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Rule 1. Definitions.
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Sec. 1. ALTERED BAT - occurs when the physical structure of a legal bat has been changed. Examples are:
| a. |
Replacing the handle of a metal bat with a wooden or any other type of handle. |
| b. |
Inserting material inside the bat. |
| c. |
Applying more than two layers of tape to the bat grip or painting a bat other than for identification purposes at the top or bottom. |
| d. |
Attaching a "flare or cone" grip to the bat. |
| e. |
Replacing the grip with another legal grip is not considered altering the bat. |
Sec. 2. APPEAL PLAY -
| a. |
A live or dead ball appeal play is a play in which an umpire cannot make a decision until requested by a manager, coach or player of either the defensive or offensive teams. |
| b. |
The appeal must be made before the next legal or illegal pitch. |
| c. |
If made by a fielder, the fielder must be in the infield when making the appeal. |
| d. |
If the appeal is made at the end of an inning, the appeal will not be accepted if all the players of the defense have abandoned fair territory. |
| e. |
At the end of the game, an appeal can be made until the umpires leave the playing field. |
There are eight types of appeals:
| 1) |
missing a base |
| 2) |
leaving a base on a caught fly ball before the ball is first touched |
| 3) |
batting out of order |
| 4) |
attempting to advance to second after making a turn at first |
| 5) |
illegal substitution |
| 6) |
illegal re-entries |
| 7) |
illegal/altered bats, and |
| 8) |
illegal glove. |
Sec. 3. BASE ON BALLS - is awarded to the batter by the umpire when four pitches are judged to be balls, thereby permitting the batter to gain first base without liability to be put out.
Sec. 4. BASE PATH - is an imaginary line 1.0 m. (3 ft.) to either side of a direct line between the bases. An established base path is an imaginary line in a direct line from the runner to the base to which he is advancing. This base path becomes established when the fielder receives the ball and begins his attempt to tag the runner.
Sec. 5. BATTED BALL - is any ball that hits the bat or is hit by the bat and lands either in fair or foul territory. No intent to hit the ball is necessary.
Sec. 6. BATTER-RUNNER - is a player who has finished his time at bat but has not yet been put out or touched first base.
Sec. 7. BATTER'S BOX - is the area to which the batter is restricted while in position with the intention of helping his team to obtain runs. The lines are considered inside the batter's box.
Sec. 8. BATTING ORDER - is the official listing of offensive players in the order in which members of that team must come to bat. When the line-up card is submitted it shall also include the players' positions and numbers.
Sec. 9. BLOCKED BALL - is a batted or thrown ball that is touched, stopped or handled by a person not engaged in the game, or that touches any object which is not part of the official equipment or official playing area.
Sec. 10. BUNT - is a batted ball not swung at but intentionally met with the bat and tapped slowly within the infield.
Sec. 11. CATCH - is a legally caught ball which occurs when the fielder catches a batted or thrown ball with his hand(s) or glove. If the ball is merely held in the fielder's arms or prevented from dropping to the ground by some part of his body or clothing, the catch is not completed until the ball is in the grasp of his hands or glove. It is not a catch if a fielder, immediately after he contacts the ball, collides with another player, or wall, or falls to the ground and drops the ball as a result of the collision of falling to the ground. In establishing a valid catch, the fielder shall hold the ball long enough to prove he has complete control of the ball, and that his release of the ball is voluntary and intentional. If a player drops the ball while in the act of throwing it, it is a valid catch.
NOTE: A ball which strikes anything other than a defensive player while in flight is ruled as if it struck the ground.
Sec. 12. CATCHER'S BOX - is that area within which the catcher must remain until the pitch is released. The lines are to be considered within the catcher's box.
