NORTH JACKSON YOUTH BASEBALL, INC.
GENERAL RULES FOR ALL LEAGUES
Baseball: Along with Major League Baseball rules and the Official Baseball National By-Laws & Rules as published by USSSA (see http://www.usssa.com/usssa/usssa-general/2013BBRuleBook.pdf), this is the basic set of rules. The following special local rules supplement the above national rules and take precedence where there is a conflict.
Softball: Along with Major League Baseball rules and the USSSA Official Fastpitch Playing Rules and By-Laws (see http://www.usssa.com/usssa/usssa-general/2013FPRules.pdf), these are the basic set of rules. The following special local rules supplement the above national rules and take precedence where there is a conflict.
Note – Neither NJYB nor any NJYB official is in any way responsible for personal effects lost or damaged while at the NJYB complex, and neither NJYB nor any NJYB official accepts any responsibility for personal injuries to any players, coaches, umpires, team followers or spectators.
COMMISSIONER’S AUTHORITY:
1. Each league Commissioner shall have the authority to settle all matters involving coaches, players and/or parents. The Commissioner’s interpretation of all rules will be final, except formal protests which will be decided by the Executive Committee of the Board. (“Commissioner” means the separate league commissioners placed by NJYB.)
2. The Commissioner has the authority and responsibility to suspend any of his/her coaches for “due cause.” Such action is subject to appeal to the full Board of Directors.
CONDUCT:
3. Under no circumstances will the use of any type of alcoholic beverage or tobacco product be allowed on the NJYB complex during practice or a game. If at any time anyone is found having the possession of, under the influence of, or having the breath or odor of, alcoholic beverages, they will be asked to leave the park at that time. Any coach guilty of the foregoing shall be suspended by the Commissioner. No exceptions will be made.
4. Any player, coach, parent or spectator heard booing or using profanity before, during, or after the game will be removed from the game, the field and the park (if necessary). This may be done by the umpires, league Commissioner, or any other NJYB official present at the time. Any coach who uses profanity during practices or games shall be suspended by the league Commissioner. This rule will be strictly enforced.
5. Calling out at a batter in any manner to distract him/her is prohibited. This applies to opposing players, dugouts and spectators. Batters will be rewarded 1 extra strike at the discretion of the umpire. Players, coaches and spectators may cheer their own team only. Continued violation may result in ejection for the remainder of the game and reported to the league Commissioner. Violations of this rule in subsequent games by the same perpetrators will be more severe and will be carried out by the league Commissioner. The league Commissioner possesses the right to deal with each offense as deemed necessary.
6. A player who throws a bat, helmet, glove or other equipment in anger, or who displays any other unsportsmanlike conduct may be removed from the game at the umpire’s discretion. An ejected player’s spot in the batting order shall be ruled an out each time he/she would have come to the plate.
7. Announcing the games should be done in a sportsmanlike manner. The announcer should be neutral and should never promote, detract or distinguish one team or any player in any manner.
8. Any detrimental action toward a player/coach/spectator/umpire will not be tolerated and will be dealt with harshly. If a legitimate problem arises between a coach and a player/parent/umpire, the situation needs to be immediately brought to the attention of the league Commissioner.
9. All players shall be notified by coaches about the time and place of all team activities.
10. Any team coach or other adult leader who withdraws a team from the playing field under any circumstances prior to the official completion of the game shall forfeit all rights to protest as prescribed in these rules and may be immediately suspended.
PRE-GAME PROCEDURES:
11. Home team responsibilities:
a. Provide game balls.
b. Set up and operate the scoreboard. The scoreboard operation panel is kept under the press box or in the 4-plex storage closet. Return the scoreboard operation panel in its box after the last game.
c. Press box – children under 12 are NOT allowed in the press box without adult supervision.
d. Turn off power at end of last game.
12. Batting cages are located near the separate fields, and priority is given to the teams that are about to play. The batting cages should be shared in a reasonable manner. There is to be no batting practice before a game on the playing field.
