ALABAMA DIZZY DEAN BASEBALL

FARM LEAGUE AGES 7 & 8 YEARS

MACHINE & PLAYER PITCH RULES

VOLUME 3

1:00

GENERAL RULES

1:01 Each team will be allowed four adults in the dugouts, one manager, three coaches.

1:02 Two coaches may coach the bases if they choose to do so. In all tournament play, district, state and world series, coaches must wear a full baseball uniform that matches with their team's uniform. NO SHORTS, NO TROUSERS!

1:03 Each all-star team may have up to (14) fourteen players that are registered on league roster forms.

1:04 Managers may not sign new players after May 15th. A violation of this rule will make the player ineligible for all-star play.

1:05 A player must be a member of a franchised Dizzy Dean program and participate in at least one-half of the scheduled games to be eligible for all-stars.

1:06 Date of birth shall be certified by birth certificate or baptismal certificate prior to tournament play. A photostatic copy, properly signed by the parent as a "true copy" and notarized will be acceptable. These records must remain with the manager throughout the tournament.

1:07 All Players must be in matching full baseball uniform (Cap, numbered shirt, pants and socks).

1:08 In all tournament play all teams must wear the Dizzy Dean patch on the same shoulder or same place on each players' jersey.

1:09 All teams traveling to a tournament must have an insurance policy covering players and managers.

1:10 A team failing to field at least (8) eight uniformed players within fifteen minutes after scheduled game time will result in a forfeit of the game.

1:11 Playing illegal players will result in forfeiture of the game.

1:12 An ineligible player is one who is legally a member of the team but who is ineligible to play in a particular game because of a previous violation or disciplinary action. It is the duty of the manager to keep a record of his players and pitchers.

1:13 The playing of an ineligible substitute will result in a replay of the game from the point of the infraction. (An ineligible sub is a player who is not a starter but one who has been in the game and removed).

1:14 If a manager has used all of his eligible players and a player is injured, becomes too sick to continue, or is ejected; the game will not be forfeited. In the case of an injured or sick player, THE OPPOSING MANAGER must select a replacement one of the players on the bench who has already been in the game. In the case of an ejected player, he shall simply be scratched from the lineup and the team will play with a player short. No out shall be charged when that player would have batted. AN INJURED PLAYER CANNOT RETURN TO THE GAME. PENALTY: If injured player returns he will be an ILLEGAL Player and the game will be forfeited at that point.

1:15 No spectator shall be allowed on the playing field during the playing of the game.

1:16 Only officially registered players of the team, the manager and coaches will be allowed on the bench during a game.

1:17 If any player, manager, or coach conducts himself/herself in an unsportsmanlike manner he/she shall be removed from the game and playing field. This includes the baiting or heckling of umpires or opposing player from the bench.

2:00 EQUIPMENT

2:01 Tennis shoes or baseball shoes with rubberized cleats may be worn. No metal or plastic cleats.

2:02 The officially adopted ball for the 7/8 group will be the Baden 1BB/Dizzy Dean stamped ball signed by the commissioner.

2:03 Approved (unaltered) baseball bats, wood or aluminum, any size may be used (no softball).

2:04 All batters and runners must wear batting helmets with a chin strap and should use a protective face mask at bat. Any batter who bats without his headgear including chin strap is out after the first pitch. Any player running the base who deliberately removes his headgear in an umpire's decision is out. EXCEPTION: Homerun over the fence or time.

2:05 Catcher must wear protective helmet, face guard, throat protector and protective athletic cup.

2:06 Equipment must be kept in the dugout.

2:07 A first baseman's mitt maybe used by the first baseman or catcher only.

3:00 PLAYING FIELD

3:01 The coaches’ box is to be a minimum of three feet wide and six feet long and no closer than three feet to the base path.

3:02 The pitching rubber will be 39 feet from the back corner of home plate. The base path distances shall be 50 feet. The distance from the point of home plate to second base and from first base to third base shall be 70 feet and eight and one-half inches.

3:03 The minimum home run distance shall be 140 feet. The maximum home run distance shall be 180 feet.

4:00 MISCELLANEOUS

4:01 There will be one timeout per team per half inning allowed. Each timeout will be no more than one minute in length. The official scorekeeper shall keep a log of timeouts.

4:02 A game will be 5 innings. The game will be called after 3 complete innings if one team is ahead by 15 or more runs or if the losing team cannot mathematically tie or win the game.

4:03 The umpire may call time out for injury or protest. The timeouts will not will not be charged to a team.

4:04 If a player is injured by being hit in the face, throat or head, time will be called immediately and all players AWARDED one base. Any other injury deemed serious enough in judgement of the umpire will be handled in the same matter. The coach must not enter the field until time is called. NOTE: THIS IS A JUDGEMENT CALL AND CANNOT BE APPEALED OR PROTESTED.

