AA Rules
Rules of play will follow those in the current year Little League Baseball Rule book and the District rules for the current year, except where noted in these ground rules.
Each manager and coach will be responsible to familiarize themselves with these rules and regulations.
Run Rules:
There is a 5 run rule maximum for each inning. There is no open inning. (Adopted 1/16/2024
If a team is ahead by 15 or more runs after 3 innings (2 1/2 home team), 10 or more runs in the 4th inning (3 1/2 home team) or 8 runs in the 5th inning (4 1/2 home team) the losing manager must concede the game. (Adopted 1/16/2024)
Time Limits & Darkness:
No inning may begin after one hour and thirty minutes from the start of the game. Scorekeepers must record the start of the game. If not recorded, the scheduled start time will be considered the start time
Should a game be in progress after sunset, it is the responsibility of the umpires to determine the safety level of available daylight and call the game early if necessary.
Umpires will call games due to darkness and the score will revert to the score held at the end of the previous inning.
Games must start as close to on time as they can. If there is no time to warm up on the field, managers must make other arrangements. (Adopted 1/16/2024)
Pitching:
For the first quarter of the season will be coach pitch.
A coach of the batting team will pitch the ball from at least ½ the distance between the pitching mound and home plate.
The pitch shall be overhand in motion and is recommended to be similar to the height of a player thrown pitch.
Batters will be allowed 5 hittable pitches to either strike out or put the ball in play.
If the fifth pitch is fouled, regardless of the count, another pitch will be given. If the fifth pitch or subsequent pitch is not swung at, then the batter will be ruled out. (Adopted 11/1/2023)
If the ball comes in contact with the coach which is pitching, the play will be dead and another pitch will be awarded.
If the batter is hit by a coach’s pitch, a base will not be awarded and the pitch will not count.
Player pitch will begin in the second quarter.
Pitching distance will be the standard 46 feet
Mounds will be used when they are available.
A batter hit by a pitch thrown by a player shall be awarded first base and the ball is dead.
No walks will be allowed at any point in the season or during the End of Season tournament.
When a player-pitcher reaches a four-ball count, a coach from the team at bat will throw pitches as described in rule 4.a.i. & 4.a.ii.
The batter will maintain the same strike count as when the fourth ball was thrown from the player pitcher.
Rule 4.a.iv & 4.a.v will apply here.
The pitcher will be removed upon the fourth visit to the field by the manager to the same pitcher, or three visits in one inning to the same pitcher. Managers may go to the mound after requesting and being granted timeout from the home plate umpire.
Pitching eligibility is based on number of pitches and days rest as outlined as referenced on the Little League’s Pitching Rules Web Page. Please familiarize yourself with and observe all pitching rules in the Official Little League Rulebook.
While warming up any pitcher during the course of the game, catchers must wear a helmet, mask with throat guard and cup.
For warming up pitchers on the side of the field during play of a game in progress the pitcher and spotter must wear batting helmets. The spotter must be facing the field of play and be between the pitcher and the batter. At Highlands Park fields, the acceptable areas for warm-ups are down the left and right field lines in the outfield area.
Between innings, managers and coaches can warm up the pitcher on the field. (Adopted 2/16/2023)
Batter
After entering the batter’s box, the batter must remain in the box with at least one foot throughout the at bat except for the following scenarios:
On a slap swing attempt.
When forced out of the box by a pitch.
Attempting a “drag bunt”
When the catcher does not catch the pitched ball.
When a play has been attempted.
When time has been called.
When the pitcher leaves the dirt area of the pitching mound or
takes a position more than five feet from the pitcher’s plate after receiving the ball
The catcher leaves the catcher’s box.
On a three ball count pitch that is a strike that the batter thinks is a ball.
Penalty: If the batter leaves the batter’s box or delays play and none of the exceptions apply, the umpire shall warn the batter. After one warning on a batter, the umpire shall call a strike. Any number of strikes can be called on each batter.
NOTE: The batter may return their position in the batter’s box and assume the new count at any time during the at-bat, unless such enforced penalty is the third strike.
There is no on-deck circle, therefore players and equipment should not be on the field except while actively engaged in the game.
Bunting is not permitted in AA. Fake bunting will not be tolerated and umpires will rule according to LL rule 4.06 distracting the pitcher. The player will be warned for a first offense. Should a player make a second bunt or fake bunt, they will be called out and removed from the game.
Slash Hits with Fake Bunts Minors and below. A batter out who first fakes a bunt and then takes a full swing on a pitch will be called out. There will be no warning. This is a safety risk for corner infielders, who can race in to cover a bunt and then face a line drive.It is the responsibility of the coaching staff to ensure that the players are aware of this rule.
Base Running & Stealing:
Limited base stealing will be allowed starting at the ½ way mark of the season
There are no lead offs.
The runner can not run until the pitch crosses home plate
The runner may only steal up to third base.
Stealing will be allowed during coach pitch after the player pitcher has reached a four-ball count.
Base runners may only advance 1 base at a time and can not continue to advance on an overthrow.
Runners at third may only advance toward home on a ball batted into play, or a batter hit by player pitch with bases loaded. (Adopted 11/1/2023)
Play stops when the ball is in the possession of an infield player in the infield area.
A runner who has not passed half-way to the next base will be required to return to the previous base.
A runner past half-way at stoppage continues at his/her own risk.
*The intent is to teach proper base running.
One base only on an overthrow. One overthrow per runner per play. Runners may advance only one base regardless of number of overthrows.
