SCAA Majors Baseball Rules
1. EACH TEAM MUST HAVE A MINIMUM OF EIGHT (8) PLAYERS TO START A GAME. 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 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"
2. GAMES WILL CONSIST OF SIX (6) INNINGS WITH AN 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.
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 AND ALL HOME TEAM PLAYERS HAVE BATTED)
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 MEET LITTLE LEAGUE MINIMUM PLAY GUIDELINES, PER CURRENT LL RULEBOOK.
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 SUBSEQUENT GAMES. MANDATORY REST PERIOD APPLIES.
7. IF A TEAM WANTS TO INTENTIONALLY WALK A BATTER, LITTLE LEAGUE RULES APPLY. A TEAM MAY ONLY INTENTIONALLY WALK EACH BATTER ON A TEAM ONCE PER GAME.
8. PLAYERS' PITCH COUNTS WILL BE ENTERED INTO THE SCAA WEBSITE BY EACH RESPECTIVE MANAGER, AND GAME SCORES WILL BE ENTERED BY THE HOME TEAM'S MANAGER. THIS DATA SHALL BE ENTERED BY THE END OF THE DAY FOR MORNING OR AFTERNOON GAMES, AND NO LATER THAN 9AM OF THE FOLLOWING DAY FOR NIGHT GAMES.
9. PLAYERS WILL SLIDE FEET FIRST INTO HOME PLATE ON A CLOSE PLAY TO “AVOID CONTACT” (NO JUMPING).
8. 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.
9. NO NINTH BATTER RULE- DEFENSE MUST RECORD THREE OUTS TO END THE HALF INNING.
10. PITCHERS MAY WARM-UP IN THE BULLPEN DURING GAMES. FOR SAFETY, A COACH (OR A PLAYER WITH HELMET) MUST STAND WITH A GLOVE BESIDE THE PITCHER AS A “SPOTTER”, WATCHING FOR ERRANT BALLS.
11. 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.
12. THERE IS NO “ON-DECK CIRCLE". PLAYERS MAY USE THE ENCLOSED AREA OF THE BULLPEN TO WARM UP (IF NOT BEING USED FOR PITCHER WARM UP), OR OTHERWISE REMAIN IN THE DUGOUT UNTIL IT IS THEIR TURN TO BAT.
13. WHEN THE ON-DECK BATTER APPROACHES THE BATTERS BOX, THE NEXT BATTER IN THE LINE-UP SHALL RETRIEVE THE PREVIOUS PLAYERS BAT.
14. TWO (2) ADULT BASE COACHES WILL BE ALLOWED.
15. 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.
16. 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.
17. RAINOUTS SHOULD HAVE EVERY ATTEMPT MADE TO BE RESCHEDULED PRIOR TO THE END OF THE REGULAR SEASON. IT IS UP TO THE TWO TEAM MANAGERS TO WORKOUT AN AGREEABLE MAKEUP DATE AND THEN NOTIFY THE DIVISION OR LEAGUE COMMISSIONER TO UPDATE THE SCHEDULE AND ARRANGE UMPIRES. EITHER OF THE TEAMS' NEXT SCHEDULED PRACTICE MAY BE REPLACED BY THE MAKEUP GAME, IF NEEDED.
18. THE HOME TEAM IS RESPONSIBLE FOR:
a. LINING THE INFIELD AND OUTFIELD PRIOR TO BEGINNING THE GAME;
b. PROVIDING TWO (2) GAME BALLS;
c. THE OFFICIAL SCORER
19. 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.
20. ALL TEAMS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR REMOVING ALL TRASH IN THEIR DUGOUT & BLEACHER AREA, AND REPAIRING THEIR RESPECTIVE BULLPEN MOUNDS AFTER EACH GAME.
21. THE USE OF TOBACCO AND ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES IN ANY FORM IS PROHIBITED.
22. ALL EQUIPMENT SHALL BE KEPT IN THE DUGOUT AMD CLEAR OF THE PLAYING FIELD FOR SAFETY OF THE PLAYERS.
23. 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. EJECTIONS MUST BE PROMPTLY REPORTED TO THE LEAGUE PRESIDENT AND PLAYER AGENT BY THE MANAGER OF TEAM WHOSE PLAYER/PARENT/SPECTATOR/COACH WAS EJECTED. THE INCIDENT WILL BE REVIEWED BY THE PLAYER AGENT AND FOLLOWED BY A MANDATORY ONE GAME SUSPENSION.(OR TWO GAMES AT THE PLAYER AGENT AND LEAGUE PRESIDENT'S JUDGEMENT).
24. HOME TEAM SHALL PROVIDE ONE UMPIRE. UMPIRES DECISIONS ARE FINAL. APPEALS WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED
25. BATS: MAXIMUM BARREL DIAMETER IS 2 5/8 INCHES AND MUST HAVE THE USA BASEBALL STAMP. CURRENT LITTLE LEAGUE BAT STANDARDS APPLY. CLEATS: NO METAL CLEATS ALLOWED
26. ALL OTHER LITTLE LEAGUE RULES APPLY
(updated 1/22/2021 to separate rules from Intermediate format)