MHLL Teenage Division Rules​

Teen Age Director: Chad Nelson and Jeff Klick

Email: mhlittleleague@gmail.com

Senior games will start at 6:15 PM. Games will be 7 innings. No new innings after 8:45 pm Regular Season Games in Medicine Hat that involve the Brooks team will start at 6:15 pm with no new inning to begin after 8:30 pm. Regular Season Games in Brooks will start at 6:30 pm with no new inning to begin after 8:45 pm.

Every player deserves a chance to play each position. MHLL expects coaches to rotate players in a fair and competitive way.

Cancellations

All cancellations are at the discretion of the Division Director, in consultation with the Field Manager. Cancellation notifications will be posted on MHLL social media pages and texted to Head Coaches. It is the Coaches’ responsibility to notify their team. Cancellation decisions will be made on game day by 4:30 pm.

Game Play

  • ●  Lineup cards must be completely filled out (first and last names) for all players and coaches.
  • ●  There is no mercy rule​. All games will be 7 full innings (or time limit), even if the losing team is mathematically eliminated. If the home team is winning, they will not bat the bottom of the last inning.
  • ●  All players on team roster are required to be in the batting line-up
  • ●  Players are not permitted to sit more than 3 consecutive outs (1 inning)
  • ●  Innings 1 – 4 will have the Maximum Run Rule in effect (See Below)
  • ●  Innings 4 -7 will be open innings.
  • ●  Regular season games are allowed to end in a tie
  • ●  Each team must have a minimum of 8 players on the roster, otherwise, they must forfeit. If both teams have a combined 16+ players. It is expected that the team with more players will lend enough players to the other team to play an exhibition game. Each half inning, the opposing team is expected to lend a player to play an outfield position. The lent player will be the last batter in the first inning and the previous last out in subsequent innings. If playing with 8 players, the team will NOT take an automatic out in the 9th batting position.

Call-Ups

Players will be allowed to be called up from the Intermediate Division or other Seniors teams (not playing on that night) to fill in for missing Seniors players. The same player is only allowed to be called up 2 times by the same team in the course of the season. ​Called-up players will not be allowed to pitch.​ Call-ups must be noted in the game report to the Division Director.

Pitching Rules

MHLL is implementing a restricted pitching rule until June 1st. Pitchers will be restricted to throw a maximum of 50 pitches in a single game. Pitchers will be allowed a combined maximum of their age-specific pitch count in a calendar week.

  • ●  Weekly pitch counts are reset Saturday at Midnight. Little League rest days are still in effect.
  • ●  Pitchers will be allowed to finish the batter on their pitch limit threshold, similar to the official

    Little League pitch rules.

  • ●  EXCEPTION: If a House League tournament is scheduled before June 1st, Little League

    Rulebook pitching rules apply for the tournament.

  • ●  At the beginning of each inning, pitchers are allowed 5 warm-up pitches
  • ●  When a new pitcher enters the game they are allowed 5 warm-up pitches
  • ●  Players are NOT allowed to pitch 3 consecutive days in a row
  • ●  If a player who played catcher for three (3) innings or less, moves to the pitcher position and

    delivers 21 pitches or more in the same day, may not return to the catcher position on that

    calendar day.

  • ●  If a pitcher reaches 40 pitches while facing a batter, the pitcher may finish pitching the batter

    and maintain their eligibility to play the position of catcher for the remainder of that day. The pitcher would be allowed to play the catcher position provided that pitcher is moved, removed, or the game is completed before delivering the 41st pitch to another batter.

  • ●  A pitcher may pitch in up to two games in a day unless the pitch total for the first game was 31 or more pitches, in which case the regular days of rest apply.

