Rookie League

Welcome to the Rookie League!

This Rookie League page is where you find all the information you need pertaining to the Rookie League. Visit this page frequently for the latest scores and standing. The MBA Rookie League is for children 7-8 years of age. This is the 1st competitive league in our program. Players in this league hit a ball pitched from a pitching machine. This is the first league in which the game score is kept and an umpire is involved.

MBA Game/Practice, Field Boss, Concession Master Schedule:
Click here for the MBA Master Schedule (Excel Format)

Rookie League Scores:
Click here for the Rookie League Scores (Excel Format)

Rookie League Coaches:
Click here for the Rookie League Coaches List (Excel Format)

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2008
MADISON BASEBALL ASSOCIATION
LOCAL RULES & REGULATIONS
SECTION 4 - ROOKIE LEAGUE - DIVISION AA
(8 Years Old & Under League)

1. Suggested Rookie League Rules provided in the Babe Ruth/Cal Ripken Official Baseball Rules shall be in effect except as noted herein.
    
2. A team may consist of less than 12 players.  The minimum number of players is 8.  A team is subject to forfeit for not meeting the minimum number of players.  Substitute players may be used from Prep-ball League to fill out the roster to 11 players.  This new player(s) will be considered a “Replacement" player(s).   A child may NOT be used as a Replacement, if he/she has his/her regular league game starting in less than 4 hours on the same day.  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.  The penalty for not meeting this rule shall be forfeiture of the game.
    
3. Home team has 3rd base dugout.
    
4. When a team scores six runs in an inning, that team's time at bat shall be considered complete.
    
5. In addition to the offensive first base coach and third base coach, a third offensive coach may assume a position near home plate behind the batter. Also, two defensive coaches may assume positions in first and third base foul territory and on the outfield side of the coach’s boxes. The umpire will operate the pitching machine.
    
6. Any Player "slinging the bat" which in the Umpire’s judgment creates a dangerous situation shall receive a warning. The Managers of the opposing teams 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 player does not mean the whole team. 
    
7. It shall be a regulation game when, a) both teams have completed 5 innings of play, and the visiting team has scored more runs than the home team, b) the home team has scored more runs after 4 innings than the visiting team has scored in 5, c) a team is ahead by seven runs after both teams have batted 4 times, or in the case of the home team 3 times. It shall be a regulation tie game when the score is even after 5 complete innings. Stopped games that do not qualify as a regulation game may be completed at a later date after review by the Player Agent, and Commissioner of the League. A system shall be used such that league standings will be determined by winning percentage based on the number of games won verses the number of games played.
    
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, there will be no infield practice.
    
9. A pitching machine shall be used to pitch the ball to the batter. The center of the pitching machine shall be located directly above the pitching rubber with its center 46 feet from the back point of home plate. The pitching speed shall be set at 43 M.P.H. and shall remain at this speed throughout each game. The batter shall be declared to have struck out if after five (5) pitches they have failed to hit the ball into fair territory or failed to foul the final pitch, keeping their at bat alive. The batter attempting to bunt on the final pitch shall be declared to have struck out if they fail to hit the ball into fair territory.  Each hitting team will be permitted each half inning to adjust the pitching machine. A ball can be declared "no pitch" by the umpire for an obviously poorly thrown ball, but the machine will not be adjusted during a teams at bat unless three (3) consecutive pitches have been deemed "no pitch". A batter that has received three (3) or more pitches when such an adjustment is necessary will have their pitch count lowered by one (1). There will be no adjustments made for batters with two (2) or fewer pitches.
    
10. If a batted ball hits the pitching machine, or machine operator prior to being touched by a defensive player, the batter shall be awarded first base without liability of being put out. All base runners shall advance one base. If a batted ball hits the pitching machine or umpire after being touched by a defensive player, the ball is live unless the umpire for safety reasons declares the ball dead. If so declared, it is as if the ball hit the machine first.
     
11. Base stealing is prohibited.
     
12. The umpire shall declare time when the defensive player has control of the baseball, the defensive player is in such position as to prevent any additional advancing of the base runners, and all base runners have stopped advancing. (Example: the base runner is stopped on third base, and the defensive player is between the runner and home plate, holding the baseball.  Obviously, the play is at an end, the umpire shall declare time and keep the runner at third base.) (revised 2008)
     
13. There is no infield fly rule.
     
14. 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. A player that sits out the defensive portion of an inning shall do so no more than one consecutive inning at a time and no more than two total innings per game.
     
15. Headfirst slides are not allowed except if returning to a base, the Umpire will declare out a runner for doing so.
     
16. A defensive team shall consist of 11 players unless fewer than 11 are in attendance at the game. At most six (6) players may play the infield at one time, excluding the catcher. All other players must not infringe on the infield at any time. No more than 3 infielders shall stand on one side of an imaginary line drawn from home through second base until the ball leaves the pitching machine.  The pitcher(s) shall stand a safe distance of at least 4 feet from either side of the pitching machine.  If 2 pitchers are used, they will stand on opposite sides of the pitching machine.  All infielders must stay behind an imaginary line drawn from first to third until the ball leaves the machine, with the exception of when a batter attempts a bunt.  When a batter squares to bunt (or otherwise indicates the intention to bunt), 1^st and 3^rd basemen  may move to a position closer to home plate, but at no time during the pitch shall the fielders  move within 15 feet of home plate or  to an unsafe position in front of the machine where they could be struck by a pitched ball. (revised 2008)
     

17. Substitute players may re-enter the game.
     
18. 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.
     
19. If a team has a player who is obviously shorter than the rest of the lineup or the pitched ball does not fall below the shoulders, the coach may move the player back in the batter's box. This includes a position that may or may not take the batter out of the batter's box.
     
20. If at least eleven players are present, a defensive team will field a player in  the catcher position either squatting behind home plate or off to the side a safe distance from the batter.
     
21. All batters and base runners will wear a league approved helmet equipped with a face mask.