Bethesda Chevy Chase Baseball, Inc. Major League Rules and Regulations For the 2021-2022 Seasons League Office Rules Committee Copies Available 40a Southlawn Court 40a Southlawn Court On the internet at Rockville, MD 20850 Rockville, MD 20850 www.bccbaseball.com Phone: 301-229-2724 [email protected] BCC Baseball – Major League Rules – 2021/2022 Table of Contents C. Defensive Coaching ........................... 7 1. General .................................................... 3 7. Safety Protocols and Equipment Usage .. 8 A. League Policies .................................. 3 A. Batting ................................................ 8 B. Age ..................................................... 3 B. Helmets/Protective Cups .................... 8 C. Official Players ................................... 3 C. Bat Limitations/Violations ................. 8 D. Number of Players ............................. 3 D. Catcher Equipment ............................. 8 E. Official Games/Time Limits............... 3 E. Cleats .................................................. 8 F. Official Schedule ................................ 4 F. Game Ball ........................................... 8 2. Pre-game: ................................................ 4 G. Uniform .............................................. 8 A. Line-Ups............................................. 4 8. Thunder and Lightning ........................... 8 B. Specific Field Ground Rules .............. 5 9. Other ....................................................... 8 C. Scoring the Game ............................... 5 A. Hectoring ............................................ 8 D. Field Setup ......................................... 5 B. Warnings/Ejections ............................ 9 E. Run Limit............................................ 5 C. Familiarity with Rules ........................ 9 F. Team Representative .......................... 5 D. Disputes .............................................. 9 3. During the Game (Player Requirements):5 10. COVID-19............................................. 9 A. Batting Order...................................... 5 B. Offense ............................................... 5 C. Offense ............................................... 6 4. During the Game (Base Running/Batting) ..................................................................... 6 A. Bowling Over/Interference ................ 6 B. Leading ............................................... 6 C. Stealing ............................................... 6 D. Dropped Third Strike ......................... 6 E. Infield Fly Rule................................... 7 F. Thrown Bat ........................................ 7 5. During the Game (Pitching) .................... 7 A. Innings and Pitch Count Limitations 7 B. Balks ................................................... 7 C. Hit Batters ......................................... 7 6. During the Game (Coaching) .................. 7 A. Criticizing Umpires ............................ 7 B. Base Coaches...................................... 7 pg. 2 BCC Baseball – Major League Rules – 2021/2022 Except as specified below the normal may ever play in a League game, or practice rules of Major League Baseball shall with a team. Use of a non-registered/non- apply. The Commissioner of this BCC officially rostered player in a game will Baseball league shall have the right to cause a forfeit and suspension of the modify and/or interpret these rules at any manager. Reach out to the league office if time and in any particular situation that you are in need of additional players. may arise, in his or her sole and absolute discretion. D. Number of Players Each team must have at least eight (8) 1. General players and if they cannot field such a team after ten minutes of the scheduled start of A. League Policies the game, it will be considered a forfeit. (If Recreational teams / rosters are not agreeable to both managers, a forfeited permitted to hold informal or formal try outs game may be played unofficially for to form the team. Further, recreational practice.) If at any time during a game, a teams may not be comprised in whole or in team can only field seven (7) players for any part of teams created via tryouts. reason (e.g., injuries, players having to All team rosters and coaches must be leave, ejection of a player), the game shall reviewed and approved by the BCC Director be deemed forfeited by that team. for acceptance into the league, in order to An injured player who is unable to both play ensure consistency with league rules and in the field AND bat, is prohibited from meet the goals and objectives of the league. playing at any time during a game, whether BCC Baseball reserves the right to refuse batting, fielding or running the bases. acceptance of any team and/or expel a team at any time if we feel that the team is not in E. Official Games/Time Limits compliance with the spirit and/or substance Full game: 6 innings of The League policies. Official game: 4 innings (3 1/2 if home team Professional coaches are not permitted to is ahead) coach a recreational team in any capacity Game Time: 2 hours (no new inning after while the team is playing a game. However, one hour and 45 minutes after scheduled professional coaches may be hired by start time) parents of players on a recreational team to assist the parent head coach at practice to Ideally, a game will consist of six full help develop players' skills. innings. An official game will consist of four innings (or three- and one-half innings B. Age if the home team is ahead) if there is a time, BCC Major League is for sixth and seventh weather or darkness limitation. If the game graders, generally 12-and 13-year-olds. is stopped before it becomes an official game, the game will be suspended and C. Official Players restarted from the exact point it is stopped. All players must be officially registered and If an official game is stopped at the end of a assigned by the League management. No complete inning, the score stands. In the one who is not registered, and whose name event of a tie, neither team will be awarded a does not appear on the official league roster, win or a loss. Official games stopped during pg. 3 BCC Baseball – Major League Rules – 2021/2022 an inning (top or bottom) will be suspended Otherwise, the game will be recorded as a and restarted (from the exact point it is tie. Notwithstanding the above restriction, stopped) if the visiting team is ahead or a tie the umpires have the discretion to let the exists; otherwise, the home team is declared teams play the extra inning as long as the the winner. In this case, the game will be extra inning starts prior to 1 hour and 45 deemed finished at the end of the inning that minutes. is in process although tie games shall be played through the completion of the 6th F. Official Schedule inning. Managers are responsible for The League expects that all managers, scheduling the completion of suspended players, and parents should be entitled to games and must do so within a two-week rely upon the official schedule of games sent period unless given a waiver by the League out by the League Office. As a result, Commissioner. Failure to do so will result managers are expected to have their teams in both teams being charged with a loss. prepared to play at the time/date/place indicated on the official League schedule. Suspended and restarted games will be Therefore, it is generally NOT appropriate subject to the pitching limitations contained for a manager to rearrange games in in Section 5A of these Rules except that the derogation of the official League schedule. restarted game shall be considered a new Where games must be postponed due to game with respect to the daily pitching adverse weather, managers are expected to limitation. make best efforts to arrange suitable time/date/place to make the game up In accordance with the League’s contract including practice time. with the umpires, no new inning shall begin 1 hour 45 minutes after the scheduled start 2. Pre-game: time of the game and the game shall not extend beyond 2 hours in total. Coaches are Players should be at the field at least 15 therefore encouraged to make sure that minutes before the game is scheduled in games start on time and, if necessary, to order to begin the game on time. begin the game without an umpire being present. If the game is not completed within A. Line-Ups the 2-hour time limit, the winner is the team At the start of each game, the managers of that was ahead at the conclusion of the last each team shall exchange a written batting complete inning. order (line-up). (See Section 3A) No substitution is allowed in the line-up once For purposes of determining whether there is the game has begun although a player may enough time to start a new inning, the actual be passed over if unavailable due to injury, start of a new inning shall be deemed the sickness or legitimate need to leave the time at which the third out to end the prior game. A player arriving after the start of the inning occurs. In other words, the third out games shall be inserted at the end of the for the home team immediately triggers the line-up. next inning. NOTE: Due to COVID-19, game line-ups In order for teams that are tied at the end of may be shared via email or text message six innings to play an extra inning, the extra prior to the beginning of the game. inning must start prior to 1 hour and 30 minutes from the start of the game. pg. 4 BCC Baseball – Major