PeeWee Rules 08'

The following is a list of the rules for T-Ball games in the PeeWee division.  Please remember that our goals in T-Ball are two-fold.  First, we want each player’s first experience with organized ball to be an enjoyable one.  Second, we want each player to learn the fundamentals of baseball/softball for use in future years.  With these goals in mind, the following rules have been adopted.

1.  No score is to be kept for the games.  Please discourage any “unofficial” scorekeeping by anyone.

2.  Games are to last 4 innings.  If both coaches agree to shorten the game because of weather or the time it is taking to complete innings, a game may be shortened to 3 innings.

3.  All players are in the batting order and will bat each inning.  Only 10 players play in the field.  Free substitution is allowed.

4.  Of the 10 players in the field, 1 must be a pitcher, 1 must be a catcher, 4 must be infielders, and 4 must be outfielders.  The 4 infielders and the pitcher are the only players allowed to be in the square formed by the bases.  The 4 outfielders should be positioned approximately 10 feet behind the square formed by the bases.

5.  The pitcher must “deliver” an imaginary pitch to the batter before the batter may swing at the ball.  Should the batter contact the ball prior to the pitcher doing this, the ball will be called dead and returned to the tee with no penalty on the batter.

6.  A batter must cleanly contact the ball for the ball to be in play.  If the batter swings and hits the tee without contacting the ball, the ball is dead and a strike is charged to the batter.  Swinging over the top of the ball without making contact with the ball is also a strike.

7.  Any batted ball that rolls to a stop inside the 15’ radius without being touched by a defensive player is a dead ball and a strike.  If this occurs on the third strike, the batter is out.  A batted ball, which comes to a stop on the 15’ radius, is a live ball.  Any batted ball touched by a defensive player inside the radius while the ball is still rolling becomes a live ball.

8.  A batter is allowed 3 pitches from his/her coach.  After that he or she may hit off the tee.

9.  The batter must stay in the legal bounds of the batter’s box and take a full swing.  Failure to do this will result in a dead ball and a strike on the batter. 

10.  The pitcher must stay in contact with the rubber until the ball is batted.  The catcher must assume a normal catching position directly behind home plate.

11.  The runner(s) may not leave the base until the ball has been batted.  Should a runner leave before the ball is batted, a dead ball is called and the runner(s) must return to their original bases with the batter being charged a strike.

12.  A coach must not contact any runner while the ball is in play.  Contact by a coach during a live ball will result in that runner being declared out. 

13.  When a batted ball is thrown from the outfield to the infield, the ball becomes dead as soon as any infielder, pitcher, or catcher has control of the ball within the square of the infield.  All runners may continue only to the base to which they were running when the ball was controlled in the square of the infield.

14.  Any overthrow of first or third base which travels into foul territory shall be called a dead ball with all runners being awarded the base to which they were advancing plus one additional base.

15.  The distance for the pitching rubber shall be 35 feet.  The distance for the bases will be 55 feet.

16.  All catchers must wear full catcher’s equipment.  All batters and runners must wear helmets.

Coaches should remember that a player is not learning baseball/softball if the players are allowed to run the bases wildly with the encouragement of the coaches and the fans.  The rule about control by an infielder, pitcher and catcher requires some common sense on the part of the coaches.  Since we are not keeping score, run scoring is not as important as learning to run bases and enjoying the game.  Even though T-Ball is not a part of District 19, all District 19 rules concerning coaching decorum, fan decorum, etc. are in effect.  Failure to follow the rules of decorum will result in a coach or fan being barred from future contests.