This
overview for training and reference in Belmont-Redwood Shores Little League contains
key rules summaries and interpretations and an umpire checklist for game-time
situations.
For full
rules information see the current Little League Rule Book, BRSLL Supplemental
Rules, and other docs such as LL Rules
Reference Guide and BRSLL Local Rules
Chart.
There are
MANY rules in baseball. Little League umpires should know:
·
How
to start and end a game (see BRSLL Umpire
Game Management)
·
How
to make signals – verbal and manual (see BRSLL
Umpire Mechanics)
·
Safety
(see BRSLL Umpire Game Management)
·
Fair/Foul
ball, live/dead ball, balls and strikes (upper divisions)
·
Force
play, non-force play, running past 1st base, tag outs
·
Caught
fair/foul fly, tagging up, leading off
·
Field
layout & lines, outfield cones/fences, LL safety bases
·
Ground
rule double, home run
·
Supplemental
local Little League rules per division including:
o
Farm/AA:
Pitcher’s circle, pitching machine & coach, pitch count
o
Majors/AAA:
Pitching, balls/strikes, pickoffs, stealing, pitch count
More
advanced rules to learn about – see BRSLL
Rules Overview – Advanced:
·
Interference,
obstruction, running outside base path [to avoid a tag]
·
Caught/dropped
foul fly, overthrows, not out / not safe situations
·
Ground
rules for each site
·
Infield
Fly, intentionally dropped fly, multi-player catch
·
Bounced
pitch, hit by pitch, hit on hands, pitch hits un-swung bat
Here are some tips for reading
the Little League rule book – aka the “Green Book”:
·
Division names
used are different than locally used in BRSLL:
o See “Divisions of Play”. p.11-12
o “Minor League”
in the Green Book = Farm + AA + AAA in BRSLL
o “Major League”
in the Green Book = Majors in BRSLL
o “Little League”
refers to all BRSLL divisions
o “Junior”, “Senior”, “Big League” are NOT Little League, ignore these rules
·
Sections 1-9 (p.
45-84) are the rules, Farm & AA can ignore “8.00 – The Pitcher”
·
There is a small
Index on p.84-86
·
Note that
related rules may reside in different sections
·
Section 2.00
contains a glossary definition of terms
Rules:
·
2.00
Bunt (see Supp Rules), Ball, Base on Balls, Strike, Strike Zone
·
5.09(a)
Hit by pitch
·
6.03
Feet may not be outside batters box
·
6.05(i) No going to 1B on dropped strike 3 in Little League
·
6.05(b)
strike 3
·
6.05(c)
bunting foul strike 3
·
6.05(d)
Umpire
checklist:
ü
Batter:
Helmet, neither foot completely outside box (6.03/6.06(a)), no bunting in LL
ü
Proper
mechanics for watching strike zone and signaling
ü
Any
part of the ball touching any part of the strike zone is a strike
ü
Even
if no swing or bat dropped, if pitch hits bat it’s a batted ball – foul or fair
ü
Watch/Listen
for nicked pitch – caught by catcher=“Foul Tip”=OUT, o.w just Foul Ball
ü
Watch
for swing/no swing – did batter make an attempt at the pitch?
