UPLAND NATIONAL LITTLE LEAGUE
LOCAL RULES
Revised February, 2023
Little League # 405 23 20 Federal Tax ID # 95-3695020
California Corporation # 0501743
INTRODUCTION
The league rules are promulgated in accordance with Article X, Section 3, of the Bylaws and shall be binding upon the operation of the league.
The league rules are presented in six sections:
- General league rules generally applicable to Major, Minor Player Pitch, Minor Coach Pitch, Tee Ball, Intermediate 50/70 Program, and Junior & Senior divisions.
- Major division rules generally applicable to the Major division only.
- Minor Player Pitch and Minor Coach Pitch division rules generally applicable to Minor Player Pitch & Minor Coach Pitch divisions only.
- Tee ball division rules generally applicable to Tee ball and Little Tee Ball divisions only.
- Intermediate 50/70 division rules generally applicable to 50/70 division only.
- Senior/Junior division rules generally applicable to Senior/Junior division only.
SECTION 1 - GENERAL LEAGUE RULES
A. LEAGUE BOUNDARIES
- NORTH, 24th Street, the south side of the 24th is UNLL territory.
- SOUTH, City Limits: note the north side of Richland Avenue is Upland; the south side is Ontario Eastern League.
- EAST, City Limits note that portions of the East Side of Grove Avenue are in Rancho Cucamonga.
- WEST, Euclid Avenue, the East Side of Euclid is UNLL territory.
- The players of the 50/70 program and Junior/Senior program may reside within any Upland city limits.
B. FIELD DECORUM
Field decorum of team managers and coaches shall be exemplary. In the event of a public and flagrant violation of Little League decorum, the president may, based upon personal observation or a description of the incident by eyewitnesses, and/or league officials, suspend the manager or coach for one game. The manager, or coach, if believing that the disciplinary action is unwarranted, may request a hearing before the board of directors. This hearing shall be held within 48 hours and the board will act to confirm the suspension, rescind the suspension, or impose other disciplinary action. The suspension shall be held in abeyance until completion of the hearing. As an alternative to suspension, the president may issue a written reprimand which shall be recorded in the minutes of the next board meeting.
C. AGE RESTRICTION – ADULT VOLUNTEERS
- Elected and appointed board members shall be at least 18 years of age.
- Team managers shall be at least 18 years of age.
- Team coaches shall be at least 16 years of age.
- Snack bar volunteers shall be at least 18 years of age (unless approved by the Snack Bar Director and President).
D. RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE HOME/VISITOR TEAM
BOTH FIELDS:
- The managers have the responsibility to ensure that both teams pick up litter from their respective dugouts and stands following each game. If this is not completed, disciplinary action could be taken by the board of the directors.
- The placing and removing of the dugout covers will be the responsibility of the respective home and visiting team managers at the beginning and end of each day.
- The home team manager will be responsible for cleaning the bathrooms after every game including Saturdays.
- The visiting team manager will be responsible for emptying all trashcans into the dumpsters and replacing trashcan liners. If the liners are less than ½ full, they may be left for the next game with the exception of the last game of the day.
- After the last game of the day, both the visiting and home managers must stay and wait for the snack bar workers to be done and everyone shall leave together.
- It is the team manager’s responsibility to see that the above duties are performed. If a manager is unable to perform these duties, a coach or parent must be assigned. If the above responsibilities are not done, there will be disciplinary action taken: First infraction will be given a written warning, 2nd infraction will be a manager suspension from the next played game, and further infractions will be assessed by the board of directors. If the above responsibilities are not done, there will be disciplinary action taken. All based on board decision.
MINOR FIELD, 50/70 FIELD and SOUTH FIELD:
- Before first game of the day Visiting team waters the infield dirt and Home team marks the field.
- In between games:
- Visiting team that just finished rakes the baselines and home plate area and is responsible for raking and repairing the mound.
- Home team that just finished drags the infield dirt.
- Visiting team that is about to play waters the infield dirt, baselines and home plate area.
- Home team about to play makes the field.
- After last game of the day Visiting team waters the infield while home team drags the infield and rakes the lines and home plate area.
- It is the manager’s responsibility to ensure it gets done by either themselves or a designated assistant. Access to the field will be denied if duties are not done.
E. PRACTICE GAMES
Practice games are specifically limited to the following:
- UNLL Junior/Senior teams may play UNLL Junior/Senior teams.
- UNLL 50/70 teams may play UNLL 50/70 teams.
- UNLL Major teams may play UNLL Major teams.
- UNLL Minor “Player Pitch” teams may play UNLL Minor “Player Pitch” teams.
- UNLL Minor “Coach Pitch” teams may play UNLL Minor “Coach Pitch” teams.
- UNLL Tee ball teams may play UNLL Tee ball teams.
- Scheduling, game conditions, etc, are left to the discretion of the managers involved.
F. PRACTICES
- No more than two hours in one day.
- No more than 6 hours in a 7 day week.
- Only one division on the field at a time. No mixed division practices, exception: one team in the batting cages and one team on the field.
- Player help in other divisions may be allowed with board approval and only to help in a lower division (example: major player can help Player Pitch and below, a minor league player can help but cannot help in the major division nor can a tee baller help in the minor or major division).
G. AWARDS POLICY – GENERAL 1. REGULAR PLAYERS
a) Major, Minor “Player Pitch” and Minor “Coach Pitch” division players in the championship game may be awarded modestly priced awards.
