Youth Baseball

                        PLEASE READ the NEW BAT Rule for 2018 and beyond below!!

DIZZY DEAN BASEBALL, INC.TM

IN CONJUNCTION WITH USA BASEBALL AND ITS PARTICIPATING NATIONAL MEMBER ORGANIZATIONS, DIZZY DEAN BASEBALL HAS ADOPTED THE NEW USA BASEBALL BAT STANDARD (USABat)

EFFECTIVE JANUARY 1, 2018, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE -3 BAT (BBCOR CERTIFIED), ALL OTHER 2 5/8 IN MINUS FACTOR BATS (-5, -7, -9, ETC.) MUST BE YBBCOR CERTIFIED WITH THE USABat LICENSING STAMP ON THE BAT IN ORDER TO BE USED FOR LEAGUE AND TOURNAMENT PLAY. 2 5/8 INCH MINUS FACTOR BATS -5, -7, -9, ETC., USED IN 2017 WILL BE ILLEGAL TO USE IN 2018.

RECREATION INTERLOCK BASEBALL RULES  Updated 2-1-18

2018 BASEBALL SEASON     

ALABASTER, CALERA, HELENA, MONTEVALLO, PELHAM 

The Dizzy Dean rule book will be the official rule book for the 2017 Baseball Season.  The rule book can be found online at www.alabamadizzydean.com.  The only exceptions to the Dizzy Dean rule book are found below:                                                                                

All Age Groups

• No game shall start after 8:30PM on weekdays (Monday-Thursday) or after 9:30PM on weekends (Friday-Saturday).  No inning shall start after 10:00PM on weekdays or after 11:00PM on weekends.  At the close of the school year, no game shall start after 9:30PM on weekdays and 10:30PM on weekends.

• A manager must make every effort possible to field a team with the number of players from his/her original roster.  A team must field a minimum of 8 players in order to begin or complete a game.  If a team fails to field the minimum number of 8 players required to begin a game or does not have the minimum number of 8 at the completion of the game, the result of the game will be a forfeit.  A team may place a late arrival at the bottom of the batting order, before the completion of the original batting rotation.  No late arrival may enter the game after the completion of the first rotation of the batting order.  An automatic out will be taken for each vacant spot not filled from the original lineup.  Only exception to the automatic out will be if a player is injured or becomes ill after the start of a game. 

• A manager may use a maximum of 2 players from the same division or pull up from the lower division.  The players referenced in the above statement cannot exceed a 9 player roster. A player that is utilized in the above situation can play for each team in a division one (1) time only.  The player pulled up or across must bat last and play in the outfield.  Players pulled up or across are allowed to play for another team during regular season games only.  Playoffs and Championship games can only be played with your original roster.

• All leagues will bat their entire roster. 

• Free defensive substitution is allowed in all leagues.  Rookie League all players play defense. Farm League a maximum of 10 players play defense.  Minor league and above 9 players play defense.  All player pitchers in Rookie and Farm must wear a heart shield and a batting helmet/facemask. 

• Head first sliding into the next base in not permitted and the runner will be declared out; head first sliding back into a base is permitted.  

• Game Protest:

1. Managers must notify the umpire of the protest and the game will be played under protest from that point on.   A protest letter must be filed with the Park & Recreation Director within 24 hours of game completion.  This letter must specify the rule or rules being protested and must comply with the League, Dizzy Dean Baseball/USSSA softball rules.  A protest fee of $100.00 must accompany the letter.  A judgment call cannot be protested.
2. The umpire of a protested game shall submit a protest review immediately following the game.
3. The protest will be ruled upon within 72 hours.  Managers will be notified in writing of the decision.

If the protest is upheld, the protest fee of $100.00 will be returned. 

• Once a regulation baseball game has completed its maximum number of innings and the score is tied, regardless of official time remaining, only one (1) extra inning shall be played.  If after the one (1) extra inning the game remains tied, the game shall end in a tie. 
• No bunting will be allowed in the Rookie and Farm league.

• Beginning April 3, 2017, balks will be called in the Major league and above.

• A pitcher is allowed in recreation ball to fake a throw to third base and throw back to first base on a pick off play.  Major league rules do not allow this any longer but high school and middle school still does allow this play.

