Men’s League Rules Spring/Summer

 

 

NOTE: We will be using Major League Rules with exceptions listed here in this document.

 

 

1. ROSTERS, REGISTRATION, & QUALIFICATION

1. All rosters must be entered on the website by the first game of the season. A player must be 18 years of age or older and may be added to the roster at any time up to the player transaction deadline of June 1^st.   
2. All Players are required to fill out the league waiver prior to playing in the league.  A player who plays without signing the waiver assumes all risks.
3. Players must be on the roster prior to playing in a game. The league has an open roster policy and once the season begins.  A player may be added to the roster on game day.  This can be done via the app on any smartphone.  
4. Teams are prohibited from using another player from another team if they are short players. If a team cannot field 8 players, it will be a forfeit. If he is not on your roster, he is not able to play.
5. All teams must have their registration fee submitted to the league by the 1st game of the season.
6. Each player must have at least 7 game appearances to qualify for the playoffs. The league must approve any exception.
7. A manager & assistant manager will be playoff-eligible with 0 games played. The manager and assistant must be named before the season starts. 
8. Each manager is responsible to check the website at https://primetimebaseballleague.com for schedule changes.

2. PREGAME

1. Each team will pay their umpire fee of $115 before the game (if there is one umpire, $60 per team). Lineup cards must be given to the home plate umpire in whole during ground rules. They must have first and last names and uniform numbers.
2. Lineups may consist of 9, 10 (EH), or any amount up to and including your entire roster (rotary). Any EH is allowed to go in and out of the field. You may use a DH for the pitcher ONLY and must be marked appropriately. YOU MAY ALSO HAVE YOUR PITCHER LISTED AS A PITCHER/DH. In this case, he may remain in the game as the DH if removed as a pitcher. Conversely, a pitcher/DH may remain in the game as a pitcher if he is replaced as the DH. All teams have the option to substitute freely on the field in any defensive position except for the pitcher. Free Substitution on the field does not affect the batting order.
3. Lineup cards and score books must be done in pen. No pencils are permitted. Subs do not need to be listed on the card unless they are being run for.

 

3. THE GAME

1. There is no new inning after 2 hours and 40 minutes for 9-inning games. Doubleheaders will be 7-inning games with a time limit of 2 hours and 15 minutes.  The clock on the game time limit begins when the umpires are on the field and ground rules are done. Extra innings will require a ghost runner at 2^nd base. There will be a 15-minute grace period to allow a team to wait on their 9th player. Once the grace period has expired, the team that does not have enough players will take the forfeit loss and the other team will get the win. The team that forfeits is responsible for replenishing their forfeit bond ($160) before their next scheduled game.
2. Each team will provide 3 new baseballs per game at minimum. If more balls are needed, each team will provide the umpire with one ball apiece as needed. The league-approved baseballs are the Wilson A1010 Pro, Diamond D1-Pro, AD Starr 600 or 800 (Professional), and Champro DML-100. Any baseball aside from the list must be approved by the league.
3. There is no restriction on the type of wood bat used.
4. All players in the dugout must be in full uniform (for example: Jersey, pants, hat) for the game (unless injured). Managers and coaches do not have to be in full uniform unless playing. However, they should have a matching uniform shirt and hat.
5.  No player out of uniform will be allowed to play without the opposing manager's consent.
6. Only a manager and up to 3 coaches are allowed in the dugout.
7. If you are playing with only 9 (without subs) or batting your entire lineup, and a player gets injured, his spot in the order will be an out once around the lineup. If a team has subs remaining, then the substitute can enter the game in that player’s spot. If you are playing with 9 and a player gets ejected, the game is over. If you are batting your entire lineup (more than 9 players) and a player gets ejected, the spot remains an out for the rest of the game.
8. If a player gets injured and there are no remaining subs available, the last player removed from the game may re-enter in the injured player’s spot in the batting order.
9. Timeouts for offensive conferences are not permitted. Trips to the mound will remain 1 trip per inning with the pitcher being removed on the 2 nd trip.
10. Courtesy Runners: You may have a courtesy runner for one injured player per game (must be last batted out). The designated players to be run for must be circled on the lineup card and presented at ground rules. Use your last batted out. (NOTE: If the last batted out is the other designated player to be run for, use the batted out prior). A runner is also required for the catcher when the catcher reaches base with two outs. The runner again must be the last recorded out in the game.
11. RE-ENTRY: There is no re-entry unless a player gets hurt. Any starter will be permitted to reenter the game in their original spot for the injured person. Substitutes may not reenter. Once a starter reenters the game, any subs that were entered into that spot are done for the game.
12. BATTER’S BOX RULE: Once a batter has taken his position in the batter’s box, he shall not be permitted to step out of the box to use the resin or pine tar rag, unless there is a delay in the game action or in the judgment of the umpires. The umpire may grant a hitter’s request for Time once he is in the batter’s box but the umpire will eliminate the hitter walking out of the batter’s box without reason. The batter shall keep at least one foot in the batter’s box throughout the batters time at bat. If the batter leaves the batter’s box and delays the game, and no reasonable explanation for leaving the box, the umpire shall charge a strike to the batter. The umpire shall award additional strikes, without the pitcher having to deliver the pitch, if the batter remains outside the batter’s box and further delays play.
13. Mercy rule:

