A LEAGUE OF OUR OWN RULES - 2012

1A.     EACH PLAYER MUST SIGN A WAIVER SO THAT HE IS REGISTERED AND ELIGIBLE FOR INSURANCE BENEFITS.

1B.     ONLY ROSTERED, PAID PLAYERS WILL BE ALLOWED TO PLAY IN LEAGUE GAMES.

1C.     TO BE PLAYOFF ELIGIBLE, A PLAYER MUST BE REGISTERED PLUS MUST HAVE PLAYED AND/OR BE PAID FOR 5 GAMES.

1D.      ALL PLAYERS MUST BE AT LEAST 40 YEARS OLD BY DECEMBER 31ST OF THE YEAR THEY ARE PLAYING IN.

1E.      EACH TEAM WILL BE ALLOWED ONE PLAYER WHO IS 39 BY DECEMBER 31ST AND THIS PLAYER WILL NOT BE ALLOWED TO PITCH.

2A.      ALL PLAYERS SHOULD BAT AND FIELD A MINIMUM OF HALF THE GAME. MANAGERS MAY SPLIT BATTING SPOTS AT THE END OF THE BATTING ORDER BY ALTERNATING AT BATS.

2B.      PLAYERS MAY SUBSTITUTE FREELY ON DEFENSE. DEFENSIVE PLAYERS DO NOT HAVE TO BAT.

2C.      A PITCHER (JUST LIKE ANY OTHER FIELDER) MAY BE REMOVED FROM THE GAME, BUT MAY RETURN TO PITCH EVEN IF HE DOES NOT PLAY ANOTHER POSITION IN BETWEEN STINTS.

3.      ALL GAMES WILL BE NINE INNINGS LONG. SECOND GAMES OF DOUBLEHEADERS WILL BE 7 INNINGS PER GAME (or 2 1/2 HOURS). THERE IS A 3-HOUR TIME LIMIT ON GAMES. 9 INNINGS OR 3 HOURS, WHICH EVER COMES FIRST. NO NEW INNING SHOULD BE STARTED AFTER 3 HOURS, EXCEPT IN CASE OF A TIE (SEE RULE #12).

4A.      A TEAM MAY INSERT COURTESY RUNNERS FIVE TIMES PER GAME. THE COURTESY RUNNER MUST BE THE LAST BATTED OUT AND BE INSERTED BEFORE THE NEXT PITCH IS THROWN.

4B.      USE RUNNER FOR CATCHER WITH 2 OUTS, SPEED UP (IS OPTIONAL).

4C.      PITCHERS AND CATCHERS MUST RUN FOR THEMSELVES, UNLESS ONE OF FIVE RUNNERS IS USED FOR THEM.

4D.      IN AN EXTRA INNING GAME, EACH TEAM GETS ONE ADDITIONAL COURTESY BEYOND THE 5 ORIGINAL RUNNERS FOR EVERY 2 EXTRA INNINGS PLAYED. EXCEPTION, IF A RUNNER GETS INJURED (UMPIRE JUDGMENT) ON THE BASES AND CANNOT CONTINUE AS A RUNNER AT THAT TIME AND THAT TEAM IS OUT OF COURTESY RUNNERS, A NON CHARGEABLE COURTESY RUNNER WILL BE USED.

5A.      IF A PLAYER LEAVES AND GOES HOME OR IS SERIOUSLY INJURED SO AS NOT TO BE ABLE TO CONTINUE PLAYING, NO OUT WILL BE CHARGED TO HIS NEXT AT BAT. HIS SPOT IN THE ORDER WILL BE SKIPPED OVER.

5B.      A TEAM FIELDING 9 MUST MAINTAIN (ATLEAST) A 9 MAN BATTING ORDER. ONLY A TEAM HAVING 8 PLAYERS/FIELDERS IN A GAME CAN USE AN 8 MAN BATTING ORDER!!

