ECSS Split League - T-Ball Rules
I. Field / Equipment / General
A) Field:
1. All games shall be played on
softball sized diamonds or open fields. Fields with or without fences are
acceptable.
2. Bases will be approximately
60 feet apart.
B) Equipment:
1. All games shall be played
with a foam ball.
2. Metal spikes are not
allowed! (PERIOD)
3. Any other types of cleats
are allowed (i.e. softball, soccer).
C) General:
II. Number Of Participants
1. A maximum of 11 players can
be on the field for the fielding team.
2. Teams must have at least 4
players of each gender and must also have the required minimum 8 players to
consider game legal. Teams may borrow players from other teams, with penalty (1
player picked up=1 run, 2 players picked up=2 runs etc.), to fill roster for a
game, AS LONG AS OPPOSING TEAM OKs THE PICK UPS PRIOR TO START OF GAME. Once
game has started with approved players, the game will count.
3. All players on your roster,
that are present, must bat in the line-up.
4. There is no boy/girl batting
order rule. Players can bat in any order, provided the order is consistent
throughout the game.
5. A team having 11 players,
that is missing a required male/female player, must play short defensively, the
number of missing player(s). This only applies for teams with 11 players or
more. Teams with fewer than 7 players shall have a 10 minute grace period
before a forfeit is declared.
6. Subs may be used at any
time, so long as the opposing team is not opposed! (READ RULE 3)
III. Regulation Games
1. A regulation game shall consist of
6 innings or a time limit of 55 minutes. If a game starts late, it shall be
played until 5 minutes before the next games starting time.
2. The umpire or Field Rep may
call a game due to time; an inning may not reasonably be completed before the
55-minute time limit. As such, an inning cannot begin 45 minutes after the hour
unless the score is tied or if it is the last scheduled game.
3. A game is considered official once
4 full innings have been completed.
4. Regular season games may end in
ties. If time permits, Field Reps may grant additional innings if both
captains agree to play them.
5. Called games shall be played at a
future date agreeable to both team captains at a site to be agreed upon. Any
games not replayed shall be counted as a tie in the standings.
6. Home and Away team is determined
by the league for every game. Check with the field rep.
7. The winner will select either Home
or Away.
IV. Fielding / Outs / Foul Balls / Overthrows
A) Fielding:
1. Players will hit the ball
off of a batting tee.
2. No player may advance pass
the 'pitch line' until the ball has been hit.
3. Lateral movement by the
pitcher is tolerated, as long as there is no encroachment.
4. Players may play any
formation they like as long as nobody crosses the 'pitch line' before the ball
is hit.
5. It is a teams choice to have a catcher. The
catcher position is included in the 11 players fielding (a team can have a
catcher and 1 less fielder or 11 fielders). If the catcher position is used the
catcher must stay behind the circle until the ball is hit. The catcher will
need to be weary of the batter and throwing of the bat.
B) Outs:
1. The batting team gets 3 outs
per inning. An out results due to the following
1. A ball caught on the fly
2. Base runner is forced out
3. Base runner is hit with ball
while not on base.
4. 3 foul balls
2. As even the most innocent
looking pop ups are potential hits, there is NO infield fly rule. Only in force
out situations will runs not count in third out situations (see next bullet).
3. A force out constitutes a
defensive player touching the base where forced player is running to, either
with ball in hand or by throwing to a fellow teammate that is covering the
base. Tagging or throwing at the player does not constitute a force play.
4. THERE WILL BE A 2 HOME RUN CAP PER GAME PER
TEAM. This means you are allowed as a team to hit 2 Home Runs OVER the fence.
Every Home Run after 2 will be a OUT. Your team can hit as many INSIDE the park
home runs as you want.
C) Foul Balls:
1. 3 foul balls will be called
an out.
2. A foul ball that is caught
counts as an out. Runners may advance as long as they tag up.
3. If a ball is touched in fair
territory it is fair, regardless of other factors, i.e. foot placement of the
fielder.
