T-Ball & Minor T-Ball – Rules

These rules are in addition to the General Rules

1. Three innings constitute a complete game.
 
2. There will be no scores or standing recorded by the league during regular season play.
 
3. All batters bat each inning regardless of the number of outs made by the defensive team (i.e. 3 outs does not end the half inning). All players will play a defensive position in their defensive half of the inning.
 
4. There are no base on balls and no lead offs.
 
5. Two coaches are allowed in the outfield during their defensive half of the inning. The coach cannot physically assist players. If he does the situation will be treated as spectator interference.
 
6. All infield players must rotate with an outfield player every inning when possible. No player is allowed to play in the same defensive position more than once in a game. No player is allowed to play in the infield for three innings unless the team has ten players or less. The infield positions are pitcher, first base, second base, third base, shortstop, and rover (between 1st and 2nd).
 
7. Each player is permitted 5 swings.
 
8. No bunting is allowed. Batter must take a full swing.
 
9. A batter is out if:
a) he/she hits a ball that does not cross the dead ball line or a foul ball on his/her fifth swing.
b) when his/her fair ball, dead ball or foul ball is caught by a defensive player
 
10. No umpires will be provided for T-ball games.  Since there are no scores recorded the goal of this division is fun, and coaches are expected to help facilitate each inning.
 
11. Last batter status: Any players on the offensive team who are base runners, when the last batter is at bat, are regarded in the same manner as the last batter, and no defensive play can be made on them on the bases. They are all forced home when the last batter has hit the ball fairly.
 
The defensive pitcher must have control of the ball and touch home plate to stop the play. No runs count after the defensive pitcher touches home plate and the half inning ends. If the last batter strikes out or is out on pitch count, the inning is over and all runners are stranded. In the event the last batter is out on a fly ball, the baserunners are permitted to score provided they are on the base when the ball is caught or they re-touch the base after the ball is caught. These runners must score prior to the defensive pitcher having control of the ball and touching home plate. It is the responsibility of the offensive coach to call out ‘last batter’. If ‘last batter’ is not announced all base runners will return to the positions they occupied at the time the ‘last batter’ took his/her position at the plate and the ‘last batter’ will come up to bat again with 5 pitches or swings off the tee.
 
12. Rolling of the ball is not allowed.
 
13. Coaches are not allowed to move any players from their position during an inning except in case of injury.
 
14. The dead ball line is an imaginary line that extends from the tip of the plate 25 feet down the first base line and runs in an arc from there to a spot 25 feet from the tip of the plate down the third base line.
 
15. A fair hit ball is a legally batted ball that goes over the dead ball line. A dead ball is a legally batted ball that does not go over the dead ball line. If a defensive play is made before a batted ball reaches the dead ball line, it is the defensive coaches decision whether the hit ball is live or dead.
 
16. Defensive players are not allowed to cross the dead ball line before the ball is hit.
 
17. Time is called and the ball is dead when an infielder raises the ball in the air and in the opinion of the umpire no attempt is made to make a play on any baserunner. Baserunners will then stay on the base they occupy or advance to the base they were approaching, provided they have reached half way to the next base.
 
18. Outfielders must play 10 feet behind the baselines. The ball must be thrown from an outfielder into an infielder. An outfielder cannot run in and tag a base in order to make an out.
 
19. The length of the base path is 50’.
 
20. Baserunners tagged out on the basepaths or forced out at any base, return to the bench.
 
21. Each team will have the same number of batters each inning. The coaches will determine at the start of the game if there is a difference in the number of players. The team having the fewer players will, prior to the last batter, insert the number of batters required starting with the first batting position. i.e. if two batters short, batters in the first and second positions will be inserted in the first inning. In the second inning batters in the third and fourth positions will be inserted before the ‘last batter’ and so on. Should a batter who can bat again be on base then the next eligible batter will be used and the rotation will continue from that point.