Stamford Little League - American Division
Rules for AA+
Season/Constant Rules
General
Scores and standings will be kept and playoffs will be held.
Lineup cards are to be exchanged prior to the start of the game or registered/shared via GameChanger or a comparable scoring app.
For Scalzi Park: Home Team is in 3rd Base Dugout. For other fields: Home Team is in 1st Base Dugout.
If time allows, the game is 6 innings. If a game is tied after 6 complete innings or after the time limit rule stops the game (see next rule), the game will end and be recorded as a tie (this does not apply to playoffs).
No inning can start 1 hour 30 minutes after the start of the game. However, managers shall not intentionally slow down the game for competitive reasons. Playoff games will have no time limit.
Move the game along quickly! Start on time. Have your next inning catcher geared up while the team is still batting if he/she is unlikely to bat.
Managers must attempt to field 9 players in accordance with the SLL - American Division Call Up Policy.
See the policy on the league website for more details.
However, a minimum of 8 players are needed to field a team (and possibly borrowing a player from the other team for fielding only, not batting or pitching) or a forfeit will be called.
There is a 15 minute grace period from the scheduled start time of the game in order for a team to have 8 eligible players.
If a team does not have 8 players, the game will count as a loss in the standings (using a 6-0 score) but the two teams can still play the game as a scrimmage.
This rule also applies during the playoffs.
If a player gets injured, causing a team to field less than 8 players, the game is forfeited (please see rule book for additional information).
If a team is playing with 8 players, the 9th position in the batting order is skipped and an out will be recorded.
During games, only the manager and 3 coaches are permitted in the coaching areas. When the team is at-bat, coaches must be in the coaching boxes or the dugout areas. When the team is in the field, a defensive team coach should be positioned behind the catcher to speed up play on passed balls and all other coaches must be in the dugout areas. Keep dugout gates closed.
On deck and “double deck” batters may be in the dugout.
After the game is over, players and coaches line up to shake hands, or tip their hats at a distance (along opposing foul lines)
Managers/Coaches for each team must ensure that bats conform to Little League specifications and standards. In general, the bat must meet the USA Baseball Bat standard (USABat) as adopted by Little League and shall bear the USA Baseball logo.
For more information, the applicable link to the Little League website is here: http://www.littleleague.org/learn/equipment/baseballbatinfo.htm.
Please refer to the website for complete details.
In the Field
Defense consists of 10 Players - Pitcher, Catcher, 1st Base, 2nd Base, 3rd Base, Shortstop, 4 outfielders.
For each player, 1 innings in the infield is required unless there is a safety concern.
Defensive play time should be equal for all players +/- one inning. No player may sit out a 2nd inning until all players have sat out at least 1 inning.
Re-entry of players into defensive positions can occur as much as you wish.
If a ball is hit to the outfield, play stops after the ball has reached the infield and is in the possession of a defensive player. It is strongly encouraged to keep players from running in situations where they would have a high chance of being put out if it were a game at the Majors division level.
A runner less than halfway towards the next base must return back to the previous base, and while in the basepath, is still at risk of being thrown out. If the runner advances in this situation, the umpire shall send the such advanced runner back to the previous base.
If the runner is halfway or more towards the next base, he has no safe harbor and is at risk of being thrown out.
If the defensive player that is in possession of the ball in the infield throws the ball and an overthrow occurs, no further advancing can occur.
If a ball is hit in the infield and an errant throw occurs, a runner may advance one base at his or her own risk if the ball is thrown wild and out of fair territory.
If a ball thrown by a fielder to a fielder covering a base is knocked down or otherwise within a reasonable distance from the fielder, no further advancing can occur.
Constant Pitching Rules
All players must pitch from a mound or deemed pitching location.
A pitcher who hits 3 batters with a pitch (even if one or more bounce first) during a game must be removed from the game as a pitcher.
Upon the third visit by a manager or coach to the same pitcher in an inning, the pitcher must be removed.
Pitching Distances
8U - 42’
10U - 46’
Portable mounds should be used whenever possible and set and the correct distances before the inning.
8U players are allowed to waive the distance requirement of 42’ and pitch from 46’ if they choose.
Pitch count limits
Players ages 6 8 - Maximum 50 pitches per game
Players ages 9 & 10 - Maximum 75 pitches per game
If a pitcher reaches this limit while pitching to a batter, he/she may finish pitching to that batter.
For example: 8-year old Nolan has pitched 48 pitches so far in a game. He throws one ball and one strike to the next batter. He can continue to pitch to the current batter until that at-bat has been completed. Once that at-bat has been completed, Nolan is not allowed to pitch during that game and must be
A player is not allowed to pitch if he/she was catcher in a 4th inning that day.
For a player that was catcher in 3 or less innings and then pitched, he/she can return to catcher if he/she pitched 20 or less pitches, or reached the 20-pitch threshold on the last batter he/she pitched to.
A player can be catcher if, and only if, he/she pitched 40 or less pitches that day or reached the 40-pitch threshold on the last batter he/she faced.
A player may not pitch in more than 1 game in a calendar day.
A player may not pitch on 3 consecutive days.
Required days rest after pitching:
1-20 pitches: no days rest required
21-35 pitches: 1 day of rest required
36-50 pitches: 2 days of rest required
51-65 pitches: 3 days of rest required
66 or more pitches: 4 days rest required
If a pitcher reaches a days rest threshold while facing a batter, the pitcher may continue to pitch until that at-bat has been completed and will only be required to observe the days rest threshold that he/she reached during the at-bat.
