3.00 Game Preliminaries

It is the responsibility of the home team coach to review the pertinent house rules with the umpire and visiting team coach prior to the start of each game.

A team must field and bat a minimum of eight players at all times or must forfeit.

An official (adult) coach must coach third base. A coach or player, but not both, may coach first during any single game. An adult coach may not be replaced at first or third base during an inning. Only the batting team may have coaches on the field, and only inside the coachesí areas at first and third base. No coaches or players may watch from within the field of play, or directly behind the backstop in line with the battery. There must be at least one designated coach (adult) in the dugout area during the batting teamís half inning at the plate.

Every player must wear official Brighton Baseball cap, tucked shirt, and pants to be eligible to play. Warm layers are encouraged for poor weather but may be worn under the jersey only.

Official coaches (head coach and named assistant) must wear Brighton Baseball shirts during games.

Every player must play at least 9 defensive outs by the end of the fifth inning or the violating team forfeits. Players, who have properly notified the team at least two hours before game time, arriving so late that two innings are complete, must play every defensive out until the 9 out minimum is reached or the game is regulation. All players except a starting pitcher that pitches the entire game must play at least one inning in the outfield.

Any player ejected from a game after the fourth inning is suspended from the next game.

4.00 Starting and Ending the Game

The weeknight game time is 6:15 p.m. unless otherwise noted.

It is expected that the visiting team procures and places the bases and the home team is responsible for the safe storage of the bases, inserting base box plugs, returning scoreboard controllers, tools, etc.

Infield and/or batting practice before games: visitors from 35-20 minutes pregame; home from 20-5 minutes pregame (this leaves five minutes for umpire meeting with preliminaries).

The home team takes the first base dugout/bench; the away team uses the third base side.

No inning will begin more than 2’ 15” after start time by the umpireís watch (revised 2002).

Start time for Westfall Town Park games begin at 8 PM (new 2002).

There are six innings per game. There is a 5 run limit in the first and second inning.

Games will rarely be postponed due to weather in advance of the scheduled start time. On days when the weather is questionable, both teams are to report as usual and prepare the field for safe play. Often the threatening weather passes if you remain patient. It is simpler to start late than reschedule games.

A game halted due to weather, darkness or curfew is considered regulation if more than four innings are completed or if the home team has more runs in three or more innings than the visiting team has in four complete at bats (12 offensive outs).

Games called due to weather, darkness or curfew after one complete inning, but before regulation criteria are reached, shall be resumed from the exact point of play at which they were suspended. A pitcher can compete in the resumed game and another game on the same day subject to the six innings per week limitation. Games halted before one complete inning are expunged and replayed from start; pitchers in this instance must rest one calendar day but do not accumulate any innings toward the weekly limit.

Make-up and suspended games must be completed by the second Sunday following the postponement. Double headers are allowed provided they do not conflict with scheduled games. No make-up game scheduled on Motherís or Fatherís day can begin before 12:00 or after 4:00 p.m.

6.00 The Batter

The batter shall control the bat safely. If the umpire determines the bat was unsafely handled or "thrown", the batterís team is issued a warning. Second offense by the batter or any subsequent team member results in ejection. Each team is afforded one warning per game.

7.00 The Runner

The fielder/catcher may not completely block the access to the base/plate. Both fielder and runner shall make effort to avoid contact beyond a simple tag. The umpire may award the base/run to the team at bat if in his/her judgement the fielder/catcher blocked access. The umpire may call the runner out if deliberate attempt at collision is made regardless of whether a successful tag was made. If either or both are determined by the umpire to have flagrantly caused collision, either or both should be ejected.

Runners may advance from a base only after the ball has reached home plate; there are no leadoffs. If the runner leaves a base before the ball reaches home plate, the runner will be called out. There will be one warning per game per team.

The runner must return to the base when the pitcher (in possession of the ball) toes the rubber or he/she will be called out for leading (unless the runner has committed to stealing the next base).

A runner may advance from base (including third) if there is a wild pitch, passed ball or if the return throw back to the pitcher from a ball in play is not cleanly fielded.

If the course of play dislodges the base from its original position, no play can be made on that runner at that base if the base had been reached safely and no attempt to leave is made by the runner.

8.00 The Pitcher

A pitcher may pitch a maximum of six innings per week (Monday through Sunday)

After pitching less than four innings, one full calendar day of rest is mandatory. If a pitcher pitches in more that three innings, three full calendar days rest are required. For example, if a pitcher pitches five innings on Saturday, he/she is ineligible to pitch again until Wednesday. Failure to comply with the mandatory rest rule will result in a forfeit called against the violating team and a three game suspension for the head coach.

Once a pitcher leaves the mound for a substitute, he/she may not pitch in that game again.

One pitched ball constitutes a full inning pitched for rest and weekly inning limit criteria.

Only three (3) twelve-year-old pitchers may pitch per team per calendar week (Sunday through Saturday).

The pitcher may not wear sunglasses, white below the shoulder on the upper extremities, or wristbands of any color.

A pitcher may not throw by intentionally curving or twisting the wrist or arm (e.g. to throw a curve ball). Side arm motion is permitted if this is the natural pitching motion of the pitcher.

In the All-Star Game, pitchers may pitch for one inning independent of the weekly inning limit and rest criteria. This is the only exception to both of these criteria. Make-up and playoff games always are subject to league limits on innings and mandatory rest criteria.

There are no intentional walks.

A batter is out on the third strike whether the catcher cleanly fields the pitch or not.

A pitcher who stops his/her motion in progress will be called for an illegal pitch. Once warned, each pitcher called for a subsequent illegal pitch will result in a dead ball and the umpire will award the batter a ball. Other criteria for illegal pitches are defined in the Regulations and Playing Rules of Little League Baseball.

A pitcher must be relieved upon a second conference (a.k.a. "trip to the mound") by the coaching staff.

A pitcher who has struck three batters in the same inning must be relieved. This is not an automatic ejection. (2002)

A log must be kept regarding innings pitched, to be communicated to the president after each game by the winning coach.

9.00 The Umpire

If the umpire is not present 15 minutes after scheduled starting time, the two head coaches may agree to select temporary umpires from the available spectators or assistant coaches. It is suggested that two umpires be agreed upon, one calling home plate (from the mound if protective equipment is not available) and the other calling the field (from first base until runners are on). If possible, the two should rotate after each complete inning, particularly if the two are selected from opposing teamís spectators. This arrangement is voluntary. The goal is to get the games completed whenever possible. If the umpire arrives after the game has started, he/she will begin umpiring at the conclusion of the at bat in progress after the Pre-Game Checklist is reviewed at the direction of the home team coach.