• There will be not be half way marks in any baseball or softball league between 1^st  & 2^nd  base or 2^nd  & 3^rd base.

   

• Please see table below for baseball only:  Softball is addressed in the specific softball rules.

Rain out numbers for all parks:

ALABASTER PARK            205-378-4055

CALERA PARK                   205-668-7240

HELENA PARK                   205-620-2877

MONTEVALLO PARK       205-527-3755

PELHAM PARK                  205-620-6426

• A coach or player that is ejected must sit out the remainder of the current game and the entire next game.  That player or coach becomes an illegal participant until he has set out his required games. 

• In order to avoid any confusion with who is responsible for the official scorebook and press box, all cities decided that if you are playing a visiting city at your park, the host park will do both the book and scoreboard.  If you are playing a team within your park, the home team will be responsible for the book and the visitor will be responsible for running the scoreboard. 

• In Minor and Major League Divisions ONLY for Regular Season Play. Pitchers will be allowed 7 innings in a day or 10 innings in a week. (For this Rule a week will be Monday- 12:00AM through Sunday- 11:59PM). In addition if a Pitcher pitches more than 3 innings in a game, then the pitcher must rest for 48 hours from the time leaving the mound before being allowed to return to the mound. Outs will constitute Innings( IE: Player pitches 3 innings and 2 outs in the fourth then the Pitcher will be recorded as pitching 3 2/3 of an inning for that game. ) (ADOPTED RULE ON 02-19-18)

5-6 year old Division Rookie League Regular Season Only

Batting Rule

1. Each team will bat 9 batters per inning in the order listed on their lineup. If a team has more than 9 players, the 10^th batter in the lineup will be the 1^st batter in the next inning half for that team, and so on…

(b) The inning half will end whenever the offensive team scores 7 runs, or has batted 9 players.

(c) The offensive teams coach will tell the defensive teams coach when the 9^th batter is coming to the plate. At that point, it is treated as if there are 2 outs and the inning half will end when any one of the following occurs; the batter strikes out, an out is made in the field, or a defensive player steps on home plate with the ball in their control or any other situation that constitutes an out called by the umpire.

(d) In Rookie Division(Regular Season Play Only)- Batters may use the USA stamped bat that has T-Ball stamped on the bat. (ADOPTED 3-9-18)

• In Rookie and Farm League, the offensive batter will receive five (5) pitches before being declared out. 

   

1. He will be called out on three (3) swinging strikes.

2. If the fifth (5) pitch is fouled, he may continue to bat until he either strikes out or puts the ball in   play.

3. If the fifth (5) pitch is fouled and caught it is an out.

Note: If a player cannot bat in his “slot” for any reason, an “at bat/out” will be recorded and the at bat will be included in the 9 batter total for that inning. If this situation happens to be on the 9^th batter of any inning the batter will be called out and the inning half will be over.

Catchers

Catchers are optional. Whether a catcher is used or not, the offensive team will have a “catching coach” behind home plate to help retrieve pitched balls and get them back to the pitching coach in order to keep the game flowing. If the defense has a catcher they will stand behind the catcher, if they don’t then they can assume the position of the catcher behind the plate. The “catching coach” cannot coach players, however, they are allowed help align a batter in the box if needed prior to the pitch. Once a ball is hit the catching coach must position themselves out of the way in order to not interfere with any play.

Note: The catchers must wear full catchers gear including a protective cup.

• No bunting will be allowed in Rookie League

• 1 defensive coach will be allowed to stand on each side, outside the right and left field foul lines, 10 feet behind the first and third base coach’s box. 

• No batting tee will be used.

• A ball thrown from an infield position towards first base in an attempt to get the batter out that is overthrown to the first baseman and goes past the 3 foot running lane is considered a dead ball at this point. All runners will be allowed one additional base. The ball must go past the 3 foot running lane line to be considered an overthrow. The 3-foot running lane should be run 10 feet past the bag. Exception: on last batter.

   

 Rain Out Contacts:

ALABASTER PARK             205-378-4055

CALERA PARK                    205-668-7240

HELENA PARK                    205-620-2877

MONTEVALLO PARK       205-527-3755

PELHAM PARK                   205-620-6426