Ll/br Girls Rules 2009

Shell Rock Valley League Game Rules-2009 Little League/Babe Ruth GIRLS 1) Coaches shall have sign-up completed and number of teams turned in by April 1st of each year. 2) Coaches shall make every attempt to play all games and only reschedule games if absolutely necessary. 3) Coaches shall make every attempt to enlist at least one certified umpire to officiate behind the plate for every game. Must also have a knowledgeable, experienced, person base ump. 4) Coaches may play up a player, but that player may not start or play more than 1/2 game when a player from the originating team is on the bench unless the younger player is needed to fill out the roster or an injury occurs to a player from the originating team. (e.g. If you have 9 girls on your BR team, you may pull up a LL player to have some back-up, but the LL player may not play ahead of a BR player) The same goes for LL teams. 5) Coaches shall use their season line-up for tournament play. 6) Equipment: a) All helmets shall have chinstraps and face masks. b) Catchers are required to wear a hockey style facemask 7) Game times: a) Weekdays: LL - 5:00pm; BR to follow (unless all [LL & BR] coaches agree upon a time change) b) Saturdays: LL – 9:00am; BR to follow (unless all [LL & BR] coaches agree upon a time change) 8)

Playing Time:

a) Little League shall play for 1 hour and 10 minutes OR 5 innings, whichever comes first but not start a new inning after the time limit above. If agreed upon by all (LL & BR) coaches, Little League may play 5 innings even if it runs past the time limit. When possible, Saturday games or if a team has lights, then the Little League can play all 5 innings. b) Babe Ruth shall play 5 innings. 9)

No infield will be taken by any Little League or Babe Ruth.

10) Base length for both Little League and Babe Ruth is 60 feet. 11) Pitching rubber distance (measured from back tip of home plate to the front of the rubber): a) Little League - 37 feet b) Babe Ruth - 40 feet 12) Little League and Babe Ruth girls may not wear any jewelry during games.

13) All teams must use yellow balls. 14) Games are considered over when a team cannot catch up in the allotted time. (but play may continue for the specified time if agreed upon by all coaches) 15) Rules pertaining specifically to Little League: a) In field fly rule is in effect. b) There are no substitution rules (free substitution) HOWEVER, when a player reenters the game, that player will bat in her original batting position. c) Players wear rubber-cleated shoes only. d) Players must avoid contact. If a play is made the offensive player must avoid contact or he is OUT. NO EXCEPTIONS!!! e) Players may steal any base except home – Exceptions: If a defensive play is made on a player at 3rd base, she may attempt to steal home. f) Players may lead off or attempt a steal only as the ball is released form the pitchers hand. g) There is no dropped 3rd strike rule. E.g. batters cannot advance to 1st base on a dropped third strike. The batter is automatically out. h) Teams shall bat through their order. The 5-run per inning rule applies. There shall be no courtesy runners. 16) Rules pertaining specifically to Babe Ruth: a) High school rules will be followed and umpires will enforce high school rules. (Keep a rule book handy) b) The 7 run per inning rule applies. c) Courtesy runners allowed. REMINDERS: i) In field fly rule is in effect. ii) Keep in mind play back circle and re-entry rules 2007 Rule changes 1.

No victory laps.

2. Little League games will be played 1hr. 10 min or 5 innings. No new inning will be started after the 1hr. 10 min. time limit. If there is no Babe Ruth team following, the games can be played in full. Time goes by the umpire’s watch. 3.

In Little League, if a runner is stopped at 3rd base he/she cannot advance

unless a hit ball or walked in. 4. Batting during league play is left up to the coaches for the entire roster, but in tournament play it is the 9 players on the field. Girls softball-Are required to have face guard and chin straps on helmets this year. Also NO metal cleats, all cleats need to be rubber. Rain delay-If not able to make-up game (both coaches need to agree) each team is awarded 1/2 point. Little League-Unlimited substitutions, be remain in same position in batting lineup. Full games are expected to be played on Saturday's. Little League-5 innings, Babe Ruth-6 innings. Just a reminder with the new High School softball rule: We touched on this in the meeting but it was not official yet. This rule should be in effect. Some towns are doing this but some are not. PRE-GAME WARM-UP---Teams may field ground balls in foul territory in front of their dugout OR on the skinned portion of the infield behind the baseline from first to second base or third to second base and throw back toward the foul line. If a school has a separate facility where both teams have equal access other than the game field, it is permissible for the home management to assign that infield be taken there. More information about Girl’s High School rules may be found at: www.ighsaa.org Coaches are significant adult role models in student-athletes lives and play an important role in the total development of the student-athlete. Coaches must help student-athletes build character. Coaches with character will use their power to give athletes sincere praise and positive reinforcement, provide constructive feedback, discipline a player without humiliation or embarrassment to the studentathlete, and provide emotional support and guidance when needed. There is an old adage that says, "People don't care how much you know, until they know how much you care!" One former player put it very simply, "We knew coach cared because the players were more important than the game!" The following list of “Ethics for a Coach” is adapted from the Coaching Youth Sports Web site (Stratton, 1999) and is very representative of the many codes of conduct and behaviors recommended for coaches. This list was taken from the Iowa High School Athletic Association web site: www.iahssa.org 1. Conduct practices and games in a safe physical environment 2. Create a healthy and safe emotional environment, free of fear, discrimination, abuse and harassment. Athletes cannot enjoy their experience without this. 3. Be well-informed and have current knowledge of proper skills and methods of instruction 4. Use safe and appropriate equipment 5. Make use of proper short- and long-term planning 6. Matching athletes in practices and games by size, experience and ability

7. Provide adequate supervision of athletes 8. Provide warnings to parents and athletes of risks inherent in sport participation 9. Demonstrate sensitivity to the health and well-being of athletes under a coach’s care 10. Provide appropriate emergency care 11. Prevent harassment and discrimination by coaching staff and athletes 12. Report suspected child abuse to proper authorities 13. Respect and protect the confidentiality of students. 14. Report breaches of ethical behavior by colleagues 15. Encourage participation and would like to involve as many students as possible in a competitive, interscholastic experience. 16. All team members, regardless of ability, will be afforded opportunities to develop their work ethic, sense of commitment, and social and athletic skills. 17. The athletic program seeks to educate athletes about community support and encourages them to return that support both now and throughout their lives 18. Teach and more importantly model good citizenship and sportsmanship. Athletes must understand your commitment to helping them develop character and moral reasoning. 19. Respect the spirit of a rule as well as the letter of the rule. Respect the difficult job officials have in enforcing the rules of any game. Taking advantage of rules 20. To gain an unfair advantage is not ethical. It indicates an unhealthy focus on winning. 21. Be fair in the selection of players for teams and in the allocation of practice and playing time. Empathize with the young athletes attempting to gain a place on your team.