    13 -16 Little League Age – 95 pitches per day 11-12 Little League Age – 85 pitches per day

9-10 Little League Age – 75 pitches per day 7-8 Little League Age – 50 pitches per day

1 – 20 pitches in a day – no calendar day of rest 21 – 35 pitches in a day – 1 calendar day of rest 36 – 50 pitches in a day – 2 calendar days of rest 50 – 65 pitches in a day – 3 calendar days of rest 66 – 95 pitches in a day – 4 calendar days of rest

Maximum Per Inning Run Rules

In the event of a bases-loaded walk and the 5t​ h run crosses the plate, the inning is complete if there are runners on base with 4 runs already scored. If the ball is put into play, the inning does not automatically end when the 5t​ h run crosses the plate. The play must be completed with an out at a base or the ball back to the pitcher. The opportunity is present for the offensive team to score up to a maximum of 8 runs in one inning. The intention of this rule is to complete the play, and not have the inning automatically end when the 5t​ h​ run scores. All other rules still apply.

COACHES MUST USE THEIR BEST JUDGMENT AND PLAY FAIR

Game Officials

Most of the umpires you will encounter are young and possibly just starting out. Encourage them to have bigger strike zones at your home plate meetings, as this encourages players to swing the bat more often and helps speed the game up. We want to ensure our umpires are making the right decisions and learning their job correctly. Be understanding and support them! If an umpire makes a call and you feel it is wrong, you can ask them to discuss the call but once a decision has been made coaches need to respect the decision. Umpires, young or old, have the authority to remove coaches or players from the game if they get unruly. ​Unsportsmanlike conduct will not be tolerated.

There will be times when Little League games are umpired by youth under 18 years old. If both umpires are under 18, an adult Game Coordinator is required or the game cannot be played. It must be an adult (parent, manager or spectator) and cannot be one of the coaches (on the field or in the dugout). The Game Coordinator oversees the game and ensures the safety of the umpires and players, they are not there to change or discuss umpire calls. To find out more about the Game Coordinator role, see Little League Rule Book, rule 9.03(d).

Equipment

There will be a scheduled day for equipment and uniform pick up at the beginning of the season. Coaches are required to pick up or coordinate an alternate coach, to pick up team equipment from the MHLL garage (located at the Lions 2 diamond). There will be game balls, practice balls, catching equipment and team bats in the equipment bag. This equipment is expected to be returned to MHLL at the conclusion of the season. There will be a scheduled day for equipment drop-off.

Home Team Responsibilities:

  • ●  Listed last on the schedule
  • ●  Occupy 3rd base dugout
  • ●  Set up bases
  • ●  Provide baseballs for the game
  • ●  Find Game Coordinator, when needed
  • ●  Official Scorekeeper
  • ●  Report score, report pitching, and report call-ups on Google Doc

    Visitor Team Responsibilities:

  • ●  Listed first on the schedule
  • ●  Occupy 1st base dugout
  • ●  Official Pitch Counter
  • ●  Provide base umpire, if necessary
  • ●  Put away & lock up bases

    Playoffs

    All teams will make their respective division playoffs. The first two weeks of June will be games to determine playoff seeding. The final two weeks of the House League season will be a single-elimination playoff. Division directors will formulate a playoff structure that is as fair and equal as time and diamond schedules permit.

    Tiebreakers:

  • ●  Win/Loss record
  • ●  Head to head
  • ●  Runs against
  • ●  Runs for
  • ●  Coin toss

    Playoff or Championship game tiebreaker:

  • ●  1 Extra inning of regular baseball.
  • ●  Subsequent innings;

○ The offensive team start the last player out at 2nd base as a base runner.
● If the game has to be called on account of darkness and remains tied. A coin will be flipped to determine a winner.

Consolation Games:
The two teams eliminated in the semi-finals MAY play a third-place game if time and diamond schedules permit.

Challenger Division

Challenger is an opportunity for children with cognitive or physical disabilities to enjoy the thrill of playing baseball, being part of a team, developing physical and social skill plus all the benefits of participation in baseball at a level structured to their abilities. Games are played in a fun, safe environment where no score is kept.

During Challenger games, the players will be assigned a “buddy” to assist them with hitting, running and fielding, as required. MHLL is seeking the participation of our Teen Age teams as buddies for this season.

Challenger Dates: TBD

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