Chain O Lakes Bronco Division Playing Rules

Game Play

• IHSA Rules will apply with the exception of the rules in this document. • Full game is 7 . If game is shortened by weather/darkness, a game is considered complete if 4 innings have been played (3 ½ if the home team is leading). In case of a tie, will be played if there is time remaining. • No will start after 1:45 (even if game is tied). The inning begins when the last made is in the preceding inning. Home team will keep the official start time. • No limit per inning. • The mercy rule will be enforced if any team is winning by 12 or more runs after 4 full innings or 10 or more runs after 5 innings. • 8 players are required to start the game. • All eligible players must be placed in the lineup and will bat in a continuous order with free substitution allowed. • If, for any reason, a player needs to be removed from the game, the batter will be skipped without penalty. • There is no noise making or chanting towards the pitcher or batter during any .

Pitching

• For all pitching rules an inning is considered to be any inning in which the pitcher appears (for instance, a pitcher enters an inning with 2 outs and gets the 3rd out on 1 pitch. That is considered one inning pitched) • One warning per pitcher. • 3 innings max per pitcher in a game. • 10 innings of pitch per player per week (week starts midnight Sunday through 11:59 pm Saturday) • by pitch – After hitting 2 batters in an inning or 3 in a game the pitcher must be removed. • Coaches are allowed one visit per inning per pitcher. ON the 2nd visit, the pitcher must be removed. • Pitching rules for suspended games will continue from the time of the original game. • Once a pitcher is removed, the player may not return to the . • The pitchers will be allowed 8 warm-up pitchers when entering the game and 5 pitches in innings.

Batting

• Bunting is allowed. No fake bunts are allowed—batter will be called out.

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• Dropped 3rd strike is in effect.

Baserunning

• Stealing o Leadoffs are permitted o Players may steal 2nd & 3rd base at any time. o Stealing of home is allowed, but the runner cannot begin his break home until after the ball crosses the plate (meaning no “suicide squeeze” play or a straight steal of home where the runner breaks as soon as the pitcher goes into his motion—runner can still lead off and extend the lead as the pitch is delivered.) Stealing of home on the catcher’s return throw to the pitcher is not allowed regardless of whether the ball is caught or not. • Head first slides are only allowed if going back to a base. If not going back to a base, runner is out for sliding head first. • fly rule is in effect. • A runner who causes contact with a fielder when going into a base standing up will be called out. A sliding baserunner will not be called out for contact unless the contact is ruled intentional or unnecessary. • A courtesy runner is allowed for catcher of the upcoming inning after two outs. The runner must be the last batted out.

Defense

• Given that this is an in-house league, the expectation is that teams will move their players around and not keep them at the same position all game. The expectation would be that all players have the opportunity to play at least one inning of infield per game. No player should sit a second inning in any game until all players have sat one inning in that game. However, since a myriad of factors that can affect playing time, each organization will be responsible for the enforcement of this principle for their teams. The umpire will not address this issue.

Borrowed players

• Borrowed players must come from registered players from the same organization from the level below or, with the opposing coach’s permission, a player from the same level. • The manager must inform the opposing team which players are being borrowed and not on the roster prior to the game. • Borrowed players must bat at the end of the order and play only the

General

• Pitching rubber: 50 feet from home plate is the standard (some fields may vary slightly) • Bases: 70 feet apart. • Games stopped due to weather or darkness before the 4th inning (or bottom of 3rd with home team leading) will be resumed at the point where the game stopped. • Metal spikes are allowed, but discouraged.

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• The winning team manager is responsible for reporting the game result within 24 hours (including cancellations), preferably the same evening as the game.

Playoffs

• In case of tied game after a complete game or the time limit has expired… o Last person who batted in the previous inning will be placed at 2nd base with 1 out. o Batters will start with 1-1 . • Home team will be determined by the better seed. This will hold in all instances, regardless of which game it is. If seeds are equivalent or teams are not seeded, home team will be determined by a coin flip. • Mercy rule is in effect. • If team is playing more than one game in a day, a pitcher may pitch up to 4 innings on the day— split any way between the 2 games (but not more than 3 in a game). • Championship game will be played without a time limit unless otherwise specified by the league.

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