Hammonds Plains Baseball Association: Rookie

For scores, Coach contact list and more, please click on the link above which will take you to the Sr. Rookie League section of this website.

Just a note to welcome all players to the 2013 Jr. Rookie & Sr. Rookie Baseball Season.  

Have a fun season!!

WATCH FOR 2013 UPDATES

Recreational baseball for players who will be 7, 8 or 9 years old between Jan 1 and Dec 31 of each season.

Utilizing all the skills and rules learned from T-Ball, Junior Rookie level baseball introduces league play. Coaches pitch and provide adult catchers for all games. Great start for players who are new to baseball as well as for players who have played before but haven’t quite mastered some of the basics (infrequently catches a ball when thrown to them; infrequently catches a fly ball when thrown or hit to them; doesn’t make consistent contact when a ball is thrown to him at bat; throwing is a bit erratic). Teams in this division will play against themselves. Field locations for this division are in Tantallon Woods and Greenwood Heights in Timberlea.

Recreational baseball for players who will be 7, 8 or 9 years old between Jan 1 and Dec 31 of each season. 

Senior Rookie is designed for those players who have played at least one year of Junior Rookie or two years of T-Ball and who meet the criteria during evaluations held before the beginning of the season.  Players can stop most ground balls hit at them; can catch most balls when thrown at them; can catch most fly balls when thrown or hit to them; can throw a ball with reasonable accuracy and speed; can hit a baseball when a good pitch is thrown to him at bat; has a basic understanding of baseball (scoring, outs, positions, etc.).  Pitching machines are used during game play (fed by umpire) and each team provides their own catcher (a player who wears full catching gear).   Teams in this division will play against themselves and may decide to compete in a couple tournaments during the baseball season.  Field location for this division is Highland Park.

Senior Rookie Playing Rules

Official Playing Rules:

All games shall be played in accordance with regular baseball rules except where modified by the rules contained in this document and in the rules and regulations of Hammonds Plains Minor Baseball, Baseball Nova Scotia and Baseball Canada.

Duration of Game:

All games will be five inning games with the last inning being an open inning (3 outs required, no 5-run limitation for home or visiting team).

Rules:

• Players will wear  full uniform, and are advised to wear a protective cup.
• All batters and runners must wear helmets with chin straps when on deck, at bat and on base.
• Games will commence at the time indicated on the schedule.
• All teams must have 9 players in the field and if available 10 to enable more individual play
• The infield will be limited to the 3 base players, the SS, catcher and the “mock” pitcher.  All other players must play in the outfield.  In all fairness, the outfielders must remain in the outfield grass during the pitch however each can pinch (move forward) after the ball is hit.  Where there is no distinct infield – outfield the coaches will keep the outfielders back 10 feet behind the base-running path until the ball is hit.
• Catchers will be used and all catchers must wear a protective cup.  To keep the flow of the game: coaches must be encouraged to have their catchers ready at the end of inning; umpires/coaches at the plate must have extra balls to pass to the catcher on a passed ball; and umpires/coaches retrieve the passed balls, not the catchers. 
• All players on the team will bat in the order they appear on the score sheet, regardless if they were in the field the previous inning.  If you have 14 players, only 10 are permitted in the field at one time.  For batting purposes, you will cycle all 14 players in the same order, so each child bats.  Once the batting order has been established at the start of the game, it may not be changed.
• Each batter receives up to 5 pitches from the pitching machine, regardless of the number of strikes.  A player that hits a foul on pitch number 5 continues to hit until they strike out; a foul ball is caught; or they get a hit.
• The umpire will not count those pitches which are not hittable if the player does not swing.  This will be considered a no-pitch and does not count as one of the 5 pitches as the machines tend to get erratic with time.
• If the baseball hits the pitching machine from a hit, the runner and or players advance one base.
• Except for the 5^th inning, an inning will be complete after 3 outs are made or 5 runs are scored.
• The last inning is an open inning and three outs must be completed.  This means the play continues if the visiting team scores more than 5 runs in the top of the 6^th as it allows that team the opportunity to rally and perhaps be in a winning position or expand on their lead.
• If a player crosses the plate on a play where the 3^rd out is made in the field, the run(s) from that hit do(es) not count.  
• Should the Home Team be trailing in the bottom of the 6^th, they will bat until 3 outs are achieved or the Home Team leads by 1 run.  If time allows, the teams can complete the batting cycle or 3 outs so all kids get to bat but the extra runs scored do not count on the score sheet.
• Players must return to the bench when an out is recorded.
• One base on an overthrow. One overthrow is allowed per play to encourage players to try to make the play. For example, if the ball is overthrown to 1st base, the runner can advance at their own risk to 2nd.  If the ball is overthrown on the same play to 2nd, the runner remains on 2^nd and no other runners may advance.
• If the ball is hit into the outfield and is thrown back to the infield, the runners cannot continue to advance on the base paths after the ball comes into the infield.  Example: If a runner has passed first as the outfielder throws the ball into the infield, the runner must stop when he or she gets to second.  Even if the ball is not actually caught by the infielder, this stops play and the runner cannot go to third.
• No lead-offs are permitted.
• Throwing the ball back to the pitcher will end the play.  If this occurs when a runner is less than half-way to a base, the runner must return to the prior base.
• Umpires, at their discretion, will call a foul if the ball doesn't go approximately 12 feet in front of home plate in fair territory.  (suggest a chalk line be drawn between the foul lines)
• Score is kept by the coaches and validated with the officials several times during the game.
• Upon completion of the game, both teams will line up and shake hands.