9.01 Playing Field Dimensions.
(A) Rookie Division Playing Field Dimensions – Bases will be 65 feet
apart. Pitchers mounds will be 46 feet from home plate. Rookie Division– No metal spikes will be allowed.
(B) Freshman Division Playing Field Dimensions – Bases will be 70
feet apart. Pitchers mounds will be 50 feet, 6 inches from home plate.
Freshman Division – No metal spikes will be allowed.
9.02 Protective Headgear.
(A) All players must wear protective helmets (inside liners are not
acceptable) while batting and base running in all NABF tournaments.
Refusal to wear the protective helmet will result in the player’s immediate
removal from the game, and a player substituted for him/her at the plate or
on the base. The protective helmets must have a double earflap and
protector for the base of the skull.
(B) All coaches must wear protective helmets (with earflaps or without)
while in either coaching box in all NABF tournaments. Refusal to
wear
protective helmet will result in the coach’s removal from the game.
9.03 Catcher’s Equipment. Catchers in all NABF
tournament games must use full catching equipment including face mask
with throat guard, chest protector, shin guards, glove, athletic protector,
and catcher’s helmet. Refusal to wear said protective equipment
will result in the player’s immediate removal from the game.
9.04 Uniforms.
(A) Complete uniform. All players and coaches must
be in complete and matching uniforms to participate in any NABF
Regional or World Series game. All players and coaches must have a
unique number, prominently displayed on the back of their shirts to
assist game officials in identifying the team personnel.
Coaching staff team members participating in Sophomore Division NABF
tournaments and any age bracket below the Sophomore Division may wear
coaches pants or coaches shorts, provided all coaches are attired
alike and uniformed identically in same color and trim as their fully
uniformed
players.
(B) Logo Patches. Teams participating in NABF championship games at the regional and national level must display on the uniform shirt, front or sleeve, The NABF logo patch. The NABF logo patch may also be displayed on the uniform cap, front or side, provided that it is embroidered into the cap for permanent display by an approved baseball cap manufacturer, so recognized under agreement with the NABF. Logo patches representing other national organizations shall not be permitted.
Penalty: Failure of players/coaches to comply with Rules 9.04A and 9.04B will result in immediate removal of the players/coaches from the game. Teams failing to field a team in compliance with Rule 9.04A and 9.04B shall forfeit their scheduled game to the opposing team.
(A) Metal Bats. Magnesium and aluminum bats and other metallic substance bats which conform to weight and size standards as prescribed in the Playing Rules as defined in Article VII, Section 1 of the NABF Constitution and By-Laws shall be acceptable in NABF tournament play. All metallic substance bats must have a minus three (3) rating for all age groups (Sophomore, 14 and Under Division and older) to conform with weight and size standards as prescribed in the official baseball rules and rule 9.05 of the NABF Tournament Rules. (see rule 9.05 (D) Sophomore Age Division only)
(B) Wooden Bats. The following rule will apply to NABF Regional and
National Championship Tournament Games. The bat shall be a smooth
round stick not more than 2 3/4 inches in diameter at the thickest part and
not more than 42 inches in length. The bat shall be one piece of solid wood.
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Cupped Bats – Forming an indentation in the end of the bat
up to one inch in depth is permitted and may be no wider than
two inches and no less than one inch in diameter. The indentation
must be curved with no foreign substance added.
The Bat Handle – For not more than 18 inches from its end
may be covered or treated with any material or substance to
improve the grip. (See official Rule 1.10A, B, C and D). |
(C) Major, College, Senior, High School, and Junior Age Division Bats. Wooden Bats as described under Rule 9.05B– Wooden Bats must be used in all Major, College, Senior, High School, and Junior Division National Regional and National Championship Series Games with NO exceptions. No colored bats may be used in a NABF Tournament Game unless approved by the Major League Rules. The official colors are natural, black, burnt orange and hickory or brown.
(D) Bats – Sophomore Age Division Only. The bats for the Sophomore Division must meet the Batted Ball Coefficient of Restitution (BBCOR), all bats must be labeled with a silkscreen or other permanent certification marking. The certification mark should be rectangular in shape, a minimum of one half-inch on each side located on the barrel of the bat in any contrasting color. In essence this guideline is to mirror the Bat Rule Change adopted by the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) beginning 2011. All other specifications are as stipulated in section 9.05.
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PENALTY: If the umpire discovers that the bat does not conform to any of the above rules, when the batter comes to bat or while he is batting or after he has completed his at bat, he is declared out and the batter and team manager (head coach) will be ejected from the game.
NOTE: If so designated, Metal bats may be used in NABF
National Classics tournament events (see NABF rule 9.05
(A) Metal Bats). |
9.06 Determining Home and Visiting Teams. Before all
NABF tournament games the home team and visiting teams
must be determined by a toss of the coin.
9.07 Designated Hitter (DH). The designated hitter
rule as adopted by the American League of Professional Baseball Clubs
may be utilized in all NABF tournaments. (See Rule
9.08.)
9.08 Designated Hitter Rule. A hitter may be designated
to bat for the starting pitcher and all subsequent pitchers in any game
without otherwise affecting the status of the pitcher(s) in the game.
(A) A Designated Hitter for the pitcher must be selected prior to
the game and must be included in the lineup cards presented to the
umpire-in-chief. The starting player listed in the batting order as
the Designated Hitter must bat
at least once before he can be substituted for, unless the opposing
team changes the pitcher.
(B) It is not mandatory that a club designate a hitter for the pitcher,
but failure to do so prior to the game precludes the use of the Designated
Hitter for that game.
(C) Pinch hitters for the Designated Hitter may be used. Any substitute
hitter for the Designated Hitter himself/herself becomes the Designated
Hitter. A replaced Designated Hitter shall not re-enter the game in
any capacity.
