SCAA Minors Baseball Rules - updated 11/2022
The Little League Rule Book shall govern play with the exception of the Machine Pitch rules states in this document.
1. EACH TEAM MUST HAVE A MINIMUM OF EIGHT (8) PLAYERS TO START A GAME. REGULAR SEASON- IF ONE TEAM DOES NOT HAVE THE MINIMUM NUMBER OF REQUIRED PLAYERS, THE OPPOSING TEAM SHOULD LOAN PLAYERS FOR DEFENSE SO THAT THE GAME CAN BE PLAYED. LOANED PLAYERS SHOULD BE THE LAST PLAYER SCHEDULED TO HIT IN EACH RESPECTIVE INNING AND SHALL PLAY OUTFIELD ONLY. A LOANED PLAYER SHOULD NOT MISS THEIR AT-BAT FOR THEIR TEAM, AND SHOULD BE REPLACED WITH ANOTHER LOANED PLAYER WHEN THEY ARE "ON-DECK". PLAYOFFS- NO LOANED PLAYERS. TEAMS MUST HAVE 8 PLAYERS TO PLAY OR ELSE FORFEIT.
2. GAMES WILL CONSIST OF SIX (6) INNINGS WITH A ONE HOUR FIFTY MINUTE TIME LIMIT. NO INNING CAN BE STARTED AFTER THE ONE HOUR FIFTY MINUTE TIME LIMIT; HOWEVER, THE CURRENT INNING WILL BE COMPLETED. EXTRA INNING GAMES TO BREAK TIES WILL BE ALLOWED WITHIN THE TIME LIMIT. A NEW INNING IS DEEMED TO HAVE BEGUN ONCE THE FINAL OUT IS MADE IN THE PRIOR INNING.
3. TEN (10) RUN DEFICIT RULE WILL APPLY TO END THE GAME AFTER FOUR (4) INNINGS HAVE BEEN COMPLETED (3-1/2 INNINGS IF HOME TEAM IS AHEAD). FIFTEEN (15) RUN RULE WILL APPLY AFTER THREE (3) INNINGS HAVE BEEN COMPLETED (2-1/2 INNINGS IF HOME TEAM IS AHEAD), HOWEVER A GAME SHALL NOT END UNTIL ALL PLAYERS PRESENT RECEIVE AT LEAST ONE AT BAT. IF A 4TH INNING IS STARTED FOR THIS REASON, THE INNING SHALL BE COMPLETED (OR ONLY TOP HALF OF 4TH INNING COMPLETED IF THE HOME TEAM IS AHEAD)
4. TEAMS WILL BAT CONTINUOUS BATTING ORDER. ALL PLAYERS PRESENT WILL BAT. ANY LATE ARRIVALS SHALL BE PLACED AT THE BOTTOM OF THE BATTING ORDER. ANY PLAYER THAT GETS INJURED, BECOMES ILL OR MUST LEAVE PRIOR TO THE END OF THE GAME, SHALL BE SKIPPED IN THE BATTING ORDER AND NO OUT WILL BE RECORDED. IF THE PLAYER RETURNS, THE PLAYER MUST BE PUT BACK INTO THE ORIGINAL PLACE IN THE BATTING ORDER. THE HOME PLATE UMPIRE AND THE OPPOSING TEAM MANAGER SHALL BE INFORMED AT ALL TIMES.
5. FREE SUBSTITUTION ON DEFENSE. ALL PLAYERS MUST PLAY A MINIMUM OF THREE (3) INNINGS OF DEFENSE FOR A SIX (6) INNING GAME. IF A GAME IS FIVE (5) INNINGS OR LESS, ALL PLAYERS MUST PLAY A MINIMUM OF TWO (2) INNINGS.
6. PITCHERS: LITTLE LEAGUE PITCHING RULES APPLY. PITCH COUNT SHEETS MUST BE MAINTAINED ON THE SCAA WEBSITE AND BY THE HEAD COACH AND AVAILABLE FOR REVIEW FOR SUBSEQUENT GAMES. MANDATORY REST PERIOD APPLIES. IF A TEAM WANTS TO INTENTIONALLY WALK A BATTER, THE PITCHER IS CHARGED WITH 4 PITCHES TOWARDS THEIR PITCH COUNT. A TEAM MAY ONLY INTENTIONALLY WALK EACH BATTER ON A TEAM ONCE PER GAME.
7. PLAYERS WILL SLIDE FEET FIRST INTO HOME PLATE ON A CLOSE PLAY TO “AVOID CONTACT” (NO JUMPING).
8. ON ALL WALKS, THE WALKED BATTER MUST HOLD AT FIRST BASE UNTIL THE NEXT PITCH IS THROWN. ALL OTHER RUNNERS MAY ADVANCE AT THEIR OWN RISK.
9. IF THE PLAYER IS ON BASE THAT IS PLANNED TO BE THE CATCHER THE NEXT INNING, A COURTESY RUNNER MAY BE USED FOR THE CATCHER WHEN THERE ARE TWO (2) OUTS TO ALLOW THE CATCHER TO BEGIN PUTTING ON EQUIPMENT FOR THE NEXT INNING OF DEFENSE. THE COURTESY RUNNER SHALL BE THE PLAYER THAT MADE THE LAST OUT DURING THE SAME INNING.
