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MPK PONY Baseball & USA Softball

MPK PONY Baseball & USA Softball

Pinto


GENERAL INFORMATION

PINTO 8U™ LEAGUE is an instructional league to teach eight and under (Minimum age 3 in Baseball, 4 in Girls Softball) players the fundamentals of baseball and Softball. 

PINTO 8U™ LEAGUE comes in three flavors, Coach Pitch, Machine Pitch and Player Pitch.If your community does not offer a SHETLAND LEAGUE it is recommended the pitching core be handled by coach-pitchers, or a pitching machine. If the Shetland League is not used in your community, it may even be good to start PINTO 8U™ LEAGUE players with the batting-tee, switching to the coach-pitch format in the latter part of the season. 

PINTO 8U™ LEAGUE teams are full members of PONY, receive supplies and the full support of the headquarters staff and Field Director organization. International tournament play is not conducted at these age levels. Leagues may play in regional invitational tournaments, but it is recommended they do so with regular season team rosters. The focus should remain on training more than competition. 

Pinto teams may be attired in cap and t-shirt rather than full baseball uniforms. The cap and t-shirt will thrill a beginning player almost as much as a full uniform, will leave the player the added thrill of receiving a full uniform for a later day, and will prevent excessive demands on the league budget. 

Managers and coaches at this level must be concerned with the development of all of the players on their team. These are training leagues and the development of a player's skill and personality must remain the prime goal of the manager and coach, rather than the winning of a league title. 

Every effort should be made to place every player who registers for the program on a team in these early years, and every effort should be made to play every player on the team in every game.


RULES

  1. Games times will be 6 innings or 1:45 drop dead. No new inning after 1:35.
  2. 38’ pitching distance from the tip of home plate to the front of the rubber.
  3. 60’ Bases
  4. Continuous batting order
  5. If you have 9 players to start the game but a player will be showing up late, let the umpire and other manager know they will be arriving late.  They should be put at the bottom of the line-up.
  6. If you only have 8 players to start the game and a player is showing up late, if the 9th player does not show up before the 9th batting position bats, it will be an out only the first time around. The second time around will not be an out and the late player cannot enter.
  7. If a player leaves the game for any reason (with the exception of a medical need), it will be an automatic out that batting position for one rotation.
  8. Max 5 runs per inning. The 5th and 6th inning is open. 6 innings max. Scores should be kept by both teams to adhere to the 5 run rule. No stalling to win the game, this is Fall baseball and meant to get as many reps as possible.
  9. The final score is the last completed inning. If time runs out and the inning is not completed, the score will revert to the last completed inning.
  10. Batters are not permitted to bunt or soft swing at the ball.  PENALTY:  Batter is out and runner advancing home is out.
  11. Base runners are not allowed to leave the base until the ball crosses the plate or in play.
  12. Only 1 stolen base per pitch. On an attempted steal of any base, the catcher gets a free throw to the base, the ball will be considered dead at that point with no advancement of any runner.
  13.  “No Walks” on bases loaded, On ball four, an eligible coach will throw 3 pitches from the rubber, if the batter is unable to put the ball in play, the batter is out. (No hit by pitch base)
  14. There is no stealing while the coach is pitching.
  15. Home plate is closed. If a runner at third draws a throw from the catcher, the runner cannot advance home. However, if called out, the out will stand. Other runners may advance if there is a throw to third.
  16. (10) defensive players (four outfielders) will be allowed.
  17. No infield fly rule, no drop third strike rule.
  18. Every player must play 2 innings.
  19. If there are 2 outs in an inning, you can substitute a pinch runner, the last out, for your catcher or pitcher.
  20. No Mercy Rule – games should be completed per the time limit.
  21. Kid pitch will begin at the start of the season, no curve balls, will be considered a no pitch.
  22. Pitchers shall not pitch in more than 2 innings in a calendar day.
  23. Pitchers shall not pitch in more than 4 innings in a calendar week.
  24. Pitchers shall have 40 hours rest after pitching in 2 innings in a calendar day.
  25. A manager can make only two visits to the mound.  On the third visit, the pitcher must be removed, except for injury.
  26. If the pitcher hits 3 players in an inning, he must be removed and replaced with a new pitcher.
  27. There are no balks, however, pitchers must try to set themselves before the pitch.  There is no penalty, but it must be corrected when it occurs.

FIELD REGULATION

BASES: 60 feet

PITCHING: Pinto Baseball (Machine & Coach Pitch): 38 feet, Pinto Baseball (Player Pitch): 40 feet.

FAIR PLAY AREA: Within the first base and third base foul lines and a fence or marked line 150 feet from home plate. A ball hit beyond that distance on the fly will be a home run. A minimum home run distance of 125 feet or a maximum of 200 feet will be recognized, with the recommendation that the home run distance be 150 feet at the foul lines and 200 feet in center field to a six or eight foot barrier wherever possible.

BASES, PLATES: The home plate, pitcher's rubber and the bases shall be official size as used in regulation baseball.

PITCHING MOUND: Shall be raised by a gradual slope to a height of four inches above the level of home plate and the base paths.

RESTRAINING LINE: Located along first base, beginning 25 feet from home base and extending three feet beyond the first and second base line. The line, paralleling the first base foul line and extending three feet (36 inches) into foul territory, shall be marked with chalk or other white material two inches wide.

DISTANCE TO BACKSTOP: Recommended distance from home plate to the backstop is 20 feet.

CATCHER'S BOX: By local option, the catcher's box may be rectangular in shape 43 inches wide and eight feet deep from the point of home plate or it may be triangular in shape extending eight feet from the rear of home plate, being a continuation of the foul lines, in which case the line closet to the backstop shall be 16 feet in length.

FIELD DIMENSIONS DRAWING:






Contact

MPK PONY Baseball and USA Softball
MPK Baseball and Softball Inc., 333 Garvey Ave Suite 604
Monterey Park, California 91754

Phone: 404-374-5014
Email: [email protected]

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