Uxbridge Baseball Association
A Ball Rules & Coaching Guide
Game Structure:
• Length = 4 innings max; do not start a full inning with less than 15 minutes of field time
o I.e. if the game started at 8:00 and it is 9:05 and the 3rd inning just completed, do not
start the 4th.
• Each team bats all players in each inning (could be 8 potential outs, or 8 hits, etc.)
• Outs are outs (i.e. if a play is made to first before the runner, that runner is out)
• All hits are singles, unless the ball flies to the outfield grass in the air. In which case the batter
must stop at second base.
• Fielders should complete every play to first base on every hit.
• Final hitter of each ½ inning hits a “homerun” and gets to circle the bases.
o This should be a different hitter each inning (if possible)
o Batting order does not matter
• No Strikeouts
• No Walks
• No Leading or stealing
• Have kids hustle on and off the fields
• Make it fun!
Rules and Coaching Guide for A5 and A6
These guidelines are to help teach the children in the A-Division (T-Ball) the fundamentals of
throwing, fielding and hitting while having fun playing a game. As a manager or coach do not under estimate the impact your words and actions, both positive and negative, have on the development of a
child. What you do and say now will stay with the child for years to come.
Objective: Teach the kids the very basics of the game – throwing, catching, fielding, running and
hitting. Have fun and make sure that no one gets hurt. Get them ready for AA (Next level)
Games: 4 innings long – @ 45 minutes – everyone bats, plays the field and no score is kept.
Batting: Everyone bats each inning. Run to one base at a time. There are no outs. Last person hits a
home run. Use the Tee until kids are ready for coach pitch. Every kid not on the bench wears a
helmet. No Sliding.
Fielding: Everyone plays the field. We recommend making all fielding plays to first base only. Only
have 4 infielders and one pitcher inside the base paths. No Catcher.
Remainder of players are backing up – deep infield or outfield.
Avoid Scrums! Don’t let the kids dive on the ball! Try your best to keep them alert. No sandcastles.
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Uxbridge Baseball Association
A Ball Rules & Coaching Guide
Key Skills:
Batting Basics - How to hold the bat
- How to put on a helmet
- Where they can swing the bat safely
- How to walk up to home plate and set their feet
- How to hit the ball off the tee
- After hitting the ball – to drop the bat
- Watching the ball
Batting Advanced
- Swinging the bat flat
- Shifting weight
- Hitting the ball when tossed to them
Base running - How to run to 1st base. (Run through the base into foul territory)
- How to run to 2nd and 3rd base
- How to run home
- How to stand on base and get ready to run
- When to run
Fielding
- Where the positions are
- How to hold the ball when throwing
- How to hold/use their glove
- How to field a grounder
- How to throw the ball to 1st base
- Not to stand in the way of the baserunner
Fielding Advanced
- How to catch shoulder high and above
- How to catch a pop up
- What ground they cover from each position
- What to do when the ball isn’t hit to them
Throwing
- How to hold the ball. Show them the “Cobra Fangs” for their fingers
- Proper overhand motion should be 3 steps:
1. Reach back like grabbing an apple out of a barrel.
2. Arm comes up to an “L” position level with the shoulder
3. Release and follow through, arm comes down to opposite knee.
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Uxbridge Baseball Association
A Ball Rules & Coaching Guide
Practice Drills:
1. Have them kneel on one knee. Knee matching throwing arm should be down.
You kneel about 5 feet back. Have them throw lightly to you being careful of the
proper form and following the 3 steps listed above.
2. Lay an empty 5-gallon bucket on home plate facing the field. Have them stand
back around the pitcher’s mound. Each player aims and tries to throw it in bucket.
Practice Recommendations
- Split the kids in as many small groups as possible
- Do multiple drills to keep all the kids busy
- Get as many parents to help as possible
- Don’t let the kids play catch together. Someone will get hurt eventually.