13. Dugouts – home team in third base dugout; visitor in first base dugout.
14. Do not enter the field until the previous team has left the field.
15. Pre-game warm-ups – the visiting team should take ten minutes of infield practice twenty minutes before game time. The home team then takes infield for the remaining ten minutes until game time. If the previous game runs late, the pre-game infield time should be reduced and split evenly between the two teams.
16. Lineup card – each team needs to turn in a lineup pregame to the press box and to the opposing team.
POST-GAME PROCEDURES:
17. Clean up your dugout prior to leaving the field after the game.
18. All equipment, including helmets, catcher’s gear, balls, etc., needs to be returned to the press box or equipment shed after the final game of the night.
GAME PROCEDURES:
19. All games are to start on time.
20. A regulation games consists of six innings or certain time limits. The game will be official if called due to time or weather after four innings (or 3 ½ innings if the home team is ahead). Otherwise, it is “no contest” and must be replayed from the point it is called until 6 innings are completed, or the unexpired time limit from the rainout has expired.
21. No inning may start after the time limit has lapsed, and the game is over without regard to the number of innings played. An inning starts at the moment the third out is made in the prior inning. Games which end up in a tie (after six complete innings or the allotted time) will count as ½ game won and ½ game lost. Extra inning(s) shall not be played. The official time will be kept on the field by the umpire and will start immediately upon the “play ball” instruction.
22. Only coaches and the players will be allowed in the dugouts or on the field.
23. The team at bat must have only the batter, the upcoming batter, and allowed coaches out of the dugout. The coaches at first and third must remain in the coaching boxes. The team in the field shall have only the playing team members out of the dugout plus any coach in the outfield as allowed.
24. The team at bat may have two adult coaches on the field – one at the first base coaching box and one at the third base coaching box.
25. No one except the designated players and coaches shall be allowed on the playing field at any time during the game unless permission of the umpire is first secured. This includes the coaches who must remain in the dugout or coaching boxes at first or third until permission to come on the field is granted.
26. Team rosters should consist of a minimum of ten players and a maximum of 12 players. A team must have a minimum of 7 uniformed players present 10 minutes prior to scheduled game time to participate in any game. Failure to field seven uniformed players within ten minutes of the scheduled starting time will result in a forfeit. This time interval may be waived by the opposing team. The teams may still play a scrimmage game if both coaches decide in the affirmative, but the results of that game will not be official.
27. No changes in the batting order will be allowed after the start of the game. However, any player arriving late will be inserted at the end of the batting order immediately, without regard to game status.
28. A team with less than the proper amount of players on the field will not be penalized for any open batting order slot(s) (no automatic outs are assessed).
29. If one team has less than the proper amount of players available, the other team must play the proper amount of players if they are at the ball park. The team with the proper number of players should not be penalized because the other team lacks ten players.
30. There will be free substitution. Except in the case of unusual circumstances, substitution should be done as the defensive teams take the field.
31. All players must be in uniform and have their shirts tucked inside their pants.
DEFENSE/FIELDING:
32. The infield is to include the standard position players. If a team has only nine players, the nine basic positions of baseball must be filled. If a team has less than nine players, any of the standard baseball positions can be left vacant, except pitcher. If a team has more than the proper amount of players, a player cannot sit out defensively 2 consecutive innings and cannot sit out more than 2 innings of any game.
33. Once an inning starts, a player cannot change defensive positions unless injured.
34. A fielder may be removed from the game if he/she fakes a tag without a ball.
35. If a player is injured by being hit by a batted ball in the face, throat, or head, time will be called immediately and all players will be awarded 1 base if injury is to an infielder and 2 bases if the injury is to an outfielder. Awards are from the time of the pitch.
OFFENSE/BATTING:
36. Every player in attendance will bat in order (extended batting order). If a batter bats out of turn, the batter is out and will not bat again until the next trip through the batting order. The regular batting order shall be resumed beginning with the correct batter and through the order except for the batter which batted out of turn. The batter is not considered out of turn until he/she receives one pitch (he does not have to swing or put the ball in play). Standing in the batter’s box does not constitute out of turn. In the case of an ejected, sick or injured player, the player shall be scratched from the lineup and the team will play a player short. No out will be called when that player would have batted as long as there remain 9 batters.