2. TOURNAMENT PLAYER (“ALL STARS”)
All tournament players shall receive the following awards: a) An All Star team photograph
- The UNLL All Star cap
- Tournament “participation” pins as awarded by Little League Tournament officials
3. ADULT VOLUNTEERS
a) Special individual or team awards may be authorized at the discretion of the Board of Directors.
4. OTHER AWARDS
No sponsor, parent, or adult volunteer may present any other awards to individual players or teams under the auspicious of Little League.
H. LEAGUE STANDINGS AND LEAGUE CHAMPIONS
DETERMINATION OF MAJOR DIVISION CHAMPION
- Following the regular season, all teams will compete for the Division Championship. The playoffs will be a single lost elimination with the seeding based on the regular season win/loss percentage. Meaning, in the 1st playoff round, the team with the highest winning percentage will play the team with the lowest winning percentage (1 vs. 8, 2 vs. 7 etc.). In the event of an uneven number of teams, the 1st place team will have a bye in the 1st round. There will be two brackets, lower and upper. All teams will remain and progress through their respective brackets. However, the team with the highest winning percentage will have the choice of being the home/visiting team throughout the playoffs.
- T.O.C.: Will be the Major Team with the best regular season record.
- TIE BREAKERS
In the event of a tie for any position, the following tiebreaker rules will apply:
a) FIRST TIE BREAKER - Head to head competition
If two or more teams are tied for a position, each team involved will be given one point for each win verses any of the other teams competing for the same position. The team with the highest points will be declared the winner. For example, assume three teams completed the regular season with identical records. Assume further that Team A’s record verses Team B was four wins and no losses (4-0); A’s record verses Team C was two wins and two losses (2-2); and Team B’s record verses Team C was two wins and two losses (2-2). Awarding one point for each win, Team A would have accumulated six points, Team B two points and Team C four points. In this example, Team A would be declared the winner.
b) SECOND TIE BREAKER
If there is still a tie after applying the first tiebreaker rule and at least one team was eliminated, keep reapplying that rule until a winner is determined or no more teams can be eliminated. For example, assume three teams finish the regular season with identical records. Assume further that Team A’s record verses Team B were four wins and no losses (4-0). Team A’s record verses Team C were one win and three losses (1-3). And Team B’s record verses Team C were two wins and two losses (2-2). Team A would have accumulated five points; Team B would have accumulated two points and Team C would have accumulated five points. Since Team B has less points than both Teams A and C, B would be eliminated and the first tie breaker rule would be reapplied to teams A and C, since they both had accumulated the same number of points, (5 points). When reapplied, Team C would be declared the winner for having accumulated three points while Team A had accumulated only one point in head to head competition.
c) THIRD TIE BREAKER
For any team not eliminated in the first and second tiebreakers use the third tiebreaker. Using the same point system as described in Section 1, G 2 a) and b) above, determine which team has the most points in games played against the team(s) who finished the season with the best win/loss record. For example, assume the first place finishing team was Team A with a season record of 14 and 6. Assume further Teams B and C were tied for second place with identical records.
And, after applying tiebreakers 1 and 2 above, Teams B and C are still tied. If Team B’s record verses Team A was two wins and two losses (2-2) and Team C’s record verses Team A was three wins and one loss (3-1), Team C would be declared the winner since Team C accumulated 3 points while Team B had only 2 points. Note: assume the same example except two teams, A and D tied for first place. In this situation, you would award points for games played by Teams B and C against both Teams A and D.
d) FOURTH TIE BREAKER
If there is still a tie after applying the first three tiebreakers, award points to the remaining teams not yet eliminated for wins against the second place team. If there is still a tie, award points for wins against the third place team and then the fourth place team and so on and so forth, until the tie is broken. For example, assume Team A’s season record is 14 and 6, Team B is 13 and 7,Team C is 13 and 7, and Team D is 11 and 9. Assume that all of the other tiebreakers have not yet broken the tie between Teams B and C. Teams B and C’s record verses A is identical. Therefore, the fourth tiebreaker would be followed. Team B’s record verses Team D was three wins and one loss (3-1), and Team C’s record verses Team D was four wins and no losses (4-0). Therefore, Team C would be declared the second place winner, since Team C accumulated four points while Team B accumulated only three points.
e) FIFTH TIE BREAKER
If two teams are still tied after applying the above tiebreakers, a coin flip will determine the winner.
4. MINOR “Player Pitch” DIVISION CHAMPIONSHIP
Following the regular season, all teams will compete for the Division Championship. The playoffs will be a single lost elimination with the seeding based on the regular season win/loss percentage, meaning in the 1st playoff round, the team with the highest winning percentage will play the team with the lowest winning percentage (1 vs. 8, 2 vs. 7 etc.). In the event of an uneven number of teams, the 1st place team will have a bye in the 1st round. There will be two brackets, lower and upper. All teams will remain and progress through their respective brackets. However, the team with the highest winning percentage will have the choice of being the home/visiting team throughout the playoffs.
6. MINOR “Coach Pitch” DIVISION CHAMPIONSHIP
Following the regular season, all teams will compete for the Division Championship. The win/loss percentage of the games played during the regular season will not be a factor in determining which teams play each other. The pairings and who receives a bye in the first round will be determined by a blind draw.
H. ALL STAR SELECTION
- The 12 and 11 year old all-star team will be selected via a vote from the players in the Major division.
