HLBA Rules and Regulations

Rules and Regulations
The Honesdale Little Baseball Association is affiliated with Babe Ruth League, Inc., which includes the Cal Ripken Baseball (formerly Bambino) league These organizations have adopted the Official Baseball Rules, published by the Commissioner of Baseball, as their primary playing rules. However, some modifications to these rules have been made by the respective youth baseball organizations in order to adapt the game to fit the needs of their young participants. Some of the rule differences pertain to the dimensions of the playing field and playing equipment. Other rule changes are intended to enhance safety and prevent injury. These modifications are published by the organizations as addendums to the official rules and are distributed to their affiliates each year. In addition to these rules and amendments, the youth baseball organizations publish regulations that govern the conduct of league affiliates and stipulate the requirements for affiliation. These regulations may also direct the organizations official tournament playoff system for their respective national championship tournaments. Finally, the local league affiliate may enact "local league rules and regulations" that further define the playing rules and methods of operation for the independent locality. The national organizations generally allow local league affiliates the authority to enhance their rules, but may require a formal waiver from the parent organization before major changes may be made. Some rules may not be waived - such as restrictions on the rules governing the frequency of use of young pitchers, which is intended to prevent arm injury. The following sections outline the rules and regulations under which the Honesdale Little Baseball Association operates.
Official Baseball Rules
The Official Baseball Rules are published by the office of the Commissioner of Baseball and are written to govern the playing of baseball games by professional teams. The rules are divided, as shown below Click a rule link to see the official rules. Foreword 1.00 - Objectives of the Game 2.00 - Definition of Terms 3.00 - Game Preliminaries 4.00 - Starting and Ending a Game 5.00 - Putting the Ball in Play 6.00 - The Batter 7.00 - The Runner 8.00 - The Pitcher 9.00 - The Umpire 10.00 - The Official Scorer The rules of baseball have evolved into a complex code which may be difficult to understand due to the "legalistic" manner in which it is recorded. A rule often may be unclear as to its intent and thus be subject to interpretation. The Case Book of the Official Playing Rules Committee was created to provide insight into the committee's intent when drafting the official rules. Some published versions of the official rules include these notations which interpret and elaborate on the language of the official rules. These versions are frequently available at bookstores. A lack of understanding of the rules of baseball and the resulting incorrect interpretation may be the primary cause for disputes which sometimes arise during the course of a baseball game. It is incumbent upon umpires, coaches, and players to learn the rules and to study the case book in order to properly conduct themselves during a game. Links of Interest The Top 40 Baseball Rule Myths Baseball Rules Frequently Asked Questions
Youth Baseball Rules and Regulations
League Charter In order to be eligible to participate in post-season district, state and national championship tournaments a local league must be affiliated with an organization that offers these types of tournaments. Each local baseball league who wishes to affiliate with a national youth baseball organization must apply for and be granted a charter or franchise. Procedures and requirements for granting a charter vary from organization to organization, but are usually listed in the organizations regulations. The Honesdale Little Baseball Association program is chartered by Babe Ruth League, Inc., which includes Cal Ripken Baseball. Geographical Boundaries One primary responsibility of a national youth baseball organization is to establish the geographical boundaries for each franchise that it charters. The Honesdale Little Baseball Association charter from Babe Ruth League, Inc. basically encompass the same geographic area served by the Wayne Highlands School District. League Insurance Coverage Most youth baseball organizations require local affiliates to acquire accident and liability insurance coverage for their baseball operations. The Honesdale Little Baseball Association provides accident and liability insurance coverage for the coaches and players in our league. Insurance claims for accidental injury sustained during practice and games may be initiated by notifying a league officer. The proper insurance claim forms will be provided as quickly as possible after notification of an injury claim. Youth Baseball Rules Each national organization publishes a set of rules and regulations for their respective franchises. This section outlines the rules