B LEAGUE [9-10 years old]
Transitional Program - Several more advanced skills are introduced and phased in.

SUMMARY: Child pitching is introduced. Fielding skills become more detailed and strategic as realistic game situations are taught and experienced. Competition again increases. Year-end tournament with championship games at Duncan Field.

FIELD SPECIFICATIONS

Fields Used:
Carter Field
Smith Complex Field 8

Bases: 60 feet

Distance Between home plate and pitcher’s rubber: 46 feet
T-hit arc: 15 feet from home plate, in an arc between the foul lines (Exhibition games)
Batter’s Box: Regulation size
Coach’s Box: 4 feet from 1st & 3rd Base; 4 feet wide - 8 feet long (towards home)
Home Team Bench: Third Base
Scoreboards: Home team shall have parent run
Field Prep and Pickup: Home Team is responsible for setting up field, shall be completed 20 minutes prior to game time.

EQUIPMENT

Ball: LL/BR Baseball
Bats: 33" x 2 1/4" maximum
Bases: 1" Pop - Up
Shoes: No Metal Cleats
Shirt: Provided
Hat: Must be purchased separately
Grey Pants: Must be purchased separately
Helmets: Players must wear when batting, on deck or running or as a base coach.  Helmets must have face protection.

ROSTER

Number of Batters: Full Roster bats – continious order until 3 outs are made in the inning
Number of Fielders: 9
Required Playing Time: Required to play half of the innings played; Players must start at least every other game in the field (may not start consecutive games on the bench).
Position Limits: None
Substitution: Free
Number of Coaches Unrestricted - 2 on the field (must be in the coach’s box when pitch is thrown)
Umpires: Paid base and plate
Complete Team: 9

Minimum Players:
Regular Season
Teams by play with 7 or 8 players, but there must be nine spots in the batting lineup. An out must be taken each time one of the empty spot is due up to bat. The automatic out position(s) in the lineup may be placed at any place in the order, and need not be consecutive, but must remain the same throughout the game. The out will be declared when
(1) the pitcher holds the ball on the mound prepared to face the empty spot,
    -OR-
(2) TIME is legally granted following the end of the at-bat prior to the empty spot.

Tournament Games
Teams failing to have a complete team on the field by 15 (fifteen) minutes after scheduled time, shall forfeit game. Tournament games must have nine (9) players to start game. Time waiting for player counts as game time.

GAME REGULATIONS:

Complete Game: 6 innings; no extra innings during regular season; 4 innings (3.5 if home team is leading) will constitute a complete game in the case of inclement weather or time limit.
Mercy Rule: If a team is ahead by 10 runs or more at the end of the 4th inning, or at the end of any inning thereafter, the game shall be over. The home team need not bat in the last inning if they are ahead.
Time Limit: Two hours (first game start time is the scheduled game time, regardless of actual time of first pitch; second game start time is the actual time of first warm-up pitch) Regardless of the number of innings played.
Warm-Up: Each team has 10 minutes. Home Team takes infield first.
Bad Weather/Wet Fields: Both coaches of teams playing make decision at game time if fields are playable. Coaches and umpires will make decision to stop games in progress. If lightning is within two (2) miles, games must be stopped. Games not finished and not a complete game, will be resumed at the point they were suspended.
Jewelry: Players, coaches and managers shall not wear jewelry. This includes all piercings. Medical alert, religious bracelets or necklaces are not considered jewelry, but must be taped.

Pitch Limits: 60 pitches per day; Can finish batter facing when limit is per game is reached.
1 to 29 pitches – Can pitch the next day
30 to 44 pithces – 1 day rest required
45 to 60  pitches - 2 days rest required

    Rest begins at midnight after the game






Modifications to Official Baseball Rules:

Bat Throw Warning: 1 per team
Tee Option: After ball 4, during exhibition games.
Walks:
Exhibition games: A batting tee is placed just in front of home plate. The batter is given unlimited opportunities to hit the ball into play, defined during “Tee Plays” as a fair ball traveling at least 15 feet from home plate (as marked by the arc on the field). Runners may advance only one base (even if an overthrow occurs), and each runner, including the batter-runner is liable to be put out.
Second half of season: Walks by regular baseball rules (four balls entitle the batter to first base and all forced runners to advance one base with no liability to be put out).
Note: The “Tee Play” arc applies only to the ball-four tee situation. It has no function during live-pitch action.

BASERUNNING:

Leading off: Not permitted
Stealing: Allowed at all bases except home (once the pitcher has taken his position in contact with rubber and holding the ball, a run cannot score until the ball has been put into play by the batter, or the runner is forced home due to a walk or hit batsman) and runners cannot advance home due to an overthrow during a steal attempt at any other base; runners cannot leave until ball reaches catcher
PENALTY (for leaving early): Play allowed to occur. When play is over, the umpire shall call “Time” and give the defensive team the option of allowing the result of the play to stand or to have the play nullified and all runners returned to their positions from before the pitch. If the play is nullified, then the pitch is a “no pitch” and the count remains the same as before the violation.
Overthrows: By Rule
Contact Rule: Runners must slide or give themselves up if play is imminent at the base they are attempting to reach.
PENALTY: The runner is out. The ball is dead. All runners return to last base legally touched.
Dropped Third Strike: Batter is out – may not advance to first base; runners may not score
Infield Fly Rule: Batter is out. Ball is dead. Runners may not advance. Should be called while ball is in the air.

PITCHING
Balks: N/A (Since runners cannot leave base until ball reaches catcher).
Warm-Up Pitches: Seven (7) pitches are allowed to starting pitchers in the first inning or new pitchers entering game. After that - Five (5) pitches are allowed.
Trips to the Mound: 2 trips to any one pitcher in any one inning. On the second trip to the mound, to the same pitcher in the same inning means the pitcher must be replaced. If a coach leaves the mound area (15 ft circle) and then talks to the pitcher again or new pitcher who is warming up, it will be considered as another trip to the mound

Conduct: coaches are responsible for the conduct of not only themselves, but their players, and parents.
Umpires may give warnings for unsportsmanlike conduct of players, coaches (including refusal to remain in coach’s box) and parents. If a second warning is given, no matter what the score, the game is over and the other team wins. The coach must appear before the Youth League board before the team will be allowed to play another game

Discipline Rule: A coach may discipline a player for not attending practices, but he must first talk to the League commissioner before denying the player playing time. Vacation is not a reason to discipline a player.

Protests: Protests must be made in writing and turned in to the League Commissioner by 12 noon the day following the game being protested. The only protests considered will be a violation of the pitching rules or not playing a player in the required innings.  Calls made by umpires are not grounds for a protest, if you have questions regarding a ruling by an umpire please contact the Umpire Coordinators.

Tournament 2009 – Will be a Pool Play tournament