- The president and at least two Board members who do not have children in the Major division shall be present at the All Star selection meeting to conduct the meeting or count votes and approve all selections made.
- The president, player agent, or someone designated by the president shall notify the players of their selection to the All-Star team on the date specified by Little League Rules.
- The manager of the team with the best regular season record will have first choice of becoming an All Star manager of any of the All Star teams in the Little League division.
- The Junior and Senior managers and Intermediate 50/70 managers with the best overall season records against all other UNLL teams will be the All-Star manager in their division. If a Manager declines the position, the manager with the next best overall record verses UNLL teams will be the All-Star manager.
- No manager may manage more than one all-star team.
- An All-Star manager or coach may be involved with more than one UNLL All-Star team as a coach.
- The All Star manager shall select two coaches.
- The All Star manager and coaches must be selected from the regular Major division roster of managers and coaches. Scorekeepers, batting or pitching coaches, etc. (not carried on “official” tournament roster), may be selected from the public at large to assist.
- The All Star manager shall be responsible to the league president for the general administration and conduct of the team. The manager shall, however, have exclusive jurisdiction over such matters as: a) Placement of players by position
- Preparation of batting order
- Substitutions (if any)
- Replacement of players
- The 12year old All-Star team will have priority on the Major Field but not to the exclusion of the 11 year old or 10 year old all-Star teams. If disputes arise about practice schedules and cannot be resolved by the respective managers, the dispute will be referred to the League president who will make the final decision.
I. SPORTSMANSHIP
- Players shall refrain from attempting to harass the opposing pitcher. All managers shall ensure that this rule is followed.
- The team manager or coach shall insure that players give the opposing team a traditional Little League “cheer” at the conclusion of every game.
- Catchers are not allowed to harass or talk to the opposing batters.
J. EQUIPMENT RULES
- Only official Little League approved equipment will be used, and any alteration or tampering with such equipment could ultimately cause dismissal from the league of the person(s) involved.
- All managers shall return all equipment and equipment room keys to the purchasing agent at the conclusion of the season.
- All Senior, Junior, 50/70, Major, Minor and Tee ball players may only wear those jerseys issued by the league. Grey pants are mandatory at all levels. League issued hats “ONLY” to be worn and they cannot be altered in any form.
- Approved safety gear shall be used at all times. All male players must wear an athletic supporter and hard cup. Athletic supporters with soft cups are highly recommended, but not required for female players. All batters and players must wear protective helmets.
- A player occupying the catcher’s position must use a catcher’s mitt and must wear full protective gear (a mask, throat protector, catcher’s helmet, chest protector, and shin guards) during all practices, pitcher warm-ups, and games.
- A player occupying the pitcher’s position may not wear sweatbands on their wrists, use a white or gray glove, or attach any foreign material of a different color to their glove.
- Rubber cleats are not required in the Major and Minor divisions, but are strongly recommended when playing at the Minor field. Metal or plastic cleats may not be worn.
- Junior and Senior Division players may wear metal cleats.
- All bats used must meet Little League specifications and USA standards. Weight bats are not permitted unless approved by Little League headquarters. Traditional batting donuts are not permitted.
K. GAME - TIME LIMIT/RAIN OUT & TIE GAMES
- There is no time limit in the Major division.
- It is the responsibility of all managers to cooperate with the umpire and keep the game moving along, particularly during the tight Saturday schedule of games. In general, pre-game warm-up Saturday should be limited to six (6) minutes per team.
3. RAINED OUT GAMES
Games that cannot be played as scheduled due to rain or wet ground, shall be played as follows: a) Major league – shall be played only if the game has a direct bearing on post-season play.
- Minor “Player Pitch” league – shall not be played.
- Minor “Coach Pitch” league – shall not be played.
- Tee ball league – shall not be played.
4. MAJOR DIVISION
- No new inning may start after 10p.m.
- Tie games shall be halted after eight innings.
- In the event a game is halted without the winner being determined, the game will be completed before the start of the next scheduled game between the two teams involved (Rules 4.11 and 4.12). If no more games are scheduled between those two teams, a committee consisting of the president, player agent and one other board member will decide when and if the game will be completed. If a tie game is not completed, it shall not be counted in the final league standing.
- Mercy rule – If after four (4) innings of play (three and one half innings (3 ½) if the home team is ahead) a team has a lead of ten (10 runs or more, the manager of the team with the least runs shall concede the victory to the opponent.
(Little League rule 4.10)
5. MINOR “Player Pitch” AND MINOR “Coach Pitch” DIVISION
- Minor “Player Pitch” games, No new inning may start after two (2) hours from the actual starting time of the game as determined by the umpire. If the home team is ahead at the completion of the top of the inning and 2 hours have elapsed, the game is over and the home team shall not bat. If the game is tied when halted, that game will not be completed and considered a tie. No new inning may be started after 9:30 pm. regardless of when the game started.
- Minor “Coach Pitch” games - No new inning will start after 1 hour and 45 minutes following the scheduled starting time. If the home team is ahead in the score at the completion of the top of the inning and 1:45 minutes have elapsed, the game is over and the home team shall not bat. If the game is tied when halted, that game will not be completed and considered a tie. Drop dead at 1 hour 45 min.
- NOTE-a new inning begins at the moment the third out or final run is recorded/occurs in the bottom of the inning.
- TEE BALL LEAGUE
There is 1hr time limit for all Tee ball games.
