Instructional League T-Ball Rules

1. Remember this is Instructional and it is for the kids.

2. Field preparation is the responsibility of the home team. Coaches should clearly mark the pitching circle, the half way lines between bases and the foul lines, the ball must t ravel a minimum of ten feet as marked by arc on the field f rom back point of home plate.

3. The pitching circle center shall be 38 feet from the rear most point of home base with a diameter of 12 feet (radius of 6 f eet).

4. The bases shall be 50 or 55 feet apart from the back edges with the rearmost point of second base 78 feet from the rear most point of home
base. Make-up games being the exception.

6. There are no metal spikes allowed.

7. All batters and base runners will wear helmets with face masks.

8. Teams will play without a catcher. Teams will have five (5) infielders (pitcher, 1st, 2nd, SS, and 3rd). The pitcher must have one {1} foot in the pitchers circle and stand on either side of the coach. All other players will line up on the dirt side of the infield where the grass and dirt meet (if field permits).

9. Coaches must pitch to their players. If after five (5) pitches a player has not successfully hit a fair ball the coach will set up the tee and let the player hit off the tee. Each player will hit until a fair ball has been achieved or (4) swings at the tee.

10. A batter can’t advance to first base for being hit with the ball.

11. There will be no balls or strikes called at any time.

12. Bunting is not permitted.

13. All games shall be three (3) innings, the 4th inning is optional.

14. Coaches will issue only one warning per player for throwing the bat. For any Sl bsequent infractions, the coach will call the batter out.

15. Base stealing is not permitted. Base runners may not lead off nor leave the base they possess until the batter makes contact with the ball.

16. An out is an out, however, coaches are encouraged to leave base runners on bas,~ to help with base running skills. All batters will bat in an inning – first to l”3St, allowing last batter of each half-inning to “clear” the bases (home run) even if the defense gets an out, so be sure to rotate batting order every inning (4 different batters in a four inning game).

17. Any hit to the infield that is stopped in the infield is a single at most unless an out is made. Any hit past the infield into the grass is live until fielded by a defensive player.

18. Halfway lines: The runners shall be given the next base if they are beyond the halfway line or must return to the previous base if behind the halfway line at the time the ball becomes dead by rule 17.

19. Coaches of the defensive team will be allowed on the field during play. The purpose of the coach is to help instruct the players. Please do not interfere with the ball or play in any way.

20. Late arrivals: Late arrivals shall be placed last in the batting order and permitted to play any position the coach wants the player to play. The object of Instructional League is to teach the players the basic fundamentals of baseball. These rules have been designed with the purpose of preparing the players for Jr. League.