INTER-LEAGUE RULES  (As of 02/17/2023)


According to Little League Policies, the DISTRICT is responsible for Inter-League Play.  This Agreement is intended to be in compliance with all rules, regulations, and policies of Little League Baseball, Inc.  If any discrepancies are found, the Rules and Regulations of Little League Baseball shall govern.

Each league will assign a League Representative to be the Single Point of Contact for Inter-League play.  A league may assign One Person for Baseball and One for Softball or ONE for both Baseball and Softball.  The League Representative must have the authority to act on behalf of his/her league in all matters regarding Inter-League Play.

District Inter-League Representative: Lou Barbieri.

If a major problem arises (team no-show, forfeits, ejection, etc) during Inter-League play,  please email Lou at [email protected].

SCHEDULES

Schedules will be developed at an Inter-League Scheduling Meeting.  Each League sets its own schedule, the District does not assign leagues to play games, games are scheduled by the leagues.

Games not played due to weather, field conditions, schedule conflicts, or lack of players for both teams, will be Re-Scheduled to a place/time agreeable to BOTH Managers and the applicable Field Coordinator.  Games Canceled by agreement of both Managers at least 24 hours prior to game time will be Re-Scheduled to a time/place agreeable to BOTH Managers and the applicable Field Coordinator.  The District does not reschedule games.

GAMES

 The Visiting Team manager shall call the Home Team manager at least 48 hours prior to the game to ensure there are no problems.  If the Home Team manager does not hear from the Visiting Team manager then the Home Team manager should call the Visiting Team manager 24 hours prior to the game to ensure there are no problems.  It is imperative that the two managers “communicate” so there are not any problems with “no shows”.

TEAM ROOSTER & POOL PLAYERS

The Manager (or Coach if the Manager is not in attendance) must have a copy of the Team Roster with him/her at every Inter-League game.  The use of players not listed on the Team Roster is prohibited (Exception: Pool Players are allowed in ALL Divisions – subject to the restrictions described below).

Pool Players:  Each League’s Player Agent is responsible for maintaining his/her League’s Pool Player List.

Pool Players are assigned by the League’s Player Agent on a game by game basis.

Exception:  If the team is playing a double-header the same Pool Player(s) may be assigned for both games. 

POOL Players are allowed when a team needs additional players for a game.  No more than two (2) Pool Players may be assigned to/used by a team in any game.  The number of Pool Players plus Rostered Players can-not exceed 11 players for any game. 

Pool Players MAY NOT Pitch but they MAY Catch. (A local league may opt to adopt a local rule that would prevent a pool player from catching for their team.)  

Pool Players must meet the Minimum Play Requirement (MPR) of 9 consecutive defensive outs and bat at least once OR the local league Pool Player MPR if the local league has an Approved Waiver.

Note: if a player becomes sick or injured or is ejected or if the game ends early due to the time limit, run rule, weather, or any other reason, it is acceptable for the POOL Player to not meet MPR.

At the pre-game meeting at home plate, each Managers must inform the Home Plate Umpire and the opposing team Manager of any POOL Players participating in the game.  Pool Players should play in their regular season team’s uniform (helps identify the Pool Players)

FIELD PREPARATION

Prior to the game, fields will be prepared (bases in place, foul lines marked, batter and coacher boxes marked, infield groomed, grass cut, and dugouts cleaned) by the league on whose field the games are being played. 

If two games are scheduled, BOTH teams share field duties between games. 

After each game, BOTH teams are required to clean their dugout and the spectator area of their fans if the players and fans fail to do so.  Failure to fulfill these duties may result in disciplinary action against the manager of the team(s).

CURFEWS

Curfews are in accordance with Little League Rules unless otherwise established by the League / Park as set by the governing County / City / Town.

INJURIES

Injuries need to be documented on the LL Injury Form.  The Form may be completed by the League where the Injury occurred but must be filed by the League / Team of the player injured.  A copy of the Injury Form must be sent to the District Safety Officer.
GENERAL RULES AND REGULATIONS

Little League Regular Season Rules Apply in All Games

In the event Umpires and/or Coaching Staffs fail to enforce the following rules, any League Official or District Staff Member present is obligated to discuss the rule violation with an Umpire.  Should the rule violation continue the violator is to be reported to the District Inter-League Coordinator who in turn, will contact the President(s) of the offending League(s) for appropriate disciplinary action.

GAME TIMES AND DURATION

Games will begin at the time set in the Inter-League Schedule.  If two or more games are scheduled on the same field, succeeding games will start 15 minutes after the previous game has ended, or at the scheduled time, whichever is later (if both Managers and the Umpires agree, the game may start earlier). 
NO LEAGUE SHALL IMPOSE GAME TIMES OTHER THAN THOSE LISTED BELOW.

