OREGON DISTRICT ONE LITTLE LEAGUE INTERLEAGUE BASEBALL GUIDELINES
The following guidelines will be followed in addition to the Official Regulations and Playing Rules of Little League Baseball. The Interleagueing Board will consist of all District 1 League Presidents (Junior Baseball will include D2 and D4 participating League Presidents), or their representatives, who are in the leagues participating in the Interleagueing program. Each League must be invited to all meetings. They will be organized to approve the Interleagueing Guidelines, schedule season play, re-schedule when needed, and act on any violation of a regulation, playing rule or interleagueing guideline as needed. They will also decide any protest and handle complaints as they arise that require the Board’s interaction. The ADA of Baseball for District One Little League and/or their assistant and a District Umpire Consultant will also attend all meetings.
All managers and coaches of the Interleagueing Leagues will be familiar with all regulations, rules and guidelines. They will also attend all mandatory managers and
coaches’ meetings.
GENERAL GUIDELINES FOR ALL LEVELS
1. Managers and coaches will meet at the field 45 minutes prior to the beginning of each game. If the field is questionable at that time and the two managers cannot agree if the field is playable, a board member(s) of the home team shall decide. Once the home lineup is given to the umpire-in-chief at the pre-game plate meeting, the umpire is the only person who can decide whether the game can be continued or stopped. Pitchers will be charged for pitches pitched. If the field is definitely not playable, the manager of the home team will contact the manager of the opposing team at least 2 (two) hours prior to the scheduled game time, when possible.
2. If a team cannot play a game because of lack of players, the manager is to notify his/her Baseball VP at least 24 hours before game time, when possible. The manager shall contact the corresponding league’s manager and managers are to notify their scheduled umpires.
3. All players must be in uniform; (hat, shirt, pants, socks, and all males must wear athletic supporters). Catchers must wear a cup! Uniform shirts must be tucked-in unless the design of the shirt does not require it to be tucked-in. White or gray long sleeves are not permitted for pitchers, ref rule book #1.11.a.3.
4. Borrowing of players is not permitted. If either team cannot field nine players, the game will be referred for rescheduling. Scheduling of the determined game should be within 24 hours when possible.
5. The Manager of any team that has not played any two (2) regular scheduled games due to lack of players, or any other reason (excluding rainouts or prior notification per rule 4) will be brought before the Interleagueing Board for review and possible disciplinary action within a week of the second infraction. Penalties that could be enforced on the Manager of the team are:
1. Suspended for the next scheduled game.
2. Suspended for the remainder of the season.
6. All games will be played using the mandatory-playing rule. All players will play for 6 defensive outs and one time at bat. Reg. IV (i). IF THE MANDATORY PLAY REQUIREMENTS ARE NOT MET, the player (s) involved will start the next scheduled game and play any requirements for the previous game and the requirements for the new game before being removed. Penalties on the manager will be:
1. First Offense: Be suspended for next scheduled game
2. Second Offense: Be suspended for the remainder of the season.
7. The host team is responsible for scheduling the home plate umpire, and base umpire. The home plate umpire will wear equipment as required by the rulebook. The gear is to be provided by the home team. The visiting team can supply one base umpire. Umpires must be as least one year older than oldest player on the team. Children or parent of Managers or Coaches will not be allowed to umpire games in which a parent or child is participating as a Manager or Coach.
8. Each team will furnish regulation game balls for each game. One (1) new and one (1) good used ball are required by each team. Each team should have available additional good balls in case needed. The umpire will be the sole judge of the fitness of the balls.
9. The Host team is responsible for the fitness of the field. It is their responsibility to ensure the field is chalked. Both teams are responsible for the clean up of their dugout areas, the bleachers and the taking down of the fences (where required) after the completion of the games. Field problems are to be reported to the Interleagueing Board.
10. Managers must make scorebooks available to opposing manager upon request. Each team will provide an official scorekeeper but the Home book is the official book. The manager or coach will not keep the official scorebook in the dugout. It is recommended that the official scorekeepers sit together during the game.
11. Managers will provide the home plate umpire with the starting line-up and substitutions. All substitutions must go through the home plate umpire, who will give the changes to the scorekeepers.
12. It is the manager’s responsibility for the line up to include first name; last name, uniform #, and league age of all pitchers. The number of pitches by each pitcher and league age is to be written in ink in the scorebook.
13. No jewelry or metal objects may be worn during the game. Medical bracelets are allowed, only if taped properly reference rule book 1.11 (j).
14. No eating or chewing (gum) is allowed in the dugout or on the field. Seeds are allowed except on fields with posted signs. Water and/or sports drinks are allowed.
15. If a team has 1 manager and 2 coaches of record in attendance, both base coaches may be adults. It is recommended that 1 base coach be a player.
16. Tobacco use of any form is not allowed during practices and or games by Managers, Coaches, Players, Umpires or Parents within 50 feet of proximity of the playing field, which includes benches, dugouts and the bleacher area.
17. The umpire shall report incidents according to rule 9.05 (a, b, c) in the Little League Rule Book. The report shall contain all necessary information and is to include the rule numbers that apply. The umpire shall report to the Interleague Board District Staff member for that interleagueing game.
18. Ejection Policy – When a manager, coach or player is ejected from a game, that person must leave the field immediately and may no longer participate in any way in the game. Managers and coaches must leave the facility; they cannot sit in the stand following ejection. Players will also be asked to leave the facility if they have a parent or adult present to take them off the premises. If a player’s parent or responsible adult is not present, the player will be asked to sit in the stands with an adult under that
adult’s supervision. A manager, coach or player who is suspended from a game will be automatically suspended for the next played game.
