Babe Ruth League, Inc.

Latest Rule Changes for 2022

Last Updated 1/10/2022

The International Board of Directors has approved the following rule changes beginning with the 2022 season. These changes will be reflected in the 2022 Babe Ruth League, Inc. Rules and Regulations.

Rule Changes Beginning with the 2022 Season (Please note Division or Level of Play)

1. Tournament Regulations - Rule 11.02, Team Composition, Number 1(b), NOTE (Cal Ripken Baseball and Babe Ruth Baseball) - At no time is it permissible for a player, manager, or coach to appear on more than one “active/participating” tournament team roster in the same year.

2. Tournament Regulations - Rule 11.05, Playing Rules, Number 4, NOTE (Cal Ripken Baseball and Babe Ruth Baseball)– Note has been deleted: No pitcher shall appear in a game as a pitcher for three (3) consecutive days regardless of the pitch count.

3. Tournament Regulations- Rule 11.05, Playing Rules, Number 4(a), Tournament Pitching Rules (Cal Ripken Baseball) – League Age 7-8: No pitcher is allowed to pitch in more than six (6) innings in a day or a total of six (6) innings in two successive days. If a pitcher pitches six (6) innings in a day, the pitcher must have one (1) calendar day rest. If a pitcher pitches a total of six (6) innings in two successive days, the pitcher must have one (1) calendar day rest.

4. Tournament Regulations - Rule 11.06, Jurisdiction, Number 7 (Cal Ripken Baseball and Babe Ruth Baseball) - The host teams for all divisions of baseball having received eligibility approval from Babe Ruth League, Inc., and at their League President’s discretion, shall be eligible to enter official tournament competition beginning at the District Tournament level.

5. Tournament Regulations - Rule 11.06, Jurisdiction, Number 10 (Babe Ruth 16-18 Baseball) – The following has been deleted: The Host Family Plan will be used in the Babe Ruth 16–18-Year-Old World Series.

6. Cap Emblem Option (Cal Ripken Baseball and Babe Ruth Baseball) - Delete “not including the World Series.”

7. Rule 12.00, Babe Ruth League, Inc., Powers of District, State and Regional Commissioners, Number 6 - Annual State fees may be established. State fees, as well as any other league or team assessments, must be submitted and approved in writing by the Regional Commissioner and Babe Ruth League Inc.

8. Babe Ruth Softball Rule 1.15 (b) - No pitcher shall attach to her glove any foreign material of a color different from the glove. The pitcher may wear her batting glove on her non-pitching hand under her pitcher’s glove, provided the batting glove is not optic yellow.

BABE RUTH LEAGUE TOURNAMENT PITCHING REGULATIONS
Cal Ripken Baseball, Babe Ruth 13-15 Baseball, and Babe Ruth 16-18 Baseball

 
These pitch count limitations will apply to all tournament games played in District, Area, State, Regional and World Series competition. (NOTE: There is no limit to the number of pitchers a team may use in a game.) New Wording – DAILY MAX PITCHES IN A DAY (Rule Clarification) 
 
There are no limitations on the number of innings a pitcher may pitch in a tournament (bracket or pool play) game subject to the following pitch count limitations:

If the pitcher reaches the maximum pitch count limit while facing a batter, he may continue to pitch until the batter reaches base safely or is put out. 

1. Intentional Walk Rule – An intentional base on balls may be given by the defensive team by having its catcher or coach request the umpire to award the batter first base. This may be done before pitching to the batter or on any ball and strike count. The ball shall be declared dead before making the award.
    
2. All pitchers must adhere to the pitch count rest requirements before pitching in another tournament game.
    
3. All players have full pitching eligibility beginning at each level of tournament competition. (District, State, Area, Regional, and World Series)  
    
4. If a game is forfeited before it becomes a regulation game, include no records.  Report only the fact of the forfeit.  This means the pitching eligibility in the Cal Ripken, 13-15 and 16-18 Baseball Divisions would be the same as it was prior to the forfeited game.  The pitching eligibility for the next game would be the same as it was prior to the forfeited game.  
5. In a game suspended by darkness, weather, or other causes and resumed the following calendar day, the pitcher of record at the time the game was halted may continue to the extent of his/her eligibility for that day, provided said pitcher has observed the required days of rest.  

Example 1:  A league age 12-year-old pitcher delivers 70 pitches in a game on Monday when the game is suspended. The game resumes on Wednesday. The pitcher is not eligible to pitch in the resumption of the game because he/she has not observed the required days of rest. 
Example 2:  A league age 12-year-old pitcher delivers 70 pitches in a game on Monday when the game is suspended. The game resumes on Thursday. The pitcher is eligible to pitch up to 85 pitches in the resumption of the game because he/she has observed the required days of rest. 
 