Time Limits - No new inning shall start after:                            

1.     1 hour and 15 minutes for T-Ball for All Games

2.     1 hour and 30 minutes for Rookie (eg: 7/8) Baseball and Softball for All Games

3.     1 hour and 30 minutes for Minor Baseball and Softball during Fall Ball

4.     1 hour and 45 minutes for Minor Baseball and Softball during the Regular Season

5.     1 hours and 45 minutes for Major Baseball and Softball for All Games

6.     2 hours for Intermediate (50/70) Baseball for All Games

7.     2 hours and 15 minutes for Junior and Senior Baseball and Junior and Senior Softball for All
        Games.  Exception: If a doubleheader is being played in Juniors or Seniors the Time Limit shall be
        reduced to 2 hours for each game.

8.     If a game is tied when the time limit is reached the game should continue until the winner is
        determined or the curfew is reached (whichever comes first).

9.     If another game is not scheduled on the same field following the game being played BOTH
        Managers may agree to waive the time limit.  The agreement must be made PRIOR to the Start of
        the Game and the Home Plate Umpire must be notified that the game is being played without a time
        limit. 

Games ended by Time Limits are Regulation Games.

FORFEITS

In the event that neither team is able to field at least eight players to start the game, no Forfeit applies, and the game should be Re-Scheduled.  

If only one team is able to field eight or more players to start the game the game will initially be declared a Forfeit in accordance with Rule 4.16.  The potential Forfeit shall be reported to the District Inter-League Representative via email.  A decision will subsequently be made as to whether the Forfeit shall stand or the game rescheduled. 

If the game is rescheduled, the site of the rescheduled game may be different than the original game.  For example, if a Visiting Team travels to another park and the Home Team does not show up, the rescheduled game will, if possible, be scheduled at the original game’s Visiting Team’s park.

If only one team is unable to field eight players and the other team has excess players, the teams may decide to play a “practice game” in which case the team with excess players will loan the opposing team enough players to be able to field a team.  This was initially a scheduled Interleague Game so one of the team has traveled to the location to play.  Rather than going home without playing the teams might as well have a practice game while they are there.

IMPORTANT:  If a team/league consistently fails to show up/have enough players to play, it is up to the other local league(s) to decide if they want to continue to play Inter-League Games against that team / league. If this is the case the District Inter-League Representative should be informed via email.

HOME AND VISITING TEAMS         

The designated “Home Team” on the schedule:

-  Provides the “Official Scorekeeper” who will sit in the scorekeeper shed or the designated area if there is
   no shed (if the Home Team does not provide the scorekeeper, the Visiting Team will become the Home
   Team and will provide the scorekeeper)

-  The Home League (Site where game is played) will provide a plate Umpire and one base Umpire.

-  Provides the game balls.

-  Is responsible for cleaning their own dugout and fan areas after completion of the game.

The designated “Visiting Team” on the schedule:

-  May provide an individual to assist the scorekeeper by keeping the Official Pitch / Inning Count (this
   individual must also sit in the scorer’s shed or the designated area)

-  Is responsible for cleaning their own dugout and fan areas after completion of the game.

ROSTERS & SCOREBOOKS

Each Team must have a copy of the team’s Roster and the team’s Scorebook at each game.  These records must be made available for review by the opposing team and the Plate Umpire in order to alleviate any questions/problems and to help avoid and/or resolve any potential protest situations (eg: use of ineligible player/pitcher).

NOTE: If a team is missing its Roster or Scorebook the game should still be played.  The Opposing Manager may “Protest” the game in which case the Opposing Manager must, within 24 hours, inform the District Inter-League Representative of the situation for further investigation and resolution.

It is the responsibility of each Manager to know the eligibility of his / her pitchers and to assure ineligible pitchers are not used.  Monitoring of Pitchers “rest” requirements are the responsibility of each Local League and disciplinary action taken against managers who use ineligible pitchers is also up to the Local League.  It is NOT the District’s responsibility to monitor pitching requirements.

Each team’s Pitchers of record and the official number of pitches (baseball)/innings (softball) by each pitcher in the game are to be recorded by the game’s scorekeeper.  Monitoring of the number of pitches / innings in a game/day to ensure pitchers do not violate their Maximum Pitch Count must be done.

OPTIONAL LITTLE LEAGUE RULES IN INTER-LEAGUE GAMES

·      Continuous Batting Order: in Majors and above, leagues have the Option to use Continuous Batting
       (it is up to each league). The home team CANNOT force/mandate that a visiting team from another
        league use Continuous Batting, nor may it force them not to use Continuous Batting.

·      All “Run Rules” are in effect for All Games.

·      “The Batter must keep one foot in the batter’s box” is in effect for ALL Games

·      A local league rule may allow a team to start and play games with eight (8) players. For Inter-League
       Play, teams are allowed to start/play games with eight (8) players.  When the missing player’s spot in
       the batting order is due up it will be simply skipped over, no out will be charged/assessed.

·      Courtesy Runners are allowed for pitchers and/or catchers who are on base when there are two
       outs. The Courtesy Runner must be the player who made the last out.

SPECIAL RULES FOR ROOKIES (MACHINE / COACH PITCH) & MINORS

·      Continuous Batting is in effect for ALL Teams, defensive substitutions can be made freely.

·      At the time of the pitch, ALL outfielders must be positioned on the outfield grass.  

