At the AA level, players will be pitching, bunting and stealing. Other concepts added or enhanced will include walks, hit batters, overthrows, live ball and development of position skills. There are still many concepts that remain restricted from this phase of baseball which will come in later years – such as: taking leads, balks, passed balls, and the infield fly rule. The goal at this level is to continue to introduce and teach new skills to the players, refining those introduced in the last few years, further increase their levels of awareness and responsibility within the game by again expanding the range of potential outcomes on the field and moderately turning up the competitive level another notch.

NOTE: The Major League Rulebook is always in effect, unless superseded by a league modification in these rules.

The Field

• Bases shall be 60’ apart. 
• The pitching rubber is 46 feet from Home Plate.
• The home team is responsible for preparing the field for each game. This includes setting the bases, lining and raking the field, and completing any other necessary field preparations
• The home team manager is responsible for making all decisions on field conditions due to the weather. The home team is also responsible for placing bases into the field box and for ensuring that all waste/garbage is removed from both dugouts following a game.    

Equipment

METAL SPIKES ARE NOT PERMITTED.

Players

• Ten players should be on the field at all times. There will be 6 infielders: First Base, Second Base, Shortstop, Third Base, Pitcher and Catcher. The outfield shall consist of four players formed in an arc (no rover). 
• Teams may play with 8 or 9 players. For teams that have more than 10 players at a game, it will become necessary to sit one or more player out each inning in the field. In order to keep ten players on the field at all times, a player rotation must be established. The manager has complete discretion as to which inning to sit out a player within the confines of the rotation, but under NO circumstances should a child ever sit out twice in one game before all other players have sat at least one inning. This field rotation does not affect the batting order, everybody bats in regular turn.
• As this is Recreation Baseball, players shall rotate positions and all players shall play at least two innings in the infield and two innings in the outfield per game. Defensive positioning should be rotated between infield and outfield. Example: First inning – player X plays 2nd base, second inning – player X plays outfield, third inning player X plays 3rd base, fourth inning player X plays outfield.

Game play

• The games will be six innings in duration. Each inning will end after three outs OR on the play that scores the fifth run.
• Play will conclude in a half inning once the fifth run has scored. Any additional runs scored beyond the fifth run will count. In the 6th inning, either team can score up to a maximum of 10 runs. Games should run no longer than two to two and a quarter hours. Any game reaching that point must complete the inning and stop immediately.
• A game halted during play for weather or time limit reasons will be considered complete if the losing team has batted at least four innings. Games called before this point can be rescheduled with the agreement of both managers. If at the end of 6 innings the score is tied, the game shall continue to a maximum of 8 innings. If after 8 innings the game remains tied, the result will be a tie.

Batting

• All players on a team will bat in a continuous order in each game.
• Slug-bunting/Fake Bunting and Swinging is PROHIBITED for safety reasons. This is defined as squaring around to bunt and then stepping back and swinging away.
• No intentional walks.
• A thrown bat results in a warning for the batter after the play has ended. Thrown bats calls are at the umpire’s discretion. All subsequent violations by either team will result in the batter being called out and all runners returning to the base occupied at the time of the pitch, again, at the umpires discretion.

Baserunning

• No leads allowed.
• Stealing is permitted. The baserunner must wait until the ball crosses the plate before leaving the base. Each team will receive a warning for leaving early. Once a warning has been issued, all other offenses will result in the runner being called out.
• The stealing of any base is not permitted by a team if that team is winning by 10 or more runs.
• Stealing of home plate is not permitted at any time. 
• Runners may advance as far as third base on an overthrow from the catcher or pitcher to the outfield during an attempted steal play.
• Runners are frozen on third base. Runners can only advance home on a batted ball or walk/HBP if bases are loaded.
• On an errant throw by an infielder or a subsequent errant play by the receiving infielder that travels beyond the field of play, the base runner (including the batter) may advance beyond the base to which he is going. If the ball is thrown out of play, the runner is awarded the base he/she was headed to plus one additional base.
• The Infield Fly rule does not apply at this level.
  
