GENERAL LEAGUE RULES

1)         All games shall begin at 6:00 or 8:00, if being played at Legion Field, unless otherwise noted on the master game schedule. Teams will get a 15-minute grace period. Any team with insufficient number of players after the grace period will forfeit the game.

            CALL-UPS: When a player from a lower division is needed to fill in for a game in a higher division the called-up player must wear the team jersey from his/her team. All call-ups must bat last in the batting order, must play outfield only and will not be utilized if the higher division team has enough players.

2)         When both managers are present at the playing field, the warm up time for both teams will split evenly.

3)         Home team gets the 3rd baseline dugout. In the post-season, the team with the best record is home team.

4)         No full inning will begin after 8:00 p.m. unless the game is tied. If the game is tied after regulation or 8:00 p.m., extra innings will be played. If, after 8:30 p.m. the game is still tied, it will remain a tie.

            SCHOOL NIGHTS: No full inning will begin after 8:00 p.m.  If the game is tied, it will remain a tie. 

            MINOR LEAGUES: No full inning will begin after 8:00 p.m. If the inning is started before 8:00 p.m., the home team must bat or that inning will not count, unless the home team is ahead. If the game is still tied after 8:30 it will remain a tie.

             EXCEPTIONS: Boys & Girls Senior League – no time restrictions.

5)         A minimum of 7 players are required for a game. 

            EXCEPTIONS: Boys Majors & Boys Seniors, a minimum of 8 players.

6)         Once a player is assigned to a team, he/she must play for that team the entire season unless changed by the league director and the board of directors.

7)         No jewelry is permitted to be worn (rings, necklaces, earrings etc.)

8)         All injuries (in games or practices) must be reported on the injury report form and turned in to the President of the Eden Athletic Association within 24 hours.  The injury report form can be found on the website. 

9)         Regulation games are six (6) innings. Four full innings must be played to constitute a full game, unless the home team is ahead after 3 1/2 innings.

            EXCEPTION: Boys Seniors seven (7) innings. Four and 1/2 (4 1/2) innings if the home team is ahead.

10)       Both managers must inspect the field before the game. If any unsafe conditions exist, they must be corrected immediately. In the event the unsafe condition cannot be corrected, the game must be canceled. Notification must be given to the Director of the Division as soon as possible.

11)       Rain-outs will be determined by the Town Recreation Grounds Dept and the League President, who will notify the league directors, who will call the coaches. No team shall be allowed to use any fields for practice if games have been canceled due to rain.

12)       If there is any lightning during a game, the managers must immediately stop the game.  Managers must wait 15 minutes with no lighting strikes before resuming play.  In the event of rain or lightning at game time, or during the game, the game shall be called by mutual consent of the managers. The managers will notify the league director.

13)       In the event a game in progress is called due to rain, 3 1/2 innings must be completed with the home team being ahead or 4 innings with the visiting team being ahead, in order to constitute a full game. If the required number of innings are not complete, the game will be suspended and play will be resumed the following Saturday where play ended.

            EXCEPTION: Boys Seniors 4 1/2 innings if home team is ahead.

14)       In the event a play-off game is not completed due to weather conditions, the game will be rescheduled ASAP, and shall continue from the point at which the game was suspended. This rule does not apply to the championship game, if 4 full innings have been played prior to the stoppage of the game due to weather, and the game is not tied, the game is officially over.

15)       Directors and coaches in each league are advised to determine tiebreakers for playoff positions, prior to season.

16)       Postponed games are to be made on the next available date. Contact the Division Director to reschedule time, field and umpire.

17)       In the event a team cannot make-up postponed games by the end of the season, the team not able to play will be given a loss at the discretion of the Division Director. 

18)       In the event the umpire does not show up for the game, a neutral bystander maybe chosen by mutual consent of the two managers. Please notify the baseball supervisor as soon as possible.

            EXCEPTION: Boys Seniors. Each team should choose someone from his or her team who will alternate as the umpire in order to get the game in. Once the game starts, it will be completed and will count in the standings. The umpire will be compensated by submitting names of the umpire substitutes to the league director.

19)       Use of profanity, alcohol, tobacco or drugs of any kind are grounds for ejection. This rule applies to players coaches and spectators. The Eden School District policy of prohibiting the use of alcohol and tobacco products in school buildings and school grounds includes the athletic fields we use.

20)       There is to be no harassment of any individuals, and especially no harassment of umpires. The umpire is the final authority at each game. There will be no arguing with an umpire. Sarcastic comments are grounds for ejection and/or forfeit.

