Kino Baseball League Umpire Development
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KBL Babe Ruth Playing Rules
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OBR Refresher
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Safety
 Helmets
▪ Double ear flap, NOCSAE approved
▪ No tape on helmets, no chrome helmets
▪ Worn by an player on the field during live play
▪ Except: F1/F2 in bullpen, but must be protected
 No catcher’s skull caps
 No jewelry
▪ Med alert or religious jewelry must be taped down
▪ Use NFHS jewelry rule
▪ Team warning on 1st offense
▪ Player restriction on 2nd offense
▪ Player/manager ejection on 3rd offense
 Contact rule
▪ “If a runner attempting to reach home plate or a base in
the JUDGMENT of the umpire intentionally and
maliciously runs into the defensive player, the runner
will be called out on the play and ejected from the
game. The objective is to penalize the offensive team
for deliberate, unwarranted, unsportsmanlike action by
the runner for the obvious purpose of crashing the
defensive player.”
▪ NFHS Force Play Slide Rule is in effect
 Lightning
▪ Game stopped if lightning is within 5 miles
▪ Direct teams to parking lot, tell them to not leave the
vicinity
▪ Initial delay is 30 mins. Clock resets if 2nd lightning hits
▪ Game is suspended if 3rd lightning strike occurs
 Blood Rule
▪ Player with accumulated blood on uniform or body must
be treated and cleaned before resuming in game
▪ If treatment/cleaning requires extensive delay, play
must be withdrawn
 Illegal Bat
▪ If discovered prior to batter completing his at bat, bat is
removed
▪ If discovered after hitting a fair ball, batter is out, all
runners return, any other outs recorded on the play
stand (appeal play)
▪ Appeal is not granted following pitch to the next batter
 Legal bats
▪ 34” max
▪ All wood (maple or ash); or .50 BBCOR drop 3
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Playing Rules
 Batting Order
▪ Bat straight 9
▪ Bat 10 (1 EH)
▪ Bat 11 (2 EHs)
▪ No Designated Hitter, no continuous batting order
 Open substitution
▪ Players must remain in the same batting position
▪ Players omitted as substitutes (not on card) may enter
the game
 Starting/Ending Game
▪ Must have 9 to start and finish game
▪ Must finish with the number started (9, 10, or 11)
▪ If ejection/illness causes team to fall below 10 or 11 :
▪ An out is recorded each time the player’s spot comes up
▪ If ejection/illness causes team to fall below game
minimum of 9 :
▪ Opposing coach select from available non-eligible subs
▪ If there are no available non-eligible subs, game is forfeit
 Game length
▪ 7 innings
▪ No new inning after 2 hours
▪ Game must be regulation (4 ½ - 5 innings)
▪ Run rule
▪ 15 runs at 3 ½ - 4 innings
▪ 10 runs after 4 ½ - 5 innings
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Pitching Regulations
 Balks are delayed dead ball
▪ Ball is live is pitcher throws the ball and:
▪ Batter hits the ball fair or F1 throws/pitches wild
▪ Ball is live until all runners cease advance and a fielder
has possession of the ball in the infield
 Going to mouth on the rubber is not a balk
▪ Replace ball and warn the pitcher
▪ Further violations are called a ‘ball’
 No “no pitch” IBB – Must throw pitches
 Pitcher may not feint to 3B from the rubber
▪ Must throw the ball to the base
 Pitcher removed on the 2nd trip to the same
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pitcher in the same half-inning
Hybrid stance is allowed
Pitcher can throw to an occupied base from the
rubber in the windup position
Pitcher need not “stop” during deliver from set
position of no runners are on base
In set, pitcher may stop with glove above chin
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The batter
 Stepping on plate and hitting the ball is not an
out if part of a foot is in the box
 BI on a strike out is always a double play
 Follow-through interference is not an out
▪ Considered “weak interference”
▪ Kill the play, send runners back
 No Designated Hitter in Babe Ruth OBR
 An altered bat is an out and player ejected
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The runner
 Hurdling and diving are legal
 Runner may over-run 1B on a base-on-balls
 Obstruction
▪ Type 1: Play being made on obstructed runner
▪ Immediate dead ball
▪ Award runner at least next base
▪ Award other runners bases as deemed appropriate
▪ Type 2: No play on obstructed runner
▪ Delayed dead ball
▪ Award appropriate bases at end of play
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The fielder
 Only F2 and F3 may wear a mitt
 Ball must be live for base running appeals
 No “catch and carry” in OBR
▪ Ball is dead, runners advance one base
 Ball must go “through or by” a fielder (other than
F1) to protect runner from interference