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Baseball is a fun but complex game that requires years of playing and observing to fully understand, and even veterans of the game occasionally must refer to the rulebook for clarification. In youth baseball, such as Little League and others, there are additional rules in place that bring the game down to the young players' level and make the game a more fair and safe experience.
At LCB we're committed to following the rules established by Little League as well as our own local rules. We give our managers and umpires instruction and count on their experience to ensure they are followed, however even then a mistake can be made or a call missed, sometimes with a negative effect on a player or a team. Please be patient and understanding, and remember, these are children playing a game - nothing more.
We've created this web page as a forum for any rules question you may have. You can submit your question by clicking on the "Ask a Rules Question" button above and it will be answered directly to you by return e-mail. Questions and answers that can benefit others will be listed in an FAQ format below. If we make a mistake please point it out to us and we'll correct it.
Rules Questions -
How does LCB's 'double elimination' tournament format work?
Every team at every level participates in their age-level tournament
and will play a minimum of two games. Teams will play until they have
two losses, hence the name 'double elimination'. The ultimate goal is
that one team will win their tournament and be champions of their
league.
Is a runner required to slide?
Wow! This is a tough one. (For purposes of this discussion we won't
consider plays at first base, but only those at second, third and home
plate.) Rule 7.08(a)(4) says: "Any runner is out when [he/she] does
not slide or attempt to get around a fielder who has the ball and is
waiting to make the tag." The intent of the rule is collision
avoidance (read: "safety"). This is different than what we watch on TV
with Major League Baseball, where collisions are routine and part of
the game. For safety reasons we don't want that in youth baseball,
therefore there's a rule.
As written, the rule requires the runner to slide or attempt to get around the fielder, so, technically, he/she is not required to slide since they can also go around, under and over the fielder with the ball waiting to apply the tag as long as they stay within a certain basepath while avoiding being tagged. That space is defined in rule 7.08(a)(1) as "three feet away from a direct line between the bases".
Can you imagine how difficult it is for a youth baseball player to make a split-second decision on what to do in this circumstance? "Is the fielder between me and the base?", "Does he have the ball?" "If not, how far away is the ball, which, by the way, I can't see?" "What should I do?" All this in a matter of a couple of seconds while running at full steam. Can you also see that it's a difficult call for the umpire? He's got to take into account the runner, the fielder(s) and the ball and make a split-second judgement call. There are so many variables here, making this one of the most difficult and controversial situations in the game.
Here are some guidelines: 1) The runner should attempt to avoid a collision if there's any chance that a play will be made on him or her. How? By listening to the coach, by watching the body language of the fielder at the plate, and by knowing he/she shouldn't run through another player. 2) The manager should teach his players what to do in these circumstances, such as how to slide and how to get around the tag. 3) The umpire should use all his skills, instincts and knowledge of the rules when making this split-second decision.
Bottom line: This is a judgement call by the umpire. Like it or not judgement calls are the final word, and cannot be overturned by protest.
Warning: In the unfortunate circumstance that a fielder is standing in the basepath without the ball and without any hope of making a play on the runner, and the runner barrels into him, sliding, standing or otherwise, the runner is safe without penalty. Why? The fielder has blocked the plate and obstructed the runner (rule 7.06(b), Note 2). In the same manner that a runner must avoid the fielder with the ball in his possession, the fielder must avoid the runner if he does not possess the ball.
Why is there an Orange Division and a Tangerine Division at LCB?
This is a frequent question so let's explain:
Due to the way Little League requires leagues to operate, LCB has
historically operated as two leagues (or "charters") in one. (The technical reason is related to
population density within our league boundaries.) So, we were
officially known as Lakeland City Orange and Lakeland City
Tangerine. Things are changing, however, and we are in the process
of transitioning to just one charter. Despite the prospects of that
change, for now we are continuing to split players into the Orange
and Tangerine divisions for the purposes of regular season play. We
feel that by splitting the regular season into two groups it allows
for more parity and enables for tighter competition within the
divisions.
So what effect does this have on LCB? (Note - what follows applies to Training League and older, not to Tee Ball, Fours or Challenger Division where we don't keep score.) LCB holds a tournament for each age-level league at season's end and that tournament is seeded based on the final season standings within each division. In addition, LCB will send two teams from Training, Minor and Major League to represent us at the District IV Tournament of Champions ("TOC"), held every season at the conclusion of our own tournament. The winner of Orange and the winner of Tangerine will the the representatives. In Junior League, where there is only one division, the winner will be the sole representative.
If a player leaves the game due to an injury or other reason, can
he or she return to the game?
If a player leaves a game due to injury, illness or other reason they
can return to the game without penalty. This last phrase "without
penalty" is important to note. In the past, if a player left
during the game and could not bat when their turn came, the penalty
was an automatic out. The rule was changed to permit that
player's return with no automatic out penalty. After advising the
opposing team, umpire and scorekeeper, the missing player's turn to
bat is merely skipped over, and if the missing player returns to the
game he or she is inserted into their original spot in the batting
order. (See green book rule 4.04)
What equipment must a catcher wear?
