Last Revised February 20, 2014

1. General

1. If a rule is not covered below, we will refer to the official MLB rulebook. In the event that there isn’t one present, the umpire makes the final call.
2. Teams appoint one manager who will have one vote on any rules changes or additions. Majority rules on any votes.
3. Adding new teams: New teams may be considered under the following conditions: 1) The team manager must be a current PCHL player 2) The current managers must unanimously vote to add the team to the league.
4. One division of seven teams.
5. At the end of the season, the top three teams will play a two round playoff in two weeks: Round 1 will occur in the first week and be a one game playoff with the 3rd ranked team playing the 2nd ranked team at home, with the 1st ranked team receiving a bye. Round 2 will occur on the second week and be a three game playoff with the winner of round 1 playing the 1st ranked team in a best of three series, with the 1st rank team playing games 1 and 3 at home. If there is a tie for the 3rd spot, a one game playoff.
6. By the all star break, all teams submit a set roster of 20 players which will be put on the website.
7. A player may be removed from the league based on a managers vote. All managers except for the manager of the player being voted on must vote to remove in order for the vote to stand.

2. Game Play

1. Games should start at their scheduled time, ie. Night games at 7pm will have FIRST PITCH AT 7PM.
2. Batters are required to wear helmet
3. One first base and one third base coach.
4. Pitchers are allowed eight warm-up pitches between innings
5. The on-deck batter remains in the on-deck "circle" with a bat.
6. Each team must have a minimum of eight players to play. If a team has fewer than eight players at game time, the game will be forfeit. If a team only has eight players, they must use one of those players at catcher.
7. Wood bats only.
8. NO HIDDEN BALL TRICKS.
9. Once a pitcher is pulled he/she cannot return to pitch later in the game.
10. If a pitcher hits two batters, the batting team may elect to require the pitching team to replace that pitcher  if the batting team deems the pitcher a threat to their safety. The batting team must make this request to the umpire immediately after the second batter is hit, prior to the next batter beginning his/her at bat.
11. 4 balls and 3 strikes at all times.
12. If a strikeout occurs on a pitch uncaught before touching the ground a batter may choose to advance to first under the following conditions:

• Less than two outs, first base unoccupied OR
• Two outs

If the batter advances safely to first while an overthrow occurs, no runners may advance.

3. Team Responsibilities/Umpiring

1. Each team plays 20 games in the regular season, with a bye week every 7 weeks.
2. Each week of regular season play, the bye week team will be responsible for assigning umps for the three scheduled games.
3. Teams will elect the day they want to play all of their home games before the start of the season. Game rescheduling, canceling, field location are the home team’s responsibility. The home team manager should communicate with the visiting team’s managers to resolve any changes before game day.
4. It is the home team’s responsibility to keep a batter by batter scorecard which will be the official score of the game. If the home team opts to not keep a scorecard, the visiting team may keep a scorecard which will then be the official score of the game. Any disputes regarding the score or the inning should be settled using scorecard. If the dispute still cannot be settled, the umpire’s will have the final call.
5. Each team provides two, PCHL approved baseballs. (Diamond DBR-1 Babe Ruth League Baseballs).
6. The home team is responsible for providing three bases.
7. The home team shall pull permits for the field. If a permit is not pulled and the game must be cancelled, the home team shall be given a loss.
8. Both teams shall share the cost of the permit fee equally.
9. Home team may decide the criteria for a home run (ie has to hit the netting on a fly or reach the fence on a bounce etc) if any, before the the game begins.
10. Umpires will call balls and strikes from a position behind home plate. Home team is to  provide protective gear (face mask and chest protector.
11. Both teams should provide beer/water for the umpire(s).
12. The umpires is responsible for keeping track of the count (balls and strikes) and the number of outs.
13. The umpire will call balls, strikes, fouls, outs.
14. Umpires make the final call on disputed plays. In the event of a misapplication of a rule, the umpire may retract the initial call. Judgement calls (i.e. fair/foul, safe/out, ball/strike) stand as called.
15. The umpire may call the game due to rain or darkness. If five innings have been completed, the team in the lead after the last completed inning, will be declared the winner of the game. If five innings have not been completed, the game will be rescheduled and will resume from where it was stopped.
16. In the event of external interference (dogs, soccer players), the umpire will use their judgement to make the call and award bases, if any.
17. Infield fly rule called by the umpire when the ball is in the air.

4. Lineups

1. Lineups must be submitted to the umpire prior to the game. Late players may be added to the lineup upon arrival, but must be added to the end of the lineup.
2. All players in the lineup must bat in the batting order, and play at least one inning in the field.
3. The maximum number of positions in the batting order is twelve. Any number of players in excess of 12 must share a position in the batting order with another batter. For instance, if a team is batting 13, the 12th and 13th batters would alternate batting in the 12th spot in the order.
4. Any player who is pinch hit, pinch run or removed from the batting order in any way shall not re-enter the game.

5. Baserunning

1. A baserunner may only advance without the ball being put in play if the following occurs: 1) The pitcher or catcher attempts a pick off throw and 2) After the pick off throw, the baserunner touches the base they are currently on before advancing. If the runner attempts to advance without doing both 1 and 2, the runner will be called out upon appeal to the initial base. This applies to any base runner on any base when the pick off throw occurred.
2. An overthrow is an errant throw to a base that passes a defensive player attempting to apply a tag or a force out. One additional base maximum for any base runner on an overthrow (though runners can be thrown out in their attempt to reach that base). It is the umpire’s judgement call to determine the additional base.
3. In the event that a baserunner must leave the game, a pinch runner may be appointed. The player who made the last out on that team will be appointed pinch runner. The removed player may not re-enter the game. Players at bat may not appoint pinch runners.
4. Baserunners must slide to avoid collisions, and fielders must not block bases or home plate. In the event that a base runner fails to slide to avoid a collision, the umpire may call the runner out and any additional runners out if the umpires judges that the interference resulted in a double play being broken up. In the event a fielder blocks a base or home plate, the umpire may call the runner safe.
5. No pick off attempts until batter is in box.