Local Rules -
Minor League 1.      Continuous Batting – If a player arrives late, he or she will be placed at the end of the lineup without penalty.

2.      Time Limit – Minors regular season games will have a 1-hour-and-50-minute time limit. All playoff games will have no time limit.

3.      Slaughter and Run Rules – Maximum of 7 runs for each team in the 1st inning.  In subsequent innings, a team can only go ahead by 7 additional runs, except for the 6th inning, which has no run limit. The 10-run rule applies beginning in the 4th inning.

4.      Bats – All bats MUST be marked with the USA Baseball stamp. If a player uses an illegal bat it is up to the opposing coach to call time out and bring it to the umpires attention.  If the ball has not been put in play the umpire will remove the bat from the dugout and the batter will have to use an approved USA bat.  If the ball was put into play and the umpire confirms the bat used was illegal then the batter will be called out and all base runners will return to their original bases. 

5.     Equipment - Fielders other than the first baseman and catcher should wear standard fielding gloves.  A first baseman’s mitt should only be worn by the player playing first base. There are no mitt restrictions or mandate for the catcher position.

6.   Substitutions – Consistent with Babe Ruth League, Cal Ripken Division rules, which follow individual league pitching rules defined in Article IX, Section 2 – 8, free substitution for all players, except pitchers.  No player may sit more than 2 innings in a 6-inning game, and no player may sit 2 innings consecutively.  In the event of an injury, both coaches must agree on the proper course of action, which should be informed by fairness, the best interest of the players, and the spirit of competition.

7.      Minimum Number of Players – Consistent with Babe Ruth League, Cal Ripken Division rules, a team in Minors must have 9 players to start and finish a game.  If a team does not have the minimum number of players required for a regular season game, a substitute player from the next league down may play during the regular season.  The substitute player must bat last and is not permitted to pitch.  Teams that are not able to start and finish a game with the minimum number of players forfeit the game.  No regular season substitutions are permitted for teams that have the minimum number of players from their own roster.  No substitutions are permitted in the playoffs.  When a team is playing with the minimum number of players, in the event of an injury and a player is not able to return to the game within 5 minutes of the injury, it is at the discretion of the opposing coach whether the game can be continued or is forced to forfeit.  The decision, which should be informed by fairness, the best interest of the players, and the spirit of competition, must be made before the next pitch is made.               

 8.      Pitching Rules – Pitchers are limited to 75 pitches per day.  1-40 pitches require 0 days’ of rest, 41-65 pitches require 1 day of rest, and 66 to 75 pitches require 2 days’ of rest.  If a pitcher reaches 75 pitches while facing a batter, the pitcher may continue to pitch until the batter reaches base safely or is put out.  It is each team’s responsibility to report pitch counts to the commissioner after each game.  Games in which an ineligible pitcher has been used, as specified above, shall be declared forfeited.  A coach is allowed 2 visits per inning to the mound; the second visit must result in removal of the current pitcher.  A visit to the mound during warm-ups between innings is considered an official visit for that inning.  Once a player is removed from pitching, the player may not re-enter the game as a pitcher.  Intentional walks and/or automatic outs due to absence - these do not count against pitch totals.

9.      Base Runner Contact – Runners must try to avoid contact.  Umpires have full discretion to make the correct call in these situations. If a runner attempting to reach home plate intentionally and maliciously runs into a defensive player in the area of home plate, he will be called out on the play and ejected from the game. The objective of this is penalizing the offensive team for deliberate, unwarranted, unsportsmanlike action by the runner for the obvious purpose of crashing into the defensive player, rather than trying to reach home plate. Obviously, this is an umpire's judgment call.

10.      Head First Sliding – Allowed

11.    Slashing – Not allowed. If a batter shows bunt, the batter cannot pull back and swing away; however, the batter may pull back and take the pitch.  Slashing penalty: Batter is out, and all runners return back to the previous base.

12.    Running for Catcher – Only allowed with two outs, and the player who made the last batted out must be the substitute runner.  A player is only deemed the catcher if he or she played the position in the previous inning.  Running for the catcher is NOT allowed during the playoffs.

13.    Pitchers – Any pitcher who hits 2 players in an inning or 3 in a game MAY be removed from the game at the discretion of the umpire.  The pitcher is NOT required to be removed.

