Baseball Intermediate 8 Rules

Intermediate 8 Baseball Rules of Conduct

1. Teaching and enforcing good sportsmanship and abiding by the motto "FUN, FRIENDSHIP and FUNDAMENTALS" MUST be the primary goal of ALL coaches.
2. All coaches must take the responsibility for controlling the behavior of his/her players, as well as the parents and fans. This extends to the display of good sportsmanship by coaches and players immediately after the game through post game handshakes.
3. Players and coaches are not permitted behind the backstop while the game is in progress.
4. Derisive comments (i.e. "jockeying" and "heckling" of umpires and opposing players) is NOT permitted.
5. Umpires may EJECT coaches and players for unsportsmanlike conduct.
6. After one (1) warning, the umpire may ask a coach to remove an offending fan from the playing area (i.e. field and/or stands) or risk a FORFEIT.
7. ALL decisions of the umpire are FINAL!! No protests or appeals are permitted.
8. !!! At any time a coach is removed from a game due to an ejection, the offending Coach will be suspended the next scheduled game.  If another incident occurs the coach will be removed from Coaching for the Season.  All cases will be reviewed by the Board to determine further actions!!

Intermediate 8 Baseball Game Rules

1. All players should be in uniform (consisting of a cap, jersey (tucked in) and pants). Male players MUST wear athletic supporters and cups. The catcher MUST wear a chest protector, mask, and shin guards. Each batter, on-deck batter, and base runner must wear a helmet. NO metal spikes are allowed.
2. Pitching:
a. Before June 1, the first 3 innings are kid pitch and the last 3 innings are coach pitch.
b. After June 1, games are kid pitch for all 6 innings.
c. There is a 1 inning max per kid pitcher before June 1.
d. After June 1, there is a minimum of 5 pitchers for a 6 inning game. One kid may pitch two consecutive innings.
e. Umpires call balls and strikes for kid pitchers and coach pitchers.
f. In coach pitch innings only, each batter will have 6 pitches thrown to him or her. The 6th pitch will be treated in the same manner as a 3rd strike, that is, if the 6th pitch is fouled off, the player will be thrown subsequent pitches until one is either hit, swung and missed or taken without swinging. All pitches after a fouled 6th pitch must be swung at. Otherwise, the batter is out
g. If a kid pitcher hits 3 batters during a game the coach must replace him with another kid pitcher.
h. If a kid is hit by a pitch he/she will NOT be awarded 1st base. The coach will come in and finish pitching to that kid.
i. On ball 4 or hit by pitch, the coach will enter the game and the batter will keep the strike count (no balls). The batter will then get up to 4 pitches with unlimited fouls after the 2nd strike.
j. Any dad/mom of players on the team can coach pitch.
k. For kid pitch- 1 pitch counts as an inning. No child can pitch more than 2 innings per day, 2 consecutive day maximum is 4 innings, one week maximum 6 innings.
l. A batter can be struck out by a kid pitcher but no walks will be issued.
m. There are no balks or walks.
n. The pitchers rubber is 40 feet from the back of home plate.
o. On the 3rd trip to the mound by a coach, 2 in any inning, a pitching change must occur. This is per pitcher per game.
3. The bases are 60 feet apart.
4. The home team provides 2 game balls, sets up the field, returns all equipment to the storage box after the game and returns the diamond to a clean condition. The visiting team has the rights to the diamond and field until 15 minutes prior to game . The home team has rights to the diamond 15min prior to start of game.
5. Each player must play on defense with no player off the field for more than one inning, with all players sitting once before any player sits twice. Player positioning is determined by the coaches who must balance the goals of safety, teaching and winning. No player may play the same position for more than 2 innings TOTAL in any game. The spirit of this rule is to encourage rotation of all players to play all positions except when safety is a concern.
6. Each player present is included in the batting order and bats in turn even if he or she did not play the field the previous inning.
7. Players may be substituted freely during their innings on defense.
8. All coaches must remain in the dugout area, except for the 1st and 3rd base coach for the team at bat, no coaching from the field of play is allowed (no walking up the foul lines by coaches or parents). A repeated violation will result in an ejection or forfeit at the discretion of the umpire.
9. Each team can field a maximum of 10 players. In addition to the 6 infield positions a team may play up to 4 outfielders. All outfielders must be positioned on the grass.
10. The infielders may not shift their defensive positions until the ball is hit. The outfielders must remain in the outfield (on the grass) and the pitcher must remain on the mound. It is the responsibility of both coaches to position their players to avoid collisions, i.e. out of the base paths, unless making a play.
11. At the discretion of the umpire and after one warning the umpire may award the batter first base whenever the defensive team shifts illegally toward home plate.
12. Plays within the infield: Play is stopped with no further advancement from any base runner when the ball crosses either foul line or a legitimate put out attempt is made at any base. In the event that no put out attempt can be made, play will be stopped by the ball being returned to the mound area (Umpire's
discretion).
13. On balls returning from the outfield play will be stopped with no further advancement when the ball crosses the BASE PATH, is controlled by an infielder or an overthrow at 1st or 3rd base occurs with the ball crossing either foul line, or a legitimate put out attempt is made ( no advancement on overthrow back
into the outfield). Any base runners that are less than half way to the next base when ball is controlled or a put out attempt is made shall return to the previous base. Base runners who are more than half way advance to the next base.
14 Bunting is not allowed and a predetermined arc scribed from the third base line to the first base line approximately 10 feet from home plate will determine whether or not a ball is considered in play. The ball must travel beyond the arc to be considered in play.
15. No lead-offs, stolen bases or advancing on wild pitches or passed balls are allowed. The infield fly rule will not be in effect.
16. On the first occurrence of a thrown bat the team will be issued a warning. Each subsequent time that a player throws his or her bat, that player will be ruled out.
17. A minimum of 8 players are required to start a game and to continue the start of each inning. Teams unable to field the minimum number of players within 15 minutes of the scheduled game times are subject to forfeit.
1. Teams with 9 players shall not use a 4th outfielder.
2. Teams with 8 players shall field 2 outfielders positioned in left-center field and right-center field.
18. Intermediate 7 year old players may be recruited on a game by game basis only when a shortage of Intermediate 8 year olds is expected. A 7 year old fill in player bats in rotation after all rostered 8 year Intermediate players and may not play more innings on defense than a rostered player. A fill in player cannot play defense in any inning in which an available rostered player is on the bench. No callups are allowed in the playoffs unless approved by the league commissioner.  If a team is unable to field enough players, the coaches must find a mutually agreeable makeup date.  If the coaches can not agree on a date, one will be set by the commissioner and decisions of the commissioner are final.
19. All games must be played as scheduled unless weather conditions interfere. Games may be postponed for reasons of weather, field conditions, as long as both coaches are in agreement. In the event of a disagreement the umpire will have final say. The Commissioner may determine that all games on a particular day will be canceled.

