CHANGES FOR 2021 • Regulation IV(i), Rule 2.00, and Tournament Rule 9 – Revises mandatory play to require a player to the bases after 1 at-bat, if they reach base, until they are retired, score, or the or game ends. • Tournament Rule 9 – Mandatory play – A player removed prior to meeting the running portion of their Mandatory Play requirement will be treated as an improper substitute. The 6 outs must be consecutive. • Regulation IV(i) Note 4 – Roster with 15 or more, Mandatory Play is 3 defensive outs and 1 . • Regulation VII(d) and Rule 4.12(d) – Minor League may play 1 in a calendar week. Major League may play 2 doubleheaders in a calendar week. • Regulation VII(h), X©, Rule 4.10 and 4.11 – Allows local leagues to establish time limits for games regardless of the number of played. • Rule 1.01 and 3.17 – Permits Tee Ball and Instructional Minor Divisions to have 3 coaches. • Rule 1.01, 4.04, 4.16, 4.17, and 6.05 – Permits a local league to start and play games with 8 players. District voted the 9th position will be an . • Rule 2.00, 3.04, and 7.14 – Regular Season, allows a courtesy runner for the pitcher and/or catcher when there are 2 outs if you have more than 9 players. Courtesy Runner is a player not currently in the order. For Continuous – must be the player that made the last out. • Rule 6.08(a) MINOR AND MAJOR BASEBALL ONLY – Allows a defensive team to intentionally walk a batter at any time during the at-bat. Any balls not thrown will be added to the . • Rule 6.08(a) ALL DIVISIONS – Permits a defensive team to intentionally walk a batter. • Rule 8.01(g) SOFTBALL ONLY – Permits the pitcher to remove him/herself from the pitcher’s plate with either foot first prior to the hands being brought together. • Rule 8.01(g) SOFTBALL ONLY – Revises the penalty for an illegal pitch in Junior and Senior Divisions to be a ball on the batter and no effect on any base runners. • Rule 9.04(a) – Permits the plate umpire to stand behind the catcher or pitcher during Regular Season. CHANGES FOR 2020 • Rule 9.01(d) Note – Stealing Signs – the team manager and those responsible including any player(s) and/or coach(es) shall be warned after the first offense. Those responsible shall be ejected from the game for a team’s subsequent offense. CHANGES FOR 2019 • Rule 1.10 – Allows Tee Ball bats to be used in Coach Pitch/Machine Pitch Divisions. Allows bats meeting BBCOR standard to be used in Intermediate and Junior Divisions. Pages 67-68 • Rule 2.00 – Defines Territory. Page 73 • Rule 3.03 – Substitutions – Regular season is not the same a Tournament Play • Rule 3.11 – Intentionally deleted. Rule 4.13 provides the same rule. Page 82 • Rule 8.02(a)(1) – Changes the rule of when a pitcher’s hand may come in contact with the pitcher’s mouth or lips. It now states “When in contact with the pitcher’s plate.” Page 113 • Rule 8.06 (a) - Change in Defensive visits. A manager may come out once (Minor Division: twice) in one inning to visit the pitcher, but the second time (Minor Division: third time) out, the player must be removed as a pitcher. NOTE: A visit to any defensive player is considered a visit. • Rule 8.06 (b) – Chance in Defensive visits. A manager may come out twice (Minor Division: three times) in one game to visit with the pitcher, but the third time (Minor Division: fourth time) out, the player must be removed as a pitcher. NOTE: A visit to any defensive player is considered a visit. • Rule 8.06 AR – Provides guidance on what is considered a visit to the pitcher. When a manager requests timeout to make a pitching change, it shall not be considered a visit to the pitcher provided the manager makes the pitching substitution prior to speaking to any defensive player.

