IOWA CITY BOYS BASEBALL RULES
2016
1. Equipment and Clothing:
A. Coaches are responsible for equipment checked out at the beginning of the season. It should be turned
in at the end of the season, after the last game. Equipment should be well cared for as it can be expensive
to replace. Equipment that is faulty should be turned in for a replacement. Standard equipment in each
bag should include: 1 bat, 3 batting helmets, 1 pair catcher’s shin guards, 1 chest protector, 1 catcher’s
mask, 1 catcher’s mitt, and about a dozen baseballs.
B. Shoes with metal spikes or cleats are not permitted. Shoes with rubber cleats are permissible.
C. The catcher may wear a mitt of any shape, size, or weight consistent with protecting the hand.
D. The first baseman may wear a glove or mitt not more than 14” from top to bottom and not more than
8” wide across the palm, measured from the base of the thumb crotch to the outer edge of the mitt. The
glove may be of any weight.
E. Each fielder, other than the first baseman and the catcher, may wear a glove not more than 12” long or
more than 8” wide, measured from the base of the thumb crotch to the outer edge of the glove.
F. Catchers must wear an approved chest protector, shin guards, helmet, and a mask.
G. A protective cup is recommended for all players.
H. A player warming up a pitcher MUST wear a catcher’s mask.
I. All batters MUST wear a batting helmet while at bat and running the bases. Chin straps are optional.
J. All players must wear long pants while playing in games and practices.
K. Only approved regulation baseball bats shall be used. No bat shall have a diameter of more than 2 ¼”
in the Junior and Pitching Machine Divisions. No bat shall have a diameter of more than 2 5/8” in the
Senior Division. A player that steps into the batters box with an illegal bat will be called out.
2. Ground Rules:
A. No games or practices shall be held when weather or field conditions are not good, particularly when
lighting is inadequate. Under no circumstances will games or practices continue if lightning is in the area
B. The home team will occupy the third base dugout and the visitors will occupy the first base dugout.
The winning team is responsible for turning in the score to the clubhouse.
C. In the Pitching Machine and Junior division games will start no new innings of play 75 minutes after
the scheduled start, this time is determined by an announcement from our clubhouse. The inning in
progress shall be completed. All games are scheduled to be up to 6 innings, time permitting. In the event
of a tie extra innings may be played only if time permits. A new inning is considered to have started
when the final out in an inning has been made.
D. In the Senior Division the same rules apply to the end of games as stated in 2C except that no new
inning of play will be started after 90 minutes.
E. On a ball thrown out of play, time shall be called by the umpire and the runners shall be allowed to
advance 1 base past the base occupied.
F. Any ball that passes through or over the outfield fence after hitting the ground will be considered a
ground rule double, and runners on base can only advance 2 bases from their position before the hit.
G. In the Pitching Machine Division, play may be stopped when the ball is raised overhead. The
following conditions must be met.
1. A baseball play must be made prior to holding the ball above the players head. This can be
done in several ways. Examples include
a. Throwing the ball to another player.
b. “Looking” a runner back to a base
c. Tagging a runner or a base
2. The player holding the ball up must be an infielder and must be on the infield dirt.
At this point base runners will be directed to the nearest base by the umpire.
H. There is no infield fly rule and no dropped 3rd strike.
I. Home plate will be ‘closed’ in the Junior Division. This means that runners will not be allowed to
steal home at any time. A runner may only advance home when the ball has been put in play by the
batter.
Example: Runners on 1st and 3rd. The runner from 1st attempts to steal 2nd base and the catcher
makes a throw to 2nd. The runner on 3rd may not advance home no matter the result from the
throw to 2nd.
3. Conduct Rules:
A. The coach, assistants, and team members may not go any closer to the batters box than the end of the
concrete pad at the bench, while the game is in progress. Junior and Senior League defensive coaches
shall remain in their dugout except for timeouts, injuries, or conferences. Example: the coach may not
stand or sit behind the backstop at any time, and may not be in the field of play.
B. At the Pitching Machine level a coach may approach the plate with the hitter to offer coaching prior to
the pitch. He must retreat behind the end of the concrete pads at the end of the bench for the pitches. This
should be done in a timely manner so as not to slow the game.
C. Any coach or assistant using profane language may be warned once, and any use thereafter will result
in ejection from the game and possible dismissal from coaching by the Board of Directors of Iowa City
Boys Baseball.
