2020 WBA – RBA- NJYB  RULES (8u, 9u, 10u, 11u, 13u,14-16u-18u)

UMPIRES FEES

 All umpires’ fees are split evenly by both teams and paid before each game. Umpires get full fee once game starts, even if you throw one pitch and then it rains. In cases of inclement weather, umpires will wait a reasonable amount of time to try to resume play.

ROSTERS

Your age on April 30 of the current year is your baseball age for the entire season

·         Rosters are unlimited for league play and 20 for Tournament play. Rosters must be submitted by 27 September 2020. A player may play on more than one team ONLY if the teams are in separate age divisions

Note: Tournament rosters are locked in when you hand them in by 27 September 2020. We need these rosters to register in the respective National Organizations. These rosters are the final tournament rosters. You may add players throughout the season for regular league play.

• 8u: There is no limit on the number of 7’s and 8’s playing at one time. As long as the player is of legal age they may play. Any player from 7-8 years old may play.
• 9u: There is no limit on the number of 7’s 8’s or 9’s playing at one time. As long as the player is of legal age they may play. Any player from 7-9 years old may play.
• 10u: There is no limit on the number of 9’s & 10’s playing at one time. As long as the player is of legal age they may play. Any player from 7-10 years old may play.
• 12u: There is no limit on the number of 11’s & 12’s playing at one time. As long as the player is of legal age they may play. Any player from 9-12 years old may play.
• 13u-18u There is no limit on the number of 13’s & 14’s playing at one time. As long as the player is of legal age they may play. Any player from 11-14 years old may play.

UNIFORMS

All teams must be fully uniformed.

FORFEIT TIME

Forfeit time is 15 minutes after the scheduled start time. If a doubleheader, 2^nd game forfeit time is 30 minutes from the scheduled start of the 1^st game.

LINEUP

·         8u, 9u: You must start and play with a minimum 8 players (we do not want forfeits). Every team must bat 12 players if they have that many at a game. You may field 10 players, 4 outfielders on the grass, no short-centers over 2^nd base and 2 EH’s. You can always roster bat the entire team (optional).

·         10u, 11u, 12u: You must start and play with a minimum 8 players (we do not want forfeits). Once you tell the umpires your lineup, you are locked in for the game. If you are batting 9, 10, or 11, using the EH or not, that is the way you must play the entire game unless there is an injury that forces you to reduce the size of your lineup. Of course, if you start with 8 you can add to the lineup as the players come

·         13u,-18u: You must start and play with a minimum 8 players (we do not want forfeits). Once you tell the umpires your lineup, you are locked in for the game. If you are batting 9 or 10 or roster batting, using a DH, EH or not, that is the way you must play the entire game unless there is an injury that forces you to reduce the size of your lineup

Note for all divisions: At no time is there ever an automatic out recorded, even if you lose the EH due to injury or ejection.

BASEBALLS

All league approved baseballs are supplied evenly. Start every game with 3 baseballs from each team. When playing doubleheaders, each team can supply one game each. Work it out amongst yourselves.

BATS

·         8u, 9u, 10u, 11u, 12u: USA Little League rule approved bats,or Wood or Wood composites.

·         13u: USA approved bats, or Wood or Wood composites or BBCOR -3.

·         14u: BBCOR -3 or Wood or Wood composites

·         15u-18u: Wood or Wood composites Bats.

In all these divisions, defensive substitution is UNLIMITED

RE-ENTRY

·         ALL DIVISIONS

·         Any of the starting players may be withdrawn and re-entered AS MUCH AS YOU WISH, providing such player occupies the same batting position whenever in the lineup. EXCEPTION: If an injury occurs and a team can not field 9 men, the substitute may re-enter AT ANY SPOT.

INNINGS

• There is no minimum innings played rule for your players.

PITCHING

ALL DIVISIONS: A pitcher may not pitch more than 3 innings per game if he pitches in more than 1 game per day.

·         SPRING & FALL ONLY: 8u, 9u pitchers may only pitch 3 innings per weekend

·         8u, 9u: Each pitcher may pitch a maximum of 3 innings per game and no more than 6 innings in a week. The week runs from Saturday to Friday. Once he is removed from a game he may not enter that game as a pitcher again. One pitch will constitute an inning.

