DOVER BASEBALL CAL RIPKEN

MAJOR DIVISION GUIDELINES

                                                           Revised: February 2023

The Dover Baseball Association is affiliated with Babe Ruth League, Inc., which includes the Cal Ripken Baseball League. These organizations have adopted the Official Baseball Rules, published by the Commissioner of Baseball, as their primary playing rules. These rules allow for local league modifications to best suit the needs of its players.

The following modifications to the existing national rules have been generated, and Board approved, with the intent of helping every player reach their full potential in a safe and competitive environment.

I.             Player Eligibility

Players participating in the Major Division must be 11 or 12 years of age by the Babe Ruth designated cut-off date of April 30th.

II.    Game Day Rules and Expectations

a)      Defining Inning and Game Length

i)             Games will be played at Keays Field (and possibly Sullivan Ball Field).  There will be 2 weekday games and 1 game on Saturday.

ii)         A game is considered complete if any of the following occurs:

(1)   The completion of six innings or two hours of play(no time limit for playoffs), whichever comes first; or

(a)    If the home team is in the lead after the top of the sixth inning; or

(b)   If at the end of the 5^th inning either team is ahead by 8    or more runs, 4 ½  innings if the home team is ahead by 8 runs or more; or

(c)    If at the end of the 4^th inning either team is ahead by 10 or more runs, 3 ½  innings if the home team is ahead by 10 runs or more; or

(d)   If at the end of the 3^rd inning either team is ahead by 15 or more runs, 2 ½ innings if the home team is ahead by 15 or more.

iii)         No full inning will start later than two hours past the official start of the game.  Coaches and umpires shall agree on the official start time prior to the beginning of the game. Playoff games have no time limit and will be played in full unless the umpire determines it is not safe to continue due to darkness (If a playoff game needs the lights on during a week night please call the Division Director and League President for approval).

iv)         A half-inning is complete once 3 outs have been made.

v)        Suspended games will pick up from where they left off.  An attempt should be made to suspend the game at the end of ½ inning or end of a full inning. Pitch counts thrown will count towards pitch count restrictions 

b)     Batting

i)        USA Bat Standard: Babe Ruth Rules are to be followed regarding bats. Repeated violation(s) of this rule may subject the team manager to a violation of the Dover Baseball Code of Conduct.

ii)        A continuous batting order is established for each game for those players who are playing in that particular game.

iii)      Each game will begin with the batter in the #1 batting order slot.  The player who was the next batter up in the previous game, does not necessarily bat first in the following game. The Manager will determine the    batting line up for each game.

iv)       A player arriving late will be added to the end of the batting lineup.

v)        Players that choose to not bat or can’t bat because of injury can be removed from the batting order without taking an out.

c)   Fielding

i)          Teams will field the traditional 9 defensive players.

ii)        Defensive players, with the exception of pitcher, may not be moved during an inning except for an injury or other emergency. The pitcher's defensive switch will be a one-for-one switch.

iii)      Barring injury, player decision, or player conduct issue, each eligible player must not sit out for more than 2 defensive innings in a given game.

iv)      Barring a supportable safety concern, previously approved by the division director, each eligible player shall play an infield position for at least 2 defensive innings per game.

v)  Sharing Players – From time to time a team may need to share a player from the opposing team.  The player selected in a given inning will be the player to make the last out in the previous inning.  This player will play an outfield position but will continue to bat for their own team.

d)   Pitching

i)          The BABE RUTH PITCH SMART GUIDELINES shall be followed & shall apply to pitches thrown outside Dover Baseball as well. All pitchers must follow this pitch count/rest schedule:

Maximum Pitches

Per Day                 0 Day Rest       1 Day Rest       2 Days Rest     3 Days Rest     4 Days Rest

85                       1-20                 21-35               36-50               51-65               66+

(1)   Regardless of what league or division the pitches were thrown in, pitchers MUST receive the complete full day(s) of rest required in order to be eligible to pitch in Dover Baseball. For example, if a pitcher throws 50 pitches in either an AAU game or a Dover Baseball game on a Sunday, then he or she must receive two (2) full days rest and is NOT eligible to pitch in Dover Baseball until Wednesday.