POOL PLAYERS
Teams may suffer player shortages for games due to a variety of causes, including injuries, scheduling conflicts, or other temporary absence. To avoid rescheduling games, leagues can develop a pool of players from existing regular season teams a list of players that are willing to participate in extra games within their respective division.
1. Each league's respective Player Agent will create and run player pools. The league's Player Agent will use each pool to assign players to teams that are short players on a rotating basis. It will be determined by where the player sits on the list (eg. first player listed is contacted and given first right of refusal, then second, and so on). When a player serves as a substitute player, then their name will be moved to the bottom of the list and will not become available until the rest of the names are contacted first.
2. Managers/Coaches will not have the right to randomly pick and choose players from the pool.
3. Once a request for a pool player is submitted to the Player Agent, then the coach must accept and play the substitute player, regardless of ability.
4. Pool Players will not be allowed to play the position of Pitcher or Catcher. They are to be placed last in the batting order.
5. Pool players that are called and show up at the game site must play at least nine defensive outs and bat at least once.
6. No more than two pool players in a game per team. If there is a need for more than two, the team will reschedule the game.
7. Pool players will use their regular season uniform to easily identify the substitute player.
RESCHEDULING OF GAMES
If a game is not played, for any reason, the managers of each team must notify the Vice President of their League that day, so the Vice President or their designated scheduler can reschedule the game for the next available day. Canceling a game for any reason must go through the Vice Presidents for the teams involved. All cancelled games will be rescheduled. Acceptable reason for rescheduling a game:
1. Games not played due to poor field conditions.
2. Games not played due to school conflicts.
3. Games not played due to lack of players.
PITCHERS
Violation of Regulation VI, of the Little League rulebook will be brought to the attention of the Interleagueing Board. Violation WILL result in:
1. First violation: Manager suspended from their next scheduled game
2. Second Violation: Manager being suspended for the remainder of the season.
MAJOR DIVISION
1. There will be a two (2) hour time limit. HOWEVER, the required amount of innings MUST beplayed to constitute a legal game. No inning will start after the two-hour time limit. If an inning starts before the time limit, it will be completed (Home book will keep time). The inning starts when the third out is call by the umpire in the bottom of the previous inning. Ties will be completed at the next scheduled game between the two teams. If they are not scheduled to meet again, the game will be completed at the first available date.
Exception: If it’s a Saturday game, and is the last scheduled game of the day or there is no game immediately following there will be no time limit.
2. If after three innings, one team is in the lead by 15 runs or more, (2 ½ innings if the home team is ahead) or if after four innings, one team is in the lead by 10 runs or more,
(3 ½ innings if the home team is ahead), the manager of the team with the least number of runs will concede the victory to the opponent.
3. Batting the roster will apply in the Major division.
MINOR DIVISION
1. There will be a two (2) hour time limit. HOWEVER, the required amount of innings MUST be played to constitute a legal game. No inning will start after the two-hour time limit. If an inning starts before the time limit, it will be completed (Home book will keep time). The inning starts when the third out is call by the umpire in the bottom of the previous inning. Ties will be completed at the next scheduled game between the two teams. If they are not scheduled to meet again, the game
will be completed at the first available date.
Exception: If it’s a Saturday game, and is the last scheduled game of the day or there is no game immediately following there will be no time limit.
2. A five (5) run limit will be invoked during the 1 st through 5 th innings. The 6 th inning only will be an open inning.
3. If after five innings, one team is in the lead by 10 runs or more, (4 ½ innings if the home team is ahead), the manager of the team with the least number of runs will concede the victory to the opponent.
4. All players on the roster will bat in the order they are listed on the lineup, until there are three (3) outs or the five (5) run limit has been met. If a player must leave, then their batting position will be skipped no other penalties will apply.
5. 9-player minimum roster.
PARENT AND SPECTATOR CONDUCT
The conduct of our Managers, Coaches, Players and Spectators is a top priority. Behavioral problems will not be tolerated by Managers, Coaches, Players, Parents and or Spectators at any game, at any ball field at any time. Managers and coaches bear the responsibility for the conduct of their team and crowd. They should do WHATEVER IT TAKES to minimize any disruptions or acts of unsportsmanlike conduct. This includes, but is not limited to, removal of any spectator(s) acting in a disruptive or unsportsmanlike
manner!
Any spectator, Manager, Coach or Player, may be removed by the umpire (ORS 164.276 and ORS 164.278) for objecting to a decision, unsportsmanlike conduct, language, or conduct deemed inappropriate. If ejected, the Manager, Coach, Player or Spectator must leave the area immediately (the sight and sound rule). The umpire may suspend the game until this action has occurred. League Officials from either league should assist the umpire in calming situations and dealing with unruly spectators. If an ejection occurs the offender will not be permitted to attend the teams next scheduled game. If an ejection occurs, the President of the offending League will inform the host president of the team’s next game. If the ejected offender shows up at the next game and refuses to abide by this rule, they will be considered to be trespassing (ORS 164.278) and the police will be called to remove the spectator. If that happens the matter will be brought before the interleagueing board, and the offender could be expelled for
the remainder of the season.
Any Violations should be reported immediately to the appropriate District Staff; DA Bob Hudlow (503) 312-3272, ADA of Major Baseball Melissa Lungberg (503) 369-8866. All
issues will be handled with in 24 hours and decisions will be final.