10. TEAMS WILL BE LIMITED TO FIVE (5) RUNS PER INNING UNTIL THE FINAL INNING. THE FINAL INNING IS THE 6TH INNING OR ANY INNING AFTER THE THIRD IN WHICH THE TIME LIMIT IS REACHED. WHEN THE UMPIRE ANNOUNCES THE START OF THE FINAL INNING EACH TEAM WILL BE LIMITED TO TEN (10) RUNS. EXCEPTION: IF IN THE TOP HALF OF AN INNING THE VISITING TEAM REACHES THE 5 RUN LIMIT BEFORE 3 OUTS ARE RECORDED, THEN THE HOME TEAM SHALL ALSO BE LIMITED TO 5 RUNS IN THE BOTTOM HALF OF THE INNING, EVEN IF THE TIME LIMIT IS SUBSEQUNTLY REACHED AND THEREFORE MAKING THAT THE FINAL INNING.
11. PITCHERS MAY WARM-UP IN THE BULLPEN DURING GAMES. FOR SAFETY, A COACH MUST STAND BESIDE THE PITCHER AS A “SPOTTER”, WATCHING FOR ERRANT BALLS.
12. PLAYERS "SLINGING" A BAT WILL BE WARNED THE FIRST TIME. ANY ADDITIONAL TIME WILL BE A DEAD BALL. THE BATTER WILL RETURN TO THE DUGOUT AND ALL RUNNERS WILL RETURN TO THEIR ORIGINAL BASE. NO OUT WILL BE RECORDED.
13. THERE IS NO “ON-DECK CIRCLE". PLAYERS SHALL REMAIN IN THE DUGOUT UNTIL IT IS THEIR TURN TO BAT.
14. WHEN THE ON-DECK BATTER APPROACHES THE BATTERS BOX, THE NEXT BATTER IN THE LINE-UP SHALL RETRIEVE THE PREVIOUS PLAYERS BAT. HELMETS MUST BE WORN BY ANY PLAYER ON THE BATTING TEAM WHILE OUTSIDE THE DUGOUT FOR ANY REASON.
15. TWO (2) ADULT BASE COACHES WILL BE ALLOWED.
16. NO MORE THAN THREE (3) OFFICIAL COACHES WILL BE ALLOWED IN THE DUGOUT OR ON THE FIELD. THE OFFICIAL COACHES FOR THE TEAM MUST STAY IN THE DUGOUT UNLESS COACHING A BASE WHILE THEIR TEAM IS BATTING.
17. IN CASE OF LIGHTNING, ALL FIELDS MUST BE CLEARED. REFER TO THE SCAA “LIGHTNING POLICY” ON THE WEBSITE. IT WILL BE THE UMPIRES DECISION WHEN TO RESUME PLAY.
18. RAINOUTS SHOULD BE RESCHEDULED AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, AND MAY REPLACE EITHER TEAM’S NEXT SCHEDULED PRACTICE, IF NECESSARY. THE TWO TEAM MANAGERS SHOULD ARRANGE THE RESCHEDULE DATE IN COORDINATION WITH THE MINORS DIVISION COMMISSIONER.
19. THE HOME TEAM IS RESPONSIBLE FOR:
- a. LINING THE INFIELD AND OUTFIELD PRIOR TO BEGINNING THE GAME. OUTFIELD LINING IS TYPICALLY SATURDAY MORNING ONLY UNLESS OTHERWISE NEEDED;
- b. PROVIDING TWO (2) GAME BALLS;
- c. THE OFFICIAL SCORER
20. THE VISITING TEAM IS RESPONSIBLE FOR: RAKING THE INFIELD AND REPAIRING THE PITCHERS MOUND AND BATTERS BOXES AFTER THE GAME. SEE THE “FIELD MAINTENANCE” SECTION OF THE SCAA BASEBALL WEBSITE PAGE FOR GUIDELINES AND INSTRUCTION.
21. ALL TEAMS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR REMOVING ALL TRASH IN THEIR DUGOUT & BLEACHER AREA, AND REPAIRING THEIR RESPECTIVE BULLPEN MOUNDS AFTER EACH GAME.
22. THE USE OF TOBACCO AND ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES IN ANY FORM IS PROHIBITED.
23. ALL EQUIPMENT SHALL BE KEPT IN THE DUGOUT AND CLEAR OF THE PLAYING FIELD FOR SAFETY OF THE PLAYERS.
24. ALL PLAYERS, COACHES, PARENTS, AND FANS SHALL CONDUCT THEMSELVES WITH GOOD SPORTSMANSHIP. ANYONE EJECTED FROM A GAME SHALL LEAVE THE FIELD AREA IMMEDIATELY. THE GAME WILL NOT RESUME UNTIL THE PERSON EJECTED HAS LEFT THE FIELD AREA. ALL EJECTIONS ARE FOLLOWED BY A MINIMUM ONE GAME SUSPENSION. THE LEAGUE COMMISSIONER, DIVISION COMMISSIONER, AND SCAA BOARD PRESIDENT SHALL BE NOTIFIED IMMEDIATELY OF ANY EJECTION.
25. HOME TEAM SHALL PROVIDE ONE UMPIRE. UMPIRES DECISIONS ARE FINAL. APPEALS WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED
26. ALL OTHER LITTLE LEAGUE RULES APPLY