(2)   Managers shall reach a consensus on the number of pitches thrown by each pitcher at the end of each inning and at an individual pitcher's removal from the game. Any disputes shall be resolved with the umpire before leaving the field.

(3)   Pitch Counts shall be recorded and verified by both Managers after each game and then forwarded to the Division Director.

ii)  The CAL RIPKEN TOURNAMENT PITCH COUNT RULE shall be in effect for the playoffs & apply to pitches thrown outside Dover Baseball. All pitchers shall follow this pitch count/rest schedule:

Maximum Pitches

Per Day                 0 Day Rest       1 Day Rest       2 Days Rest

85                       1-40                 41-65               66+

(1)  Regardless of what league or division the pitches were thrown in, pitchers MUST receive the complete full day(s) of rest required in order to be eligible to pitch in Dover Baseball. For example, if a pitcher throws 70 pitches in either an AAU game or a Dover Baseball game on a Sunday, then he or she must receive two (2) full days rest and is NOT eligible to pitch in Dover Baseball until Wednesday.

(2)  Managers shall reach a consensus on the number of pitches thrown by each pitcher at the end of each inning and at an individual pitcher's removal from the game. Any disputes shall be resolved with the umpire before leaving the field.

(3)  Pitch Counts shall be recorded and verified by both Managers after each game and then forwarded to the Director.

iii)    Pitcher Re-entry: Once a pitcher is removed from the mound, they may not re-enter the mound within the same game.

iv)      Intentional Walks: At any point during an at bat, a Manager may allow an opposing batter to take first base via intentional walk simply by signaling the umpire. Upon receiving the intentional walk instructions, the umpire shall rule the ball dead and instruct the batter to take first base. No further pitches will be required to be thrown to that batter.

v)        No pitcher shall appear as a pitcher in three consecutive games, regardless of their pitch counts.

vi)      Violation(s): Any violation of the pitching rules may result in game forfeiture and/or other sanctions.

vii)    Balks will be called but not enforced for the first 3 weeks of the season (please make sure the umpire is aware of this at the pre-game meeting).  Then each pitcher will get 1 warning per game before they will be enforced. Balks will be called in playoffs with no warnings?

e)   Player Safety

i)  Only the player at bat and the player on deck will have a bat in their hands.

ii)  All batters and base runners will wear a safety helmet.

iii)  Batters will keep their helmets on from the on-deck area until the time they return to the dugout.

iv)  All male players will wear a protective cup during all games and practices.

v)    Players need to keep the dugout openings clear.  No standing or sitting in these openings

f)  Sportsmanship

i)        A team may not steal home once it has achieved a lead of eight (8) runs or more.

ii)        All players, parents, coaches, spectators, and umpires shall adhere to the Dover Baseball Code of Conduct.

iii)  Any abuse or violation of the Division Guidelines may be considered a violation of the Code of Conduct.

III.      Team Responsibilities - Day of Game

a)  Visiting Team Is:

i)        Listed first on the schedule and will use the 3rd base dugout;

ii)        Scheduled to take infield practice 15 minutes before the scheduled start of a game   for ten minutes;

iii)      Responsible for maintaining the field after play; including raking the infield, putting away bases, locking the  equipment shed, and turning off the field lights.

iv)      Responsible for providing a volunteer to operate the scoreboard

v)      Responsible for picking up the trash in the visitor dugout, the left field bleachers, and emptying trash cans in the visitor dugout and up the left field line if they are in need of emptying.

b)  Home Team Is:

i)          Listed second on the schedule and will use the 1st base dugout;

ii)        Scheduled to take infield 1/2 hour before the scheduled start of the game for ten  minutes;

iii)    Responsible for preparing the field for play; including lining/chalking the field before the game.

iv)      Responsible for furnishing two brand new league approved game balls; (1) Balls will be provided by Dover Baseball;

v)        Responsible for picking up trash in the home dugout, the right field bleachers, and emptying trash cans in the home dugout and up the right field line if they are in need   of emptying.

vi)      Responsible for reporting the final score of the game to the Division Director and/or entering the score directly on the Dover Baseball website/mobile app;

c)   Both Teams

(1)  It is the responsibility of the two Managers to confer both during the game and at the end of the game to verify the game score and the pitch counts.

