Priority of Rules
- Hosting Park or Association’s Park Rules
- North Texas Interlock Baseball Association Rules
- USSSA Rules
- Sporting News Official Baseball Rule Book
General Rules
- Any base runner stealing home
plate on a swinging strike is out at the time the bat is swung. A bunt is
not a swinging strike. If a base runner is called out for attempting to
steal home, the ball is dead and the pitch does not count. The intent of
the rule is to protect the base runner without taking away the opportunity
to steal. It is not an out if the following situation exists.
Example: The bases are loaded, the count is 3 balls and 2 strikes on the
batter, and there are 2 outs. If on the pitch all runners start moving and
the batter swings and fouls off the pitch or gets a hit, this shall not be
considered illegal and therefore no action shall be taken by the umpire in
calling anyone out.
- All players bat in a continuous
batting order and play under the free substitution rule. Any removed player, other than the
pitcher, may re-enter the game at any time or position. If a pitcher is
removed he cannot re-enter the game as a pitcher but may re-enter at
another position. Any player arriving after the beginning of the game will
be placed at the end of the batting order. If a player leaves the game
early due to injury or illness, their position is skipped in the batting
order without penalty. If a player is ejected and only eight players are
available to play, the game will continue and the ejected player’s batting
position will be an out.
- Any team with at least eight (8)
players may begin and/or finish a game without forfeit. The ninth batter
will result in an out.
- Courtesy runners will not be
allowed, except for the catcher and pitcher or in the event of injury or
illness. The courtesy runner will always be the player who made the last
out of the inning.
- The batter is required to keep one
foot in the batter's box at all times in order to speed up play. A team
warning shall precede the enforcement of this rule.
- No pre-game infield is permitted
unless time is available before the published game start time.
- Pitching rules will follow the
USSSA guidelines.
- Each team is required to furnish
at game-time two (2) new playable NTI approved baseballs.
- A game will be considered a
forfeit if a team does not have at least 8 players ready to play baseball
15 minutes from the game’s scheduled starting time.
- In all age divisions the run rule
is 15 runs after 3 innings; 10 runs after 4 innings and 8 runs after 5
innings.
- Metal cleats are not allowed for
age groups younger than 13U. Metal
cleats are allowed for age groups 13U and older if the hosting park allows
metal cleats. It is the coach and
players responsibility to know which parks/associations allow metal
cleats. Players with only metal cleats
will not be allowed to participate in games at parks that do not allow
metal cleats even if that player’s non-participation results in a forfeit.
- A protective cup for the catcher
is mandatory, for all age groups and recommended for all players.
- Catchers must wear helmets and
face masks (hockey style masks are acceptable) during the game and while
warming up a pitcher. Detachable throat guards are highly recommended.
- There will be NO jewelry worn on
the baseball diamond unless medically necessary.
- For 9U AA and 10U AA teams only:
(All parts to this rule do not apply to Classic Divisions, Elite Divisions
or to AA Divisions 11U and older.)
- Innings
will end after six (6) runs or three (3) outs, whichever comes first.
There will be unlimited runs from the fifth inning until the conclusion
of the game.
- One
balk warning per pitcher will be issued before advancing runners.
- Teams
will NOT pass the ball around the infield following an out.
- Coaches
Participation During Games
During a team's defensive half of an inning, there will be allowed outside
of the dugout one (1) coach to call pitches and one (1) coach to
position defensive players. All other coaches must remain inside the
dugout or in the bullpen/warm-up area.
During a team's offensive half of an inning, there will be allowed outside
of the dugout a third base coach and a first base coach. There also could
be one (1) coach in the dugout door monitoring the lineup/picking
up bats. All other coaches must remain inside the dugout or in the
bullpen/warm-up area.
Umpires will issue a warning(s) prior
to taking action. Non-compliance after a warning(s) could result in the
ejection of the head coach and/or the offending coach.
Between innings, multiple coaches may be outside of the dugout involved in team
huddles, team meetings or helping to warm up pitchers or fielders.
Some local/association rules may
be different than than the NTI rule. If so, the more restrictive rule
applies.
