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.
Age Cut-Off: Any player born prior to September 1, 2013 is overage. Likewise, any player who has not reached his/her 2017 birthday by that same day is deemed under age.
By consent of the player, his/her parents, and the team manager, an underage player might play. No overage players are permitted unless they are approved by Mel Ott League Coordinator.
Equipment:
The minimum uniform consists of caps and numbered T-Shirts. Catchers must wear masks and full gear during practice and games. All male players are highly encouraged to wear an athletic supporter.
-No metal cleats are allowed on shoes.
-A batting helmet must be worn while running the bases.
-A batting helmet, with face protector, must be worn by player fielding the pitcher’s position.
-60' bases will be used.
-Pitcher’s Mound is 40' from home. Blue Flame Machine settings: 4 foot pedal, 4 pull arm, 3 ball speed; Blue Flame Pro 3,1,1; Target Speed: 30-35 mph
-Coach operates the Pitching Machine.
-Use regulation baseball.
Participation:
-All children on the team must be in the batting order. Teams are capped at 15 players.
-Each player must play a minimum of two innings in the field.
-Use 10 players: 4 outfielders positioned evenly behind the infielders.
-Eight (8) players are required to start game.
-One (1) Defensive Coach is allowed in the outfield for instructional purposes only throughout the game.
-Any player arriving late must be placed in the last batting spot in the 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.
Game:
-A regulation game is six innings or 1 hour and 30 minutes, whichever comes first. A minimum of Four innings must be played (3 ½ if home team is winning). Four innings is considered a complete game if stopped due to weather.
-A half-inning is considered over after 3 outs are made, or 4 runs have been scored.
Batting:
-If a bat is thrown, the batter will be called out.
-The hitter must put ball in play within 5 pitches or be declared out. No balls and strikes will be called. IF the machine is missing the strike zone ask batter to step out and align the machine versus continuing to pitch.
- If last pitched is a foul ball, batter gets another pitch. At bat doesn’t end on a foul ball.
-Bunting is not allowed.
Baserunning:
-If the ball accidentally hits the Pitching Machine or Coach who is pitching, the ball is dead, the batter takes 1st base and runners advance if they are forced.
-Runners may not leave the base until the ball is hit. Penalty for leaving the base violation is warning, subsequent violations by the same team are called out.
-If a ball is fielded by an infielder and played to a base, there will be no extra bases allowed on an overthrow. Base runners are only allowed the base they would have reached as a result of the play.
-When a ball thrown in from the outfield hits the infield and is controlled by an infielder within the baseline, it is considered a dead ball. A runner cannot advance to the next base unless they are more than halfway to the next base when the play is complete. Coaches are highly encouraged to place a chalk/paint line at the halfway point of each base.
Fielding:
-Infielders must play in normal position behind basepaths (for safety fielders shouldn’t crowd infield or pitchers mound before pitch).
-Outfielders must stay on what would be the edge of outfield grass (at least 30 feet beyond base line) at time of pitch.
-Coaches & umpire can align on slightly adjusting rules based on field conditions & situation.
-Right Hand batters would have pitcher on 3rd base side of machine, LH batters have pitcher on 1st base side. Pitchers should not creep ahead (in front of machine) before it is hit. Umpires should be behind machine on opposite side of fielder
-Coaches must attempt to rotate players to different positions in a game during the season to help develop players. During playoffs ok to keep players in one position for the game.
COACHING: By mid-season coaches must coach/move offensive players from outside baselines (not on field) to speed up play.
SCORES: Home team to turn in game scores and game rosters to Division Coordinator within 1 day (photos are acceptable).
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.
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.
PLAY-OFF & ALL-STAR ELIGIBILITY: All players participating in a Playoff 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.