Machine Pitch Rules - Oklahoma Little League State Tournament

OKLAHOMA TOURNAMENT
MACHINE PITCH RULES
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FIELD DIMENSION: Base Distance 60’, Pitching Machine Distance 38’, Little League Approved Tournament
Baseball. Pitching machine speed will be 32 to 36 MPH.
Registered Little League players age 8 and under as of December 31, 2015 can play.
Team Manager/Coach must have a copy of each players’ birth certificate present at the game.
Catcher must obtain Little League approved equipment as defined in General Rule 7.
Players must obtain Little League approved bats as defined in General Rule 8.
A batting order including every player on the official team roster who is present will be made before the game
and used throughout the game, unless illness or injury incapacitates a player. Players arriving after a game
begins will be added at the end of the batting order.
Each player must play 6 defensive outs unless injury or sickness occurs.
A Head Coach can freely substitute defensive players between innings. No substitutions can be made during
an inning unless a fielder sustains an injury/illness which, in the umpire’s judgment, incapacitates that fielder.
An offensive team coach will feed the baseball into the machine. The Coach Pitcher can speak to the batter
prior to the pitched ball but may NOT coach the batter or any runners after the ball is hit. Once the pitching
coach receives the ball from any player and/or time is called, no runner may advance until play resumes.
If a batted ball hits the pitching machine or the pitching coach, it will be a dead ball and the pitch will be
repeated. The cord is considered part of the field and play will continue if a batted ball or thrown ball hits the
cord.
The pitching coach must remain behind the pitching machine until the half inning ends.
The player in the pitcher’s position must remain within one (1) step of the pitching line and safely behind the
back legs of the pitching machine until the ball is pitched.
Start time will be determined by the schedule for the field where the game is to be played. A game will have 5
innings unless shortened by time, curfew or weather conditions. All games played will have a one hour and
thirty minute time limit. The next inning begins when the home team has made its third out. Innings begun
must be completed unless it is impossible for one of the teams to win.
Each team may have a maximum of one (1) head coach and three (3) assistant coaches. No other helpers
will be allowed on the playing field during the game. The coaches must remain in the dugout except the two
base coaches and the pitching machine coach of the offensive team. Base coaches must remain in the
coaching boxes. Coaches of the defensive team may not leave the dugout area unless granted permission by
the Umpire-In-Chief.
Each batter will be limited to five (5) pitches from the pitching machine, unless the batter strikes out
swinging before five (5) pitches. If the batter hits the fifth pitch foul, he continues to bat until he reaches
base safely, is put out or misses a pitch.
A team may score a maximum of five (5) runs per inning. Runners must touch the bases they are forced to
on any play when the fifth run scores. If the fifth run of an inning should score on a home run hit over the
outfield fence in the air, all runs scoring on the home run shall be counted.
A ten (10) foot arc will be placed around home plate in fair territory. The area inside the chalk line will be
foul territory. The chalk line is fair territory. A ball must be on or beyond the line to be in fair territory. Any
batter, whom, in the umpire’s judgment, intentionally bunts the ball, shall be called out. The ball is dead on
such a play.
The infield fly rule is not in effect.
A safety base will be used at first base. The fielder will use the base in fair territory (white) and the runner will
use the base in foul territory (orange). Once the batter becomes a runner at first, he will use the base in fair
territory (white). The purpose of the safety base is to prevent collisions at first base. There is no penalty if the
batter runner uses the base in fair territory unless a collision occurs, the ruling would be based on either
obstruction, interference or unsportsmanlike conduct.
Base runners may not leave their bases until the ball reaches home plate. Stealing is allowed, except
for home base.
No runner may advance from third base to home plate unless he is able to score on a play started by a
batted ball or catcher’s interference.
All teams will use a standard four (4) player infield and a pitcher and catcher and 3 players in outfield
territory. A total of 9 defensive players.
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