Rules

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Frederick County Recreational Baseball

2024 Summary of Playing Rules

 

All Playing Levels:

  • For the Spring 2024 season, Frederick County Cal Ripken Baseball will utilize the Cal Ripken Baseball Rules with a few Frederick County specific rules as noted below.
  • No metal spikes (cleats).
  • Only bats stamped with “USA Baseball” are approved for league play.  
  • Bat rules are according to the Cal Ripken Bat Rules: https://www.baberuthleague.org/bat-rules.aspx
  • Free substitution is permitted.
  • Coaches are encouraged to meet prior to the game to discuss rules.
  • Teams and organizations are required to follow CDC and Frederick County Health Department guidance regarding Covid-19.
  • No head-first slides while advancing.  Head-first slides are only allowed back into bases.
  • There is no maximum number of hit batters that require a pitcher to be removed as the pitcher at the 10U or 12U levels.
  • A player is not allowed to advance beyond 1st base immediately following a pitched walk or intentional walk (i.e. running directly to second base following a walk).

 

T-Ball

  • Simple coach pitch of 5 pitches and then use of a hitting tee.
  • All players bat and play the field in every inning of every game.
  • No counting of outs or clearing of bases during the inning.  The last batter will run all bases (homerun).
  • Coaches are permitted on the field.
  • Game time limit of 1 ½ hours (3 or 4 innings).
  • No score is kept.
  • Use the RIF-5 or equivalent softer, training baseball.
  • Use of a “Heartguard” protector on the pitcher is encouraged but optional
  • Saturday games.

 

Machine Pitch

  • Use of a pitching machine placed 46ft from home plate pitching at 40mph and 60ft bases.
  • Coaches will agree prior to the game with regards to the handling of adjusting the pitching machine.
  • Batter will receive 5 pitches; if the 5th pitch is fouled off a 6th pitch will be given.  If the 6th pitch is fouled off a 7th pitch will be given and so on.  Additional pitches after the first 5 will only be given if the previous pitch was fouled off.
  • No leading, no stealing and no bunting.
  • No more than 11 players on the field with use of a 2nd pitcher or short fielder (No 2nd Base Helper)
  • The player(s) at the pitcher position must be located no closer to home plate than the pitching machine wheel. (Straight line from 1st base to third base intersecting the pitching rubber at 46ft)
  • A batted ball hitting the pitching machine is considered a “dead ball” and the batter is awarded an automatic single, runners will advance if only forced.
  • Teams may start and play with 8 players; however, an out must be taken at the end of the lineup.
  • If a player needs to leave a game because of injury, sickness, or school/religious related function…no penalty is assessed to the player’s team. The player’s spot in the line-up is simply skipped over, the player’s team is not assessed an automatic out unless it takes the player count to 8 players.
  • All players are included in the batting lineup (running batting order).
  • Required field playing time is that no player shall sit on the bench for more than one consecutive inning.
  • Use of a “Heartguard” protector on the pitcher is encouraged but optional.
  • A line is to be placed ½ way between 1st and 2nd base, 2nd and 3rd base and 3rd base and home plate, once the baseball re-enters the infield as defined by one of the following: 1. The baseball hits the infield surface and within fair territory, 2. The baseball is thrown and makes contact with a player who’s feet are within the infield surface and within fair territory, or 3. The baseball is brought to the infield surface by a player within fair territory; if the runner is not past the line, the player must return to the prior base, if the runner is past the line, the player may continue to advance to the next base or return to the previous base at their own risk (no safe backs if the runner crosses the ½ way line).
  • Pinch run for catcher with 2 outs so catcher may get “geared-up”, pinch runner must be player who made the last out.
  • No running on overthrows, PERIOD.
  • No “must slide” rule but any intentional malicious contact will result in mandatory ejection.
  • The mercy rule is 10 runs after 4 innings.
  • 5 run limit per inning.
  • No run limit in the top or the bottom of the 6th or final (see below) inning.
  • 6 inning games with no new inning starting after 2 hours and “drop dead” after 2 hour 15 minutes. 
  • The final inning may be an inning prior to the 6th inning if determined by both coaches that reaching the “no new inning” time limit is eminent.  This must be decided by both coaches prior to the start of a new full inning.  In this situation, both the top and the bottom half of the inning are played without a per inning run limit.
  • If the game is started and then postponed due to weather, the game will not be rescheduled unless mutually agreed to by both coaches.
  • Opposing coach should be contacted no later than 2 hours prior to game time if game is to be postponed.
  • Coaches must use a scorebook or scoring app (Game Changer or iScore).
  • Winning coach enters game score on league website.
  • Weekday games are Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday evening games starting at 5:45 in the month of April and then 6:00 for the reminder of the season. Saturday games can be any time before 5:45 in April and 6:00 for the remainder of the season. Mondays and Fridays will be used for make-up games.
  • Single elimination playoff at the end of the season with the higher seed in each matchup being the home team.

