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Southern League Rules

10 years old or younger prior to January 1st.

1. Baselines shall be 60' in length.
2. The front edge of the pitching rubber shall be 35' from the point of home plate.
3. A circle with a radius of 8' will be drawn around the 35' pitcher’s plate.

The Southern Division shall play with an 11" ball (Optic Yellow).

1. The entire roster will play defensively. There will be 6 players in the infield, with the remainder in the outfield.
2. The entire roster will be included in the batting order.
3. Each half inning will be concluded either when 3 OUTS have been made by the team at bat, or at the end of play on the 10 th or last batter. Coaches must inform the umpire when the last batter comes to bat.
4. End of play on the last batter may be interpreted to be when an OUT is made on the last batter, or on any base runner on base at the time the last batter bats. In effect, at the point when the last batter steps to the plate, two OUTS are considered to exist on the offensive team, even though they may, in fact, not have any OUTS.
5. If the last batter receives a base on balls, is hit by a pitched ball, or if there is catcher’s interference, all base runners shall advance two bases.
6. An official game requires at least 8 players on each team. If less than 8 players are available, a forfeit shall be declared.

1. A regulation game shall be of 5 innings or 1 hour and 15 minutes in length. No inning may begin after the time has expired. Games may end in a tie.
2. Coaches may not intentionally delay games. If in the opinion of the umpire, a coach intentionally causes such a delay, the umpire may declare the game forfeited, or take such other action as the umpire deems appropriate.
3. A game shall be considered a regulation game when a team is ahead by 15 runs after both teams have played four complete innings, or when the home team is ahead by 15 runs after three and one-half innings.

1. A pitcher shall not pitch more than 6 innings between Sunday through the following Saturday.
2. If the pitcher returns to the mound within the same inning of the game she is removed, she will be charged as having pitched only 1 inning for the inning in which she was removed.
3. One pitch thrown in an inning constituted one inning pitched.
4. For purposes of determining the number of innings pitched in a week, all games shall be considered as played on the date originally scheduled.
5. An illegal pitch called by the umpire shall be a “No Pitch.” The coach will use best efforts to correct the pitcher accordingly so as not to delay the game. The umpire may have the pitcher removed from pitching if the game in his opinion is being excessively delayed. Illegal pitches will be called if in the opinion of the umpire the pitcher is obtaining an advantage by such a pitch.
6. If 3 games are scheduled during the same week, pitchers receive an additional 3 innings for the third game played during that week. This does not modify the existing rain out rules.
7. If a pitcher or pitchers walk four batters in an inning, a coach-pitcher will be used from the offensive team to complete the inning.
   A. The batter will be allowed to see five pitches from the coach-pitcher. The batter will be out if she strikes out or fails to hit a ball in fair territory within the five pitches. If the fifth or subsequent pitch is a foul ball, the batter will be allowed another pitch. There will be no called balls or strikes. Batters hit by a pitch will not be awarded first base. There will be no stealing.
   B. The coach-pitcher must pitch the ball in an underhanded manner from the pitcher’s plate. The player-pitcher must stand with both feet within the pitcher’s circle.
   C. It is the responsibility of the coach-pitcher to avoid interfering with a ball hit by a batter or fielded or thrown by a defensive player. If in the umpire’s judgment, interference occurs, the umpire will call the batter out and return all players to the base previously occupied.

1. In the event of an overthrow or passed ball on an attempted force out at 1 st base, the base runner may continue on to 2 nd base, but may not continue to 3 rd base. All runners on base at the time of the overthrow at 1 st base may advance at the risk of being put OUT.
2. Play ends when the pitcher has control of the ball within the circle. If the ball is thrown to the pitcher, she misses it, and the ball rolls outside of the circle, the ball is in play, and all base runners may advance at their own risk. There is no overthrow rule for the circle, nor is there an overthrow rule at any base other than 1 st base. Therefore, you must teach your players to back up throws to the pitcher and on attempts to get OUTS at other bases.
3. A strike shall be called on any batter that in the opinion of the umpire
   A. Attempts to wave the bat in front of the plate for the purpose of distracting the pitcher.
   B. Positions themselves in such an abnormally low stance for the purpose of avoiding a strike pitch.

Note: Base stealing will not be allowed when the coach-pitcher is pitching

1. Base runners may leave the base when the pitch leaves the pitcher's hand. Base runners may steal 2 nd and 3 rd base, but not home. Base runners may steal only one base at a time, i.e., in the event of an overthrow to 2 nd base on a steal attempt, the base runner may not continue to 3 rd base. However, the base runner may attempt to steal 3 rd base on the next pitch.
2. Penalty for the base runner leaving the base early, in the judgment of the umpire, will result in the runner beind called out.
3. A batter walked by the pitcher shall only be allowed 1 st base. She may not steal or attempt to continue to 2 nd base until the pitcher delivers a legal pitch to the next batter.

1. Outfielders shall not be positioned any closer than the edge of the grass.
2. When the ball is returned to the circle and is in control of the pitcher, the play is dead, except in the case of the 10 th batter rule.
3. The catcher must be in the “catcher’s” position during the delivery of a pitch to the batter.
4. “Infield fly” rule does not apply.

1. A standard bracket seeding teams in accordance with their record shall be used.
2. All games including the championship games shall be played by the same rules as set forth herein and used in the regular season play (i.e., length of game, pitcher innings, etc.) except games shall not end in a tie. The international tiebreaker run shall be used to prevent a tie.
3. The higher seed team shall occupy the Home dugout.
4. In determining league standing in the event of a win/loss record tie, the higher seed team will first be determined by head to head record and then by run differential. If there is still a tie the higher seed team will be determined by total games run differential. A maximum of only seven (7) runs will be counted in a win or loss game run differential

Bylaws & Duties | Try-Outs & Team Draft | All-Star | General
Pigtail | Angel | Southern | Ponytail | Belles | Travel Leagues

*New rules are highlighted in red*