4:05 Any game called for bad weather after three complete innings will be considered a complete game. If interrupted before the three complete innings the game will be rescheduled at the point of interruption. Tournament play will be five full innings always.

4:06 Ground rules will be covered and agreed upon between coaches and umpires before each game.

4:07 Dizzy Dean baseball is played under re-entry substitution in all local league and all tournament play. Any starting player (pitcher included) may be removed from the game by being replaced legally with a substitute, and then return to the line-up one time. However, he must replace the first player that replaces him and be inserted in the same position in the batting order that he possessed at the start of the game. The player may return to the line-up at any time, on offense or on defense. This includes all games. Once the substitute has been removed from the game he cannot return. He can make only one appearance in the game. EXCEPTION: If a manager has used all his eligible players and a player is ejected, injured, or becomes ill and cannot continue, then the OPPOSING MANGER must select one or more of the players on the bench who have already been in the game to replace the ejected, ill, or injured players. This only applies to a substitute and not to an ejected player. If there is no one for the opposing manager to select, then the game will be forfeited. WARNING: DO NOT VIOLATE ANY PITCHING RULES.

4:08 No adult will be allowed on the playing field during the game without the consent of the umpires. No persons except the officially registered players of the team, the manager, and the coaches shall be allowed on the bench during the playing of any contest.

4:09 A baseball player shall not be allowed to smoke, or use tobacco products. This includes all coaches, umpires, and game officials on the playing field.

4:10 If in the opinion of the umpire; a player, manager, coach, or scorekeeper, conducts himself/herself in an unsportsmanlike manner or commits any act which may maim or injure an opposing player, if deemed deliberate, he/she shall be removed from the game and not allowed to return until its completion. If said person continues unsportsmanlike conduct such as heckling or baiting the umpire he/she shall be removed from the park.

4:11 Leagues with more than (8) eight teams or exceeding a player count of 112 players per age group must have (2) two or more all-star teams and be divided into two or more equal leagues. EXAMPLE: A league with 9 teams of 8 year old players would have a league of 5 and a league of 4. However, if two age groups such as 7s and 8s are playing together, you may exceed the 8 team count and still have one all-star team per age group, providing that no age group in the league has more than 112 players (less than 112 eight year olds and less than 112 seven year olds.)

4:12 Any runner is out when he/she does not slide or attempt to avoid the fielder who has the ball in the proximity of the base and is waiting to make the tag or if he/she maliciously runs into a fielder.

4:13 Any batter who squares to bunt must bunt or "pull off' of that pitch. If a batter squares to bunt and attempts to swing at the same pitch he/she is out. (NO FAKE BUNTS)

5:00 APPEALS AND PROTEST

5:01 If a question should arise as to the interpretation of the playing rules, only the head coach may appeal.

5:02 An appeal play will be handled in this manner. The manager will make his appeal to the plate umpire who will consult the base umpire. The manager must identify the correct player by name or number and also the correct base involved on the play, no second chance if he names the wrong player or base. If he is correct, the baserunner is out.

5:03 If any coach should protest the game he should make this known to the head

umpire and scorekeeper. Protest should be settled before the next pitch.

5:04 In league play protest must be in writing and accompanied $25.00 within 48 hours of the incident to the league president. If the protest is lost the $25.00 will go to the league. If the protest is won the $25.00 will return to the manager.

5:05 Protest in tournament play must be made to the umpire in chief. Protest must be ruled on before the game will be allowed to continue.

5:06 Protest may be made only on a misinterpretation of a rule and ineligibility of a players. All protest must be made to the umpire in chief immediately after the occurrence and before another legally pitched ball. A protest which involves an umpire's judgement may not be made. The only legal protest is the one in which violation of playing rules or the use of an illegal, ineligible player or an ineligible substitute is protested.

6:00 TOURNAMENTS

6:01 Players may participate up in an older age group, but will not be allowed to participate in a lower age group.

6:02 A player must be a member of a franchised Dizzy Dean program and participate in one-half of his/her scheduled league games to be eligible for the all-star team.

6:03 The host team for the state tournament will be allowed to participate at district tournaments.

6:04 You may replace a player on the all-star team if the player quits or becomes injured with a written statement from the league president. Once a tournament starts you cannot select a player as a replacement before the next tournament starts.

6:05 At all tournament play, in order for a game to become a complete game, it must be a full five inning contest, regardless of the delay - and no other tournament game can be started until the completion of the interrupted game.

6:06 Once a team has been certified as being eligible for tournament play, eligibility of the team cannot be questioned; however, the individual player can be disqualified if proven ineligible by a violation of any rule governing Dizzy Dean players.