(D) The Designated Hitter may be used defensively, continuing to
bat in the same position in the batting order, but the pitcher must
then bat in the place of the substituted defensive player, unless
more than one substitution is made, and the manager then must designate
their spots in the batting order.
(E) A runner may be substituted for the Designated Hitter and the
runner assumes the role of the Designated Hitter.
(F) A Designated Hitter is “locked” into the batting order.
No multiple substituitions may be made that will alter the batting
rotation of the Designated Hitter.
(G) Once the game pitcher is switched from the mound to a defensive
position, this move shall terminate the Designated Hitter role for
the remainder of
the game. Once a defensive player is switched from a field position
to the
pitcher's position, this move shall terminate the Designated Hitter
role for the remainder of the game.
(H) Once a pinch hitter bats for any player in the batting order
and then enters the game to pitch, this move shall terminate the Designated
Hitter role for the remainder of the game.
(I) Once the game pitcher bats for the Designated Hitter this move
shall terminute the Designated Hitter role for the remainder of the
game.
9.09 Trips to the Mound. If a manager or coach goes
to the mound twice in one (1) inning to the same pitcher, that pitcher
must be removed. He/she may finish the game in any other position, but
cannot return to the mound for the duration of the game. Note: On the
first trip to the mound by the manager, the pitcher may be moved to
a defensive position and the pitcher may return to the mound at anytime
during the game. However, this move terminates the designated hitter
role for the remainder of the game. (See Official Baseball Rule 6.10)
9.10 Game Umpires. Not less than two (2) umpires shall
be assigned to work any tournament game, and no team shall be required
to play a tournament game without at least two qualified umpires working
the contest unless the managers of both teams agree to do so in writing.
9.11 Pitching Requirements. Each franchise member
association of the NABF shall determine the guidelines
for the number of innings pitched or any such pitching restriction intended
for safety of their respective player participants. Such pitching restrictions
shall be observed by the managers, coaches, and players representing
their association at any NABF National Regional or
National Championship series of games. No manager, coach, League Director,
or anyone else shall wave any pitching requirements. The responsibility
for the players safety shall be with the managers and/or coaches of
the competing team.
9.12 Pitching Restrictions for Rookie and Freshman Divisions.
(A) The following pitching restrictions shall apply to all Rookie and Freshman
Pitchers.
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(1) Each pitcher shall be limited to a maximum of twelve (12) innings
during the series;
(2) No pitcher shall pitch in more than six (6) innings on any one day;
(3) A pitcher must rest one day if he pitches in more than four (4) innings
on any one day;
(4) Pitchers shall be charged with 1/3 of an inning for each batter he retires
during an inning.
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(B) An illegal pitcher must be protested by an opposing manager prior to a
pitcher leaving the mound for a substitute pitcher. No protest shall be allowed
after the pitcher is replaced or after the game is complete.
(C) If an illegal pitcher is protested during a Series game, no team shall be
required to forfeit the game. The penalty shall be the removal of the pitcher
immediately and all innings pitched shall count toward the maximum allowed
in any one day and the maximum innings allowed for the Series.
(D) Major league balk rules shall be used in Series games.
(E) Pitchers shall not be allowed to return to the game as a pitcher once
removed from the mound but may play in another defensive position if eligible under the substitution rules.
9.13 NABF Slide Rule (nine and under through twenty-two and
under
groups). A legal slide can be either feet first or head first.
If a runner slides feet first, at least one leg and buttock shall be
on the ground. If a runner slides, he must slide within reach of the
base with either a hand or a foot.
A slide is illegal if:
(A) The runner uses a rolling, cross-body or pop-up slide into the
fielder, or
(B) the runner’s raised leg is higher than the fielder’s
knee when the fielder is in a standing position, or
(C) the runner goes beyond the base and then makes contact with or
alters the play of the fielder, or
(D) the runner slashes or kicks the fielder with either leg, or
(E) the runner tries to injure the fielder, or
(F) the runner, on a force play, does not slide on the ground and
in a direct line between the two bases.
EXCEPTION: A runner may slide or run in a direction
away
from the fielder to avoid making contact or altering the play of the
fielder.
PENALTY: (1) With less than two outs, the batter-runner,
as well as the interfering runner, shall be declared out and no other
runner(s) shall advance. (2) With two outs, the interfering runner
shall be declared out and no other runner(s) shall advance. (3) If
the runner’s slide or collision is flagrant, the runner shall
be ejected from the contest.
9.14 Collision Rule. When there is a collision between a runner and fielder who
clearly is in possession of the ball, the umpire shall Judge:
(A) Whether the collision by the runner was avoidable (could the runner have
reached the base without colliding) or unavoidable (the runner’s path to the
base was blocked) or
(B) Whether the runner actually was attempting to reach the base (plate) or
attempting to dislodge the ball from the fielder.
PENALTY: If the runner:
(A) could have avoided the collision and reached the base, or
(B) attempted to dislodge the ball, the runner shall be declared
out even if the fielder loses possession of the ball. The ball
is dead and all other base runners shall return to the last base
touched at the time of the interference.
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A.R.1. – If the fielder blocks the path of the base runner to
the base (plate), the runner may make contact, slide into, or
collide with a fielder as long as the runner is making a
legitimate attempt to reach the base or plate.
A.R.2. – If the collision by the runner was flagrant, the
runner shall be declared out and also ejected from the
contest. The ball shall be declared dead. |
(C) If the defensive player blocks the base (plate) or base line
clearly without possession of the ball, obstruction shall be
called. The runner is safe and a delayed dead ball shall be
called.
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A.R.1. – If the runner collides flagrantly, he shall be
declared safe on the obstruction, but will be ejected from
the contest. The ball is dead. |
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