Field Sizes
USSSA field sizes may vary slightly from the below and are acceptable if
the hosting association can’t provide fields with below specifications. All NTI member associations are strongly
encouraged to meet the below field specifications to best prepare their teams
for the most common tournament field sizes.
|
Age
|
Diamond
|
Pitching
|
|
9-10
|
65
|
46
|
|
11-12
|
70
|
50
|
|
13
|
80
|
54
|
|
14
|
80/90
|
54/60
|
|
15-16
|
90
|
60
|
League Age
NTI uses USSSA’s age requirements for the
9U-14U age groups. The 15-18U league
players must be older than USSSA 14U and still enrolled in High School.
Team Insurance
All teams are required to carry and
have proof of insurance as supplied by their sponsoring Association. Insurance policies must have a minimum of $1,000,000
in general liability coverage per occurrence.
Rules of Conduct and Ejections
- Any official, team or others, of
the North Texas Interlock Baseball Association ("NTI") using
profane language, acting in an unsportsmanlike manner, and/or under the
influence of intoxicating beverages in the ball parks will be subject to
disciplinary action from the NTI Board of Directors. This condition must
be reported in writing to the North Texas Interlock Director of Rules and
Protests or NTI President within 48 hours.
- When a manager or coach is ejected
from a game, he shall leave the field immediately and take no further part
in the game. He shall not remain in the grandstand area and must leave the
Ball Park. The penalty for ejection for
a manager, coach, or player will be suspension from the remainder of that
game and then the next scheduled game played. Any player ejected from the
game shall leave the field immediately and placed under the supervision of
parent or adult present. If there is no parent or adult supervisor
present, the ejected player shall be placed under the supervision of a
coach, and remain in the dugout. He may remain in the Ball Park,
but shall not make any comments concerning the ejection. If any comments
by a player are heard, the player will be asked to leave the area with the
parent, adult supervisor, or coach. At no time will the player be forced
to leave the Ball
Park alone.
- The suspension of the next
scheduled game, when not the second game of a double-header, may be
appealed to the NTI Board. The coach should contact the Director of
Rules and Protests to begin this process. This is the minimum
penalty; the board may decide to assess greater penalties. If a second
offense occurs during the season, the ensuing penalty may result in
suspension for the remainder of the season, including tournament play. The
offender will have the right to appeal to the Board of Directors. After
the appeal, a vote will be taken with each association receiving two (2)
votes. The vote is final and the majority of vote’s rules.
- Head coaches must inform NTI within
24 hours of any player or coach from their team, including themselves,
that are ejected from a game. Notice is to be given to the North Texas
Interlock League President and the Director of Rules and Protests.
- Each head coach is responsible for
fan and parent behavior and conduct; the umpire will give one warning. On
the second offense by the parent or fan, the head coach is ejected for the
remainder of that game and the next scheduled game.
- Each coach is answerable and
responsible to the NTI Board of Directors for the conduct of his team’s
coaches, players and parents.
- A lesser penalty may be evoked by
the umpire, at his discretion, as whether to eject a manager or coach. The
umpire will have the opportunity to bench a manager or coach. If benched
the manager or coach will not be permitted to instruct on the field, he
will remain in the dugout and remain quiet. If the manager or coach
continues to coach the team he will then be ejected and ejection rules
will apply. Benching will not suspend the manager or coach from the next
game. Players will not have the opportunity of being benched, their only
penalty is ejection.
Obstruction
If in the judgment of the umpire,
a player comes into contact with an opposing player in a manner the umpire
deems unsportsmanlike, then that player will be called out! In the judgment of
the umpire, if the incident is beyond incidental, and deemed flagrant or
excessive, the player will be called out and ejected from the game. When in
doubt… slide!!!
Note: In the judgment of the umpire,
defensive players, without the ball in their possession or in the process of
making a play, cannot purposely obstruct the base path created by the runner.
Scorekeeping
The home team will provide a
responsible and qualified person to serve as the official scorekeeper for each
game. The visiting team is responsible for running the scoreboard. Both teams
should keep a scorebook with the home team book being "official". The
official scorekeeper may be from the visiting team only if the home team
agrees. In the event a scorekeeper is not present at the scheduled starting
time, assistant coaches from the respective teams will coordinate scorekeeping.
