Tri-County Metro Baseball League  

Game Play Rules

Full Gameplay Rules & Guidelines:

All umpires fees are split evenly by both teams and paid before each game. Umpires get a full fee once game starts, regardless of how much of the game is played.  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. A player may play on more than one team ONLY if the teams are in separate age divisions.
  • Rosters must be submitted, with birthdates, by the second week of the season.


UNIFORMS

All teams must be fully uniformed. In the event a player forgets his uniform or does not yet have a uniform, approval must be given by the opposing team.

All teams will receive a 1 week grace period at the start of the season for uniforms to arrive. If a team anticipates a longer issue, they must notify the league immediately.

FORFEIT TIME

Forfeit time is 15 minutes after the scheduled start time. If a doubleheader, 2nd game forfeit time is 30 minutes from the scheduled start of the 1st 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 2nd base and 2 EH’s. You can always roster bat the entire team (optional).
  • 10u-12u: You must start and play with a minimum 8 players . 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. **If you start with 8 you can add to the lineup as the players come**
  • 13u-16u: You must start and play with a minimum 8 players. Once you tell the umpires your lineup, you are locked in for the game  unless there is an injury that forces you to reduce the size of your lineup

Note for all divisions: There is never an automatic out recorded if you lose an 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 or split both games. TBD on the field

BATS

  • 8u-12u: Little League rule approved “USA stamped Bats
  • 13u: All bats must be BBCOR .5, wood, wood composite or bamboo or Little League approved stamped “USA Bat”
  •  14u: All bats must be BBCOR .5, wood, wood composite or bamboo 
  • 15u+: All bats must be wood, wood composite or bamboo. or BBcor .5 , approved 

 

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.

  • 8u/9u: Each pitcher may pitch a maximum of 65 pitches per game and no more than 130 pitches 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.
  • We recommend not pitching players of this age on consecutive days. 
  • We recommend using the “Rest” requirements in the Little League Rulebook as a guide.
  • 10u-12u: 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+: 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-10u,: There are never any balks. Illegal Pitches or Quick Pitches will be recorded as balls.
  • 11U-13U Teams Play Major League Baseball Rule, but will be given one balk warning per pitcher, per game for first 3 weeks.
  • 14u+: No balk warnings.

TRIPS TO THE MOUND

  • 8u-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+: 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 takes 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-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+: Slash bunting is  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
  • 10u+: 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 the game has gone on  for 90 minutes, the game is OVER. No inning may start after 1 hour and 45 minutes from the start of the game.
  • 10u-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 5th or 6th 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 6th or 7th 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-14u in games at fields 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

For American Division teams, 8 teams max will make the playoffs, and it will be single elimination.


For National Division teams, all teams eligible will make the playoffs and be guaranteed 2 games.

To be eligible for the playoffs, each player must have played in 4 games in divisions 8u-12u and 6 games in the 13u+ 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.
  • 11u & 12u will now play with the dropped third strike rule which Little League instituted recently.

 

OTHER RULES (13u ONLY)

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

 

SCHEDULE CHANGES

Any schedule changes that take place MUST be made by email.  DO NOT CALL. There will be no changes accepted over the phone unless they are also followed by an email.

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

Home team is responsible for notifying opposing team AND umpire assignor by phone/text if a game is rained out. You can follow up with an email, but it will not be considered proper notification.

If umpires go to a game because a team failed to properly notify the league & Umpire assignor, the umpire will be entitled to a full games fee for traveling. This should be done no later than 120 minutes prior to the start of the game.

 

INSURANCE

All teams must provide insurance, naming the Tri-County Metro Baseball League as additional insured. 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. 

 

SCORES

All teams must report all scores within 48 hours in order to have games count towards standings

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