North Carolina District 3
Spring 2025 Local Rules – Baseball
Junior League | Senior League

**Unless specified below, the 2025 Little League Rule Book applies.

1) Nine (9) players minimum to start a game.

2) During regular season play, teams may choose to bat a continuous batting order with all players present or may choose to bat 9 players with substitutes.  Teams may choose this option at the beginning of each game, but neither team may change their choice once a game has begun.  If one team chooses to utilize a continuous batting order, the other team may still bat a normal 9 player lineup.

3) Every rostered player present must play six (6) consecutive defensive outs and bat at least once.

4) No new inning can start after 2-hours and 15-minutes.

5) A regulation game is 7-innings.  Teams are permitted to play 5-inning double-headers.

6) Mercy rule:  15+ runs after 4-innings; 10+ runs after 5-innings

7) A courtesy runner for the catcher or pitcher of record is allowed when there are two (2) outs.  The courtesy runner should not be in the batting lineup unless a team has only 9 players in attendance.  In that case, the courtesy runner must be the player who made the last out.

8) Baseball Bat Rule 1.10 – Reference: https://www.littleleague.org/playing-rules/bat-rules/
·      Intermediate (50/70):  USA Baseball, BBCOR, or solid one-piece wood bats permitted
·      Junior League:  USA Baseball, BBCOR, or solid one-piece wood bats permitted
·      Senior League:  BBCOR or solid one-piece wood bats permitted

9) Pitcher days of rest requirements:

"League Ages 14 and under" Days Rest "League Ages 15-16" Days Rest
1-20 pitches 0 days 1-30 pitches 0 days
21-35 pitches 1 day 31-45 pitches 1 day
36-50 pitches 2 days 46-60 pitches 2 days
51-65 pitches 3 days 61-75 pitches 3 days
66+ pitches 4 days 76+ pitches 4 days

10) Maximum number of pitches allowed per day:

League Age Maximum
11-12 85 pitches per day
13-16 95 pitches per day

11) If a pitcher reaches a limit noted above while facing a batter, the pitcher may continue to pitch until one of the following threshold exceptions occurs:
·      That batter reaches base;
·      That batter is put out;
·      The third out is made to complete the half-inning.

12) If a player delivers 41 or more pitches, and is not covered under the threshold exception, the player may not play the position of catcher for the remainder of the day.

13) A pitcher remaining in the game, but moving to another position, can return as a pitcher anytime in the remainder of the game, but only once per game.

14) Any player who has played the position of catcher in four (4) or more innings in a game is not eligible to pitch on that calendar day.

15) Balk Warnings:
·      Intermediate (50/70):  1 balk warning per pitcher.
·      Junior League:  1 balk warning per pitcher.
·      Senior League:  NO balk warnings.

Other Local Rules
"*Home team is responsible for scheduling umpires & notifying visiting team & umpires of any cancellation.
"
*Home is responsible for reporting the final score of each game to TBD.
*Each team is to supply a minimum of 2 (Senior League approved) balls per game.
"*Special pinch runner is only for a team batting 9.
"
*For organizations that have multiple team, players can be shared among the teams; however, a player can only pitch for the team that he is on the permanent roster.  For example, a player that is listed on the roster for Team A can play for Team B as a fill-in player, but he cannot pitch for Team B.