Sycamore Baseball
Association
I The Game
a. All
games begin at
b. The game consists of 6 innings, no extra innings to break ties.
c. An inning consists of 3 outs or 9 batters, which ever occurs first.
d. Home team manager should check condition of the field to determine if it is playable. If it is not, he should contact the visiting manager.
e. Once a game has begun, the decision to stop a game rest solely with the head coaches. If a game is called after 4 complete innings, it is official. Otherwise it will be replayed from the beginning.
f. Seven players are required for a team to take the field. If a manager knows that they will be short of players, try to contact the opponent ahead of time to make arrangements.
II The field
a. The diagram attached shows the layout and dimensions for the official Beginning Baseball field.
b. The END-OF-PLAY zone is shown on the attached. A ball is considered in the END-OF-PLAY zone if:
a. A player causes the ball to enter and stay in the END-OF-PLAY zone.
b. A player causes the ball to enter the zone and contact the backstop, the tee, or a player, manager or umpire.
If the ball passes through or over the END-OF-PLAY zone without contacting one of the objects mentioned above, then it is to be considered in the END-OF-PLAY zone. The only exception to this rule is if the ball enters the END-OF-PLAY zone in an attempt to make a play on a runner. During this time, the ball is still alive and remains alive until the umpire de3cides that the play is no longer being made.
c. The OUT-OF-BOUNDS zone is shown on attached. If the ball goes OUT-Of- BOUNDS, each runner is entitled to the nearest unoccupied base plus one additional base.
III The Umpire
a. The umpire will be supplied by the home team manager/head coach.
b. The umpire should be an adult who has knowledge of Beginning Baseball rules and is considered by the home team manager as qualified.
c. Umpires should be allowed to make their calls without “help” from players, coaches and parents. If, after a call has been made, a manager has a question, the umpire may be approached, in a sportsman-like manner, to discuss the call. (It is best that both managers be present for such a discussion.) Once the facts have been discussed, the umpire’s decision is final.
d. There will be NO APPEALS of umpire’s decisions. It is hoped that all errors that would result in appeals can be discussed and resolved by the managers and umpires.
IV The Manager
a. Each team must be represented by a manager.
b. The home team managers must:
a. Decide if the field is playable
b. Provide the game ball
c. Each manager should take responsibility for his player’s, coaches’ and fan’s conduct,
Particularly in regard to the umpiring.
d. A manager may designate any number of coaches to assist during the game. One coach may be positioned behind the outfielders when the team is in the field. One coach may be in the end-of play zone when a team is batting (to assist players in batting). The batting team may also have 1st and 3rd base coaches. All other coaches must remain the out-of –bounds area.
e. If a defensive or offensive coach intentionally interferes with a ball that is in play, the award to the offensive team is left to the umpire.
f. If an offensive coach intentionally touches a runner in and effort to improve his situation, that runner may be called out by the umpire. (Common sense needs to be used)
V The Player
a. To be an official player and to participate in an official game, a player must to on the official team roster on record with SBSA.
b. All official player must wear long pants, and shoes to participate in an official game. NOT SHORTS SHOULD BE WORN.
VI The Batter
a. The batter order must consist of all official player at the game who are able to play. If a player arrives later, they are to be inserted at the end of the batting order. If a player leaves before the game ends, they are deleted from the order. Otherwise, there are no changes in the batting order.
b. If a player completes his turn at bat and is discovered to have batted out of order, that player will be called out and all base runners returned to their original bases. This correction must be made before the next batter has batted.
c. All players must wear batting helmets while at bat and running the bases.
d. All players may be called out for throwing the bat if it travels outside of the end-of –play zone or if it hits the umpire, manager or backstop (the first offense should warrant a caution, the second offense should be called an out).
e. Aluminum and wood bats are allowed in Beginning Baseball.
f. A batter may request to be pitched to by their coach instead of hitting off the tee. The batter will be given 3 pitches to hit with the coach throwing from the pitchers box as shown on the attached diagram. If the batter cannot put the 3rd pitch in play, then the batter will hit off the tee.
g. No strikeouts. The batter swings until the ball becomes a fair ball.
h. A fair ball is a ball that, as a result of contacting the bat on a batter’s swing, does the following:
a. Moves past the end-of-play-line.
b. Remains between the foul lines or makes contact with a player between the foul lines or passes between the 1st and 3rd base bags after touching the ground, but before touching the player.
i. Once a batter hits a fair ball, he becomes a runner.
VII The Runner
a. A runner is safe at 1st base after a hit, cannot be called out if he makes no attempt to advance to 2nd base.
b. No stealing or lead-offs. If a fair ball is hit, and the runner has left before hit, that runner will be called out.
c. The runner must run inside the baseline. If the runner leaves the baseline in an effort to avoid a tag, the runner will be called out (our of the baseline should be considered 3 feet on either side of the baseline).
d. If one runner passes another runner, the doing the passing will be called out.
e. If a coach touches a runner so as to improve his situation, the runner will be called out.
VIII The Defense
a. The defense must consist of a pitcher, the normal 4 infield positions and 3-5 evenly spaced outfielders. No short centerfielders or rovers. In general, each fielder should field his own position. No roaming all over the field. Fielders may not change positions during an inning.
b. All players must play at least 3 innings in the field during the coarse of the game.
c. The pitcher must remain in the pitcher’s box (both feet) until the ball is hit.
d. No fielders other than the pitcher may be more than 1 step inside the baseline until the ball is hit.
e. No fielder has the right to field the ball. If a runner touches the ball or intentionally interfered with a fielder, the runner is out. The runner ahs the right to run the bases. If a fielder interferes with a runner, the umpire will decide a fair award for the runner.
f. If a fair ball goes out-of-bounds without touching the defense, it is a ground-rule double. All runners advance two bases.
g. If the ball is considered in the end-of-play zone, the play stops and the runners are awarded bases as follows:
a. If a runner has passed the halfway line, the runner gets the next base if unoccupied.
b. If a runner has not passed the halfway line, the runner must return to the previous base. If that base is occupied, its occupant must return to its previous base. A runner who has not reached the halfway line can be awarded the next base if all bases behind him are occupied.
c. No runner can be tagged out or forced out at this time.
h. A ball may enter the out-of-play zone and still be in play (II-b).
IX Scoring
All t-ball game officially end in a tie…..usually with a very high score by both teams.