- JUNIOR / SENIORLEAGUE
Game time limits will be governed by the rules adopted by the District 23 prior to the beginning of the season.
L. ELIGIBILITY FOR UPLAND NATIONAL LITTLE LEAGUE 1. AGE LIMITS
- Tee ball division shall be league age 4, 5 or 6.
- Minor “Coach Pitch” division shall be league age 7 or 8
- Minor “Player Pitch” division shall be league age 9, 10, 11 or 12 (with a waiver)
- Major division shall be league age 10, 11 or 12.
- Intermediate 50/70 division shall be league 13 only.
- Junior division shall be league age 14 only.
- Senior division shall be league age 15 or 16.
2. It is mandatory for all candidates 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 and 16 years of age to attend at least 50% of the tryouts to establish eligibility to play in the league or present an excuse which is accepted by a majority of the board of directors. Otherwise, the player forfeits their eligibility to play.
M. FORFEIT 1. MAJORS
- If a game cannot be played because of the inability of either team to place nine players on the field before the game begins, this shall not be grounds for automatic forfeiture but shall be referred to the board of directors for a decision (Rule 4.16).
- If during a game either team is unable to place nine (9) players on the field due to injury or ejection, the opposing manager shall select a player to re-enter the lineup. A player ejected from the game is not eligible for re-entry. If no players are available for re-entry, or if a team refuses to place nine (9) players on the field, this shall not be grounds for automatic forfeiture but shall be referred to the board of directors for a decision (Rule 4.17).
- It shall be the policy of this league that forfeits will be avoided. Unusual circumstances, such as a player out of uniform, manager and coach absent, equipment not available, etc., shall not be interpreted to permit managers to postpone or reschedule a game for their own or their team’s convenience.
2. MINOR “Player Pitch” & “Coach Pitch”
- If a game cannot be played because of the inability of either team to place seven (7) players on the field before the game begins, this shall not be grounds for automatic forfeiture, but shall be referred to the board of directors for a decision (Rule 4.16).
- If during a game either team is unable to place seven (7) players on the field due to injury or ejection, the opposing manager shall select a player to re-enter the lineup. A player ejected from the game is not eligible for re-entry. If no players are available for re-entry, or if a team refuses to place seven (7) players on the field, this shall not be grounds for automatic forfeiture but shall be referred to the board of directors for a decision (Rule 4.17).
- It shall be the policy of this league that forfeits will be avoided. Unusual circumstances, such as a player out of uniform, manager and coach absent, equipment not available, etc., shall not be interpreted to permit managers to postpone or reschedule a game for their own or their team’s convenience.
N. PRACTICE LIMITATION
All league managers shall limit their team activities to a maximum of six times per week for a period not to exceed two hours per activity, except for official games. Only one activity per day is allowed. Activity is defined as practice sessions, team training meetings, trips to batting cage, and games. Violations of the rule will be handled similarly to player rule violations (Section 2, C. 2 below).
O. LITTLE LEAGUE RULES
The following rules are extracted from the official rulebook and are incorporated herein for emphasis and ready reference.
- All non-Major division players at the conclusion of the season are returned to the players’ pool. No manager or team may retain a non-Major division player for the subsequent season.
- No one except eligible players in uniform, the manager, and not more than two coaches shall occupy the dugout or bench during the game. A third coach may occupy the dugout if the manager is not at the game. Exception: Minor Coach Pitch and T-ball divisions are allowed to have a manager and three coaches.
- The use of tobacco in any form is prohibited on the playing field, benches, and dugout. This rule applies to practice and regular games played on league fields.
- Male catchers must wear a protective supporter at all times. Catchers must wear a facemask when warming up pitchers. This applies between innings and bullpen practice. Catcher’s safety rules apply to all practice and game situations.
- Each umpire is the accredited representative of the president of the league, and as such, is entitled to and shall have the authority to require full and complete cooperation of all persons directly or indirectly responsible for the preparation and playing of a game.
- Managers or adult coaches shall not warm up a pitcher at home plate or in the bullpen at any time.
- Managers or adult coaches shall not catch during infield warm-ups.
- Managers are limited to two visits in an inning to the same pitcher. Upon a third visit, in any one inning, the pitcher must be removed from pitching. A manager or coach in a game shall remove a pitcher upon the fourth (4th) visit during the duration of the game.
- No food or drink is to be allowed in the dugout before or during the game except water or bottled sports drinks.
- ABSOLUTELY NO SUNFLOWER SEEDS on the field, in the dugout, or in the stands.
- The infield fly rule will be enforced in both the major league and minor player pitch divisions.
- There is no “on-deck” location. Only the hitter at the plate should have a bat in his or her hands. The next batter in the order should have his or her bat ready, but under no circumstances be swinging the bat.
- No bat weights of any kind should be used while a game is in progress. Only Little League approved bat sleeves may be used before a game, but they are not allowed during a game because there is no on-deck area inside or outside of the dugout. Traditional weighted bat “donuts” are not allowed in Little League baseball.