5C.      IF TEAM BATTING ONLY 9, BUT HAVING MORE THAN 9 PLAYERS AT A GAME, THEN IF ANY OF 9 ORIGINAL PLAYERS IN BATTING ORDER, BECOME UNABLE TO CONTINUE PLAYING DUE TO SERIOUS INJURY OR EJECTION, A "NEW" BATTER (USE BENCH PLAYER NOT IN BATTING ORDER OR PLAYER PRESENTLY ONLY BEING USED AS A FIELDER OR A PITCHER) MUST BAT IN THIS 'OPEN' BATTING SPOT OR AN OUT MUST BE TAKEN EACH TIME THROUGH THE ORDER. (FOR EXCEPTIONS TO 5.C - SEE 5.A)

   6.      PLAYERS MUST AVOID COLLISIONS AT ALL BASES AND ON THE BASE PATHS. SLIDING IS CONSIDERED AVOIDING A COLLISION. IF A COLLISION OCCURS, ANY DECISIONS ON HIS BEING OUT OR SAFE OR WHETHER HE REMAINS IN THE GAME, WILL BE DECIDED BY THE UMPIRE AT THE TIME OF THE OCCURRENCE. INCIDENTAL CONTACT IS NOT CONSIDERED COLLIDING.

   7.      ALL PLAYERS MUST WEAR PROTECTIVE HELMETS WHILE BATTING AND RUNNING THE BASES.

   8.      ALL PLAYERS SHOULD WEAR TEAM BASEBALL HATS, SHIRTS AND PANTS.

   9.      MANAGERS OF WINNING TEAMS SHOULD CALL IN SCORES TO LEAGUE OFFICE BY 1:00 P.M. SUNDAY.

  10.     IF ANY TEAM IS AHEAD BY 10 OR MORE RUNS AT THE END OF SEVEN FULL INNINGS, THAT TEAM WILL BE AWARDED THE VICTORY.

  11.     PLAYERS TO USE WOOD BATS, AND ANY KIND OF CLEATS (EXCEPT MUST USE RUBBER CLEATS OR SNEAKERS ON TURF FIELDS).

12A.    GAMES TIED AFTER 9 INNINGS MUST BE PLAYED OUT UNTIL ONE TEAM WINS. THERE IS NO 3-HOUR TIME LIMIT ON A TIE, EXTRA INNING GAME, IF WE HAVE OPEN FIELD TIME (SUNDAY GAMES) OR IF WE HAVE TIME BEFORE LIGHTS ARE AUTOMATICALLY SHUT OFF (NIGHT GAMES IN WESTWOOD OR SLOATSBURG).

12B.    FALL LEAGUE GAMES MAY END IN A TIE AND ARE OVER AFTER 9 INNINGS OR 3 HOURS WHICHEVER COMES FIRST.

13A.    TEAMS MUST HAVE 8 PLAYERS TO PLAY AN OFFICIAL GAME.

13B.    PLAYERS THROWN OUT OF GAME BY UMPIRE IS INELIGIBLE TO PLAY HIS TEAM'S NEXT 9 INNINGS-THE REST OF THE GAME THROWN OUT OF AND START OF TEAM'S NEXT GAME THAT HE ATTENDS.

13C.    TEAM MAY BORROW A 9TH PLAYER FROM AN OPPOSING TEAM WITH THE OPPOSING MANAGER’S CONSENT. IF 9^TH PLAYER ARRIVES AFTER START, BORROWED PLAYER REVERTS BACK. LESS THAN 8 PLAYERS BY 30 MINUTES AFTER SCHEDULED START RESULTS IN FORFEIT.

13D.    TEAM MUST HAVE 8 PLAYERS, WITHIN 30 MINUTES OF SCHEDULED START TIME, TO START GAME OR FORFEIT.

  14.    NO DRINKING OF ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES ON THE BENCH OR FIELD DURING GAMES. ANYONE UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF DRUGS OR ALCOHOL WILL BE DISQUALIFIED FOR THE GAME.

   15.   ANY PLAYER WHO IS IN THE STARTING BATTING ORDER MAY WITHDRAW AND RE-ENTER ONCE, PROVIDED THAT SUCH PLAYER OCCUPIES THE SAME SPOT IN THE ORDER. A SUBSTITUTE WHO IS WITHDRAWN MAY NOT RE-ENTER. THIS RULE WILL NOT APPLY TO ANY PLAYER THAT IS SHARING A SPOT IN THE ORDER. PLEASE NOTE: PLAYERS MAY STILL SUBSTITUTE FREELY ON DEFENSE.