Rules
10 and Under
Commissioner: Jim Best
Phone:
Email: jimb@mrycsoftball.com
Our 10 & UNDER league is designed for girls age 10 or younger. In this league, except for a few local options the players play by ASA regulations.
Local Rules
- The time limit for a regulation game will be one (1) hour and fifteen (15) minutes. There are no new innings with less than 5 minutes to play.
- A maximum of five (5) runs will be allowed in any one-half inning.
- Ten (10) players will be used on defense, if available. All players present will be listed on the team’s batting order and will bat.
- Defensive substitutions must be made in the third inning. All players must play at least two (2) consecutive innings on defense, if time allows. It is the responsibility of the coach, not the umpire or scorekeeper, to make the required substitutions.
- If a player does not play on defense due to a game lasting only two (2) innings, that player must start the next game on defense. It is the responsibility of the coaches to enforce this rule. Protests related to violations of this rule must be made through the league, not with the umpire on the field.
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A team must have at least eight (8) players in order to avoid a forfeit. If eight (8) players are in the line-up, an automatic out must be taken each time the ninth batting position in the batting order comes up to bat, per ASA rules. A team with less than eight (8) players at the start of the game will forfeit the game and may elect to still play the game as a "scrimmage" game with the opposing team if both coaches agree.
- If a player arrives after a game has started, she will be placed in the final position on the team’s batting order with no penalty assessed. Coach must notify umpire and scorekeeper that an additional batter has been added to the batting order. If a player is listed on the official batting order submitted to the scorekeeper, but is not present when her turn to bat comes up, she will be considered an automatic out.
- If a batter receives three (3) strikes, the batter will be out, and the batter will return to the dugout. If the third strike is dropped, the batter may NOT run to first base.
- A players bat may not be a "composite" bat or a baseball bat as determined by an umpire or League official. All bats must have the ASA 2004 Certified stamp on them.
- A child pitcher may only pitch two (2) innings per game. An inning shall be any time a pitcher throws a pitch in an inning.
- After a child pitcher has pitched a total of 4 balls (A WALK) to any one batter, an offense pitching coach will come in and pitch a maximum of two (2) pitches to the batter. When a coach is pitching, the child pitcher must have one foot inside the pitching circle until the ball is hit. If the batter does not hit the ball pitched to her by her pitching coach, the batter will be out and must return to the dug out. At that time the child pitcher will return to the pitching rubber and pitch to the next batter.
- If a batter fouls a ball on her 3rd strike off a child pitcher, the batter will continue to bat off a child pitcher until the batter hits the ball, batter strikes out, or receives four (4) balls (A WALK) off the child pitcher at which time a pitching coach will come in to pitch. If a coach is pitching and the batter fouls off the ball on her third strike, batter will continue to bat until batter hits the ball, strikes out, or receives her two (2) pitches from the pitching coach. If the fouled off ball on the 3rd strike is the batter’s second pitch from the coach, she will receive another pitch from the coach.
- No walks will be allowed except in the instance of the batter being hit with a pitch by the child pitcher. Batters will have 2 options if hit by a pitch. The batter will choose one of the following options: allow the coach to come in to pitch 2 pitches OR the batter takes first base when hit by a pitch. No walk will be allowed if the batter is hit by the ball from a pitching coach. However, the pitch will count as one of the batter’s 2 pitches from the coach.
- Each team will be allowed three (3) outs per time at bat. It is the coach’s responsibility to keep up with his or her own batting line up, which child received the 3rd out the prior inning and which child begins batting the next inning. This is not the umpire or scorekeeper’s responsibility.
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Base runners will be allowed to steal 2nd base and 3rd base during the time a child is pitching only. Stealing home plate is not allowed. Double steals will not be allowed - meaning the runner may not advance on an overthrown ball or otherwise. A base runner may not take extra bases on a steal during an overthrow to the pitcher. A base runner must remain on base until a pitch a pitch leaves the pitcher's hand. This rule applies only to when a base runner attempts to steal a base.
- There will be no stealing of bases at a time when a coach is pitching.
- When a team is batting, a coach is allowed at fist base, third base, and pitching, when required.
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When the child pitcher has control of the ball in the pitcher’s circle, the play is over. An offensive player with control of the ball may request time from the umpire who shall grant time once all base runners have stopped advancing.
- If a game is tied at the end of regulation, the tie will be played off immediately, according to official ASA tiebreaker rules.
- Rain outs will be rescheduled and played in order in which they were originally scheduled (for rain-outs that are in addition to the number determined at the start of the season by the League), unless: (1) The game is rained out again, or (2) One of the teams already has a game scheduled for the make-up date.
- For purposed of making up a rain-out, a coach must be notified by at least 4:00 p.m. on the day before the make-up game is scheduled.
- Overall win/loss records will determine the regular season playoff teams in each of the league divisions. If there is a tie after the overall records are considered, the first tie breaker will be the winner in head-to-head competition. The second tiebreaker will be divisional win/loss records.
