General Guidelines

1) It is requirement that all towns submitting teams to Barnstormers have first entered their All-Star players into a more competitive league, e.g. Hockomock Summer Baseball League. This is intended to avoid stacked teams with top level players which goes against the goal of Barnstormers. We understand that some above average to exceptional skilled players may for good reason be placed on a Barnstormers team. It is expected these players will be identified by their Towns to the BOC prior to the start of the season for approval.

2) Where towns are submitting multiple teams to the same age division those teams are to have balanced skilled players. Evaluations to develop balanced teams is strongly encouraged. If a town is found to have un-balanced teams the BOC may request the teams rosters be adjusted during the season. The offending town may also not be asked back in subsequent seasons if this rule is violated.

3) Coaches, players, and their guests are to adhere to the Barnstormers Code of Conduct. If a team displays poor sportsmanship or is not a good guest, they may be referred to the BOC and subject to a code of conduct violation and penalties. All teams are required to remove all trash they created prior to leaving the field.

4) The BOC will select Division Managers (DM) prior to the season. These will be the primary contact for each division team managers for questions, scheduling, and submitting of game results. DM will maintain and circulate a contact list including team names and manager contact information for each team in the division.

5) The BOC will establish a league management system where rosters, game results and standings will be published. The DM will be responsible for maintaining this information for each division.

6) Game schedule will be set by the BOC based on field availability submitted by each team. It is expected all regular season games will be scheduled Monday through Friday evenings. There may however be a small number of weekend games to accommodate field availability. Any modifications to the published schedule is to be approved by the DM in advance. On days of inclement weather, the Home Team Manager shall make a best effort to notify the Visiting Team Manager and DM as early as possible of field closures. Cancelled games shall be rescheduled as soon as reasonably possible, preferably within 10 days, to avoid a backlog of makeup games at the end of the regular season.

7) Game results, including final score and pitch counts, to be submitted by email by the winning team Manager to the DM within 12 hours of the game start time. The loosing team manager is to be copied on the email and respond with approval or identify discrepancies within 12 hours of receipt. DM will update league management system.

8) There is no limit to the number of players on a roster, however each town is asked to be reasonable. Rosters must be submitted to the BOC and Division Manager prior to the first game. Submitted rosters to include full player name, jersey number and birthdate. Rosters will be published to each team in the 2023 Barnstormer League Charter and Rules Revised May 17, 2023 Page 3 of 12 division and any changes to the published roster must be submitted to the BOC for approval once the season starts.

9) Home team will schedule and compensate umpires for all regular season games and playoffs. The Barnstormer League will cover the cost of the umpires for the championship games. An adult umpire is a patched umpire. Junior umpires are locally trained youth umpires. Minimum and preferred requirements for umpires are:

Division	Minimum	Preferred
Minors 9/10	(1) Junior Umpire	(2) Junior Umpires
Majors 11/12	(1) Adult Umpire	(1) Adult Umpire & (1) Junior Umpire
Senior 13-15	(1) Adult Umpires	(2) Adult Umpires

10) Home team to provide minimum of three game balls.  Approved game balls for Minors & Majors division are Diamond DLL/DCR/DLL-1/DCR-1 & Rawlings RLLB/RLLB-1. Senior division are Diamond DBR & Rawlings RSLL. Other baseball substitutions are to be approved by the BOC.

11) Teams found by the BOC as violating these guidelines or game rules shall face disciplinary actions including game forfeiture or removal from the playoffs brackets as determined by the BOC. Any coach or player ejected from a game for any reason will be suspended for their next game (includes playoffs).

Regular Season Game & Time Limits

Majors & Minors Divisions:
A full game consists of 6 innings, 5 ½ if the home team is winning. No inning should start 2 hours after game start.

Senior Division:
A full game consists of 7 innings, 6 ½ if the home team is winning. No inning should start 2 hours 15 minutes after game start.

All Divisions:

1) Extra innings will be allowed if there is a tie, and it fits into the time allotted for the game. Tied games may be extended if agreed to by both managers and umpire.

2) If a regular season game ends early due to the time limit, darkness or weather-related safety issues, 4 innings or 3½ innings if home team is winning, will constitute a complete game.

3) If an inning is not completed for any reason the score will revert to the last completed inning and if the requirements of a complete game met the game ended, otherwise considered an incomplete game.

4) An incomplete game will be re-scheduled and started over. Any pitches thrown during an incomplete game will count and the pitcher must rest the required amount.

Playoff Game & Time Limits

Playoff games must be a full game as defined by the regular season regulations. If the game ends early due to darkness or weather-related safety issues it must be continued the next day in the same conditions the game left off. There is no time limit to a playoff game. In the case of a continuation, the pitch counts will continue as if the same day. Pitcher rest days will be based off the day the players last pitch was thrown. No additions to the lineup will be allowed except as needed to field a minimum team at the continuation game if players from the started game are not able to make the continuation. 

