FGCBTL RULES

ELIGIBILITY AND ROSTERS (TEAM, PLAYERS, AND COACHES)

• EACH TEAM, PLAYER AND COACH MUST BE REGISTERED THRU USSSA
• EACH TEAM MUST REGISTER AND PAY THE FGCTBL FEE
• WILL BE PERMITTED TO ROSTER UP TO 15 PLAYERS
• MUST SUBMIT ROSTER ONLINE WITHIN 48 HOURS OF THEIR FIRST GAME
• TEAMS MAY ADD PLAYERS TO THEIR ROSTER THROUGHOUT THE SEASON. FOR PLAYER TO BE ELIGIBLE TO PLAY IN END OF SEASON LEAGUE TOURNAMENT, HE MUST BE ON ROSTER 30 DAYS PRIOR TO END OF SEASON LEAGUE TOURNAMENT.
• PLAYERS MUST HAVE PLAYED IN AT LEAST 4 GAMES TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR END OF SEASON LEAGUE TOURNAMENT
• A PLAYER CAN BE LISTED ON 2 ROSTERS AS LONG AS THEY ARE NOT IN THE SAME AGE DIVISION
• A PLAYER CAN PLAY UP BUT CAN NOT PLAY DOWN (EX: A 11 YEAR OLD CAN PLAY 12U BUT CANNOT PLAY 10U)
• A PLAYER PLAYING IN 2 AGE DIVISIONS IS ELIGIBLE TO PLAY FOR BOTH TEAMS IN TOURNAMENTS AND LEAGUE PLAY
• IF A PLAYER QUITS OR IS THROWN OFF A TEAM, HE CANNOT TRANSFER TO ANOTHER SANCTIONED USSSA TEAM UNTIL A 60 DAY GRACE PERIOD HAS EXPIRED. IF BOTH COACHES AGREE OF THE PLAYERS TRANSFER, THAN AN EXEMPTION CAN BE SIGNED OFF BY BOTH COACHES 
• IF A PLAYER LEAVES YOUR TEAM FOR ANY REASON, YOU MUST NOTIFY FGCBTL WITHIN 24 HOURS.

MANAGER’S RESPONSIBILITY

• IS RESPONSIBLE FOR KNOWING THE RULES
• IS RESPONSIBLE TO MAINTAIN A TEAM BOOK WHICH SHOULD AAU MEMBERSHIPS, BIRTH CERTIFICATES, ROSTERS AND PICTURES OF PLAYERS TO MATCH THERE ROSTER
• IS RESPONSIBLE FOR SCHEDULING, CONFIRMING, AND RESCHEDULING GAMES IF NECESSARY
• IS RESPONSIBLE FOR SUBMITTING ROSTERS, SCHEDULES, AND SCORES TO WEBSITE
• IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THERE COACHES, PLAYERS, AND FANS CONDUCT

CONDUCT

• ONLY THE MANAGER, COACHES, AND PLAYERS IN FULL UNIFORM ARE ALLOWED ON THE FIELD
• ONLY THE MANAGER MAY DISCUSS AND PLAY OR RULES WITH THE UMPIRES. IF A COACH ARGUES CALLS, BALLS AND STRIKES WITH AN UMPIRE HE WILL BE EJECTED FROM GAME.
• NO ALCOHOL OR ILLEGAL SUBSTANCES ARE ALLOWED DURING GAMES AND/OR PARKING LOT AFTER
• NO TOBACCO PRODUCTS ARE ALLOWED
• ANY ADULT WHO GETS IN A PHYSICAL ALTERCATION ON OR OFF THE FIELD BEFORE, DURING OR AFTER GAME IN PARKING LOT WILL BE BANNED FOR LIFE FROM ANY LEAGUE ACTIVITIES.
• ANY FAN WHO BECOMES UNRULY OR USES ABUSIVE LANGUAGE TOWARDS PLAYERS, COACHES, UMPIRES, AND LEAGUE OFFICIALS WILL BE ASKED TO LEAVE THE PREMISES. (UMPIRES DISCRETION)

EJECTIONS

• 1ST OCCURRENCE = MANAGER, COACH, PLAYER SUSPENDED FOR REMAINDER OF GAME AND THE NEXT GAME
• 2ND OCCURRENCE = MANAGER, COACH, PLAYER SUSPENDED FOR REMAINDER OF GAME AND THE FOLLOWING 3 GAMES
• 3RD OCCURRENCE = MANAGER, COACH, PLAYER BANNED FROM LEAGUE

