Needham Little League

Home Rules

Triple A

 

Whenever there is a conflict between the Rule Book and Home Rules, the Home Rule pervail.

 

CONFERRING WITH UMPIRES - There is no arguing or conferring with an umpire on ANY ruling by an umpire, even for an interpretation of a rule. 

Dugouts/Bench Assignment - The Home team will occupy the 1st base dugout or bench.

Game Balls - The Home team will supply 2 or 3 game balls.

INTENTIONAL WALKS – Intentional walks are not permitted.

 

RUNS PER INNING LIMIT - There is no limit on the number of runs that can be scored in any inning.

 

BATTING ORDER - Pursuant to Rule 4.04, “A League may adopt a policy of a continuous batting order that will include all players on the team roster present for the game batting in order,” the board of Needham Little League will now require teams at the Triple A level to bat around the order. 

 

“Present for the game” will mean on the roster and in the dugout at the time the rosters are exchanged at the beginning of the game.  If a rostered player arrives after that time, the player is considered late and will be placed at the bottom of the batting order.  Late arrival does not necessarily impact the order in which a late player is rotated into the field.

 

BUNTING - Bunting is allowed at any time during the playing season.  The slash bunt is expressly prohibited.  (See Safety Home Rules).

 

Hit batsmen - A pitcher who hits two batters in one inning or three in one game shall be removed as a pitcher for the remainder of the game.

 

CATCHING - Amends Regulation VI in the LL Rule Book: A pitcher cannot play the position of catcher for the remainder of the day after they have thrown 61 or more pitches.  If a player throws 60 or fewer pitches in a day, they may play the position of catcher.

 

BASE RUNNER ON THIRD BASE ADVANCING TO HOME - In AAA, when a base runner occupies third base before the pitch, said base runner can advance home only under the following circumstances:  A.) a batted ball; B.) a bases-loaded hit batsman; C.) a bases-loaded walk.  A base runner occupying third base before the pitch must not ‘bait’ the catcher into making a throw to third base.  The umpire may call the ‘baiter’ out.  A runner on second base who attempts to steal third and is safe can advance on the same play to home at his/her own risk, (e.g. if the runner on second base attempts to steal third base and the fielding team attempts to throw him/her out at third and the ball goes into left field the runner may advance to third at his/her own risk of being thrown out at home plate.  As with any overthrow, if the throw out attempt goes out of play the runner will be awarded home plate.) 

 

ALL OTHER BASE RUNNING RULES ARE GOVERNED BY THE LITTLE LEAGUE RULES AND REGULATIONS.

 

MERCY RULE 4.10 - (This rule is included because Little League allows optional enforcement.)  If after four (4) innings, one team has a lead of ten (10) runs or more, the manager of the team with the least runs MAY concede the victory to the opponent.  If the visiting team has the lead, the home team must bat in its half of the inning.

 

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS OF MANDATORY PLAY - Including playoffs, each player must play at least 3 innings in the field and bat at least once in a complete 6-inning game.  All non-starting players must enter the game no later than the top of the fourth inning.  Violation of this rule means forfeiture of the game by the offending team. 

 

Note:  Although managers should make every effort to avoid the situation, there is no violation if a player enters the game at the top of the fourth inning but never comes to bat as long as that player is in the batting order for three full innings. 

 

Exception 1:  A player may be held out for disciplinary reasons or injury with the opposing manager being notified immediately

 

Exception 2:  The rule on minimum participation is waived in the event of a shortened game due to weather or the Mercy Rule.

 

CURFEW/TIME LIMIT - No inning is to start after 8:00 PM.   If another game is scheduled to follow, NO game shall last more than 2½ hours.  Do not start an inning if the game will last past 2 ½ hours.

 

SUBSTITUTIONS - In the event that a 9-player roster cannot be fielded for a game, the Triple A manager may bring enough players from Double A to make up to 9.  Triple A manager should contact Triple A Director regarding the need for a player.  If the rostered Triple A player does in fact show up on time* for the game, the rostered Triple A player will start.  However, the Double A player(s) brought up in such instance must play according to the Minimum Requirements rule above.  In the event that the rostered Triple A player shows up late*, the Double A player(s) will start.

 

*All players must be in the dugout and available to play when the lineups are exchanged at the beginning of the game.  If the player is not in the dugout and available to play when the lineups are exchanged, this player is considered ‘late’.

 

The same Double A player(s) must not be brought up in the next short-handed game. 

 

This type of filling in by a Double A player does not in any way constitute a commitment or a guarantee by the Triple A team to bring the substituting Double A player(s) up in the following year.

 

Scheduling/Rainouts/Rescheduling - The Division Director makes the ultimate determination on the timing and location of rescheduled games.  The game schedule stands and may not be altered at the discretion of individual managers.  If a game is called or cancelled due to bad weather, the manager must contact the Division Director for the time and location of the makeup game.  Individual managers may not schedule or reschedule makeup games at their own discretion. 

 

Regularly scheduled games:  Neither individual managers nor groups of managers may relocate or reschedule games at their own discretion.

 

Parades - No vehicles of any kind will be permitted to transport teams in either the Little League Opening Day Parade or Fourth of July Parade.  The following teams and their managers and coaches will march in the fourth of July Parade in the following order:

 

1.         Majors Town Champs

2.         Major League Playoff Champs (town runner up).

3/4.      Major League All Stars (E/W)

5.         AAA Town Champs

6.         AAA League Playoff Champs (town runner up).

7/8.      AAA All Stars (E/W).

