HOUSE LEAGUE RULES

THE OFFICIAL RULES OF BASEBALL:    CLICK HERE!

ONTARIO BASEBALL ASSOCIATION RULES: CLICK HERE!

THESE FOLLOWING HOUSE LEAGUE RULES  OVER RIDE THE ABOVE RULE SETS WHERE NECESSARY:

-IF A PLAYER SITS ONE DEFENSIVE INNING, THEY MUST NOT SIT THE NEXT

-ALL PLAYERS PRESENT MUST BAT

-PLAYERS TURNING 18 IN 2018 MAY ONLY PITCH (OR APPEAR AS A PITCHER IN)  2 INNINGS PER GAME.

-ALL OTHER PITCHERS MAY APPEAR IN A MAXIMUM OF 4 INNINGS

-IF A PITCHER HITS 3 BATTERS IN AN INNING OR 2 CONSECUTIVE BATTERS HE MUST BE REMOVED

-A TEAM MUST HAVE 7 PLAYERS PRESENT AT A GAME OR IT WILL BE DEFAULTED; TEAMS MAY NOT BORROW PLAYERS FROM THE TEAM THEY ARE PLAYING AGAINST (NO LOANING OUTFIELDERS), BUT MAY BORROW FROM ONE OF THE TWO REMAINING TEAMS. BORROWING PLAYERS FROM THE OTHER HOUSE LEAGUE TEAMS DURING THE PLAYOFFS IS PROHIBITED.

-4 RUN MERCY IN ALL INNINGS EXCEPT THE FINAL INNING, WHICH IS THE "OPEN INNING." THE 7TH INNING AND ANY FOLLOWING INNING WILL ALWAYS BE "OPEN INNINGS." THE FINAL INNING WILL BE DECLARED BEFORE IT STARTS. 

-IF AT ANY POINT AFTER THE 3.5 (IF LEADING TEAM IS THE HOME TEAM) OR 4TH INNING (IF LEADING TEAM IS THE AWAY TEAM), IF ONE TEAM HAS A 15 RUN LEAD THE GAME WILL BE DECLARED OVER.

-THE FINAL "OPEN INNING" WILL BE DECLARED AS THE FIRST INNING THAT BEGINS AFTER 90 MINUTES HAVE ELAPSED FROM FIRST PITCH.
      FOR INSTANCE, A GAME WITH 1ST PITCH AT 7:31PM. IF THE BOTTOM OF THE 5TH INNING CONCLUDES AT 9:01PM OR LATER, THE 6TH INNING SHALL BE THE OPEN INNING.
      IF INSTEAD, THE BOTTOM OF THE 5TH INNING CONCLUDES AT 9:00PM OR EARLIER, THE 6TH INNING SHALL *NOT* BE THE FINAL INNING, THE 7TH INNING WILL BE.
      AN INNING BEGINS WHEN THE FINAL OUT OF THE PREVIOUS INNING IS MADE.
      IF THE GAME IS DELAYED DUE TO WEATHER, THE CLOCK DOES NOT STOP. IF TIME ELAPSES DURING THE DELAY, THE FOLLOWING INNING IS THE FINAL OPEN INNING
      THE MINIMUM INNINGS PLAYED FOR A "COMPLETE GAME" IS 3.5 (IF HOME TEAM IS LEADING) OR 4TH INNING (IF HOME TEAM IS TRAILING)

-GAMES ARE PLAYED TO 7 INNINGS IF TIME PERMITS; BUT IF THE GAME IS TIED AFTER 7 COMPLETE INNINGS AND THERE IS UNDER 90 MINUTES ELAPSED SINCE FIRST PITCH, ONE EXTRA INNING SHALL BE PLAYED.

