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Pony League Rules

PONY RULES – 2021

Play on full sized field. Style and rules of play resemble American Legion Baseball with a single elimination year end tournament. Full array of skills and strategies come together and are used and taught in detail, Continue to work on pitching and fundamentals. Fielding skills become more detailed and strategic with realistic game experience.

COMMISSIONER

Russ Johnson[email protected]

FIELD SPECIFICATIONS

FIELDS USED:

Rotary Field at Oswego Park - Field #7 Smith Complex 

GAME TIME: 6:00 and 8:00 p.m.

BASE PATH: Regulation 90 feet

PITCHERS MOUND: Regulation 60 ft 6 inches

BATTER’S BOX: Regulation Size

COACH’S BOX: Regulation Size 10 feet wide by 20 feet starting from back edge of third base 15 feet from foul line.

HOME TEAM BENCH: Third Base

SCOREBOARDS: Home Team is responsible for running scoreboard and returning remote .

FIELD PREP and CLEANUP: Home team is responsible for setting up at least 20 minutes before game time and picking up of equipment field.

EQUIPMENT

BASEBALLS: Little League approved

BATS: 34 x2 5/8” maximum diameter. Little League baseball approved (1/1/10)

BASES: 2“ Pop-up

SHOES: Metal Cleats allowed

SHIRT: Provided as part of registration fee

HAT: Provided as part of registration fee

GREY PANTS: Must be purchased separately

HELMETS: Players must wear when batting, on deck or running. Players acting as a base coach must also wear a helmet.

ROSTER

TEAM MAKE-UP: Players go through a Skills Evaluation and assigned to a team by a committee of Hastings Baseball. Teams are reformed each year.

ROSTER SIZE: 11 to 13 depending on registrations

GAME REGULATIONS

NUMBER OF BATTERS: Full roster bats until three (3) outs

COMPLETE TEAM: Nine (9)

REQUIRED PLAYING TIME: Required to play half of the innings played each game.

POSITION LIMITS: None

SUBSTITUTION: Free substitution

COACHES: Only coaches with approved background checks are allowed in the dugout or on the field. Coaches may not warm up pitchers at games or practices. On only coaches in Coach’s Box are allowed on the field while teams are batting.

UMPIRES: Paid base and plate umpires. If for some reason umpires are not there, coaches should assign a parent from each team to umpire. If one umpire is there, they should call the plate.

MINIMUM PLAYERS: REGULAR SEASON: With Approval of the League Commissioner, a Team may play with 7 or 8 players.

TOURNAMENT GAMES: Teams failing to complete a full team by fifteen (15) minutes after scheduled time, shall forfeit game. Tournament games must have nine (9) players to start game. Time waiting for players count as game time.

COMPLETE GAME: 7 innings, no extra innings will be played. NO extra innings in Regular season. Scores will be recorded as a tie. In case of games called because of weather, 4 innings is a complete game. (3.5 if home team is leading).

MERCY RULE: If a team is a head by 15 runs after 3 innings, (added 3/2011) or 10 runs or more at the end of the 4th inning, or at the end of any inning thereafter, the game shall be over. The home team need not bat in the last inning if they are ahead.

TIME LIMIT: One (1) hour 50 minutes (first game start time is scheduled time, unless game starts before posted start time) actual time of first pitch, second game start is the actual time of the first WARM UP pitch . The 6:00 p.m. game (or first game scheduled) is the game time, regardless of actual time first pitch. Second game time is the actual time of the first pitch.

WARM-UP: Each team has 10 minutes. Home Team takes infield first.

BAD WEATHER/WET FIELDS: Both coaches of teams playing make decision at game time if fields are playable. Coaches and umpires will make the decision to stop games in progress. If lightning is with in five (5) miles, games must be stopped. If lightning is heard, or with in 5 miles,, players must leave the bench area for safety ( cars or storage room) for at least one half hour from the last lightning strike . Players are not to remain in the open during this time. Commissioner needs to be notified if game is rescheduled.

JEWELRY: Players, coaches, and managers shall not wear jewelry. This includes all Piercings items and jewelry. Medical alert and religious bracelets or necklaces are not considered jewelry, but must be taped down.

Modifications to Official Baseball Rules:

BATTER

MAXIMUM # OF BATTERS: Bat through the whole order until three (3) outs or Mercy rule takes effect,

BAT THROWING WARNING No bat throwing is allowed, whether out of anger or after a swing. One (1) warning per team. PENALTY : Player will sit out the rest of the game.

