(Updated March 2004)
The Major A League is the more competitive level of the two Major League levels in Brookline Youth Baseball for boys and girls ages 11 and 12 (sixth and seventh grades).
Only players who are at least 11 years old by
September 1 of the calendar year they are playing in are eligible to play at
the Major A level of Brookline Youth Baseball.
PLAYER SELECTION: Players are selected by coaches in a draft process after being evaluated during an open tryout, which is generally held prior to the April public school vacation. If deemed necessary by the Major A League vice president, other league vice presidents might be called upon to assist in player assignments at the Major A level.
Each year, all 10, 11 and 12 year olds are eligible to attend tryouts to determine who will be selected to fill vacant roster spots at the Major A level and Major B levels. Coaches and various BYB Board of Directors members will evaluate the players at these tryout sessions. No player will be selected in the Major A draft unless he/she has attended at least one of the tryout sessions Š unless the Minor League, and Major B and Major A vice presidents along with the President of Brookline Youth Baseball determine that it is in the best interest of the player and the league for the player to play at the Major League level based on previous evaluations by coaches or based on observation subsequent to tryouts.
Draft selection order will be based on the balance of talent created by the returning players for each team.
Before the beginning of the first round of the Major A draft, the evaluations of all eligible 12 year olds who attended tryouts will be discussed by the coaches and a pool of capable 12 year olds will be identified who must be picked in the draft. As many rounds as necessary will follow until all openings are filled. If, after the last pick, there are any 12 year old must-picks who were not chosen, they will replace other new and younger players, who will subsequently be eligible for the Major B League.
Only head coaches with sons or daughters playing in the Major A League will be allowed to protect their children from being selected by other teams. A coachÕs child will be selected in the draft round that corresponds with the childÕs talent level.
Players who have previously played at the Major A level and are still eligible to play in the league will not be required to attend the tryouts. They will automatically return to play at Major A again.
COACHES: Coaches are allowed to choose two assistant coaches and a scorekeeper to accompany him/her on the bench during games. Only designated coaches and their assistants will be allowed on the bench with the team. Only designated coaches are allowed on the field to instruct players. Only designated HEAD coaches are allowed on the field to discuss a play with an umpire. Only designated coaches are allowed to coach from the first- and third-base coaching boxes. All other spectators must watch the game in the designated areas for spectators.
LEAGUE FORMAT: The Major A League is generally a six-team league, with each team consisting of 12 players.
The focus is on competitive baseball in the spirit of good sportsmanship and in an environment that promotes skill development in all phases of the game. Scores are recorded, standings kept and the season culminates in playoffs.
The league vice president, after consulting other Brookline Youth Baseball Board of Directors members, will determine the playoff format for his/her league.
The season consists of three games scheduled each week and practices planned as the coaches see fit.Games/practices will be held beginning at 5:30 p.m. on weekdays and at various times throughout the weekend.
BATS: The Major A League is strictly a wooden bat league. No aluminum bats
are allowed at this level. Bats used in this league must be between 27 and 32
inches in length and no more than 32 ounces in weight.
BALLS: Regulation hard balls are
used in all games and practices at
the Major A level.
HELMETS: All players MUST wear a batting helmet when hitting or when choosing a bat as they prepare to hit. No players should be holding a bat without wearing a helmet. All base runners must wear helmets at all times. All players who are not hitting should remain on the bench at all times, unless warming up for pitching duties away from the bench area, down the foul line, in foul territory adjacent to the outfield nearest their bench.
QUESTIONS: Any questions or concerns regarding the Major A League program can be directed to the leagueÕs vice president. Any questions or concerns about umpiring should be directed to the BYB vice president in charge of Majors and Pony League umpires. (See attached 2003 BYB League VP, Umpire Contact and Umpire Fee List.)
The league will provide umpires for games. The umpires are adults who are certified and assigned by a professional umpire service. All coaches, parents and players must adhere to the calls of the umpires without argument.
If an umpire is not available to officiate
a game, the home team should select a responsible, unbiased adult to umpire the
game.
Umpires will be paid at the conclusion of each game by the home teamÕs head coach. Brookline Youth Baseball will reimburse all coaches for umpiring payments.
The home team will provide bases. Both teams will provide their own team bats and batting helmets, though each team should be prepared to share batting helmets if necessary. Each team should provide a new, unused game ball to the umpire before the start of the game.