 

Minors

  • Use of 46ft pitching rubber and 60ft bases.
  • Pitchers are limited to 55 pitches or 2 innings, whichever comes first, if a pitcher reaches 55 pitches during a batter, the pitcher may finish pitching to that batter.  Warm-up pitches do not count toward the pitch count.  Each team is responsible for tracking the pitch count of their pitchers as well as their opponent’s pitchers.  It is recommended that the scorekeepers verify the pitch counts after every full inning.  If there is a discrepancy between the two counts, the home team’s book will be the count of record.
  • If a pitcher pitches 2 innings in a game, the pitcher must have 40 hours rest before pitching again, if a pitcher throws 1 pitch in an inning, it counts as an inning pitched.
  • Pitchers are limited to a maximum of six innings of pitched league innings per week.
  • 2 mound visits per pitcher per game, upon the 2nd mound visit, the pitcher must be removed.
  • Bunting is allowed, however, no ‘slash’ bunting is allowed.  An attempted slash bunt (successful or unsuccessful) will be an automatic and immediate player ejection.
  • No “infield fly” rule and no “dropped third strike” rule.
  • No leading but base runner can steal once the ball crosses home plate.
  • No stealing of home, period, except on non-pitch overthrows.  Thus, no stealing of home on passed balls, wild pitches, or delayed steals.
  • 9 players on the field.
  • Teams may start play with 8 players; however, an out must be taken at the end of the lineup.
  • If a player needs to leave a game because of injury, sickness, or school/religious related function…no penalty is assessed to the player’s team. The player’s spot in the line-up is simply skipped over, the player’s team is not assessed an automatic out unless it takes the player count to 8 players.  That out would be taken at the player who left the game’s lineup spot (not at the end of the lineup). 
  • All players are included in the batting lineup (running batting order).
  • No player is allowed re-entry as a pitcher if they have already pitched an inning previously in the game.
  • Required field playing time is that no player shall sit on the bench for more than one consecutive inning.
  • Pinch run for catcher with 2 outs so catcher may get “geared-up”, pinch runner must be player who made the last out.
  • No “must slide” rule but any intentional malicious contact will result in mandatory ejection.
  • The mercy rule is 10 runs after 4 innings.
  • 6 run limit per inning.
  • No run limit in the top or the bottom of the 6th or final (see below) inning.
  • 6 inning games with no new inning starting after 2 hours and “drop dead” after 2 hour 15 minutes. 
  • The final inning may be an inning prior to the 6th inning if determined by both coaches and the umpire that reaching the “no new inning” time limit is eminent.  This must be decided by both coaches and the umpire prior to the start of a new full inning.  In this situation, both the top and the bottom half of the inning are played without a per inning limit.
  • If the game is started and then postponed due to weather the following will apply; the game will revert back to the last complete inning, if that inning is the 4th inning (or 3 ½ innings if the home team is winning) or later, it is a complete game, if it is not, the game will be resumed at a later date at the point the game was postponed.
  • Umpire and opposing coach should be contacted no later than 2 hours prior to game time if game is to be postponed.
  • Coaches must use a scorebook or scoring app (Game Changer or iScore).
  • Weekday games are Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday evening games starting at 5:45 in the month of April and then 6:00 for the reminder of the season. Saturday games can be any time before 5:45 in April and 6:00 for the remainder of the season. Mondays and Fridays will be used for make-up games.
  • Winning coach enters game score on league website.
  • Single elimination playoff at the end of the season with the higher seed in each matchup being the home team.

