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Friday, November 20
2009 Pinto Division Rules
PLAYING RULES WILL CONFORM TO THOSE OUTLINED IN THE “OFFICIAL BASEBALL RULES” PUBLISHED BY THE “SPORTING NEWS” WITH SUCH RESTRICTION AND/OR LIMITATIONS AS OUTLINED PER DIVISION IN THE RULES PUBLISHED BY “PONY BASEBALL” AND WITH SUCH RESTRICTIONS AND/OR LIMITATIONS AS OUTLINED HEREIN OR ANY ADDED VERBAL CHANGES AS REQUIRED BY THE EXECUTIVE BOARD OF SANTA SUSANA BASEBALL LEAGUE.MANAGERS ARE SOLELY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE CONVEYING OF ALL PERTINENT INFORMATION TO THE COACHES, PARENTS, AND ANY OTHER ADULTS ASSOCIATED WITH THEIR TEAM. THIS INFORMATION WOULD INCLUDE SUCH ITEMS AS, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, ALL PLAYING RULES, TIME LIMITS, SNACK BAR REQUIREMENTS, KEEPING THE BLEACHERS AND SURROUNDING AREAS CLEAN, EMPTYING TRASH CANS, AND PROPER CONDUCT. MANAGERS CAN AND HAVE BEEN EJECTED FROM GAMES BECAUSE OF THE INAPPROPRIATE CONDUCT OF THEIR PARENTS OR FANS. PINTO FARM-AMERICAN & NATIONAL DIVISION - GENERAL RULES ***NOTE: Managers and coaches are prohibited from questioning balls and strikes, safe or out, fair or foul. If the umpire does not eject you for such behavior and you are viewed as having done so by any Board Member, you may be subject to SUSPENSION from the next game you attend.
- Unsportsmanlike Conduct: Refer to “Official Baseball Rules” 4:06 (1) (2) (3) and (4).
- Games will be six (6) innings unless the established time limit is exceeded.
- Time limits for games will be established by the Executive Board at the start of the season, depending upon schedule requirements. Unless otherwise indicated, the following shall apply.
A. ALL GAMES – No new inning shall start after two 1 hour 45 minutes from the SCHEDULED STARTING TIME of the game.B. EVENING GAMES – Games are to be halted for darkness at the discretion of the umpire.
- No players allowed to coach bases in Pinto.
- Rubber-cleated shoes or tennis shoes will be required.
PINTO FARM-AMERICAN & NATIONAL DIVISION (continued)
- Catchers are required to wear proper protective equipment including a mask with throat guard, chest protector, shin guards and protective headgear which gives protection to the top of the head when catching. Male catchers must properly wear a protective cup. Female catchers are to be encouraged to properly wear a protective cup or protective padding and will do so at the discretion of their parents. The same protective cup/protective padding requirements with mask and throat guards are to be used whenever warming up a pitcher from the mound, bullpen or elsewhere. All male players MUST wear protective cup/protective padding.
- Prior to the start of each season, each manager will receive 12 new practice balls. All game balls will be picked up at the snack bar by the umpire. Until mid-season, each team gets one of the game balls back to use as a practice ball. From mid-season on, game balls will be turned into the snack bar (by the umpire) after each game. Additional balls can be used at the discretion of the umpire due to weather and conditions.
- Sixty (60) foot base distance will be used.
- PINTO BUNTING RULES:
A. The offensive team is allowed one bunt to be put into play or one bunt attempt strikeout per inning.B. No bunting allowed with a runner on third.C. Only one bunt is allowed per player per game.D. If a second player attempts to bunt in an inning, a strike will be called even if the ball is put into play. The bunted ball will be considered a dead ball.
- MANAGERS AND COACHES – Not more than three (3) will be allowed in the dugout. During the game, the managers and coaches must stay in the dugout outside the playing field, but not behind the backstop. A manager may go out twice to talk to any player, but MUST change the pitcher on the third trip in the same inning.
- PLAYERS – All players in the dugout must stay well clear of the doorway as the balls are frequently hit into them.
- There will be no batting practice allowed on the Pinto, Mustang, Arabian (Shetland), or Bronco fields while scheduled games are being played on any of those fields.
