AA Division (7&8-Year-Old) Rules

Revised as of 3/10/2021

 

Goal: This level of baseball is to introduce the full aspect of the game by increasing play time, including umpires, and implementing a playoff system. While the main goal of all age groups is to have fun while learning, the Rookie division is expected to continue focus on hitting as well as developing pitchers and catchers. 

1.00 - The Playing Field
1.01 The base paths will be 60 feet in length and pitchers rubber will be 46 feet from the home plate.

2.00 - Equipment
2.01 Players at this level are expected to have a glove. Gloves will not be provided by the league and are required to play in the field.

2.02 All bats used in Rec games and practices MUST have the USA Baseball logo.

2.03 It is the responsibility of the player to bring their own helmet to every game and practice.  If a player forgets their helmet, they will not be permitted to bat during the game or practice unless a replacement is found.
2.04 The baseball used in this division of play is the little league baseball. This is the only ball to be used at this level of play.
2.05 Cleats are required at this level of baseball. Metal cleats will not be permitted and only rubber cleats are allowed. Sneakers will not be permitted.
2.06 Athletic cups are highly recommended, but not required at this level. Catchers are REQUIRED to wear cups at this level.
2.07 No shorts or jewelry should be worn during practices or games to ensure player safety.

3.00 - Coaches/Managers
3.01 Coaches and Managers as well as any helping parents must always set a good example of sportsmanship for players and spectators.
3.02 Coaches will meet before the beginning each game to go over ground rules and cover any questions with the umpire(s).
3.03 Injured players MUST be attended to immediately. If necessary, emergency forms must be filled out and can be found online under coach resources. Coaches should have these forms printed out at games and practices to ensure full details are enclosed. Commissioners should be contacted if an event like this occurs. First aid kits and ice packs will be provided to coaches prior to the season. Additional kits will be located in the field boxes. If items are needed, please contact the commissioner.
3.04 Coaches are responsible for communicating all practices, games, and events to their team and parents in a timely manner.
3.05 Remember to keep it simple. Every coach should be more concerned with the players learning how to play the game rather than who wins or loses.
3.06 Each Team is allowed: One manager, two assistants, and a scorekeeper on the bench during games.
3.07 There are no managers in the field of play coaching during games.
3.08 Managers and umpires have the right at any time to eject a parent, player, or spectator from the field and/or complex at any point. If any ejections take place a form must be filed with the commissioner for future notice. Recurring events could result in permanent ejection from any field or park.

4.00 - The Game
4.01 Rainouts will be cancelled and rescheduled by the commissioner and can be viewed on the website. Players MUST show up to their scheduled game/field time (unless notified beforehand) and any cancellations may occur up to 15 minutes after the start time of the game.
4.02 Game length will be 120 minutes maximum or 6 innings, whichever comes first (weather permitting).
4.03 Score WILL be kept at this level of play and standings will be posted on the site.

5.00 - Offense
5.01 Players bat until 3 outs are recorded, the entire lineup has batted or 6 runs have scored. An exception is the sixth inning (or the bottom of last inning due to time) when runs are unlimited until 3 outs are recorded. If a player cannot bat his/her turn, the batting order continues without penalty.
5.02 At bats consist of 3 strikes or 4 balls. Kid pitch will record walks if four balls occur.

ADD-There are no balls or called strikes when using the pitching machine. The batter gets 3 swinging strikes from the pitching machine.

5.03 All balls in fair territory are in play.
5.04 When the ball is hit into the outfield, the batter may run to any base at their own risk. All balls are in play and will be handled like MLB baseball.
5.05 If the batter throws the bat, he/she will be given one warning. After that, he/she will be called out. This is the responsibility of the coaches/umpires.

5.06 Runners may advance one base on an overthrow at their own discretion but will be out if tagged before reaching the next base. An overthrow is when the ball is thrown past an infielder. There may only be one overthrow on any hit ball.

ADD: Extra base hits will be allowed.  Base runners must stop at the base to which they were advancing as soon as the ball leaves the outfielder’s hand.  If the ball does not leave the infield, runners cannot advance beyond the next base from where they started.  Please use good judgment.  

