Little League rules are not the same as the rules followed by the Dodgers and the Angels (Major League Baseball rules). The Little League rulebook is more than 100 pages long! We have summarized the most common questions. Please consult this section during the year as you have questions about why a particular call was made by the umpire or a particular decision was made by the manager. And, remember that rule #1 is good sportsmanship!

RULES TO START AND STOP THE GAME
1. FARM teams play with 10 players; the tenth player is an extra outfielder. A game may begin with fewer than nine players; if the defensive team has fewer than eight players, the offensive team should lend them enough players so that eight or nine players are in the field. Farm is a non-competitive league and there are no forfeits. MINOR games cannot begin with fewer than nine players, but teams can and should invite a player from the farm division to play on their team and avoid forfeit. MAJOR teams must have nine of their own players or the game is forfeited.

2. All players must bat in each game and play a minimum of six defensive outs. PALL uses the continuous batting order and all players bat in their respective positions throughout the game. If a player has batted and played six consecutive defensive outs, a substitute can be brought in to replace them. When the substitute has played six consecutive defensive outs and has batted once, the starter may re-enter the game in any spot in the batting order.

3. In FARM and MINOR divisions, if a half-inning end because of the imposition of the five-run limit and a player on the defense has played for the entire half-inning, that player will be considered to have participated for three consecutive outs for the purpose of this rule. However, if the player has not played on defense for the entire inning, that player will be credited only as having played for the number of outs that occurred while the player was used defensively.

4. MAJOR games have no time limit. MINOR and FARM games do have time limits. There is a time limit after which no new inning may begin, and there is a “game over” time limit after which the game may not continue. After four innings of play have been completed the game is an official game. When a game is ended by the umpire due to time limits, darkness, or inclement weather and not enough innings have been completed to make the game official, the game should be resumed where it left off when the teams are next scheduled to play. When a game is called and is an official game but an inning has not been completed, the score reverts back to the score at the end of the previous inning. When the visiting team ties or takes the lead in the uncompleted inning and the game is called, it should be resumed at that point when the teams next meet.

5. If after four innings at bat a team trails by ten or more runs, the game is ended.

HITTING AND BASERUNNING RULES
1. The strike zone is defined as the area over the plate between the batter’s armpits and the top of his knees while the batter is in a natural stance. A natural stance is the batter’s usual stance while he swings at the ball.

2. The baserunner may not leave the base until the ball has reached the batter. Stolen base attempts are allowed in MINORS and MAJORS but not in FARM.

3. Interference is called when a runner hinders the ability of a defensive player to field the ball. Generally the batter is called out and the runners return to the bases they started from.

4. Obstruction occurs when a defender blocks either the base or the baseline when not in possession of the ball. The runner is safe and other runners are awarded the bases the umpire feels they would have reached on the play.

5. At Hamilton Park, a ball is considered in play if it does not go into the dugout or cross an imaginary line from the entry of the dugout all the way to the outfield fence. If a thrown ball hits the dugout fence and does not go past that imaginary line, it is considered in play and the runners are allowed to advance at their own risk. If a batted ball goes past that imaginary line, it is out of play and is a foul ball. If a thrown ball goes past that imaginary line, it is also considered out of play and base runners are allowed to advance two bases, the base they are going to and one more base. It is solely at the discretion of the umpire to call the ball out of play.

6. The infield fly rule occurs where there are runners on first and second or the bases are loaded with less than two outs. If a ball can be caught by a player in the infield in fair territory with ordinary effort, the batter is called out and runners may advance at their own risk. The infield fly rule can only be called by the umpire and does not apply to bunted balls or foul balls. There is no infield fly rule in FARM.

7. When a team in MINORS or FARM scores five runs in an inning, the half inning is concluded.

PITCHING RULES
1. Managers may visit the pitcher on the mound. On the third trip to the mound with the same pitcher in any inning, the pitcher must be removed. The pitcher also must be removed when the manager visits the same pitcher on the fourth trip to the mound in any game.

2. There are new rules regarding pitch counts for 2008. 11 and 12 year old pitchers are allowed to throw 85 pitches per game. 9 and 10 year old pitchers are allowed to throw 75 pitches in a game. 7 and 8 year olds are allowed to throw 50 pitches in a game. If they have thrown a pitch to a batter and then reach the maximum number of allowable pitches, the pitcher is allowed to continue until that batter's at-bat is completed.

3. Pitchers league age 12 and under must adhere to the following rest requirements:
• If a player pitches 61 or more pitches in a day, 4 calendar days of rest must be observed.
• If a player pitches 41-60 pitches in a day, 3 calendar days of rest must be observed.
• If a player pitches 21-40 pitches in a day, 2 calendar days of rest must be observed.
• If a player pitches 1-20 pitches in a day, zero (0) calendar days of rest must be observed.

4. If a player has thrown 41 pitches to a batter, he is ineligible to play the catcher position for the remainder of the day.

5. A player may not pitch in more than one game in a day.

FARM RULES
1. Farm is considered a non-competitive league and no standings are posted. At the end of the regular season, all teams participate in the farm tournament, with opponents decided by blind draw. There is no “champion” in farm; the winner is the “tournament champion.”

2. No bunts or stolen bases are allowed in farm.

3. Farm games are played with ten players on the field, the tenth player serving as a fourth outfielder. Farm teams can take the field with as few as eight players and should borrow a player from the offensive team if fewer than eight players are present.

4. There are no walks in farm. In the event that the count reaches four balls on the hitter, the coach of the offensive team then pitches to the batter. The pitcher from the defensive team should stand three feet from the pitching rubber to the left or right. The number of strikes the hitter has accumulated before the offensive coach takes the mound carries over. If the hitter has not either struck out or put the ball in play by the fourth pitch from the offensive coach, he is declared out.

5. If a batter is hit by a pitch thrown by the pitcher, it is considered a walk. It is at the manager’s discretion to decide whether to award the batter first base or to have the batter remain at bat. If the manager chooses to have the batter remain at bat, rule #4 applies at that point. The batter does not automatically take 1st base if the batter chooses to continue batting.