PROTESTS

• PROTEST MUST BE MADE VERBALLY WITH THE UMPIRE IN CHARGE AT THE TIME OF THE PLAY AND PRIOR TO THE NEXT PITCH.
• UMPIRE MUST ACKNOWLEDGE THE PROTEST
• PROTEST FEE $50
• PROTEST MUST BE SUBMITTED TO LEAGUE VIA PHONE OR EMAIL
• PROTEST DECISION WITHIN 24 HOURS AND WILL BE FINAL
• ONLY ALLOWED FOR A FGCBTL LEAGUE RULE OR A PLAYERS ELIGIBILITY

PITCHING LIMITS

• THERE ARE NO PITCHING RULES FOR LEAGUE PLAY
• WE ENCOURAGE COACHES TO MAKE THEIR PLAYERS HEALTH THEIR FIRST PRIORITY
• PITCHING RULES COULD BE IMPLEMENTED DURING LEAGUE PLAYOFFS AND OR TOURNAMENTS

BATTING ORDER/FIELDING (THIS MUST BE AGREED UPON AT HOME PLATE MEETING)

• YOU CAN ELECT TO USE CONTINUOUS BATTING ORDER WITH FREE DEFENSIVE SUBSTITUTIONS
• RE-ENTRY RULE IS ALLOWED
• YOU CAN ELECT TO USE EP AND/OR DH
• ONCE YOU CHOSE AT HOME PLATE MEETING, CAN NOT CHANGE IN MIDDLE OF GAME
• USE A EP (TEN PLAYERS IN BATTING ORDER AND TEN FREE DEFENSIVE PLAYERS)
• USE A DH (NINE PLAYERS IN BATTING ORDER, ONE WHICH IS REPLACED BY A DESIGNATED PLAYER FOR DEFENSE ONLY)
• USE BOTH EP AND DH (TEN PLAYERS IN BATTING ORDER, ONE WHICH IS REPLACED BY A DESIGNATED PLAYER FOR DEFENSE ONLY.
• DH CAN BE REMOVED DURING THE GAME. EP MAY NOT BE REMOVED DURING GAME
• USE NEITHER DH OR EP (NINE PLAYERS IN BATTING ORDER AND SAME NINE ON DEFENSE PLAYS 

RAIN OUTS

• HOME TEAM SHOULD NOTIFY THE VISITING TEAM AT LEAST 2 HOURS PRIOR TO START OF THE GAME TO DETERMINE IF FIELD IS PLAYABLE
• IF RAIN OCCURS DURING GAME AND UMPIRE CALLS GAME BEFORE IT REACHES OFFICIAL STATUS, GAME WILL BE RESCHUDELED AND PLAYED OVER FROM THE START
• IF RAIN OCCURS DURING GAME AND UMPIRE CALLS GAME AND IT DID REACH OFFICIAL STATUS, THE GAME WILL BE CONSIDERED COMPLETE 

FORFEITS

• IF A TEAM FORFEITS, IT WILL BE UP TO THE TEAM THAT SHOWED UP TO RESCHEDULE OR TAKE FORFEIT
• IF FOREFEIT IS AWARDED, SCORE WILL BE SHOWN AS 8-0
• ANY TEAM THAT FORFEITS MORE THAN 2 GAMES IS NOT ELIGIBLE FOR PLAYOFFS

AGE RULE

• MAY 1ST CUTOFF  please go to our homepage to age calculator. ⚾️

BATS

• 14 AND OLDER = BBCOR -3
• 13 AND UNDER NO RESTRICITIONS (IF YOU CAN SWING IT BRING IT)

CLEATS

• 12 AND UNDER CANNOT USE METAL CLEATS

UNIFORMS

• PLAYERS MUST BE IN FULL UNIFORM
• COACHES ARE NOT REQUIRED TO WEAR TEAM UNIFORM, BUT WE ASK ALL COACHES TO WEAR TEAM COLORS AND PRESENT THEMSELVES IN A PROFESSIONAL MANNER