Weeknight games will start no earlier than 5:30 p.m. and will go six innings. If, in the opinion of the umpire, after consulting with both coaches, an inning cannot be completed in daylight, the game will be terminated before the start of that inning. Prior to May 15, an inning should not be started after 7:30 p.m. After that date, an inning should not be started after 7:50 p.m.
Under no circumstances will a game be played when it is difficult for any player to see the ball. The umpire is authorized to call the game because of darkness at any time. The score will revert back to what it was at the conclusion of the last completed inning. A game is official after two and a half innings have been played when the home team is leading, or after three full innings otherwise.
If the score is tied at the completion of six innings, play will continue until either the visiting team has scored more total runs than the home team at the end of a complete inning or the home team scores more runs than the visiting team in the bottom half of an extra inning. If the score is still tied when darkness, weather or the scheduled start of another game causes the game to be called, the game will be complete and considered a tie.
In the event of inclement weather during
the day of a game, coaches should contact the league vice president to find out
if the game is cancelled. Umpires are authorized to stop a game due to
inclement weather, after consulting with both coaches.
Mercy Rule: An inning will end whenever the hitting team scores 10 runs or the fielding team makes three outs, whichever occurs first. The 10-run rule, however, does not apply during the final inning of play. The mercy rule is NOT invoked after a team bats around the order. It is invoked only after 10 runs have been scored.
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Home team coaches are responsible for reporting game scores and innings pitched by the pitchers for BOTH teams to the league vice presidents within 24 hours of a game. Coaches also should report any inappropriate behavior by coaches, parents or players when reporting their scores. Each team is required to keep score and coaches/scorekeepers should meet after each half inning to be sure they agree on the score and notify each other of lineup changes and all substitutions.
PITCHING
The pitching week runs from Sunday through Saturday. Pitchers are allowed to pitch only six innings during the pitching week during the regular season. A pitcher CANNOT pitch more than five (5) innings per game.
One pitch thrown counts as a full inning
(i.e. if a player pitches two innings and throws one pitch to start a third
inning before being removed, he/she has used three of his/her allotted six
innings for that pitching week. Likewise, if a player comes on in relief and
throws one pitch to end his first inning on the mound, then pitches a full
inning, followed by one single pitch to start a third inning before being removed
from the game, he/she also has pitched three of his/her allotted six innings
for the pitching week.).
Players are not allowed to pitch on consecutive days during the regular season. If a player pitches four or more innings in one game, he/she cannot pitch again for three full calendar days, not counting the day of his pitching assignment (i.e. a player who pitches for four innings on Sunday, cannot pitch again until Thursday.).
During playoffs, a pitcher is limited to six innings per series.
NO curveballs are allowed at the Major A level. If a pitcher throws a curve ball it will be called a ball (even if the batter swings and misses) and the pitcher will be issued a warning. A second violation of the rule will result in the pitcher being removed from the mound. If a batter hits the ball into play and reaches base safely, he/she will be allowed to stay on base and the pitcher will be given a warning. If a player hits into an out, the pitch will be called a ball and the batter will continue his/her at bat after the pitcher is issued a warning..
Intentional walks are allowed at the Major A level ONLY if first base is open AND there are less than two outs.
Pitchers who hit two batters in one inning or
three in a game will be removed from the mound by the umpire.
If a game is called before it has become a regulation game, the pitcher will be charged with the number of innings pitched in the current calendar week.
If a pitcher is removed from the position during a game, he/she will not be allowed to re-enter the game as a pitcher. If a pitcher is removed from that position during the course of a game, he/she CAN be re-entered into the game at another position other than pitcher.
There are NO exceptions to these pitching regulations.
HITTING
Each team must provide a set batting order before the first pitch of a game is thrown and must share that batting order with the opposing teamÕs scorekeeper prior to the game. Every player for each team will bat regardless of whether he/she is playing in the field.
No pinch-hitting is allowed and late arriving players should be added to the end of the batting order. Those late additions must be provided to the opposing teamÕs scorekeeper as they are made. Batting orders cannot be reshuffled or changed during the course of a game. Any instances of a team batting out of order will result in the offending player being called out by the umpire. The hitting team then will correct the problem and resume play with the proper batting order.
Batters CANNOT advance to first base on a wild pitch or passed ball on a third strike.
The infield fly rule IS enforced at the Major A level. In the event of an
infield popup, the umpire will declare the batter out and all runners advance at
their own risk.
BASE
RUNNING
Base runners are NOT ALLOWED to take leads off bases in the Major A League. If an
umpire has to warn a base runner more than once about leading off a base, the
umpire will call that runner out and send him/her back to his/her teamÕs bench.
