MASSASOIT BABE RUTH BASEBALL
Bellingham * Franklin * Foxboro * Mansfield * Norfolk * Norton * North Attleboro * Plainville * Sharon * Wrentham
Local Rules Spring 2022
The league has two divisions:
- Middle School Division (7th and 8th graders - Must be 13 as of 5/1)
- High School Division (9th Through 12th graders)
Players can "play up" but are not allowed to play down without prior authorization from the league. Players playing up are determined by the individual town baseball rep.
The Massasiot League Directors are from the towns of Bellingham, King Philip, Mansfield, and Foxboro.
The League will follow all rules listed in the official Babe Ruth Rules and Regulations book and the official baseball rulebook except as modified below.
PITCHING
*High School Division
A pitching week is defined as Monday through Sunday. No pitcher is allowed to throw more than seven innings in a week (including high school and AAU innings if appropriate.)
- One pitch constitutes an inning.
- If a pitcher throws three innings or less, he may pitch the next day.
A pitcher who throws four or more innings must have three full days of rest (i.e.: If the pitcher throws more than three innings on Monday, can not pitch again until Friday.)
- The rest rule applies to high school and AAU innings as well (i.e.: If the pitcher throws more than three innings on Friday for his high school or AAU team he can not pitch that weekend and must wait until Wednesday before he may pitch again.)
There are no balk warnings; balk rule is enforced from the 1st day of the regular season.
*Middle School Division
A pitching week is defined as Monday through Sunday. No pitcher is allowed to throw more than seven innings in a week including AAU innings.
- One pitch constitutes an inning.
- If a pitcher throws three innings or less, he may return the next day.
- If a pitcher throws four innings, he must have three full days of rest.
- If a pitcher throws five or more innings, he must have four full days of rest.
- No pitcher may pitch three consecutive days
The Junior High School division, pitchers are allowed one warning on a balk before the balk rule is enforced in all games prior to May 31. After that date, all balk rules are enforced.
All Divisions
Managers 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.
OFFICIAL GAMES
A complete game is 7 innings. All games must show a best effort to be played.
All games not played are treated as forfeits in determining final standings with each team losing one point. If one team is preventing the game from being rescheduled, an appeal may be made to the league directors demonstrating the cause of the forfeit and attempts to reschedule. A forfiet may be determined for one team and a win for the team that tried to get the game in.
No new inning shall begin after 2 1/2 hours ONLY if another game is scheduled to start after game being played. Games with no game following on the shared field 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. Coaches of both teams must agree to either pick up the game where it left off or determine the game to be over at the time of completion.
The winning team receives two points. In the event of a tie, each team receives one point.
An official game is five 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 unless agreed to by both coaches that the game should be determined to be complete. Any new players in attendance when the suspended game resumes may and will be inserted at the end of the lineup. Original line up must remain the same, Any players missing will be skipped in the lineup without penalty.
Again, Incomplete games do not have to be continued should both managers agree to a final score at the time of the suspension of the original game.
SLAUGHTER RULE
If a team is ahead by ten runs or more after completion of either the fifth (41/2 if the home team is leading) or sixth inning 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.
1. A team must have a minimum of seven players from their own roster to play a game. In the regular season, a manager may select players from his division to complete a lineup, but in no instance shall the number of players exceed 10. No substitute player can play more innings than a roster player. In the High School League, players may be used from other teams in that division or called up from the Middle School division. For the Middle School division players may be selected for other middle school teams or 12 year olds maybe brought to play.
In the playoffs, all players must be on the official roster. Roster changes due to injuries may be made up until May 1st. Rosters are official as of May 1st and must be forwarded to the League Directors on or before that date.
Borrowed players may not pitch and must bat at then end of the batting order. Teams fielding 10 players from roster may not add borrowed players.
LENGTH OF APPEARANCE IN GAME
All Divisions
Players arriving late to a game are allowed to play and will be inserted at the end of the batting order without penalty.
All teams shall use a continuous batting order and free substitution in the field is allowed.
A player must have a minimum of three innings in the field. If any player fails to receive that in an official seven inning game (with the home team having its last at bat), the game shall be forfeited.
If a player is required to leave during the course of the game then 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 umpires are required for each game. If only one umpire is present, teams may agree to play, but the umpire must be at least 18 years old. No protest is allowed based on one umpire if the game is agreed to be played.
Middle School Division: Umpires shall be at least 16 years old.
High School Division: At least one umpire shall be a minimum of 18 years old and that umpire shall be stationed behind the plate.
No one shall argue balls and strikes.
Managers may have a reasonable time to discuss plays in the field or rule interpretations. Yelling, swearing or harassing umpires may result in ejection. A player manager or coach ejected must leave the premises.
A player may be ejected without a warning for throwing equipment or other objects. Two ejections for a player or manager in the course of the season 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 should be reviewed before the game. A runner will be called out if in the umpire's opinion there should have been a slide on the play. The baserunner to first base may be called out as well at the umpire's discretion.
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
If there is a high school game being played before your game, find a place to get warmed up so that the game can start as soon as the high school game ends. There shall be no infield / outfield practice before games that will start late.
Courtesy runners will be allowed for injured players, the substitute runner shall be the player who made the last out.
There is no hidden ball in any division.
Metal spikes are permitted in ALL Divisions
Any Babe Ruth stamped baseball may be used as a game ball for all divisions except Dash 1 balls. (Wilson, Diamond, Rawlings).
Traditional matching baseball uniforms must be worn by players. No cut off shirts allowed. Shirts shall be tucked in.
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 field ready. There shall be no pre game batting practice on the field.
A protest should be noted with umpire at the time of the event and the umpire shall sign the scorebook. The coach who is protesting should alert and review the issue with his towns Babe Ruth League Commissioner. If the league directors feel the protest is warranted the town league commissioner should submit a short concise explanation of the protest to all town league commissioners for a vote.
High School Division: head first slide is allowed to and from the base.
Middle School Division: head first slide is allowed only back to a bag.
No slashing
