MD Nations Baseball

State Modified Playing Rules

•• Due to Insurance Regulations, only Game officials, Coaches & Players on the team’s official Nations Baseball roster are allowed on the playing field during the game. Bat Boys that are not on the official team roster, or without a protective Batting Helmet are not allowed on the playing Field, Photographers without written consent from the director, etc., are prohibited from being on the playing field and should be outside of the team dugout.

Infield – There will be no infield practice prior to any games on any field unless there is an open field outside of the scheduled field assigned for play

Teams have the option to bat their entire lineup if they choose: in the event they choose to bat more than 10 players they must bat their entire roster with no subs left on the bench. If a player gets hurt, we will skip that at bat and not penalize the team with an out.  Once the batter has been declared ineligible by the plate umpire due to injury or sickness, the batter may be skipped in the batting lineup without penalty of an out and the batter may not return to the game, however, if the player gets ejected and since the team has no subs it will be an out! As a courtesy to both teams, please notify the plate umpire immediately so that the scorekeeper has this change. Courtesy runner for pitcher or catcher will either be the last out or last batter in the lineup in the first inning.

• ** Intentional Walk - in efforts to speed up the game due to time limit restrictions either the pitcher or team manager will announce to the plate umpire to walk the batter to 1st base.

• Pitching Rules – will use official Nations Baseball rules in all events and all innings are kept in 1/3.  A player who pitches and doesn't record an out will not be charged with a 1/3 out, only if the player records an out.

•  Bases & Mounds - will use official Nations Baseball dimensions for all age groups and portable fencing & mounds will be used if all possible.  

a.      13u Division Spring events – Select events will use 54-80 & Elite events will have the option to use 54-80 or 60-90. Premier & Open events will use 60-90 formats.

b.      13u Division Fall events - may use only 54-80 formats for all events and this will be listed if there is a change.  

• Courtesy Runner for Pitcher or Catcher:

a.      Subs will be used first and in the event you don't have subs you will go to the last out.

• Mercy Rules –

a.      (6) Inning Games - 20 after 2 Complete Innings, 15 after 3 Complete Innings, 8 after 4 Complete Innings.

b.   (7) Inning Games - 20 after 2 Complete Innings, 15 after 3 Complete Innings, 12 after 4 Complete Innings  8 after 5 Complete Innings.

c. Mercy Rules in effect for all games including Championship Game.

• Seeding -

a.      Teams will be seeded for Championship Round by current tiebreakers and

The higher seed on Sunday will have the choice of Home or Visitor including The Championship Game.

b.      Seeding for Pool play game will be decided by the director in qualifying events.  Current Nations Baseball Points will seed state Tournament events.  

c.      Pools will normally be drawn by points, if possible.  Teams traveling farther

Distances will be given the option to play later.  Special request to play later should be noted in the request column or by email prior to the cutoff, otherwise teams will be put in pools at random.  

• Score Cards - only used for pitching and final score.  It is the manager’s responsibility to verify pitching & final score after the game.  All other items on the card considered a correctable error, such as subs, etc.

• Time Limits –

a.      (6) Inning Games - No new inning after 1:45 - once the Home Team is ahead

After 1:45 the game is over!

b.      (7) Inning Games - No new inning after 2:00 - once the Home Team is ahead

After 2:00 the game is over!

c. Championship Game - No time limit.

•  Inclement weather - Director reserves the right to change time limits after the event has started in the event of possible inclement weather in efforts to finish the event.

a.      (6) Inning Games - 3 Complete Innings is considered a complete game. In the event inclement weather and will revert back to the last completed inning.

b.  (7) Inning Games - 4 Complete Innings is considered a complete game.  In the event inclement weather and will revert back to the last completed inning.

c. Teams must be ready to play 60 minutes prior to their next game.

• Extra Innings – will use International Tiebreaker Rule

a.      Pool play games - due to pitching restrictions teams will play 1 extra inning after time has expired or complete game which ever comes first.  In the event the game still ends in a tie after the extra inning period, it will be considered a tie and will go to the next tiebreaker as a result for seeding for Championship Play on Sunday.

b.      Championship Play on Sunday - after time has expired or complete game, (which ever comes first), team will play until a winner is decided after the complete inning.    

16. A legal slide can be either feet first or head first. If a runner slides feet first, at least one leg and buttock must be on the ground. If a runner slides, he or she must slide within the reach of the base with either a hand or a foot.

17. Runners are never required to slide, but if a runner elects to slide, the slide must be legal.

18. If a tag play is imminent, the runner should slide or seek to avoid contact. Jumping over a player is not considered an act of avoidance.

19. No player can initiate malicious contact. It is the umpire’s judgment call that determines whether the contact is malicious.

20. If a defensive player is obstructing the runner (judgment call by the umpire), contact by the runner is not illegal unless it is malicious.

21. If a game is called due to weather or other hazardous conditions, it is ruled an official game provided three and one half innings have been completed if the home team is ahead or four innings if the home team is behind for seven-inning games. It is ruled an official game provided two and one half innings have been completed if the home team is ahead or three innings if the home team is behind for six-inning games.

22. All games stopped by an event official for weather or other reasons before the game is declared official are suspended games.

PITCHING RULES AND LIMITATIONS

1. Limitations of pitching are based upon recorded outs while the pitcher is on the mound.

a. In all age groups that are scheduled for six innings, a pitcher cannot pitch more than 18 outs in any given day.

b. In all age groups 16 and younger that are scheduled for seven innings, a pitcher cannot pitch more than 21 outs in any given day.

c. For six-inning games, a pitcher cannot pitch more than 27 outs in a three-day tournament, regardless of game guarantee.

d. For seven-inning 16U and younger games, a pitcher cannot pitch more than 30 outs in a three-day tournament, regardless of game guarantee.

e. Any pitcher in the 16U or younger divisions that has pitched three days in a row must rest the 4th day regardless of outs recorded.

f. In the 17U-18U high school divisions, there are no pitching limitations.

g. Pitching limitations stop for the day when the park is shut down for the night and the teams leave.

h. When games are suspended and continued the next day, pitching limitations are split between the two days.