- Get them to take as many swings as possible (Someone should be hitting during the
whole practice)
Drills – Swing the bat, drop the bat, run to first – (Need two adults)
- Set up a home plate and a base
- One adult helps them line up their feet, then have them swing the bat, drop it and
start running (Note that a waffle bat is good for this drill)
- 2nd adult stands at first and shows them to run thru the bag and turn to the right
Base running – 2nd and 3rd - stopping at the bag
- Teach them to get in a stance at the base – hands on their knees, left foot on the base
ready to push off, looking in at the plate.
- Have them run to the second base and teach them to stop at the base without going
past it, or sliding into it. (No Sliding!)
Fielding Drills – Fielding ground balls and throwing the ball back to you
- Show them how to hold the ball and throw the ball overhand
- Field ground balls with both hands (Alligator’s mouth)
- Don’t let the kids dive after balls or drop to their knees to get them
Fielding – Little More Advanced
- Shuffle feet to the right or left to get ground balls
- Try to develop/instill quickness
- Don’t let them lob the ball back to you – make them throw it as hard as they can
Catching the ball above the shoulders (More advanced)
- Line them up against the back stop
- Get them to point the tip of their gloves up (This is unnatural for most of them)
- Throw the ball over their head to the side of their glove hand
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Uxbridge Baseball Association
A Ball Rules & Coaching Guide
Using the Tee
-
You want to line the Tee up with the ball lined up with their front foot
Ball Height should be waist high
When you know to Pitch to the kids
- During practicing or before or after a game, you can soft toss the ball to them and
have them hit the ball into a screen. The kids that watch the ball are ready to pitch
to; the ones that just swing are not. Easiest way to know if a kids watching the ball
– fake tossing it, and if they swing, they aren’t watching it.
Pitching during games (Advanced)
- Please remember – KEEP THE GAMES TO 45 MINUTES… Most of the kid’s
attention spans are very short and cannot last in the fields for long periods of time.
- After several practices/games, you have been working with your kids on hitting soft
toss, and both coaches agree, you can pitch the last inning to the kids.
- 2 pitch maximum – no exceptions – if you throw 2 bad ones, still get the tee.
- Most effective way to do this and keep the game moving – Take 2 (two) balls to the
mound – have one parent/coach with the tee and a third ball. After the second pitch,
if the batter doesn’t hit the ball, put the tee down right away and have them hit.
- The faster you do this, the less attention is made to the kid batting.
Be encouraging so they don’t feel bad for missing the pitches.
- Pitching – set up 15 to 20 feet in front of home plate, get on one knee. Pitch the ball
overhand – show the ball, then throw it – don’t wind up. The pitch should be fairly
flat – keep the arc of the pitch to a minimum without throwing it hard.
- Anything hit close to the field is a fair ball…
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Uxbridge Baseball Association
A Ball Rules & Coaching Guide
Code of Conduct
The Executive Committee shall preside over any and all matters regarding code of conduct for
directors, coaches, umpires and players. Any member, player, or umpire may appeal to the
Executive Committee or bring a complaint to the Executive Committee, but first must, in writing,
notify the league through any Board Member. The notification will be forwarded to the League
President or a Vice President in the President’s absence. In case of an emergency, or matter of a
serious nature, the President may call an immediate Executive Committee meeting. A minimum of
three Executive Committee members must be available to make any ruling or judgment.
All Members in Uxbridge Baseball Association shall accept the following code of conduct.
1. It is the duty of all coaches to be in control of his players at all times.
2. Coaches are expected to comply with the intent and spirit of the rules.
3. Coaches should teach their players to respect the dignity of the game, officials, opponents and
the institutions they represent.
4. Coaches will confine their discussions with game officials to the interpretation of the rules and
not challenge umpire judgment calls.
5. Cursing, obscene language or gestures, malicious or personal remarks to or between opponents,
spectators, officials or coaches will not be tolerated.
