practice
10U
- Tuesday/Thursday, 5:00 pm - 6:30 pm
- Saturday, 12:15 pm - 1:45 pm
BHGS 10u division rules
All rules for this division are standard ASA rules with the following exceptions and clarifications.
Local Rules for 10U Division Play
Play games with as few as seven players. Up to ten players appear on defense. No more than 6 players may be positioned on the infield when each pitch crosses home plate. All players on the team are in the batting order. Players may appear anywhere in the batting order as determined by the team staff at the beginning of the game regardless of whether the player is a starting defensive player or on the team bench. If a player arrives after the game has begun, she shall be added to the bottom of the order. If a player leaves the game early because of injury, sickness, school or family event, her spot in the batting order shall be skipped with no penalty to the team.
All players must appear in the defense for a minimum of 2 innings per game. All players must appear in the infield for a minimum of 1 inning per game. No player shall sit out more than 2 innings per game unless injured/sick.
Run Limit Rules:
Player and Team Staff pitching rules:
The play is over and the ball is dead when the pitcher has possession of the ball and both feet are within the pitcher’s circle. It is insufficient for the ball to be within the pitching circle but not in the control of the pitcher. If the pitcher drops the ball and the ball remains in the pitching circle, runners are released to steal when otherwise permitted to do so.
Pitchers may pitch 2 innings of the first 4 innings. A player may pitch a 3rd inning if the game goes 5 or 6 innings.
Warming up pitchers: A player warming up a pitcher must wear full catcher’s gear once the pitcher has started a full wind up.
At the beginning of each half inning, or when a pitcher relieves another, not more than one minute shall be used to deliver not more than 3 (three) warm up pitches.
Runners may lead off after the ball leaves the pitcher’s hand. If the player leaves early, the umpire will immediately stop play and one warning will be issued per team game. Thereafter, upon any player leaving early, the umpire will immediately stop play and the runner will be called out. Continuous action stealing (stealing second when achieving first on a walk) is not allowed. A runner may not advance past the stolen base (i.e. To third when stealing second) on an overthrow during a steal.
A game summary sheet will be submitted to the umpire immediately after each game. The Summary sheet will be signed by a representative of each team. The Umpire will verify the score.
Playoffs: Tuesday, before closing ceremonies the top four teams play in a semi-final game. Any remaining teams play a consolation game, (if there is only one team, a fun practice will be scheduled...water balloon game, parents v players game). The top two winners of the game play a championship game on closing ceremonies. There must be a winner. No tie games and international tiebreaker will be utilized for two additional innings. Tie after the two additional inning, game ends and reverts to the last inning that was not tied.
Local Rules for 10U Division Play
- Teams shall use a regulation 11” ASA approved hardball for regular season games.
- Base distance is 60 feet.
- Pitching distance is 35 feet. An 8-foot radius circle centered on the pitcher’s rubber is used.
- Game time limit is 70 minutes. Once the game playing time has passed the game time limit, the current inning will be completed and one additional inning will be played. The bottom half of the additional inning will not be played if the home team is winning. Game playing time is the elapsed time of the game including all timeouts and begins with the first pitch of the first inning. A regulation game is six innings long. Games may end in a tie. Scorebooks are kept and line-up cards submitted to the umpire. First half of the season no standings are kept.
Play games with as few as seven players. Up to ten players appear on defense. No more than 6 players may be positioned on the infield when each pitch crosses home plate. All players on the team are in the batting order. Players may appear anywhere in the batting order as determined by the team staff at the beginning of the game regardless of whether the player is a starting defensive player or on the team bench. If a player arrives after the game has begun, she shall be added to the bottom of the order. If a player leaves the game early because of injury, sickness, school or family event, her spot in the batting order shall be skipped with no penalty to the team.
All players must appear in the defense for a minimum of 2 innings per game. All players must appear in the infield for a minimum of 1 inning per game. No player shall sit out more than 2 innings per game unless injured/sick.
Run Limit Rules:
- Innings 1 through 4: A half inning ends when the defensive team achieves three outs or, when the offensive team scores 4 runs. At the end of the 4th inning, if a team is up by 10 runs, the mercy rule is in effect and the game ends.
- Innings 5 and 6: Starting with the 5th inning, the inning ends when the batting team increases its lead by 4 runs or takes a 10 run lead, whichever is larger. A team trailing by 10 or more runs in the bottom of the last inning can only tie the game.
