Our Fall Baseball League offers additional instruction for returning players, and an introduction to the kid's-pitch program for new players as well as those coming up from the coach-pitch level. The rules and structure of the fall season relax a few of the rules from spring competition, while still holding true to the nature of the game. Our goal is to create a positive environment that fosters education and good work ethic by reinforcing the fundamentals of baseball.  

Fall 2015 Format:

• Teams will consist of one Team Manager (Head Coach) and up to three assistants (Coaches)
  
• Managers will be required to submit signed paperwork consisting of the Background Consent Form, and Team Information Form NO LATER than Saturday, August 1^st.
• Background checks for supporting coaches are due by August 12 ^th.
• Coaches may bring (freeze) a maximum of six (6) players, the remainder of players will be assigned by the league. All players frozen to a team must be registered and paid in full by August 1 ^st or they will be placed in the unassigned pool and placed on a team using the leagues lottery system.
• Team Sponsors must be paid ($300) by August 10 ^th
  
• Every player present will bat. Players may only sit (benched on defense) one inning per game.
  
• Each coach must submit the score of their game to the league within 24 hours.
  
• Teams will play 2 to 3 times per week. Weeknight games will begin at 5:30 pm and 7:00 pm
  
• Possible game days are Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
  
• The season will end with a playoff and championship series.
  

Fall 2015 - Playing Rules:

• Balls and strikes are not disputable - argument is grounds for immediate ejection from field, if comments continue off the field, the parent or coach will be ejected from the park and suspended two games.
• Base-runners may not lead off. Runners leading off or leaving early will be an automatic out.
• There will be one umpire for all 10U games, they will officiate from behind the plate.
• Home team will be determined by the schedule. Dugouts are first come, first choice.
• Maximum of 4 coaches allowed inside the field gates. An automatic out will be assessed for violation of this rule on each occurrence, to be enforced during the current at-bat (or next at bat if the offending team is on defense). No coaches allowed on the field of play unless time out is called. Any coach who steps over the foul line will count as on the field of play, the second time in an inning must result in a pitching change. Coaches who step over the foul line without being granted a time-out while on offense will incur an automatic out for their team, enforced immediately. The only exception is to care for an injured player who is not responding (as determined by the umpire).
• Base coaches MUST remain within three feet (36 inches) of their box when game is in play. Failure to comply will result in a warning for the first offense, and an automatic out for each subsequent offense Ã??Ã?¢?? enforced immediately. Once one base coach is warned, it serves as a team warning.
• Games will be 80 minutes or 5 innings max. No new inning will be started under the 10 minute mark. If home team is behind AND up to bat when clock expires, they may finish their at bat, If clock expires during top half of the inning or any time BEFORE the first pitch of the bottom half of the inning, the score will revert back to the last completed inning. NO EXCEPTIONS - games may end in a tie.
• Each team must go through the batting order at least once. If time expires, or a mercy rule is enacted, any team that has not batted their lineup will be given the opportunity to do so as a courtesy. Runs scored will not count toward the final score. If the team is fielding when regulation play ends, the sides will immediately switch to allow those hitters to bat, if the team is at bat, play will continue off the books until they are through the lineup.
• Mercy rules are in effect: 10 runs after 3 innings.
• Big barrel bats are not allowed - maximum diameter is 2Ã??Ã?¼.
• No "Fake Bunts" - batter cannot show bunt, then pull back and swing away, this results in an automatic out.
• Batter is out on a dropped third strike. Base runners advancing on dropped third strike do so at their own risk.
• Once the pitcher is in possession of the ball and on the rubber, base runners may not steal until after the next pitch crosses home plate.  There are no "delayed steals" where the runner "baits" the catcher into throwing the ball.
• Batting order is whole line-up. Everyone bats and cannot sit on the bench more than one inning per game. If a coach issues a benching for disciplinary action, or a player voluntarily sits out an inning, the coach must notify the umpire before the first pitch of that inning.
• You may pinch-run (courtesy runner) for your catcher or pitcher using the last player to make an out (last batted out, NOT the last player to score) Notification must be made to the umpire for the pinch runner.
• Pitchers are limited to 2 innings per game. One pitch is considered an inning. It is BOTH teams' responsibility to know when their pitcher reaches this limit. The umpire is NOT responsible for knowing the status for pitchers. Once a pitcher is removed from the mound, he may not pitch again in that game.
• There is no balk penalty for the 10U division, umpires can call a balk, but runners do not advance.
• Teams play with 4 outfielders. All outfielders must be an equal distance from home plate. No short fielder allowed.
• A team needs 8 players to start a game. A team can pick up no more than one player to field a team of 8 players, but cannot pick up a player to field a team of 9 players. The player picked up MUST be suited up for the game immediately preceding or following and they MUST play right field and bat last. If a team plays with 8, the ninth batter is an automatic out - no exceptions. Players arriving late may be added to the bottom of the batting order and any player picked up to get to 8 players will be removed from the game.
• Teams that have fewer than 8 players present at game time will forfeit the game. However, the teams may still play an unofficial game if there are enough players from the opposing team to "loan" for the scrimmage. Umpires will still officiate the game, even though it will go down as a forfeit in the official book.

Modification of the preceding rules for the 12U Division :

• Batter can advance on a dropped third strike if 1 ^st base in unoccupied - a runner on 1^st that leaves to steal 2^nd is still considered to be occupying 1^st base.
• Runners on base can lead off and be thrown out (picked off).
• Balk rule and penalty are in effect.
• There will be two umpires for each 12U game, one behind the plate and one in the field.
• All teams will play with a maximum of 3 outfielders.