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.