MEL OTT BEGINNER Division Rules revised November 1, 2023
MEL OTT LUTHERAN BASEBALL
BEGINNER DIVISION
For the 2024 Season
BEGINNER (Gr.4-6)
August 31, 2015 to September 1, 2012
INSURANCE COVERAGE: Each team’s registration fee includes insurance coverage for players, coaches, and leadership. Policy includes basic accident medical and general liability coverage secondary to the church coverage.
ELIGIBILITY: Any player born prior to September 1, 2012 is overage. Likewise any player who has not reached his/her 2015 birthday by that same day is deemed under age.
By consent of the player, his/her parents, the team manager and Church coordinator an underage player might play. No overage players are permitted unless they are approved by the league coordinator subject to the restriction that he/she not be permitted to pitch.
EQUIPMENT: The minimum uniform consists of Caps and Numbered T-Shirts. All male players must wear an athletic support cup during the game and while catching during practices. Catchers must wear standard protective gear including a throat shield at both games and practices.
- No metal cleats are allowed on shoes.
- Batting donuts are not allowed at any time.
- A batting helmet must be worn while running the bases.
- BATS: Bat barrel diameter up to an including 2 5/8” are allowed.
GOVERNING RULES: National Federation of High School (NFHS) and MHSAA Association Rules.
GAME: A Regulation game is six innings long with a four-inning minimum to qualify as a complete game.
TIME LIMIT: No inning can start once the game is 1 hour 45 minutes old. Umpires are requested to keep play sped up in order to complete the game within the time limit.
MERCY RULE: A half inning is over when the fifth run of that half inning has scored. The MHSAA mercy rule does not apply to our league.
BASEBALLS: Game balls will be supplied to each team by the League office. One per scheduled game. Playoff game balls will be supplied separately.
DIAMOND: The Pitching Rubber is to be 46 feet from the point of Home Plate to the nearest edge of the pitching rubber. Bases are to be 60 feet apart.
BASE RUNNING: Runners must avoid collisions on a close play. Any base runner, who deliberately "crashes" any fielder is to be ejected.
BASE RUNNING: Leading off is allowed after the pitch crosses the plate. Stealing is allowed!!!!! Penalty for lead off violation to the team is a warning, then players are called out on the subsequent violations.
Advancing from third (Stealing Home) is not permitted on a passed ball, wild pitch or advancing home on a 3rd base overthrow, including throw from catcher back to 3rd. NO advancement home unless hit, walk, HBP or sacrifice fly.
LINE-UP CARDS: Prior to the start of a game, managers should provide a line-up card to the: opposing teams manager showing all players present with names, numbers, starting positions and batting order. A game may be started with eight (8) players. No additions of players to the line-up cards are permitted after the end of the third inning.
PARTICIPATION:
All players CAN be in the batting order …. If a player leaves a game or misses an at-bat, the batting order can be collapsed or an out may be taken for the batter. If the order is collapsed, that player may not return.
Or…..
9 Batter A/B Rule: Batting order A and B must be submitted before game time. Rotate order A and B. Player injury: Last B batter maybe moved to the injured player’s batting order. This ruling shall allow a manager the option to allow his or her players equal playing times.
9 Fielder Rule: Free Substitution in the field. Any 9 players can be in the field.
Or…..
MHSAA 9 Batter line up with 1 player substitution rotation. Players may reenter at any time, but only in the same batting position that they originally held. They must replace the player currently holding that position.
PITCHING: A maximum of two 6th grade players are allowed to pitch up to three innings per game. One 6th grade pitcher is allowed to pitch 2 innings maximum. 4th / 5th grade players may pitch in no more than three innings per game. Appearing in an inning (i.e. throwing one pitch to one batter, counts as an "inning pitched" for purposes of this limit.)
PITCHING No breaking balls permitted, other than a normal motion. No balks can be called on the pitcher. On a dropped third strike, the batter is out. If a pitcher hits two batters in one inning, he must be removed. If reinstated in another inning and hits a third batter, he may no longer pitch in that game.
BORROWING PLAYERS: Teams may borrow a max of 2 players from another team in their division or lower if they know they are going to be short players prior to the game. Any player that is borrowed from another team MUST wear their original team uniform. Borrowed players may not play more than a rostered player and are not allowed to pitch. Borrowed players must bat at the end of the lineup.
PLAY-OFF & ALL STAR ELIGIBILITY: All players participating in a Play-off or All Star Game must have been on the team's roster and played for at least 1/2 of the regular season or be promoted from a younger division where he/she was on that roster for at least 1/2 of the regular season.
It is Coaches decision call to play/sit players who miss first playoff games.
PLAY-OFF TIE BREAKER PROCESS:
Two way decision – In the event of a two way tie, the first tie breaker shall be a result of a season head to head competition between those two teams. If a winner can not be determined with head-to-head competition, then the strength of season (opponents’ record) will be used. If a winner still cannot be determined, then runs allowed will be the final tie-breaker.
Three way decision (or greater) – In the event of a three way tie (or greater than three), the elimination process shall be based on the following criteria.
- Strength of season. (Opponents’ records): To reduce the tie to only two teams.
- Head to Head competition. The tie breaker shall be a result of a season head- to-head competition between those two teams.
- Runs scored against - In the event there remain two teams tied, the number of runs allowed will be the final decision factor.
PROTESTS: Umpire rulings are final during the course of play. Protests can be escalated to the League Commissioner.
RAINOUTS: The church coordinators are responsible for rescheduling rained out games as soon as possible after a rainout. Coaches should report rainouts to their coordinators. Text rainouts to Umpire Coordinator immediately upon decision - include Team Name, Game Number & Location.
ROSTER: A roster, registration fee, and player contracts must be turned in to the commissioner by the established deadline. Any changes to the roster must be approved by the commissioner(s). Teams are capped at 15 players.
SCHEDULES: Once the schedules have been prepared, all games are firm unless canceled by an act of God. By the first game should a reschedule be necessary, after the coaches agree on a reschedule date, the home team coach must request approval from the umpire scheduler.
SCORES: Home team to turn in game scores and game rosters to Division Coordinator within 1 day (photos are acceptable).
HEAD COACHES are responsible for the behavior of their players, and parents & guardians in the stands