Montgomery County Little League (MCLL)

2024 Local Rules

Baseball Intermediate/Juniors/Seniors Division

Ratified: March 20, 2024

MCLL teen divisions will be governed by the rules set forth by “Little League Baseball Official Regulations, Playing Rules, and Policies”, also known as “The Green Book” unless noted and modified below. Please be familiar with the official LL rules. 

The rules below are primarily to help clarify common areas of confusion, emphasize safety rules or set a local rule that varies from a Little League rule.  Note:  We play against other D2 teams so certain D2 “local” rules, such as game time limits, will take precedence over the rules below.

Rules related to safety, good sportsmanship and the proper teaching of fundamental baseball skills should receive the highest priority.  All rules below apply to both the regular season and playoffs unless otherwise noted.

1. Team Composition:

   1. Each team must field a minimum of nine (9) players for a legal lineup. ( LL Rules 1.01, 4.16 and 4.17)

   2. Only players on the official league roster provided to the manager / head coach by the league commissioner are permitted to play in a league game unless assigned by the Player Agent. (Summary of Regulation V)

   3. If a team knows it will be short players for a game the manager can make a request to the Player Agent for fill-in players (player pool). The Player Agent maintains a list of eligible pool players from which the fill-in players will be drawn. (Summary of Regulation V)

2. Equipment:

   1. Intermediate and Juniors: The bat must be a baseball bat which meets the USA Baseball Bat standard (USABat) as adopted by Little League. It shall be a smooth, rounded stick, and made of wood or of material and color tested and proved acceptable to the USA Baseball Bat standard (USABat). (LL Rule 1.10) Also permitted for the Intermediate (50-70) Division and Junior League Division are bats meeting the BBCOR performance standard, and so labeled with a silkscreen or other permanent certification mark. 

   2. Seniors: All bats not made of a single piece of wood shall meet the Batted Ball Coefficient of Restitution (BBCOR) performance standard, and such bats shall be labeled with a silkscreen or other permanent certification mark. 

   3. Traditional Batting donuts are not allowed to be used. (LL Rule 1.10)

   4. Any non-adult personnel occupying a coach’s box must wear a helmet. (LL Rule 1.16)

   5. Helmets cannot be removed during play. After a warning the player can be removed for unsportsmanlike conduct. (LL Rule 1.16)

   6. All male players are required to wear athletic supporters while playing and are required to wear a metal, fiber or plastic type protective cup while playing catcher. (LL Rule 1.17).  MCLL strongly encourages all players to wear protective cups regardless of position.

   7. All catching masks must be outfitted with a “dangling” type throat protector” (LL Rule 1.17)

   8. C-flaps and other protective helmet attachments are permitted so long as the helmet is not altered in a manner that voids the helmet safety certification (NOCSAE certification).  For example drilling holds in a helmet will void the certification, as may the addition of after-market third party C-flaps.

3. Game:

   1. Home team will occupy the 1st base dugout and bench area (Local Rule)

   2. Each team must supply a scorekeeper and pitch counter. The home team keeps the official book. (Local Rule)

   3. Teams are responsible for tracking their own pitch counts and removing players with pitch count limits have been reached. (See Pitching)

   4. Each game shall consist of seven (7) innings. (LL Rule 4.10a)

   5. An official game shall consist of at least five (5) innings, 4 1⁄2 innings if the home team is ahead. (LL Rule 4.10c)

   6. A 15 run mercy rule is in effect. If after 4 innings, three and one-half innings if the home team is ahead, one team has a lead of fifteen (15) runs or more, the manager of the team with the least runs shall concede the victory to the opponent.  NOTE: (1) If the visiting team has a lead of fifteen (15) runs or more, the home team must bat in its half of the inning.  (LL Rule 4.10e)

   7. A 10 run mercy rule is in effect. If after 5 innings, four and one-half innings if the home team is ahead, one team has a lead of ten (10) runs or more, the manager of the team with the least runs shall concede the victory to the opponent.  NOTE: (1) If the visiting team has a lead of ten (10) runs or more, the home team must bat in its half of the inning.  (LL Rule 4.10e)

   8. A 8 run mercy rule is in effect. If after 6 innings, five and one-half innings if the home team is ahead, one team has a lead of eight (8) runs or more, the manager of the team with the least runs shall concede the victory to the opponent.  (LL Rule 4.10e)

      1. NOTE: If the visiting team has a lead, the home team must bat in its half of the inning before the mercy rule takes effect.  

      2. Teams may continue play if the time limit has not been reached, with any runs scored after reaching the mercy rule not counting towards the game total. 

4. Time Limits:

   1. Time Limits are a Local Rule and necessary due to time restrictions on field permits. The following are all MCLL Local Rule modifications of Regulation VII.h.

   2. Time limits are governed by the time limit set in the official MCLL schedule.  

   3. Due to time restrictions on field permits, it is imperative that games start on time. If a game is not completed within the time limit, the determination of the winner follows the same rules as a game called for weather. (MCLL Local Rule; Modification of Regulation VII.h))

   4. No new inning shall begin 2 hours 15 minutes after the start time of the game and the game shall not extend beyond 2 hours 30 minutes in total, unless a shorter time limit is necessary, no new inning will start 15 minutes before the official end time and will be clearly communicated at the home plate pre-game meeting. (MCLL Local Rule; Modification of Regulation VII.h)

   5. If the hard time limit of 2 hour 30 minutes has been reached the game will be called immediately. If an at bat is in process, the game will end upon completion of the current at bat.  (MCLL Local Rule; Modification of Regulation VII.h))

   6. For purposes of determining whether or not there is enough time to start a new inning, the actual start of a new inning shall be deemed the time at which the third out to end the prior inning occurs. In other words, the third out for the home team immediately triggers the next inning. (MCLL Local Rule; Modification of Regulation VII.h))

      1. Exception:  During playoffs there must be a winner.  Games will continue until there is a winner even if the hard time limit has been exceeded.  

