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Rules 8 year old

The Machine Pitch league is instructional baseball. The purpose of this program is to teach participants the fundamental skills needed to play baseball and start to learn good sportsmanship. This program is also intended to groom any 8 year olds interested to proceed to competitive play at the county level beginning at age 9. Score will be kept beginning in this age group (see "mercy" rule, below).  The league and coaches will not be required to keep track of wins and losses.

Regular Baseball Rules Apply Except as Noted Below

Eligibility - to play in the 8 year old league is determined by the player's age as of April 30th of the year. A player is eligible to play at grade level as long as they are not playing with younger children.

The Field of Play - Base distance shall be 50 foot base paths. The front legs of the pitching machine will be placed at 44 feet. A 10 foot in diameter circle is to drawn around the pitching machine. Any batted ball hitting the pitching machine is dead and the hitter is awarded first base. All runners advance one base. Fair Ball Arc - There will be a 10 foot arc drawn from 1st baseline to 3rd baseline in front of home plate. A ball must go past this line to be fair.

Pitching Machine - Both teams will use the same, league-issued pitching machine, agreed-upon by the two coaches, for the duration of a game, with one chosen speed, within the range of 30-36 mph.

Defensive Players - There shall be 9 defensive players in the field at a time. During league play, all players are to play a minimum of 3 defensive innings. The player playing the "pitcher" position must not go within the circle around the machine for the safety of the player. There are to be 3 outfielders (Right, Center and Left field). Outfielders must be at least 20 feet beyond the infield baseline at the beginning of each play.  A catcher must have a mask and chest protector on when behind home plate. At no time is a coach to place more than 9 players in the field at a time. Coaches are to emphasize that infielders are to remain out of the baseline when runners are in motion and at no time may they block a base.

Offensive Players - All players shall be eligible to bat. A late arrival is put at the end of the batting order. The batting order is to be given to the opposing coach and is to remain the same unless a player leaves the game.

Change of Inning - An inning shall end after one of the following has occurred, which ever comes first, 5 runs have been scored or three outs have been recorded.

Game Length - A complete game shall consist of 6 innings or 1 &1/2 hours.

Batting - All players shall be pitched by a coach from their team using the agreed-upon pitching machine.  Players have 5 attempts to put the baseball into play. If after 5 attempts the batter has not hit the ball, the batter is out.  At the discretion of the coaches/umpire, a poor pitch by the machine need not count toward the "5 attempts."

Umpires - A home plate umpire will be assigned by the league to ensure that the proper number of pitches are being given each batter, to call safe/outs in the field, fair/foul balls and time out. (see next line)

Time Out - Time shall be called when a player has control of the ball within the pitching circle, at which time the play is dead and all runners stop and the umpire will place all runners on the closest base.

"Mercy" Rule - At the discretion of a coach, a team can choose to end the game if his/her team is losing badly after at least 4 innings.

Other Rules:

·       There is no leading off or stealing.

·       There is no infield fly rule.

·       There are to be 1st and 3rd base coaches only while their team is batting.

·       The defensive team may have a maximum of 2 coaches in the outfield. These coaches are not to interfere with the progress of the ball.

·       A player throwing a bat will be warned one time, the next occurrence of a thrown bat by the same player will result in an automatic out.