Playing Rules - T-Ball

T-Ball House League Rules
Amended 2004

GENERAL
G1.		Umpire decisions are final.

G2		No games are to be protested.

G3.		The actions of players, manager, coaches and parents must be above reproach.

G4.		The use of tobacco in any form is prohibited on the playing field, benches and dugouts.

G5.		Players or coaches while participating in a scheduled game are not permitted to deliberately harass or direct any discourteous remarks at the officials or any member of the opposing team

G6.		Managers, coaches or players engaging or persisting in conduct unfavourable to the spirit, principles, and objectives of good sportsmanship in T -ball shall receive a single warning from the umpire. If the offence or offences continue, offender or offenders will be removed from the game.

G7.		Anyone removed from the game must leave the playing field and, if requested by the umpire, the spectator area. Failure to do so could result in a forfeiture of the game.
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UNIFORMS

U1.		Players must wear team sweater, pants, and cap. All regular coaches must wear coach's sweater and cap. If all coaches are not present at a game, an assisting parent need not have a team sweater, but should wear a cap if one is available. All players and coaches must wear long pants. Shorts or cut-offs are not permitted.

U2.		Metal spikes on shoes are not permitted.

U3.		Each player must have a baseball glove when playing in the field.

EQUIPMENT

E1.		The home team supplies the ball, bases and T -stand.

E2.		All batters, pitchers and base runners must wear helmets with chin straps at all times.

E3.		Catchers must at all times wear complete protective gear, including helmet & mask, chest protector and shin guards.

FIELD LAYOUT



F1.		A batting tee is placed on home plate.

F2.		Bases are set up 50 feet apart.

F3.		The pitcher's rubber is 35 feet from home plate.

F4.		The playing line or dead ball line is drawn 10 feet in front of a line drawn across the field from first base to third base. A batted ball must cross this line to be fair. Any ball not crossing this line completely will be a dead or foul ball and be called a strike against the batter.

	a)	Any hit ball which in the umpire's judgement would not have crossed the playing line, whether fielded or not, is a dead ball and is treated as a strike. If the dead ball is caught in the air, the batter is out.

	b)	No play may be made on the ground on a dead hit ball.

	c)	Until the ball is hit, no player on the fielding team may cross the playing line.

F5.		Lines are drawn halfway between first and second, second and third, and third and home bases.

F6.		The batter's box is 3 feet wide and 6 feet long, and 4 inches from the edge of the home plate chalked on the field before the game. There is a batter's box on either side of home plate.
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TEAM ROSTERS AND POSITIONS

T1.		Before the game begins, each manager must give a copy of his or her batting lineup to the official scorekeeper. The home team is the official scorekeeper.

T2.		Each team will field a maximum of eleven players. If one team cannot field eleven players, because of non-attendance or injury during the game, the opposing team may still field up to eleven players.

T3.		When a team fields exactly eleven players in any one game, the last batter position must be rotated through the batting order. The first batter of the previous inning moves to the last batter position and the second batter in the previous inning moves to the first batter position.

T4.		All players on the team roster and present at the game will come to bat in his or her turn in the batting order, regardless of whether he or she plays on the field during that inning.

T5.		Every child will be allowed to play, no matter how late he or she arrives at the game. Late players must be placed on the bottom of the batting order.

T6.		Each team bats eleven times in each inning to score as many runs as possible. The half-inning is not over until eleven at-bats, regardless of how many outs are recorded.

T7.		All players on the team roster and present at the game must play in the field at least two complete innings. Unlimited substitutions may be made at any time, or positions changed, provided it does not delay the game, only for the following reasons:
	a)	injury to a player
	b)	washroom break
	c)	player is inconsolable

		First choice for substitute players must be selected from those who are not currently playing in the field.

T8.		Every player must play at least one inning in the outfield and at least one inning in the infield by the third inning, except as stated in rule T10.

T9.		No player shall play at the same position for more than one inning in each game.

