Rules & Regulations

Baseball Rules Unique to PRBA


Equipment:

 Bats must be compliant with the –10 rule. (Bats may not be more than 10 oz. lighter than their length. Example: A 30-inch bat may not weigh any lighter than 20 oz.). The diameter of the bat may not exceed 2 5/8 inches. Any bat that does not comply with this rule is prohibited.

Full uniforms are required at all times during the game. If a uniform has been issued and is not being worn, the player will not play. Caps are part of the uniform and proper wear of hats is required. Blue jeans or shorts are not allowed during games. Players are encouraged to wear “baseball style” pants for games

Earrings, rings, necklaces, or bracelets are not allowed. Metal spikes are not allowed.

Pitching:

Any coach is allowed one visit to the mound per pitcher. A second visit to a pitcher and that pitcher must be replaced.

Curve balls or other “trick” pitches are not allowed. Only fastballs or change of speed, “a change up,” is allowed.

A pitcher can pitch 3 innings per game, but not more than five innings per week during the regular season. During playoffs, a player can pitch 3 innings per game for every game.

If a pitcher delivers as few as one pitch during an inning that shall constitute an inning pitched.

A pitcher that has already pitched in a game may not reenter that game in a pitching position.

Batting and Base Running:

League approved pitching machines may be used while delivering pitches to 9 year old players only. Each coach shall declare, prior to start of game, who will hit from pitching machine. Once declared those players are locked and a player who declares to hit from live pitching must complete the current game in that manner. A player hitting from a pitching machine cannot draw a walk but they can strike out.

A batter is automatically out after 3 strikes and may not advance to first on a dropped or passed ball by the catcher. A base runner on 1st, 2nd, or 3rd base may advance one base at their own risk.

Runners must remain on 1st, 2nd, and 3rd base until the pitched ball has crossed home plate.

The offensive team may score one run by stealing home once per inning.

All base stealing, for that inning will stop after a team scores 5 runs during that inning.

A player must slide on close plays to avoid possible injury. Failure to slide on a close play may result in the runner being called out. This is at the discretion of the umpire.

General:

No throwing the ball around the horn after making an out.

Each player on the roster must play at least every other inning in the field.

There shall be no intentional walks. All Batters need to be pitched to.

Each player bats in their set order regardless if they played in the field during the inning.

The pitching rubber will be not less than 45 feet from the leading edge of home plate

Bases shall be equally spaced at approximately 60 feet apart.

Catchers are required to wear masks, chest protectors, shin guards, protective headgear, throat protector and a protective cup. NO EXCEPTION.

A ball thrown back to the pitcher by the catcher is a dead ball.

The home plate umpire will call the game after 4 innings on a 12-run spread. (This is not at the discretion of the coaches).

Games shall start at the time scheduled. A team not ready for play will be penalized one out for each 2 minutes that passes until they are ready for play. A late team may forfeit a maximum of nine outs. At that point, they forfeit the game.

The game shall be forfeited if a team is unable to field a minimum of eight rostered players or the team does not show up for a rescheduled game.

If during the game a player is injured and cannot return to play the game, the game can continue if the team can still field 7 players. When a team can field only 7 players after an injury, the eighth batter is automatically out.

These rules are intended to augment/modify existing Little League and “Baseball” rules. 

Helpful knowledge and FAQs for parents/kids new to PRBA:


Will my kids be put on different teams? No, PRBA has a sibling clause in the rules to keep brothers and sisters on the same team. Basically, if players are in the same household we want them on the same team to reduce the running for adults.

Will my child from town X be on the same team as his/her friends/classmates? Maybe. Coaches draft the best team possible and generally ignore the home town. (After several years of PRBA it is fun to see former players, now in high schoolers from different home towns, still talk to their former PRBA team mates)

Where does my registration fee go? Registration fees are used to purchase equipment and for the general up keep of the league.

How much to coaches get paid? Nothing. Umpires are the only ones who receive any compensation. The coaches and PRBA Board members are non-paid positions. Coaches or PRBA Board members who have children playing PRBA baseball still pay the registration fee. Please keep this in mind while cheering on your favorite player(s) and teams. There are a ton of volunteer hours spent on administration, fund raising, organizing, coaching, and lots of other activities to make PRBA successful.

*** Items below here are intended to be “general guidelines” and not hard rules ***

When are the games?  Week nights, approx. 5:30 PM is the earliest start time, usually Monday/Tuesday and occasionally a Saturday afternoons. Rainouts are typically rescheduled for Thursday evenings. Schedule is set after we know the # of teams/players out for PRBA each year.

How often does my child's team practice?  Teams typically practice 1 or 2X/week with location/time decided by coach. (It is typical for teams to practice on Sunday evenings because the bulk of our games are Monday and Tuesday evening. Locations typically vary as well due to make up of the team)

What if I cannot afford the registration fee for my child to play?  A limited number of Scholarships are available on a case-by-case basis and determined by PRBA Board.

What if my child misses a game or practice?  We understand there will be times that your family and/or child will have conflicts with scheduling and this is part of the reason for having 10-12 kids per team. Please notify your child’s coach as soon as possible so he/she can plan accordingly. That being said, make sure to make every game/practice possible, to respect your teammates and the coaches that donate their time.