Sec. 13. CHARGED CONFERENCE. A charged conference takes place when:
| a. |
(Offensive Conference) The offensive team requests a suspension of play to allow the manager, or other team representative, to confer with any member of his team. |
| b. |
(Defensive Conference) The defensive team requests a suspension of play for any reason and a representative (not in the field) of the defensive team enters the playing field and communicates with any defensive player. |
Sec. 14. COACH - is a person responsible for the team's action on the field. He represents the team in communications with the umpires and the opposing team.
| a. |
A player may be designated as a coach in the event the coach is absent or that player is a playing coach. |
| b. |
For the purpose of these rules, the person listed an manager shall be considered the Head Coach. |
Sec. 15. CROW HOP - is defined as the act of a pitcher who steps or hops off the pitcher's plate, replants the pivot foot establishing a second starting point and completes the delivery. This action is considered illegal.
Sec. 16. DEAD BALL - is not in play and is not considered in play again until the pitcher has the ball in his possession and is within the pitcher's circle and the plate umpire has called "play ball".
Sec. 17. DEFENSE ONLY PLAYER (DEFO) - the 10th player listed in the starting line-up is the player who may start the game playing defense only.
Sec. 18. DEFENSIVE TEAM - is the team in the field.
Sec. 19. DELAYED DEAD BALL - a game situation in which the ball remains alive until the conclusion of a play. When the entire play is completed, the umpire shall enforce the appropriate ruling.
Sec. 20. DISLODGED BASE - is a base dislodged from its proper position.
Sec. 21. DOUBLE PLAY - is a play by the defense in which two offensive players are legally put out as a result of continuous action.
Sec. 22. EJECTION - is the act of any umpire ordering a player, official, or any team member to leave the game and the grounds for a repeated violation of the rules, or a deliberate or unsportsmanlike act.
NOTE: Failure to do so will warrant a forfeiture of the game.
Sec. 23. FAIR BALL - is a legally batted ball that:
| a. |
Settles or is touched on fair ground between home and first base or between home and third base. |
| b. |
Bounds past first or third base on or over fair ground. |
| c. |
Touches first, second or third base. |
| d. |
While on or over fair ground touches the person or clothing of an umpire or player. |
| e. |
First falls on fair ground beyond first or third base. |
| f. |
While over fair territory goes over the outfield fence. |
| g. |
Hits a foul line pole on the fly. |
NOTE: A fair fly shall be judged according to the relative position of the ball and the foul line, including the foul pole, and not as to whether the fielder is on fair or foul territory at the time he touches the ball. It does not matter whether the ball first touches fair or foul territory as long as it does not touch anything foreign to the natural ground in foul territory and complies with all other aspects of a fair ball.
Sec. 24. FAIR TERRITORY - is that part of the playing field within and including the first and third base foul lines from home base to the bottom of the extreme playing fence and perpendicularly upwards.
Sec. 25. FAKE TAG - is a form of obstruction on a runner who is advancing or returning to a base. It is caused by a fielder who neither has possession of the ball, nor is about to receive the ball, but who impedes the runner's progress.
Sec. 26. FIELDER - is any player of the team in the field.
Sec. 27. FLY BALL - is any ball batted into the air.
Sec. 28. FORCE OUT - is an out which can be made only when a runner loses the right to the base which he is occupying because the batter becomes a runner, and before the batter or succeeding runner has been put out.
Sec. 29. FOUL BALL - is a legally batted ball that:
| a. |
Settles on foul territory between home and first base or between home and third base. |
| b. |
Bounds past first or third base on or over foul territory. |
| c. |
First falls on foul territory beyond first or third base. |
| d. |
While on or over foul territory, touches the person or clothing of an umpire, player, or any object foreign to the natural ground. |
| e. |
Touches the batter or batter's hands while within the batter's box. |
NOTE: A foul fly ball shall be judged according to the relative position of the ball and the foul line, including the foul pole, and not as to whether the fielder is on foul or fair territory at the time he touches the ball.
Sec. 30. FOUL TIP - is a batted ball which:
| a. |
Goes directly from the bat to the catcher's hands |
| b. |
Goes not higher than the batter's head, and |
| c. |
Is legally caught by the catcher. |
NOTE: It is not a foul tip unless caught and any foul tip is a strike. The ball is in play. It is not a catch if it is a rebound unless the ball first touched the catcher's hand or glove.
