FALL BALL house-keeping

 As we are getting ready to start our Fall Ball Season, we wanted to send a handout home of the rules for Fall Ball.  Fall Ball is an instructional program, the rules are a little different than during the regular spring season.  We want every player to have the opportunity to try new things and develop skills along the way.  The Fall Ball rules that we have established in years past helps to facilitate these goals. 

Here are some house-keeping items for the upcoming season beginning

• IT IS ALL ABOUT THE KIDS - it is not about the managers or coaches, have fun, play fair and ensure the kids learn and get better.

• THERE ARE NO WINS and LOSSES, no records are kept.

• Fall Ball is Instructional - Managers can be on the field to help coach and instruct as needed, however keep in mind you are working to get the kids ready for Majors and Minors in the Spring.

• We will use a continuous batting line-up for Fall Ball - no more than one time through the order per inning.

• Games should be no more than 1 to 1.45 hours or 6 Innings (2 hours will be tough towards the end of the season due to light)

  Mix up the line-up every game and give the kids a chance to play every position and bat early and late in the order.

• Field Maintenance – BOTH TEAMS are responsible for SET UP and TAKE DOWN of the fields.  The fields need to be drug, bases installed and removed after last game, dugouts swept and trash picked up after each game.  Please ask your parents to help with this and ensure they understand how to rake correctly as to not build up dirt on the first and third base lines.

FALL BALL RULES

We want to say thank you for all you do and it's a pleasure to serve with you. We want to set a few ground rules for Fall Ball. Please remind the managers and coaches that this is the time to teach and not to worry about a winner, we don't keep score, there is no umpire, and there is no champion at the end of this season.

If a team does not get off the field in the drop dead time and does not help prepare the field for the next game that team will be immediately dropped from the fall ball schedule. No exceptions! We will have a drop-dead time limit in every division of baseball and softball. A manager and coach of each team will be the umpire. Sportsmanship is a must. Rotate your players. All teams help with dragging field for following game.

T-ball

• 1 hour drop dead.
• First 5 games o Teams will bat through entire batting order. Once at the last batter, everyone will run the bases.
• Last 5 games o A coach or manager will soft toss 3 pitches to the batter if the batter doesn't put a batted ball in play the batter will be given 3 attempts to hit off the tee o If the batter does not put a ball in play the batter will be out. o Will play 3 outs or 5 runs and then switch o Make every attempt to have everyone bat at least once.

Pee Wee

• 1 hour and 30 minutes drop dead
• Continuous Batting order.
• There will be no walks o If a batter reaches 4 balls a coach will come to the pitching mound and pitch 3 balls to the batter.
§ Note: A batter must be called out if the third ball is missed. Third pitch foul balls do not count toward the last pitch. o If the batter does not put the ball in play the batter is out. o Coach must pitch from 35’ (end of Pitching Mount)
• The 5 run rule is in effect.
• The pitching mound will be set at 44’ instead of the standard 46’ to help developing pitchers
• Use of a widened strike zone will be in effect for Farm Division Players in order to encourage batting development.
• Home base will be closed for the first half of the season (first five (5) games). o Home base will be open for second half of the season (last five (5) games)

Minor

• 1hour 30 minutes
 continuous batting order
• No Drop 3rd Strike
• 5 run rule is in effect.

Major

• 1hour and 45 minutes drop dead
• continuous batting order
• Drop 3rd Strike
• 5 run rule is in effect.

Intermediate

• No new after 2 hours.
• 2:15 drop dead
• continuous batting order
• Drop 3rd Strike
• 5 run rule is in effect.
• Balks o Warning for first 4 games and called on last 5 games