37. A batter who accidentally slings a bat in a dangerous manner during his/her swing shall be given a warning by the umpire. If that same player slings the bat again during the same or any subsequent at bat in that game, the umpire shall call the player out. It is the umpire’s judgment whether or not the batter slings his/her bat in a dangerous manner.
38. Base runners while in the act of running the bases should try to avoid coming in contact with a defensive player. This should be done by sliding or simply stepping around a defensive player. Any flagrant act of a base runner running into another team’s player (in the umpire’s judgment) may result in an out being recorded and may result in the runner being removed from the game. This same rule, and the subsequent penalty should also apply when a defensive player unjustly/purposely runs into a base runner, (instead of an out being recorded, the next base will be awarded. The ball will be declared dead). While this rule is instituted to curtail injuries a base runner should not stray more than 3 feet either side of the base line to avoid being tagged out by a defensive player with the ball. This rule should not be confused with interference by a fielder.
39. When a tag play at a base is imminent, the runner should be called out if he/she does not slide or attempt to avoid the fielder and causes illegal contact or interferes with the fielder in the immediate act of making the play.
40. There is a mandatory slide rule at home if, in the umpire’s judgment, a close play at the plate is occurring (i.e. tag or force). If a close play is occurring, and the player does not slide, the player is out. NOTE: It is the umpire’s judgment whether or not a close play is occurring, and that determination is non-appealable. The purpose of this rule is to promote safety. If there is not a close play at the plate, the player does not have to slide and should not be called out for not sliding. Intentional running into a catcher at home plate is not allowed and will not be tolerated, and any player intentionally running into the catcher will be out and will be ejected from the game at the umpire’s discretion.
41. No head-first slides are allowed. If a player attempts a head first slide, he/she will be called out. A second offense in the same game may result in ejection from the game.
42. No offensive player may be within the confines of the playing area, outside of the dugout, without a batting helmet worn at all times.
43. No designated hitter can be used.
44. No type of playing equipment may be kept on the playing field. Equipment must be kept behind the fence or in the dugout. This rule especially applies to bats. After an umpire has warned a team two times in a game about equipment, the umpire may penalize the team at bat one out.
45. Any fair ball that bounces over or goes through the outfield fence will entitle the base runners to two (2) bases.
46. On deck batters shall stand behind the batter at the plate regardless of which dugout their team occupies – i.e., a right handed batter is at the plate, the on deck batter needs to be in the third base on deck batters circle.
COACHES:
47. All on-field coaches shall have attended and been certified at the coaches clinic. Failure to do so will result in the coach not being allowed to coach as he would not being covered under the League’s liability insurance policy.
48. The only people that are allowed within the confines of the “Field of Play” (inside the field fence/dugout areas) during games are the players, the named coaches and assistants, and the umpires. The head coach is responsible for all representatives of his/her team.
49. There can be two offensive coaches on the “Field of Play” – first base coach and third base coach. An offensive coach cannot intentionally come in contact with a player of either team or make contact with the ball while it is in play. If player contact is made, the offensive player involved will be called out. In the case of ball interference, the lead runner will be called out.
50. A coach cannot call time out and go onto the playing field or talk to batters more than once in one inning or two times in one game. Under no circumstances shall any team delay the game unnecessarily. The plate umpire or the league Commissioner may cause a forfeit of the game and award a win to the non-violating team after repeated delays and at least one warning.
51. If a first or third base coach catches a foul ball on the fly that could have possibly been caught by a defensive player, the batter is out.
UMPIRES:
52. The league provides umpires. The umpire has full authority over the game.
53. Calls based solely upon the judgment of the umpire are not up to question, and comments in this regard should not be made. If a coach is continually disturbed by the judgment calls of a specific umpire, he/she should take this concern directly to the league Commissioner.