NOTES ON RULES

Regulation VI – Baseball Pitchers • Threshold now applies to number of pitches thrown then move to catcher (40 pitches) • Threshold now applies to number of pitches thrown then pitch in a 2nd game that day for Jr. and Sr. (30 pitches)

Regulation VI – Softball Pitchers • A pitcher can return to pitch once per inning as long as they stay in the game • Minors can use as many pitchers as they want - Majors can only use 5 pitchers per game

Rule 1 – Objectives of the Game • Add-on devices to bats are Prohibited • No pine tar or any other adhesive anywhere on the bat

Rule 2 - Definitions • Appeals 7.10 • 8.05 • Base Coach 4.05 • 8.04 and Regulation VI o Majors and Minors are the only divisions you don’t have to throw the pitch • Battery – Pitcher and Catcher • Batting Order 6.07 • Bench or 3.17 • – Make the right call – a Bunt is NOT a swing. We use the term “Slap Bunt” in softball which is a swing and not a Bunt. Bunting foul with 2 strikes is considered an out. In softball, a slap bunt foul with 2 strikes is a . o Baseball you must move the bat towards the ball to be called an attempt. If the bat stays stationary, it’s not considered an attempt. o Softball you must move the bat back or it’s considered an attempt. If the bat stays stationary, it’s considered an attempt. • – You must have possession, control, and then transfer (voluntary release). • Dead Ball Area 5.09 • 6.06 – this is not a foul ball • Illegal 6.06 • Fly 7.08 rd o Must have a force out at 3 o Must have less than 2 outs o Must have an apex to the batted ball o Can (not could, not will) be caught with ordinary effort • Inning 4.04 and 5.07 o Minors must have 5-run limit, 3 outs, or once thru the batting order for a half inning o Locally you can use more runs but not less runs per inning • 7.09 • 7.06 • Retouch 7.10 • 2.0 • Runner 7.01 o 7.06 – When a runner is stealing home and the catcher jumps out in from of the plate to catch the ball, call a balk on the pitcher and award the batter 1st base on catcher interference o 7.08 Hurdling is legal if it’s not malicious o Softball – There is no “Look Back” rule. Runners are entitled to 1 stop, then they must decide to go back or go forward. They get 3 seconds once the pitcher has the ball and enters the circle if a play is not being made on them.

Rule 3 – Game Preliminaries • Substitutions – Regular season is now the same as Tournament Play. Starter must go back in the same position in the batting order. • UIC is responsible for the condition of the field during regular season. Tournament Director is responsible during Tournament Play.

Rule 4 – Starting and Ending the Game • 4.10 - 15 run rule is optional during regular season o If a time limit is used for Major and above divisions, you must have a minimum number of innings played – even if it goes past the time limit • 4.15 - Game may be forfeited by the UIC (UIC must be 18 or older) if: o Team refuses to start play within 10 minutes o Team refuses to play at all o Team fails to resume play within 1 minute o Team fails to obey umpire to remove a player from the game o Team willfully and persistently violates the rules o Team is using tactics to delay, shorten, or make a travesty of the game • 4.19 – Protest o Only violation or interpretation of the rules o Cannot protest Umpire judgement o Manager or acting manager is the only one who can protest o Must be done before the next play o Both the manager and umpire must submit a report within 24 hrs. to the DA o Minor Division – league may adopt to resolve before the next play o TEE BALL – THERE ARE NO PROTEST IN TEE BALL, PERIOD!!!!!!!!!!

Rule 5 – Putting the ball in play

Rule 6 – The Batter • 6.07 – B O O (Batting Out of Order) o Keys: . Who batted . Who was supposed to bat . When was it appealed . Who’s up next • 6.08 – Entitled to 1st base o Intentional Walk (Majors and Minors only) – must announce before 1 pitch is thrown to the batter • 6.09 – Batter becomes a runner rd o Uncaught 3 strike

Rule 7 – The Runner

Rule 8 – The Pitcher – Softball • 8.06 – Visits (1 per inning, 2 per game) (Minor’s 2 per inning, 3 per game)

Rule 8 – The Pitcher – Baseball • 8.02 - Pitcher can come to their mouth or lips while on the mound, just not on the rubber • 8.06 – Visits (1 per inning, 2 per game) (Minor’s 2 per inning, 3 per game)