Sec. 31. HELMET - must have two (2) ear flaps and shall be the type which has safety features equal to or greater than those provided by the full plastic cap with padding on the inside. The helmet liner covering the ears only, does not meet the rule specifications.
Exception:
| a) |
A helmet worn by a catcher may be the skull type without the ear flaps. |
| b) |
A helmet worn by a defensive player need not have ear flaps. |
Sec. 32. HOME TEAM - is the team on whose grounds the game is played. If the game is played on neutral ground, the home team shall be designated by mutual agreement or by a flip of a coin.
Sec. 33. ILLEGAL BAT - is one that does not meet the requirements of Rule 3, Sec. 1.
Sec. 34. ILLEGAL PITCHER - a player legally in the game but one who may not pitch as a result of being removed from the pitching position by the umpire or manager as a result of two charged conferences in one inning.
Sec. 35. ILLEGAL PLAYER - is:
| a) |
A starting player who may legally return to the game after being substituted and has done so without reporting to the umpire. |
| b) |
A substitute entering the game without reporting to the umpire. |
NOTE: When brought to the plate umpire's attention by the offended team, before the team in violation informs the umpire, the use of an illegal player results in the removal of that player from the game and declaring him ineligible.
Sec. 36. ILLEGAL RE-ENTRY - occurs when:
| a) |
A starting player returns to the game a second time after twice being legally substituted. |
| b) |
A starting player returns to the game after being legally substituted but not in his original position in the offensive line up. |
| c) |
A substitute who has legally been in the game returns to the game, after being replaced by either the original starting player or another substitute. |
Sec. 37. ILLEGAL SUBSTITUTION - is a player who has entered the game without being announced to the umpire. He may be:
| a) |
A player who has not previously been in the game. |
| b) |
A declared illegal player. |
| c) |
A declared ineligible player. |
| d) |
An illegal re-entry. |
| e) |
An illegal DP or DEFO. |
Sec. 38. ILLEGALLY BATTED BALL - occurs when:
| a) |
A batter hits a ball fair or foul while his entire foot is completely out of the box and on the ground. |
| b) |
Any part of the batter's foot is touching home plate when he hits the ball. |
| c) |
The batter hits the ball with an illegal or an altered bat. |
| d) |
The batter steps with his entire foot out of the batter's box, and returns to contact the ball while inside the batter's box. |
Sec. 39. ILLEGALLY CAUGHT BALL - occurs when a fielder catches a batted or thrown ball with his cap, mask, glove or any part of his uniform while it is detached from its proper place.
Sec. 40. IN FLIGHT - describes any batted, thrown or pitched ball which has not yet touched the ground or some object other than a fielder.
Sec. 41. IN JEOPARDY - is a term indicating that the ball is in play and an offensive player may be put out.
Sec. 42. INELIGIBLE PLAYER - a player who can no longer legally participate in the game. The use of an ineligible player will constitute a forfeit.
Sec. 43. INFIELD - is that portion of the field in fair territory which includes areas normally covered by infielders.
Sec. 44. INFIELD FLY - is a fair ball (not including a line drive nor an attempted bunt) which can be caught by an infielder with ordinary effort, when first and second or first, second and third bases are occupied, before two are out. The pitcher, catcher, or any outfielder who positions himself in the infield on the play shall be considered infielders for the purpose of this rule.
When it seems apparent that a batted ball will be an infield fly, the umpire shall immediately declare "INFIELD FLY: IF FAIR, THE BATTER IS OUT" for the benefit of the runners.
The ball is alive and runners may advance at the risk of the ball being caught or they may retouch and advance after the ball is touched, the same as on any fly ball. If the hit becomes a foul ball, it is treated the same as any foul.
If a declared infield fly is allowed to fall untouched to the ground and bounces foul before passing first or third base, it is a foul ball. If a declared infield fly falls untouched to the ground outside the baselines and bounces fair before passing first or third base, it is an infield fly.