4. Fair vs. foul- If a ball is
hit on the ground and touches fair territory first, then it MUST touch foul
territory before 1st or 3rd base to be foul. No matter if it appears to go
foul, the ball is not considered foul UNTIL it touches foul territory.
5. A ball may start foul on the
ground and roll/bounce fair BEFORE 1 st or 3rd BASE and be
fair. A ball must be touched by defensive team in foul territory before
1st or 3rd base to be considered foul.
D) Overthrows:
1. OVERTHROWS ARE LIVE BALLS AT ALL TIMES (Fence is
live), IT IS DEAD IF IT HITS ANY ITEM BESIDES FENCE. Runner are awarded an
extra base on dead balls. Depending on location of runner to advance.
2. Defensive players cannot impede a runner retrieving an
overthrown ball.
V. Batting / Running
A) Batting:
1. The batter must hit the ball
from within the batters box. (the astro turf mat in which Homeplate is painted
on).
2. Bunting is allowed, by female
players only. The ball must go past the designated bunt line drawn on the
field.
3. Each team may have base
coaches at first and third bases. Base coaches are not allowed to touch runner,
if done it will be an out.
4. Batters MUST HOLD NOT THROW THE BATS WHEN
HITTING. If a batter lets go of the bat while swinging to hit the ball, the
player will be out! CAN NOT LAND OUTSIDE OF CIRCLE.
5. Batters may use whatever bat they would
like. ECSS will provide bats for games and if players choose to bring their own
bat, ECSS will not be held responsible if anything were to happen to the
equipment.
B) Running:
1. There will be a 'safety' bag
next to 1st base which every base runner must use to avoid collisions at 1st
base. IF BASE RUNNER DOES NOT USE SAFETY BAG ON A FORCE OUT TO
1 ST BASE THEY WILL BE CALLED OUT. NO MATTER WHAT . If there is
no force at 1st base the runner does not have to use safety bag.
2. Runners must stay in the
base path at refs discretion or they will automatically be called out.
3. Infield base runners cannot
advance until the ball is hit.
4. Defensive fielders impeding
with the offensive runners' path to the base, shall result in the runner being
awarded the base they are attempting to run to. EXCEPT, when the ball in play is directly in the runners' base path the obstruction is on the runner, not the fielder. The runner cannot interfere with the play on the ball.
5. Leading off and stealing are
not allowed. Leading off/leaving early will result in a do-over.
6. Sliding is legal. But,
please do so with caution, keeping fielders and your safety in mind.
7. Runners can tag-up, at their
own risk, once defensive player has control of the ball.
8. After a ball is caught, the
runner must tag up before advancing to the next base. Failure to tag up before
advancing results in an out if the runner is tagged or the ball is thrown to
the previous base prior to runner getting back.
9. If any offensive runner
passes a teammate that is running the bases ahead of them, the
"passing" offensive player, will be called out (tags base first). Offensive
runner can push/touch the teammate running ahead of them if they are catching
up to them.
10. Balls thrown at the base runner must be
below the head. Any head shot incurred while the runner is in an upright
running position results in advancement to the base they were running to.
11. Any intentional hitting of the ball
with the head by a runner will result in an out.
12. If runner slides, jumps or ducts to
avoid a ball, this does not count as a head shot and runner will be
"safe" or "out" depending on umpires call of the play.
13. After a ball is hit, if the ball hits
the batter or any base runner at any time and is in fair territory, the runner
is out, and batter resumes their turn if hit base runner. For the batter this will
be considered dead ball.
14. If the batter or base runner is in foul
territory, when struck by the ball, it is a foul ball.
15. Pinch runners are allowed for injured
players only, but the batter must make it to 1st base before said pinch runner
can run for them. The runner will be the player that made the last out, of the
same sex, on the offensive team.
16. Injured batters that cannot bat in
their respective place in the line-up are not allowed a pinch batter and are
not allowed back into the game once they miss their turn due to an injury.
Meaning they cannot play in any defensive position on the field.
VI. Mercy Rule
1. Teams may opt to 'submit' if
down 15 runs or more after 4 innings of play or at the 50 minute mark.