NATIONAL YOUTH SPORTS RULES BASEBALL: COACH PITCH 6-8 YEAR-OLDS Applies to both practices and games. 1. Team rosters will have a minimum of seven players and a maximum of fourteen players. No team is allowed more or less without approval by NYS. 2. The home team is listed first on the schedule and will occupy the third base side and dugout. 3. Games are one hour or four innings, whichever is completed first. 4. No forfeits. 5. No official score will be kept. 6. Ball must travel 3 feet or else it is a foul ball. 7. The supplied NYS jersey and hat or an approved jersey and hat must be worn during the game. No exceptions! 8. Helmets are only required to be worn at games. If teams do not have helmets, they must be requested. 9. Metal cleats, open toed shoes, or jewelry are not to be worn. 10. A maximum of 10 players are allowed to take the field defensively. All players must rotate positions and sub in equally. (four outfielders) All players must bat, whether they play the field that inning or not. 11. The catcher position will be played ten feet behind home plate. No catchers gear will be used during the game. If teams have their own catchers gear they can use it, but if it slows the game down they will have to remove it. Coaches will pitch consecutive pitches (multiple game balls) without the ball being returned if the catcher is unable to throw the ball back. 12. NO Parents and Coaches are allowed in the field outside the pitcher and the first and third base coaches. 13. No player can play any position for more than two innings per game. 14. Pitcher’s mound is 35 feet from home plate. Teams may pitch from slightly farther or closer, but please check with the NYS umpire or site coordinator. 15. NO TEE. When batting, balls and strikes are not called by an “umpire.” If the batter swings, it is a strike; if the batter does not swing it is a ball. There are NO WALKS. If a batter does not swing by the fourth pitch, it becomes a strike. A batter should see a minimum of 3 pitches and a maximum of 6 pitches (unless a foul ball occurs. If a pitch is fouled off a batter remains batting until he/she strikes out or gets a hit). 16. All team members must be on the batting line up. Every player on the roster bats regardless if they are playing the field. 17. No throwing bats. For safety please have a coach at home plate with the batters. 18. The first inning ends after three strikes or after a team bats through their line up once per inning, except to equal the opposing teams batting line up. For example, if team “A” has 12 players and team “B” has 10 players, then team “B” may bat 12 players in a row as long as they do not increase their lead by more than 5 runs or get 3 outs. See the five run rule clarification at the end of these rules. 19. Bases are approximately 60 feet apart. 20. No leading off or stealing any base. 21. Sliding is not allowed at this age level for safety reasons. 22. Base runners can advance to any base on a hit that occurs from a pitched ball, but once the ball is in control and in the infield the runner must stop. 23. A base runner hit by a batted ball is out. NATIONAL YOUTH SPORTS RULES BASEBALL: COACH PITCH 6-8 YEAR-OLDS Applies to both practices and games. 24. All base runners called out will return to the dugout. 25. The base runner may not steal home on any play between the pitcher and catcher (including a passed ball or wild pitch). Stealing home is not allowed. Runner on third base must be forced home by a walk, hit by pitch, or advance on a hit ball. 26. Runners may advance only one base on an overthrow (that means the runner gets the base they are advancing to, plus they can try for the next one at their own risk). After one overthrow the play is automatically dead. 27. No team may increase their lead by more than five runs after the first inning. See the five run rule clarification at the end of these rules. 28. Courtesy runners are allowed for pitcher or catcher at any time but the runner must be the player that made the last out. FIVE-RUN RULE When participating in an NYS baseball or softball event, there are 2 ways to end an “at bat”. 1. Increase a lead by five runs. This does not apply in the first inning. 2. Three outs. Whichever one of the above happens first in a given half inning concludes that half inning immediately. .