DROPPED THIRD STRIKE Major League Rules applies

CATCHER’S INTERFERENCE (rule 6.05 b&c): Enforced

BASERUNNING:

LEADING OFF: Permitted

STEALING: Allowed at all base including home.

OVERTHROWS: By Official Rules of Baseball. NOTE balls overthrown a base and stay within the fence are still live.

CONTACT RULE: Runners must slide or give themselves up If a play is imminent at the base they are attempting to advance to.

PENALTY FOR LEAVING EARLY: Play allowed to finish. Once the play is over an appeal must be made before the next pitch. The umpire shall call “Time” and if the umpire agrees that the runner left early, the umpire will give the defensive team the option of allowing the result of the play or to have play nullified and all runners to return to their previous base before the pitch. If the play is nullified, then the pitch is a “NO PITCH” and the count remains the same as before the violation.

DROPPED THIRD STRIKE: Batter may advance – see Official Rules of Baseball

INFIELD FLY RULE: Official Rules of Baseball enforced.

PITCHING:

PITCHING LIMITS Little League Rule VI

(a) Any player on a regular season team may pitch. (NOTE There is no limit to the number of pitchers a team may use in a game.)

(b) A pitcher once removed from the mound cannot return as a pitcher.

(c) The manager must remove the pitcher when said pitcher reaches the limit for his/her age as noted below, but the pitcher may remain in the game at another position:

AGE 13 -15 95 pitches per day

Exception: Exception: If a pitcher reaches the limit imposed in Regulation VI (c) for his/her league age while facing a batter, the pitcher may continue to pitch until any one of the following conditions occurs: 1. That batter reaches base; 2. That batter is put out;

3. The third out is made to complete the half-inning. Note 1: A pitcher who delivers 41 or more pitches in a game cannot play the position of catcher for the remainder of that day.

(d) Pitchers league age 15-18 must adhere to the following rest requirements:

• If a player pitches 76 or more pitches in a day, four (4) calendar days of rest must be observed.

• If a player pitches 61 - 75 pitches in a day, three (3) calendar days of rest must be observed.

• If a player pitches 46 - 60 pitches in a day, two (2) calendar days of rest must be observed.

• If a player pitches 31 -45 pitches in a day, one (1) calendar days of rest must be observed.

• If a player pitches 1-30 pitches in a day, no (0) calendar day of rest is required.

• If a player pitches 1-30 pitches in a day, no (0) calendar day of rest is required

TEAMS / COACHES MUST CHECK PITCH COUNTS AFTER EACH INNING.

NOTE: LITTLE LEAGUE TOURNAMENTS BEYOND THE LOCAL LEVEL FOR 14 AND UNDER HAVE LOWER LIMITS

A player may not pitch in more than one game a day

BALKS:  Balks are called

WARM-UP PITCHES: Seven (7) pitches are allowed to starting pitches in the first inning or new pitchers entering game. After that, Five (5) pitches are allowed.

TRIPS TO THE MOUND: Two (2) trips to any one pitcher in any one inning. On the second trip to the mound to the same pitcher in the same inning means the pitcher must be replaced. If a coach leaves the area (15ft circle) and then talks to the pitcher again or new pitcher is warming up, it will be considered a trip to the mound.

APPEARANCES: Pitchers once taken out may come back as a pitcher. This would be a second appearance. Pitchers are allowed 3 appearances in a week.

MISCELLANOUS

CONDUCT: Coaches are responsible for the conduct not only of themselves, but their players, parents and fans. Umpires may give warnings for unsportsmanlike conduct of players, coaches (including refusal to remain in the coaches box) parents and fans. If a second warning is given, no matter what the score, the game is over and the other team wins. The coach must then appear before the Youth League Board before the team will be allowed to play another game.

DISCIPLINE RULE: A coach may discipline a player for not attending practices and games, but the coach must first talk to the League Commissioner before denying the player playing time. Vacation is not a reason to discipline a player.

PROTESTS: Protests must be made in writing and turned in to the League Commissioner by 12 noon the day following the game being protested. The only protests considered will be a violation of pitching rules or not having a player in the required innings. No protest will be allowed if coaches do not verify pitch counts during the game. Calls made by umpires are not grounds for a protest, if you have questions regarding a ruling by an umpire please contact the Umpire Coordinator.

SLIDING: It is recommended that players slide feet first to the base they are trying to advance to. Head First slides should not be taught. For safety reasons, players should learn to slide feet first. Head First dives back to a base are allowed,Days rest begin at midnight after the game ends.


LITTLE LEAGUE PLEDGE

I trust in God
I love my country
And will respect its laws
I will play fair
And strive to win
But win or lose
I will always do my best.

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