Tri-County Rules

The following rules are either exceptions to the Little League Rules 2021 or clarifications to the rules printed in the 2021 Little League rule book. Rules follow the “Majors” Division.

Tri-County Little League

League members will include the Delphos Little League Association - Van Wert youth Baseball - Ft. Jennings and Ottoville.
League entry fee will BE DETERMINED EACH YEAR. The league fees cover all trophies for the league and tournament and the all-star shirts.
Games will start at 6:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. League games will be played on Monday and Wednesday. Friday Night games will be non league OR make up games. MAKE UP GAMES NEED TO BE NEED SCHEDULED WITHIN 24 HOURS OF BEING POSTPONED, CONTACT VIA TEXT BETWEEN THE TWO TEAMS AND A DIRECTOR!
FOR THE 2^ND GAME OF THE NIGHT (730PM START) there will be no infield allowed, please have your team warmed up and ready to go as soon as the 1^st game is over.
Current 5th and 6th graders.
All head coaches will be on the protest committee.
Home teams will supply the baseballs.
No smoking will be allowed by any coaches or assistants at any practice or game situations.
Other than the Head Coach, up to 4 assistants are allowed.
The rosters must be submitted prior to the first league game.
High School umpires (must be 14 years or older) will be permitted to be used.
Bases will be maintained at 70 feet and pitching mound will be at 50 feet.
An On-Deck area on the field will be permitted.
Games will be considered complete after 4 complete innings or 3 1/2 if the home team is ahead. (LL Rules 2007 4.10 (c)) If a game has played 1 or more innings and is suspended, the game will resume EXACTLY where it left off. (LL Rules 2007 4.10-(d)) In the league tournament, all 6 innings will be played unless the 10 run mercy rule occurs. If a tournament game is suspended, the game will pick up exactly where it left off completing all 6 innings.
The 10 run mercy rule will take affect after 3 1/2 innings.
The use of a bat boy/girl will be permitted.
We will use nine players in the field and allow an extra hitter (E.H.) that can be used in the field anytime to replace a player.
Extra Hitter Rules:

a.) Must tell opposing coach and umpire you are using E.H. as the tenth player.

b.) E.H. must be used for the entire game.

c.) Can change the E.H. any time during the game. Example: E.H. exchanges spots with SS, E.H. becomes shortstop and shortstop becomes E.H. They remain in the original spots in the batting order. This is the same as the shortstop exchanges position with the center fielder. The E.H. can also be replaced by a player not already in the game. For the E.H. to re-enter follow d.).

d.) E.H. may re-enter the game as a player according to LL Rules 2007 3.03, if he has been removed from the game.

e.) E.H can be used by one team or both teams.

f.) Penalty for improper use of the E.H. is out and everything reverts back to that out, if properly protested to the umpire at the proper time, according to the Little League Rules.

LL Rules 2007 1.17 ’ “All male players must wear athletic supporters” will not be enforced. Male catchers must wear a cup.
A coach is allowed to warm-up a pitcher when the catcher is not ready!
PITCHING RULES:

A pitcher MAY NOT START A NEW BATTER AFTER 55 PITCHES in a game but no more than 6 innings in a week. NEW ADD ON – A REGULAR WEEK IS CONSIDER 2 GAMES, IF A 3^RD GAME IS ADDED ON THAT WEEK DUE TO MAKE UP, RE-SCHEDULED GAME OR TOURNAMENT – WE WILL ADD 3 MORE INNINGS FOR THAT EXTRA GAME – EXAMPLE IF YOU PLAY MONDAY, WED AND THEN ADD A GAME ON FRIDAY – THE PITCHER HAS A TOTAL OF 6 INNINGS IN THE FIRST TWO GAMES, THEN A EXTRA 3 IN THE 3^RD GAME, YOU CANNOT THROW THAT PITCHER 6 IN THE FIRST GAME AND 3 IN THE 2^ND GAME, IT HAS TO BE NO MORE THAN 6 IN TWO GAMES WITH UP TO 3 IN THE 3^RD GAME!

