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Updated
HOPE SUMMER PLAYGROUND
GENERAL RULES
Hope Summer Playground (HSP) baseball and softball is a program of service to youth. It is geared to provide an outlet of healthful activity and training under good leadership in the atmosphere of wholesome community participation. We want to establish the rudiments of teamwork and fair play for our youth. Several rules have been established to ensure that all players get a chance to participate. We want to keep it simple – let the kids play and let the umpires do their job and umpire the game. The Babe Ruth Baseball, Cal Ripken Baseball, and Babe Ruth Softball rulebooks will be used by HSP with the exception of the rules found in this handout.
General Rules
1) No obscene language or poor sportsmanship will be tolerated from anyone, including spectators. The penalty will be expulsion from the park. This shall include coaches positioning themselves behind the backstop to harass or intimidate the umpires.
2) All coaches must sign a code of conduct policy before first practice.
3) All players who are present and ready to play at game time shall be placed in the batting order. No designated hitter will be used. Late arrivals may be placed on defense at any time but must be put in the last spot in the batting order.
4) In case of injury a batter may skip his/her turn in the batting order. There will be no penalty for this if the team still has at least nine (9) players. If fewer than nine (9) players the team will be penalized an out for each subsequent time that spot comes up in the batting order. If the team has nine (9) or more players or if the player is able to return to the game, no out would be charged the next time their spot in the batting order comes up.
5) For situations in which a team has less than the required nine (9) players to start a game:
a) The game can be played with eight (8) players and an out will be charged each time the missing positions in the batting order comes up.
b) Replacement players can be used from the league below, and placed at the bottom of the batting order, and positioned in the outfield. The team will have ten minutes from the scheduled game time to produce enough players. If after the allowed time period, the team does not have enough players (8) it will be considered a forfeit.
6) Teams will be allowed to use free substitution on defense. No limit on defensive changes, but no player sits consecutive innings. This rule does not affect the batting order. Penalty to comply will be at the discretion of the Board. Note: No penalty if a coach is prevented from compliance because game is called due to a time limit or run rule.
7) In all leagues, there will be a six (6) run limit per inning. When the sixth run crosses the plate, the inning ends, including an over the fence homerun.
8) With the exception of T-Ball, all baseball and softball games will have time limits. The early games will start promptly at 6:00 pm. The start time of the second game will be noted, if the first game goes beyond the scheduled start time. In all other situations, the late game will start promptly at 7:30 pm. With the exception of T-Ball, all leagues will have a one (1) hour and fifteen (15) minute time limit. Players are to finish the current inning when the game time is complete. Game clock starts at the designated game time; not at the first pitch. No new inning shall start after the time limit is up. If the home team is ahead after the top of the inning, and time limit has expired, the game is over. League games may end in a tie.
9) There will be a one (1) hour and fifteen (15) minute time limit for all regulate season and tournament games. Championship games will have a one (1) hour and thirty (30) minute time limit for championship games.
10) Intentional walks will not be automatically granted. However, there is no way to prevent a pitcher from throwing four bad pitches.
11) If a coach has a problem with a player who consistently missed practice, games, or if there is a serious problem concerning physical fitness or personal conduct, the coach should request that the Board of Directors help resolve the problems with that player’s parents. A coach can impose sanctions until the HSP Board of Directors has reviewed the situation.
12) If a question arises about a call, the umpire will stop play and time and will consult with the Board Member on duty to resolve the call in question prior to play continuing. The Board Member’s call is final.
13) The HSP Board of Directors will establish in advance dates to make up postponed games. Games must be played at that time or be forfeited.
14) Ties in final league standing (excluding T-Ball) will be decided in the following manner.
a) First tiebreaker is head to head record
b) Second tiebreaker is runs allowed
c) Third tiebreaker is runs scored
d) Fourth tiebreaker will be a coin flip.
15) HSP will provide an official scorebook all teams before the start of the season. The home team will be the official scorebook for the game. The visiting team shall meet with the home scorekeeper to verify the score after the end of the game.
16) HSP teams are requested to wear the shirts and hats provided to them. The sponsor or coach should approve different apparel or addition of player’s names to the back of uniform shirts.
17) AFTER EACH GAME ALL TEAMS MUST PICK UP TRASH AND CLEAN THE DUGOUT AND IMMEDIATE AREA.
18) There is not specific pre-game warm-up for T-Ball. For all other leagues, the visiting team will have the field to warm-up from 5:30 to 5:45. The home team will have the field to warm-up from 5:45 to 6:00 pm.
19) The second games on all diamonds will begin at 7:30P.M. Players for the second games will need to warm-up in the grass.
20) The Board of Directors will provide times for the rained-out games to the coaches. Games must be played at that time or be forfeited. The League Director will provide a rainout phone number.
21) Pitchers in all leagues will get five (5) practice pitches between innings.
22) Coaches are responsible for contacting their players with game times and having their players at the field on time and ready to play. If a coach is having chronic problems with getting players to show up for games, they need to bring this to the attention of the Board of Directors.
23) Coaches are allowed two (2) time-outs per games. A pitching change will not be considered a time-out.
24) If a team is down (15) runs after 3 innings the game will be called after the trailing teams at-bat. After four (4) innings if you are mathematically unable to score enough runs to win or to tie by the end of the sixth inning, it will be considered a complete game. If trailing team is down by (11) runs after four (4) innings, (6) runs after five (5) innings.
25) All on deck batters must be positioned facing the hitters back. If a right hand hitter is up the on deck batter must be on the third base side, and if a left hand hitter is up the on deck batter must be on the first base side.
26) All players, with the exception of the on deck batter, must be out of the door area of the dugout and behind the fence when the ball is live.
27) If teams have been sent to the dugout due to weather, players must remain in the dugout until the all clear is given by the Board Member on duty. If they do not stay in the dugout, coaches are given a warning. If a second warning is given, that team forfeits.
28) There will only be 4 adults allowed in the dugout for tee ball and coach pitch leagues. Kid pitch leagues are allowed 3 adults.
29) Heat policy:
The board member on duty will be responsible for monitoring the heat index every half hour and ensuring that any player or coach in need of water during hydration breaks is supplied with one.
If at 1 hour before the first game
If the heat index is 99° or lower, the games will be played as scheduled.
If the heat index is 100-104°, any double headers will be rescheduled. Game play will be paused (timer) every 2 innings, for a mandatory 10-minute hydration break.
If the heat index is 105° or higher, games will be rescheduled.