Playoff Guidelines

1) Playoffs will consist of a standard single elimination bracket based on regular season rankings. Divisions with greater than 8 teams will be broken two or more separate brackets concluding with their own championship game. These brackets will be determined based on regular season rankings and may be modified by the BOC to create balanced and fair brackets.

2) Regular season rankings will be based on a point system. A win is 2 points, tie 1 point and loss 0 points. Therefor failure to makeup regular season games may affect season rank. Should teams be tied in points the tie breakers are:

• First Tie Break: Head-to-head record for the season.
   
• Second Tie Break: Winning percentage based on how many games they played. For example: if a team won 6 games but only played 9 their percentage will be 6/9 = .666 compared to another other team that played 10 and won 6, that would be 6/10 = .600. Any ties are counted as a half win (.5). If a team has 7 wins and a tie out of 10 games, that would be 7.5/10 = .750
   
• Third Tie Break: Difference between runs scored minus runs against. If a team scored 80 runs and gave up 70 runs, that would be 80 – 70 = 10. If that calculation goes into negative numbers, the team closer to zero will be the higher seed.

3) There is no minimum game played requirement for a player to be eligible to play in the play-offs, but all players must be on the published roster or otherwise approved by the BOC.

4) Barnstormers will make efforts to hold championship games at a single complex on the same day. If they are not able to have all the games at one complex, they will try to help to find an independent field or if agreeable to both teams play at the home team’s field.

5) Barnstormers will compensate the hosting town umpires for the championship games.

General Game Rules 

1) Games will have free substitution. Refer to division specific rules for minimum time in the field. If player shows up late, after game has started, he must bat after the last batter in the lineup. You cannot insert him into a certain spot in the lineup. Pitchers may not return to the mound after being removed but may play other positions.

2) A continuous batting order is to be used and each player who will play the field is expected to bat. If a player gets hurt or becomes ill during the game, his spot in the order will be skipped. If the player returns to the game, he will bat in the same spot he occupied in the batting order. There is no penalty for skipping an injured player.

3) A team may play with 8 fielders, but less than 8 players 15 minutes after game start time will constitute a forfeit. A team may substitute a player from another team in their town if they are in are danger of forfeiting the game or have 9 players and want and extra. During the regular season substitute players need to be announced to the opposing coach and reported in the game results to the DM. A substitute player must be from the same age group or younger and can not be a rostered player on any All-Star team.  A substitute player may not pitch, and it is expected they will not be taking innings away from the rostered players. A substitute player can not play more than 4 innings for a Majors/Minors game or 5 innings for a Senior game where there are more than 9 players in the lineup. In the playoffs all substitute players need to be approved prior to the game by the BOC.

4) No slashing, fake bunt followed by swinging away. Batter is automatically out. Bunting is allowed.

5) Pitch counts, not innings pitched, will be followed according to the MLB Smart Pitch Guidelines. Refer to Pitching Rules section for additional information.

6) Runners must slide or avoid contact. If no contact is made, no penalty. Catchers must not block access to the plate without the ball. Managers should direct catchers to stand in front of, and not straddle, the plate on a play at home.

7) No head first sliding is allowed. If a player slides head first they will be called out. A player may dive back to a base when leading or on an over-run of a base.

8) Metal spikes are only allowed in the Senior 13-15 division, but rubber spikes are encouraged for safety.

9) All batters and base runners must wear a batting helmet.

10) Coaches will be allowed 2 visits to the mound, per pitcher, per inning. The pitcher must be removed upon the 3rd visit to the mound in an inning.

11) Any situation not specifically addressed in the General Game Rules or division specific rules to be covered by the current Cal Ripken Rule book. 

Minors 9/10U Division Specific Rules

1) With the exception of the final inning there is a maximum of 5 runs per inning. If additional runs score on the final play of the inning they are not counted in the score. In the final inning unlimited runs are allowed. In the case that the time limit or darkness is close, and a full game is not possible, the managers and umpire must declare last inning prior to the start of that inning for the 5 run limit to be waved.

2) 10 players may play in the field however the 4 outfielders must play across the outfield; there is no "short" outfield position.

3) All players must play a minimum of 9 defensive outs in the field.

4) Bats must be USA Baseball Bat certified, be USA Bat stamped and on the approved USA Bat list at www.usabat.com.

5) Unlimited stealing and advancement on overthrows and passed balls is allowed. A steal is defined as any advancement of a runner on base when the ball has not been batted into play. Only 1 successful steal of home is allowed per inning. No leading, runners must stay on base until the ball crosses the plate. This includes passed balls at the plate between the pitcher and the catcher.

• Example 1: A ball is pitched low and is missed by the catcher. The runner at third steals home before the catcher can retrieve the ball and make the play. The steal of home has been used for this inning.
• Example 2: A ball is batted to shallow right field and the runner on 2nd advances to 3rd. The RF tries to make the play to 3rd but overthrows the 3rd baseman. The runner advances home. This is NOT considered a steal because the run was scored during a live ball batted into play.

