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9.01 Freshman Division. Freshman Division Playing Field
Dimensions - Bases will be 70 feet apart. Pitchers mounds will be 50 feet,
6 inches from home plate. Freshman Division - No metal spikes will be
allowed.
9.02 Protective Headgear. All players must wear protective
helmets (inside liners are not acceptable) while batting and base running
in all NABF tournaments. Refusal to wear the protective
helmet will result in the player’s immediate removal from the
game, and a player substituted for him/her at the plate or on the base.
The protective helmets must have a double earflap and protector for
the base of the skull.
9.03 Catcher’s Equipment. Catchers in all NABF
tournament games must use full catching equipment including face mask
with throat guard, chest protector, shin guards, glove, athletic protector,
and catcher’s helmet. Refusal to wear said protective equipment
will result in the player’s immediate removal from the game.
9.04 Uniforms.
(A) Complete uniform. All players and coaches must
be in complete and matching uniforms to participate in any NABF
Regional or World Series game. All players and coaches must have a
unique number, prominently displayed on the back of their shirts to
assist game officials in identifying the team personnel.
Coaching staff team members participating in Sophomore Division NABF
tournaments and any age bracket below the Sophomore Division may wear
coaches pants or coaches shorts, provided all coaches are attired
alike and uniformed identically in same color and trim as their fully
uniformed
players.
(B) Logo Patches. Teams participating in NABF
National Championship games at the regional or national level must
display on the uniform shirt front or sleeve the NABF
logo patch. Logo patches representing other national organizations
shall not be permitted without the written consent of the respective
age division directors or the NABF President.
Penalty: Failure of players/coaches to comply with
9.04(A) and /or 9.04 (B) will result in the immediate removal from the
game.
(A) Metal Bats. Magnesium and aluminum bats and
other metallic substance bats which conform to weight and size standards
as prescribed in the Playing Rules as defined in Article VII, Section
1 of the NABF Constitution and By-Laws shall be acceptable
in NABF tournament play. All metallic substance bats
must have a minus three (3) rating for all age groups (Sophomore,
14 and Under Division and older) to conform with weight and size standards
as prescribed in the official baseball rules and rule 0.05 of the
NABF Tournament Rules.
(B) Laminated Wooden Bats. Laminated wooden bats
which conform to weight and size standards as prescribed in the Playing
Rules as defined in Article VII, Section 1 of the NABF
Constitution and By-Laws shall be acceptable in NABF
tournament play, providing the bat is formed from a block of wood
consisting of two or more pieces of wood bonded together by an adhesive
in such a way that the grain direction of all pieces is essentially
parallel to the length of the bat. Any such laminated bat shall contain
only wood and adhesive.
(C) Major, College, Senior, High School , and Junior (16
and under age) Division Bats. Wooden bats, wood composite
or laminated wood bats must be used in all NABF Major,
College, Senior High School, and Junior (16 and under age) Division
Tournaments. Metal bats as described in Section 9.05-A above are prohibited.
9.06 Determining Home and Visiting Teams. Before all
NABF tournament games the home team and visiting teams
must be determined by a toss of the coin.
9.07 Designated Hitter (DH). The designated hitter
rule as adopted by the American League of Professional Baseball Clubs
may be utilized in all NABF tournaments. (See Rule
9.08.)
9.08 Designated Hitter Rule. A hitter may be designated
to bat for the starting pitcher and all subsequent pitchers in any game
without otherwise affecting the status of the pitcher(s) in the game.
(A) A Designated Hitter for the pitcher must be selected prior to
the game and must be included in the lineup cards presented to the
umpire-in-chief. The starting player listed in the batting order as
the Designated Hitter must bat
at least once before he can be substituted for, unless the opposing
team changes the pitcher.
(B) It is not mandatory that a club designate a hitter for the pitcher,
but failure to do so prior to the game precludes the use of the Designated
Hitter for that game.
(C) Pinch hitters for the Designated Hitter may be used. Any substitute
hitter for the Designated Hitter himself/herself becomes the Designated
Hitter. A replaced Designated Hitter shall not re-enter the game in
any capacity.
(D) The Designated Hitter may be used defensively, continuing to
bat in the same position in the batting order, but the pitcher must
then bat in the place of the substituted defensive player, unless
more than one substitution is made, and the manager then must designate
their spots in the batting order.
(E) A runner may be substituted for the Designated Hitter and the
runner assumes the role of the Designated Hitter.
(F) A Designated Hitter is “locked” into the batting order.
No multiple substituitions may be made that will alter the batting
rotation of the Designated Hitter.
(G) Once the game pitcher is switched from the mound to a defensive
position, this move shall terminate the Designated Hitter role for
the remainder of
the game. Once a defensive player is switched from a field position
to the
pitcher's position, this move shall terminate the Designated Hitter
role for the remainder of the game.
(H) Once a pinch hitter bats for any player in the batting order
and then enters the game to pitch, this move shall terminate the Designated
Hitter role for the remainder of the game.
(I) Once the game pitcher bats for the Designated Hitter this move
shall terminute the Designated Hitter role for the remainder of the
game.
9.09 Trips to the Mound. If a manager or coach goes
to the mound twice in one (1) inning to the same pitcher, that pitcher
must be removed. He/she may finish the game in any other position, but
cannot return to the mound for the duration of the game. Note: On the
first trip to the mound by the manager, the pitcher may be moved to
a defensive position and the pitcher may return to the mound at anytime
during the game. However, this move terminates the designated hitter
role for the remainder of the game. (See Official Baseball Rule 6.10)
9.10 Game Umpires. Not less than two (2) umpires shall
be assigned to work any tournament game, and no team shall be required
to play a tournament game without at least two qualified umpires working
the contest unless the managers of both teams agree to do so in writing.
9.11 Pitching Requirements. Each franchise member
association of the NABF shall determine the guidelines
for the number of innings pitched or any such pitching restriction intended
for safety of their respective player participants. Such pitching restrictions
shall be observed by the managers, coaches, and players representing
their association at any NABF National Regional or
National Championship series of games. No manager, coach, League Director,
or anyone else shall wave any pitching requirements. The responsibility
for the players safety shall be with the managers and/or coaches of
the competing team.
9.12 Rookie Division. Rookie Division Playing Field
Dimensions - Bases will be 65 feet apart. Pitchers mounds will be 46
feet from home plate. Rookie Division - No metal spikes will be allowed.
9.13 NABF Slide Rule (nine and under through twenty-two and
under
groups). A legal slide can be either feet first or head first.
If a runner slides feet first, at least one leg and buttock shall be
on the ground. If a runner slides, he must slide within reach of the
base with either a hand or a foot.
A slide is illegal if:
(A) The runner uses a rolling, cross-body or pop-up slide into the
fielder, or
(B) the runner’s raised leg is higher than the fielder’s
knee when the fielder is in a standing position, or
(C) the runner goes beyond the base and then makes contact with or
alters the play of the fielder, or
(D) the runner slashes or kicks the fielder with either leg, or
(E) the runner tries to injure the fielder, or
(F) the runner, on a force play, does not slide on the ground and
in a direct line between the two bases.
EXCEPTION: A runner may slide or run in a direction
away
from the fielder to avoid making contact or altering the play of the
fielder.
PENALTY: (1) With less than two outs, the batter-runner,
as well as the interfering runner, shall be declared out and no other
runner(s) shall advance. (2) With two outs, the interfering runner
shall be declared out and no other runner(s) shall advance. (3) If
the runner’s slide or collision is flagrant, the runner shall
be ejected from the contest.
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