21)       If a coach or assistant coach has been ejected from a game by an umpire, the coach/assistant coach will be suspended from one (1) game. Two ejections in one season will be an automatic suspension for one (1) year. Only one warning will be issued. If a second warning is necessary, the game will be stopped until the offender is removed or the offending side will forfeit the game. Suspended coaches will not be able to attend the next game in any form.

22)       In discussions with the umpire during the game, only the Head Coach of each team will be allowed on the field with the umpire to partake in the discussion.

            A PLAY UNDER PROTEST: Only the head coach shall be allowed to call time. The umpire must circle the call in question and sign the scorebook at the time it occurs. Interpretation of the rules shall be allowed to be protested, judgement calls shall stand. The league director must be notified in writing within 24 hours and all protest must be accompanied by a $25.00 fee.

23)       All protests will be handled by the League Board of Directors their decision will be final.

24)       All players must play at least 3 innings in the field. Batting will be continuous through the roster. Exceptions will be made for discipline problems. The opposing coach shall be notified along with the umpire. Free substitution of defensive players is permitted.

25)       After a game has started, late arrivals must be placed at the bottom of the batting order.

26)       Home team must supply the umpire with a new game ball. EXCEPTION: Boys Senior - both teams supply a game ball.

27)       All players will be in full uniform for games. (cap and jersey) EXCEPTION: Girls Seniors, caps optional.

28)       All players must wear batting helmets when batting or running bases. Deliberately removing the helmet while running the bases will constitute an out. The pitcher must wear a helmet at all times in the rookie and bambino leagues. In the boys minor and major leagues, pitchers will wear helmets while warming up.

29)       The catcher must wear full protective equipment (mask, skull cap & throat protector) provided by the league during the game. In addition, the catcher must provide and wear an athletic supporter, with cup, while catching in all boys leagues. Catchers not wearing an athletic cup and supporter will forfeit the game for their team. Warm-up catchers must wear a protective mask.

30)       No metal spikes are allowed. Rubber spikes are permitted.

            EXCEPTION: Boys Senior Division.

31)       All batters must have two feet in the batter’s box when hitting.

32)       Players will be provided one warning for throwing a bat.  If that same batter throws the bat again in the same game, that batter will be called out. 

33)       Titanium bats are not allowed.

34)       Only USA Stamped bats are permitted to be used in any league. 

35)       The first batter in each inning shall be the batter whose name follows that of the last player who completed his turn at bat in the preceding inning.

36) Batting out of order: Except for a wrong batter at bat, batting out of order is an appeal, which may be made only by the defensive team. The defensive team forfeits its right to appeal batting out of order when one legal or illegal pitch has been made to the following batter, or when the pitcher and all infielders have clearly vacated their normal fielding positions and have left fair territory on their way to the bench or dugout.

            A) If the error is discovered while the incorrect batter is at bat, the correct batter may take the batters position and legally assume any balls and strikes. Any runs scored or basses run while the incorrect batter was at bat shall be legal. NOTE: The offensive team may correct a wrong batter at the plate with no penalty.

            B) If the error is discovered after the incorrect batter has completed a turn at bat and before a legal or illegal pitch has been made to the following batter or before the pitcher and all infielders have clearly vacated their normal positions and have left fair territory on their way to the bench or dugout area:

            (i)         The player who should have batted is out.
            (ii)        Any advance or score made because of a ball batted by the improper batter or because of the improper batters advance to first base as a result of obstruction, an error, a hit batter, walk, dropped third strike or a base hit shall be nullified.
            (iii)       the next batter is the player whose name follows that of the player called out for failing to bat.
            (iv)       if the batter declared out under these circumstances is the third out, the correct batter in the next inning shall be the player who would have come to bat had the player been put out by ordinary play.
            (v)        If the error is discovered after the first legal or illegal pitch to the next batter, or after the pitcher and all infielders have clearly vacated their normal fielding positions and have left fair territory on their way to the bench or dugout area, the turn at bat of the incorrect batter is legal, all runs scored and bases run are legal and the next batter in order shall be the one whose name follows that of the incorrect batter. No one is called out for failure to bat. Players who have not batted and who have been called out have lost their turn at bat until reached again in the regular order.
            (vi)       No runner shall be removed from the base occupied except the batter-runner who has been taken off the base by the umpire as in (2) above to bat in his proper place. The correct batter merely misses the turn at bat with no penalty. The batter following the correct batter in the batting order becomes the legal batter.

37)       A pitcher may pitch 3 consecutive innings and only 3 innings per game. In the case of extra innings, a pitcher may be brought back in, but only if he or she has not pitched his/her limit of 3 innings. 1 pitch thrown by a player constitutes an inning. 

38)       The winning coach must notify the league director within 24 hours of the end of the game to report the score