AND SOFTBALL “MINOR A" DIVISION RULES

All rules according to most recent Little League Rules and Regulations.

In addition, the following “Local Rules” shall apply:

INTRODUCTION: THE MINOR “A” LEAGUE IS STRICTLY AN INSTRUCTIONAL LEAGUE, WHICH EMPHASIZES INSTRUCTING, AND COACHING BOYS AND GIRLS IN THE GAME OF BASEBALL/SOFTBALL. THE FINAL SCORES OF THE GAME, WIN- LOSS RECORDS AND LEAGUE STANDINGS ARE MEANINGLESS STATISTICS. THE OBJECT OF THE LEAGUE IS INSTRUCTION, SPORTSMANSHIP AND FUN.

TEAM SIZE: THE LEAGUE PLAYS 10 PLAYER BALL. USE 4 SPACED EVENLY APART ACROSS THE , BUT NOT LESS THAN 50 FEET FROM THE . (WE DON'T WANT A SECOND INFIELD; IT'S HARD ENOUGH TO GET A .)

PARTICIPATION: WE DIRECT A MINIMUM OF 3 IN THE FIELD FOR EACH PLAYER IN EACH GAME. YOU MAY SUBSTITUTE AT ANY TIME. THE IDEA IS TO MAINTAIN INTEREST FOR ALL PLAYERS.

BATTING ORDER: USE A FULL TEAM CONTINUOUS ORDER, REGARDLESS OF WHETHER ASSIGNED TO THE FIELD POSITION OR NOT IN THE . ROTATING THE ORDER IS TO ALL PLAYERS. BAT ONE HALF OF YOUR LINE UP EACH INNING SO EACH CHILD BATS 3 TIMES (6 UP/ 6 DOWN).

INNINGS: THE GAME CONSISTS OF SIX INNINGS.

PITCHING: MANAGERS AND COACHES WILL TO THEIR OWN TEAM. THE BATTING TEAM WILL ASSIGN A COACH OR PARENT TO BACK UP THE , TO KEEP THE GAME MOVING. YOU WILL STATION A PLAYER ON THE PITCHING MOUND TO ACT AS A AFTER THE BALL IS HIT. ALLOW THIS PLAYER TO PLAY THIS POSITION WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THROWING TO THE BATTER.

PITCHING MOUND: APPROXIMATELY 30 FEET FROM HOME PLATE.

BALLS AND STRIKES: BALLS AND STRIKES ARE NOT CALLED. MANAGER~ MUST ENCOURAGE THEIR PLAYERS TO HIT THE BALL. STRIKES ARE ONLY CALLED WHEN THE BATTER SWINGS AND MISSES OR HITS A . THE BATTER IS CALLED ON STRIKES WHEN THEY HAVE TWO STRIKES AND SWINGS AND MISSES FOR STRIKE THREE. REMEMBER THIS IS AN INSTRUCTIONAL LEAGUE GIVE THE KIDS A CHANCE TO HIT THE BALL. EXCESS PITCHES AND SWINGS WITH OUT HITTING THE BALL DISCOURAGES THE BATTER AND THE FIELDERS, KEEP THE GAME MOVING.

CATCHERS: TRY TO DEVELOP AT LEAST TWO PER TEAM. REMEMBER AS THE LITTLE LEAGUER GROWS THE CATCHER TAKES ON AN IMPORTANCE EQUAL TO THE PITCHER. YOU WILL NEED MORE THAN ONE CATCHER BECAUSE 6 INNINGS IS TOO LONG FOR ONE PLAYER TO IN THE WARM WEATHER. TEACH (ALL PLAYERS) TO AVOID TURNING AWAY FROM THE BALL EXPOSING HEAD, SHOULDERS AND RIBS AT AN ANGLE WHERE EQUIPMENT DOES NOT PROTECT THEM.

POSITIONING: CONSIDER USING YOUR BEST 'GLOVES" AT THE MORE ACTIVE POSITIONS, FIRST AND SECOND BASE. THAT'S WHERE MOST OF THE ACTION WILL BE BECAUSE MOST KIDS ARE RIGHT HANDED BATTERS AND SWING LATE. DON'T FORGET THAT STATUS EXISTS IN THE INFIELD. MAKE SURE ALL KIDS GET TO PLAY MOST POSITIONS ON A ROTATING BASIS. A COACH OR MANAGER SHOULD MAKE UP A POSITION ASSIGNMENT PRIOR TO THE GAME AND ROTATE THE POSITIONS AS THE GAME GOES ON. THIS ELIMINATES DISCUSSION BETWEEN PLAYERS AND COACHES BETWEEN INNINGS AND ALLOWS THE GAME TO MOVE ALONG.

HELMETS: WITHOUT EXCEPTION, HELMETS MUST BE WORN BY ALL KIDS BATTING, ON DECK AND IN THE COACHING BOX.

COACHES: USE ONE COACH AND ONE CHILD IN THE COACHES BOX. THE ADULT SHOULD INSTRUCT AND ENCOURAGE THE CHILD TO COACH. THERE SHOULD BE A MAXIMUM OF TWO COACHES ON THE FIELD INSTRUCTING THE FIELDERS ON WHAT TO DO. FOR THE BATTING TEAM THERE MUST BE ONE COACH/MANAGER PITCHING TO THE PLAYERS AND ANOTHER BACKING UP THE CATCHER. THESE ACTIONS WILL SPEED UP PLAY. ONE COACH MUST REMAIN IN .

CLEATS: SNEAKERS ARE ADEQUATE, BUT RUBBER CLEATS ARE RECOMMENDED.

