Upper Divisions (Minors, Majors, Juniors)

1.    All lineups shall be presented to the official scorekeeper and umpire in writing before the start of the game and shall include the name of the team, the players, jersey numbers, and the date. The official scorekeeper shall be provided by the home team. The umpire shall announce the actual starting time.

2.    The official scorekeeper and opposing manager shall be notified of the arrival of a player reporting late and the player shall bat according to the lineup provided to the official scorekeeper before the start of the game.

3.    No new inning will be permitted after the time limit for that Division has elapsed. A new inning begins the moment the final out of the previous inning is made. Innings in progress when the time limit is reached will be allowed to finish.

4.    There shall be free substitution of all players, with at least three (3) innings of play in the field being mandatory, based on a complete six (6) inning game. A player shall not sit out more than two consecutive innings. No player shall sit a second inning until all players have sat out one inning (unless injured). Managers who fail to adhere to these minimum playing requirements are subject to the following measures:

a)    1st time - the manager is warned and the player fulfills their missed playing time in the next game plus the required time for that game (catching him/her up).

b)    2nd time - the manager is suspended for one game and the player fulfills their missed playing time in the next game plus the required time for that game (catching him/her up).

c)    3rd time - the manager is suspended for the remainder of the season from the team and the player fulfills their missed playing time in the next game plus the required time for that game (catching him/her up).

5.    Every eligible player shall be in the batting lineup. All players shall bat in order, regardless of which players were in the field the preceding half-inning. The batting order shall not be altered during a game unless a player cannot continue to play (illness, injury, etc.), in which case, that player shall be removed from the batting order until such time the player is able to re-enter the game. A player re-entering the game shall return to the same place in the batting order. The other players shall bat in their regular order. No out will be recorded for a player failing to bat due to illness, injury, or any other reason. If, during the at-bat, the batter is unable to continue due to illness or injury, the last player making an out (assuming said player is not currently on base for any reason) will assume the count of the batter who can’t continue until the at-bat is completed.

6.    Any manager who desires to bench a player for disciplinary reasons or allows an injured player in uniform to be in the dugout must notify the official scorekeeper and umpire before the game starts. If a player is to be benched for disciplinary reasons, the team manager must notify the Board of Directors. If a player is benched during a game in progress, the umpire shall be notified of the reason for benching. The game umpire shall report to the Umpire-in-Chief of the Board of Directors the reason for allowing the benching of a player during the game according to the Little League “Rulebook”. The manager must also notify the VP of the disciplinary action involving the player.

7.    Pinch runners are not permitted unless the runner on base is injured. A courtesy runner may be permitted for a runner on base who is playing at catcher the next half-inning.

8.    Local Option - After entering the batter’s box, the batter must remain in the box with at least one foot throughout the at-bat.  Exception: batter hits a foul ball or there is a play at the plate.

9. PLAYER REPLACEMENT RULES

a)    Should a Major Division manager lose a player or players after the draft, or at any time during the season, the Player Agent(s) shall be notified within 72 hours so that a replacement may be obtained. A minimum of 24 hours is required to call a player up.

b)    All communication around potential replacement players must be conducted through the Player Agent(s). The selecting manager cannot contact the manager, coach, or parent of the potentially selected player regarding the possibility of selecting that player.

c)    Refusal of a Minor Division player to comply with selection by a Major team shall result in the forfeiture of further eligibility in the Major Division for the current season.

d)    The Player Agent will handle the transfer according to the Little League Rules and

Regulations. A Major Division manager shall select a replacement player from the Minor Division if an injured player is unable to return and play in the League playoffs. If the player’s injury would allow the player to come back to the team before the tournament begins, the manager may elect to keep the player on the roster. A written evaluation from the player’s physician is required in support of the manager’s decision.

E. Upper Division Additions/Exceptions

1. Minors

a)    The Minors Division will be divided into two distinct “phases” of games. The first phase shall be regular season and the second phase playoffs.

b)    Before starting a game, each team must have at least seven players. Teams may “borrow” a player from the opposing team in order to field 9 players on defense. The “borrowed”

player(s) play the outfield and will consist of the final “out(s)” of the opposing team the previous inning. Games using “borrowed” players count in any regular season and playoff situation and are not considered forfeits.

c)    Length of games (regular season only) shall be 1 hour 45 minutes from the actual start of the game (not scheduled start time) or six innings, whichever shall first occur.

(1)  Games tied after six innings that have not exceeded the time limit will go into extra innings. No inning shall start after the time limit has been reached. A game may end in a tie, except during playoffs.

(2)  One half-inning shall consist of three outs or five runs, whichever shall occur first.

d)    Bunting and chopping are permitted. Faking a bunt and then swinging away is not permitted and is an out. The batted ball is dead and all runners will return to the base occupied at the time of the pitch.

Supplemental:

1.     Managers are responsible for maintaining written proof of adherence to mandatory play rules, and are required to submit proof if requested by the league player agent or president.

2.     A parent code of conduct must be signed by each parent and carried with the player’s medical release. The conduct of the team and the parents must be above reproach. Failure of a player, parent, or team to act according to the parent code of conduct or its intent will be cause for removal of the player, parent, coach or team from the remainder of the season.

3.     Field prep and cleanup— both teams are responsible for grooming and preparing the field for play, as well as grooming and cleanup after the game. Home team to lead in pre-game preparation and visitors to lead in post-game cleanup duties.

4.     All managers must have in their possession an original, signed medical release for each player on the team roster. Umpires will be checking for medical releases.

5.     The home team will provide both the plate and base umpires for the game. It is recommended that at least two umpires be assigned for each game. One qualified plate umpire must be assigned for each game; however, the team managers may umpire the game if an official umpire isn’t present.

6.     Field Decorum: The actions of players, managers, coaches, umpires and league officials must be above reproach. Any player, manager, coach, umpire or league representative who is involved in a verbal or physical altercation, or an incident of unsportsmanlike conduct, at the game site or any other Little League activity, is subject to disciplinary action by the Local League Board of Directors and/or by the District.

      a.     Anyone who has disciplinary action pending will not be allowed to participate in any game until such disciplinary action is resolved.

      b.     Any player, manager or coach ejected from a game will be suspended for the next physically played game. The district may require further suspension to include any manager or coach who participates in another level/league

7.     If an ejection takes place during an inter-league game, each of the League Presidents and the DA must be emailed the ejection report within 24 hours.