Home Plate
ump (in addition to list above):
ü
Balls/Strikes:
o
Proper mechanics
to see strike zone, signal (don’t rush)
o Strike zone is per normal stance for current batter
when swinging
o Any part of the ball touching any part of the strike
zone is a strike
ü
Watch/Listen
for catcher interference
Rules: 6.08
Umpire
checklist:
ü
Ball
4 (Majors/AAA) 6.08(a)
ü
Hit
by pitch outside strike zone (includes hit on hands) 6.08(b)
ü
Catcher
interference 6.08(c) – Live ball, call safe if was out at 1B
ü
Interference
by runner or ump in fair territory 6.08(d) – Dead ball
Rules: 6.05(c)
bunt strike 3 foul
Umpire
checklist:
ü
Catcher
interfered with batter (such as glove in way of swing)
ü
Even
if no swing or bat dropped, if pitch hits bat it’s a batted ball – foul or fair
ü
Ball
hits foot inside the batter box è Foul
ü
Wait
to call fair/foul until it actually is fair/foul, then signal instantly
ü
Doesn’t
matter if ball starts in fair or foul territory, see Fair/Foul Ball
ü
Bunting
is allowed in Majors & AAA but not in Farm & AA (see Supp Rules)
Rules: 2.00,
6.05(a) out if caught
Umpire
checklist:
ü
Do
no call a ball until it is fair or foul, wait for it to contact something/one
or pass 1st or 3rd base or stop moving (slow, let it go)
ü
It
never matters where the persons feet were; just where the ball is
ü
Batted
ball hits ANY part of fence/backstop – even overhang over fair territory – is
foul
ü
Lines/bases/home
plate are FAIR territory (hit ball stops on plate, fair ball)
ü
Orange
part of 1B is foul territory, but if batted ball hits any part of white base,
it is fair
ü
Rolling
ball before 1st/3rd base, WAIT till stops or is touched
or past base
ü
No
one but the umpires should call or signal fair or foul ball
ü
A
foul ball is always a dead ball, like “time”
ü
A
caught foul ball is always live; runners may tag up and try to advance
Rules:
·
Dead ball:
o
5.09a
hit by pitch
o
5.09e
dropped foul ball
o
5.09f
runner/ump interference
o
Umpire
calls “Time”
·
Live ball:
o
Base
on Balls, strike out
o
5.08
thrown ball accidentally touches ump or base coach
Umpire
checklist:
ü
Any
time play goes dead, umpire signals with both arms raised saying “Time”
ü
Any
time play is live, no signal, just allow play to continue
ü
Obstruction:
Normally allow play to continue with one exception (2.00, 7.06(a/b))
ü
Overthrows
out of field of play are always dead ball, signal like “Time” and award bases
ü
Interference
always kills the play, say “Interference” and signal like “Time”, then indicate
the out(s) and award bases as necessary
ü
Leaving
base early is like Interference – let the play continue until done, then
penalize
ü
Any
umpire may call time; the umpire-in-chief resumes play
ü
Requested time out is not in effect until granted by an umpire
ü
See
BRSLL Supplemental Rules about pitching machine and pitching coach
Rules:
·
6.05(j)
out of the running lane
·
7.08(j)/7.10(c)
Overrunning/Over-sliding 1B (Note: Only if made an attempt toward 2B)
·
7.15
Double first base
Umpire
checklist:
ü
Move
to 90 degrees to the line of the throw, 10-15 feet from base
ü
Eyes
on the base, loosely
ü
Wait
to make the call:
o
Control
of ball in glove or hand
o
AND
contact with white base
o
BEFORE
Runner contacts orange base
ü
Double
1st base (Rule 7.15):
o
o
White
base is for fielder plus runner at 1B already, tagging up, rounding toward 2B,
returning to 1B
ü
Watch
for:
o
Overrun/overslide,
can’t be tagged out unless makes an attempt to 2B
o
Fielder
obstructing access to base
o
Runner
interfering with fielder’s play
o
Runner
out of lane on throw from catcher to 1st
ü
For
tags, get best angle – keep adjusting as necessary
ü
After
safe to orange base, runner uses white base
Rules:
·
2.00
Catch (hand or glove, didn’t touch runner), Fly Ball, Ground Ball
·
7.08(d)
tagging up
Note: “Fly”
means any batted ball that has not made contact with the ground or anyone or
anything. This includes line drives. A batted ball that bounces off the field
very high is not a Fly.
