Recreational Division Rules
1. The Playing Field:
a. The base paths will be 45 feet all the way around.
b. From home plate to the pitchers mound, it will be 42 feet.
c. The Strike Zone will be (subject to adjustments) 20" wide x 30" in length 8
inches off of the ground.
d. The foul lines will be approximately 80-90'.
e. Center field fence will extend approximately 100-110'.
f. There will be an arc at 30’
from home plate that extends from foul line to foul line. Any ball that
does not make it to this line is considered FOUL.
2. Playing Equipment:
a. The
official
the equipment. No tape. Batting gloves are permitted for batting, but no gloves of
any kind for defense.
b. Teams are encouraged, but not required to have uniforms. Be as creative in your team
names and shirts to stand out some. Cleats are allowed, but not steel. Only plastic
cleats are permitted. No gloves allowed, only bare hands in field.
3. Pitching:
a. Pitching is Medium Speed. Pitch to Hit. No missiles, but you don’t have to serve up meatballs.
If your opponent deems pitches too fast, then drop the speed down a notch.
4. Base Running:
a. You can run the bases all you want after the ball is hit. If the pitcher gets the ball
in his hand on the mound before you get to 1st base, you are out. If you are trying
to move to another base, and you are hit with the ball or tagged by defense before
you get to the base, you are out. No leadoffs, but there is tagging up on a fly ball.
Of course you can’t leave the base until the ball has been caught.
b. No Sliding – There will be no sliding into any base. If someone slides they will be called
out automatically.
5. Batting:
a. Simple enough....Hit the ball and run. No Bunting. Ball must get to the
fair play line to be fair. Runners are not required to run on a Home Run.
6. Game Rules:
a. Games will be 5 innings long during Round
Robin play and 6 innings during the single
elimination
tournament. Tournament games may have a
time limit.
Extra
innings: The last man out in the prior inning starts at 2nd
base.
b. 3 outs per inning, NO WALKS, 3 strikes for an out. If a foul ball is hit on
the 3rd strike and hits the strike zone, it is a strike out. As long as a 3rd strike foul
doesn't hit the zone, you have unlimited fouls. Tournament games may start with
an 0-1 count.
c. 15 run rule is in effect after 4 innings.
d. Ghost runners can be used only on a 3 man team, and only if the bases are loaded
and have no choice. But only advance as far as the batter. Ghost runners can not tag up
on a fly ball.
Teams can play with 2, but they will get an out each time that batter
comes to
bat. The ghost runner rule applies.
e. No infield fly rule.
f. If a fielder throws the ball at the runner and it hits the runner off of the base, he is out. If
it misses, it is a live ball and the runner can go as long as he wants.
g. The team listed second on the schedule will
be the home team. For the single elimination bracket
the home and away will be decided by the seeds.
h. Teams will be a minimum of 3 and max of 5. You can bat 5, but only 3 in the field.
Substitute at will, but only with players on your roster.
i. To get a batter out at first, any fielder with possession of the ball in the pitchers mound
circle before the runner gets to 1st base and the batter is out. Or, you can have possession
of the ball at 1B before the runner gets to first as in baseball. So pitchers hand on the
mound, the traditional 1B to get him out, or force out
on base runners like baseball. Or hit
the batter
with the ball before he gets to the base.
