MACHINE PITCH RULES
Game Time Limits
A.) Complete game will be 6 innings.
B.) Tie games at the end of 6 innings will be played until time limit expires during pool play. Pool play games can end in a tie once time limit expires. Elimination games will be played out until there is a winner.
C.) Time limit is 1:45 minutes. No new inning will start after this time. A new inning begins as soon as the last out is made of the prior inning.
Participation
A.) Batting Rule: Teams can choose to bat all batters in a continuous lineup or list nine, ten or eleven players in the lineup with the remainder of players listed as substitutes. The eleventh player will be an extra player that will be in the lineup and can substitute freely throughout the game on defense.
B.) Defense Rule: A maximum of 10 players will be on the field for defense. If 10 are
used, 4 must take positions in the outfield grass area.
C.) Coaching on Defense: Coaches must remain in or just outside the dugout.
D.) Coaching on Offense: 1 coach may occupy the coach’s box at first and another
at third, while 1 coach operates the pitching machine.
Game Play
A.) An inning will continue until the offense has scored 5 runs or the defense has
recorded 3 outs.
B.) Each batter will be given a total of 6 good pitches, 3 swings or 1 fair hit ball. If
the last pitch is fouled off, the batter will be given another pitch. This will
continue until the batter hits a fair ball or strikes out. (Good pitches are hittable
pitches and will be a judgment call by the umpire.)
C.) If the batter, on the sixth pitch, does not swing, it will be considered a strikeout.
D.) If a batter swings at a pitch and misses, that is considered a pitch and
counts towards the batters pitch count. If a batter does not swing and the pitch is
declared ‘bad’, it will not count towards the batter’s pitch count. If a batter
swings at a ‘bad’ pitch (declared by the umpire), it will be considered
a strike. Pitch cannot be declared bad until the ball is past the plate.
E.) If a batted ball goes under, over, around, hits the machine or operator of the
machine and leaves the area of the machine, then the ball shall be considered a
live ball.
F.) Under no circumstances will a player reach under, through or into the machine
to retrieve a ball in the area the machine occupies.. If a batted ball comes to rest under the machine, gets stuck in the machine, or any circumstances that appears that the player could be in danger, the operator should yell “Time, Dead Ball” and remove the ball himself. The batter will be awarded first base and the runners will advance 1 base.
G.) Bunting is allowed.
H.) Fake bunting and swinging is not allowed. The batter will be called out. You may square to bunt and either attempt the bunt or pull back. If you do not pull back, the pitch will be declared a strike. Foul bunt on sixth pitch will be declared an out.
I.) Pitcher must occupy the mound with one foot in the clay on either
side of the machine but not in front of the pitching rubber or machine. Pitchers
may not leave the mound until the hitter has made contact.
J.) There will be stealing of 2nd and 3rd bases only. Stealing may occur once the ball
has crossed the plate. If a runner leaves early and successfully steals a base, he
will be sent back. If tagged before reaching safely he will be called out. If
runner attempts to steal home and is off the base and tagged out runner will be
called out.
K.) To end a play, you must stop the lead runner. This can be
done by throwing to the base where the runner may be advancing to, and he
retreats to the previous base. In addition to this, an infielder may call timeout to
stop the play. If a runner is still moving and progressing towards the next base (i.e. not standing still off the base), the umpire SHOULD NOT grant the time out.
L.) Runners WILL NOT be allowed to take extra bases on overthrows that occur
during an attempted steal. The base stealer may not advance another base but can be tagged out if off the base. On a pitch that is declared ‘bad’, a base stealer will be
required to return to the previous base occupied.
M.) Runners may not leave the bag until the ball reaches the batter.
N.) There is no infield fly rule.
O.) A courtesy runner for catcher of record only the previous inning may be used. The courtesy runner shall be the player that made the previous out. If no outs have been recorded in the game, the courtesy runner shall be the previous batter not on base.
P.) A player may only be intentionally walked once per game by announcement from the defensive team.
Q.) All other rules of baseball apply.
7. Umpires
There will be one umpire per game. Each team will pay the umpire $20 at the beginning of the game.
8. Pitching Machine / Scorekeeping
A.) The pitching machine will be set to 40-42 mph using the Blue Flame Pitching Machine.
B.) The home team will be responsible for the scorekeeper.
9. Run Rule
A.) There will be a 10 run rule in effect after 4 innings.