• All Dixie Youth rules must be met.
• The league president, vice president or league coordinator must explain all tournament rules, dates, locations, practice schedules, etc. to all the regular season head coaches and parents of participating players

SIGNAL MOUNTAIN DIXIE YOUTH

LOCAL RULES

“AAA” LEAGUE (9-10YRS.) AND "MAJOR" LEAGUE (11-12 YRS.)

1. Overall:

   1. This list is a summary of the MINOR AND MAJOR rules.  All rules in the Dixie Youth Baseball Handbook also apply. Coaches should know and understand the Dixie Youth Baseball Official Rules and Regulations (DYB).
   2. Rules listed below beginning with [DYB X (x)] are for emphasis only and are not intended to supersede DYB rules.  However, those Local Rules listed below without reference to DYB rules shall take precedence.
2. General:

   1. A responsible adult must be in the dugout at all times during games.
   2. All equipment will be kept in the dugouts.  The on-deck batter and his equipment must remain in designated safety areas.  Umpires and coaches should stop play until these safety rules are met.
   3. All baseball equipment brought to the games or practices by players will become part of the team’s equipment and under the control of the coach until the game or practice is concluded.
   4. If a child is injured during a practice or game, the parents should be immediately notified and if necessary call 911.
   5. [DYB 1.12-2004 Amendment]  Catchers must wear a catcher’s mitt to protect the hand. 
3. Starting the Game:

   1. Coaches and umpires must be prepared to start the game on time, and not delay the game between innings
   2. Coaches should understand their responsibilities. 
      1. The first team listed on the schedule shall be the Home team.
         1. The home team will use the first base dugout, and will furnish two (2) game balls. 
         2. Home team is responsible for rescheduling make-up games.
         3. Home team is responsible for the concession stand. 
      2. Visiting team is responsible for:
         1. Preparing the field for play. 
         2. Provide providing an adult scorekeeper in the scoring tower at the start of the game. Coaches and umpires will assure that only scorekeepers (over the age of 13) are in the scoring tower.  If necessary, games should be stopped until this rule is complied with.
         3. Score keeper will be the official timekeeper and both head coaches and head umpire must be in agreement as to the starting time before the game starts.
   3. The head coach of each team must submit his team’s batting order to the opposing head coach and to his designated scorekeeper.  Conflicts in runs, batting order, and other matters should be “discreetly” discussed and resolved before play continues.
   4. [DYBB 3.03(d)(2)] All players present will be listed in the batting order for each game.  Players who arrive late will be added to the end of the batting order.
   5. [DYBB 3.03 (e)] Free substitution on Defense.  
      1. No player shall sit on the bench more that 3 defensive outs until all players on his team have sat out 3 outs.  The foregoing rule shall not apply to the starting pitcher whom shall be permitted to pitch up to six consecutive innings in accordance with Dixie Youth rules; however, after the starting pitcher is removed, if all other players have sat on the bench for 3 defensive outs, such player shall be required to sit on the bench for the following inning.
   6. A minimum of 7 roster players must be fielded by a team within 15 minutes of the scheduled starting time. 
      1. Two pickups will be allowed. 
      2. Pick-ups should be of equal or lesser rating to the replaced player. 
      3. The opposing coach must be advised of the player to be picked up and agree with the rating. 
      4. The pick up player must play in the outfield and bat last. 
      5. The pick up must leave the game when a regular team player arrives.
   7. A team can play a regular season game with a minimum of 8 players. 
      1. If a team elects to do so, a “phantom player” must be inserted into the team’s official batting order.
      2. Each time the “phantom player” is due to bat, an automatic out will be registered.
      3. The opposing coach must be advised of the “phantom player” and his position in the batting order.
4. Inclement Weather/Makeup Games:

