2021 RULES

(NHFS Rules will be followed if not specifically addressed below.)

PLAYER ELIGIBILITY-

15U/16U- All players must be born on or after May 1, 2004.

14U- All players must be born on or after May 1, 2006.

2025 Short Season- All players must be born on or after May 1, 2006.

FIELD DIMENSIONS-  60 feet 6 inches pitching distance with 90 foot bases.

GAME LENGTH-  Games will consist of 7 innings.  No time limit will be used on single games.  A two-hour time limit will be used on doubleheaders.  In a three-team doubleheader, the time limit will be 1:50.  No new inning will be started after the time limit is reached.  Games may go extra innings until time limit is reached.  5 innings shall constitute an official game or 4 ½ if the home team is leading.  In the event a doubleheader game reaches it’s time limit but does not complete 5 innings, the game will be official after the last completed inning.  These games may end in a in a tie if they are tied after the last completed inning and the time expiring. 

HOME TEAM-  Home team will be determined by the location of the game.  The host team will be the home team for their choice of the first or second game of a two-team doubleheader.  The visiting team will be the home team for the game that is not chosen by the host team.

In a three-team doubleheader, the host team will play the first and third games.  The host team will be the visiting team for their first game and be the home team for the third game.  Three-team doubleheaders will look like the following:  GAME 1: Host (Visitor) vs. Team 1 (Home), GAME 2:  Team 1 (V) vs. Team 2 (H), GAME 3:  Team 2 (V) vs. Host (H).

BENCH SIDE- Home team will get their choice of bench side. They will not switch sides between games of a doubleheader. In (3) way games the home team gets their choice of sides for the 1st game, the team that is the visitor in the 1st game will remain on that same side for the 2nd game of the (3) way and will not move their stuff. For the 3rd game the team waiting to play the last game will take the side of the departing team from the 2nd game.

FORFEITS- If a team becomes aware they are unable to play in a league game, 72 hours’ notice must be given to the opposing team and league administrator.  If 72 hours’ notice is not given, a forfeit will be given for all games not played.  In the event of a forfeit or a team being unable to play, the league administrator will attempt to reschedule those games by finding an available team or adding them to an existing contest.

UMPIRES- Two umpires will be used for all games.  Home field location will be responsible for setting up and canceling umpires for the games played at that location. Umpire fees will be split by each team per game at game time. (One umpire may be used with the agreement of both teams prior to the contest.)

PROTESTS- Umpires decision will be final.

POST SEASON ELIGIBILITY-  There will be no post season play in the Tri-State Travel Baseball League in 2020. 

TEAM ROSTERS-  Team rosters will not be posted on the league website in 2020. 

ILLEGAL PLAYERS- A team found to be using an illegal player will forfeit all games in which that player participated.  Forfeited games will be listed in the results as a 1-0 game in favor of the team using legal players.  

BIRTH CERTIFICATES- Copies of birth documents should be readily available by the coach if needed at a game. After a player plays in their first league game, that player is ineligible to participate in any other league game for another league team unless approved by league director. 

UNIFORMS- Uniforms should have a different number for each player.  If a conflict exists please work it out with the other coach prior to the start of your game.

GAME BALLS- Each team will supply two NHFS Approved balls for each game.  A high quality game or tournament type ball should be used.  Game balls will be returned to the team that supplied them at the end of the contest if available.

MERCY RULE- 15 runs after 3 innings or 10 runs after 5.

COLLISION RULE- All runners must slide or otherwise attempt to avoid a fielder who has possession of the ball and is waiting to make a tag. If a runner does not slide and there is no collision and the umpire rules the runner safe, then the runner is safe. If contact is made, players will only be ejected if the umpire rules that the contact was malicious in nature. All others will simply be called out if the umpire rules that it was a must slide situation and the runner did not slide.

EJECTION- If a player is ejected from a game, that spot will be recorded as an out on his next at bat. If no substitute is available, that spot will remain an out for the remainder of the game.  Any ejected player, coach, or manager may not play or coach in his next scheduled game. Within one (1) day the manager of the team that the ejection occurred on shall email the league director with the details of the ejection. Failure to do so may result in a (2nd) game suspension. A 2nd ejection occurring during the season by the same player, coach, or manager will result in a suspension for the remainder of the season. 

JEWELRY- No jewelry may worn by players except for medical purposes.

NUMBER OF PLAYERS- Can start the game with 8 players. Players will be inserted to the bottom of the lineup if they arrive past the start of the game.

INJURY - If a player is sick/injured and must leave the game then that spot in the lineup will be skipped with no penalty. If an injury occurs during an at-bat and the player can't continue the at-bat, the next batter will take over that at-bat and assume the count. If injury occurs while on the base paths the last recorded out will take the place of the injured player on the bases. Once a player is removed from the game due to an injury, that player is not eligible to return to the game in any capacity once his next at bat is skipped. The word sick and injury are interchangeable in this paragraph.

PITCHING REGULATIONS- Coaches discretion. One pitch constitutes an inning pitched. Any pitcher who enters a game and throws a pitch to a batter, is now the pitcher of record. Any pitcher withdrawn from the mound may not return to that position in the same game even if removed on a first visit. Any coach who goes onto the field of play (2) times in an inning to confer with a pitcher must make a pitching change or third overall visit for the same pitcher must make a pitching change. This resets for each new pitcher. The only exception is due to injury or equipment damage. 

INTENTIONAL WALK-  Pitcher does not need to throw any pitches to intentionally walk a batter.  Batter may also be intentionally walked during the at bat at anytime without throwing any additional pitches.

BAT RESTRICTIONS- BBCOR - 3 bats or all wood bats.  

ILLEGAL BATS- If an illegal bat is discovered prior to a pitch being thrown the bat will simply be removed.  Once a pitch occurs or anytime during the at bat but prior to the next batter receiving his first pitch the illegal bat is discovered the player will be called out.  Runners would revert to the base they occupied if discovered after a hit. Once a pitch is thrown to a new batter no bat protest can occur on any previous batter.

LINE UP- Can bat anywhere from 9 up to entire roster. Once the number of batters is established it must remain the same throughout the game. All players have free defensive substitution except a pitcher cannot re-enter later in the same game as a pitcher. A substitute is any player not in original batting order. As soon as a substitute bats or runs for another player, the substitute and original starter are locked into the batting lineup slot and either one may bat or run in that lineup position only.  Designated hitters may not be used. 

COURTESY RUNNER- Courtesy runners can be used for the pitcher and catcher at any time.  A substitute must be used for the position.  The same substitute cannot be used for both positions.  If there is no substitute available, the last batted out must be used.

BALKS- No balk warnings. Step to third and throw to first will be a balk.

DROPPED THIRD STRIKE- In effect.

INFIELD FLY- In effect.

CLEATS- Metal cleats are allowed.