2026 Berks Youth Baseball League Minors

 

Rules

 

 

 

The BYBL rules are outlined below. The fall-back rules set for the BYBL will be NFHS,

National Federation of High School. These rules govern School Baseball starting at 7th

grade. Anything not addressed in these rules will be governed by the NFHS rules set.

1. Equipment

a. Metal spikes are not permitted

b. Bats- USA Baseball marking or wood bats ONLY. Use of an illegal bat will be

penalized with these rules:

 

i. The batter is called OUT by the Umpire if he or she steps into the

batter’s box with an illegal bat

1. Bat is removed from the game. Use of the bat again will

result in the above penalty as well as the Head Coach

being ejected from the game

 

ii. If the illegal bat is discovered during an at-bat, the batter will be

called out, the bat will be removed from the game & any runners

who advanced on the play during the at-bat will return to the last

base legally touched by the runners prior to the at-bat beginning

iii. If the illegal bat is discovered after the player’s at-bat, one of 2

things will happen:

1. The player will be called out, the bat removed from the

game & all runners return to the last base they legally

touched prior to the at-bat beginning

2. Or the Defense can take the result of the play & the bat is

removed from the game

 

2. Games

a. All games will be 6 innings.

b. There is a limit of 6 runs per inning except for last inning. Note – If a team has

scored 5 runs & puts the ball in play for another couple runs, that play needs to

be completed for the inning to end. So if 3 runs score after there was 5 already

scored in that inning, then the team is awarded all runs scored during that play, it

does not revert back to 6.

c. Time Limit in regular season games: 1 hour 45 minutes no new inning can start.

Umpire has discretion to announce the last inning due to darkness and they have

to do it prior to the Top of that inning. If a game is stopped during an inning, the

game will revert back to the last completed whole inning for a result.

 If Coaches agree to play past the time limit, Coaches need to use

discretion with relation to darkness & playing on school nights.

 

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 Some Umps may leave after the 1hr 45min time limit & want to call

the game. Politely let them know our league allows us to play past the

time limit & please thank them for their service & allow them 5 minutes

to gather their things & leave the field.

 Place a Volunteer, or the Pitcher’s pitching coach, behind the pitching

mound to finish the game. It’s suggested that each team has a

Volunteer call the game from behind their own pitcher so they can

perhaps coach the pitcher during the inning.

 If the Coaches agree to & do in fact play longer than the time limit, the

game is officially extended. Coaches have to honor their word &

complete the game as per their agreement. Cases where a Coach

agrees to extend a game, then before the game is over decide that

they want to implement the 1hr 45min rule, will be reviewed by the

BYBL for possible penalties, including forfeit.

 

d. Time Limit in Playoff games:

 

 Playoff games not championship games = 2 hours no new inning

 Championship games = no time limit

 

e. Mercy Rule: 15 runs after 4 innings or 10 runs after 5 innings (3-1/2 or 4-1/2 if

home team is leading).

(Note: By Mutual agreement of both managers the game may be continued for the entire

6 innings, however the outcome as determined by the ten or fifteen run rule will remain

unchanged).

f. Rescheduling games: Starting with the 2026 season a protocol was passed

regarding games needing to be rescheduled. It’s the responsibility of the

Coaches to communicate & reschedule the games. The Home field Coach will

offer 3 reschedule dates to their opponent. The opponent has to accept 1 of the

dates or will forfeit the game to a 6-0 score. There’s 3 provisions to this rule.

 Away team cannot already have a game on those dates

 Away team cannot be made to play a 3rd day in a row

 Away team needs to accept a date within 1 week from home team’s

communication

 

g. Games are played on 60ft. base paths with a 46ft. pitching rubber – measured

from back tip of home plate to the back edge of the base or pitching rubber.

h. 2 complete innings constitute a complete game. If less than 2 innings has been

played the game will be replayed starting from the beginning. Pitches will count

 

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for all pitchers even if a game is less than 2 innings & has to be made

up/restarted on a subsequent day.

3. Substitutions and Lineup

a. Bat your entire lineup, free substitutions in the field. All players must bat & play

defense.

- Exception: On teams that have large numbers, the Coach can decide to bat a

substitute lineup with free defensive substitutions. NFHS re-entry rules apply.

- For teams with 14 or more players, teams can bat a minimum of 11 OR the

same amount of batters on their opponent’s team, whichever is greater.

b. Entering/Exiting a lineup.

- Players who are late to a game, or arrive at a game they previously told the

coach they were not going to be able to make, and not on the lineup card,

FOR ANY REASON, that player will be inserted into the batting order in the

last spot.

