Babe Ruth League Rule Changes


The International Board of Directors has approved the following rule changes beginning with the 2014 season. These changes will be reflected in the 2014 Babe Ruth League, Inc. Rules and Regulations.

  • Background Checks (All Divisions of Babe Ruth League, Inc.)
    – Babe Ruth League, Inc. programs, nationwide, are required to annually conduct a background check on all managers, coaches, board of directors’ members, as well as any other persons and volunteers, who provide regular service to the league and/or have repetitive access to, or contact with, players or teams. The purpose of these background checks is, first and foremost, to protect the players.
     
  • Babe Ruth Baseball 13 Prep Division and 13-15 Division
    *Local League and Tournament Play Special Rules and Regulations*

    – Extra Player (formally the “EH” extra Hitter).  Prior to the beginning of each tournament game, a team may elect to add a tenth hitter to the batting order for District, State and Regional tournament competition, as well as the Babe Ruth 13-Year-Old World Series, Babe Ruth 14-Year-Old World Series and Babe Ruth 13-15 World Series. The player will be indicated in the line-up as the “EP.” The “EP” cannot be added to the line-up once the game begins. The “EP” will be treated as any other starter, and cannot be eliminated during the course of the game. If a team starts with 10 players, the team must finish with 10 players. Penalty shall be a forfeit.
     
  • Babe Ruth 16-18 Division – Designated Hitter (DH)
    Any Babe Ruth 16-18 League may elect to use the Designated Hitter Rule. -
    Rule 6.10
    The rule provides as follows:

    A hitter may be designated to bat for the starting pitcher and all subsequent pitchers in any game without otherwise affecting the status of the pitcher(s) in the game. A Designated Hitter for the pitcher must be selected prior to the game and must be included in the lineup cards presented to the Umpire-in-Chief.

The Designated Hitter named in the starting lineup must come to bat at least one time, unless the opposing club changes pitchers. It is not mandatory that a club designate a hitter for the pitcher, but failure to do so prior to the game precludes the use of a Designated Hitter for that game.

Pinch hitters for a Designated Hitter may be used. Any substitute hitter for a Designated Hitter becomes the Designated Hitter. A replaced Designated Hitter shall not re-enter the game in any capacity.

The Designated Hitter may be used defensively, continuing to bat in the same position in the batting order, but the pitcher must then bat in the place of the substituted defensive player, unless more than one substitution is made, and the manager then must designate their spots in the batting order.

A runner may be substituted for the Designated Hitter and the runner assumes the role of Designated Hitter. A Designated Hitter may not pinch run.

A Designated Hitter is locked into the batting order. No multiple substitutions may be made that will alter the batting rotation of the Designated Hitter.

Once the game pitcher is switched from the mound to a defensive position, this move shall terminate the Designated Hitter role for the remainder of the game.

Once the game pitcher bats for the Designated Hitter, this move shall terminate the Designated Hitter role for the remainder of the game. (The game pitcher may only pinch-hit for the Designated Hitter.)

Once a Designated Hitter assumes a defensive position, this move shall terminate the Designated Hitter role for the remainder of the game. A substitute for the Designated Hitter need not be announced until it is the Designated Hitter’s turn to bat.

  • Cal Ripken Baseball, Major/60 Division
    – Dropped Third Strike 6.09(b)

    – The batter becomes a runner when the third strike called by an umpire is not caught, providing (1) first base is unoccupied or (2) first base is occupied with two outs.
     
  • Babe Ruth Softball Tournament Regulations (10U Division)
    Rule 11.05, Paragraph 12

    – Increased the softball tournament pitching limitations in the 10U and younger divisions from six (6) innings to nine (9) innings in any two successive games.
     
  • Cal Ripken Baseball Major/70 Division; Babe Ruth 13-15 Division; Babe Ruth 16-18 Division
    Rule 8.05(c)

    Comment: Requires the pitcher, while touching his plate, to step directly toward a base before throwing to that base. If a pitcher turns or spins off of his free foot without actually stepping or if he turns his body and throws before stepping, it is a balk.

A pitcher is to step directly toward a base before throwing to that base, and is required to throw (except to second base) because he steps. It is a balk if, with runners on first and third, the pitcher steps toward third and does not throw, merely to bluff the runner back to third; then seeing the runner on first start for second, turn and step toward and throw to first base. It is legal for a pitcher to feint a throw to second base.

(d)        The pitcher, while touching his plate, throws, or feints a throw to an unoccupied base, except for the purpose of making a play;
(e)    The pitcher makes an illegal pitch.



"BC Only"
Bodily Fluids Rule (Blood)

(A) Any player during a game who is bleeding or who has an open wound, shall be removed from the field of play by the umpires.    The player may return to the game only after the bleeding has stopped and the affected or open wound has been completely and securely covered to the satisfaction of the umpires.

(B) Should the same player start bleeding again or the affected area shows signs of bleeding, the umpires may remove the player for the duration of the game.

(C) Should any blood be on the players uniform, it must be washed out completely to the satisfaction of the umpire prior to the player returning to the game.

(D) The substitute player is only a courtesy player until the original player returns.

(E) If a pitcher, while pitching, suffers an injury referred to in paragraph (a) above, the umpire will call a courtesy time for no longer than fifteen (15) minutes. If the pitcher can not return in this time a pitching change must be made.

(F) Should a team only have nine players available at the time of an injury referred to in paragraph (a) above a courtesy time will be called for no longer than fifteen (15) minutes. If the affected player is unable to return after this time then the game will be forfeited.