SLIDING: Feet-first sliding only, runner will be called out for headfirst slide.
INFIELD FLY will not apply in AA
The Home Team Will:
Use the first base dugout.
Provide the impartial official scorekeeper.
BOTH teams will:
Ready the field for play. It is NOT the sole responsibility of one team
After the game BOTH teams will return all gear to the proper storage and rake the field. It is NOT the sole responsibility of one team.
Provide snack bar workers, one from each team, when playing at the High School fields. Note: visitors work the BBQ. No children under the age of 14 will be allowed to work in the snack bar.
For AA games played at the Little League Field at the High School, no team may take the field until snack bar workers are present. A delayed game will not get extra time added due to lack of snack bar workers. (NOTE: Snack Bar duties only apply for games scheduled at the High School Field)
CLEAN UP TRASH AROUND FIELD AND BLEACHERS AFTER EVERY GAME.
Standings:
Standings in AA will be kept for the whole season. At the end of the season, the teams will be seeded into a post-season tournament. The tournament will be single or double elimination to be determined by field and umpire availability. Regular Season champions and tournament winners will be recognized separately. Ties in standings to determine tournament seeds will be determined by 1. head to head results between teams tied 2. coin flip
No Excessive Coaching
Excessive defensive coaching will be determined by the umpire as that which causes a distraction in the opposing batter, or is distracting to base runners, umpires, or offensive coaches’ communication with players. Umpires will give a defensive coach a warning, but continued excessive defensive coaching can result in a manager’s ejection.
NO ARGUING WITH UMPIRES AT ANY TIME.
Only a Manager (2013) (or acting manager) may request time or ask for an appeal. The appeal is made to the umpire who made the call. That umpire MAY make an appeal to the other umpire. If the umpire refuses the appeal, no further discussion is allowed. If the manager wants to discuss a call with the umpire, he must ask for a time out and be granted a time out before any discussion is to take place. If a manager feels that a call is in violation of the rules (judgment calls excluded) he/she must state the intention of protest as outlined in the rule book and continue the game with no further discussion of the matter. This restriction on managers only calling time out for purposes of discussion with the umpire does not prevent a coach from requesting time to give a batter instruction, which is an acceptable reason.
No manager or coach may leave the dugout area or the coaching box to discuss an umpire’s call without the permission of the Umpire.
Miscellaneous Rules:
Only one offensive time-out will be permitted each inning, unless there is an injury to an offensive player.
No adults are allowed on the field at any time, except umpires and base coaches (includes between innings), except to respond to an injured player. Adult coaches must remain close to the dugout openings or in designated coaching box areas.
Equipment will be kept in the dugout. If there is inadequate room in the dugout, the team will designate an area as close to the dugout as possible and maintain the equipment in an orderly fashion. This area must be off the field of play, including foul territory which a live ball can potentially be fielded.
The only offensive personnel allowed out of the dugout are the batter, two base coaches with helmets (both base coaches may be an adult coach or manager as long as there is one player with one of the adult base coaches, wearing a helmet is optional for the coach/manager), and coach- pitcher if necessary. There must always be at least one coach/manager in the dugout at all times. There may be up to one manager and two coaches on the field at any time. With the umpire’s approval, one adult may be stationed at the rear of the backstop to retrieve the ball for the catcher to keep the game moving (THIS ADULT IS NOT ALLOWED TO COACH OR COMMENT AT ALL). The umpire may remove this privilege at any time.
Little League Regulation IV (i) regarding playing time will be amended to read “each player shall play a minimum of 9 defensive outs (three innings), and shall bat as many times as his/her batting position rotates to the “at bat” position”. All players will bat through the order, including those players not currently playing in the field (Continuous batting order). (Adopted 2/16/2023)
There is no special “must slide rule”. The rules will be enforced as stated in the rulebook. Keep in mind that “obstruction” rules may apply in some of these close plays or unsportsmanlike conduct for running into a player. Note: a player that has safely reached a base may dive back to the same base headfirst.
There are no dogs allowed on school property or at any facility where dogs are clearly prohibited. Dogs are permitted at a game or practice provided they are 1) Leashed, and 2) Kept clear of traveled walkways and paths. Failure to clean up after one’s dog or abide by the above- mentioned rules will result in a revocation of allowing dogs at Little League games.
Poor sportsmanship by managers, coaches, parents, and/or players, derogatory language towards an opposing team or towards a player on the manager’s own team, or harassment of players will result in a warning, followed a second time during a game, by forfeiture of the game. Chatter (e.g. "hey batter, batter" or "pitcher has a rubber arm") especially designed to disrupt, at any time is not permitted by players, coaches or parents. It is the manager’s responsibility to inform their parents of this.
The draft will allow for players to play “UP” if their skill level is appropriate for that division including players age 7 and younger. 10 Year Olds will not be drafted into “AA” unless there are mitigating circumstances to justify the draft. (Adopted 11/1/2023)
BALL: the official ball for “AA” League will be soft core “RIFF 5” provided by the league. No other balls will be used for games/practices.
Remember, we are here to facilitate a good time, a love of baseball, to teach and to demonstrate the kind of behavior we wish our children to model in society. Please try not to forget this during the course of a close game.
Winning is secondary to the concept of sportsmanship, fair play and the instruction of the fundamental skills and rules of baseball. Managers and coaches who continue to lose sight of this fundamental goal will be dismissed and replaced by those who don’t.