Canton Hockomock Baseball League

Playing Rules

The following rules are for the Canton Little League (CLL) Hockomock baseball Age 13-15  Senior Division. These were reviewed and agreed on by various members of the CLL board of directors. Our goal is to teach the rules of baseball that are used at this level in order to form a strong base that can be built upon in future play.   The focus is on developing baseball skills and knowledge of the game as well as providing a positive experience in being part of a team. 

Goals:

Each team shall play a regular season schedule and participate in a playoff tournament at the conclusion of the regular season. The number of regular season games shall be determined at the start of each season, games in accordance with the regulations and playing rules of Little League Baseball. 

Playing rules:

Every player bats in the line-up. Line-up cards will be exchanged between managers prior to the games. Late arriving players will be placed at the end of the line-up.  Once a team has batted through the batting order once, no additions will be made

See Hockomock League official schedule for all starting times. A grace period of 30 minutes will be allowed. A game may start when each team has 9 players. If a game starts with 9 players and a player is injured, ejected, sick and the team has only 8 players remaining, the game will be played to completion.  Games will be seven (7) innings in length.

Unlimited (free) field substitutions are allowed throughout the game.  All players will bat and the batting order remains fixed for the duration of the game.  Two caveats to this as follows:

If a player becomes injured and out for the game, then when that player comes up to bat in the line up, it is NOT an out.  You simply go to the next player.  This DOES NOT apply to any player who is ejected.  If this is the case, when that player comes up in the line up, it is considered an out.

f a player shows up after the game has started, then that player goes to the end of the lineup (i.e. if 10 players in the batting order, the late player becomes the 11th player to bat in the order).

Each player must play a minimum of three defensive innings in a game. Innings may be non-consecutive.

No hidden ball tricks or deception plays will be allowed.

Pitching:

1. Pitching week starts on Monday and ends on Sunday.

2. No pitcher may pitch more than 7 innings per week.

3. One pitch in an inning constitutes an inning pitched.

4. All innings pitched in an incomplete game will count towards innings pitched for that week.

5. No days rest is required

Balks will be called in:

      13 year old division – after 1 warning per team

      14 year old division – No warnings

      15 year old division – No warnings

A manager or coach is allowed one (1) trip to the mound per inning. On the second trip, the pitcher must be removed from the mound. Calling a pitcher or catcher to the sideline will be considered a trip to the mound. 

Once the pitcher is removed from the mound they can be re-entered as a position player but they cannot return as a pitcher in the same game

Any pitching violation as verified by the scorekeepers in each division will be reported to the chairman of the protest committee.  The chairman of the protest committee will call the manager in violation and inform him / her of the penalty.

Pitching – Playoffs

Pitchers can pitch back-to-back games up to 7 innings. Rest rule is waived.  Pitching week starts Monday of playoff week and any innings from the prior regular season week are wiped clean. Everyone starts at 0 innings.

Metal cleats may be worn in the 13 - 15 year old division

Unlimited number of runs can be scored in any inning.

The Umpire-in-Chief will be the sole determinant as to when a new inning may start.  The Umpire-in Chief will take into account light available, weather, and the safety of the players.

Any regular season game will be terminated once becoming regulation if one team is ahead by ten (10) or more runs and have had equal times at bat or the home team is leading.  This slaughter rule will apply to any playoff games as well as the championship game.

Bunting is allowed.

Slashing will not be allowed. A player who slashes will be called out. The ball is dead. No runners may advance.

Stealing is allowed.

The runner must either slide into the base or veer away from the base fielder in order to avoid contact with the base fielder. If a base runner does not slide or avoid contact with the base fielder the runner shall be declared out.

Teams tied at the end of regulation play, must play extra innings.  Extra inning play shall continue to either; (a) a winner is determined or (b) the umpiring crew calls the game due to darkness or inclement weather.  In the case of event (b) the score will revert back to last completed full inning and will be recorded as a tie.  Games recorded as a tie shall not be continued at any future date (except during the playoffs). 

 For scoring purposes: 

In extra innings, play shall continue until (1) the visiting team has scored more total runs than the home team at the end of a completed inning; or (2) the home team scores the winning run in an uncompleted inning.  Because they bat in the second (or "bottom") half of an inning, a home team which scores to take a lead either in the last inning of regulation play or at any point in extra innings immediately ends the inning and the game with a win for that team. Usually, the home team wins by only 1 run in this situation.  However, if the winning hit is a home run which leaves the playing field, all runners and the batter are entitled to score, with their runs counting in the final score even if it puts the home team ahead by more than 1 run.  A tie game will be awarded 1 point to each team for standings.