Washington State Consusion Rule

 
Any Teams Traveling To Washington State should be aware of the following Rule in regards to the State wide ruling.
All Managers, Coaches, Players and Parents must be aware of this ruling while traveling to Washington State for Tournaments and
games played

What is a concussion?

A concussion is a brain injury that can be caused by a blow or jolt to the head and can change the way the brain normally works. Any concussion is serious whether mild or severe. They can also be caused by a blow to the body that causes the head to move rapidly back and forth and causes the brain to strike the surrounding skull. Concussions most often do NOT result in loss of consciousness - only 10% involve loss of consciousness.

Some concussion laws are only applicable to school-sponsored athletics or to activities taking place on school-owned property. Some laws are applicable to all youth sports organizations, whether affiliated or not with a school district. It is strongly recommended that local leagues consult with legal counsel in its jurisdiction to determine the applicability of state laws regarding concussions to its program.

Babe Ruth League, Inc. strongly encourages all leagues and teams to comply with any applicable laws and to review the information and training materials on concussions which are available free of charge on the Centers For Disease Control website at: http://www.cdc.gov/concussion/headsup/online_training.html

 

 

 

 


 

 

The International Board of Directors has approved the following rule changes beginning with the 2013 season.These changes will be reflected in the 2013 Babe Ruth LeagueRules and Regulations.

 


 

 #1 -  All Divisions (Babe Ruth Baseball, Cal Ripken Baseball andBabe Ruth Softball)
-All umpires that work Babe Ruth League Tournament games (District, State, Regional and World Series) must be members, in good standing, of the Babe Ruth League National Umpires Association. 



 

 #2 - Cal Ripken Baseball Division (Only)

An Extra HitterEH”has been approved for Cal Ripken Baseball tournament competition, which includes Cal Ripken Baseball District, State, and Regional competition, as well as the Cal Ripken 10-Year-Old World Series, Cal Ripken Major/60 World Series, and Cal Ripken Major/70 World Series.
Prior to the beginning of each tournament game, the manager may elect to add a tenth hitter to the batting order. The player will be indicated in the line-up as the “EH.”TheEHcannot be added to the line-up once the game begins. TheEH”will be treated as any other starter, and cannot be eliminated during the course of the game. If a team starts with 10 players, the team must finish with 10 players.
Penalty shall be a
forfeit.

The Below information is a further clarification / update of the Extra Hitter position. 

The EH will be treated as any other starter and may appear in any spot in the line-up, batting first, fourth or tenth. The EH will now be considered a defensive position and eligible to be switched between any defensive position provided he stays in the same spot he started in the batting order. And since the EH is a starting player, the re-entry rule would also apply to the EH position

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us.


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DATE:

 

 

 

March 16, 2012

 

 

RE:

 

 

 

Non-compliance of Nike Bat Model #Aero CX2-BTO636 and Marucci Bat CAT5 33-Inch Model

 


· Babe Ruth League, Inc. has been informed that Nike Bat Model #Aero CX2-BTO636 (light grey), CX2-BTO573 (dark grey) and CX2-BTO598 (blue) have failed recent performance standard compliance testing.

Effective immediately and until further notice, Nike Bat Model #Aero CX2-BTO636 (light grey), CX2-BTO573 (dark grey) and CX2-BTO598 (blue), including all graphic variations, is not eligible, or approved, for use in any Babe Ruth/Cal Ripken program or activity.

· The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) has advised Babe Ruth League, Inc. that the BBCOR decertification process has been implemented for the following bats:

Marucci CAT5 33-inch model

Reebok Vector-TLS 33-inch model

Effective immediately and until further notice, the bats listed above are not eligible, or approved, for use in any Babe Ruth/Cal Ripken program or activity.

If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact Babe Ruth Headquarters.

 

 

DATE:

 

 

 

November 23, 2011

 

 

RE:

 

 

 

Approved Bats for 2012  

 


To follow up our previous correspondence and information posted on the Babe Ruth League website, this correspondence provides details on all baseball bats approved by Babe Ruth League, Inc. for 2012 local league and tournament play. Such descriptions will be included as part of the 2012 Babe Ruth League Rules and Regulations.  

CAL RIPKEN BASEBALL DIVISION
The bat may not exceed 33”in length, and the bat barrel may not exceed 2 ¼” in diameter. Only 2 ¼” barrel non-wood bats marked BPF 1.15 will be allowed. Wood 2 ¼” barrel bats are allowed.

13-15 BASEBALL DIVISION
The bat may not exceed 34” in length, and the bat barrel may not exceed 2 5/8” in diameter. All aluminum/alloy barrel bats and all composite handle (only) aluminum/alloy barrels are allowed. Only composite barrel bats certified and marked BBCOR .50 will be allowed. Wood barrel bats conforming to the specifications of Official Baseball Rule 1.10 are allowed.

16-18 BASEBALL DIVISION
The bat may not exceed 34” in length and the bat barrel many not exceed 2 5/8” in diameter or be greater than a -3 length to weight ratio. Only metal/composite bats certified and marked BBCOR .50 are allowed. Wood barrel bats conforming to the specifications of Official Baseball Rule 1.10 are allowed.

PENALTY 

- If the illegal bat is discovered prior to a batter completing his “at bat” the bat is simply removed from play and the “at bat” continues. 

- A player who uses an illegal bat or non-conforming barrel dimension and hits a fair ball will be ruled out. No advancement on the bases will be allowed, and any outs during the play shall stand. This is an appeal play. The “at bat” will be considered legal once a pitch is thrown to the next batter. 

 

- Any bat discovered prior to the game that does not conform to the above rule shall be directed to be removed immediately and not be allowed for use during the game.


 

 

 



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