      2. If a game is suspended due to weather or daylight before it can be completed LLI rules for suspended games apply.  

   7. If seven innings have been completed and the no new inning limit has not yet been reached, teams shall play extra innings until a winner has been declared or the time limit has been reached..

      1. Note: Extra innings are played using traditional baseball rules (i.e., no runner is placed on second base)

5. Canceled and Suspended Games:

   1. Please see LL Rules 4.10, 4.11 and 4.12 for a full explanation of regulation, called and suspended games.

   2. It is the responsibility of the coaches to work with League Reps to reschedule canceled and incomplete games. (Local Rule)

6. Batting:

   1. A continuous batting order that includes all players on the team roster present for the game batting in order may be used. (Variant of LL Rule 4.04).  Because games will be played between other District 2 leagues, please notify the opposing Manager prior to the game that continuous batting order is being used.

   2. When a player is injured, becomes ill, or must leave the game site after the start of the game, the team will skip over him/her when his/her time at bat comes up without penalty. If the injured, ill, or absent player returns he/she is merely inserted into their original spot in the batting order and the game continues.

   3. If a player arrives late to a game site, the player shall  be added to the end of the current lineup, regardless of where in the batting lineup the team is when the player arrives.  (Variant of LL Rule 4.04)

   4. There is no “must slide” rule. However, the runner is out when the runner does not slide or attempt to get around a fielder who has the ball and is waiting to make the tag. (LL Rule 7.08.a.3)

7. Pitching:

   1. Pitching limitations – Regulation VI regarding pitch limits MUST be adhered to.

   2. Any player who has played the position of catcher in four (4) or more innings in a game is not eligible to pitch on that calendar day.   The catcher receiving one pitch to a batter in the fourth inning constitutes having caught four (4) innings. Warm-up pitches do not count.  (Regulation VI.a).

   3. Any player who played the position of catcher for three innings or less, and delivers 21 pitches or more in the same day (15 and 16 year olds 31 pitches) may not return to the catcher position, except if a pitcher reaches 20 pitches (15 and 16 year olds 30 pitches) while facing a batter, the pitcher may continue to pitch and maintain their eligibility to play catcher until that batter reaches base, is retired, third out is made, or pitcher is removed prior to the batter completing the at-bat. (Regulation VI.a)

   4. A pitcher who delivers 41 or more pitches in a game cannot play the position of catcher for the remainder of that day, except if a pitcher reaches 40 pitches while facing a batter, the pitcher may continue to pitch and maintain their eligibility to play catcher until that batter reaches base, is retired, third out is made, or pitcher is removed prior to the batter completing the at-bat (Regulation VI.c)

   5. Under no circumstances may a player pitch more than 3 consecutive days or more than one game in a day.  (Regulation VI.d and k)

   6. A pitcher is allowed eight (8) warm-up pitches between innings or one (1) minute, whichever comes first. An initial eight (8) pitches will be awarded to any pitcher entering the game. (LL 8.03)

   7. A pitcher remaining on defense in the game, but moving to a different position, can return as a pitcher anytime for the remainder of the game, but only once per game.  (LL Regulation VI.b.)

   8. Managers and coaches shall not warm up pitchers. (Regulation XIV.f)

   9. No pitcher will be allowed to wear long white or gray sleeve shirts. Neoprene sleeves, if worn by a pitcher, must be covered by an undershirt. Any pitcher doing so will be asked to remove the shirt or sleeve, or will be removed from the pitcher’s position. (LL 1.11.a.3)

8. Offense: 

   1. Pursuant to LL Rule 7.00(b) a "courtesy runner" shall be permitted for a player who is on base with two outs and is the designated catcher or pitcher in the next half inning.  The courtesy runner will be the player that made the last out (i.e., the player that made the second out of the inning).  No courtesy runner is allowed in the last inning of the game (i.e., the 7th inning or as may be designated by the umpire) or during extra innings.

Umpire Summary for Intermediates, Juniors and Seniors

Game Format

• 7 Innings

• 5 innings for regulation game

• 15 run mercy rule after 4 innings

• 10 run mercy rule after 5 innings

• 8 run mercy rule after 6 innings

• No new inning after 2 hr 15 mins

• Hard stop at 2 hr 30 mins

Safety Rules

• Int/Jrs - Bats must be marked USABat or BBCOR

• Srs - Bats must be marked BBCOR

• No batting donuts

• Catcher masks must have “dangling” throat guard

• On deck circle is allowed; however no other players should be swinging a bat

• Head first slides ARE allowed

• Lightning: Halt game if lightning less than 10 miles away; 30 minutes must elapse after storm

Field Rules

• Infield Fly in effect

• Dropped 3rd strike in effect

• Leading off and stealing in effect

• Courtesy runner for catcher or pitcher allowed with 2-outs except in the last inning or during extra innings.

• Balks are called. Please see LL Rule 8.05 for full details

• Pitchers may not wear white or gray sleeves 

• Pitchers may not wear neoprene sleeves unless covered by an undershirt

• One offensive timeout per inning

• Pitcher visits. 2 per inning, 3rd visit a removal; 3 per game, 4th visit a removal

• Warning for throwing a bat are issued to the specific player.