   1. Both coaches and the head umpire should discuss field conditions and inclimate weather conditions before and during the game. 
      1. If, at any time, one of the three feels conditions is unsafe, the game should be halted. 
      2. If lightening occurs, the field must be immediately cleared and remain cleared for a minimum period of fifteen minutes.
      3. Games called before completion because of weather will be restarted from the point of termination at the earliest possible date.  Coaches and umpires should record the exact time the game is stopped and the exact circumstances including the count on the batter, runners on base. etc.
   2. In the event of rain prior to start of the game, both coaches should contact each other to discuss playing conditions and rescheduling, if necessary.  Every effort should be made to play the game as scheduled.  If decision is made to reschedule, umpire coordinator and league coordinator must be advised. 
   3. [DYB 4.10(a)(5) &(6)] Games called before completion because of weather shall be considered complete games if both teams have batted 4 times, or in the case of the home team, when it is leading and the visiting team has batted 4 times.  Exception: if any team is winning by 10 runs after 3 complete innings, game will be considered a complete game.   
   4. Make-up games have priority over practices. If a make-up game is scheduled, the coach with the scheduled practice should be given as much notice as possible.  Call League Coordinator for rescheduling all games or practices.
5. Completion of Game:

   1. A new inning will NOT begin after 9:00 P.M. on school nights.
   2. A game shall be considered complete when the visiting team is ahead by 10 runs at the end of 4 innings (3 ½ innings if the home team is ahead by 10 runs.)
   3. Each game shall have a 6 inning or 1 ½ hour time limit whichever is shorter, so long as both teams have had an equal number of times at bats.
      1. A new inning may begin if time is on the clock upon the third out by the home team.
   4. The time or 6 inning rule does not apply to tie games during the regular season.  In the event of a tied score at the end of the allotted time or 6 innings, the game remains a tie, NO EXTRA INNINGS WILL BE PLAYED.
   5. The results of each game must be called to the league coordinator by the winning coach as soon after the game as possible.
6. Sportsmanship:

   1. Coaches and players are required to demonstrate good sportsmanship and congenial fellowship, with the adult leaders providing the example.  In order to assure this leadership, coaches are required to keep all communications with the umpire, other coaches, and league officials to a private audible tone.  Umpires or league officials will remove a coach from the game and playing field for unsportsmanlike behavior.  No warning is necessary.  A coach that is ejected from a game will be suspended for his team’s next consecutive game, including tournament games.  The league coordinator must be advised that a coach has been ejected from a game.
   2. In the event a situation occurs in the stands or on the field involving parents or other spectators, both coaches should meet with the umpires in a discreet manner to resolve the problem as quickly as possible.  The umpire has the right to halt play until the problem is resolved.
   3. Players will be removed from games for maliciously throwing batting helmets or any other equipment.  No warning is necessary.
7. Runners:

   1. [DYB 7.08(l)] The runner will be called out if attempting to slide headfirst while trying to reach the next base.  Rule does not apply to runner attempting to dive or return to a base. 
   2. [DYB 7.09(m)] The runner is out if he does not slide or attempt to get around a fielder who has the ball and is waiting to make the tag.  Ball is dead and other base runners take bases they had reached at time of violation.
8. Base Coaches:

   1. Base coaches must remain in the coach’s box while their team is at bat unless they request and receive a time out from the umpire. 
      1. Violation of this rule and any other action by the coach that the umpire feels is for the purpose of intimidating the pitcher or other players or for the purpose of delaying the game will result in the coach being delegated to the dugout for the remainder of the game.
   2. [DYB 5.13] No more than one time-out on offense to talk to a batter is permitted during the same time at bat.
      1. Any attempt (in the opinion of the umpire) to intentionally delay play will result in a warning by the umpire.  The umpire can then take steps to speed up play, such as calling a base runner out, calling strikes on a batter, limiting warm-up throws for a pitcher, or any other means necessary to speed up the game.
   3. All coaches and players not required to be on the playing field will remain in the dugouts.  Only the head coach and two assistant coaches will be allowed in the dugouts.  Younger children will not be allowed in the dugouts or on the playing field.  Defensive coaches will not leave the dugout until they have requested and received a time out from the umpire.
9. Pitcher (Pitching rules listed below are only for regular season only, see tournament rules):