- If a team is ahead by 10 runs after 4 (four) complete innings, the game is over and complete. If the home team is ahead by 10 or more runs after the visiting team finishes batting in the 4th inning, the game is over and complete.
Player and Team Staff pitching rules:
- Player and Team Staff pitcher must pitch from 35 feet. In the act of delivering the ball, the Player and Team Staff pitcher’s pivot foot must maintain contact with the pitcher’s rubber.
- It is up to the discretion of the Umpire to call an illegal pitch on the pitcher. If called by the Umpire, an illegal pitch shall be a ball, but the base runners shall not advance unless the illegal pitch is ball four.
- Players may bunt off a Player pitcher at any time. Players shall not be allowed to bunt off a Team Staff pitcher.
- A batted ball hitting the Team Staff pitcher shall be a single. Runners may advance one base. The ball is dead.
- A batter who is hit by pitch (that she doesn’t swing at, and does not cross through the strike zone) may not elect to continue batting and will automatically receive first base. The ball is dead. Note that the batter’s hands are not a part of the bat.
- First half of season:
- A walk is awarded to the first two batters in each half inning that receives four called balls. A batter hit by a pitch that is awarded first base does not constitute a walk for coach pitch consideration. Once two batters are walked, coach-pitching resumes for each batter after receiving 4 called “balls”.
- A-Team Staff pitcher begins pitching by inheriting the pitcher’s strike count and no (zero) balls. The coach shall pitch a maximum of 4 pitches, plus fouls on the last pitch. The batter will bat until:
- she puts the ball in play,
- the coach pitches all four pitches, and she does not put the ball in play or foul off the 4th pitch, or
- she strikes out swinging.
- There are no called strikes during coach-pitching.
- While a Team Staff member is pitching, runners may lead off after the ball leaves the Team Staff pitcher’s hand. Stealing bases is not allowed when the Team Staff member is pitching.
- Second half of season:
- A walk is awarded to every batter that receives four balls. No Team Staff pitcher is used.
The play is over and the ball is dead when the pitcher has possession of the ball and both feet are within the pitcher’s circle. It is insufficient for the ball to be within the pitching circle but not in the control of the pitcher. If the pitcher drops the ball and the ball remains in the pitching circle, runners are released to steal when otherwise permitted to do so.
Pitchers may pitch 2 innings of the first 4 innings. A player may pitch a 3rd inning if the game goes 5 or 6 innings.
Warming up pitchers: A player warming up a pitcher must wear full catcher’s gear once the pitcher has started a full wind up.
At the beginning of each half inning, or when a pitcher relieves another, not more than one minute shall be used to deliver not more than 3 (three) warm up pitches.
Runners may lead off after the ball leaves the pitcher’s hand. If the player leaves early, the umpire will immediately stop play and one warning will be issued per team game. Thereafter, upon any player leaving early, the umpire will immediately stop play and the runner will be called out. Continuous action stealing (stealing second when achieving first on a walk) is not allowed. A runner may not advance past the stolen base (i.e. To third when stealing second) on an overthrow during a steal.
- First half of season:
- Runners may steal second or third base on a successive pitch, except when coaches are pitching. No player may steal home, including following an attempted pick off at first or third base.
- Second half of season:
- Runners may steal second base, third base or home plate on successive pitches (steal one base per pitch).
- The dropped third strike rule is not in effect for 10U.
- The infield fly rule is not in effect for 10U.
- Hitting sticks are permitted at practices, but not during games or pre-game warm-ups.
- At the start of each pitch the outfielders must be positioned in the outfield grass.
- Second half of the season - Official Score and standings are kept.
- Scorekeepers are responsible for keeping a complete scorebook. Home team is the official scorebook.
A game summary sheet will be submitted to the umpire immediately after each game. The Summary sheet will be signed by a representative of each team. The Umpire will verify the score.
Playoffs: Tuesday, before closing ceremonies the top four teams play in a semi-final game. Any remaining teams play a consolation game, (if there is only one team, a fun practice will be scheduled...water balloon game, parents v players game). The top two winners of the game play a championship game on closing ceremonies. There must be a winner. No tie games and international tiebreaker will be utilized for two additional innings. Tie after the two additional inning, game ends and reverts to the last inning that was not tied.