Stealing is allowed at the Major A level, but runners cannot leave the base until the ball crosses home plate. Runners stealing a base are required to slide if there is a throw to try and get them out. Runners must slide even if a throw is late or off target.
Anytime a runner is trying to score from third base on a passed ball or wild pitch, the batter for the hitting team MUST clear out of the batterÕs box to allow the catcher or player covering home plate a fair opportunity at making a play. If, in the umpireÕs opinion, the batter does not make a legitimate attempt to get out of the way, the umpire will call the runner out and play will resume. The runner is also expected to slide into home plate on all such plays to avoid stand-up collisions with the player covering home plate, If the runner does not slide, he/she will be called out by the umpire and play will resume.
When advancing to a base, base runners must slide feet-first when a play is being made at the base to which they are advancing. Head first slides are permitted ONLY when base runners are diving back to first base to avoid being double off on a line drive or to avoid being picked off. If a base runner makes a head first slide when advancing to a base, the umpire will call that runner out and he/she will return to his or her bench. Base runners should not intentionally make contact with a player in the field at any time. Runners who, in the opinion of the umpire, initiate contact with a defensive player when sliding into a base or when running between bases will be called out by the umpire and sent back to his/her bench.
FIELDING
A team must field AT LEAST 8 players to start a game. If a team is shorthanded, the umpire will allow the start of the game to be pushed back for 10 minutes in order to compensate for tardy players. If, after those 10 minutes, the team still has fewer than 8 players available, that team will forfeit the game. A short-handed team CANNOT borrow players from the opposing team.
In the event that a coach knows ahead of time that he/she will not have enough players to compete in a game, he/she should contact a coach from the Major B level and ask for a player or players from a Major B team to serve as substitutes. Only Major B players who do not have Major B games on the same day will be allowed to serve as Major A substitutes. The Major A coach also should notify the opposing Major A coach prior to the start of the game that there is a Major B substitute being used. Major B players will NOT be allowed to pitch at the Major A level and must hit at the bottom of the batting order. League vice presidents (both Major A and Major B) should be notified of the substitute usage within 24 hours of the game.
PLAYING TIME
REQUIREMENTS
Every player MUST play in the field for at least four innings each
game and all players will be placed in the batting order and will hit whether
they are in the field or not. All players MUST sit out at least one inning per game unless the
team doesn't have enough players to meet that requirement. Otherwise, players
can be freely substituted throughout the game, except at pitcher. Regardless of
the number of players on a coachÕs roster for a given game, pitchers cannot
pitch more than 5 innings per game.
The only exceptions to these required-playing-time/required-bench-time rules are as follows:
a. If a game is called prior to six innings of play because of bad weather or darkness.
b. If a coach exercises his/her option of not playing an individual for disciplinary reasons (i.e. missing games and or practices without notifying the coach, insubordination, or any sort of disruptive behavior). The opposing coach must be notified of such disciplinary action prior to the beginning of the game. Poor play is NOT a valid reason for benching a player.
c. If a coach does not have enough players present to enforce the mandatory inning on the bench for all players. In such instances, a coach MUST set up a rotation to ensure that all players on his/her team get an opportunity to play complete games over the course of the season. A player cannot be allowed to play in a second complete game until all of his/her teammates have played in at least one full game.
d. If there is an injury or an absence of a player that limits a coachÕs options, he/she will be allowed to use the same player at catcher if no other player on his roster for the game is able to play at that position. (All coaches MUST develop two or three catchers over the course of the season to prevent having the same player catch all the time. Only an injury to a catcher or an absence of a catcher will allow for the same player to catch an entire game. Opposing coaches must be notified of said injury or absence prior to the game or immediately during the game when such an injury occurs.)
SUBSTITUTIONS
All changes, except pitching changes and substitutions due to injury, are limited to the start of an inning. No substitutions should be made in the field in the middle of an inning unless it involves a pitcher swapping places with a player in the field or a player having to leave the game due to an injury.
Coaches are allowed one free trip per inning to the pitcherÕs mound to speak with his/her pitcher. A second trip to the mound to visit the same pitcher will require that the coach replace his pitcher. When a new pitcher is inserted into the game during the same inning, the coach then gets another free trip to the mound to be used to speak with the new pitcher. The second such visit to the new pitcher will require the coach to replace that pitcher
Other infielders (no outfielders, however) are allowed to huddle with the coach on the mound during these trips, however the umpire can direct the players back to their positions and the coach back to his/her bench if, in the umpireÕs opinion, the game is being unnecessarily delayed.