THE FIELD

A. Coaches from both teams shall be responsible for field maintenance both before and after the game. This responsibility includes raking the area around home plate, adding additional dirt when needed and available, and cleaning the field and dugout after the game. Coaches should include a team parent and players in clean up.

B. The distance between the bases shall be 50 feet. The distance from the pitchers mound to home plate shall be 40 feet. Foul arc at home plate is 10 feet.

C. In the event the bases are not set before a game, the Home team must set bases and pitchers rubber.

THE GAME
 

A. Games shall begin promptly at 5:30 on weekdays.

B. Failure to field nine (9) players at the beginning of the game shall not be cause for forfeiture of the game. A missing player shall be counted as an out and marked as a K in the official scoring book each time that player's turn at bat is reached in the batting order.

C. Failure to field at least eight (8) players at the beginning of play shall be cause for forfeiture of the game upon appeal to the umpire in charge. Teams shall be given 15 minutes after the scheduled start of the game to field at least 8 players.

D. There may be two adult base coaches. Base coaches may not touch or interfere with a runner.

E. There may be a batting coach, designated to be stationed at home plate to help position the batter. A coach must step out of the battery area prior to batter hitting the ball.

F. After two outs, any player who will play the catcher's position in the subsequent inning and who has reached base safely, must be removed from the bases and replaced by a pinch runner. That pinch runner shall be a player not in the line-up. If there are no eligible pinch runners, the last out may run.

G. No new inning shall begin after 7:00 pm unless the start of the game was delayed on account of weather, condition of the field, or absence of umpire. Tardiness of players or coaches does not constitute an exception.

H. When called on account of darkness, weather or the time of day, an official game shall consist of three complete inning or 2 1/2 if the home team is ahead at the bottom of the fourth inning. A full game is 4 innings.

I. Both coaches are responsible for keeping an official score book for each game played. At the conclusion of each game, coaches will sign both books, noting the final score. The umpire shall also sign both books.

J. All scores will submitted to the division coordinator, either by form, or by email, prior to Friday of each week at 6:00 pm.

K. No team shall participate in a game against a team not a part of Hyde Park Legends without the prior approval of league commissioners.
 
 
 

THE PLAYER

A. Wrist watches, jewelry (including finger rings, bracelets, necklaces, chains, chokers and earrings) and any large hair accessories such as barrettes or balls which either extend beyond the baseball cap and could cause injury, or which prevent proper use of the batting helmet, shall be removed prior to the start of the game. This rule applies to both male and female players. Rubber cleated shoes are optional. No metal cleats are allowed.

B. All male players shall wear an athletic supporter with a hard plastic cup during all practices and games.

C. No batter, during practice of a game situation, shall enter the batter's box to receive a pitched ball without an approved protective helmet having temple and ear protection. ALL on deck batters, base runners and player coaches shall wear the same.

D. Whenever there is a batter in the batter's box, no player shall enter the catchers box to receive the pitched ball without the appropriate protective gear: a helmet with face mask and throat guard, a properly fitting chest protector, an appropriately sized knee and shin guard, and, if a male, an athletic supported with a cup.

E. All players shall wear complete team uniforms- hat, team shirt, pants and stockings. No player shall be allowed to compete in games if not in complete uniform. No pins, buttons or patches shall be attached to any part of the uniform.

F. There will be one continuous batting order. Coached may not change a line up once a game as begun, except to add late arriving players.

G. All players shall play a minimum of 2 out the first 4 inning in the field in the game, or six defensive outs.

H. A batter shall be called out, on appeal, when failing to bat in proper turn and one pitch is thrown to another batter in place of the proper batter. The proper batter may take his or her position in the batter's box at any time before the improper batter becomes a runner or is put out, and any strikes shall be counted in the proper batter's time at bat.

I. When an improper batter becomes a runner or is put out, and the defensive team appeal to the umpire before the next batter attempts to hit (of either team) or before any play or attempted play, the umpire shall declare the batter out and nullify any advance or score made because of a ball batted by the improper batter or because of the improper batter's advance to first base on a hit, walk or error.

J. When an improper batter becomes a runner or is put out, and the next batter attempts to bat (of either team,) before an appeal is made, the improper batter thereby becomes the proper batter and the results of such time at bat become legal.
 

K. During the season, but prior to the playoffs, any player who has not satisfied the requirement set forth in Rule G shall start and play the entire next game.

L. During the playoffs, failure to satisfy the requirement of rule G shall be cause for forfeiture of the game upon appeal to the Commissioners.

M. Players arriving after the second inning is completed shall play only at the discretion of the coach.

N. Players returning from an absence of 3 or more consecutive games and/or practices shall play only at the discretion of the coach. Such player shall miss no more than one game after such absence.

O. In the cases set forth in M and N, failure to satisfy the requirement of rule G shall not constitute cause for forfeiture of the game. It is the responsibility of a late comer's coach to notify the opposing coaches and umpire of all late arrivals that are to play.

P. Except when overrunning first base, a base runner shall be out when the runner does not slide or attempt to get around a fielder who has the ball and is waiting to make the tag. If in the opinion of the umpire, the base runner did not act in a safe and sportsmanlike manner, the runner will be called out.

Q. A fielder who does not have the ball, or who is not at that moment in the process of receiving a ball thrown by another fielder, shall not cause a base runner to slide. The defensive player is interfering with the runner who shall be awarded the base.
 
 
 

GENERAL RULES
 

A. MAXIMUM INNING: four inning game. In the event of a tie, if time permits, additional innings shall be played to break the tie. If time does not permit, the League Administrator Commissioners will set the time and date to play the additional innings.

B. RAINOUTS: The League Administrator shall set the time and date to play the rained out game.

C. In tied games, rainouts of started games and in games called due to time, the team shall use the same batting order as in the original game. Only if the players are not available shall substitution be allowed.

D. The infield fly rule shall not apply.

E. All play shall stop and the runners shall not advance when the pitcher has possession of the ball and is on the pitching mound.

F. Any batter throwing a bat is automatically out.

G. A team may use a tenth player in the field.*

* This rule was added by the Advisory Board on June 16th, 2004.