(2)  All disputes will be directed to the umpire and settled before leaving the field.

IV.             All Star and Tournament Teams

a)      Player Eligibility

i)                   Player must be eligible for this league based upon players age; (Birth Certificate Needed)

ii)                 Player must play at least ½ of the regular season games.

iii)               Must be on a team roster by June 1^st.

iv)               If a player cannot fulfill the 2^nd requirement for any reason then he or she will need a letter from             the Division Director on their Eligibility Status.  Which also needs to be approved by the League President.

b)     Manager and Coach Eligibility

i)                   All Star and tournament team coaches must be a Manager, Coach or Assistant Coach during the regular season; and

ii)                 Must be on a regular season team roster by June 1^st.

IV.            Division Director Responsibilities

a)  Communication

i)  The Division Director is responsible for maintaining contact with coaches and parents regarding issues pertaining to the Division.

ii) Should anyone need any equipment before or during the season please contact the division   director.

iii) The Division Director will have the ability to change the breakdown of games and practices at the beginning of the season.  They will have the option of turning the weekday games into practices or scrimmage games.

b)  League Standings

i)  The Division Director is responsible for making sure that the website is kept up to date with game results. Scores and standings will be kept solely for the purpose of determining a playoff order. There is no regular season champion in this division.

c)  Cancellations and Make-ups

i)        The Division Director and/or the VP of Baseball Operations will be responsible for any and all game cancellations. Coaches may not cancel games. Once the first pitch is throw then it would be up to the umpire to cancel the game

ii)      A game is official after 4 innings

iii)      An attempt should be made to make up all games cancelled.

iv)      All make-up games must be rescheduled by the Division Director

d)  Player Call-Ups and Roster Shortages

i)        The Division Director will maintain a fill-in players list from within the majors division who wish to play more baseball on other teams in the division.  The list should be created at the beginning of the season.  The Minor Division Director will maintain a Call-Up list of the names of players from the Cal Ripken Minor Division who are deemed capable of playing up in the Cal Ripken Major Division.   

ii)        When a coach becomes aware that he/she will not have 9 players for a given game they must contact the Cal Ripken Major Division Director. The Division Director will determine if substitute players will be obtained from other teams within the division or from the Minor Division. Coaches may not find their own fill in players.

iii)      For Substitute players from within the division

(a)    Players can play any position on the field except pitcher.

(b)   They bat last in your lineup and cannot sit out more than 2 defensive innings. 

(c)    Cal Ripken Majors Division players who have a scheduled game or practice at the same time are not eligible to be fill in players.

(d)   It is the Responsibility of the Majors Division Director to inform both team coaches who the player is.

iv)      For substitute players from the Minors division,

(a)    These players will be placed on the list by the Cal Ripken Minor Division Director.

(b)   The Cal Ripken Major Division Director will contact the Cal Ripken Minor Division Director for a Call-up player. The Cal Ripken Minor Division Director will contact players from the Call-Up list to fill the vacant roster spots. Coaches may not find their own players.

(c)    Cal Ripken Minor Division players who have a scheduled game or practice at the same time are not eligible to play up to the Cal Ripken Major Division.

(d)   The Cal Ripken Minor Division Director will inform the Cal Ripken Major Division Director of who the player is. It will be the responsibility of the Cal Ripken Major Division Director to inform both teams’ coaches with the names of the players that will be playing up.

(e)    If a player is called-up they become eligible for the game and will play under the following conditions:

(i)     They must not sit out for more than 2 defensive innings in the game;

(ii)   They will bat last in the order; and

(iii) They may field any position except pitcher or catcher.