At the conclusion of the game, the umpire should sign the official book. The
winning team will be responsible to contact the league commissioner with the
final game score. The commissioner will maintain the standings for their
league.
Umpires
- There shall be at least one (2)
official umpire present at each game.
- Umpires decisions will be final.
- In the event official umpires are
not available at the scheduled starting time, temporary umpires,
acceptable to both managers may be used. In the event both managers do not
agree upon a temporary umpire, that game will be considered a
"rain-out" game.
- The general rule of Section 9 of
the SPORTING NEWS OFFICIAL BASEBALL RULES must be adhered to, without
change. Except, the umpire is required to give the offending team one (1)
verbal warning before enforcement.
- In the event an umpire benches or
ejects a manager, coach or player, the umpire must make a report and submit it to the home team’s Member Association’s NTI Representative. The
representative will then forward it to the NTI Board for review. This must be done within 24 hrs of the
incident.
Scheduling
NTI Member Associations will submit the total number
of teams per age group along with game slots to accommodate 50% home field play,
on the appropriate designated NTI game days, and in the format required,
double-headers or single game slots, by the requested dates each season to the
“master scheduler”. Due to the compressed period of league play, no exceptions
will be allowed. Rain out makeup dates will be handled on a first-come
first-served basis.
The schedule will be final and any team not able to
make the scheduled game will forfeit that game.
Game Forfeits
In the event of a forfeit for any
reason, that game will be scored as a 9 - 0 forfeit. The team that failed to
play at the scheduled time will charged with a loss and will be subject to a
loss of a future league game. The league age commissioner must be notified
within 48 hours of the no show to enforce the penalty. NTI reserves the
right to impose additional sanctions and penalties on the forfeiting team or
the team’s association after the first forfeited game.
Game Schedules and Times
The length of the games for each league
will be:
A regular season game is officially
over at the end of the required amount of innings or time limit; whichever
occurs first.
Teams may complete both halves of an
inning that is started before the time limit expires, and may play extra
innings; time permitting, in the event of a tie. The game is declared a tie
game if time has expired and the inning ends in a tie. A new inning begins as
soon as the final out is made in the previous inning (i.e. a team does not have
to "take the field" in order for an inning to officially start).
All weekday games with 6:00 p.m.
starting times will be entered into the official score book as starting at 6:00
p.m. The only exception being umpires not available to begin games at 6:00 p.m.
or the field deemed not playable by the umpires. If a second game is scheduled
for a field on a weeknight, the official starting time of the second
game will be 10 minutes after the conclusion of the first game (or the
scheduled starting time, whichever comes later). No infield will be taken.
Rainout Policy
It is the coach’s responsibility to call
the rainout number listed on the North Texas Interlock Baseball website for the
complex for rainout information before leaving for a game. The “master scheduler”
will reschedule any lost games due to weather or other situations on a
first-come first served basis.
Rosters and League Play
Each
team in the league will submit a current USSSA roster to NTI prior to league
play. Rosters may be entered online on the USSSA Texas Roster
Manager.
No
player may play on two teams within the same league. NTI doesn’t control guest players nor does
NTI govern our Member Association’s roster policies. NTI only requires that each team’s game day
lineup only contain players on their USSSA and Sportability rosters. Games
played with players who aren’t on a team’s USSSA roster and Sportability roster
can be protested. If the protest is
upheld, the game will be recorded as a forfeit.
Once
league play begins, players are required to remain with that team through
spring league play. The NTI President
and the Member Association President(s) involved must all approve any player
who transfers between league teams during league play.
NTI
will not knowingly allow teams to play in NTI, if that team is
concurrently participating in another organized baseball
league. If after the NTI season has been scheduled, a team that
is participating in NTI chooses to begin participating in another
organized baseball league, the remaining scheduled NTI games for that
team can be played by that team, but all those games will be recorded as
forfeit and will be reported to USSSA as lost by forfeit. Teams that
break this rule will not be allowed to participate in NTI in the following
season. An organized tournament or a
coach-organized weekend round-robin are NOT considered organized baseball
leagues.