15 runs after 4 innings (7-inning game).

10 runs after 5 innings (7-inning game).

15 runs after 5 innings (9-inning game).

10 runs after 7 innings (9-inning game).

14. Intentional walks are verbalized.
15. Relief pitchers are not required to pitch to 3 batters. They only need to pitch to 1 batter or record an out.

4. OTHER RULES

1. EJECTIONS: All ejections will be reviewed. A $50 penalty may be instituted if warranted. A player or coach will be automatically suspended for one calendar year after the 3rd ejection. Any fines must be paid before the suspension starts.
2. Any threats to an umpire will result in a 3-game suspension for the player or coach.
3. The manager will also be ejected/suspended the second time his original player is ejected from a game. 
4. Managers, coaches, and players are responsible for keeping the dugouts and complex clean after every game.
5. If a team forfeits, they will not be eligible for playoffs.
6. After the game, the winning team is to enter the game score on the website. Both teams are to enter their stats. If any team attempts to doctor their stats by adding players in the game that did not appear, the manager will be subject to fines and suspension and the possibility of forfeiture of that game.
7. League directors have the right to rule on anything not covered in these rules.

5. MALICIOUS CONTACT

• "A runner attempting to score may not deviate from his direct pathway to the plate in order to initiate contact with the catcher (or other player covering home plate)." A runner violating the rule shall be declared out, even if the fielder drops the ball.

• "the failure by the runner to make an effort to touch the plate, the runner's lowering of the shoulder, or the runner's pushing through with his hands, elbows or arms, would support a determination that the runner deviated from the pathway in order to initiate contact with the catcher in violation."

• "Unless the catcher is in possession of the ball, the catcher cannot block the pathway of the runner as he is attempting to score." The runner shall be declared safe if the catcher violates that provision. In addition, it is not a violation "if the catcher blocks the pathway of the runner in order to field a throw, and the umpire determines that the catcher could not have fielded the ball without blocking the pathway of the runner and that contact with the runner was unavoidable."

 • At no time can an offensive player use purposeful and/or excessive force when contacting a defensive player whether the defensive player has possession of the ball. The onus is on the offensive player to avoid contact.

• If any player (offensive or defensive) is guilty of malicious contact, obstruction or interference penalties apply, and that player will be ejected.

6. Slide

• When sliding into a base attempting to break up a double play, a runner must make a "bona fide slide." The runner making contact with the ground before reaching the base, being able to reach the base with a hand or foot, being able to remain on the base at the completion of the slide (except at home plate), and not changing his path for the purpose of initiating contact with a fielder.