6:07 No team will be required to play more than two games in the same day during the same tournament.

6:08 Tournaments may be single or double elimination. This is left up to each district and state director.

6:09 All teams will draw for position in tournament play. The host team will have the choice of the game time on opening day only, thereafter, they will revert to the position drawn.

6:10 All members of an all-star team will receive a trophy or certificate for state and world series tournament.

6:11 TROPHIES- The host team will furnish the trophies for the DISTRICT, STATE, AND WORLD SERIES CHAMPIONS. Trophy sizes will be: First Place – Twenty-four to Thirty - two inches; Second Place-Twenty - to Twenty - four inches; individual trophies for first place-Six to eight inches. The state will furnish the state champions tee-shirts. The host will furnish the world series champions and runners-up with tee-shirts and certificates.

6:12 A league is required to play at least twelve league games to qualify an all-star team for tournament play.

7:00 MACHINE PITCH SPECIAL RULES

OFFENSE

7:01 An offensive batter will receive (5) five hitable pitches before being declared out. He/she may be called out on three swinging strikes. If the fifth pitch is fouled he/she may continue to bar. If the fifth pitch is fouled and caught (Pop-up) it is an out.

7:02 A batter cannot be out of the batters box when the ball is hit.

7:03 After one warning per game per batter for slinging his bat, the batter will be out, a dead ball called, no runners advance.

7:04 When the coach operating the pitching machine has possession of the ball, all runners must be in contact with the base and must not leave the base until the ball is put into play by the batter (NO STEALING). PENALTY: Runner is out, dead ball.

7:05 Any offensive coach touching a baserunner while the ball is in play will cause that runner to be out.

7:06 An offensive coach operating the machine will not talk to or coach baserunners between first and second base or second and third base, while ball is in play. The coach must position himself beside the machine, kneeling to prevent any interference with defensive play. PENALTY: After one warning the coach is replaced.

7:07 Any batted ball that hits the coach or machine (pitching coach) will be a dead ball and a no pitch. If the coach intentionally allows the ball to hit him, the batter will be out and a dead ball called, no runners advance (umpire judgement).

7:08 Player playing the position of pitcher must be on the opposite side of the pitching machine wheel until the ball is in play.

7:09 Machine will be set at 36mph +/- I mph.

7:10 Batting order will consist of no more than (9) nine batters.

7:11 There will be a maximum of (7) seven runs per inning, per team.

8:00 MACHINE PITCH DEFENSE

8:01 Only (9) nine players on the field. Three outfielders.

8:02 The pitcher must stay in the five by five foot quadrant until the ball is hit. He/she may have one foot outside the line. PENALTY: Offense get choice of play or re-bat.

8:03 NO INFIELD FLY RULE.

8:04 Play shall be stopped by the defensive team heading off the front runner. Any other runner may continue at his own risk. Any play made on a runner other than the lead runner will release the lead runner. Other runner may continue.

8:05 No defensive coaches on the field other than the opening of their dugout.

8:06 NO WALKS SHALL BE ALLOWED.

9:00 PLAYER PITCH OFFENSE

9:01 Games will be five innings.

9:02 The batting order will consist of nine batters.

10:00 PLAYER PITCH DEFENSE

Pitching Rules:

10:01 A pitcher can pitch six innings each week.

10:02 A pitcher may pitch ten innings in a tournament.

10:03 Pitchers are limited to five (5) innings per game or day.

10:04 Any pitcher who pitches three full innings and then pitches to another batter in the same game or day will not be eligible to pitch until he has had forty-eight (48) hours rest, beginning with the time the pitcher leaves the pitching mound as a pitcher.

10:05 NO INTENTIONAL WALKS SHALL BE ALLOWED.

10:06 Teams managers are encouraged to use seven year old pitchers as often as possible.

10:07 When a pitcher is in contact with the pitching rubber, with the ball in his possession, and the catcher is in the catcher's box in positions to receive the pitch, all runners shall be in contact with the bases and shall not leave their bases until the ball is hit by the batter. The penalty for leaving the base too soon is the runner is out. This is not a dead ball play.

10:08 Infield fly rule does not apply.

10:09 The ten run rule applies after the third inning.

11:00 Any situation not covered in this book shall be governed by: 1) Dizzy Dean Inc. "Official Rule Book", and 2) Official Rules of Baseball as published by The Sporting News.

If a situation is not addressed under "age specific" rules in Dizzy Dean Inc. Official Rule Book, rules pertaining to the situation in successive older age groups shall govern. (If a situation is not found in Farm 5-8, then Minors 9 & 10 rule shall govern. If situation is not found in Minors then Freshmen 11 & 12 shall apply etc., until the situation is addressed.)