·         pitching distance-42/43  feet -8u,  ONLY

·         We recommend not pitching players of this age on consecutive days. Try to limit pitches per appearance to an absolute maximum of 65 Pitches.

·         We recommend using the “Rest” requirements in the Little League Rulebook as a guide.

·         10u, 11u, 12u: We will have no pitching restrictions on your players other than a pitcher can only pitch 6 innings per game and once he is removed, he may not enter that game as a pitcher again.

·         We recommend not pitching players of this age more than 10 innings per calendar week and not having kids pitch on consecutive days. Try to limit pitches per appearance to an absolute maximum of 80 pitches.

·         We recommend using the “Rest” requirements in the Little League Rulebook as a guide.

·         13u-16u: No pitching restrictions on innings or pitchers. We trust that all coaches will have the best interest of their players in mind and will not abuse this rule.

·         We recommend using the “Rest” requirements in the Little League Rulebook as a guide.

BALKS

·         8u, 9u, 10u, 11u, 12u: There are never any balks. Illegal Pitches or Quick Pitches will be recorded as balls.

·         13u: One balk warning per pitcher, per game until  October 15th

·         14-18u: No balk warnings.

TRIPS TO THE MOUND

·         8u, 9u, 10u, 11u, 12u: 2 trips per inning, the third he must be removed. Once a pitcher is removed he can no longer pitch in that game.

·         13u,-16u: One trip per inning is allowed. On the second trip the pitcher must be removed from that position. If he is removed on the first trip to the mound, he may return to pitch provided he had taken a defensive position. If he is removed, by rule, on the second trip to the mound, he cannot return to the game as a pitcher, but may go to another defensive position.

SLASH-BUNTING

·         8u, 9u, 10u, 11u, 12u: Slash-Bunting is not permitted. Once a player squares around to bunt, he/she must either bunt or take the pitch. If they make any attempt at swinging they will be called out, regardless of whether contact was made or not.

·         13u-16u Allowed.

SPEED-UP

With 2 outs, running for the catcher only is allowed. However, it is not mandatory. If you do not use this rule, please have someone ready to warm up the pitcher. You must use a player not currently in the game, but he can be a player who had been substituted for earlier. If you do not have someone available, let the catchers run!

STEALING

·         8u, 9u: Only one base per steal attempt and NO STEALING HOME AT ANY TIME! There is no advancing on overthrows from steal attempts or pickoff attempts. To help clarify if there is a runner on third at the start of a play, he can only score from a ball put in play or being forced in by a walk or hit by pitch

·         all other divisions: No restrictions.

MERCY RULE, RUN RULES, TIME LIMITS

·         8u, 9u: A 6 run maximum each inning until the 6th inning, which is UNLIMITED. If a team is winning by 12 runs after 4 innings and you played for 90 minutes, the game is OVER. No inning may start after 1 hour and 45 minutes from the start of the game.

·         10u, 11u, 12u: A 10 run mercy rule after 4 at bats by the losing team constitutes an official game. If a visiting team goes up by 10 in the top of 5^th or 6^th inning, the entire inning must be finished.

·         13u,-16u: A 10 run mercy rule after 5 at bats by the losing team constitutes an official game. If a visiting team goes up by 10 in the top of 6^th or 7^th inning, the entire inning must be finished.

·         No inning may start 2 hours after the start of the game during all Saturday & Sunday games in 10u, 11u, 12u, 13u,14u

·         NO TIME LIMIT for weekday games in 10u, 11u, 12u, 13u, 14u in games without lights

·         If game is being played under the lights and has no other time restriction imposed by the field rules, no inning will start after 2 hrs and 15 minutes

·         9 inning games: 2 hour 45 minute time limit and a mercy rule of 12 runs after 6 innings or 10 runs after 7 innings

·         IN ALL DIVISIONS, IF THE HOME TEAM IS WINNING AND THE TIME LIMIT IS REACHED WITH THE HOME TEAM BATTING, THE INNING DOES NOT NEED TO BE FINISHED, THE GAME IS CONSIDERED OVER.

