RULES & REGULATIONS FOR THE MSBL

League rules will are established in the following manner:

Local Rules:

1. Teams will use the official league approved baseballs: Rawlings RMSBL or Diamond D1 Pro. The home team provides game balls.


2. All batters and runners must wear helmets with at least one ear flap facing the pitcher for both at bats and on base. There is no option to this rule. Full double-ear flap helmets are encouraged for at bats and are encouraged for the bases. Catchers must wear a helmet underneath their mask. All base coaches are encouraged to wear helmets while on the field of play.


3. Leagues are wood bat only. For National League, only MLB-style, wood bats are allowed (no composites allowed, e.g. no dipped bats, multi-piece, glued together bats, metal handle/wood barrel bats, or any other combination other than a single piece of 100% natural wood (override to national rule 1.d). In other 30+ Leagues and 40+ Leagues, composites made of only wood or wood and fiberglass are allowed.


4. Each manager can bat as many players as he desires, with a minimum of nine. Teams can play an official game with 8 players and bat only 8 players if that is all they have in uniform at the game. Opposing team must still bat a minimum of nine batters (override to national rule 3.e which states 10). If a team has less than 8 players, the game is declared a forfeit and forfeiting team must pay all umpire fees. Games can not be re-scheduled because a team does not have enough players. If both teams agree, a borrowed player can be used, and then the game will count as an official game regardless of which team wins.
   
   4b. A/B batting system can be used for ANY batting position if desired. The first time through the lineup, the "A" hitters bat and the next time throught the lineup, the "B" batters hit. Once a team declares the use of this A/B system, it must continue using it for the remainder of the game in the batting slots for which it was designated. Hitters in an A/B position may be pinch hit for, just as any other player. A/B slots may only be added on the initial lineup card. Additional batters can be added to lineup as A/B or single hitters.


5. No "hidden ball" trick is allowed.


6. Each team is allowed to designate two courtesy runners. Players needing courtesy runners must have their manager notify the opposing manager before game time. If not so notified, the opposing manager may deny the request. The player to make the last batted out must be the courtesy runner. Pitchers and catchers may be skipped over as courtesy runners (override to rule 5.a). If a player is legitimately hurt during the game and his team has already used two courtesy runners, then the team is allow a third courtesy runner. Managers can agree before the game for the speed up rule (courtesy runner for catchers with two outs).


7. In the MSBL 30+ division all games are 7 innings except single weekend games, which will be 9 innings with a 3-hour curfew. If agreed upon by both managers, non weekend games may go 9 innings with a 3-hour curfew as well. In the MSBL 40+ division, all games shall be 7 with a 3-hour curfew. Games called on account of rain or darkness will be considered complete after 3+ innings (if home team is ahead, 4 innings if away team is ahead) for 7 inning games; 4+ innings (if home team is ahead, 5 innings if away team is ahead) for 9 inning games. All league playoff games will be played to completion. However, if teams chose to play 9 inning night game in the playoffs and the game is called for rain or darkness, it will be a complete game after 7 innings and all nine innings will not be completed. No inning shall start after two hours, 50 minutes after first pitch of game. Both teams can agree to play beyond this curfew if no other teams are waiting to use the field.


8. Final league standings will be determined by the point system. Two points for a win, one point for a tie, and minus 2 points for a forfeit. If a team forfeits 3 or more games in a season, they are ineligible for the playoffs. Playoff structure will be as follows: NL: Top 8 teams regardless of division make playoffs; AL: Top 8 eight teams regardless of division make playoffs; 40+: Top 6 teams make playoffs for National Championship. Next 4 teams playoff for American Championship. All teams make the playoffs. Tie-breakers go in this order:
   
   • Head to head. If there is a 3-way tie, Head-to-Head is not used and we use Runs Allowed.
   • Runs allowed (all games) - if teams have played an uneven amount of games, then average runs allowed will be used.
   • One game play-off for final playoff spot; to break seeding tie, there will be a coin flip.
     
     
9. To be eligible to play in the playoffs, players must be registered on their team's roster, entered into 400Hitter, before July 15^th, and:
   

   30+ PITCHER ELIGIBILITY
   To be eligible to pitch and or hit while pitching in the playoffs , a player must have pitched in at five (5) games. If a player becomes playoff eligible as a pitcher (5 appearance), then he can only bat/play field in game that he pitches. One can not get 5 pitching appearances to qualify in the playoffs as a position player;  

   30+ PLAYER ELIGIBILITY
   For MSBL 30+, a player must have batted in at least ten games. If a player meets either of this qualification, then he can hit or pitch in the playoffs;

   40+ ELIGIBILITY
   To be eligible to pitch and or hit in the playoffs, a player must have pitched in four (4) games or played in 6 games.   If a player qualifies by either way, then he is eligible to both hit and pitch in the playoffs.   Each 40+ team may have up to two 38+ players.

   INJURY / MILITARY EXCEPTION:  
   Where extenuating circumstance of injuries or military service arises, the League President shall have jurisdiction to make exceptions either on a short term, or long-term basis regarding adding players to a roster and/or playoff eligibility.    For example, if a player who has been in the league in a prior year and that player gets injured in May and can not come back until August, and who may not have enough at-bats or games pitched to be playoff eligible, the League President may allow that player to be playoff eligible.   Exceptions are not allowed to players who have been playing baseball in another league in that same year.  
   
