In order to make each tournament a safe and enjoyable experience, minor rule changes will be employed. We WILL play the game of baseball except for the following changes which will reduce the potential for injuries.
1. LEAD OFFS: Prior to the pitcher committing to throw a pitch toward home plate, no baserunner may lead off beyond the cutout of the base they occupy. Once the pitcher has committed to throwing toward home plate, the runner(s) may take a secondary lead beyond the cutout line. We will make a best effort to have the cutouts identified prior to each game.
2. STEALING: No stealing of bases at all if the pitcher goes from the stretch. If the pitcher goes from a full wind-up, you can steal. Under NO circumstances may you steal home.
3. PICKOFFS:
- Catcher - A throw to an occupied base by the catcher can result in a force out. In other words, a runner must beat the catcher's throw back to the base - it is NOT a tag play. If there is an overthrow on an attempted pickoff play by the catcher, the runner must go back and tag up before advancing. All other runners do NOT have to retag before advancing.
- Pitcher - Pickoff plays attempted by the pitcher are scored per the rules of real baseball. The runner must be tagged to be called OUT. An overthrow by the pitcher or a dropped pickoff throw by the defensive player DOES NOT require the runner to retag the base before advancing.
4. PASSED BALLS / WILD PITCHES: No advance will be allowed on a passed ball or a wild pitch. The two exceptions to this rule are as follows:
a) Runner(s) attempt a legitimate steal as outlined in Rule #2 above. In this case, the runner(s) must have begun the attempted steal before the pitch crossed the home plate area.
b) Dropped third strikes are scored per normal baseball rules.
5. FREE SUBSTITUTION OF PLAYERS: Any player can sub for another at any time on defense. Players can go in and out at any fielding position at will.
6. CONTINUOUS BATTING ORDER: All players on the team will hit, not just the nine currently in the field. A continuous batting order will be employed. That means that today's lineup will begin with the hitter who was on deck during the previous day's final out (i.e. if your seventh place hitter makes the final out on Friday, the eighth place hitter will bat leadoff on Saturday). Caveats to be aware of:
a) If someone is dropped from the team, the lineup is compressed and that player is skipped.
b) If someone is added to the team after the first day, they are added to the end of the batting order that day (i.e. if the seventh place hitter is scheduled to bat last, the new player(s) should be added to the lineup at this point). New players should not be put in the batting position of a player who has been dropped.
7. TIME LIMIT: No new inning can begin after the two and half hour time limit.
8. COURTESY RUNNERS: A courtesy runner may be employed at any time once an identified batter reaches base. The courtesy runner should be the batter who made the last out who does not also require a courtesy runner. Those who need a courtesy runner should be labeled as such before the game unless an injury during the game causes another player to need a courtesy runner. Courtesy runners are permissible from home plate for those who cannot run at all.
In order to move the games along, we recommend you pinch-run for your catcher if he/she is on base with one or more outs.
9. SLIDE OR GET OUT OF THE WAY: In order to avoid injury, we will enforce the rule that base-runners need to slide or get out of the way if there are plays at the base they are attempting to advance to. For example, if you are the runner at first and a ground ball is hit which results in a play at second base, you, the runner, must slide into the base or peel off toward the outfield so the fielder may attempt to turn a double play if they so wish. Even if a double play is not in order, the goal is to prevent unnecessary collisions resulting in injury.
10. WOOD BATS: Players will use wood bats (exceptions being ladies and players 60 years of age and older).