SECTION 2 - MAJOR DIVISION RULES A. MAJOR DIVISION STRUCTURE
1. The Major division shall consist of not more than 10 teams with 12 players per team.
B. DRAFT POLICY 1. DRAFT SYSTEM
a) The draft system provides for the orderly selection of candidates to fill the roster of the Major division teams. The draft is
to be conducted as outlined in Plan A “The Draft System” in the Little League operating manual. Teams will draft in reverse order of the previous year’s final team standing as determined by the win/loss percentage. Candidates not selected for the Major league will be eligible for the Minor “Player Pitch” division draft. If any player refuses to accept the Major division draft a second Major league draft will be held to fill such vacancies within three days of the first draft. Only those Major league teams that have vacancies due to refusals will draft at the second draft. The drafting order will be the same as the first draft.
2. BROTHER/SISTERS
A manager may submit an option on a draftee, if the player’s brother or sister is a member of that manager’s team. This option must be exercised within the first three draft selections.
A manager drafting a player, who has a brother /sister in the same draft, has the option on the sibling(s). If that option is taken, then when first brother/sister is drafted, the manager automatically takes the brother/sister on the next turn. If an option is not taken, anyone may draft the remaining sibling(s).
3. SONS AND/OR DAUGHTERS OF MANAGERS OR COACHES
- A manager has an option on his eligible sons and/or daughters. The option must be exercised prior to the start of the draft. Parent-manager option takes priority over any other option.
- If a team has more than one coach, only the senior coach in service may qualify provided that senior member has served as a coach on that team for two or more years. If the senior coach does not have sons and/or daughters, the coach next in seniority may exercise the privilege.
- Provision (a) and (b) above apply for managers/coaches having brothers or sisters of eligible age. d) Options will be exercised as follows:
AGE DRAFT ROUND
7 to 10 5
- 4
- 3
13& 15 5
14& 16 4
4. 12 YEAR OLDS
All 12 year old’s must be drafted, unless the league has obtained a waiver to keep the player in the Minor “Player Pitch” division.
All 11 year old’s must be drafted to the Majors unless it is determined that the player lacks the ability to safely compete in the Major division.
5. TRADING
Following the draft, managers may, if they desire, may exchange players 15 min after the draft. All exchanges shall be made with the approval of the player agent and the president. Players may only be traded for players in their same division.
6. BONUS PICKS
Each manager requiring 8 or more players prior to the draft to complete the roster will be allowed one bonus pick at the completion of round four (4). If more than one manager is allowed bonus picks under this section, their order of rotation will be identical to that being followed in the draft.
7. EXPANSION DRAFT
When it is determined that an additional teams(s) are needed in the major division, an expansion team(s) will be made. This team(s) will be able to draft a number of players in the expansion draft before the actual major draft. The expansion draft will take place immediately before the normal major draft. The number of picks in the expansion draft will be determined by the total number of returning players that each of the returning major teams will be drafting and divide by how many teams, then round down. Example: Team A has 5 returners, team B has 7 returners, team C has 4 returners, and team D has 5 returners. The total number of returners is 21, so the expansion team will draft 5 during the expansion draft. After the expansion draft, the new team(s) will pick first during the normal draft ahead of the previous year’s last place team.
8. REDUCTION OF TEAM(S).
In the event of the elimination of one or more teams, a draft will take place before the regular draft for the retuning players from those teams. All returning players must be drafted. The draft order will be the same as the regular draft. Following this draft, the regular draft will take place starting with the original draft order.
C. MAJOR LEAGUE ROSTER VACANCIES
1. GENERAL
- When the player agent verifies a vacancy in a Major division roster, it shall be filled within three games after the vacancy. If the vacancy occurs during pre-season, the manager shall have 14 days to fill that vacancy. The replacement shall come from the Minor “Player Pitch” league.
- A Major league team which announces a vacancy on its roster with half the season or less remaining on its original regular season schedule shall be limited to calling up Minor “Player Pitch” league players who are league age 11.
- A Major league manager who has not filled a vacancy on his roster within the specified time limit shall forfeit his right to select a player. The player agent shall select one player from each Minor Player Pitch team and one of these players names will be drawn from a hat by the president. The player’s name drawn will be assigned to that Major league team.
- When a vacancy occurs, the player selected to fill the vacancy becomes a permanent member of that team, governed by the same regulations as all members of that team selected in the spring draft.
- The Major division manager who has a vacancy shall conduct business exclusively with the player agent. Major division team representatives are not to approach a Minor “Player Pitch” division manager or player directly to discuss the selection of Minor “Player Pitch” league players.
- Managers must recognize that, as the season progresses, many Minor “Player Pitch” division players begin to feel “at home and comfortable” on their team. In order to affect a smooth transition from the Minor “Player Pitch” to the Major division, managers must work through the player agent, who is the players’ representative. Managers who tamper with this rule run the risk of losing their claim to a player and may be held accountable to explain their actions to the board of directors.
- Any Minor “Player Pitch” division player refusing to be drafted to a Major division team will be reassigned to a new Minor “Player Pitch” division team, as determined by a committee consisting of the president, player agent, and one additional board member for the balance of the season.
- Final arrangements for player assignments from Minor “Player Pitch” to Major division must be approved by the league president and as far as practical, publicized to the league.
- If a player did not come to the tryouts, they can’t be brought up to the Major level when a spot opens until they have played 4 games on a Minor “Player Pitch” team. Further, if a player is not on a Minor “Player Pitch” roster at the time the Major vacancy occurs, he/she is not eligible to be brought up to the Major team with the vacancy.
- If a player misses 3 consecutive weeks of games and practice, and has no verbal or written excuse or contact with manager or player agent , that player may be dropped from the current season, to be determined by both player agent and president after 1 or more attempts to contact
D. ALL PLAYER RULE
- Major division teams must use a continuous batting order.
