Following are the local rules for the AAA Division in Foster City Little League Baseball. A full explanation of all the rules can be found in the Official Regulations and Playing Rules of Little League Baseball.
SAFETY AND EQUIPMENT
All male players must be properly equipped with an athletic supporter and cup.
Catchers must wear a mask with a throat protector and helmet during practice, pitcher warm-up, and games. Catcher chest protector must have the lower extension. If a player warms up a pitcher during the game, the player MUST wear a catchers mask with a throat protector at all times. Coaches will be allowed to warm up the pitcher between innings to keep up the speed of the game and prevent injuries to players who may not have experience catching.
Pitchers are required to wear sneakers or turf shoes when pitching from the mound on turf fields (Sea Cloud B1, B3 and B4).
No one except eligible players in uniform, managers, and not more than two coaches, shall occupy the bench or dugout area.
The batter, all base runners, and players acting as coaches, must wear helmets at all times while on the field.
There will be no on-deck circle. Players may not take warm-up swings either inside or outside the dugout. They may use fenced in bullpen areas to take warm-up swings, if the field has one.
There shall be no head-first sliding to a base. A player is allowed to slide head first back to a base he already legally gained possession of. Example: A runner on first may not slide head first into second on a ground ball. He may however dive head first back to first base on a line drive in an attempt not to be put out.
If a batter throws a bat, he/she will receive a warning on the first occasion. On the second occasion it will be an immediate dead ball out and the manager will be notified that the player may not bat for the balance of the game, but may play in the field.
GAMES
Pre-season games will not count towards the standings. Each team will then play all other teams three times during the regular season, if possible; there shall be a minimum of 12 regular season games. There will be two games per week (one weekday and one Saturday). There will be a double elimination championship tournament at the end of the season.
Games are six (6) innings long. If a game is shortened for weather or darkness etc., it is a regulation game if four innings have been completed, or if the home team is ahead after three and one-half innings. If a game is called before it has become a regulation game and one or more innings have been played, it shall be resumed exactly where it left off. For all games, no inning may start after 105 minutes (one hour, forty-five minutes). A new inning begins as soon as the previous inning ends. If a new inning has started just before 105 minutes then that inning will be completed regardless of time. Ties are allowed during the regular season if a new inning cannot be started due to this rule.
For the first three innings, there is a maximum of five runs allowed per inning.
The home team will occupy the 3rd base dugout. The visiting team will occupy the 1st base dugout.
PITCHING
Please refer to pitch count rules page.
GAME PLAY
A normal baseball defense with 9 players is used, but the entire roster hits. A late arrival goes to the end of the batting order. The strike zone is expanded to promote aggressive hitting and to help develop pitcher confidence. The strike zone will be defined as “The space over home plate, plus two (2) inches on each side, which is between the armpits and mid-calf of the lower leg when the batter assumes a natural stance”.
Bunting is allowed.
Stealing (after the ball crosses the plate) is allowed. Stealing home will not be allowed for the first part of our season. During the first part of the season, runners are allowed to advance home from 3B ONLY via a batted ball or a walk (i.e. not via a passed ball/wild pitch, etc.). Purpose: to develop new pitchers and catcherss without the initial stress of kids going nuts on the bases (and being mercy-ruled too early). Starting April 8th, 2023, runners may start to steal home on a passed ball.
All runners must slide on all close plays, especially at home plate and potential force outs at 2nd base. If a runner does not slide on a close play, he/she might be called out at the discretion of the umpire, even if they were safe on the play.
The previous play is dead only when the catcher has his/her mask and glove on, is in the area designated as the catcher’s box, and the pitcher is on the mound. The mound is defined as the sloped part of the pitcher’s area, not the rubber itself.
The catcher cannot block home plate unless he/she has possession of the ball.
There are no dropped third strikes: the batter is NOT allowed to run to 1st base if the 3rd strike is dropped by the catcher.
Infield fly in NOT in effect.
To speed up the game when there are two outs, pitchers and/or catchers on the bases may have a pinch runner (last out with continuous batting) to allow for the next inning to begin promptly. A courtesy runner must be reported to the home plate umpire.
Managers have the option of 1 or 2 coaches. There is a maximum of three adult manager/coaches allowed in the dugout during a game. When on defense, the defensive team's coaches must remain in the dugout, with the only exception for calling time out to talk to the pitcher or make a pitching change.
PLAYING TIME
All Players available for the game will bat in continuous order. Each player on the team must play a minimum of four (4) innings per game (only two innings are required in a shortened game). If a player does not complete minimum play, that player must then start the next scheduled game, fulfill the playing obligation from the last game and at least the minimum play for the current game before being taken out. Violation of the minimum play rules will result in a warning, then a possible suspension of the manager by the League’s Board of Directors.
SCOREKEEPERS
There will be a scorekeeper supplied by the League. If the League supplies only one, the Home team will supply a second scorekeeper who will work at the direction of the League scorekeeper. If no League scorekeeper is available, each of the Home and Visiting teams will supply a scorekeeper, with the Visiting scorekeeper working at the direction of the Home Scorekeeper.