   The spirit of this rule is to prevent late season ringers that have not played most of the year in our league and also to eliminate end of season forfeits as a determiner of playoff eligibility. If a team forfeits a game, none of their players get credit for a game played/pitched and all of the opposing team's players get credit for a game played/pitch.

10. The visiting team will have use of the playing field for the final ten minutes prior to game time for warm ups.


11. Fighting before, during or after a game earns a six game suspension.


12. Striking an umpire earns a one-year suspension and forfeiture of any moneys paid to the league. In addition, verbal abuse of an umpire or failure to leave the field after an ejection is subject to additional suspensions. If a player is ejected from a game, additional suspensions by the League are possible on a case-by-case basis if either umpires(s) or manager(s) alert the League, which shall investigate the facts.


13. All protests are first brought to the League Commissioner. The League Commissioner's ruling can be appealed to the President. If the President's ruling is appealed, then the President will then appoint a 3 member, Independent Appeals Board to hear the protest and vote. The decision of the Independent Appeals Board is final.


14. Preliminary rosters and league fees are due by Opening Day. Rosters, with complete addresses and date of birth, must be entered into 400 Hitter. Final rosters must be submitted on or before July 15th. All players must sign player waiver and pay $26 for MSBL affiliation fee. Waiver can be downloaded off website on Manager's Page. Players can not go on the field before they sign a waiver. It is permissible for a player to play in a game before his information is entered into 400 Hitter as long as information is entered before the next game.


15. Home team manager must notify the U-I-C, the opposing manager, and the league office of any cancellation due to field conditions a minimum of one hour before game time.


16. Home team is responsible for paying home plate umpire. The away team shall pay the base umpire. The umpire fee is $75.00 for 7 innings; $85.00 for 9 innings. Umpire fees are to be paid prior to start of game. Please notify U-I-C if only one umpire calls your game. If there is only one umpire that shows up for a game, he is to be paid 1.5 the fee or $112.50 for 7 innings or $127.50 for 9 innings. Once an umpire shows up at the field, he must be paid, even if the game is called before a single pitch is thrown. If the game is postponed by rain or field conditions before the game starts, each umpire is due 1/2 fee.


17. Winning manager MUST report scores after each game on 400Hitter and write a summary if desired. The losing manager may also enter the score if desired. If you are unable to enter your results, scores should be e-mailed to president at bostonmsbl.com by 10:00am the day following the game. The winning team is responsible for writing the game summary on 400Hitter but if no summary is entered by the winning team, then the losing team can enter a summary. Entering statistics on 400Hitter in a timely fashion is required.


18. Playoffs expect to start on the Sunday following Labor Day for 30+ Leagues; 40+ League: Monday after Labor Day. And for them, tie-breakers go in this order:
    
    • Head to head. If there is a 3-way tie, Head-to-Head is not used and we use Runs Allowed.
    • o Runs allowed (all games) - if teams have played an uneven amount of games, then average runs allowed will be used.
    • One game play-off for final playoff spot; to break seeding tie, there will be a coin flip.

MSBL National Rules of Note:

3.f -- A manager may add batters to the bottom of the lineup at any time but if a batter is pinch hit or run for (except under courtesy runner rule), the player may not re-enter the game as a hitter.

3.h -- If a player is forced to leave a game due to injury or ejection, a reserve player, not previously entered into the game as a hitter, must hit in the replaced hitter's place. If there are no reserves who can replace the individual, the spot is skipped and all hitters below that position move up. The first time this vacated spot comes up in the batting order, an out will be assessed; after that one time no out will be recorded for skipping the spot.

3.j -- If the pitcher is removed, he may re-enter the game only one time during the game but not in the same inning. Only one pitcher per team, per game, can re-enter.

4.e -- Players shall not intentionally collide with any other players. In the case of a runner intentionally colliding with a fielder, the runner will be called out and may, at the umpire's discretion, be expelled from the game. All runners must either slide or give up their right to a base if the defensive player has possession of the ball, is in the act of receiving the ball, or is about to immediately receive the ball. If a defensive player is not in the possession of the ball, is not in the act of receiving the ball, or is not about to immediately receive the ball so that he is able to record an out, he cannot block the base or be in the base path so as to impede the base runner's right to that base. Under such circumstances, the defensive player shall be responsible to avoid collision. If a collision does occur under these circumstances, the runner will always be considered safe and the obstruction rule shall be enforced. The defensive player may be ejected from the game (if the action is intentional, he must be ejected), and will be suspended from league play if the obstruction is judged to be flagrant.

6.a -- No Player while pitching may wear white or gray sleeves, nor may a pitcher wear a batting glove or wristband while pitching.

6.c -- If a pitcher hits 4 batters in any game, the pitcher must be removed from the game.

7 -- Infielders are not allowed to decoy a throw or catch. If a decoy throw or catch is detected, all runners shall be allowed to advance one base beyond the base held after all play stops. If the same fielder decoys twice in the same game, the fielder shall be expelled from the game. Decoying is referred to a false catch or throw done in an attempt to get the player to slide unnecessarily, where no strategic value is gained. An example of a legal "strategic" decoy is with a runner on first stealing, an infielder yells, "I got it," on a single to the outfield in order to make the runner stop or go back to first base. An example of an illegal decoy is with a runner stealing second and no throw is made by the catcher, the infielder can not fake a tag on the runner resulting in the runner sliding unnecessarily.