The catcher is in a particularly vulnerable position and must be
suitably protected against injury. Little League rules require they
wear a catcher's mitt "consistent with protecting the hand" (except in
Tee Ball). With the exception of Tee Ball, all male catchers must wear
a metal or plastic cup. Male catchers in Training through Major League
must wear a long model chest protector, which is the type that has an
extension at the bottom that covers the groin area. Catchers in Junior
League and all female catchers can wear either the long or short model
chest protectors. All catchers must wear shin guards and an approved
helmet and face guard. All catcher helmets must have a dangling throat
guard in place, even the newer hockey-style masks. (See green book
rules 1.12 and 1.17.)
Can a parent or coach warm up a pitcher?
Rule 3.09 states "Managers or coaches must not warm up a pitcher at
home plate or in the bullpen or elsewhere at any time. They may,
however, stand by to observe a pitcher during warm-up..." The purpose
of this rule is to encourage greater player participation and for
safety. For that reason, no player may warm up the pitcher in the
squat position unless they are in full catcher's gear. If the pitcher
is warming up for entry into the game by merely tossing the ball back
and forth to a teammate not in the squat position, no catcher's gear
is required, however, based on the rule, it must be to a player, not a
manager or coach.
What are the "mercy" rules?
A mercy rule is one that is in place to minimize the amount of runs in
an inning or the final score in a game. Its general purpose is to
allow for more innings to be played or to end a game whose score is
lopsided. At LCB we have various mercy rules in place that meet or
exceed Little League requirements. In Fours there is no mercy rule.
Everybody bats and has fun. In 5&6 yr-old Tee Ball there is a maximum
of 5 runs per inning, then teams switch sides. Beyond that there is no
mercy rule because we don't keep score in Tee Ball.
In Training League there is also a 5-run per inning mercy rule even though we do keep score. In the past there has been a "10-run rule" in Training League which stated that if after 4 innings one team is ahead by 10 or more runs the game is over. We eliminated that rule for Training League because there were many games that were called early because of the 10-run rule and teams wanted to continue playing despite the score. So now we allow them to play through to the time limit despite the risk of a lopsided score. If the score is completely out of hand after 4 or 5 innings and the time limit has not been reached, a manager should consult with the umpire and the opposing manager and request the game be called. Remember, this applies to Training League only and the umpire has the final say.
In Minor League both the 5-run rule and the 10-run rule after 4 innings apply. In Major League only the 10-run rule after 4 innings applies. In Junior League a 10-run rule after 5 innings applies.
In Tee Ball, can a batter try for more than one base if the ball is
hit to the outfield?
Yes, in Tee Ball the batter can attempt extra bases if he or she hits
the ball into the outfield. LCB's Local Rules permit this as a way of
rewarding the batter for a good hit. The batter is not limited to how
many extra bases he or she can attempt and can keep running until the
ball is back in the infield and under control of an infielder in fair
territory and the umpire calls time. On hits to the infield the batter
(and the runners) can only advance one base. In both cases the runners
are at the risk of being put out until they safely reach a base.
In Training League, is the runner allowed to score if the ball is
returned to the umpire at the pitching machine instead of the
player at the mound?
No. In Training League the runner is not allowed to advance on the
return throw to the mound, regardless of whom it's thrown to.
Who is allowed in the dugout during a game?
The Little League rule book states "No one except eligible players in
uniform, a manager and not more than two coaches shall occupy the
bench or dugout." (3.17) At LCB we strictly apply that rule for Minior
League and older, however we understand that Tee Ball and Training
League need a little more help in the dugout with crowd control. For
that reason we permit up to 3 coaches and 3 Team Moms to be registered
with each team, plus the manager, at those age levels. ALL
managers, coaches, Team Moms, and anyone else assisting on the field
during practices and games at all age levels are required to submit a
Little League volunteer application and pass a background check. Under
no circumstances will anyone be allowed on the field unless they have
done so. Managers, or their substitute coaches, are obligated to
ensure no one is on the field or in the dugout unless they are an
approved volunteer.
We appreciate the enthusiasm and willingness on the part of some
parents to assist in the dugout during games, but unless you are an
approved volunteer, and for the proper progression of the game and
safety of the players, we ask that you remain in the stands and
contribute by cheering the play on the field.
Do games at LCB end after a particular amount of innings or by
time?
LCB has recently modified the local rules regulating when games end
for Training League through Major League. The rules now state that
no new inning will begin after 90 minutes of play. For Junior League
the rule remains the same - no new inning will start after 120
minutes of play. By using this method we ensure that the final score
of every game will be the one at the conclusion of the game, whereas
in the past, where time limits could result in a game stopping in
the middle of an inning, we had to revert to the score of the last
complete inning.
The game length for Tee Ball remains the same as in the past: 6 innings or one hour and 15 minutes, whichever occurs first.