14.    Complete Games – During the regular season, a game is considered a “complete game” after 3.5/4 innings have been completed.  Playoff games will always be played until  completion.  Playoff games will not end based on weather or darkness, they will be suspended based on the “Suspended Games” rule (see below).

15.    Suspended Games – Games that are not “complete games”  Regular Season – Games suspended by weather or for other reasons, prior to being a complete game, shall be rescheduled, the game shall re-start from the beginning, and pitched innings shall be erased and not counted.  Playoffs – Games suspended by weather or for other reasons shall be re-scheduled and start at the point at which the game was originally suspended.

16.    Playoff Seeding – The higher seed is always the home team.  The only situation where this does not apply is during a double elimination championship game in which the loser's bracket team is a higher seed than the winner's bracket team.  Determination of the home team for the final game will be by coin flip.

17.    Ejections – Any coach or player that is ejected from a game for any reason will be required to leave the facility immediately and will be suspended from the next game regardless of regular season or playoffs.  Minimum number of players rule applies (see above).

18. Stealing - When the pitcher has control of the ball and at least one foot on the mound, the runner must return to his base unless he is               already in forward motion to the next base. “Dancing movement” and “fake running” does not constitute forward motion. Umpires are     to rule in favor of the fielding team if there is any question regarding this issue.

19.    Appeals No parents or assistant coaches are permitted to argue with an umpire or opposing coach. Doing so can result in an ejection from the game. A play or game cannot be protested based on an umpire’s judgement call. It can be appealed for a rules violation. Only a head coach may make an appeal for a rules application/interpretation, and it must be made to the umpire prior to the next pitch being delivered. An appeal for the outcome of a game must be made in writing to the commissioner within 24 hours of a game to be considered. If there is a dispute, it should be handled professionally and maturely between plays, after time is called, or between innings or after the game by the head coaches and the umpire. All discussions should be held quietly and away from the players and spectators. We are role models to the players and spectators.

20. Miscellaneous Rules (for players)
Holes under fence/gate – “Ground Rule Double”
Limit frequency of huddle times and limit duration to only 60 seconds
Throws are to be made overhand/”normal” baseball throw. Rolling the ball to the base is not allowed.  

21. Miscellaneous Rules (for parents/spectators)  No parents in the dugout or on the field that are not scheduled to be there.
No siblings or other spectators are allowed in the dugout or on the field.
Players should not leave the dugout except for medical needs or to use the restroom.
There will be no arguing with the umpires or opposing coaches.
No cursing, alcohol, or tobacco products will be tolerated at MARA. GAME/ FIELD PREPARATIONS

 Warm ups: Home team has the batting cages 1 hour before game time for 1/2 hour; visiting team has the field; this reverses 1/2 hour before game time.
- Home team is responsible to line the fields before games; please line the field when your team has the field for warm ups.
- Visiting team is responsible for  field clean up/ light raking if needed after games.
- Both teams are responsible to clean out their respective dugout.
- Game balls are at the concession stand.
- Warm ups on weekend: Field time will be very limited between games.  Please share the cages / open fields for warm ups before games on weekends.
- After weekend games are complete please have your players clean and clear the dugout so the next teams playing can get into the dugout to get ready for their game.  You can hold your post game player discussion outside the field.  
GAME PLAY
- Stopping Play: at the time the base-runner(s) have stopped making an attempt to advance to the next base and the pitcher/infielder  has control of the ball the play is officially stopped and no advancing of bases is allowed. Base-runners will return to the previous base and prepare for the next pitch. *****CAL RIPKEN 60 FT BASEBALL SPECIAL BASE RUNNING RULE (Page 14 of the 2024 official playing rules)****** RULE: When a pitcher is in contact with the pitcher's plate and in possession of the ball and the catcher in the catchers box ready to receive delivery of the ball, base runners shall not leave their bases until the ball has been delivered and has reached home plate.  Once the catcher has secured the ball and the runner has stopped his forward progress, all runners must immediately return to their bases. NOTE: The ball remains live and should the catcher make an errant throw to the pitcher or make a play on the runner, the runner can then attempt to advance.
All Star HC & player selection process will be communicated later in the season