Umpire
checklist:
ü
See
BRSLL Umpire Pre-Game and Duties for
which ump to make call vs. watch tag-ups
ü
Tagging
up is commonly used but the Rule Book refers to this as “retouch”
ü
Tagging
up is not called a “force” play but is the same that the fielder holding the
ball in a hand or glove can merely touch the base with any part of body or uniform
ahead of the returning runner to make the out
ü
Batted
ball hits multiple fielders (only) and is caught:
o Batter is out
o Runners can tag up as of the time the ball first touched any fielder involved
ü
Fly
ball caught while it is over foul territory
ü
Fly
ball not caught while over foul is a foul
ü
See
also “Intentionally Dropped Fly Ball” in Miscellaneous
section below
Rules:
·
2.00
Force Play (force situation can be removed during a play)
·
7.01,
7.04(a) forced to advance safely
·
7.08(e)
force play
Umpire
checklist:
ü
“Force”
= There is one live runner for every base behind this runner
ü
NOTE:
If a runner behind this one is put out during the play, the force is removed
ü
OUT: Control of the ball with hand or
glove and ANY part of body or uniform touching base BEFORE the runner
touches the base
ü
SAFE: Runner touches base with any part
of body or uniform before fielder holding ball in hand or glove touches base
with any part of body or uniform
ü
Neither
out nor safe (yet):
o
Runner
hasn’t touched base and fielder didn’t have ball in hand or glove
o
Runner
missed base and fielder with ball hasn’t touched the base
ü
Wait
till runner actually touches or fielder with ball actually touches base
ü
Technically
the batter running to 1st is not “forced”, although it works
similarly
ü
NOTE:
If the runner reaches safely but overruns base, he can be tagged out
ü
Runners
on a home run – even an apparent game-winner – MUST touch all the bases
Rules: 1.06
Umpire
checklist:
ü
Before
each pitch, proper position per runners on base
ü
Same
as first base except:
o
No
orange base
o
Breakaway bases (Rules: 1.06): Runner already safe
cannot be put out at a base that breaks free, other runners must go to the
anchored bottom of the base
ü
Get
best angle to see tag plays – keep moving to get best view
Rules:
·
7.08(a)(1)
Running out of the base path to avoid a tag (Note: base path is 3’ to either
side of line from runner’s position when tag first attempted to next or
previous base)
·
7.08(c)
Tagged off base
Umpire
checklist:
ü
Control
of ball with hand or glove and touching runner with that hand or glove
ü
Running
outside baseline: Base line is the line from runner’s position when tag first
attempted directly to the base he is attempting to reach, call out if >3’ outside
that line
Rules: At
all levels of LL, no runner may leave base before the pitch reaches the batter.
·
7.13
Runners cannot leave base until pitch reaches the batter
Umpire
checklist:
ü
Let
the play go till completed
ü
Any
outs stand, o.w. return all runners to base forced to by “true” hit
Rules:
·
6.09(e/f/g/h),
7.05(f) ground rule double
·
6.09(d),
7.05(a) home run
Umpire
checklist:
ü
Confirm
fair ball
ü
Check
all runners and batter-runner’s touching each base and home plate
ü
Watch
for appeal (where allowed per Supp Rules) if any bases missed by any runner
ü
Know
ground rules for each field
Rules: 4.09,
5.06, 7.08(k), 7.10(d)
Umpire
checklist:
ü
Confirm
that the runner touched all bases in order (7.02), then touched home plate
ü
If
a runner doesn’t touch home plate and goes to the dugout (7.08(k), 7.10(d)):
o
Umpire
makes no signal
o
If
the fielding team appeals at home plate, the runner is out
o
If
no appeal, as soon as the next pitch is delivered, the run counts
ü
If
the 3rd out is made during a play which runs score? (Rule: 4.09)
o
If
the 3rd out was batter not safe to 1B or force play (or appeal for
missed base), then NO RUNS SCORE on this play, timing does not matter
o
If
the 3rd out is made any other
way, runs that were before the 3rd out count
ü
Extra
innings are used for any tied BRSLL game even during the regular season (see
time limits and mercy rule)
Rules: 1.02,
1.03, 4.09(b) (final half inning), 4.10 innings, 5.10 darkness/injury
Umpire
checklist:
ü
6
innings (4.10a) if not tied and time limit not reached
ü
10-run
mercy rule (4.10e)
ü
Fewer
than 9 (or 10) players (Rule 4.16)