Baseball Rules - T-Ball
 
The official rules for the Knapp T-Ball division are listed below.
 
 

General Notes
  • The league will draw up the official playing schedule on which, date, time, game location and names of visiting and home teams will be designated.
  • Trophies will be available on closing day and will be exchanged for the teams' equipment. No exceptions.
  • Disciplinary actions taken to enforce proper player conduct and/or to encourage full participation on the part of players may only be taken when communicated to the Division Representative, Coaches, and parents.
  • "Zero tolerance" There is no appeal for a player, Coach, or spectator that is ejected by the Umpire. The purpose of the program is to teach basic baseball skills: running, hitting, throwing and catching. In addition, the responsibilities of belonging to a team, respect for coaches and umpires, and good sportsmanship will be emphasized. Our main goal is to have fun and develop skills in a structured, positive environment.
 

Uniforms and Equipment
  • A player must wear shoes at all times during the course of a game. A player may wear tennis shoes, rubber or plastic cleats, or rubber-soled shoes. Metal cleats and removable cleats are not allowed.
  • Helmets must be worn by batters and base runners at all times on the field of play. Any batter or base runner who removes his helmet before entering the dugout or the alley leading to the on deck cage, shall be warned by the umpire. A helmet that unintentionally falls off in the normal course of play is not a violation. The only time a batter or base runner may remove his/her helmet is when time has been called or when play is dead after a third out.
  • After uniforms have been issued, a player must be in complete uniform in order to compete. Complete uniform consists of the team hat, team jersey, baseball pants (optional) and legal shoes.
 

General Rules
  • An official score is not kept in the T-Ball division, but a line-up order will be established for each game, and given to the opposing team's coach five minutes before the start of the game. Batting orders are fixed at this time. Players not physically present should not be listed in the batting order.
  • No team shall employ any tactics to stall or speed up the game.
  • The use of doughnut bat weights is STRICTLY PROHIBITED. If used before or during a game both the player and manager will be ejected.
  • A copy of the Registration Form will be kept by each team during all games and practices, as this is the Medical Release Form, needed for medical care. If a copy of the Registration Form is not available at any game or practice, the player may not participate unless the parent/guardian is present for the entire game or practice.
  • Each team is responsible for providing a First Aid Kit and cold compress (ice or chemical cold compress) at all practices and games. If neither team has a First Aid Kit and cold compress at a scheduled game, the game will not be played.
  • Only the manager, coaches, assistant coaches, players and umpires will be allowed on the playing field. No spectators are allowed on the playing field at any time, unless permitted by the umpire, manager, Division Representative or a member of the Board of Directors. Even if an injury time-out has been called, permission to enter the playing field must be granted.
  • No coaching from behind the backstop, the on-deck cage, or the bleachers will be permitted. It is a distraction and a danger to the players.
  • If a team loses a player prior to the halfway point in the season, the coach is required to notify the appropriate Knapp Ranch Baseball Division Representative immediately, and another player (if available) will be provided for the team at the direction of the Knapp Ranch Baseball Board of Directors. The Vice President with the Division Rep and the Executive members of the Board will be the body that approves a replacement player. A player will not be added to a team after the half way point of the season, however the coach must still advise the division rep of the lost player.
     
 

Playing Schedule and Game Time Limits
 
The league will draw up the official playing schedule on which date, time, and game location, as well as names of visiting and home teams, will be designated. Games may be rescheduled only for reasons that are concerned with standings - for playoff positions. League officials will do any rescheduling.
  • A normal game shall consist of three (3) innings, and no new inning will be started after one hour has passed since the official game start time.
  • The next inning officially begins when the last batter has hit the ball and the play is dead.
  • A team must have at least eight (8) players to start an official game. If either team does not have eight players, a practice game will be played.  A ten (10) minute grace period from the schedule game time will be allowed before the game is declared a forfeit. If and when the player arrives within the grace period, and the game begins, the originally scheduled time shall be the start time. If neither team can field teams, a double forfeit will be declared and a practice game will be played. The team short of players may borrow players from the other team to complete the eight (8) players needed to play a game. If a practice game is played, it will end if it will interfere with the start time of the following game (if any).
 