- No player shall sit out two consecutive innings. It shall be the manager’s responsibility to keep the official scorekeeper informed of all substitutions.
- All defensive lineup changes must be submitted to the official scorekeeper before the start of each inning.
- When less than the full roster of players show up for a game, the manager shall inform the official scorekeeper and the opposing manager that there are less than the full roster available to play.
- If prior to the beginning of the game, a manager wants to bench a player or players for disciplinary reasons, the manager shall first discuss the issue with the player agent or the league president prior to submitting the lineup to the official scorekeeper and the opposing manager. A player shall not be benched because of his or her baseball abilities.
- If a player is dropped from the lineup during a game because of disciplinary reasons and it is later determined that the disciplinary reason was unjustified, a penalty will be imposed. (Section E below)
- If a player is dropped from the lineup during a game because of injury, disciplinary, or other reasons, there is no penalty to the batting team. The team shall skip that place in the batting order.
- Courtesy pinch runners are not allowed. However, if a player is injured and cannot run, the designated pinch runner must be the player who made the most recent out.
E. PENALTY
- The player(s) involved shall start the next scheduled game and play the entire game on both offense and defense.
- The manager shall for the:
FIRST OFFENSE receive a written warning
SECOND OFFENSE a suspension for the next scheduled game
THIRD OFFENSE a suspension for the remainder of the season
NOTE: If the violation is determined to have been intentional, the board of directors may assess a more severe penalty. However, forfeiture of a game may not be invoked.
F. PITCHING
- There is no limit on the number of 12 year olds that can pitch in a week.
- 11 & 12 year olds are limited to 85 pitches in a game.
- 9 & 10 year olds are limited to 75 pitches in a game
- If a player pitches 66 or more pitches in a day, four (4) calendar days of rest must be observed.
- If a player pitches 51 – 65 pitches in a day, three (3) calendar days of rest must be observed.
- If a player pitches 36 - 50 pitches in a day, two (2) calendar day of rest must be observed.
- If a player pitches 21- 35 pitches in a day, one (1) calendar day of rest must be observed
- If a player pitches 1- 20 pitches in a day, zero (0) calendar days of rest must be observed
- If a player pitches forty-one pitches or more, he is not allowed to be the catcher during the remainder of the game.
- If a player catches 4 innings or more, he is not allowed to pitch during the remainder of the game.
- 1 pitch caught by the catcher is equal to 1 inning.
G. BATTING CAGE
1. Prior to a scheduled game, both teams will have rights to one batting cage up to the first pitch of the game.
SECTION 3 - MINOR “Player Pitch” AND MINOR “Coach Pitch” DIVISION RULES A. LEAGUE STRUCTURE
The Minor “Player Pitch” and Minor “Coach Pitch” division shall consist of not more than 10 teams each. The maximum opening day rosters shall be 13 players. The minimum roster will be 10.
B. MINOR “Player Pitch” AND MINOR “Coach Pitch” DIVISION DRAFT
- The managers will draft using the serpentine or snake method, for example: in a six-team league, the draft order would be 123-4-5-6-6-5-4-3-2-1-1-2-3-, etc.
- The player agent or president will draw the team names from a hat to determine the order of the draft.
- The manager will have an option on their children.
- If there are two family members with a parent as manager, manager must option the oldest child.
- Members of the immediate family shall be kept together on the teams. If a family member is drafted, other family member(s) shall be taken as the last draft choice(s). Family members who sign up late (see below) might not be assigned to the same team.
C. LATE SIGN UP
All players signing up after tryouts will be placed on a list in numerical order and assigned to teams in the same sequence which was used at the draft. In so far as is practical, an equitable balance will be maintained. Players will be assigned so that no team has a roster with more than one additional player than the other teams. The intention of the Minor ‘player Pitch” and Minor “Coach Pitch” league player assignment and late sign up procedures are to balance the league and place new and veteran managers on an equal footing.
D. ALL PLAYER RULE
- Minor “Coach Pitch” and Minor “Player Pitch” division teams must use a continuous batting order.
- No player shall sit out two consecutive innings. It shall be the manager’s responsibility to keep the official scorekeeper informed of all substitutions.
3. Coach Pitch
Defense players must not play the same position in consecutive innings. Any player playing the position of pitcher must have 1 foot in the circle or one the mound. If pitcher fails to keep 1 foot in the specified area at the time of the pitch may result in the batter being awarded 1st base. (If the pitcher makes the play)
- When less than the full roster of players shows up for a game, the manager shall inform the official scorekeeper and the opposing manager that there is less than the full roster available to play.
- If prior to the beginning of the game, a manager wants to bench a player or players for disciplinary reasons, the manager shall first discuss the issue with the player agent or the league president prior to submitting the lineup to the official scorekeeper and the opposing manager. A player shall not be benched because of his or her baseball abilities.
- If a player is dropped from the lineup during a game because of injury or other reasons, there is no penalty to the batting team. The team shall skip that place in the batting order.
- Courtesy pinch runners are not allowed. However, if a player is injured and cannot run, the designated pinch runner must be the player who made the most recent out.