9.         AA Town Champs

10.       AA Runners Up

 

All Star Selection Process - Team managers for all AAA All Star Teams should be drawn from AAA Managers.  The managers of the championship teams (East/West) have overall responsibility for managing the team for their leagues (East/West) in the All Star games and organizing their respective teams for the Fourth of July Parade.

 

All Star selections are to be made by each team member secretly voting for three All Star candidates from each team with the manager having the final say on all All Star selections.

 

Selection to the AAA All Stars in no way indicates or guarantees that a player selected will move up to the Majors in the following year.

 

Regular Season Schedule - This will consist of a number of games to be determined annually (not less than 12) to determine League (E/W) champions and runner up.  The first tie breakers will be head to head record of tying teams.  If still tied, the Saturday prior to Town Championship week will be utilized by the League Director to schedule playoff(s).  Decisions to break complicated ties will be the responsibility of a tie breaker committee as appointed by the League President.

 

Substitute Managers - In the event that a manager is not be able to attend a scheduled practice and/or game, only his/her Board-approved coaches may substitute as manager.  In the event that no Board-approved coach is available, the manager must coordinate with the League Director to arrange for a Board-approved coach to take over for that game and/or practice.  It is ultimately the responsibility of the League Director to make his best effort to find approved coaches to cover games so that the players are not penalized by a game cancellation.

 

In no instance may the manager independently authorize a non-Board-approved coach to take over in his/her absence. 

 

PLAYER ELIGIBILITY FOR PLAYOFFS – For any individual player to be eligible to participate in the playoffs, they must play in at least 50% of the team’s regular season games.   A player will be deemed to have played in any postponed games that were not made up (e.g. if a team played 13 games and another 14th game was rained out and not made up, a player who played in 6 of the played games would be eligible for the playoffs because they would get credit for the non-made up game).

 

SAFETY RULES

  1. A, AAA and Majors: In accordance with section 2.00: “a BUNT is a batted ball not swung at, but intentionally met with the bat and tapped slowly… Batters are not permitted to take a half-swing.” HOME RULE: At all Little League levels, the ‘slash bunt’ is forbidden.  The ‘slash bunt’ is defined as a half or full swing or an attempt at a half or full swing after the player assumes a bunting stance (either squaring or pivoting).  If at anytime while in the batter’s box the batter squares or pivots as if to bunt, he either must bunt or attempt to bunt the ball or let the pitch go.  A drag bunt is acceptable.  The umpire MUST call the batter out if in his judgment the batter was attempting a slash bunt.
  2. At all Little League Levels: In accordance with section 1.08 NOTE 1: “The on-deck position is not permitted…” HOME RULE: At the Major League and AAA levels, on-deck swinging is allowed only at Mills Field in the enclosed on-deck area.  Only one player may be in each of the Mills on-deck areas at a time.
    AT ALL OTHER FIELDS, THERE IS NO ON DECK SWINGING.  THE UMPIRE (AA and above) WILL ASSESS A WARNING ON THE FIRST OFFENSE TO BOTH BENCHS (ONE WARNING PER GAME, NOT PER TEAM) AND WILL ASSESS AN OUT TO ANY TEAM WHOSE PLAYER IS SWINGING A BAT WHILE NOT AT THE PLATE ON ANY SUBSEQUENT VIOLATIONS.
    The only players allowed on the field of play are defense, batter, base runners and player base coaches.  No other player is allowed on the field of play and must remain in the dugout or in special circumstances (e.g. warming-up in a bull-pen area), outside the playing field.  Players must not stand in the dugout door area at Mills, these doors must remain closed during play.
  3. At all Levels: If lightning is sighted during a practice or game, play must stop immediately and can only resume after fifteen minutes free of lightning.  Players must immediately take appropriate and safe shelter while waiting for the game to resume.


    The following are not home rules but are included to reinforce their importance.  ALL OTHER RULINGS NOT SPECIFICALLY OUTLINED HERE ARE GOVERNED BY LITTLE LEAGUE BASEBALL OFFICIAL REGULATIONS AND PLAYING RULES.  IF YOU DO NOT HAVE A COPY, PLEASE CONTACT YOUR DIRECTOR IMMEDIATELY.

    At all Little League Levels:
  4. In accordance with section 1.08 NOTE 2: “Only the first batter of each half-inning will be permitted outside the dugout between half-innings.”
  5. In accordance with section 7.08 (a) (3): “Any runner is out when the runner does not slide or attempt to get around a fielder who has the ball and is waiting to make the tag.” Needham Little League Note:  This will be at the umpire’s discretion.   Runner is only required to slide into the base when there is a play at that base, otherwise, the runner may ‘stay up’. 
  6. In accordance with section 1.17: “Male catchers must wear the metal, fiber or plastic type cup and a long-model chest protector. Female catchers must wear long or short model chest protectors.  All catchers must wear chest protector with neck, throat guard, shin guards and catcher’s helmet.”  Needham Little League Note: There must not be a gap between the throat protector and the mask, which would permit a baseball to hit the throat.
  7. In accordance with section 1.11 (h): At all Little League Levels, “Shoes with metal spikes or cleats are not permitted.  Shoes with molded cleats are permissible.”
  8. In accordance with section 1.11 (j): “Players must not wear watches, rings, pins, jewelry or other metallic items.”
  9. In accordance with section 1.16: “Use of the helmet by the batter, all base runners and base coaches is mandatory.  Use of a helmet by an adult base coach is optional.”

 

 

ALL OTHER RULINGS NOT SPECIFICALLY OUTLINED HERE ARE GOVERNED BY LITTLE LEAGUE BASEBALL OFFICIAL REGULATIONS AND PLAYING RULES.  IF YOU DO NOT HAVE A COPY, PLEASE CONTACT YOUR DIRECTOR IMMEDIATELY.