Using the prior example, if the same 8-year-old Nolan threw 3 more pitches after throwing the initial ball and strike, and thereby threw 53 pitches (and was removed from the game as the pitcher), he would need 2 days of rest before being able to pitch in a game, since he attained the 50-pitch threshold during the last batter he faced.
Days of Rest
The term days rest pertains to days between, and not including the days in which games are played.
For example, if Nolan pitched 53 pitches on a Saturday, reaching the 50-pitch threshold on the last batter he faced, his 2 required days of rest would be Sunday and Monday, therefore first being able to pitch on Tuesday.
Tracking Pitch Counts
Each team must track pitch counts during the game. It is recommended that both teams discuss and agree on the pitch counts after each half inning.
Each manager must record the pitch counts on the website as soon as possible after each game.
Email confirmation of Pitch Count should be emailed to [email protected]
Constant At Bat Rules
All players present will bat, regardless if they are playing the field
All players bat in a continuous order.
All players are strongly encouraged to wear helmets with full face guards/shields/cages when batting.
For innings other than the last inning (see below in this item 3 for the definition of “last inning”, the inning will end when a team scores 5 runs, the team has batted through the lineup once, or 3 outs are recorded. However, in the last inning of the game, both teams have unlimited batting and scoring, and therefore are subject to only the 3-out rule.
“Last inning” for regular season games means either
(a) the 6th inning or
(b) the agreed/voted upon final inning of the game due to time limit considerations. With respect to (b), if the game is approaching the time limit, the managers and head umpire should agree prior to the inning that it will be the final inning, and that decision will stand regardless of whether the 1:30 time limit is actually reached.
If there is a lack of consensus, the head game umpire shall have the final decision.
“Last inning” for playoff games means the 6th inning or any later inning.
The 10 run mercy rule is in play after 4 or 5 complete innings (or 3.5 innings with the home team up by 10). 15 run mercy rule, after 3 complete innings (or 2.5 innings with the home team up by 15).
No throwing of bats or Helmets. Players will be warned and the following infraction by the same player will result in an automatic out.
Hit by Pitch (HBP) is when a ball thrown by a pitcher and hits, or bounces and hits, the batter (LL 6.08) provided the batter did not swing at the ball.
Speed up/courtesy runner rule: player who made the last out may pinch run for next-inning catcher or next-inning pitcher (if the next inning is utilizing a player pitcher) when there are 2 outs.
No infield fly rule.
No intentional walks.
Only 1 base on overthrows. Only one overthrow per play (meaning one per batter/batted ball).
Coaches may only be positioned in the coaching boxes
GamePlay Format for AA+
AA+ Gameplay Overview
The league will begin play with all innings as Kid Pitch with Coach Rescue. At some point during the year, AA Senior will switch to more “normal” or AAA Fall-Ball baseball rules by slow transition. Kid Pitching, actual walks and stealing of bases will be introduced slowly. During the beginning of the season, it is highly encouraged to prepare the children by enabling pitchers and training catchers during practice times.
The general outline of the season curriculum/plan is below.
Weeks 1-2
All innings will follow the “Intro-Gameplay Rules” denoted below.
Weeks 3-5
Innings 1-3 will follow the “Intro-Gameplay Rules” denoted below.
Innings 4-6 will follow the “Advanced Gameplay Rules” denoted below.
Weeks 6 thru Playoffs
all innings will follow the “Advanced Gameplay Rules” denoted below.
Note: It is highly recommended that coaches DO NOT run up the score. If your kids are hitting and up by 8 runs or more, do not steal.
Intro-Gameplay Rules
There will be no walks.
After the fourth ball of an at bat, Coach Rescue (of the batting team) goes into effect and remains in effect for the remainder of the at-bat. After the third “series of 4 balls” delivered by the kid-pitcher, coach pitch remains in effect for the remainder of a half inning (even after a pitching change).
For Coach Pitch Scenarios:
When a coach (of the batting team) begins pitching, the strike count resumes for the hitter
ie., if the batter had 2 strikes, he or she stays with 2 strikes when the coach comes on to pitch.
A batter may take “Strike 1” or “Strike 2” but there will be no called Third Strikes. Balls and HBP from the coach pitcher are ignored. The batter will either hit a ball into play or strike out swinging, but not walk.
After the Third Coach Rescue, the coach will pitch to all batters for the remainder of that half inning.
A player-pitcher may resume pitching at the beginning of the next inning, assuming he is eligible to do so pursuant to LL pitch counts, or a new pitcher can come in. Only pitches actually thrown by the player-pitcher count toward the pitch count rules.
Coach pitching should be “easy,” but the ball should not be lobbed or thrown underhand. The intent is that the batter will make contact.
Advanced Gameplay Rules
Pitching
Kid Pitch from mound or agreed upon distance
Walks Allowed (no Coach Rescue)
At Bat
Bunting Allowed
No Slashing is allowed (faking bunt then swinging).
Stealing of Bases (max 4 per inning)
Stealing of bases is for Stealing 2nd base and 3rd base only
No advancement on overthrow by catcher on steal attempt
No Stealing Home, even on overthrows to third
No Stealing Home on attempted pick off by catcher/pitcher.
General rule: Man on third must be forced in to score either by a walk or ball in play.
Tagging up Is allowed
General Comments
Umpires are to be respected at all times.
Judgment calls (ball/strike, safe/out) may not be questioned.
Rule interpretations may be discussed, but those should be private and courteous discussions.
Promote sportsmanship!
Cheer for good plays by BOTH TEAMS.
Use positive reinforcement only.