game, regardless of perceived ability

             i. The League recognizes that factors beyond a coach’s control may interfere with the ability to equalize playing time

             ii. Records should be kept to assist coaches in assuring that over the course of the season that players receive equal playing time

       b. Playing time may be limited for disciplinary reasons

       c. For discipline based on conduct occurring prior to the game:

            i. The action must be approved in advance by the league president

            ii. The opposing coach shall be notified of the discipline and what innings, if any, the player will be permitted to play

            iii. The player and his or her parents shall have been notified of the action and its reasons prior to the game

       d. For discipline based on conduct occurring during or immediately prior to the game:

            i. The opposing coach shall be notified of the action immediately and advised as to what innings, if any, the player will be permitted to play

            ii. The league president shall be notified of the action at the earliest reasonable opportunity

            iii. The player and the player’s parents shall be notified of the reasons immediately following the game or as soon thereafter as reasonably possible

4. Player rotation

       a. It is the intent of Wenatchee Youth Baseball that every Rookie League player play each fielding position over the course of  the season

       b. Players shall not play any one position more than two innings per game

       c. All players shall be treated equally in assignment of infield and outfield playing time

       d. Players should be assigned at least two innings at infield positions in every game

       e. As a rule of thumb, no player should be assigned to play more than two innings in the outfield for every inning played at an infield position

5. Maximum batters per inning

       a. The “Ninth Batter Rule” will be used in all Rookie League games

       b. During the first five innings of any game, the offensive team will have completed their half of the inning upon three outs or completion of the ninth at bat, whichever occurs first

       c. When the ninth batter comes to the plate the umpire shall be notified

       d. Upon the ninth batter coming to bat, the inning shall end upon a strike out, any defensive out, or upon a defensive player, in possession of the ball, tagging home plate

       e. In the sixth inning the “Ninth Batter  Rule” does not apply and a team’s turn at bat shall end only upon three outs being recorded

5. Batting

       a. All available players on a team’s roster shall be in the batting line-up

              i. All available players shall have a turn at bat before the first batter can return to the plate

              ii. The team batting order shall remain the same throughout the game

              iii. In the event a player cannot play due to injury or other reasons, that player’s spot in the line up shall be passed over without penalty provided that the opposing coach has been notified of the player’s unavailability

              iv. If the opposing coach was not notified prior to the next batter in the line up coming to bat, an out shall be recorded

              v. If an unavailable player returns, he or she may return to the line up upon notice to the opposing coach           

       b. To promote safety, throwing of the bat is prohibited

             i. The first occurrence of a thrown bat results in a warning

             ii. Upon a second occurrence, the ball shall called “dead” and the batter called “out”

       c. The defensive team shall not address the batter during the game

       d. Batters shall be limited to taking first base except upon a “clean double”

            i. A “clean double” is a hit ball that, in the judgment of the umpire, would likely result in the batter reaching second base even if cleanly fielded by the defensive team

            ii. To be declared a “clean double” the hit ball must ordinarily reach the outfield grass on the fly and land between defensive players or be sharply hit and pulled away from fielders, as in a ball hit down the left or right field line (in the latter situation, the ball need not reach the outfield grass on the fly)

            iii. A clean double shall be signaled by the umpire holding up two fingers

            iv. When a clean double is signaled the batter/runner may attempt, at his or her own risk, to take second base and other runners on base at the time of the hit, may attempt to advance two bases rather than just one base 

            v. The defensive team may attempt a play on the batter/runner or any other base runner

       f. Bunting is prohibited

       g. A batted ball which strikes the pitching machine or its cord, or comes to a stop in the circle around the pitching machine shall be declared a “dead” ball

           i. Runners shall return to the last occupied base

           ii. The batter will return to the batter’s box with a new count

       h. The three strike rule shall apply as follows:

           i.  A batter having two strikes shall be out upon a swinging strike

           ii. A called third strike after one warning by the umpire

6. Base running

       a. No leading off

           i. Leading off is defined as the runner leaving the base before the batter hits the ball

           ii. A runner who leads off will be returned to the base

       b. Stealing is prohibited

       c. Play shall stop upon the pitcher receiving the ball at his or her position

           i. Play shall be dead until the next batter has hit the ball 

           ii. Receiving the ball shall be defined as the pitcher, while at his or her regular position, catching a thrown ball or making contact with the ball with his or her glove in an attempt to catch a ball thrown by another defensive player with intent to stop play

PITCHING MACHINE RULES – DO NOT USE SYNTHETIC COVERED BALLS

1. Pitching machines shall be used at all times in Rookie League games

2. The machine will be set at a constant speed that will, initially, be determined by the  coaches

       a. The umpire may change the speed of the machine after any complete inning

       b. Upon the consent of both coaches, the speed may be changed at any time

3. There shall be a circle eight feet in diameter around the mound

       a. Players shall be instructed that they are not to attempt to field a ball in the circle

       b. Any ball that hits the machine or cord is considered a dead ball and is played over, with the batter given a new count

       c. If a ball is touched by a fielder in the circle, the batter shall be awarded first base

       d. If in the judgment of the umpire, the existence of the circle interferes with a fielder’s ability to field a ball, the ball shall be declared dead and the batter shall return to the batter’s box with a new count

       e. The intent is to discourage fielders from attempting to field a ball in the vicinity of the pitching machine

4. The umpire is responsible for feeding the machine and calling balls, strike, and outs

5. The umpire will feed the machine only when the batter is ready

6. If a thrown ball hits the machine or cord the runner will be allowed only the base he is trying for

7. Catchers must be in a catcher’s stance behind home plate before each pitch.

8. Balls shall not be accumulated behind home plate.  Each pitched ball must be returned to the umpire feeding the pitching machine.

Special Tournament Rules

1. Following the end of the regular season, a season-ending tournament shall be conducted

       a. All teams shall participate in the tournament

       b. Teams shall be seeded based on their regular season records

2. There shall be no fixed time limit on tournament games

       a. If a game cannot be safely continued due to darkness or other environmental conditions, the game shall be terminated if considered a legal game (at least 4 innings have been completed, 3 ½ if the home team is leading, one team is ahead, and the teams have had an equal number of at-bats, or the home team is leading)

       b. A tie game, or one which may not be considered a “legal game” cannot be safely continued due to darkness or other environmental conditions, the game shall be suspended, to resume from the point at which play halted at a later time when conditions permit

3. The determination of Home team and Visiting team shall be made by coin toss prior to the start of the game

Sanctions/penalties

Violations of the above stated rules may result in penalties as determined by the league president and/or Board of Directors and may include suspension or removal of an offending coach or forfeiture of games

Approved 12/04

Revised: 3/24/06

Revised: 1/11/2011