Sec. 45. INNING - is that portion of a game within which the teams alternate on offense and defense and in which there are 3 outs for each team. A new inning begins immediately after the final out of the previous inning.
Sec. 46. INTERFERENCE - is the act of an offensive player or team member which impedes, hinders or confuses a defensive player while he is attempting to execute a play.
Sec. 47. LEAPING - is the act of a pitcher, which causes him to be airborne of his initial move and push from the pitcher's plate. The momentum built by the forward movement of the pitcher causes the entire body, including both the pivot and stepping (non-pivot) foot to be in the air at the same time and moving towards home plate as the delivery is completed. Leaping is an illegal act.
Sec. 48. LEGAL TOUCH - occurs when a runner or batter-runner who is not touching a base, is touched by the ball while it is securely held in the fielder's hand or glove. The ball is not considered has having been securely held if it is juggled or dropped by the fielder after having touched the runner unless the runner deliberately knocks the ball from the hand or glove of the fielder. It is sufficient for the runner to be touched with the hand or glove in which the ball is held.
Sec. 49. LEGALLY CAUGHT BALL - occurs when a fielder catches a batted or thrown ball provided it is not caught in the fielder's hat, cap, mask, protector, pocket, or other part of his uniform. It must be caught and firmly held in the hand(s) or glove.
Sec. 50. LINE DRIVE - is a fly ball that is batted sharply and directly into the playing field.
Sec. 51. LINE-UP CARD - is the official record of the team members involved in a game. The card shall contain:
| a) |
The last name, first name, the position, and uniform number of the starting players in the batting order, and |
| b) |
The last name, first name and uniform number of the available substitutes, and |
| c) |
The last name and first name of the Head Coach. |
NOTE: If an incorrect number is listed on the line-up card, it may be corrected and the game continued with no penalty.
Sec. 52. OBSTRUCTION - is the act of:
| a) |
A defensive player or team member that hinders or prevents a batter from striking or hitting a pitched ball. |
| b) |
A fielder, (1) not in possession of the ball, (2) not in the act of fielding a batted ball, or (3) not about to receive a thrown ball who impedes the progress of a runner or batter-runner who is legally running the bases. |
| c) |
A fielder with possession of the ball may cause obstruction by:
| 1) |
Pushing a runner off a base; |
| 2) |
Impeding the progress of a runner while not in the act of making a play on the runner. |
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Sec. 53. OFFENSIVE TEAM - is the team at bat.
Sec. 54. ON DECK BATTER - is the offensive player whose name follows the name of the batter in the batting order. He shall take a position within the lines of the on deck circle closest to his bench.
Sec. 55. OPTION PLAY. - a play in which the offensive coach/manager has the option of taking the enforcement of the illegal action or the result of the play. They are:
| a) |
Catcher obstruction |
| b) |
Illegal glove |
| c) |
Illegal substitution |
| d) |
Illegal pitcher |
Sec. 56. OUTFIELD - is that portion of the field which is outside the diamond formed by the baselines or the area not normally covered by an infielder and within the foul lines beyond first and third bases and boundaries of the playing field.
Sec. 57. OVERSLIDE - is the act of an offensive player when as a runner he overslides a base he is attempting to reach. It is usually caused when his momentum causes him to lose contact with the base which then causes him to be in jeopardy. The batter-runner may overslide first base without being in jeopardy if he immediately returns to that base.
Sec. 58. OVERTHROW - is a play in which a ball is thrown from one fielder to another, resulting in the ball going beyond the boundary lines of the playing field or becoming blocked.
Sec. 59. PASSED BALL - is a pitched ball that should have been held or controlled by the catcher with ordinary effort.
Sec. 60. PITCH - the act performed by the pitcher in delivering the ball to the batter.
NOTE: If the pitch becomes blocked or goes out of play, one base is awarded to all runners.
Sec. 61. PITCHER'S CIRCLE - is the area within 2.5 m (8 ft.) radius of the pitcher's plate. The lines are considered within the circle.
