General Rules
Highlighted portions indicate a change in the rules for 2011.
1. PLAYER PARTICIPATION
Baseball: (Mini, Midget, Minor American and Major American) Each player shall play at least three of the first 5 innings in the field. In the event that a game is completed in less than 5 innings, players who did not get 3 innings of defensive play shall play the first three (3) innings of the next game in the field. Penalty: Forfeiture of the game
Softball: (Novice, Miniette, Minorette, Majorette American and Metroette). Each player shall play at least 2 of the first 4 innings in the field. In the event that a game is completed in less than 4 innings, players who did not get 2 innings of defensive play shall play the first 2 innings of the next game in the field. Penalty: Forfeiture of the game.
Baseball and Softball:
Players arriving after the first pitch of the second inning are considered to be late and may participate, but are not subject to minimum player participation rules. Exception: This rule does not apply to Minor National, Major National, Metro and Softball Power League.
At least ten minutes prior to the start of each game, the team manager shall furnish the official scorekeeper with an official lineup listing all players currently on the roster showing uniform numbers. The listing shall include any reason that a player will not participate. It will be the responsibility of the team manager to assure that the listing is made a part of the official record of the game. It will be the responsibility of the team manager to determine that the tabulation on the lineup reflects the playing time of each player. Any complaint registered against a manager concerning the playing time rule shall be investigated by the Board of Directors.
RECOMMENDED PENALTY
1st Violation: The manager is suspended from the Ken Berry property from the next League game played by that team.
2nd Violation: The manger is suspended from Ken Berry property for the next three League games played by that team.
3rd Violation: The manger will be suspended from the League and Ken Berry property, with the right to appeal to the Board of Directors.
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2. CONTINUOUS BATTING LINEUPS
This rule shall apply to all baseball and softball divisions using a continuous batting order. Every player present must be included in the batting order for the entire game. Players arriving late are to be added at the bottom of the batting order. No other changes in the batting order may be made once the batting order is entered into the official scorebook. Players injured or leaving early will be removed from the batting order without penalty unless the number of players falls below the minimum required official batting order. The player being removed must sit out six consecutive outs before being able to play. If the player's turn at bat would occur, the batter would be passed over.
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3. RE-ENTRY RULE
a. Any player, after being removed from the game, may re-enter provided both of the following conditions are met:
1. The substitute has played one complete inning (3 outs defensively and 3 outs offensively).
2. The player does not appear at bat sooner than he/she would have had he/she not been replaced.
b. A violation of the re-entry rule is a correctable offense and cannot be appealed. In order to be corrected, the violation must be reported to the umpire, who will determine the action necessary, if any, is appropriate to correct the violation at the point in the game it was detected and reports. The game will resume at the point at which the violation was reported to the umpire. No portion of the game is to be replayed.
c. In the case of player injury requiring attention and removal from the game and no other substitutes are available, this rule does not apply.
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4. FORFEITURE OF GAME
A game is forfeited if: (forfeited game: is a game declared ended by the Chief Umpire in favor of the offended team by the score of 7 to 0, for violations of the rules).
a. A team is not ready to play at game time.
b. Any team personnel refuses to leave the game at an umpire's request.
c. A team plays an ineligible player (a player not on the team's roster is an ineligible player).
d. A team is unable to field a playable team at game time or any time thereafter.
e. There is a violation of any of the division rules for pitching.
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5. EJECTION
If a player, manager, coach or fan is ejected from any game sponsored by the League, minimum penalties will be assessed as follows:
1st Ejection-- Suspension from the game from which ejected plus the next game played on KEN BERRY PROPERTY by the team represented at the time of ejection.
2nd Ejection-- Suspension from the game from which ejected plus the next three games played on KEN BERRY PROPERTY by the team represented at the time of ejection.
3rd Ejection-- Suspension from the game from which ejected plus automatic ejection from the League, with the right of appeal to the Board of Directors.
At the time of ejection the individual must leave the diamond and immediate area from which ejected. Immediate area translates into out of sight and out of sound of game. More severe penalties may be assessed by a committee consisting of the Division Rep, VP of Baseball or VP of Softball and the Chief Umpire. If a member of this committee needs to be recused, they may be replaced by any member of the Executive Committee. This committee may also take action against other un-sportsmanlike activities that did not lead to an ejection.
Suspension in this context means that the suspended person may be present on Ken Berry League property only as a peaceable spectator. This person must remain at least 200 feet from either dugout before and during the game or games from which he/she was suspended.
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6. THROWN EQUIPMENT
Thrown equipment will not be tolerated. A warning shall be given to the managers in the pre-game meeting with the umpires. Violations will be enforced as indicated:
1st Offense-- A team warning will be given.
2nd Offense-- Ball is dead; the batter is out.
3rd Offense-- Ball is dead; the batter is out and is ejected from the game.
Violations must occur in the same game and must be determined by the umpire. Intentionally thrown equipment may be cause for ejection at the discretion of the umpire.
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7. PROFANITY
Profanity will not be tolerated. PENALTY: Player, manager, coach or fan will be ejected.
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8. PROTESTS
a. All games shall be run by umpires under the supervision of the Chief Umpire. The Baseball/Softball Committee shall be the interpreter of these rules.
b. All protests regarding a rule interpretation shall be considered only if the protest is made to the game umpires at the time of the rule infraction. The official score book shall be marked by the home plate umpire and a written explanation by the protesting manager, accompanied by a $25.00 protest fee, shall be given to a member of the Board of Directors within 24 hours of the completion of the game. The Protest Committee's decision shall be final through a written report. In case the protest is allowed, the protest fee shall be returned and the game shall be replayed from the point of the protest. The Protest Committee's decision shall be final upon submission of a written report within 72 hours.
c. During tournament play, available Board Members shall immediately settle all protests after a $25.00 protest fee has been posted. In case the protest is allowed, the protest fee shall be returned. Written or delayed protests are not allowed during tournaments.
d. In the event a Board Member is involved in a protest or his/her team would be affected by a decision, he/she will not participate in the problem resolution.
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9. GAME START TIME
No league games may start after 10:30 pm with the exception of games in the Metro and Metroette divisions.
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10. GAME END
If either team is behind by more runs than can mathematically be scored due to per inning run limits and the time limit has been reached, the game is ended. If a batter has received any pitches when the time limit is reached, he or she shall complete their at bat prior to the game being ended
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11. ALCOHOL AND TOBACCO USE
No alcoholiv beverages are allowed on the property of the Southwest Youth Athletic Asociation. The SYAA property will be a smole free environment beginning in 2010.
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