 

Majors

  • Use of 50ft pitching rubber and 70ft bases.
  • Pitchers are limited to 70 pitches or 3 innings, whichever comes first, if a pitcher reaches 70 pitches during a batter, the pitcher may finish pitching to that batter.  Warm-up pitches do not count toward the pitch count.  Each team is responsible for tracking the pitch count of their pitchers as well as their opponent’s pitchers.  It is recommended that the scorekeepers verify the pitch counts after every full inning.  If there is a discrepancy between the two counts, the home team’s book will be the count of record.
  • If a pitcher pitches more than 2 innings in a game, the pitcher must have 40 hours rest before pitching again, if a pitcher throws 1 pitch in an inning, it counts as an inning pitched.
  • Pitchers are limited to a maximum of six innings of pitched league innings per week.
  • One balk warning per pitcher per game.  Coaches can decide to modify this at the pregame ground rules meeting with the umpire as long as it is mutually agreeable to both coaches.
  • 2 mound visits per pitcher per game, upon the 2nd mound visit, the pitcher must be removed.
  • Bunting is allowed, however, no ‘slash’ bunting is allowed.  An attempted slash bunt (successful or unsuccessful) will be an automatic and immediate player ejection.
  • Leading and stealing are allowed.
  • Infield fly rule and dropped 3rd strike.
  • 9 players on the field.
  • Teams may start play with 8 players; however, an out must be taken at the end of the lineup.
  • If a player needs to leave a game because of injury, sickness, or school/religious related function…no penalty is assessed to the player’s team. The player’s spot in the line-up is simply skipped over, the player’s team is not assessed an automatic out unless it takes the player count to 8 players.  That out would be taken at the player who left the game’s lineup spot (not at the end of the lineup). 
  • All players are included in the batting lineup (running batting order).
  • No player is allowed re-entry as a pitcher if they have already pitched an inning previously in the game.
  • Required field playing time is ½ of the game, coaches need to aware of player playing time with regards to games ending due to mercy rule.
  • Pinch run for catcher with 2 outs so catcher may get “geared-up”, pinch runner must be player who made the last out.
  • The mercy rule is 15 runs after 4 innings and 10 runs after 5 innings.
  • 10 run limit per inning.
  • No run limit in the top or the bottom of the 6th or final (see below) inning.
  • 6 inning games with no new inning starting after 2 hours and “drop dead” after 2 hour 15 minutes. 
  • The final inning may be an inning prior to the 6th inning if determined by both coaches and the umpire that reaching the “no new inning” time limit is eminent.  This must be decided by both coaches and the umpire prior to the start of a new full inning.  In this situation, both the top and the bottom half of the inning are played without a per inning limit.
  • If the game is started and then postponed due to weather the following will apply; the game will revert back to the last complete inning, if that inning is the 4th inning (or 3 ½ innings if the home team is winning) or later, it is a complete game, if it is not, the game will be resumed at a later date at the point the game was postponed.
  • Umpire and opposing coach should be contacted no later than 2 hours prior to game time if game is to be postponed.
  • Coaches must use a scorebook or scoring app (Game Changer or iScore).
  • Weekday games are Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday evening games starting at 5:45 in the month of April and then 6:00 for the reminder of the season. Saturday games can be any time before 5:45 in April and 6:00 for the remainder of the season. Mondays and Fridays will be used for make-up games.
  • Winning coach enters game score on league website.
  • Single elimination playoff at the end of the season with the higher seed in each matchup being the home team.