SHETLAND LEAGUE (T-BALL/MACHINE/COACH PITCH)
Ages 5 and 6
50* bases, 35* pitching rubber
A ten-foot circle shall be chalked for positioning the pitcher. The defensive pitcher must have one foot in the circle.
Reduced injury baseballs shall be utilized in this League.
All batters may hit off batting tees, with the assistance of an offensive Coach.
The batter will have 7 opportunities to hit the ball. If the last opportunity is hit foul, another chance will be awarded.
The ball must go farther then 10* from the tee in fair territory; otherwise the ball is foul. If the bat hits only the ball or any portion of the ball, this is a legal hit.
If the bat only hits the tee, this is a *tee ball* and not a hit. The Batting tee shall be placed in front of home plate with the back of the tee just touching home plate.
The first round of the regular season may be coach-pitched from the pitching position. The manager of each team may choose whether or not to coach pitch to his/her team on offense.
One team may elect to coach pitch while the other team uses the tee on offense. Any child not wishing to be pitched to may hit off a tee. If after 4 pitches the batter has not placed the ball in play, the tee will be utilized.
The Manager/Coach will throw all pitched balls overhand and from a kneeling position.
The coach shall make every effort to stay out of the way of all plays. If the ball does hit the coach, the ball is dead and the play will go over. The second round of the regular season will be machine-pitch.
Second Round
Coach Pitch
Each batter will receive a maximum of five (5) pitches – the batter may use the tee after three pitches- to put the ball in play. If the batter does not put the ball in play, he will NOT be awarded first base and his at-bat will be recorded as a strikeout. Note: If a batter hits a foul ball on the fifth pitch or completely misses the tee an out is still recorded.
Any "bad pitch" caused by the coach (yes, it does happen) counts in the pitch count (e.g. high, low, bounced pitches, hit batters etc). If the coach throws all wild pitches or hits the batter or anything else, the pitches still count.
Third Round
Machine pitched:
Batter receives six pitches to place the ball in play.
If after 6 pitches the batter has not placed the ball in play, the tee will be utilized.
The third round of regular season play will be machine-pitch and outs and runs will be recorded. However, each team will still bat the entire lineup.
In the event of a pitching machine failure, coach pitch will be utilized.
A ball hitting the pitching machine or person operating the machine shall be called dead and the batter is awarded first base.
There shall be no catchers.
The entire team shall bat through the line-up each inning.
There will be NO *On Deck* swinging
All players shall play on defense.
The extra defensive players shall play in the outfield only. The outfield is defined as the grass area in fair territory.
No Player shall play more than 2 innings at any one position and each Player must play 1 inning in the outfield.
A Game is 5 innings; no new inning can start after 1 hr and 20 minutes following start of the game.
Outs will not be recorded. Team win loss records will not be maintained.
Base stealing or leading off is not permitted. Mercy rule is not in effect.
Play is considered dead only when the ball is returned to any defensive infielder, who is in fair territory within the infield and holds the ball up in the air. Once the ball is dead all runners must proceed to the closest base.
A following runner can force no runner to the next base. If the lead runner is not half way, the runner shall return to the last base and the following runners will do likewise.
Any Player throwing a bat shall receive one warning. Next time the player will sit out the remainder of that at bat or the next at bat.
A runner is out if they pass a preceding runner while the ball is in play. Runners shall be awarded one additional base on all overthrows that go out of play.
No more then 3 league approved coaches allowed on the field when a team is on defense, so as not to obstruct play.
No more then 4 league approved coaches allowed on the field when a team is on offense. Those coaches must be positioned at first base, third base, catcher and pitcher.