D. Any player using profane language may be warned once, and any occurrence afterwards will result in
ejection from the game.
4. Player Rules:
A. General Rules
1. Roster Size
a. Teams will be formed with at least 10 players.
b. Teams shall have 7 players at the start of the game or the game will be forfeit. If neither
team has 7 players the game will be eliminated from the schedule.
i. When a forfeit is called both managers shall meet with the umpire and the umpire
will immediately report a forfeit to the clubhouse.
ii. During the regular season a scrimmage will be played.
iii. In tournament play the game will be cancelled.
2. Every boy present at a game must play in all games both offensively and defensively. This is for
all divisions. NO player shall sit on the bench defensively for 2 consecutive innings in a game,
unless injured and unable to play.
3. Violation of Rule 4, Section A.1, could result in a forfeit of said game by informing the umpire in
charge of the game at the conclusion of play.
4.
AMENDED FOR 2016 - The batting order shall include all players present and that order
shall remain intact for the entire game. This is for all divisions. An exception can occur in the
case of an injury or illness. A player may leave a game and miss a turn at the plate or in the field
due to injury or illness and may return without penalty. This shall be reported to the opposing
manager as the player leaves and returns to the game.
5. Late arrivals shall be placed at the end of the lineup and players leaving the game early shall be
removed from the lineup without penalty. In game lineup changes should be communicated to the
opposing manager and umpire as a courtesy.
6. There is unlimited substitution at all positions except for the pitcher. This applies to both Junior
and Senior Divisions.
7. No leading off bases will be allowed. The runners cannot leave the base until the baseball has
crossed home plate. Runners can advance at their own risk on a passed ball. There is no
advancement on a foul ball and the play is dead until the next pitch.
8. Malicious contact by any player, offensively or defensively, is not permitted. Any runner who
remains on his feet and deliberately tries to jar the ball loose from the defensive player will be
called out. If the umpire determines the act of the runner was flagrant, the runner shall be called
out and ejected from the game.
9. A game will be declared over when one team is 10 runs ahead, the game has passed 3 ½ innings,
and the team behind has had a chance to bat every player.
10. There will be a 10 batter per inning limit for the Pitching Machine and Junior Divisions.
11. In the event that weather conditions stop play during either the early or late games, 4 innings (3 ½
with the home team ahead) must be completed by ALL teams for those games to be counted in
the record. If the game is a tie, it will remain a tie.
12. In Junior Division on a ball four the ball remains live until the umpire calls time, or becomes in
control of the ball.
B. Pitching Rules
1. Pitchers are allowed to pitch a maximum of 3 innings per game or 8 innings per week in the
Junior Division & 3 innings per game or 9 innings per week in the Senior Division. All coaches
are expected to keep track of innings pitched for their respective players and record them in their
scorebook which must be present at all games. If a pitcher throws only 1 pitch in an inning that
constitutes a full inning. Once a pitcher has been taken off the mound, and another pitch has been
pitched, he cannot pitch again that game. He can return to any other position.
2. In the Championship Tournament pitchers are allowed to pitch no more than 6 innings per
calendar day.
C. Batting Rules
1. A batter is out when:
a. A fly ball, fair or foul, is legally caught be a defensive player.
b. A third strike foul tip is legally caught by the catcher.
c. A third strike is swung at and missed or called by the umpire and then dropped by the
catcher. (Runners may advance at their own risk, but the batter is out.)
d. Hitter bunts foul on the third strike.
2. Batters in the Junior Division will start each at bat with a 1 ball 1 strike count.
3.
AMENDED FOR 2016 - Junior Division shall have balls and strikes called by the umpire.
a. There shall be no walks. A hit batter will be granted 1st base.
b. When the count reaches ball four the batter will choose to receive soft toss pitches from a
coach or hit from a tee.
c. If the batter does not put the ball in play after the 2 soft toss pitches or swings off of the
tee, he is out.
d. When hitting from the tee the player must take a full swing and the bat must make
contact with the ball. The ball must travel further than the height of the tee to be
considered a fair ball.
e. During the soft tosses or hits from the tee the pitcher shall be positioned in contact with
the pitching rubber.
f. The catcher will have the mask on and be positioned in the catcher’s box.
g. The coach throwing the toss will be in foul territory.
4. The pitching machine league will deliver all pitches from a pitching machine with a maximum of
3 swinging strikes or 5 pitches per at bat. In the case of rain a T will be substituted for the
machine and the player will get 3 swings to put the ball into play.