- Players who begin the game, and are in the starting lineup, but do not finish

the game, or need to exit the game, FOR ANY REASON, will be skipped in

the batting order with no penalty.

- In both cases, arriving late to a game, or leaving early from a game, Teams

will NOT take an out for skipping that player in the lineup.

 

4. Base Running

a. A courtesy runner can be used at any time, outs are not required, to speed up

the game. The courtesy runner must be the player on the roster that made the

last out in the inning. If a substitute lineup is being used, the CR will be a player

currently on the bench not in the batting lineup.

b. Base runners may leave the base, to steal, when the ball crosses home plate.

Leaving early will result in no pitch being called. One team warning, for leaving

early, will be issued. Any subsequent violation by a player on that team will result

in the runner being called out.

c. Head first sliding is an automatic out unless returning from a lead or returning to

the base after overrunning the base.

d. Stealing of home is allowed 1x per inning in the Regular Season & the Playoffs.

e. The infield fly rule is in effect. Less than 2 outs with 1st & 2nd or 1st, 2nd & 3rd base

occupied.

 

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f. The base runner must slide or avoid contact if there is a potential play at a base

or home plate. If, at the umpire’s discretion, the runner did not attempt to avoid

contact, the runner will be called out.

g. Delayed stealing is NOT allowed. A base runner is not allowed to steal once the

Catcher has possession of the ball and does not attempt to retire a base runner.

The Catcher pump faking a throw to a base does not declare an attempt to retire

a base runner. Base runners cannot steal once the Catcher throws back to the

Pitcher. Base runners are allowed to advance if the Catcher, or any fielder,

attempts to put-out any base runner.

h. Base runners are no longer eligible to steal once the Pitcher has possession of

the ball & is contacting any part of the incline of the pitching mound.

5. Pitching

a. Pitchers are allowed 75 pitches maximum per game.

b. No intentional curve balls. The judgment of the umpire will be based on the

breaking of the wrist during the release of the ball. An illegal pitch will be called,

the ball will be dead immediately and the pitch is a ball in the count. Changeups,

knuckle balls, 2 seam fast balls, etc... are allowed as long as there is no breaking

motion in the mechanic of the Pitcher’s delivery.

c. Once a pitcher has been removed he/she may not re-enter the same game as a

pitcher.

d. Balks will not be enforced.

e. If a pitcher hits 3 batters in one inning, the pitcher will need to be removed from

pitching the rest of game.

f A pitcher must be replaced during the second visit to the mound in an inning.

g. The manager must remove the pitcher when said pitcher reaches the limit for

his/her pitch limit, but the pitcher may remain in the game at another position:

Exception: If a pitcher reaches the limit imposed in Regulation for his league age

while facing a batter, the pitcher may continue to pitch until any one of the

following conditions occurs: 1. The batter reaches base; 2. That batter is put out;

3. The third out is made to complete the half-inning.

h. One thrown pitch in an inning constitutes an inning pitched.

i. A pitcher who delivers 50 or more pitches in a game cannot play the position of

catcher for the remainder of that day.

j. Any player who has played the position of catcher in three or more innings in a

game is not eligible to pitch on that calendar day.

k. Pitchers must adhere to the following rest requirements:

 

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• If a player pitches 66 or more pitches in a day, four (4) calendar days of

rest must be observed.

• If a player pitches 51-65 pitches in a day, three (3) calendar days of rest

must be observed.

• If a player pitches 36-50 pitches in a day, two (2) calendar days of rest

must be observed.

• If a player pitches 21-35 pitches in a day, one (1) calendar days of rest

must be observed.

• If a player pitches 1-20 pitches in a day, no (0) calendar day of rest is

required.

 1 days rest refers to 1 whole calendar day of rest. Example: If a player

throws 66, or more, pitches on Monday, that pitcher is not available to

pitch again until Saturday. A Player who pitches 20 or less can pitch

again that day, in another game, or the very next day.

 

l. A Pitch Count Recorder shall be declared by both teams, prior to the game

beginning, and keep track of all pitch counts for all pitchers during the game. The

official pitch count recorder should inform the umpire-in-chief when a pitcher has

delivered his/her maximum limit of pitches for the game, as noted above. The

umpire-in-chief will inform the pitcher’s manager that the pitcher must be

 

removed. However, the failure by the pitch count recorder to notify the umpire-in-

chief, and/or the failure of the umpire-in-chief to notify the manager, does not

 

relieve the manager of his/her responsibility to remove a pitcher when that

pitcher is no longer eligible.