- Game day field priority: 20 minutes prior to SCHEDULED game time, providing a previous game is not in progress, is officially set aside for teams to use for pre-game warm-ups. Remember that the umpire’s job is to start each game at the scheduled starting time, if at all possible. The two managers MUST conform their pre-game warm-ups to allow this to happen. If a previous game prevents this allotted time, the umpire will allow each team to take not more than five (5) minutes each for warm-ups.
PINTO FARM-AMERICAN & NATIONAL DIVISION (continued) COOPERATION WITH ALL MANAGERS IS ESSENTIALA. First ten (10) minutes for the Visiting team.B. The second ten (10) minutes for the Home team.
- ON-DECK BATTERS: On-deck batters MUST NOT BE ANY CLOSER to home plate than that area between the dugout and the bleachers. Managers, when making their “On-Deck” circles, must conform to this.
- Regular baseball rules will be followed except:
A. The batter must keep one foot in the batter’s box at all times in order to speed up play. PENALTY: During his time at bat, while the ball is in play, if in the judgment of the umpire the batter leaves the batter’s box to get signs from his coach or in any way delays the game, the umpire will instruct the pitcher to pitch and will call a strike on every such pitch until the batter returns, or strike three (3) is called. Note: Pitchers that pitch in this situation without instructions to do so from the umpire will be charged according to the “Official Baseball Rules”: Ref. 8:05 (e).B. All players on the team will bat in a pre-listed order, turned into the opposing manager before game time, even if they are not in a defensive position.NOTE: IF A PLAYER REFUSES TO OR CANNOT BAT, AN “OUT” WILL BE RECORDED BY THE SCOREKEEPER, EXCEPT IF THE PLAYER IS TAKEN OUT OF THE GAME FOR INJURY OR ILLNESS.C. During the first half of the season, as defined on the Pinto schedule, upon a batter receiving four balls or being hit by a pitch, a coach from the hitter’s team will pitch to the hitter. If a player is hit by the pitch and cannot or chooses not to hit, then the player may go to first without coach pitch.The following rules will apply to coach pitch:1. The coach must pitch from the pitching rubber.2. The pitcher (playing defense) must have one foot within the pitching circle.3. The count will be reset to zero strikes.4. The coach will pitch to the hitter with the umpire calling balls and strikes. PINTO FARM-AMERICAN & NATIONAL DIVISION (continued)5. Strikes will be tracked. The hitter will get up to three (3) strikes or five (5) pitches to put the ball in play. The hitter may not walk on pitches from the coach. If the batter continues to foul-off coach pitches, he/she remains up until they strike out or put the ball into fair play.6. Normal baseball rules apply to counting the strikes, including foul balls and strikeouts.7. During the second half of the season, as defined on the Pinto schedule. Coach pitching will be eliminated. Once a pitcher walks three (3) consecutive batters in an inning (in the second half of the season) a coach will pitch to each succeeding batter to whom 4 balls are pitched by the player/pitcher. If you bring a new pitcher into the game during the same inning, the same rules apply. If your new pitcher, in the same inning, walks three (3) consecutive batters a coach will enter to pitch after the third consecutive batter is walked.8. In order to keep the game moving (to play the maximum of innings). ALL CATCHERS that reach base MUST be removed from the game, if there are two (2) outs, to get their catcher’s gear on. The player they (the player going to catch) will be replaced by is the last recorded out. If your catcher will be playing a new position in the next inning, you will need to remove the player to player catcher in the next inning once they reach base, and place the last recorded out on base. If your catcher is your lead-off hitter (to begin the game) and he/she reaches base, the runner to replace them will be the last hitter in your batting order.D. The ball is considered “DEAD” after ball four (4) is called on the batter. The ball remains dead until brought back into play by the umpire.There will be no leading off any base.Runners may leave as soon as the pitch crosses the plate. If the runner leaves before the pitch crossed the plate, the runner will be called out.A runner at third may not steal home. If a runner at third draws a throw from the catcher, it will be ruled as an attempt to steal home. The player will be sent back if he is successful. However, if he is ruled out, the out will stand. No runners may advance and are in jeopardy of being put out.SCORING FROM THIRD1. During any play or plays occurring from a batted ball.2. Bases loaded on a walk or a hit batter.E. After