6. Games in which an ineligible pitcher has been used, as specified above, shall be declared forfeited.

7. The withdrawal of an ineligible pitcher after that pitcher is announced, or after a preparatory (warm-up) pitch is delivered, but before that player has pitched a ball to a batter, shall not be considered a violation.  Tournament Officials are urged to take precautions to prevent protests. 

8. The age of the tournament will determine the pitch count regardless of the player's league age.
 
Example 1:  If a league age 15-year-old player swings up and participates on the 16-18 tournament team and pitches, the pitcher will abide by the 16-18 tournament pitching rules. 
Example 2:  If a league age 12-year-old player swings up and participates on a 13-year-old tournament team and pitches, the pitcher will abide by the 13-15-year-old tournament pitching rule.

Official Pitch Count Record

1. The Tournament Director will designate the scorekeeper or another game official as the official pitch count statistician.  The pitch count statistician shall record all pitches as defined in the rule book (Rule 2.00 – A pitch is a ball delivered to the batter by the pitcher), in addition to any pitches delivered to the batter ruled a “no pitch” by the umpire.

1. The pitch count statistician must provide the current pitch count for any pitcher when requested by either manager or any umpire. However, the manager has the ultimate responsibility for knowing when his/her pitcher must be removed to meet the mandated rest requirements.

1. The official pitch count statistician should inform the umpire-in-chief when a pitcher has delivered his/her maximum limit of pitches for the game, as noted above. The umpire-in-chief will inform the pitcher’s manager that the pitcher must be removed. However, the failure by the pitch count statistician to notify the umpire-in-chief, and/or the failure of the umpire-in- chief to notify the manager, does not relieve the manager of his/her responsibility to remove a pitcher when that pitcher is no longer eligible.

1. To assist in tracking of the pitch count, download and print a “Pitch Count Sheet” at www.BabeRuthLeague.org under the Rules, Regulations and Policies section of either the Coaches or Officials selection in the menu. You can choose either the Cal Ripken Baseball or Babe Ruth Baseball Pitching Sheet. Pitch Counters are also available for purchase at store.baberuthleague.org.

Rule Clarification

The interpretation of this rule is to cover the total amount of pitches in a day if a team plays a double header or just one game per day.  To simplify the tournament pitching rules, the word Game will be eliminated from DAILY MAX PITCHES IN A DAY/GAME.  New Wording – DAILY MAX PITCHES IN A DAY.  Below are a couple examples of the tournament pitching rules.

Example 1 - In a Cal Ripken 10-Year-Old District Tournament, Team A is playing a double header on Saturday.  The pitcher for Team A (Jones) has his daily maximum of 75 pitches available.  In the first game on Saturday for Team A, Pitcher Jones throws 42 pitches before the manager removes Pitcher Jones from the first game.  In the second game of the double header on Saturday, pitcher Jones is available to pitch 33 pitches – his maximum Pitch Count per Day. (If the pitcher reaches the maximum pitch count limit while facing a batter, the pitcher may continue to pitch until the batter reaches base safely or is put out).

Pitcher Jones pitched a total of 75 pitches between the two games on Saturday and would require 2 calendar days of rest and would not be eligible to pitch again until Tuesday. 

Example 2 - In a Cal Ripken Major 70 State Tournament Game, Pitcher Smith has his daily maximum of 85 pitches available.  Pitcher Smith pitches a complete game and pitches a total of 84 pitches.  Pitcher Smith would require 2 calendar days of rest before pitching in another tournament game.

Example 3 – In a Babe Ruth 14-Year-Old State Tournament, Team A is playing a double header on Saturday.  Pitcher Smith has his daily maximum of 95 pitches available.  Pitcher Smith throws a total of 55 pitches in the first game and does not pitch in the 2nd game of the double header on Saturday.  Since Pitcher Smith pitched a total of 55 pitches on Saturday, Pitcher Smith needs one calendar day of rest and would not be available to pitch again until Monday.   

Example 4 – In a Babe Ruth 16-18 State Tournament Game, Pitcher Ryan has his daily maximum of 105 pitches available.  Pitcher Ryan comes in for relief and pitches a total of 28 pitches.  Pitcher Ryan requires no days of rest and has full pitching eligibility the next day or game that his team plays. If Pitcher Ryan's team plays a second game on the same day and Pitcher Ryan comes in for relief or starts the game, he can only pitch 77 pitches in the second game he plays on that day.