Sec. 62. PIVOT FOOT - is that foot with which the pitcher pushes off the pitcher's plate. (Refer to Rule 6, Sec. 2)
Sec. 63. PLAY BALL - is the term used by the plate umpire to indicate that play will begin or be resumed when the pitcher has the ball in his possession and is within the pitcher's circle. All defensive players, except the catcher, who must be in the catcher's box, must be in fair territory to put the ball in play.
Sec. 64. QUICK RETURN PITCH - is one made by the pitcher with the obvious attempt to catch the batter off balance. This would be before the batter takes his desired position in the batter's box or while he is still off balance as a result of the previous pitch.
Sec. 65. RE-ENTRY - is the act of any of the starting players returning to the game after being legally or illegally substituted.
Sec. 66. REMOVAL FROM THE GAME - is the act of the Plate Umpire declaring a player ineligible for further participation in the game as a result of an infraction of the rules.
NOTE: Any person so removed may continue to sit on the bench but shall not participate further in the game except as a coach.
Sec. 67. REPLACEMENT PLAYER - is a player required to enter the game for a defined period to replace a player who must leave the game to attend to an injury that has caused bleeding. The replacement player may be a person who has previously been in the game, provided such player has not been either removed or ejected by the umpire for a violation of the rules. A Replacement Player is not classified as a substitute.
Sec. 68. RUNNER - is a player of the team at bat who has finished his turn at bat, has reached first base and has not yet been put out.
Sec. 69. SACRIFICE FLY - is scored when, with less than 2 outs, the batter scores a runner with a fly ball which is caught.
Sec. 70. SLAP HIT - is a batted ball that has been struck with a controlled short, chopping motion rather than a full swing. The two most common types of slap hit are:
| a) |
Those in which the batter takes his stance as if to bunt, but either drives the ball into the ground with a quick, short swing or punches the ball over the infield. |
| b) |
Those in which the batter takes running steps (within the batter's box) toward the pitcher before making contact with the pitch. |
NOTE: A slap hit is not considered a bunt.
Sec. 71. SQUEEZE PLAY - is a play in which the offensive team, with a runner on third base, attempts to score that runner by means of the batter contacting the ball while the runner is leaving with the pitch.
Sec. 72. STARTING PLAYERS - the players listed on the official line-up card given to the official scorer and/or the plate umpire.
Sec. 73. STEALING - is the act of a runner attempting to advance during a pitch to the batter.
Sec. 74. STRIKE ZONE - is that space over any part of home plate which is between the batter's armpits and the top of his knees when the batter assumes his natural batting stance.
Sec. 75. TAG - is the act of a fielder touching:
| a) |
A runner with the ball, while holding the ball securely in the hand(s) or glove; or |
| b) |
A base with any part of his body while holding the ball securely in his hand(s) or glove. |
Sec. 76. TEAM MEMBER - includes any person authorized to sit on the team bench.
Sec. 77. THROW - the act performed by a fielder when throwing the ball to another fielder.
NOTE: If the throw becomes blocked or goes out of play, two bases are awarded all runners from the last base touched at the time of the throw.
Sec. 78. TIME - is the term used by the umpire to order the suspension of play during which the ball becomes dead.
Sec. 79. TRAPPED BALL - occurs when:
| a) |
A legally batted fly ball or line drive hits the ground or a fence prior to being caught |
| b) |
A legally batted fly ball is caught against a fence with the glove or bare hand |
| c) |
A thrown ball to any base for a force out which is caught with the glove over the ball on the ground rather than under the ball. |
Sec. 80. TRIPLE PLAY - is a play by the defense in which three offensive players are put out as a result of continuous action.
Sec. 81. TURN AT BAT - begins when a player first enters the batter's box and continues until he is put out or becomes a runner.
Sec. 82. WILD PITCH - is a pitched ball so high, so low, or so wide off the plate that the catcher cannot or does not stop and control it with ordinary effort.
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