MUSTANG INTER - CITY RULES

 

Revised 3/10/07

 

TIME LIMITS / INNINGS (If an inning starts before the time limit expires, the entire inning is to be completed. Start times for games will be observed as scheduled with a 15-minute grace period allowed for the minimum players necessary to start the game. FORFEIT after the 15 minute grace period has elapsed)

 

Ø      2 hours or 6 innings, which ever comes first.

o        Tied games will be played until a decision has been reached, but not to exceed 8 innings or time allotted.        

Ø      15 run rule after 4 innings, 3 ½ if home team ahead by 15 runs.

Ø     10 run rule after 5 innings, 4 ½ if home team ahead by 10 runs.

 

SUBSTITUTIONS / PLAYER PARTICIPATION

Ø      If a team can’t field (9) players, can play with 8 (9th spot is NOT AN OUT).

Ø      Each player must play 6 consecutive defensive outs in the field. PENALTY: Forfeit

·         Exception: Game called by rule of umpire, injury to player, time limit.

Ø     Players shall remain in the same batting order lineup as submitted at beginning of game.  Should team have any late arrivals of players, such players will be put in the bottom of the lineup submitted and bat in their order. I.e.  Player(s) arrive late, team has 10 players already in lineup, late player(s) shall bat 11th (12th, etc.) in the lineup.

 

THROWING BAT

Ø      Accidental (Any bat that strikes or comes dangerously close to striking a player): 1st time: Team warning / 2nd time: Player causing infraction from the team already warned is called out. Umpires discretion if such incident is intentional.

Ø      There will be no ejection of player from game unless such throwing of the bat intentionally was projected to do harm to another player or Umpire. Again, Umpires discretion if accidental or habit.

 

PITCHING (One pitch constitutes an inning)

 Ø      No more than 3 innings per calendar day and 6 per week (Mon-Sun). PENALTY: Forfeit

Ø      Must have 40 hours rest after pitching 3 innings in one calendar day PENALTY: Forfeit

Ø     For each pitcher during an inning, ONE (1) warning will be allowed on a Balk. Thereafter, during the same inning that warning was given, a Balk will be called. If a Balk Warning is given, even while a Runner is stealing, the Runner shall be returned to the base they left.

Ø     Open pitching.  All types of thrown pitches allowed.

Ø     Intentional walks are allowed. No pitch has to be made.  Must declare to Umpire that player is being intentional walked even after a pitch has been thrown.

 

 

BATTING/ BASERUNNING

MUSTANG

Ø      Continuous batting order.  All players on team shall bat in order on the lineup card.

o        If a player is ejected, their spot in the batting order is NOT AUTOMATIC OUT

o        If a player leaves for any other reason than above, their spot in the batting order is eliminated and NO out is called.  Once a player leaves the game, they may not return later and be inserted.

o        5 runs allowed per half inning for the 1st 4 innings. After the 5th run scores, inning over and only 5 runs scored for the inning at bat. Coaches/Umpires should let the current play finish completely before stopping the inning even if a 6th and/or more score that inning on the one hit.  Only 5 runs will count as allowed in the first 4 innings.

§         Unlimited scoring in the 5th and after innings  

·         BASE STEALING is allowed.  Only from 1st to 2nd or 2nd to 3rd.   Runners may ONLY steal once Pitcher has engaged the rubber on the pitching mound.  I.e. Back foot on front of rubber. 

·         Runners may not steal or advance from 3rd to Home on a pitch or a pickoff play to any base.  Runner on 3rd cannot advance home on a Balk even if bases loaded.

·         Runners can only advance 1 base on 1 pitch (or play from pitcher) at a time.  I.e. If Pitcher attempts pickoff or Catcher throws down, runner may only advance to the base being stolen.   Not get an extra base after.  Example: stealing 1st to 2nd, ball thrown to outfield, runner only gets 2nd.  Example: Pitcher throws pick off to 1st, ball passes first baseman, runner must safely arrive at 2nd to not be caught out and cannot advance to 3rd even if 1st baseman over throws 2nd/SS attempting to catch Runner out at 2nd.

·         Runner will can only advance from 3rd to Home on the following;

·         A) Play is continuous.  I.e.  Ball hit to infield or outfield, Runner may score from 1st or 2nd or Batter can score on the hit rounding the bases.

·         B) Runner on 3rd is walked in due to bases loaded.

·         C) Should a runner on 3rd be picked off by the pitcher or backdoor by the Catcher, runner will be called out and removed from the base.  Any runners from previous base may only advance, one (1) base.  However, they could be thrown out attempting to as well.  To avoid an out, Runner on 3rd must get back to 3rd safely or reach homeplate safely.  Should 3rd base runner be safe at home on a pickle, runner will be returned back to 3rd with no out called.  Any runner who advanced to 3rd shall be returned to 2nd when the runner on 3rd is sent back to 3rd.  Again, if there is an open base on 2nd and a runner on 1st with runner on 3rd, the runner on 1st can only advance 1 base on the play.  May not advance to 3rd from 1st.

·         Courtesy runner for CATCHER ONLY with two outs and catcher on base.  Catcher substitution is for the Last Defensive Catcher in the game.

·          Due to continuous batting order, courtesy runner for Catcher shall be the player who made 2nd out of the current inning.

·        A coach may call timeout only once during the inning to talk to the batter.  A Coach who approaches the batter or the batter leaves the box to approach the coach, shall be considered a timeout for the inning.  This is to help speed the game flow.

·        No drop 3rd strikes.  Batter may not attempt to take 1st on a drop 3rd strike.  Batter is automatically out on strike 3.

 

 

SLIDING

No Mandatory sliding rule., however, a runner who does not slide will be called out by the umpire if there is substantial body to body contact with a player applying a tag, making a catch in order to apply a tag or making a catch in order to make a lay on another runner. The ball is dead and all runners must return to the last base touched at time of contact. If the umpire rules the contact was flagrant, regardless if the slide rule was not in effect (throw down the line), the runner is out and ejected, the ball is dead and all runners return to the last base touched at time of contact.

Ø      Exception: Incidental contact or obstruction. Enforcement and rule interpretation is umpires judgment.  Umpires discretion if contact was flagrant.