2018 IN-HOUSE RULES
Lancaster, Palmdale, and Sierra Pony
Bronco Division:
1. Rules: Play is governed by OFFICIAL Baseball Rules as documented in the 2018 Rules and Regulation for PONY Baseball, Inc. Bronco League.
(http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/official_info/official_rules/foreword.jsp)
2. Field: We will follow the PONY Standards
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Pitching Distance will be at 50 feet
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Distance between bases 70 ft.
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The recommended home run fence distances:
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Foul Line: 225 feet.
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Center Field: 275 feet
3. Game Length:
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Game length shall be seven (7) innings or 2 hour and 20 minutes. No new inning will start after 2 hour and 20 minutes of game start.
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If game is called for any reason it shall be a complete game if four (4) innings have been completed, or if the home team has scored more runs in three (3) innings or three and a fraction innings, than the visiting team has scored in four (4) completed innings.
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NO DROPDEAD TIME.
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Mercy Rule: ten (10) run lead at the end of its fourth inning, the game shall be terminated and the team in front declared the winner.
4. Inning Length:
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Ten (10) run limit per inning up to the 7th inning. Per ALL LEAGUE PRESIDENTS…….
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No extra inning during a regular season game.
5. Substitutions:
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Any player in the starting lineup who has been removed for a substitute may re-enter the game only one time. Note: This rule applies to starters only.
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Players shall return to the lineup in their original place in the batting order. While more than one substitute may be used in that position before the starting player is returned, no substitutions shall be made that shall alter the original batting rotation of any of the starting players.
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Once removed from the lineup, a pitcher may return to the lineup but shall not pitch again in the same game.
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All active players (eligible to play in a game) must play at least two (2) innings (six defensive outs) and have at least one (1) physical at bat during each game.
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All active players must be officially entered in the lineup before the start of play in the top of the fourth inning. In any instance in which a team does not have an eligible substitute for a player who becomes ill, is injured, or ejected from the game by the umpire, the player last removed from the lineup by the manager or coach, who is otherwise eligible to play, shall be used as a substitute.
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When a team’s last available substitute enters the game as part of a multiple substitution, the manager shall advise the umpire and the official scorekeeper which player is to be considered the last player removed from the lineup. In this instance only, the substitute player shall take the batting position of the player they replaced, even though it may be a different batting position than the one that he/she previously occupied.
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This rule applies to all players, including starters.
6. Pitchers:
a. They shall be allowed to pitch in no more than ten (10) innings in one calendar week, and no more than seven (7) innings in one calendar day. Any pitcher that pitches in 4 or more innings in 1 calendar day must comply with the 40-hour rest rule. A calendar week is from 12:01 am Monday to 12 midnight the following Sunday.
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When pitching in more than one game on the same calendar day (doubleheader), pitchers may pitch any combination of innings in those games provided they do not exceed the above maximum number of innings in a calendar day.
b. Pitchers shall have at least 40 hours of rest after pitching four (4) or more innings on the same calendar day starting at the beginning of the first game.
c. As soon as a pitcher delivers one pitch to the batter, the pitcher shall be considered as having pitched in one inning.
d. Any pitcher withdrawn from the mound and/or lineup, or a pitcher who is withdrawn from the mound and stays in the game at another position, shall not be permitted to pitch again in the same game.
e. If a relief pitcher comes in “cold” the umpire shall allow the pitcher to warm up properly with at least ten (10) warm up pitches.
7. Field Preparation:
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Home team is responsible for setting up field prior to the start of the game.
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After the last game, the Home and visiting teams are responsible for putting all the equipment away.
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Once the last game has completed, the field will need a quick maintenance consisting of watering and filling in the holes around home base and pitching mound.
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FAILURE TO PERFORM THESE REQUIRED TASKS WILL RESULT IN POSSIBLE SUSPENSION.
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If you are inter-leaguing at Sky Tower, only the home team and the last team playing must put everything away.
8. Scorekeepers:
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The official scorekeeper shall record all at bats, hits, runs, errors, strikeouts, bases on ball, innings pitched in by each pitcher and scheduled starting time of games, or actual starting time if game is delayed. The scorekeeper shall also notify the umpire at the conclusion of the game to sign the score book before leaving the field.
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The official scorer should notify the manager concerned if an ineligible player or an improper batter is about to be used in the game, but the failure of the scorer to do so has no effect upon the rules.
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Home team is responsible to keep score and has to provide one and the game is not to start without one.