6) Delayed stealing is not allowed. Delayed steals are defined as a player attempting to steal a base when a fielder is in the process of throwing the ball back to the pitcher in a non-batted ball situation (i.e., the catcher throwing the ball back to the pitcher after he has caught a pitch).

7) No infield fly rule.

8) Tagging up is allowed. Tagging up from 3rd does not count as a steal of home for the inning.

9) No Slaughter rule in the Regular season unless the losing team manager concedes the game after the point it can be considered a complete game. Our intent is to let the teams finish their games. The League directorship reserves the right to reinstall a slaughter rule for the play-offs.

10) Ball is dead when pitcher has the ball and has one foot on the mound, continuation of the on-going play to be determined by the umpire. 

Majors 11/12U Division Specific Rules

1) With the exception of the final inning there is a maximum of 6 runs per inning. If additional runs score on the final play of the inning they are not counted in the score. In the final inning unlimited runs are allowed. In the case that the time limit or darkness is close, and a full game is not possible, the managers and umpire must declare last inning prior to the start of that inning for the 6 run limit to be waved.

2) All players must play a minimum of 9 defensive outs in the field.

3) Bats must be USA Baseball Bat certified, be USA Bat stamped and on the approved USA Bat list at www.usabat.com.

4) Infield fly and dropped 3rd strike are in effect.

5) Tagging up is allowed from any base.

6) There is no mounding. Time must be granted or called by the umpire. Only the umpire can determine when a play has stopped.

7) Unlimited leading and stealing is allowed. Runners do not need to return to their base between pitches except in the event of a dead ball (foul ball, batter hit by pitch, time out, etc.).

8) Balks will be enforced. There will be no balks called in the first week of games for players new to 50/70 balk rules. Each pitcher will get one warning per game with runners reset to their original base for the warning. Each subsequent balk will result in runner advancement.

9) Slaughter rule is 15 (or more) after 4 full innings, 10 (or more) after 5 full innings.

Senior 13-15 Division Specific Rules

1) All players must play a minimum of 12 defensive outs in the field.

2) Bats must be USA Baseball Bat certified, be USA Bat stamped and on the approved USA Bat list at www.usabat.com or be BBCORE certified and stamped. USA Bats may be any size but BBCORE must be maximum drop 3.

3) Infield fly and dropped 3rd strike are in effect.

4) Tagging up is allowed from any base.

5) There is no mounding. Time must be granted or called by the umpire. Only the umpire can determine when a play has stopped.

6) Unlimited leading and stealing is allowed. Runners do not need to return to their base between pitches except in the event of a dead ball (foul ball, batter hit by pitch, time out, etc.).

7) The substitute runner rule will not be used.

8) Balks will be enforced. Each pitcher will get one warning per game with runners reset to their original base for the warning. Each subsequent balk will result in runner advancement.

9) Slaughter rule is 15 (or more) after 4 full innings, 10 (or more) after 5 full innings.

Pitching Rules

Barnstormers adheres to the MLB Pitch Smart pitching standards and is committed to protecting our players from injury. All coaches must adhere to these limits, and no exceptions are allowed to these pitching limits.

If a pitcher meets his/her max daily pitching limit during a game, he/she can no longer pitch in the game, but he/she may play another position. If the pitcher reaches the max daily pitching limit during an at bat, he/she can continue pitching to that batter until the at bat is finished. For all other tiers if a pitcher starts an at bat and crosses a tier they are subject to the rest days of the higher tier based on the actual pitches thrown not pitch count when starting the at bat.

The following chart provides the maximum daily pitch limits for each age group and the mandatory rest requirements after throwing a certain number of pitches.

Age	Max Daily Pitches	0 Days Rest	1 Days Rest	2 Days Rest	3 Days Rest	4 Days Rest
9-10	75	1-20	21-35	36-50	51-65	66+
11-12	85	1-20	21-35	36-50	51-65	66+
13-15	95	1-20	21-35	36-50	51-65	66+

Rest Rule Examples:

• Player throws 23 Pitches on Monday. He can’t pitch again until Wednesday.
• Player throws 85 Pitches on Saturday. He can’t pitch again until the following Thursday.

Additional Pitching Rules:

1) Pitches thrown during an incomplete game will count toward players pitch count.

2) No pitcher can re-enter a game as a pitcher after already pitching in same game.

3) A pitchers shall be removed if they hit 2 batters in an inning or 3 in a game.

4) Each teams’ bookkeepers should meet after each inning to confirm pitch counts (If numbers are off – please come up with a number that both teams agree with).

5) If the opposing team’s bookkeeper notices that a pitcher has not been removed from a game after reaching his/her max daily pitching limit, the bookkeeper should notify that team immediately that the pitch limit has been reached, and the pitcher should immediately stop pitching.

6) If pitcher is deemed illegal because of rest rule, he/she will be removed immediately from pitching. The game can be protested and may result in a loss.

7) Managers are encouraged to develop as many pitchers as is reasonable