 • The slide rule prohibits runners from using a "roll block" or attempting to initiate contact with the fielder by elevating and kicking his leg above the fielder's knee, throwing his arm or his upper body, or grabbing the fielder. When a violation of the slide rule occurs, the offending runner and the batter-runner will be called out.

• Accidental contact can occur in the course of a permissible slide, and a runner will not be called for interference if contact is caused by a fielder being in the runner's legal pathway to the base.

7.  INELIGIBLE PLAYERS

            A.  A player found to be ineligible will be disciplined under the league’s rules.  Any player suspended for the remainder of any season must request reinstatement from the league council for any subsequent season. Any such reinstatement is subject to review by the league.

           B. A team using an ineligible player shall forfeit all games in which that player participated.

• A manager who knew or should have known that he was using an ineligible player shall be suspended. Manager reinstatement for any subsequent season is subject to review by the Board.
• Opposing managers and/or league officials may at any time request proof of a player's eligibility, including age. If the question is not resolved at the time of the request, a protest must be filed within 24 hours of completion of the game.

 

8. STATISTICS

 

1. Managers or their designated representatives must enter game scores and player statistics into the official League website after each regular-season game.
2. Scores must be entered no later than 24 hours from the start of the game.
3. Statistics must be entered no later than 5 days following the official game start time listed on the website.  For example, if a game is scheduled for Sunday at 9:00 am, stats must be entered no later than Friday at 9:00 am.
   1. Failure to timely enter sufficient statistics will result in players losing game credits for the respective games played, may result in ineligibility for playoffs, and may result in ineligibility for league-sponsored awards and/or events.
   2. Teams/Managers who do not input statistics in full, or are caught forging stats for playoff eligibility, will be removed from award consideration for the season. 

 

 

 

 

 

9. Length of Game

 

1. All single games shall be nine innings with a time limit of no new inning starting after 2 hours and 40 minutes. All games of doubleheaders will be seven innings with a time limit of no new inning starting after 2 hours and 15 minutes.
2. Games that are tied at the time limit mark will be granted 20 extra minutes to complete the game.
3. There are no tied games for the playoffs. All games must be completed.  
4. The clock on the game time limit begins when the umpires are on the field and the ground rules are done (even if the umpire is late).
5. If a team is late, the time starts the moment the umpires are on the field.  The late team loses its home field game and the team on time claims it. 
6. A game called due to inclement weather or field use restrictions shall be official after five completed innings in a 9-inning game and four completed innings in a 7-inning game.
7. A game called during playoffs due to inclement weather shall be continued from where it was left off.  All lineups must remain the same.
8. A game that is called and it’s not official shall not count in the standings and shall be replayed as a new game. Player and team statistics shall not be counted as official and will not be counted toward playoff eligibility.  Umpires will be paid again at the start of the new game.

I. Tie games shall be counted as ties.

 

10. PROTESTS

 

1. Protests must be held at the time they occur. The protest must be brought to the umpire’s attention during game play and the umpire must sign the book to attest to the protest.
2. Judgment calls by an umpire may not be protested.
3. A manager who wishes to protest must advise the opposing manager and the home plate umpire of his decision to protest the game before the next pitch is thrown or before a runner is retired.
4. A protest arising from a game-ending play must be addressed to the league on the date of the incident.
5. If a camera was used for a call. The umpire may use the camera to correct the call. The image must be sent to the league once it is used.

 

Umpires

 

It is the responsibility of the teams to pay the umpire fees. 

Umpire fees are:

• $115 for a 9-inning game
• $100 for a 7-inning game

A. If only one umpire arrives to officiate a game, the game shall proceed to be played and shall be official.  Please notify the league if this occurs.  This game will be 1.5 times the normal rate, depending on the innings of play. 

B. If a game is rained out and the home team does not call the umpires two hours prior to game time, the home team must pay each umpire Travel pay which is $35.00.

C. If umpires show up to a game and the field is not playable due to the home team not checking the field prior to game time. The home team must pay each umpire a full game pay.