 Pitch count recorders are encouraged to match up in between each

inning.

 In the event of a discrepancy, the Home Team’s Pitch Count

Recorder’s record shall prevail.

 The pitch count recorder must provide the current pitch count for any

pitcher when requested by either manager or any umpire. However,

the manager is responsible for knowing when his/her pitcher must be

removed.

 

m. Intentional walks will NOT be permitted.

n. Games that cannot be completed, but will be continued, will still have pitch

counts, & # of days rest required, applied to that game.

Ex1: A game is called for darkness/rain but going to be played on the next

day. Any Pitcher who exceeded the 20 pitch echelon (& finished a batter

rule) will not be eligible to pitch the next day. Any pitcher who has exited

the game is no longer to re-enter the game.

 

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Ex 2: A game is suspended, on Monday, due to darkness/rain & it rains

for 2 days so the game is continued on Thursday. The Pitcher of record

(the Pitcher actively in the game when it was interrupted) had pitched 48

pitches, & has observed 2 whole days of rest, so that pitcher, as long as

they are still the Pitcher of Record, can start fresh with a zero pitch count

because they have observed 2 whole days of rest. Any Pitcher who has

exited the game still may not re-enter the game, no matter how many

days have passed.

 

6. Hitting

a. Free bunting is permitted. Once a batter shows bunt, the batter may not attempt

a normal swing at the pitch or they will be called out.

b. Throwing of the bat is not permitted. Teams will be warned once, and

subsequent violations will result in the player being called out and possibly

ejected from the game.

 

7. Playoffs 2026

Playoffs are scheduled to begin Monday June 1st and will be single elimination.

We will observe 2 playoff brackets that will culminate in 2 different Championship

games & Runner-Ups. Once Regular Season standings are final, we will split the

Division into an Upper & a Lower Bracket. The Championship games will be

played on Saturday 6/13, Twin Valley to host. Rainouts may push the

Championship games into the next week or weekend. Every Minors Division

team will make the playoffs. Some teams may observe a Bye in the 1st round to

accommodate a proper playoff bracket.

Playoff seeding/standings tie breakers

 Winning Percentage

 Wins (tie is better than a loss)

 Head to Head (2 teams)

 Head to Head Sweep (3 teams)

 Run Differential

 Runs Allowed

 Runs Scored

 

8. Rosters

a. Rosters will be comprised of players who reside in the league’s district

boundaries & are a maximum of 10 years old as of April 30th

.

 

b. Teams must use only the players on their roster for league games within BYBL.

 

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 Exception. Regular Season prior to the Roster Deadline. If a Minors team is

shorthanded and will have only 9 or less players, they may utilize players

from other teams within their Organization, including other Minors &

Instructional/Coach Pitch level teams, to reach a 10 player roster. Including,

but not limited to, Diamond Team & Jr.Diamond teams. These players do not

need to be on the roster as long as this occurs prior to the Roster Deadline.

c. Diamond, School & Travel players are allowed to play on an in-house roster,

during the regular season as well, & must play 2 regular season games to be

eligible for the Final Playoff Roster.

 These players also have to adhere to the following:

o Must be age eligible & live within the School District boundaries for

their respective Organizations

o Must be covered by the Organization’s insurance policy

o Adhere to the Roster & Final Playoff Roster requirements

o Do NOT need to pay the in-house fee

o The SPIRIT of this rule is for in-house teams to be able to pool

players in order to field a team, in the event of player shortages or #s

issues an Organization may face.

 Also to Facilitate a Player who desires to play both Diamond,

School or Travel, as well as in-house baseball

 The SPIRIT of this rule is NOT to bring in a ‘ringer(s)’ for the

playoffs to try & win the league championship

d. Final Playoff Roster Deadline: 11:59pm Monday May 18th

 

. Several weeks

before the playoffs are to begin, all Minors BYBL teams will submit their final

roster to the league. Only players on their Minors Team roster will be allowed to

play in games after the final playoff roster deadline.

e. No Double Rostered players allowed: Players can only appear on 1 final BYBL

roster after the Final Playoff Roster Deadline has occurred. Players playing for

multiple teams in the Minors division after the Roster Deadline will be ruled

ineligible and will be required to play with the 1st team they played with after the

Roster Deadline.

 Note Double Rostered players do NOT refer to players that play on a

Diamond, School or Travel roster. As discussed above these players are

eligible. Double Rostered players refers to players not allowed to be on 2

BYBL teams’ roster in the same Division.

 

f. Rosters can consist of a maximum of 16 players at the Final Roster Deadline

date.

 

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