7. PENALTY
a) The player involved shall start the next scheduled game and play the entire game on both offense and defense. b) The manager shall for the:
FIRST OFFENSE | receive a written warning |
SECOND OFFENSE | a suspension for the next scheduled game |
THIRD OFFENSE | a suspension for the remainder of the season |
NOTE: If the violation is determined to have been intentional, the board of directors may assess a more severe penalty. However, forfeiture of a game may not be invoked.
c) If the infraction occurs in the last two weeks of regular season play, the manager shall not be allowed to participate or share in any award or recognition resulting from any playoff or Championship game.
E. PITCHING
- The pitching distance for Minor “Player Pitch” shall be 46 feet.
- Minor “Player Pitch” players of division age 12 are not permitted to pitch.
- There is no limit on the number of 11 year olds that can pitch in a week.
- 11year olds are limited to 85 pitches in a game.
- 9 & 10 year olds are limited to 75 pitches in a game.
- If a player pitches 66 or more pitches in a day, four (4) calendar days of rest must be observed.
- If a player pitches 51 – 65 pitches in a day, three (3) calendar days of rest must be observed.
- If a player pitches 36 - 50 pitches in a day, two (2) calendar day of rest must be observed.
- If a player pitches 21- 35 pitches in a day, one (1) calendar day of rest must be observed.
- If a player pitches 1- 20 pitches in a day, zero (0) calendar days of rest must be observed.
- If a player pitches forty-one pitches or more, he is not allowed to be the catcher during the remainder of the game.
- If a player catches 4 innings or more, he is not allowed to pitch during the remainder of the calendar day.
- Even though a pitcher may throw fewer than the maximum pitches allowed, no player in the Minor program may pitch more than 3 full innings (9 outs) in any game. Reg 6A (green book)
- Minor “Coach Pitch” –The coach will pitch. A coach will be used from the offensive team“3” swinging strikes will be an out. There will be no walks. The player will have a maximum of (5) pitches after which time he will be called out. Coaches are not to pitch from knee but standing from 40 feet.
F. FIVE RUN MAXIMUM RULE
In both the Minor “Player Pitch” and Minor “Coach Pitch”, the team on offense shall be limited to scoring (5) runs in one inning. After the 5th run has crossed the plate safely, the inning shall be declared over regardless of the actual number of outs, base runners, etc. Exception: If a player hits a home run over the fence (by a fair fly ball), then the home run and all runners on base who proceed to score legally shall count even though the 5 run maximum may be exceeded.
G. BASE RUNNING
- Minor “Player Pitch” – A base runner may steal any base.
- Minor “Coach Pitch” – A base runner may NOT steal bases.
- Minor “Coach Pitch” – When a ball is overthrown during a play, all runners may advance (at their own risk) one (1) base beyond the base they were going to at the time of the overthrow. No further advancement is allowed regardless of additional overthrows. Eligibility to reach an additional base on an overthrow is determined by the runner’s location at the moment the error in throw leaves the player’s hand. For example, a runner originally at 1st proceeds to 2nd base on a ground ball hit by the batter. The ball is overthrown to 1st base. The runner on 2nd may, at his own risk, proceed to 3rd base. Such runner may not advance any further regardless of additional overthrows. For example, if the runner that ran from 1st to 2nd base proceeds to 3rd at his own risk, he may not advance home on an additional overthrow to 3rd base. However, if a runner is on 2nd base and does not attempt to run to third before the error in throw occurs, he may only advance to third base.
H. BATTING CAGE
- Prior to a scheduled Minor “Player Pitch” or “Coach Pitch” game at the major field, both teams will have rights to one batting cage up to the first pitch of the game. Games played at the minor field, the visiting team will have exclusive right to the batting cage for 30 minutes starting 60 minutes prior to game time. The home team will have use of the batting cage for 30 minutes, 30 minutes before game time.
- Minor “Coach Pitch’ has no set schedule for the batting cage. If more than one Minor “Coach Pitch” team wants to use the cage prior to the game,the managers should split the time available.
- COACH PITCH SPECIAL RULES
- After the 10th game scheduled, starting with the 11th game scheduled (or after the halfway point of the season), the managers of the coach pitch division may designate a player to pitch, following the player pitch format with the below stipulations.
- There will still be no walks. Once a 4th ball has been thrown, the offensive coach will step in to pitch to the batter with the remaining strikes left in the count. (Example 1 – 4 straight balls, the coach has 3 pitches maximum. Example 2 - If the player pitcher walks the batter with a 3 ball, 2 strike count, the offensive coach has only 1 pitch to the batter and the batter must swing.)
- The defensive manager or designated coach will call balls and strikes from behind the pitcher in an effort to be able to help encourage and coach their pitcher.
- The placement of the pitching rubber will be at 40 feet for both the coach pitching and the player pitching.
- In the event that a team runs out of eligible players to pitch, they can let the batting team know and play will continue as before.
- Catchers for coach pitch must use a catching mitt for safety. Any overthrow from the catcher to the player pitcher will not be considered an overthrow or grounds for stealing a base.
- Pitch counts will need to be tracked according to number of pitches and days rest noted above. No pitcher will be allowed to pitch if they do not meet their rest requirements.
SECTION 4 - TEE BALL/LITTLE TEE BALL DIVISION A. TEE BALL STRUCTURE
- The Tee ball division will consist of league age 4-6 year olds.
- The Tee ball division shall consist of not more than 10 teams with a maximum of fifteen (15) players assigned to each team.
- No score shall be kept in a Tee ball game.
- There shall be no league standings in Tee ball.