   1. [DYB 8.07(a)]  No pitcher may pitch more than 6 innings per week. 
      1. [DYB 8.07(a)]  The only exception to this rule occurs when a pitcher starts a game and pitches through the seventh inning (in case the game is tied at the end of six innings).  This assumes that the pitcher has not previously pitched in the current week.
      2. [DYB 8.07] One pitch in an inning constitutes a complete inning. 
         1. If a team uses three pitchers in one inning, then all three pitchers are considered to have pitched one inning.
      3. [DYB 8.07(a)] A week is considered to begin on Monday.
   2. [DYB 8.07(b)]  If a pitcher pitches more than two innings (two innings plus one pitch in a third inning), that pitcher must wait a minimum of 36 hours before he can pitch again.
   3. [DYB 8.07(d)]  Once a pitcher has been removed from the game as a pitcher, he cannot re-enter that game as a pitcher.  He can go back in the game at another position.
   4. If, in the judgment of the head umpire, a pitcher becomes so wild that possible injury to a batter could occur, the umpire will discreetly remove the pitcher from the mound.
   5. [DYB 8.03(a)]  At the start of an inning, a pitcher is permitted no more than 8 warm up pitches.
      1. [DYB 8.03(b)] A new pitcher brought from another defensive position is permitted as many warm up pitches as the umpire deems necessary. 
      2. [DYB 8.04] When bases are unoccupied, pitcher shall deliver pitch within 20 seconds after receiving the ball.  Each violation of this rule will result in umpire calling a “Ball”.  
   6. [DYB 5.12 & 8.06(b)] A manager may request time to talk to his pitcher or defensive players two times during the same inning with the same pitcher.  On the third request for time in an inning, the pitcher will be automatically removed from the mound but not the game.
   7. This list is a summary of the MINOR AND MAJOR pitching rules.  All rules in the Dixie Youth Baseball Handbook also apply.
10. Tournament:

    1. There will be a seeded, single or double elimination tournament played at the end of the regular season for all AAA and Major leagues. 
       1. Teams will be seeded in each tournament by their regular season records. 
       2. A team’s final ranking will be determined by the team’s win-loss record.
       3. If a tie exists, the win-loss record between the tied teams in heat-to-head play will then be considered. 
       4. If the tie remains, net runs in head-to-head play will be considered, followed by net runs in all games played.
    2. A team must field 9 players for tournament play, seven of which are on their official regular season roster. 
       1. If necessary, any team can pickup a maximum of 2 players.  The pick-up players cannot be rated higher than a 6 and must be of equal or lesser value than the player they are replacing. 
       2. The opposing coach must be advised of the pick-up and agree with their rating.
       3. The “phantom player” rule will not apply to tournament games. 
       4. The league coordinator will resolve any conflicts concerning the eligibility of pick-up players prior to any games. 
    3. A team can continue to play if injury, sickness or ejection causes a player to leave a game, and an out shall be registered each time the player’s vacant position in the batting order comes up during the remainder of the game. 
    4. Trophies will be awarded to the 1st and 2nd place winners for all tournaments.
    5. Regualation tournament games are:
       1. Single elimination tournament games are six innings.
       2. Double elimination tournament games may have a time or inning limit or combination thereof.
    6. Pitching rules for tournament games are same as regular season except:
       1. Consecutive game rule applies with a four inning limit rather than a three inning limit per DYB.
       2. Each pitcher is limited to 13 innings for the entire tournament.
11. All Stars:

    1. All Star team and coach selection will be controlled by the league coordinator in accordance with the Board’s stated general rules and policies. 
    2. Any player selected for All Star play who anticipates being absent for more than 4 or more All Star events or official Dixie Youth tournament play will not be able to be on the team.
    3. The coordinator will hold a meeting of head coaches a minimum of 2 weeks prior to the earliest date allowable by Dixie Youth to start All Star practice. 
    4. The coordinator and league coaches may establish the selection process. 
    5. The players named to the All-Star squads shall not be announced until after the season ending tournament