INNINGS, TIME LIMIT, MERCY RULE, COMPLETE GAME

9U – 12U

• 6 INNING GAME, NO NEW INNING WILL START AFTER 1 HOUR 50 MINUTES, 15 RUNS AFTER 3 10 RUNS AFTER 4

13U AND OLDER

• 7 INNING GAME, NO NEW INNING WILL START AFTER 2 HOURS, 15 RUNS AFTER 4 10 AFTER 5 8 AFTER 6, 5 INNINGS 4 ½ IF HOME TEAM IS AHEAD

BUTCHER BOY

• WILL NOT BE ALLOWED IN ANY AGE DIVISIONS

STEALING

• ALLOWED IN ALL AGE GROUPS

BUNTING

• STEALING HOME, SUICIDE SQUEEZE, OR BUNTING IS ALLOWED IN ALL AGE GROUPS HEAD FIRST SLIDES/SLIDE RULE
• WILL BE ALLOWED IN ALL AGE GROUPS
• CAN NOT HEAD FIRST SLIDE INTO HOME
• PLAYERS ADVANCING TO A BASE WITH INTENT TO BREAK UP A DOUBLE PLAY MUST SLIDE DIRECTLY INTO THE BAG. IF A RUNNER GOES IN STANDING UP AND A PLAY IS BEING MADE ON HIM, AND HE MAKES CONTACT WITH THE DEFENSIVE PLAYER, HE WILL BE DECLARED OUT. ALL CALLS REGARDING ROUGH PLAY, SLIDING, ETC. ARE JUDGEMENT CALLS OF THE UMPIRE

SPEED UP RULE

• A RUNNER FOR THE CATCHER MUST BE USED WITH TWO OUTS. YOU CAN RUN FOR THE PITCHER AND THE CATCHER ANY TIME. IF YOU HAVE SUBS MUST BE SUBS, IF NOT IT WILL BE YOUR LAST BATTED OUT

START A GAME

• MUST HAVE 9 PLAYERS TO START, YOU CAN FINISH WITH 8

BALKS/PITCHING TRIPS

• 9U EACH PITCHER GETS 1 WARNING
• 10U AND ABOVE NO WARNINGS
• MANAGER OR COACH IS ALLOWED 1 TRIP PER INNING ON 2ND OR 3RD TRIP PITCHER MUST COME OUT
• THE 3B TO 1B PICK OFF IS NOT ALLOWED. THIS IS CONSIDERED A BALK

BASES/PITCHING DIMENSIONS

• 9U: BASE LENGTH 60/65 FEET. PITCHING DISTANCE WILL BE 46 FEET.
• 10U: BASE LENGTH 65 FEET. PITCHING DISTANCE WILL BE 46 FEET.
• 11U: BASE LENGTH 70 FEET. PITCHING DISTANCE WILL BE 50 FEET.
• 12U: BASE LENGTH 70 FEET. PITCHING DISTANCE WILL BE 50 FEET
• 13U: BASE LENGTH 80/90 FEET. PITCHING DISTANCE WILL BE 54/60’6 FEET.
• 14U: BASE LENGTH 90 FEET. PITCHING DISTANCE WILL BE 60’6 FEET.
• NOTE: IN THE EVENT THAT THE PITCHING DISTANCES OR THE BASES ARE NOT TO THE ABOVE SPECIFICATIONS AND THE VISITING TEAM WAS NOT INFORMED PRIOR TO THE ARRIVAL AT THE PARK, WE ASK THAT YOU PLAY THE GAME AND REPORT THE PROBLEM TO THE LEAGUE. REFUSAL TO PLAY THE GAME WILL RESULT IN A FORFEIT.

FACILITIES

• IF CONCESSION STAND IS OPEN PLEASE SUPPORT THE HOST VENUE

LEAGUE PLAYOFFS

• TO QUALIFY FOR LEAGUE PLAYOFFS YOU MUST PLAY AT LEAST 10 LEAGUE GAMES  TOURNAMENT GAMES WILL BE INCLUDED
• STANDINGS TIEBREAKERS = WIN/LOSS %, RUNS ALLOWED DIVIDED BY GAMES PLAYED, RUNS SCORED DIVIDED BY GAMES PLAYED, COIN FLIP

UMPIRES

• HOST TEAM IS RESPONSIBLE FOR SCHEDULING UMPIRES FOR SEASON GAMES
• YOU MUST CALL HEAD UMPIRE TO USE AAU SANCTIONED UMPIRES
• TEAMS WILL SPLIT COSTS OF UMPIRES