19-22 MASSASOIT BABE RUTH SUMMER BASEBALL LEAGUE
2020 MASSASOIT SUMMER BASEBALL COLLEGE LEAGUE
This Summer Baseball League will follow all rules listed in the official Babe Ruth rules and
Regulations book and the official Baseball Rulebook except as modified below.
ELIGIBILITY
Though this League remains a 19-22 one, 18 year old baseball age players can be rostered and
are eligible to play. The cut-off date for older players will be those born on April 01,1997 and
later will be eligible to play the 2020 season. Younger players will be eligible if born on April 01,
2002 or before.
BALK RULE CHANGE
The rules of Baseball no longer allow a pitcher, who has his foot on the rubber, to fake a throw
to third base.
PITCHING REQUIREMENTS
There is no restriction on the number of innings pitched during a week.
—One pitch constitutes an inning.
—No pitcher may pitch more than a total of 12 innings within a period of two consecutive days.
—A pitcher may only pitch three consecutive days if they have NO more than three innings on
each of the previous two days.
—Under no circumstances can a player pitch on four consecutive days.
If a player is a current college pitcher, or former college pitcher, the pitching limit is three innings
per game (normal pitching rules apply, i.e., one pitch constitutes an inning, etc.)
The manager must keep pitching logs on all pitchers and record it in the scorebook when the
pitcher has started and stopped.
A pitcher must be removed after the second trip during any inning by a manager and although
he may stay in the game, he may not return to the mound during that game.
Pitchers must accept all catcher signals with the pitcher’s foot in contact with the pitching
rubber.
OFFICIAL GAMES
An official game is 7 innings. All games must be played.
All games not played are treated as losses in determining final standings.
No new inning shall begin after 2 1/2 hours if another game is scheduled to start after game
being played. Games with no game following should be completed.
Extra innings will be played if time/darkness allows.
All games shall revert to the score of the previously completed inning if called due to weather or
time limit.
Winning team receives two points. In the event of a tie, each team receives one point.
An official game is 5 innings. If the home team is ahead after 4 1/2 innings, this constitutes an
official game. All games stopped due to darkness or weather and are not official shall be
treated as a suspended game and shall be resumed from the point play has stopped. Any new
players in attendance when the suspended game resumes may and will be inserted at the end
of the lineup. Original lineup must remain the same. Any players missing will be skipped in the
lineup without penalty.
SLAUGHTER RULE
If a team is ahead by ten runs or more after completion of either the fifth inning or sixth inning (4
1/2 innings or 5 1/2 innings if the home team is leading) and both teams have had equal times
at bat, the game is over.
ROSTER
A team must have a minimum of eight players in order to begin or continue playing a game.
The purpose of the League is to afford players the opportunity to play baseball, so with that
concept in mind, the opposing team will “lend” players to the other team on game day in order
that the team will have nine players on the field. The player(s) lended will not bat for the
opposing team. The player(s) lended can rotate, and do not have to be the same player(s) for
the entire game. The lended player(s) will not be eligible to pitch for the opposing team. The
exception to the above rule is when each team has eight players per side, the game will be
played 8 vs. 8.
During the playoffs, teams will play with players from their own roster.
A team’s roster should be set by approximately the end of the first week of the season. We are
all on the honor system, and it is understood that teams shall not add to their roster later in the
season with players not originally on their roster. Rosters will be turned in to the League by the
end of the first week of the season and managers/coaches should always have their rosters
available with them during games to include their players’ dates of birth.
LENGTH OF APPEARANCE IN GAME
Players arriving late to a game are allowed to play and will be inserted into the lineup at the end
of the batting order.
All teams shall use a continuous batting order and free substitution in the field is allowed.
A player must play a minimum of three innings in the field in a regulation game (with the home
team batting in the 7th inning). If this does not occur, the game shall be forfeited.
If a player is required to leave during the course of the game, his spot in the batting order is
skipped over with no penalty to the team at bat providing the player’s manager advises the
opposing team’s manager prior to his spot in the batting order being reached.
UMPIRES
Two patched umpires are usually required for each game. However, due to COVID-19 and
health and safety concerns for the 2020 season, if town policies/umpire associations require
only one umpire (who must be patched) to work a League game, this will be allowed.
NO ONE shall argue balls and strikes.
Managers may have a reasonable time to discuss plays occurring on the field or rule
interpretations. Yelling, swearing, or harassing umpires will not be tolerated and may result in
ejection. A player, coach, or manager ejected by an umpire must leave the premises.
A player may be ejected without a warning for throwing equipment or other objects. Two
ejections during the season for a player or manager will result in the suspension of the individual
for the remainder of the season (including playoffs).
SLIDE RULE
Slide or avoid is in effect as ruled by the game umpire. This rule should be reviewed before
each game. A runner will be called out if, in the umpire’s opinion, there should have been a
slide on the play.
Any attempt to injure another player (lowering the shoulder, spikes high, etc.) is an automatic
game ejection.
The catcher may not obstruct the runner’s path to home plate or block home plate unless the
catcher is in possession of the baseball.
MISCELLANEOUS
Courtesy runners will be allowed for injured players only. The substitute runner shall be the
player who made the last out.
No hidden ball plays are allowed.
Metal spikes are permitted.
Diamond D-1 PRO, Diamond D1-NFHS, or Rawlings R100-HS baseballs shall be used.
All bats must be BBCOR .50. No greater than -3.
Traditional matching baseball uniforms must be worn by players, though it is understood (due to
the nature of the League) that all matching uniforms may not have been ordered and purchased
by the start of the season.
The field shall be properly maintained in order to assure the safety of the players, coaches, and
spectators. Coaches/players/parents from both teams should be prepared to help get the field
ready. No batting practice on the field is allowed.
A protest should be noted with the umpire at the time of the event and the umpire shall sign the
scorebook. Due to the size of the League, the protesting manager will email the other League
managers (copying the opposing manager of the game in question), and by a majority vote (not
including the two managers of the protested game) the issue will be decided.
Head first slide is allowed.
No slashing is permitted.
No Alcohol is the policy of the League and will not be allowed at any of the fields used for
games.
Each winning manager of every game played is required to report the score and pitching results
(to include the pitcher’s name and innings pitched for both teams) to the League after each
game played. Please make every effort to have the pitcher’s name spelled correctly.
PLAYOFFS
With five (5) teams participating in the 2020 season, the playoff structure will be as follows:
The #4 team shall play the #5 team as the “Play-In” game with the #4 team as the home team.
The #1 team will then play the winner of the #4 vs #5 game (#1 team is the home team), and the
#2 team will play the #3 team (#2 team is the home team). The Championship Game will
consist of the two remaining teams with the higher seed serving as the home team. Cost of
umpire fees will be split by both teams during each playoff game.
If two teams are tied in points at end of season, the following tie-breakers will be utilized to
determine the better seeding:
#1. Head to head records between the teams tied in points.
#2. Total runs scored in the head to head games between the tied teams (most runs wins tie-
breaker).
#3. Overall winning percentage of teams involved in the tie.
#4. Coin flip.