T10.		For safety, at the discretion of the coach and with the approval of the player's parent, first year players five years and under do not have to play any infield position, other than catcher, until such time that the player is deemed responsible enough to play the other infield positions.

T11.		Players in the field will play normal baseball positions.

T12.		The outfielders must position themselves on the outfield grass. There are two extra outfielders. One plays between left and centre field, and the other between right and centre field.

T13.		The pitcher must have both feet across the pitcher's rubber until the ball is hit.

T14.		First base, second base, third base, and shortstop players must stand in the dirt near their respective bases, behind the in-play line before the ball is hit.

T15		The umpire is responsible for placing the ball on the tee during the game.

T16		For safety, the umpire is responsible for removing the batting tee from the playing area when the play nears home plate.

T17		If a team does not have 11 players to field, the coach is free to decide as to which positions to field. If a catcher is not used at the beginning of an inning, one of the fielders must be called in to start putting on the catchers full equipment before the tenth batter starts his or her at-bat.
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COACHES IN THE FIELD

C1.		The defensive team are allowed no more than two coaches on the playing field. They must remain in the outfield. A coach may enter the infield only if a player is injured.

C2.		The coaches are not, under any circumstances, allowed to interfere with the ball or the play of the game, except to give verbal instructions to the fielders. The penalties for intentional interference shall be 1) ejection from the game; 2) the batter will be called out; 3) all runners will return to the base occupied when the ball was hit by the batter.

THE GAME: Length, Start, Defaults, etc.

GA1.		Games start at 6:30 PM, with a default time of 6:50 PM. Official time is according to the home plate umpire's watch.

GA2.		At least eight players from each team must be present by 6:50 PM and throughout the game or the game will be defaulted.

GA3		If neither team has eight players present at 6:50 PM, both teams receive a loss. The game will not be rescheduled.

GA4.		A regulation game consists of five complete innings.

GA5.		No inning may begin after 8: 15 PM

GA6.		The umpire may call the game because of darkness, if in his or her opinion it is not safe to play

GA7.		If a game is called because of darkness, it will revert back to the last complete inning (unless the home team is winning or tied), regardless of the number of innings played. The game will be regarded as complete.

GA8.		BWR: If a game is called due to bad weather, it will be considered a complete game if one and a half innings have been completed and the home team is winning, or if two innings have been completed and the home team is losing

GA9.		If a game is called due to bad weather before rule BWR is satisfied, the game must be rescheduled. The coaches must inform the Co-ordinator and the Co-ordinator will advise the coaches of a new date. This applies to games which may or may not have been started to be played.

GA10.		At the first sign of lightning, the home plate umpire will rule the game is over. Players and coaches will be asked to leave the playing field immediately. The game will be rescheduled unless BWR has been satisfied.
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BATTING

B1.		The batter must stay in the batter's box while hitting. If not, he or she will be warned by the umpire on the first occasion and the umpire will record the incident with the scorekeepers. On succeeding incidents by the same player in the same game, the batter will be called out for that at-bat. Base runners will not advance.

B2.		When a batter throws the bat in the process of swinging at the ball, he or she will be warned by the umpire on the first occasion and the umpire will record the incident with the scorekeepers. On succeeding incidents by the same player in the same game, the batter will be called out for that at-bat. Base runners will not advance.

B3.		No coaches are allowed within the screened area while a batter is attempting to hit the ball, unless time out is asked for and given by the umpire.

B4.		No bunts are allowed

B5.		If a batter bats out of turn before the ball is hit, the correct batter will come to bat with the same count. If the ball was hit, the batter is out and he or she misses his or her turn. Base runners will not advance.

B6.		A clear attempt must be made to hit the ball before a strike is called.

B7.		A batter may strike at the ball three times. If the ball does not go into the playing area by the third attempt, the batter will out.

B8.		Any foul ball is considered a strike, except for the third strike.

RUNNING AND FIELDING

R1.		No base stealing is allowed.

R2.		No lead-offs are allowed. Any runner caught taking a lead-off will be called out by the umpire.