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2009
MADISON BASEBALL ASSOCIATION
LOCAL RULES & REGULATIONS
SECTION 4 - MAJOR LEAGUE - MAJOR DIVISION
(11 & 12 Years Old League)

Note:  Unless otherwise noted in the local rules listed below, all rules of the league are governed by the official rules for the Cal Ripken Division of the Babe Ruth League, Inc.

1. A team may consist of no more than 12 players. The minimum number of players to begin a game is eight. After the game has started, the number of available players may drop below 8 without forfeit, unless the immediate cause of falling below 8 players is due to an ejection of one or more players.  However, the minimum number of batting positions remains at eight throughout the game.  As a result, if a team is playing with eight or less players and a player is removed for the game for any reason other than ejection, the batting position of the player(s) removed shall be counted as an out each time that position(s) comes around.  The batting position of an ejected player shall be counted as an out each time it comes around regardless of how many players are present in the batting order.
    
2. The ten run rule as specified in the Cal Ripken Baseball Rules and Regulations is in effect.
    
3. Home team has 3rd base dugout.
    
4. Only Managers, Coaches, Players and Umpires shall be allowed on the field or in the dugouts during the game. No more than three Managers or Coaches shall be allowed on the field or in the dugouts during the game. All Managers and Coaches excluding the offensive first base coach and third base coach must remain inside their appropriate dugouts or inside the fence surrounding the field.
    
5. Any Player "slinging the bat" that in the Umpires judgment creates a dangerous situation shall receive a warning. The Managers of the opposing teams and the Official Scorekeeper, who shall make a record in the official scorebook, shall be notified of the warning. For any future infractions in the same game, the Batter shall be declared out and no base runner shall be allowed to advance. It has been decided a warning to a particular player does not mean the entire team.
    
6. A team may "Play Up" a child from the league immediately below when there are not enough regular team members to fully field a defensive team.  Only enough players can be played up to fully field a defensive team.  This new player will be considered a "Replacement" player.   Under no circumstances shall a Replacement play in the pitcher position.  A player may NOT be used as a Replacement, if he/she has his/her regular league game starting time of less than 4 hours on the same day as the start time for the team he/she is playing up for. It is the coach's responsibility to make a reasonable attempt to verify that the Replacement does not have a regular league game within that 4 hour time frame.  If a player(s) must be benched due to the total number of players exceeding the maximum defensive positions (resulting from Replacements who have started playing and late team members arriving), no regular team members, who arrived on time, shall sit out defensively more innings than the Replacement players.  Regular team members arriving late and Replacement players are still subject to only sitting out defensively two non-consecutive innings maximum, as is any regular team member (see Rule 9b).  Replacement players must be present and added to the official roster before the start of the game.  Replacement players may not be used to replace a player that is ejected, injured, sick, or leaves the game for any other reason.   
    
7. After the first pitch, a replacement player is identified as a player.
    
8. The visiting team may take the field twenty minutes prior to game time if available. The home team may take the field ten minutes prior to game time if available. If there are less than twenty minutes available, the time shall be divided equally between the teams. If time does not permit, three minutes will be allowed for the home team prior to Visitor at bat and home pitcher warm up, three minutes will be allowed for Visiting team prior to Home team bat and Visitor pitcher warm up.
    
9. Player Participation Rules:

(a)   All Players present at game time shall be placed in the batting order. Any Player arriving after the beginning of the game shall be added to the bottom of the batting order. 

(b)  No player (including any team member and replacement player) shall sit out more than two non-consecutive innings on defense.  If a regular team member arrives after the start of the game, the inning in which the player arrives will NOT count as an inning sitting out IF the player arrives after his team has taken the field for defense in that inning. The penalty for not meeting this rule is forfeiture of the game.

10. It is a regulation game when 1) both teams have completed six innings of play, and the visiting team has scored more runs than the home team. [In case of a tie after six innings of play, a seventh inning shall be played to break the tie. If after seven innings the game remains tied, the game shall end as a tie. Only in tournament play shall the game continue in order to break the tie.], 2) the home team has scored more runs after five innings than the visiting team has scored in six innings, 3) the home team scores the winning run in the last half of the sixth inning before the third out is recorded, 4) the game is shortened by reason of time limit, curfew, rain, or other acts of God provided that both teams have batted four times, or in the case of the home team when it is leading after three and one-half innings of play; note that games shortened by reason of curfew, rain, or other acts of God before they have become regulation games shall be resumed from the point of termination, 5) Ten Run Rule-a game shall be considered a regulation game when a team is ahead by (10) runs after both teams have batted four times, or in the case of the home team when it is leading after three and one-half innings. Pitchers shall only be charged with innings actually pitched. The time limit for games shall be that no new inning past the fourth inning shall start after 1 hour and 45 minutes of play, regardless of score.  A new inning is considered to begin as soon as the last out is made in the previous inning.  The time limit applies to regular season games only.  A system shall be used to determine league standings based on winning percentage. A point system shall be used such that league standings will be determined by winning percentage based on the number of games won versus the number of games played.   

11. Substitute players may reenter the game.
     
12. Headfirst slides are not permitted, unless you are returning to the bag.
     
13. The full defensive team shall consist of 9 players with a maximum of 6 infield players including the pitcher and catcher.
     
14. Any player, who on a given pitch, "squares" to bunt and then takes a normal swing at the ball, shall be called out no matter whether contact is made with the ball or not. A warning shall be issued to the coach of the offending team and no runners may advance on a play in which a fake bunt is attempted. A second attempt in the same game by any batter on the offending team will result in the offending player being ejected. In other words, this rule is to make "fake-bunts" illegal. The intent is to protect young pitchers who are being taught to charge bunts from being injured.
     
15. Baselines will be seventy feet (70') feet for Majors. The pitching rubber will be fifty feet (50') from the point of home plate. 
     
16. All batters and base runners will wear a league approved helmet equipped with a face mask. (facemask requirement deleted 5/13/09 by PA)
     
17. Batters are not allowed first base on a dropped third strike by the catcher.
     
18. Pinch runner for catcher: At the batting team coach's discretion, with two outs, the last batter to record an out, may "pinch-run" for the batting team's catcher, that will catch in the next half inning, if that player occupies a base as a runner.  The head coach must declare that the player, being pinch run for, will be used as a catcher in the next half inning.  The home team may not declare a pinch runner in the bottom of the 6th inning.  The head coach that declares that a player will catch in the next half inning, uses a pinch runner, then fails to have the declared player catch in the next half inning, will serve a one game suspension and the game will be subject to a forfeit.
     
19. Big barrel bats (up to 2 ¾” diameter with no drop limit restriction) are approved for use.