Rule 15-5:LOCAL LEAGUE RULES: AGE 5
A.First and third baselines shall be fifty (50) feet. There will be an arc ten (10) feet from the rear of home plate, in fair territory, extending from the first base line to the third base line. There will be a circle twenty (20) feet in diameter, the center of which will be thirty-eight (38) feet from the rear of home plate and on a line from home to second base. The Tee will be placed directly on home plate when used.
B.Two defensive coaches will be allowed in the field, one behind the base line between first base and second base, the other behind the base line between second base and third base. The defensive coaches may not touch a ball in play or any defensive player while the ball is in play. A violation of this rule will result in an automatic double for the batter or a replay of the offensive play at the offensive coach's discretion.
C.A regulation game consists of five (5) complete innings. No inning may begin after one (1) hour and fifteen (15) minutes. Extra innings will not be played in the event of a tie. If a game is called due to inclement weather or other causes, the final score will be the last complete inning. A game will be considered official after 3 innings (2 1/2 if the home team is ahead).
D.All players on each team will play defense simultaneously. Only five (5) players may play in the infield and one (1) of these must play in the circle. The circle player must begin each play with both feet in the circle. Infielders must play on or behind an imaginary line between first and second bases and between second and third bases. All other players must be in the outfield, defined as twenty (20) feet behind the base line while the batter is in the batter box. Once the ball is hit, an outfielder can move into the infield to make a play. Coaches are encouraged to rotate from infield to outfield after each complete inning, using their discretion as to the safety of the players with regard to their ability. For the integrity of the game and fairness to all children, moving the infield to outfield positions on the last batter is prohibited.
E.The batting order may not be changed once the game has started. Late arrivals must be placed at the bottom of the batting order.
F.The offensive coach will inform the opposing team's head coach when their last batter for the inning is entering the batter's box.
G.The batter must hit the ball, not the tee (when used), to advance. This is an umpire's judgment call. After Spring Break, batters will bat from a coach’s pitch. The coach will pitch from at least 20 ft. from home plate. The coach should pitch with an overhand motion from either a standing or kneeling position. After the ball has been put in play from the coach’s pitch, the pitching coach must exit the playing field. If a batter hits off of a tee, the pitching coach must exit the playing field prior to the batter hitting off of the tee. Pitching coaches will not coach any base runner or batter once the ball has been put in play. Violating this rule will result the batter/base runner being called out. Players will be given a total of five (5) pitches from the coach. Players not able to put the ball in play in 5 pitches will not be declared out and will be given an opportunity to hit off of a tee. The player swings until a ball is put in fair play. Once the ball is a played ball, the batting coach should remove the tee from home plate for safety reasons
H.The batted ball must travel beyond the arc, ten (10) feet from home plate, to be in play.
I.No planned bunting will be allowed. Bunting the ball on warm-up will be considered a foul ball or in play if it goes beyond the ten foot circle line.
J.The infield fly rule is not in effect.
K.Any runner is out when he makes no attempt to avoid contact with the fielder as a play is being made on him. Any intentional contact to the fielder will result in an automatic out. Head-first slides will result in an automatic out. Diving back to a base will not be called an out.
L.Runners may not leave the base until the ball is hit. If a runner leaves the base too soon, the umpire will immediately declare "dead ball" even if the ball is hit, and the runner will return to base. The runner will not be called out for leaving the base too soon.
M.If a base coach physically assists or restrains a base runner, the runner shall be called out.
N.A team on offense shall have one coach in the coaching box at first base, and one coach in the box at third base, and one at the plate to assist the batter before he/she is ready to hit. When the batter is ready to hit, the coach must step out of the batter's box. The coach may reposition the batter after each swing that does not result in a played ball. Once the ball is a played ball, the batting coach should remove the tee from home plate for safety reasons. If the ball hits the pitching coach on any batter other than the last batter, the batter will be awarded a single and any runner that is forced will advance. If the ball hits the pitching coach on the last batter, the batter will restart his at-bat. In the judgment of the umpire, coaches should not cause slow play by excessive coaching of the batters or by constantly repositioning the tee.
O.On all batters, except the last batter in an inning, play stops when a player has control of the ball in the circle. Exception: Play does not stop when a player attempts to make a play on a runner, and is in the process of making that play, and the ball passes through the circle. If a player has control of the ball in the circle before a runner reaches more than half way to the next base (except first base), the runner must return to the previous base.
. When the offensive team’s tenth batter for the inning is batting, the defensive team may end the inning by recording any legal out or by stepping on home plate with the ball in glove/hand prior to the last batter reaching home plate. Infielders and outfielders, including pitchers, are encouraged to throw to the catcher to affect an out at home plate.
Q.To encourage throwing to get a runner out, overthrows to first base are a dead ball and runners may not advance past the base they are running to at the time of the throw, except on the last batter. On the last batter, all throws are live. “Overthrows to first base” include any thrown ball getting past the first basemen and into foul territory or any ball thrown from the area of home plate into right field. Overthrows to second base result in a live ball, and runners advance at their own risk. Coaches are required to instruct the players to throw the ball to first base, instead of running it. The ball cannot be rolled to another defensive player to affect an out. Other than a 1st baseman, a fielder cannot field and run a hit ball to first base to get a batter out unless the fielder fields the ball near first base.A runner out by a ball rolled to the defensive player or out by a fielder who improperly runs the ball to first base will be declared safe.
R.If a player has control of the ball in the circle before a runner reaches more than half way to the next base (except first base), the runner must return to the previous base.
S.Runners may advance one base if the ball remains in the infield. Runners may advance multiple bases if the ball is hit out of the infield and until time is called. Coaches are encouraged not to advance the runners excessively.
T.Cages on the batting helmet are required. The circle player (pitcher) must wear a caged helmet and a chest protector is encouraged while playing in the circle. Metal cleats are not allowed.