We want to teach the kids the right way to run the bases – running hard for a double, going from 1stto 3^rd on a ball in the gap – but only in legitimate situations.  Once an outfielder throws the ball, no further advancement is allowed.

5.07 Bunting will NOT be allowed at this level of play.

5.08 Stealing will NOT be permitted at this age group.

• Players must slide, give themselves up or avoid contact when going into any base. In the event of any type of collision caused by the runner attempting to get to the base, the runner is automatically out and all other runners will return to the base they occupied last. It is up to the umpire to rule whether the runner effectively avoided the contact and therefore is safe at the base they were running to. Catchers may not block the plate at any point unless the catcher has the ball and is attempting to make the out.
• Remember SAFETY is a priority.

5.09 A 2 out courtesy runner may be used for a catcher or pitcher. If he is on the bases w/2 outs, you can pinch run for him with the player who was the last batted out so he can get ready to play the next inning. If a courtesy runner is used, make sure the catcher is getting ready.
 

5.11 The following is NOT ALLOWED: leading off base, pinch hitting, infield fly rules or protesting.

6. - Defense

6.01 No coaches may be used to assist the defense.
6.02 The defensive team will field up to 9 players. This includes a pitcher, catcher, 1^st, 2^nd, 3^rd, SS, LF, CF, RF. A team must have 7 players minimum in the field.
6.03 Players must play at least 2 innings in an infield position per game. Players who are unable to protect themselves are not required to be rotated into pitcher and first base positions. A player may not sit twice before everyone has sat once.
6.04 A team must have at minimum, a pitcher, catcher, first base, second base, short stop, and third base and one outfielder. The minimum to play the field is 7.
6.05 Outfielders MUST throw the ball to the infield. They are not allowed to tag a base or a runner.
6.06 The defensive team may get a batter out by catching a fly ball OR tagging 1^st base before the batter gets there.
6.07 Runners on base may be forced out or tagged out per regulation baseball rules.
6.08 The following is NOT ALLOWED: baseline interference or protests.
6.09 All defensive plays stop once the ball reaches the infield. Runners may continue to advance to the base they were going to at their own risk but may be forced (tagged) out. Any player that continues past the base they were going to must return to that base with no penalty.
6.10 Outs are now permitted at home plate. To ensure safety of the players, catchers may not block the base for any play at the plate.
6.11 The catcher must stand in the catchers position at all points to ensure safety. Catchers who do not stay in the correct catching position may be asked to switch positions by the umpire.

7.00 - Pitching
7.01 Pitching will be done by the pitching machine for the first 4 games of the season for 6 innings.  Starting in the 5^th game of the season the first 4 innings of each game will be machine pitch and the last 2 innings of the game will be player pitch.
7.02 Pitchers must pitch from the rubber. Pitching rubber will be placed at 46' and/or 44' up until the last 2 weeks of season where the pitcher must pitch from the 46' rubber.
7.03 A player can pitch 2 innings maximum in any one game. One pitch in an inning qualifies as one inning. Coaches will determine if a pitcher is throwing an excessive number of pitches. Pitch Counts will be kept and pitches may not exceed 50 pitches. If the 50th pitch is recorded in the middle of an at-bat, the pitcher may finish the at-bat. Pitchers may only pitch 7 innings in a rolling week. A week is always Monday through Sunday.

7.04 If a pitcher hits 3 batters during a game the pitcher must be pulled. You may replace him with another pitcher or have the batting teams coach complete the inning. This could be a coach's decision based on how much control the pitcher is showing

• It will be up to the coaches to determine whether they feel the batter had made an attempt to get out of the way, or was crowding the plate as to why he was hit. If you (the coaches) determine that the batter did not make an attempt to get out of the way, it will not count as a hit batsman

 
7.05 Once a pitcher is pulled from the mound, he cannot return to the mound in that game.

7.06 No Balks are to be called

8.00 - Play-Offs
8.01 All teams will make the play-offs
8.02 Each team's final team records will not determine the tournament bracket seeding.   Seeding will be done by blind draw.

Any issues regarding rule clarity will be settled by managers of the game and later reviewed by the commissioner and VP of Baseball. No rule should hold up progress of a game, compromise.

Any rule not specified in the above sections, may resort to Official MLB regulations.