Lightning rule:  The 30 minute rule will be utilized when lightning is sited or thunder is heard.   All on field activity shall be automatically suspended for a minimum of 30 minutes and participants shall seek appropriate shelter.  An assessment of conditions is to be made after the 30 minute wait period.  On field activity shall resume when it is reasonably determined that additional threatening weather is not imminent.  If lightning is sited or thunder after the 30 minute count, the 30 minute count shall be restarted.  Games are resumed at the point at which play was postponed.  If the game needs to be rescheduled, it will be resumed at the point at which play was postponed.  All fields are to shut down at time of lightning strike or thunder is heard for 30 minutes.

20. Games are 6 innings long with the visiting team batting first. Extra innings to resolve ties will only be played during the playoffs. A team leading by more than 10 runs at the conclusion of the 5th inning will be declared the winner and the score is official at that point. (A decision can be declared after 4 ½ innings if the home team is winning by more than 10 runs at that time).  

21.  During the regular season, no new inning shall begin after 1 hour and 45 minutes from the first pitch of the game. Coaches and the umpire should agree on the exact starting time of the game. If a regular season game ends in a tie it stands as a tie.  There are no time limits on playoff games, they are played until a winner is declared.
22. Games called because of darkness or weather are official after 4 innings or after 3 ½ innings if the home team is ahead or the visiting team is ahead by more than 10 runs.  Once a game has started, if it is postponed by inclement weather before it is an official game, it will be a suspended game and resumed from the point it stopped.
23. An inning ends with the end of play on the 6th run (unlimited in the 6th inning) or three outs. There is no maxium runs per inning in hte playoffs. 

24. Coaches who are pitching MUST attempt to move off the field or out of the way so as not to interfere with the play. if a coach gets hit by a batted ball on pitchers mound, it is a no pitch, dead ball. Runners return to bases and batter returns to box with the same count.

25. Three strikes constitute an out. Foul tips and foul balls are counted as first and second strikes but not as the third strike.
26. If the league fails to provide an umpire for the game each team will provide an umpire. Each inning these umpires will rotate between home plate and the bases.
27. For safety reasons no player may wear jewelry of any kind.
28. The winning team shall enter the results on the ESAABB.ORG website within 24 hours of completion. If for some reason that is not possible, call the Commissioner with the final score of the game within 24 hours of completion. Any game for which the score is not reported in a timely
manner will be considered a tie. The standings during the regular season will be determined by winning percentage. These standings will be used to seed the teams for playoffs.
29. Bats must be stamped with a USA Stamp or USSSA stamp. No softball bats, no wooden bats can be used.

Any batter that enters the batter’s box with an illegal bat shall be called out immediately upon discovery (via appeal or umpire’s call). The batter may also be called out after his / her time at bat is complete so long as the illegal bat is discovered prior to the first pitch of the following batter. In this case the defense has the option of taking the penalty (an out) or the result of the play. If the penalty is taken then all runners shall return to their original bases

30. Home team will occupy the 3rd base dugout.

31.  The championship game will be held at the annual picnic at Edgebrook Park, the time is TBD. RAIN DATE WILL BE THE FOLLOWING DAY. This will be a winner-take-all game. The home team will be the team coming out of the winner's bracket.

31.CONCUSSION PROTOCOL FOR ESAA.  IF A PLAYER IS STRUCK IN THE HEAD IN ANY FASHION WHILE IN THE ACTIONS OF THE GAME OUR UMPIRES RESERVE THE RIGHT TO REMOVE THE AFFECTED PLAYER FOR THE REMAINDER OF THAT CONTEST.

IT IS THE PARENTS OF THE AFFECTED PLAYER DECISION TO LET PLAYER RESUME PLAY AT THE NEXT SCHEDULED TEAM EVENT. 

33. HAVE FUN!!!

Travel Baseball Player Concession Rule:

If a house league player is also participating on an ESAA-sponsored travel baseball team, the player will be allowed the following concessions when scheduling conflicts arise:

1. First and foremost, when establishing the house league schedule, ESAA will make a reasonable effort to avoid conflicts.
2. Practice conflicts  travel player will be allowed to choose between travel and house practices
3. Regular season game conflicts  travel player will be allowed to choose between travel and house games; however, travel player cannot miss more than two house league games due to travel game conflicts
4. Playoff game conflicts  travel player will not be allowed to choose between travel and house games; travel player must play in house league playoff game
5. The house league commissioner has the authority to reschedule games to avoid conflicts between house and travel games
6. In the spirit of cooperation, communication between house league and travel coaches is encouraged to best deal with each conflict.