and regulations under which the Honesdale Little Baseball Association program operates. Virtually all national youth baseball organizations have adopted the Official Baseball Rules as their playing rules. Exceptions are noted in each organizations rule book. Some of the exceptions to the Official Baseball Rules that are in effect for the Cabot youth baseball program are noted below. Playing Field Dimensions The Cal Ripken leagues use a smaller-size baseball diamond. for the Majors, Minors, and Rookies divisions, the bases are set at 60 feet apart and the outfield fences are set at no more than 200 feet. The pitcher's mound is set at six inches above the level of home plate and the pitcher's rubber is set 46 feet from the point of home plate. The batter's boxes are 3 feet wide by 6 feet long. Playing Equipment Restrictions For the Cal Ripken leagues the baseball bat may not exceed 33 inches in length or 2 1/4 inches in diameter. There is no restriction on length to weight ratio. Pitching Limitations For Cal Ripken leagues the pitchers are limited to no more than six innings pitched per calendar week (Monday through Sunday). Pitchers must have two calendar days rest if they pitch three or more innings in a game. Some local rules may apply. *Number of Innings Played* For Cal Ripken Majors, Minors and Rookies, the game length is six innings with at least four innings require for an "official" game to be declared. For Coach Pitch and T-Ball divisions, the length of the game is left to the local league's discretion, which is set at 4 or 5 innings for the Cabot Coach Pitch and T-Ball divisions.. Substitution of Players - Re-entry Rule Cal Ripken leagues permit starting players to re-enter the game one time after substitution. *Leading off the Base - Special Base Running Rule* Cal Ripken leagues prohibit leading-off the base by base runners. The runner must maintain contact with the base until the pitched ball reaches the batter. Protective Equipment Requirements All leagues require protective headgear for batters and base runners. All leagues also require full protective gear for the catcher, including a protective cup, and a helmet with face mask and throat protector. *Avoid Contact Rule* All leagues prohibit "malicious" contact of a fielder by a base runner, for the sole purpose of knocking the ball loose from the fielder's grip. Third Strike not Caught In Cal Ripken leagues, the batter may not advance to first base on a dropped third strike.
Local League Rules	Local Rules for each Division
Local league rules and options have been adopted by the Honesdale Little Baseball Association for the Cabot youth baseball programs. Some of these rules and options include the following: *Free Substitution* The Honesdale Little Baseball Association board has waived the re-entry rule in select divisions, which allows a coach to freely substitute players in the field during the course of a game. This local league option permits players to gain more playing-time than would otherwise be possible. However, this does not affect the team's batting order, which may not be changed. If round-robin batting is not in effect, substitutions still must be made into the batting order, as needed. Round-Robin Batting All divisions of the Honesdale Little Baseball program permit all players to bat in a "round-robin" order. This ensures that all players receive an equal number of opportunities to bat during a game. When used in conjunction with "free-substitution", all players receive the maximum amount of playing experience possible. *Inning Run Caps* Some divisions are restricted as to how many runs a team may score in a given inning. This rule helps ensure an equal number of at-bats for each team. Minimum Play Rule Cal Ripken, leagues do not mandate playing time, however the Honesdale Little Baseball program implements minimum play rules for all players at the game.	Rules specific to each age division of the Honesdale Little Baseball program are listed below. Click the link to view or download a copy of the league rules. Senior Division Rules.pdf Junior Division Rules.pdf Rookie Division Rules.pdf *Honesdale Little Baseball Rules of Conduct* The following rules pertain to in-park and game conduct of participants and spectators. Parent/Player Information .pdf *Sportsmanship Code* The following is the code of sportsmanship for all Babe Ruth and Cal Ripken affiliate programs. Babe Ruth Sportsmanship Code

Grievance Procedure Any person who has a grievance of any kind that pertains to the Honesdale Little Baseball program should forward a written copy of the grievance, complaint, or suggestion to the board of directors as follows: All grievances should be made in writing to: Honesdale Little Baseball Association 121 Sunrise Avenue Honesdale, PA 18431 Or you may contact the Honesdale Little Baseball Association at via email at kpa1@ptd.net. All communications will be kept in confidence. Any interpretations of these rules & regulations will be made by the Honesdale Little Baseball Association Board of Directors.