Major League Rules
11-12 Year Old Players
LEAD OFFS ALLOWED AND DROPPED THIRD STRIKE RULE
TIME LIMIT – One hour, 45 minutes (1:45) drop dead time or six (6) innings, whichever comes first. No new innings after 1:30. If the drop dead time is reached, the score will revert back to the last full completed inning. Regular Season games WILL end in a TIE.
Tournament games will continue until there is a winner. Championship Games there is No Time Limit, 6 innings will be played.
50’ pitching Distance and 70’ Base paths.
No Player shall sit out 2 defensive innings in a row and no player shall sit more than 2 innings in a game. Free substitution of defensive players with the exception of the pitcher. However, the batting lineup may not be altered and remains the same throughout the game.
No pitcher shall appear in a game as a pitcher for three consecutive calendar days, regardless of pitch counts
Plays at Home – Players are not required to slide, but they must avoid contact (they cannot leap). If they make contact with a catcher making a play, it must be with a slide (See clarification below).
Base paths - if in the path of a throw they must slide immediately or peel out of the baseline.
Half inning ends on the 6th run regardless of the result of the play..
Time between innings should be no more than 2 minutes or 5 warm up pitches whichever comes first.
Use two-out runner for pitcher & catcher. The runner will be the last recorded player out, whether that was a strike out or put-out.
Mercy rule 10 runs after 5 complete innings, or 4 1/2 innings if the home team is ahead.
All bats must bear the USA stamp with 2 ⅝” max barrel size. No BBCOR bats. (See Bat Regulation page for more information)
All players are in the batting lineup regardless of whether they played in the field during the defensive inning.
Home team (3rd base dugout) to be the official scorekeeper and Visiting team (1st base dugout) to run the scoreboard (Bywater only). 3rd base dugouts is the HOME dugout for both Bywater and Alta Canyon.
Alta Canyons - Home Team provides game balls.
Bywater game balls are in the snack shack
Bywater - Home Team provides coverage for Snack Shack.
Pitch Count (Days rest based on # of pitches thrown during game)
Age | Daily Max | 0 Days Rest | 1 Days Rest | 2 Days Rest | 3 Days Rest | 4 Days Rest |
11-12 | 85 | 1-20 | 21-35 | 36-50 | 51-65 | 66-85 |
*Pitch Count numbers are based on pitch smart guidelines.
*New for ‘25. Pitch count is determined at the START of the at bat and can finish the current batter and not be “over” his pitch count.
Example, a pitcher starts a batter on pitch 34, but it takes 5 pitches to end the at bat, he would still fall under the 1 day rest rule.
So if on Monday, the pitcher started a new batter on his 36th pitch, he would NOT be eligible to return on Wednesday.
For more examples of proper pitch count application: https://youtu.be/wN-5-kr39-A
End of season tournament will use the Cal Ripken Tournament pitch counts which allows more pitches on less rest. This is approved as the players will have extended rest as the season ends. Those are provided before the tournament, but can be found in the Babe Ruth Rule book.
Potential Slide rule clarification:
Slide rule/hurdles/jumps —It is the responsibility of the runner to avoid contact at home plate. If contact is initiated by the runner, it must be through the process of a slide. Malicious or Intentional contact AT ANY BASE will result in an out and the ejection of the runner from the game. This is a judgment call and is the discretion of the umpire. A slide rule WILL be enforced when an infielder is attempting to turn a double play at second base. If the runner is not close enough to merit a slide, they must peel away from the baseline. This rule is for the protection of the base runner. The base runner and batter will be called out if the runner's not sliding or not peeling away affects the defensive play. This is the umpire’s discretion. A runner may not hurdle, jump over, or leap over a fielder unless the fielder is lying prone on the ground. Penalty: The runner is out, but the ball remains live unless the umpire calls interference. Note: Jumping over a kneeling fielder is illegal.