NO CONTACT RULE

All runners must avoid contact with fielders at all times. If a play is being made he may go in standing but must avoid contact. If there is contact, the runner is out and if in the opinion of the umpire, it was intentional, the player will be ejected. (THIS IS A NON-CONTACT RULE AND SHOULD NOT BE INTERPRETED AS A “MUST” SLIDE RULE).

JEWELRY

No exposed jewelry allowed (This is a safety rule!).

HELMETS

Any player at-bat, on the bases, or in the coaching boxes must wear a double ear-flapped helmet.

ON-DECK CIRCLE

There are no on-deck circles unless they are in an enclosed, fenced in area and both teams must have access to them.

DOUBLEHEADERS

Each team will be home one game. No one team should be home both games of a doubleheader. The host team will have choice of which dugout they will use regardless of which team arrives at the field first. The break between games will not be longer than 10 minutes.

PLAYOFFS

The playoff format will be announced once we know the number of teams participating.

To be eligible for the playoffs, each player must have played in 4 games in divisions 8u-12u and 6 games in the 13u-16u divisions

Playoff seeding are usually determined a week before the end of the regular season or at a designated date and will be communicated to the teams each season

OTHER RULES (8u, 9u, 10u, 11u, 12u ONLY)

• We will use the Little League Rulebook for all other rules not mentioned above.

·         No head first sliding unless returning to a base.

·         No contact at bases.

·         Runners may not leave early.

·         11u & 12u will now play with the dropped third strike rule which Little League instituted recently.

OTHER RULES (13u-16u ONLY)

• We will use the Major League Baseball (MLB) Rulebook for all other rules not mentioned above.
• The “3^rd to 1^st” pickoff move is NO LONGER a balk if the pitcher does not release from the rubber on the move to 3^rd base (FOLLOW THE HIGH SCHOOL RULE)

The website is considered the “Bible”. The umpires will be assigned based on the website. If you see something that is not correct, speak up.

SCHEDULE CHANGES

New York Teams. Any schedule changes that take place MUST be made by email to jimo99@aol.com (James O’Gorman) & jtnn@aol.com (John Nesi). Make sure to copy both on all emails. DO NOT CALL. There will be no changes accepted over the phone.

New Jersey teams must email NJYB at NJYBLeague@aol.com or text Bill 201-674-4533

Umpires receive their assignments a week or more in advance of games. Therefore, we will consider each week to run from Saturday thru Friday and any schedule changes or cancellations must be made no later than 10pm on the Wednesday of the upcoming week.

CANCELLATIONS

Any team that cancels a game within 48 hours of game time will be charged with a forfeit and must pay the appropriate umpires fee to the assignor before their next game. The game or games may be rescheduled, but the losses will remain in the standings and the rescheduled games will be added to the website as additional games. A cancellation will include any game or games that teams plan on changing from one day to another.

RAINOUTS & WET WEATHER-RELATED CANCELLATIONS

All notifications of rainouts must be made by phone to James O’Gorman at 917-841-0398. Home teams must also notify their opponents by phone. You can follow up with an email, but it will not be considered proper notification. If umpires go to a game because you did not notify us properly, they will be entitled to a full games fee for traveling. This should be done no later than 90 minutes prior to the start of the game.

INSURANCE

All teams must provide insurance, naming the Westchester Baseball Association as additional insured New Jersey Teams must have New Jersey Youth Baseball ( NJYB PO Box 5044 South Hackensack, NJ 07606. No team will be allowed to start the season without providing an Insurance Certificate.

STANDINGS

Even though we play extra innings, ties may occur due to darkness and field time restrictions. Please report all scores within 24 hours to the website along with the team record.

SCORES

All teams must report all scores within 24 hours to the website or league commissioner.

NY Teams               John Nesi                        jtnn@aol.com                          914-227-5106

                               James O’Gorman             jimo99@aol.com                     718-409-6065 or 917-841-0398

11u & 12u Teams    Charlie Avery                Chucker54@aol.com               845-222-6928

All NJ Teams           Bill White                      NJYBLeague@aol.com          201-674-4533

FIELD DIRECTIONS

All teams must submit field directions ASAP  in order to update the league website.

WE ARE GUESTS OF THESE COMMUNITIES. PLEASE BEHAVE ACCORDINGLY AND KEEP THE BALLFIELDS and DUGOUTS CLEAN!

Rev: 8 Sept 2020