·      For Minors, the first three (3) innings, teams will change sides after 3 outs or 5 runs, whichever comes
       first.  From inning four (4) on, teams will change sides after 3 outs. 

·      For Rookies, the first five (5) innings, teams will change sides after 3 outs or 5 runs, whichever comes
       first.  From inning six (6) on, teams will change sides after 3 outs. 

·      For Rookies, a team may play with less than 9 players, but it must field at least 6 defensive infield
       players (pitcher, catcher, first baseman, second baseman, third baseman, and a shortstop).

·      For Rookies, four (4) outfielders are permitted (maximum total of 10 defensive players) but not
       mandated (provides more playing time for the players).  Again, at the time of the pitch, all outfielders
       must be positioned on the outfield grass.

·      Rookies Baseball games will use a pitching machine.

·      Rookie Softball will utilize Coach Pitch.  The Coach will pitch to his/her own team.  

·      In Rookies (Machine or Coach Pitch), the defensive pitcher must stand to the left OR right side of the
       pitching plate with one foot approximately 4 feet away from the pitching plate. 

·      In Rookies, a player is out on strike 3 OR 5 pitches, whichever comes first. (Exception if the 5th pitch
       his fouled off the batter remains batting until a fair ball is hit OR third strike is made. 

·      In Rookies, for Safety Reasons, if a batted ball hits the pitching machine (baseball) or the coach
       pitcher (softball) the ball is immediately ruled dead, the batter is awarded first base, and any runner
       forced to advance will advance one base. Runners not forced to advance will return to their previous
       bases.  If a thrown ball hits the pitching machine/coach pitcher, the ball is immediately ruled dead, and
       each runner will be awarded one base from the time of the throw. 

·      In Rookies, bunting and stealing are NOT permitted.

·      In Rookies, the play is over (ball is dead), when the ball is returned to, and in the possession of, the
       player pitcher with one foot approximately four (4) feet from pitching plate (within the pitcher’s circle
       for softball).

However, players should be encouraged to “make the play” on the runner and not simply throw the ball back to the pitcher.  We need to be teaching these players how to play baseball/softball.  If a play is being made on a runner and there is an OVERTHROW, “TIME” will be called and the runner (and any other runner on the bases) will be given One Base.  An OVERTHROW is defined as a ball thrown towards a defensive player in an attempt to make a play which is outside of the defensive recipients catching arm distance and continues on past the defensive player. A ball that is thrown in an attempt to make a defensive play and is CATCHABLE (either within catching arms distance in flight OR missed within catching arms distance rolling passed) is ruled a live ball (THIS IS NOT AN OVERTHROW) and the runner may advance at their own risk of being put out.

·      Pitching Machines may be mechanical or electrical and should be set to throw the ball over the plate
       with a slight arc.  The speed shall be agreed to by both managers.  If the managers cannot agree the
       Home Plate Umpire’s decision on the speed is final.  The pitching machine should be placed
       straddling the pitcher’s plate.  

·      Coach Pitch Softball should be pitched from a distance of 35 feet.

PROTESTS

When there is a Protest the District Inter-League Representative must be notified via email.  The District Inter-League Representative is responsible for ensuring that the Protest is properly investigated and ruled upon in a timely manner.

Protests are NOT allowed in Minor Leagues, the issue must be resolved by the Manager(s) and Umpire(s) at the field prior to the next pitch / play.

ALTERCATIONS

Any Manager, Coach, or Player initiating or engaging in a verbal or physical altercation at the park before, during, or after a game, is AUTOMATICALLY EJECTED from that game and is Suspended for the team’s next physically played game.  The Head Umpire will report the Ejection to the District Inter-League Representative via email for review and potential additional disciplinary action.

For serious and/or multiple offenses, the individual may be required to appear before a Committee of District Staff and League Officials to discuss the event(s) prior to participation in any further games.

If the individual is a Player, the team’s Manager must accompany the Player to the hearing (the player’s parents/guardians may also attend).  Depending on the severity of the incident, the Committee may impose additional disciplinary action up to and including suspension from Inter-League Play. 

 LOCAL RULES / GROUND RULES    

Individual League “Local / Ground Rules ” DO NOT APPLY in Inter-League Games.  

Exception:  A curfew does apply if it is stipulated by the local Parks and Recreation Department. Visiting teams potentially affected by curfews should be informed of this stipulation prior to the start of the game.

CONCESSION STAND & COOLERS (Outside Food and Drink)

Many leagues need the profits from their Concession Stands as a major source of income.  As such, bringing outside food or drinks into a park is NOT permitted.  

Visiting teams MUST inform their players family and friends of this rule. 

Leagues have the right to enforce this rule to include forcing violators to return outside items back to their vehicles or parking lot.

Exception: Teams are allowed to have ONE Cooler (drinks, wet towels, ice packs, etc…) in the dugout for the players and coaches.

UNIFORMS

Since some leagues register and start later than others so early in the Regular Season and during Fall Ball teams may participate in Inter-League Games without team uniforms.  It is more important for the players to play the games than it is to have the players in uniform.