scoring five (5) runs, regardless of the number of outs, the offensive team must take their defensive positions. NO TEN RUN RULE!!F. No runs will be scored on a passed ball or wild pitch.G. A base runner may advance, at his own risk, maximum of two (2) bases on an overthrow. (An overthrow does not have to leave the field of play).H. Coaches (adults if desired) will be allowed at first and third.I. All batters and base runners shall wear batting helmets (no ring type).DEFENSEA. No player may sit out more than two (2) consecutive innings. By the third (3rd) inning, all players on the bench must be put into the ball game. Each player MUST play the infield for at least one (1) full inning. No player may play more than three (3) consecutive innings in the infield. That includes pitchers and catchers.B. Pitchers may pitch six (6) innings per week (week starts at 12:01 a.m. Monday), but are allowed to pitch two (2) consecutive innings in one day if so desired. One (1) pitched ball constitutes an inning pitched. A pitcher shall not be allowed to pitch unless he has had 40 hours rest after pitching in two (2) innings on any one calendar date.C. At least one (1) seven-year-old must pitch at least one (1) full inning on every game. NO EXCEPTIONS! The manager/coach shall notify the scorekeeper of this player. Failure to comply shall result in a one-game suspension for the manager.NOTE: NO PITCHER MAY RETURN TO THE MOUND IN THE SAME CALENDAR DAY AFTER BEING REMOVED FROM THAT POSITION.D. The pitching distance shall be 38 feet.E. No more than nine (9) defensive players shall be on the field at one time. A team may field no less than eight (8) players as there are no standings. Every effort should be made to play all games. THERE WILL BE NO FORFEITS. Coaches with less than nine players available will be given the option of playing defense with the players present, “borrowing” a player from the opposing team to play an outfield position, or “borrowing” a player from a lower division. This decision will be made for the entire game, not inning by inning. The “borrowed” player from the opposing team would be the last out of the opposing team’s offensive half of the inning unless that player is warming up to pitch in the next inning. In that case, the “borrowed” player would be the preceding out. “Borrowed” players from lower divisions must play in the outfield defensively, bat last, and play with the verbal consent of their parent(s) (given to the umpire and opposing manager).F. No balk rule will be in effect. G. AVOIDANCE RULE – If a defensive player has possession of the ball at home plate or any base, the runner must slide or give himself up. If contact results because a runner fails to slide, the umpire has the discretion to eject the player and/or call him out.H. If any player is ejected from a game by an umpire, the incident will be brought before a committee of the Chief Umpire, VP and Player Agent of that division to determine if a one game suspension is warranted. Their decision shall be binding. The player, if suspended, shall suit up and sit on the bench for the next game he attends after the decision of the committee is made.I. If any manager or coach ejected from the game will automatically be suspended from the next game his team plays. Immediately upon his ejection, the manager or coach must leave the playing complex. He may view the remainder of the game from the parking lot or sidewalk. The incident will also be brought up before a committee of the Chief Umpire, VP and Player Agent of that division. The manager or coach will not be allowed at the park at the discretion of the committee for the suspended game. The manager is responsible for the conduct of players, coaches, and spectator parents at all games.J. If a dispute should arise during a scheduled game, the manager of record and the umpire will resolve the dispute. All others are to direct their questions to their managers for consideration. If a team manager is not in attendance, then the acting team manager may approach the umpire. All managers shall be identified to the umpire prior to the start of the game.K. All managers are reminded that this is “PINTO FARM” and shall be used to teach baseball to all players. This shall be the goal of all managers and coaching staffs.16. Pinto Scoreboard Etiquette: Once a game reaches a lead of 6 runs the scoreboard will be reset inning by inning. If the game becomes competitive the actual score may/should be posted. The purpose of this rule is two-fold. (1) We don't have standings at the Pinto level. (2) There is no need to display a blow out. During post-season play the scoreboard will read the actual score throughout the entire game. THERE ARE NO REGULAR SEASON STANDINGS.
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