YMCA of Greater Houston T-Ball Rules 3-5 Year Olds

A. Duration of Game - Five (3) innings or 50 minutes game time.

B. Number of Players 1. No team will carry more than 14 players on their roster. 2. No team will participate in a game with fewer than eight (8) players or more than ten (10) players on the field.

C. Field of Play 1. 50 ft. baselines 2. 35 ft. pitchers' mark - pitcher must be on pitcher’s mark when ball is struck. 3. 10 ft. circle around home plate a. If the ball is legally struck and does not go outside the 10 ft. circle, into fair territory, it will be considered a strike. b. If the ball is hit foul on the third strike it is an out. c. If a batter throws the bat outside the 10 ft. circle, he/she will be warned. On the second warning the player will be penalized by an automatic out being assessed to his/her team.

D. Overthrows 1. No player may automatically be awarded home late on an overthrow. 2. Players may automatically take the base that player was going to prior to the start of the play plus one base on an over-throw that goes out-of-bounds (errant throw).

E. Stoppage of Play 1. Play will stop when an infielder has possession of the ball in the infield. Positions 1. Infielders a. 1st baseman d. 3rd baseman b. 2nd baseman e. pitcher c. short stop 2. Outfielders a. 1 left fielder d. left center b. 1 center fielder e. right center c. 1 right fielder 3. A player cannot play pitcher and 1st baseman in consecutive innings. 4. No player can play any position more than 1 inning per game (i.e. rotation system). 5. Coaches are required to rotate outfielders to infielders and vice versa equally throughout the game and throughout the season. 6. Adults may be base coaches. 7. Pitcher must throw ball to 1st base for an out. No unassisted outs by the pitcher. 8. No lead off. No steals. 9. Coaches must stay off the field during play. Two coaches for the defensive team may stay in the outfield behind all players.

General Guidelines

A. Age Divisions 1. 3, 4 & 5 year olds - T-Ball (Three Swings) 2. 6 & 7 year olds - Coach Pitch (Five Pitches) 3. 8 & 9 year old boys - Pitching Machine (Strikes Count) 4. 8 & 9 year old girls – Coach Pitch (Five Pitches) 4. 10 & 11 year olds - Kids Pitch (Regulation Ball/Strike Count) 5. 12 & 13 year olds - Kids Pitch (Regulation Ball/Strike Count) 6. 14-17 year old – Kid Pitch or Softball

B. Substitutions 1. To insure that all players participate in at least half of every game, no player may sit out two innings in a row, and no player may sit out a second inning until all players have sat out at least one. 2. The batting order will be continuous and will consist of every player’s name. Players continue batting in the proper order regardless if they are in the field that inning or not. 3. The batting order shall remain the same for the entire season. 4. The next batter at the end of a game will begin the batting order for the next game.

C. Duration of Game 1. After the appropriate time limit has expired a new inning of play may not begin. 2. If an inning is in progress when the appropriate time has been reached, it will be completed. (Unless the home team is ahead, in which the game will be considered complete.) 3. The umpire's or supervisor's watch will be the official time clock. 4. If a game is in the middle of an inning, and is called for rain or time, the score will revert back to the inning completed and the game will be declared completed if the appropriate time or innings have elapsed.

D. Rain Outs 1. If a game in progress is rained out, it will be declared an official game if either 1/2 of the game has been completed (4 - 7 year olds - 3 innings; 8 - 13 year olds - 4 innings) or if 1/2 of the time has elapsed (4 - 8 year olds - 35 minutes; 9 - 13 year olds - 45 minutes). 2. If a game is in the middle of an inning, and is called for rain or time, the score will revert back to the last inning completed and the game will be declared completed if the appropriate time or innings have elapsed. 3. Games canceled prior to the completion of 1/2 of the appropriate innings or time limit will be rescheduled. (Call your program director). E. Five runs or 3 outs per inning is in effect for all divisions.

F. Coaches' Duties 1. Please keep players off the backstops. 2. No coaches or spectators are allowed behind the backstops. 3. Coaches must be off the field and not in front of the backstop during play, except in T-ball league. 4. Defensive line-ups will be made available upon request. 5. A volunteer from each team sit together and serve as official scorekeepers. They will make sure each batter is taking their correct turn at bat. 6. One volunteer from each team will serve as umpire. These umpires will rotate between first and third base after each inning. The first base umpire has responsibility for 2nd and 3rd base umpire is responsible for home. 7. Teams listed first are the home team.

G. Equipment 1. Rubber cleats or tennis shoes only; no metal cleats. 2. Players may use their own personal bats in an official game if that bat is made available for use by the opposing team.

H. Follow the spirit of the rules, not the letter of the rules. Allow everyone to have fun playing.