- If there are enough 4 year old eligible players, a separate Tee ball division will be made for only 4 year olds and will follow the same Tee ball division rules as the 5-6 year old teams with only 13 players on each team.
B. TEE BALL PLAYER ASSIGNMENT
- Tee ball division will not use a draft system.
- The player agent will assign players to team rosters attempting to balance teams by age, area of residence or school boundaries.
- Members of immediate family shall be kept together on Tee ball teams.
- Managers of Tee ball teams may trade players with the approval of the president and player agent.
C. ALL PLAYER RULE
- The defensive team shall field their entire team, however; only four (4) infielders plus the pitcher are allowed in the infield.
- Every player shall play a minimum of five (5) different positions during the course of the season.
- All players present will bat in a continuous rotation.
- At all times, outfielders shall stay behind the white infield line at the Major field and ten (10) feet behind the infield base lines when playing in the park or minor field.
D. PITCHING
- Pitching is not allowed in the Tee ball division. The ball shall be hit off a Tee, which will be placed on home plate.
- It will be the responsibility of the offensive manager/coach to remove the Tee should a play involve a runner attempting to score.
- The player occupying the defensive position of pitcher shall remain in contact with the pitching rubber until the ball is hit.
- Special note: After the 5th scheduled game, beginning with the 6th scheduled game (or after half the season is over) the coaches may elect to “coach pitch” from a pitching rubber of 40 feet. Similar to coach pitch rules, the player will get 5 pitches to hit the ball. Because there are no strikeouts or walks, if the batter does not put the ball in play after 5 pitches, the tee shall be put back in place for the play to resume as before.
- Coaches shall remain standing from the rubber and are not to pitch from a knee. No players shall be allowed to pitch.
E. BATTING
- A batter will be allowed one practice swing per time at bat.
- A batter will be allowed three swings. If on the third swing, the ball is not struck, the batter shall be called out. If on the third swing, the ball is fouled, the batter will be entitled to another swing.
- No batter shall be allowed to bunt, take a half swing, or a swing bunt. If, in the umpire’s judgement, the batter was not taking a full swing, the batter will be called back and a strike called. If a half swing occurs on the third strike, the batter shall be called out. Throwing the bat on a hit ball shall constitute an out.
- A ball is deemed foul consistent with conventional baseball rules. In addition, a ball that travels less than fifteen (15) feet in fair territory from home plate will be called foul. A fifteen-foot arc shall be drawn from the first base foul line to the third base foul line before the start of each game. A ball fielded within the 15-foot arc will be deemed foul. When the bat makes
contact with the Tee prior to making contact with the ball, the swing shall be called a strike.
F. COACHING
- Two (2) defensive coaches are permitted on the field for instructional purposes. Coaches are not permitted to touch a live ball but they may instruct players.
- Two (2) offensives coaches are permitted in the coach’s boxes (near first and third base) and at home plate for instruction, but they are not permitted to assist base runners physically.
- Players shall not be used as base coaches.
G. BASE RUNNING
- Runners must stay in contact with the base until the ball is hit. When runners have advanced as far as possible without being put out, or having been retired, the umpire shall call “time” and place the ball on the Tee. When all defensive players are in proper position, the umpire shall call “play ball” at which time the on-deck batter will take his turn at bat.
- If a base coach physically interferes or assists his runner, the runner will be called out.
- There is no base stealing in Tee ball.
H. STOPPING PLAY
Play stops when:
- The ball is returned to the pitcher in the area of the pitching mound.
- When a ball is overthrown, runners may advance only one base at their own risk. No further advancement is allowed regardless if there are additional overthrows.
- Any ball designated out of play shall be deemed a dead ball, and the base runner shall be awarded the next base.
I. REGULATION GAME
- A game is one hour and 15 minutes or six innings whichever occurs first during the week.1 hour on Saturdays.
- The side is retired when three outs are recorded or when four (4) runs have scored.
J. UMPIRES
- Managers, coaches, or any adult volunteer shall be used as umpires.
- All umpires’ decisions are final and may not be protested unless it is a proven violation of our local rules.
SECTION 5: JUNIOR /SENIOR LEAGUE DIVISION A. STRUCTURE
- Normally, all returning players remain on the same team. However, the league may decide to redraft one or both divisions depending on the circumstances.
- The division Champion will be the team with the best record in head to head competition with all the other UNLL teams. See Tiebreaker (above) in the event of a tie for the championship.
B. DRAFT
- UNLL teams will draft in the reverse order of the highest regular season winning percentage from the previous year.
- The order of the draft will be 1,2,3,1,2,3,1,2,3,etc.
- If a division is redrafted, a coin flip or other similar method will be used to determine the order of the draft.
- In a redraft, the order of the draft will be 1,2,3,3,2,1,1,2,3,etc.
C. SCHEDULE & RULES
1. Schedules and game time limits will be governed by the rules adopted by the District 23 prior to the beginning of the seasons.
SECTION 6: INTERMEDIATE 50/70 DIVISION A.
STRUCTURE
- The Intermediate 50/70 program will follow rules of the JR/SR League baseball program with the exceptions of ages permitted (13,12, 11) and pitching/base path distances.
- 11 and 12 year olds will only be permitted to play in the intermediate division if they do not qualify for UNLL’s major program. This would typically be because they live outside of UNLLs boundaries and the other leagues do not offer an intermediate division.
- No player may play in both the 50/70 program and the junior division.
APPROVED BY BOARD OF DIRECTORS ON 12/2/14