-IF AN UMPIRE DETERMINES A TEAM IS ARTIFICIALLY LENGTHENING AN INNING IN AN ATTEMPT TO GO OVER THE TIME LIMIT, HE MAY DECLARE THE CLOCK BE DISREGARDED AND THE GAME BE PLAYED TO A FULL 7 INNINGS (EG: EXCESSIVE PITCHING CHANGES, PITCHER/BITTER TAKING AN EXCESSIVE AMOUNT OF TIME BETWEEN PITCHES, REFUSING TO RETURN THE BALL TO THE PITCHER, ETC), IN THIS CASE THE GAME WILL END 120 MINUTES FROM FIRST PITCH, WITH ANY ONGOING PLAY OR AT BAT ALLOWED TO CONCLUDE; THE UMPIRE WILL DECLARE "LAST BATTER" DURING THE AT BAT OR "TIME LIMIT - GAME OVER" AT THE CONCLUSION OF THE GAME

-PLAYERS MUST SLIDE ON CLOSE PLAYS AT HOME PLATE; PLAYERS IN VIOLATION OF THIS RULE MAY BE CALLED OUT AT THE UMPIRES DISCRETION. A PLAY IS DETERMINED TO BE 'CLOSE' IF THE BALL IS THROWN TO THE PLATE AND THERE IS A LIKELIHOOD OF PHYSICAL CONTACT BETWEEN THE CATCHER AND BASE-RUNNER(S), THIS APPLIES TO BOTH FORCE OUTS AND TAG OUTS AT THE PLATE. THE SAFETY OF THE PLAYERS IS THE PRIMARY FACTOR IN THE UMPIRES DECISION; PLAYERS MAY ENSURE THEY ARE SAFE  AT HOME BY ALWAYS SLIDING IF THE BALL MAY POSSIBLY COME HOME. THE UMPIRE MAY OR MAY NOT ISSUE A WARNING. THE WARNING IS NOT REQUIRED BEFORE CALLING A PLAYER OUT ON A PLAY AND APPLIES TO BOTH TEAMS.

-AS PER SELECT ONTARIO:
          MIDGET LEVEL (BORN 2000-2002) WILL USE WOOD OR WOOD COMPOSITE BATS ONLY. WOOD COMPOSITE BATS INCLUDE WOOD BATS WITH FIBREGLASS SHEATHING AND WOOD BARRELLED BATS WITH COMPOSITE HANDLES. WOOD COMPOSITE BATS DO NOT INCLUDE ANY BAT THAT HAS ANY METALLIC COMPONENT. BANTAM LEVEL (BORN 2002-2005) MAY USE ALUMINUM, WOOD OR WOOD COMPOSITE BATS. ALUMINUM BATS WITH A WEIGHT DIFFERENCE OF -5 OR LESS. A LEGAL BAT DIAMETRE SHALL BE THE MAXIMUM OF THE BARREL OF 2 3/4."

NOTE: IN 2018 WE WILL BE  BEGINNING OUR TRANSITION TO WOOD + WOOD COMPOSITE ONLY FOR ALL PLAYERS OF ALL AGES. NO NEW METAL BATS WILL BE PURCHASED OR SUPPLIED TO TEAMS.

PLAYOFFS

3 TEAM FORMAT:
TO BE DETERMINED

4 TEAM FORMAT:

1ST ROUND (BEST OF 3):
1ST  VS 4TH  (1)
2ND VS 3RD  (2)

[CHAMPIONSHIP] (BEST OF 3):
WINNER (1) VS WINNER (2)

SEEDINGS ARE DETERMINED BY:
REGULAR SEASON, MOST POINTS (WIN: 2 POINTS, TIE: 1 POINT)
IF TIED: SEASON HEAD TO HEAD RECORD BETWEEN TIED TEAMS
IF TIED: A 1 GAME PLAY OFF TO DETERMINE HIGHER SEEDING

HOME ADVANTAGE IS DETERMINED BY COIN FLIP BEFORE EVERY PLAYOFF GAME; THE WINNER OF THE COIN FLIP DECIDES IF THEY WILL BE HOME OR AWAY FOR THAT GAME.

STANDARD GAME LENGTH RULES APPLY IF THE GAME IS NOT TIED. TIE GAMES ARE PLAYED UNTIL COMPLETION IN THE PLAYOFFS WITH NO EXTRA INNING BEGINNING AFTER 120 MINUTES. IF A WINNER IS NOT DETERMINED, AT THE CONVENOR'S DISCRETION THE GAME WILL EITHER BE RESUMED AT A FURTHER DATE, OR A TIE WILL BE DECLARED AND A MAKE UP GAME WILL TAKE PLACE.