54. Questions regarding the rules of the game may be made by the head coach only to the umpire, but do not prolong the questionings beyond reason.
55. Coaches are not to talk with the umpires from the dugout. They are not allowed to intimidate the umpires in any way, nor are they allowed to criticize any of the umpire’s calls. If they do so, it may result in expulsion from the game and thereby the forfeiture of the game. The league Commissioner shall have the authority to suspend the offending coach for the following game and shall have the right to terminate such coach for the remainder of the season upon a second offense. The league Commissioner’s decision on a violation of this Rule may be appealed to the full Board of Directors.
SCHEDULING/RAINOUTS
56. Rescheduling of games and/or practices shall be the responsibility of head coaches, subject to approval by the Commissioner or scheduling coordinator, as applicable. No games shall be rescheduled in the absence of Commissioner or scheduling coordinator approval. No games should be rescheduled simply because one coach is unavailable or a team’s star player(s) (or pitcher) is/are unavailable. If a team has at least one coach and seven players, the game will be played. Make-up games (rained out or suspended) shall be made up in the order they are missed - at the times designated by the Commissioner or scheduling coordinator for make-ups.
57. NJYB will decide whether the grounds and other weather conditions are suitable for starting a game. Umpires make weather decisions during a game. Any predetermination of unplayable grounds or postponements will be posted on www.njybb.com.
SELECTION OF TEAMS:
58. Tee Ball, U5 baseball, U6 baseball, and K softball teams will be selected by the commissioner of each league. Players/coaches/parents may request in writing to be on the same team, however, all such requests may not be possible to accommodate.
59. U7 and above baseball leagues and GSB 1st-2d and above softball leagues will be chosen by draft. The exact procedure of each draft will be left to the discretion of that league’s commissioner. All efforts to manipulate the draft so each team will have the opportunity to draft players of equal rankings and abilities. To aid in this, each commissioner is responsible for making sure that each coach completes a player evaluation at the end of each season.
OTHER:
60. Playing outside of a player’s proper grade/age league is strongly discouraged and requires the approval of the Commissioner of each applicable grade/age, league and the President of NJYB. The League will be very flexible with parents who believe their child needs to “play down” in these age groups based on a safety standard. In other words, the player’s size, skill or ability level has not developed sufficiently to allow for play within the player’s own grade/age league. Any player playing down should not be eligible to play an infield position, including, without limitation, pitcher or catcher. The League will not extend any flexibility to those who want to “play up” as this is not allowed.
61. Game speed – the faster the game, the better the game and the more innings we play which is more competitive and fun. Please attempt to move games along quickly.
62. Practice is permitted on the playing fields at the direction and scheduling of the Commissioner or scheduling coordinator. Practice before the first game of the season shall be limited to no more than two practices per week. Practice after the first game shall be limited to no more than one practice per week.
FORFEITURE AND PROTEST:
63. Playing ineligible players shall result in forfeiture of games in which ineligible player(s) participated illegally if protested by any of the league coaches or officers.
64. A protest based on a play which involves an umpire’s judgment is not permitted. His/her word is final. If the protest is based upon interpretation of the rules, the objecting coach must, immediately after the play and before the next pitch is made, notify the umpire that the game is being played under protest, in which case the umpire must, in turn, notify the opposing coach and scorekeeper.
65. A protest shall be considered only if placed in writing and submitted to the Commissioner within twenty four hours after the completion of the game in question, along with a check in the amount of $250.00 as the protest fee. The $250.00 protest fee is only refundable if the protest is upheld.
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These rules may not be changed without approval of the Commissioner and the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors.
NOTE: These rules are “working” rules and can be amended by NJYB as needed and as the season progresses. The league Commissioners will be responsible for notifying all involved personnel of these changes. Try not to use or abuse these rules to impede the progress and temper of the game. Keep in mind the spirit in which they are written and apply them with the same spirit in mind. Often, common sense will solve all the problems that will arise.
NJYB will reserve the right to change any rules and regulations at any time to improve the environment of play and in response to any mutations, ambiguity, void, or deliberate circumvention rules