There have been some changes in the rules and regulations this year for Little League Baseball. Here is a brief description:
I.(a) Note 3: League age 6 may advance to Minor League Coach Pitch or Pitching Machine after one year participation in Tee-Ball.
(c) 9: NO local league shall permit any person to participate in ANY manner whose background check reveals a conviction OR guilty plea for any crime involving or against a minor.....IF a league becomes aware of information, by any means whatsoever, that an individual, including but not limited to, volunteers, players and hired workers, has been convicted of or pled guilty to any crime involving or against a minor, the local league MUST contact the applicable government agancy to confirm the accuracy of the information.
RULE CHANGES CONTINUED....
Upon confirmation of a conviction for, or guilty plea to a crime against ot involving a minor, the local league shall not permit the individual to participate in any manner.
II LEAGUE BOUNDRIES
(d) Regulation II(d)Processsing Procedure
.....he/she MUST compile :residency requirements verification The league and the district will maintain the form and documentation in their files. This verification process is only required once during a participant's career. Situations in which documentation is not available must be referred to the CHARTER COMMITTEE through the REGIONAL OFFICE for a decision
2004 RULE CHANGES CONTINUED.......
IV-The Player
(g) Player Rosters MUST be filed NO LATER than May 28, 2004
(h) Regulation IV (h) Processing Procedures..The league president will process a IV(h) form. Once the president completes the form, he/she must compile "residency requirement" verification that each youngster meets the conditions of IV(h) as outlined above...The league and the district will maintain the form and documentation in their files...Situations in which documentation is not available must be referred to the Charter Committee through the Regional Office for a decision. The decision of the Charter Committee is FINAL and BINDING.
(i) Any request for a waiver pertaining to the eligibility of a player must be submitted in writing, by the president of the local league through the District Administrator, to their respective Regional Director not later than May 28th of the currect year. Requests submitted after that date will not be considered.
2004 RULE CHANGES CONTINUED....
V-Selection of Players
(c) Alternate method of operation...A pool of players from existing regular season can be created with players that are willing to participate in extra games during the regular season when teams face a shortage of rostered players for a regular season game.
VI-PITCHERS
The following applies ONLY to Little League MAJOR and MINOR Divisions:
innings pitched in games that are called before (1) inning is complete shall not count towards a pitcher's total for that particular pitching week.
2004 RULE CHANGES
Rule 1.00 ODJECTIVES OF THE GAME
1.01 - Note: Competitive minor leagues and above may only use nine players on defense. See Rules 4.16 and 4.17.
1.10 (Baseball) The bat must be a BASEBALL BAT which meets Little League specifications and standsrds as noted in this rule. It shall be a smooth, rounded stick and made of wood or of material tested and proved acceptable to Little League standards.
1.10 (Softball) The bat must be a SOFTBALL BAT which meets Little League specifications and standards as noted in this rule. It shall be a smooth, rounded stick and made of wood or of material tested and proved acceptable to Little League standards.
1.15 (a) The PITCHERS GLOVE shall be of one solid color other that white or gray, OR if multi-colored, white and LIGHT gray shall not be included in the colors.
1.16 NOTE: Helmets MAY NOT be painted and MAY NOT contain tape or decals UNLESS approved in writing by the helmet manufacturer.
Rule 4..Starting and Ending the Game
4.04...The batting order shall be followed throughout the games unless a player is subsituted for another. Subsitutes must take the place of the replaced player's position in the batting order except as covered by Rule 3.03. A league may adopt a policy of a CONTINUOUS BATTING ORDER that will include all players on the team roster present for the game batting in order. If this option is adopted, each player would be required to bat in his/her respective spot in the batting order. However, a player may be entered and/or re-opened defensively in the game anytime provided he/she meets the requirements of mandatory play. NOTE: If adopted and a child is injured, becomes ill or must leave the game site after the start of the game, the team will SKIP over him/her when his/her time at bat comes up without penalty. If the injured, ill or absent player returns he/she is merely inserted into their original spot in the batting order and the game continues. Also, if a child arrives late to a game site, if the manager chooses to enter him/her in the lineup(see Rule 4.01 NOTE) he/she would be added to the end of the current lineup.
2004 RULE CHANGES..........
RULE 4.05
The coaches shall not leave their respective dugouts until the pitcher has completed his/her prepartory pitches to the catcher.
BASE COACHES SHALL-
(2) be an adult manager or coach only if there is at least one adult manager or coach in the dugout.
4.07- Any manager, coach or player ejected from a game is suspended for his or her team's next physically played game and may not be in attendance at the game site from which they are suspended.
THE RUNNER...RULE 7.00
7.14- Once each inning a team may utilize a player who is not in the batting order as a special pinch-runner for any offensive player.
2004 TOURNAMENT RULE CHANGES.......
Managers and Coaches
The president of the League, the District Administrator or District Staff shall not serve as a manager or coach.
NOTE: An individual that manages or coaches in another youth baseball program is not eligable to be appointed to manage or coach a tournament team in the Little League program at the same age division as defined in Regulation I (a).
TOURNAMENT ELIGIBILITY AFFIDAVIT
4...three or more documents to determine residency of the parent(s) or guardian for each player names on the tournament affidavit. IMPORTANT: Alternates are NOT authorized. They shall NOT accompany the team and shall NOT be listed ont he Eligibility Affidavit.
PARTICIPATION IN OTHER PROGRAMS
Once play begins for a tournament team, players named on that team's affidavit may NOT participate in ANY other youth baseball program until that team is eliminated from tournament play.
2004 TOURNAMENT RULE CHANGES....
PLAYER ELIGIBILITY
Players are eligible for Tournament Play, provided they meet the criteria established by the Little League "Residency Eligibility Requirement" and the following:
11 Year Old Division- Any player League Age 11, who has participated as an eligible player in one-half the regular season games as of June 15, with the exception of the school baseball season, on a:
1) Little League Baseball (Majors Division)team, or;
2) Minor League Baseball team.
CONDITION 3: A player may be named to the roster, and practice with, only ONE Little League International Tournament Team. Once the affidavit is signed by the local league president, player agent and District Administrator (or their representatives), the players listed on the affidavit shall not be eligible to participate on any other Little League International Tournament Team for the current year.
An 11-yer old regular season Major division player, a 14-year old and a 16-year old may be eligible for one of two (2) tournament teams. These players may only be chosen for one of thse teams, either the
11-year old tournament team or the Little Leauge Baseball 11- and 12-year old tournament team. The 14-year old may be chosenfor the Junior Division tournament team, or the Senior Division tournament team, and the 16-year old may be chosen for the Senior Division tournament team, or the Big League Division tournament team. BUT in no case may these players be chosen for both, practice for both or participate with both teams. VIOLATION OF THIS RULE MAY BE CUSE FOR REVOCATION OF TOURNAMENT PRIVILEGE BY THE TOURNAMENT COMMITTEE.
TOURNAMENT PLAYING RULES
9) Mandatory Play: In 9-10, 11, Little League, Junior and Senior...all players on the roster MUST participate in (3) consecutive defensive outs AND bat at leaset one time.
SUBSUTITIONS/RE-ENTRY
3.03(e) Rule 7.14 Special Pinch Runner WILL apply during the tournament.
The above are a brief outline for the 2004 Rule Changes.
