Hudsonville Little League - Fall Ball
BASEBALL
Playing Rules
Please click on the appropriate division below to open up the rules.

Rookie

Baseball A & A-Advanced Divisions

Baseball AA Division

Baseball AA- Advanced Division

Baseball AAA & Majors Division

Baseball Intermediate (50/70) & Juniors & Seniors Divisions
 

THROWING THE BAT RULE
         There is no rule that covers this situation. It is a safety issue and may be handled under the authority of              rule 9.01(c) which gives the umpire authority to rule on anything not specifically covered in the rules.

Hudsonville Little League house rule for throwing of a bat:

After the first occurrence, a warning will be issued to the player and the manager that if he/she or any other player lets go of the bat again, he will be removed from the game. He/she may remain on the bench, he just can't play anymore in that game.  The place in the batting order is just skipped, no out awarded.  If the player removed from the game causes the team to have fewer than 9 players in the field, the offending player(s) may be used on defense; but are removed from the batting order for the remainder of the game.  This is NOT an ejection subject to game suspensions, unless it is a malicious act determined by the umpire under rule 9.01(c).

Pitch Count Limits 
 
 

Enforcement 
To ensure that pitching rules are strictly followed, Little League now imposes a number of other strict requirements:
 

• Each league must designate a scorekeeper or official to track pitch counts as the official pitch-count recorder.
• The pitch count recorder must provide the current pitch count for any pitcher when requested by either manager or any umpire, and notify the umpire-in-chief when a pitcher has reached the pitch limit, who will, in turn, notify the pitcher's manager that the pitcher must be removed.
• Failure of the pitch count recorder to notify the umpire-in-chief, and/or the failure of the umpire-in-chief to notify the manager does not relieve the manager of his/her responsibility to remove the pitcher when that pitcher is no longer eligible to pitch.
• Violation of the rule can result in a protest of the game in which it occurs.

Rest requirements: Pitchers league ages 7 to 14
 
 

Here is a Pitch Count log to use for games: BB Pitch Count Log-Game

Here are a few logs for tracking pitchers throughout the season: Excel version  -  PDF Version, Official LL version:

Other important rule changes
 

• Pitcher to catcher ban: any pitcher who delivers 41 or more pitches in a game may not go behind the plate to play catcher for the remainder of the day. [Remember: If a pitcher is removed from the mound and remains in the game defensively, he may be returned to the mound but only one time during the game.)

• Catcher to Pitcher ban: Catchers may only catch a total of 3-innings per day if you desire to use them as a pitcher at any point. This is per Little League International rule VI-Pitchers (a). Any player on a regular season team may pitch. Exception: Any player, who has played the position of catcher in four (4) or more innings in a game, is not eligible to pitch on that calendar day. (Page 39).

• Multiple games: Players may pitch in up to two games in a day.

Rule: VI-Pitchers, (k) Pitching in more than one game in a day: Junior League and Senior league--A player may be used as a pitcher in up to two (2) games in a day. (Exception: If the player pitched 31 or more pitches in the first game, that player may not pitch in the second game on that day.) 


 

• Pitches in suspended/regulation tie games charged against pitcher's eligibility. If suspended games are resumed on another day, pitchers of record at time game was suspended will be allowed to pitch to the extent of their eligibility for that day if they have rested the proper amount of days.

• Completion of pitching to batter: In a new ruling for 2010, if a pitcher reaches the pitch-count limit for their age while facing a batter, the pitcher may continue to throw until the batter reaches base, is thrown out, or the third out is made to complete the half-inning.  A new rule added in 2013 also states; if a pitcher goes over the pitch count threshold for days rest durning an at bat, the pitch count reverts to the threshold for days rest.  For example; if a pitcher starts a batter at 48 pitches, throws 5 pitches to complete the at bat for at total of 53 the number of days rest requred is 2 days because the pitch count will revert back to 50.