GENERAL RULES

Listed below are additions to the Rules and Regulations for PONY Baseball. These ground rules are intended to govern play in the Mustang A Division. The Rules and Regulations of PONY Baseball can be viewed in their entirety at www.pony.org.

PRACTICES

Practices shall be limited to 3 per week before the season and 1 per week during the season. Teams are restricted to 3 activities (games and practices) per week. Practices shall be limited to two (2) hours maximum per session. Any meeting of the team with the manager or coach will be considered a practice. Violation of this rule could entail manager probation or dismissal. Batting practice on game day, prior to the game, is not considered a practice.

GAME PRELIMINARIES

The home team will provide the official scorekeeper and post scores on the BSWB website. After each game, the manager or coach of each team and the umpire-in-chief will sign the official scorecard, which will serve as the official record of innings played in the game by each player. 

The home team will be responsible for putting out the bases and chalking the field. The visiting team will be responsible for raking, watering, and cleanup after their game (this includes Saturday games). Visiting Managers/Coaches are responsible for putting all bases and equipment in the storage box after the last game of the day. 

The inability of either team to place eight (8) players on the field before the game begins or any time during the game is a forfeit. A maximum total of one manager and two coaches per team shall be allowed in the dugout during each game. 

All team members on the roster for that game will be listed in the batting order. All players will bat according to this batting order. Players arriving late to a game will have their names placed at the bottom of the batting order. 

Managers shall prepare a written line-up, in duplicate, for each game. It shall include each player's full name, uniform number, batting order and starting pitcher. Players arriving after the start of play shall be inserted into the batting order at the bottom and, into the defensive line-up in a manner that is consistent with the defensive rotation rules. Managers shall exchange line-ups prior to the start of play.  

The manager shall be responsible for the conduct of team players and their parents, at all times during practices and games. The use of alcohol or tobacco by any parent or spectator is prohibited. 

ALL players will wear SW Logo hats*, issued Jerseys*, and matching pants, belts and socks during games. (Note* Only “issued” hats and jerseys are allowed. No custom-made hats or Jerseys are allowed and may only be modified with Players names or numbers.) 

Catchers shall wear catcher's helmet, mask and throat protector (Hockey-style masks have the throat protector incorporated in their design), chest protector, and shin guards. A player warming up a pitcher on the field or in the bullpen must wear a catcher’s protective helmet and mitt. 

Batters and Base Runners shall wear approved Batting Helmets and shall not remove them until they return to the dugout. 

All players are required to wear Athletic Supporters with Protective Cup or will not play in that game until a protective cup is worn. No metal cleats are allowed. 

The home team shall occupy the third base dugout. Only team members, managers, and coaches are permitted in the dugout during games. The manager and "coach of record" are to remain in the dugout or coach's box during games. No alcohol, profanity, or use of tobacco in any form is allowed. No bat person is allowed. 

No ball buckets are allowed on the playing field during the game. 

GAME RULES

Mustang 10 Division games shall be played in accordance with the BSWB published Mustang A Division Ground Rules and Rules and Regulations of PONY Baseball.

Every player on a team roster will participate in each game for a minimum of nine (9) defensive outs including three (3) defensive out positioned in the infield. This requirement must be met during the first five innings. Penalty: The player(s) involved shall start the next scheduled game and play any previous requirement not completed and the requirement for the current game before being removed. The manager will receive a one game suspension. A suspended manager shall be permitted to be a spectator of a game involving the team of which he is the manager. 

Managers and/or Coaches are not allowed to question judgment calls by an umpire. Only the Manager is allowed to question a rule interpretation. The manager must ask for time before leaving the dugout and may only approach the Home Plate Umpire. 

Lead-offs and steals are allowed on all bases.  

Balks will be warned. If warned infraction is repeated more than twice after the initial warning, for a total of 3 warnings, the balk will be called. If an obvious infraction occurs (start/stop of pitching motion), a balk will be called with no warning. 

Through the first half of the season (Fall Season games 1-5, Spring Season games 1-7), there will be a 5 run limit through 3 innings. Exception to this rule, if the ball that is hit, which would result in the 5th run, is a home run (a home run in this case is considered a ball that is hit over the fence) all runs would count. Example: 4 runs have scored, and the bases are loaded, and a player hits a home run – the offensive team would be credited for 8 runs in the inning. 

Whenever one team has a lead of ten (10) runs after four (4) innings the 10 run Mercy Rule will be in effect.

Pitching:

Any team member may pitch, subject to the restrictions of the pitch count as recommended by Pitch Chart for the particular age classification. (NOTE: The pitcher will only be required to observe the calendar day(s) of rest for the threshold he/she reached during the start of that at-bat, provided that the pitcher is removed before delivering a pitch to the next batter.)

When pitching in more than one game on the same calendar day, pitchers may pitch any combination of pitches in those games provided they do not exceed the maximum number of pitches for that calendar day.

Pitchers reaching their maximum number of pitches in a day while pitching to a batter, may finish pitching to that batter before being removed.

Once the Umpire-in-Chief signals “play” to the pitcher, that pitcher shall become the pitcher of record and their pitch count begins at that point.

A pitcher is charged with the number of pitches in the specific calendar day in which they are pitched, regardless of whether they are local organization league games, the playoff of postponed games or suspended games, tie games, or exhibition games. Rest is calculated as per calendar day.

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.

If a pitcher comes in “cold” the umpire shall allow the pitcher to warm up properly with at least ten warm up pitches. Pitchers in violation of any of the pitching rules shall be considered ineligible players, subject to penalties outline in Pony Rule 18 – Penalties.

Pitchers will be removed from pitching on the coach's second visit to the mound.

Time Limit:

No inning shall start after one (1) hour and forty-five (45) minutes of regular play, with tie games counting as 1/2 win for each team. The Chief Umpire should inform the official scorekeeper of the official start time at the beginning of each game. A game shall be considered complete after passing the time limit.

Post-Game Cleanup:

Team players, manager, coaches, and parents shall pick up litter on and around the field and seating area after each game. The visiting team manager for the last game of the day is responsible for taking up and storing the bases and other equipment. Failure to do so will result in the manager's name being turned in to the Board of Directors by the Director-on-duty. A manager's name being turned the second time will mean a one game suspension.

Game Field:

Except for infield practice immediately prior to the game, no team practices are allowed on any game field at any time without the permission of the Division Commissioner.