SCORING: ALL GAMES END IN A TIE. KEEPING SCORE IS DISCOURAGED.

BASE RUNNING: THERE IS NO STEALING AND NO ADVANCING ON PASSED BALLS OR WILD PITCHES. BASE RUNNERS CANNOT TAKE LEADS. IF A RUNNER LEADS, THEY SHOULD BE CAUTIONED, BUT THEY ARE NOT OUT. IF A RUNNER TAKES A LEAD AND THE BALL IS HIT, THE RUNNER CAN ADVANCE ONLY ONE BASE BEYOND THE BATTER. (THEY CAN'T GO FROM FIRST TO THIRD ON A BASE HIT BUT WOULD SCORE ON A ). TRY TO TEACH THEM BASIC ; DO NOT ALLOW THEM TO AT WILL.

IF A IS ATTEMPTED AGAINST A RUNNER WITH A LEAD, HE WILL BE RULED OUT IF A CLEAN EFFORT HAS BEEN MADE TO EXECUTE THE FORCE. IF THE THROW IS WILD OR THE BALL IS DROPPED THE RUNNER WILL BE . IN THIS CASE THE RUNNER CAN ADVANCE ONLY ONE BASE REGARDLESS OF HOW MUCH THE BALL IS THROWN AROUND.

WILD THROWS: WHEN THE BALL IS THROWN WILD OFF THE DIAMOND THE RUNNER IS ALLOWED TO ADVANCE ONE BASE ONLY. THIS IS NOT AUTOMATIC THE RUNNER MUST EARN THE BASE BY RUNNING IT OUT.

WHEN THE BALL IS THROWN WILD IN FAIR TERRITORY THE RUNNER IS ENTITLED TO ALL THE BASES HE CAN TAKE. THE RUNNER MUST STOP AT THE NEXT BASE WHEN THE BALL IS "BACK TO THE PITCHER."

FORFEITS: TRY NOT TO FORFEIT A GAME THERE ARE NO STANDINGS AND THE KIDS COME TO PLAY. SHARE KIDS AND MAKE THE BEST OF IT.

SAFETY: BEGIN TEACHING SAFETY AT THE FIRST PRACTICE AND DON'T STOP. THERE IS NO ON-DECK PRACTICE SWINGS ALLOWED. THE ONLY PLAYER WHO SHOULD HAVE A BAT IN HIS HANDS IS THE BATTER WHEN HE/SHE IS AT THE PLATE.

KEEP ALL PLAYERS COACHES AND EQUIPMENT NOT INVOLVED IN THE GAME IN THE DUGOUT.

BUNTING: BUNTING IS NOT ALLOWED.

BATS: ALL BATS MUST MEET LITTLE LEAGUE REGULATIONS AND MUST BE STAMPED "APPROVED LITTLE LEAGUE".

MANAGER'S BIGGEST NEED: A SENSE OF HUMOR IN THIS PART OF THE PROGRAM THE OBJECT IS TO TEACH BASEBALL/SOFTBALL AND SPORTSMANSHIP.

YOUR JOB AS MANGER/COACH IS TO CONTROL THE PARENTS, OTHER COACHES AND THE KIDS TO ENSURE THIS WILL BE CONDUCTED AS A TEACHING- RECREATION PROGRAM. GIVE ALL CHILDREN A CHANCE TO PLAY AND HAVE FUN.

REREAD MANAGERS BIGGEST NEED! YOU THE MANAGER/COACH ARE BEING EVALUATED BY THE LEAGUE COMMISSIONER, THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE AND THE LEAGUE PRESIDENT. WHETHER YOU ARE INVITED BACK TO MANAGE/COACH DEPENDS NOT ON YOUR WIN-LOSS RECORD BUT ON HOW YOU MANAGED THE TEAM, HOW YOU TAUGHT THE PLAYERS AND HOW YOU GOT ALONG WITH YOUR FELLOW MANAGERS, COACHES, AND PARENTS ETC.

CONDUCT AND SAFETY REGULATIONS:

1. TEAMS CANNOT HARASS ONE ANOTHER.

2. NO ARGUMENTS BETWEEN MANAGERS. PLAY THE GAME IN A HAPPY FRAME OF MIND.

3. PRIOR TO ALL GAMES, MANAGERS MUST MEET WITH OPPOSING MANAGER/ COACH TO DISCUSS THE .

4. CATCHERS MUST WEAR PROPER PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT, MASK AND HELMET WITH THROAT GUARD, CHEST PROTECTOR WITH GROIN PROTECTOR. ALL BOYS MUST WEAR PROTECTIVE CUP.

CLARIFICATION OF "BACK TO PITCHER" RULE

WHEN THE BALL IS RETURNED TO THE PITCHER IN THE VICINITY OF THE MOUND, ALL ACTION STOPS.

THE BASE RUNNERS RETURN TO THE LAST OCCUPIED BASE, UNLESS THEY ARE MORE THAN HALF WAY TO THE NEXT BASE. IF SO, THEY ADVANCE TO THE NEXT BASE WITHOUT PERIL.

THE BALL IS CONSIDERED TO BE RETURNED TO THE PITCHER WHEN IT PASSES OVER THE MOUND OR IN ITS VICINITY. THE PITCHER DOES NOT HAVE TO CATCH OR TOUCH THE BALL AN THE ATTEMPT TO GET THE BALL BACK TO THE PITCHER.

IF A FIELDER CUTS OFF THE BALL, BEFORE THE PITCHER GETS IT, THIS RULE DOES NOT APPLY.

IF THE PITCHER IS ACTING AS A FIELDER, AS IN COVERING A BASE, THE RULE DOES NOT APPLY.