• If the catcher is on base after the 2nd out is recorded in an inning, it is suggested that the manager utilize a courtesy runner for the catcher.  The courtesy runner will be the batter who made the 2nd out. This suggestion is being made to speed up the game.
• AVOID CONTACT RULE: A runner must make an attempt to avoid contact at any base if a play is being made or they are out. It is not a must slide rule, but sliding is recommended. Headfirst slides are prohibited, unless a runner is returning to a base. The intent in these instances is to encourage safety and avoid injuries or collision.

 Fielding 

• Once the ball is put into play it is live. Play will stop when (a) a play has been made at a base and time has been called by the umpire; (b) the ball goes out of play on an overthrow and each runner is awarded the appropriate base; or (c) with the ball under the control of an infielder and time has been officially called by the umpire.
• Batters may be out at first base on throws made by an outfielder. Outfielders are not permitted to complete a force out play by touching any base. All force out plays initiated from an outfield position require a throw to an infielder covering the base. Tag-outs by an outfielder in a situation such as a rundown are allowed.
• The ball will remain live when the ball is being thrown from the catcher to the pitcher. 

 Pitching

• The pitching rubber is 46 feet from Home Plate.
• Pitchers are permitted to throw a maximum of two (2) innings in any game. A player may pitch in a maximum of six (6) innings in a calendar week, Sunday through Saturday. Delivery of a single pitch constitutes having pitched an inning.
• No player may return to the pitcher position once removed during that game.
• If a pitcher hits 2 batsmen in one inning or 3 batsmen in the game, he/she must be removed from the pitcher position. In this instance, he/she may be placed in another position in the field.  Umpire has total discretion as to removing a pitcher from the game for deliberately throwing at or hitting a batsman.
• There are no intentional walks permitted. There are no balks.
• A pitcher 9 or under (or combination pitchers 9 and under) must pitch 2 of the first 4 innings of the game. The innings need not be consecutive. A 9 and under pitcher or pitchers must pitch 2 complete innings unless they walk a total of 5 batters/hit batsman (any combination) or 5 runs. After 5 walks/hits batsman (any combination), or 5 runs the rule is considered satisfied and the team may use senior pitchers.
• Any player who plays “up” in this league will play one year as a nine (9) year old (even though they are 8). (This does not include call ups from the lower level for a game or two!) Their next year in the league, said player will be considered ten (10) for the experience on the mound even though they are 9. If this player stays back the following year, he will have a second year at the (10) level.

Mercy Rule

• If one team leads by 15 or more runs after the trailing team has batted 4 times, the game will be terminated and the team with the lead is declared the winner.  If the home team is behind more than 15 runs after the top of the inning, the inning should be completed. If a team is ahead by 10 or more runs after 5 innings the game is complete.

Coaching

• Weeknight game starting time will be 6:15 PM. The home team manager will make a decision as to a rainout prior to the game, but no later than 4:30 pm unless rain begins after 4:30 pm, he is responsible for calling the other manager.  If the game is not called by 4:30 pm and telephone contact cannot be made, then both managers must appear at the field with a playing team. Failure to field eight (8) players will result in forfeiture of the game.  Once the game is commenced, it should be called for weather or darkness by the Umpire. ALL GAMES STOP IMMEDIATELY FOR LIGHTNING.
• The winning team must report a games score to the division director.
• Managers should try to reschedule and play rainouts.  The scheduler is the only one who can reschedule a game.  Please contact Tim Rice ([email protected]) to reschedule games within two weeks of the cancellation.
•  Any manager or coach involved in oral arguments and/or fighting during or after a game will be subject to discipline by the FCABSA Board on a case-by-case basis.
• Umpires have the right to remove unruly spectators from the game, interpreted as “the sight and sound of the field.”  

Callups

• Any player eligible for “AA” Division can play in the next higher division. A player cannot play in the “A” division. Playing up a division is at the sole discretion of the manager. The main criterion will be the safety of the players. Call ups from the lower level are not permitted to pitch in a game under any circumstance. Failure to follow these rules could result in forfeiture of a game.

Playoffs

Playoffs are held at the end of the Spring Season.