Playing Rules
  • A line-up order will be established for each game, and given to the opposing team's coach five minutes before the start of the game. Batting orders are fixed at this time. Players not physically present should not be listed in the batting order.
  • All players in good standing on a team's roster, who are present at the game, shall be "batted through" in strict rotation. Prevailing baseball rules shall govern any player batting out of order. Any player, on either team, who appears after the first "swing" of the game shall be placed at the end of the batting order. Thereafter, he/she shall remain in that line-up position.
  • The infield shall consist of no more than five (5) players. The infield shall consist of no fewer than three players. All infielders must remain behind the restraining line until the ball has been hit.
  • All remaining players will play in the outfield and must play a minimum of ten (10) feet behind the baselines, prior to the ball being hit by the batter.
  • One coach will be allowed in each of the coaching boxes, along the first and third baseline. The coaching boxes are three (3) feet from the foul lines. Only the base runner and the player at bat for the offensive team will be allowed on the playing field. The on-deck batter must remain behind the backstop, in the on-deck cage, until the umpire has called for the next batter. All other players must remain on the bench in the dugout unless permission has been granted by the coach or his/her representative to use the restroom or to get a drink of water.
  • The Infield Rule is not in effect and will not be called in this division.
  • If a base runner slides into a base and the base slides away, the runner need not chase the base, If the runner does not attempt to advance to the next base, he/she does not have to go to the moved base. Any subsequent runner need not touch the moved base if play continues; they must touch the approximate spot where the base was originally located.
  • Helmets must be worn by batters and base runners at all times on the field of play.
  • Each team will bat all of its players in each inning. Outs will be called and the players called out will leave the field. The half inning will end when the play initiated by the last batter comes to an end. In the first and third inning batters will bat one through twelve. In the second inning batters will bat twelve through one (reverse line-up order). The offensive team must notify the defensive team when the last batter comes to bat.
  • 10. Deliberate blocking of the baseline by a defensive player is not permitted. Based on the umpire's judgment, a runner may be awarded one (1) base beyond that achieved before being blocked. A defensive player may be in the baseline before a play is started, but must give way to the runner if he/she is not in the act of fielding a batted or thrown ball.
  • Coaches cannot physically assist runners while the ball is in play. When a runner touches home plate, he/she is no longer considered a runner. Assisting a player/runner shall result in that player/runner being called out.
  • 12. A base runner intentionally running into a defensive player will be declared out. A runner sliding into a base must make contact with the ground prior to making contact with the defensive player. Incidental contact, in the umpire's judgment, is not an out.
  • 13. Base runners are allowed to tag and advance, at their own risk, after a fair or foul fly ball is caught or touched.
  • 14. The umpire may stop play, at his discretion, when a player or runner has been injured. All play will stop and any runners must return to the base last achieved.
  • 15. Any batter who throws his bat in an unsafe manner, in the umpire's judgment, may be called out. A warning may be given but is not required. If an out is called, it is a dead ball and any base runners will not advance.
  • 16. Unsportsmanlike conduct of any type, by any player, coach, or spectator, is grounds for ejection without warning.
  • 17. The Umpire may eject players, spectators, or coaches for un-sportsmanlike actions before, during or after a game. If the ejection is after a game, the ejection would affect the next scheduled game for that team. The Knapp Ranch Board of Directors and or the Park Director may suspend individuals for longer periods of time, if deemed necessary.
  • 18. Once the first batter is called to the plate in each half-inning, the defensive team may not move players from the infield to the outfield, or from the outfield to the infield. Exception: In the event of an injury requiring the injured player to be replaced by a player already in the game. Should the injured player return during that same half-inning, all players must return to their original infield or outfield positions.
  • 19. Lead-offs are not permitted. Base runners must be in contact with the base when the ball is hit. If a base runner is not in contact with the base when the ball is hit, a dead ball will be called and the base runner will be called out.
  • 20. Dead Ball: When any defensive player has control of the ball in the infield (inside the base lines or behind the home plate area) the base runners must immediately advance to the next base or retreat to the base last acquired. Failure to immediately advance or retreat will result in base runners being only being allowed to retreat. After the ball is controlled in the infield, a throw to pick off an immediately advancing runner is allowed, but all other base runners are frozen and the advancing runner must stop at the next base, even on a misplayed or overthrown ball.
  • 21. Balls thrown out of bounds will allow base runners to advance two bases from the base they were occupying prior to the start of the play. If the base runner has already advanced past that point, he/she will not advance any further. Example: The batter hits a deep fly to right field which is not caught. As the batter/runner is going into third base, the ball is thrown over the third baseman's head and goes out of bounds. The batter/runner stays at third as he/she is more than two bases from the start of the play. Runners may advance to the base to which they are going when the ball goes out of bounds. In the example above, had the batter already passed third base and was moving towards home plate when the ball went out of bounds, he/she could continue home. If he/she were standing on third base, or was past third but moving back towards third base, he/she would have to stop at third base.
 
Hitting
  • Once the ball is placed on the tee, the coach may not touch the bat or the batter.
  • The batter will have unlimited swings to put the ball into play.
  • A ball not hit past (not on) the 15-foot arc in front of home plate is a foul ball.
  • A half swing or bunt attempt that puts the ball in play will be called a dead ball. Base runners may not advance. (It will be the Umpire's discretion as to what is less than a full swing.)
  • The batter must be set in the batter's box for two seconds prior to starting his/her swing. Once set, the batter may not change his/her stance in the batter's box with the intent to change the flight of the ball, without first exiting the batter's box.
  • Defensive players must be behind the restraining line when the ball is on the tee. The restraining line runs on an arc from five feet in front of first base, across the pitcher's circle to five feet in front of third base.
 

Duties of the Umpire
  • Each umpire is the representative of the league and is authorized and required to enforce all of the above mentioned rules. Each umpire has the authority to order a player, coach, manager or team to refrain from doing anything which affects the administering of these rules and to enforce the prescribed penalties.
  • Each umpire has the authority to rule fairly on any point not specifically covered in these rules.
  • Each umpire has the authority to disqualify any player, coach, manager or spectator for arguing to any judgment calls, or for un-sportsmanlike conduct of vulgar language and to eject and disqualify such persons from the playing field and general area of the baseball diamond being used. If an umpire ejects a player while a play is in progress, the ejection will take effect at the end of the play. Time will be called and the ejection will then be enforced.
  • Each umpire has the authority to eject from the playing field any persons whose duties permit his presence on the field, such as grounds crew members, ushers, photographers, newspersons, broadcasting crew members, etc.
  • Any umpire's decision, which involves judgment such as, but not limited to, strikes and balls, fair or foul, safe or outs is final. No player, manager, coach of spectator will argue a judgment call.
  • If there is reasonable doubt that any umpire's decision on a specific rule, the manager may appeal the decision to the umpire that made the objectionable decision.
  • If a decision is appealed, the umpire that made the decision may, if asked, confer with his partner for information before making a final decision. No umpire will criticize, or seek to reverse or interfere with another umpire's decision unless asked to do so by the umpire making it.
  • Should a base runner not touch a base, and the umpire sees it, at the plays end, he shall call time and call the runner out, no appeals.