6. Directors, coaches, umpires and players shall refrain from any actions that might arouse
unsportsmanlike behavior between spectators or any of the aforementioned.
7. All League Officials shall incorporate this Code of Conduct in their code of conduct.
8. Improper use or deliberate damage to equipment or facilities by any member or associate of
this league will not be tolerated.
9. Altercations, verbal and/or physical will not be tolerated, nor will any intentional attempt to
injure any player, official or participant in any league game or function.
10. Players, coaches and umpires shall not possess or be under the influence of alcohol or illegal
drugs during baseball games.
Penalties
Upon viewing a violation of the above Code of Conduct rules, the witness will forward a
descriptive report or complaint in writing to any active Board Member. The Board Member will
forward report to the Executive Committee. If the Executive Committee deems it necessary, they
will request information from the Manager of each team concerning the incident. The Executive
Committee will then determine whether any infractions of the preceding Code of Conduct rules
have been made. The Executive Committee will make a decision based upon the following
guidelines. The President will have final decision over any Executive Committee stalemate.
1. Any player, coach or director who throws or misuses any equipment during the course of a
game shall be warned the first time; if a second offense occurs, he will be ejected.
2. Any player, coach or director in violation of Code 5, 9 or 10 will be immediately ejected.
3. Any player, coach or director in violation of Code 6 will receive a warning for the first offense.
A second offense will mean immediate ejection.
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Uxbridge Baseball Association
A Ball Rules & Coaching Guide
4. If an umpire violates any of the codes of conduct, a written complaint shall be presented to the
Executive Committee. If said umpires actions become intolerable during the course of the
game, both coaches can agree to suspend said game at that point, remove all players from the
field and make immediate report to the Executive Board.
5. In the event one or more spectators become unruly and refuse an umpire's request to leave the
playing field area, the game can be suspended at that point. Either the fan(s) will be removed
by the police, or the game will remain suspended.
6. In the case of ejection for any of the above reasons, the following minimum penalties will be
automatically imposed for players and coaches during the course of the season.
First offense: 1 Game Suspension Second offense: 2 Game Suspension Third offense:
Remainder of Present Year Plus 1 Year Suspension
7. As a result of disciplinary action for any of the above reasons, the following minimum penalties
will automatically be imposed for umpires and directors during the course of the season.
First offense: 1 week suspension Second offense: Minimum 1 month suspension Third offense:
1 year suspension.
8. Any player, coach or director ejected during the course of a game who refuses (after being
ejected and notified twice that he has been ejected) to leave the field of play, shall cause the
head umpire to declare a win for the opposing team. The head umpire will, immediately
following the game, file a written report to the Executive Committee. After review by the
Executive Committee, the offending coach will be suspended for 1 year.
Disciplinary Action: The UBA wants its managers and coaches to promote safety, sportsmanship,
teamwork, and having fun. However, there will be times when disciplinary action should be taken.
The following are examples that would likely require disciplinary actions:
•
Striking someone on the field (game or practice)
•
Verbally abusing someone
•
Being non-responsive or disrespectful to other players, coaches or managers
•
Chronic tardiness or absence to games or practices
Disciplinary actions must be administered by the manager or the UBA Player Agent only and any
actions must be reported to the UBA Player Agent. The manager should also notify the player’s
parents of the situation and explain why the action was taken. The manager may ask the UBA Player
Agent to notify the parents on their behalf. Disciplinary action is limited to reduced game time
playing. Managers have the authority to suspend a player up to one game per season, at their
discretion, without the need to consult the UBA Player Agent beforehand. If a manager feels that more
than one game suspension is warranted, the manager must consult the UBA Player Agent first. The
exception is for striking another player, in which case, the UBA Player Agent must be notified
immediately. If a player strikes someone else, this is grounds for a minimum full game suspension. If
the incident is severe enough as judged by the manager and UBA Player Agent, or a second offense
occurs, this could lead to suspension for the rest of the season.
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