The pitcher must be removed the second visit in an inning or the third visit in a game.
The league policy is to not permit the pitchers to throw curve balls. It is at the umpire’s discretion if he feels a curve ball is being thrown. If the ump feels a curve ball has been thrown, it is an automatic dead ball and the pitch is not counted regardless of what the pitch was. The ump will warn the pitcher one time. Any subsequent curve ball will result in the pitcher being removed from the mound for the remaining of that game. Any protest by a coach on the umps judgment, will result in a warning for the first offense, and automatic ejection from the game for the second offense.
An intentional walk will be according to Little League rules.
Runner can not attempt to steal the next base until after the ball crosses the plate. If runner leaves early, it is an automatic Dead Ball. The pitch is re-done no matter what the batter did with the ball. First offense for the team, the runner returns to the base. Two or more offenses are automatic outs. If it is the third out, the next inning begins with the batter who was up when the out was called. (LL Rules 2007 7.13 will not be used.)
LL Rules 2007 3.04 & 7.14 Special Pinch-Runner Rules - Any player that is used as the special pinch runner must also play at least 1 inning defensively or bat 1 time.
Re-entry rule is according to the rule book. (LL Rules 2007 3.03)
Addition to LL Rules 2007 7.08 ’ The base runner must avoid contact or will be ruled “out”. Runner DOES NOT have to slide at any base or home plate. The catcher can not block the plate without the ball.
LL Rules 2007 7.10 ’ On an appeal play ’ runners can not advance.
Stealing 2^nd on a walk is allowed according to the Little League Rule Book but in order to clarify this, a pitcher MUST be ON the RUBBER for the ball to be dead. If the pitcher is not on the RUBBER, the ball IS live and runners can steal. Once the pitcher is on the RUBBER with the BALL, the runners must stay on base.
In case of an injury, the opposing coach will pick the player to come back in if you have used all your players. (LL Rules 2007 3.03 Note 2) If no bench player is available, the player that made the last out the previous inning will run
Once all regular season games are complete and entered into the website, the finishing order will be determined. This order will determine the seeding for the tournament.
HOME TEAM FOR THE TOURNAMENT GAMES IS THE BETTER SEED
HOME TEAM WILL SUPPLY GAME BALLS
IN CASE OF A TIE IN THE LEAGUE STANDINGS 1. HEAD TO HEAD 2. FEWEST RUNS ALLOWED 3. MOST RUNS SCORED 4. COIN FLIP
Team rotation will be the sites of the future league tournament games using alphabetical order.
Tri-County All Star Game: Each team is required to pick 3 players who will represent their team in the Tri-County All Star Game. Teams will be picked based off of the league standings. Team “A” will consist of players whose team was 1, 3, 5, 7, 9”?.etc in the final league standings and Team “B” will consist of players whose team was 2, 4, 6, 8, 10”?.etc in the final league standings. Head Coach for Team “A” will be the league’s first place coach and the Head Coach for Team “B” will be the league’s second place coach. The assistants will the remaining head coaches whose players are on that team. Team rosters will be determined the night of the Tournament Draw. Each Head Coach will be responsible for providing his 3 players names & shirt sizes at the meeting. This meeting will be held on. All Star Game will be held in Van Wert for 2013.

38. 2019 Bats must be USA Certified. You can use 2 1/4 or 2 5/8 diameter. If the bat is not proven legal it will be removed from the game at once. If it is discovered illegal after an at bat has just occured with the bat in question, the runner is out and the bat is removed.

39. The base umpire is required to be in the area behind second base when runners are on base.

40. HEAD FIRST SLIDE is permitted BACK into a base. A HEAD FIRST SLIDE into any base or home plate while advancing is an OUT except during a "pickle play". During a "pickle play" you can slide headfirst forward or back to a base.

All rules voted on and approved by Tri County Coaches

Final as of April 13th, 2022