WEST VALLEY LITTLE LEAGUE
LEAGUE BY-LAWS – Baseball (DOWNLOAD BY-LAWS HERE)
(As of 2021)
Minors Division – West Valley Little League recognizes three levels of the Minors Division (Rookie-Coach Pitch, Minor AA and Minor AAA)
Rookie should include only 7 and 8 year olds. 6 year olds only with WVLL board approval.
Minor AA should include 8, 9, 10 year olds.
Minor AAA should include, primarily 9, 10 and 11 year olds. Skilled 8 year olds will be accepted as a result of the assessment process and with board approval.
Majors Division – West Valley Little League recognizes the Majors Division, officially known
as Little League Baseball, as primarily 11 and 12 year olds with skilled 10 year olds eligible.
Little League Baseball’s 2021 Official Regulations and Playing Rules govern our league (Tee
Ball, Minor League, and Major League) except as modified by the following rules. All
Managers are responsible for reading and abiding by both the above referenced Rule Book and
this document.
1.0 Team Responsibilities
1.1 The team designated on the schedule as the home team shall occupy the third
base dugout.
1.2 Each team shall provide one new ball at the beginning of the game.
1.3 The home team shall provide the official scorekeeper and provide the home plate Umpire. Home team will also drag the field, put bases away and put in base plugs at the end of the game.
1.4 Line-up cards and scorebooks will use the players 1st initial and last name or full
name.
1.5 The home team will prepare the field before each game.
1.6 The visiting team will provide the Field Umpire and at the completion of the game, will be responsible for picking up trash around the spectator area and for taking two (2) bags of trash, from the trash can nearest the field, to the dumpster.
1.7 Scores WILL NOT be kept in Rookie Division nor will Umpires be required.
2.0 Equipment
2.1 WVLL Rookie division will receive jerseys and hats that do not need to be returned at the end of the season. AA, AAA and Majors will receive jerseys, hats, belts and socks that do not need to be returned at the end of the season. These uniforms must display the
official Little League Patch on the upper left chest area of the jerseys for inter-league games.
2.2 Each player must wear regulation baseball pants with belt loops.
2.3 Close toed shoes must be worn and cleats are suggested at this level.
3.0 Game Start and Stop Times
3.1 All weekday games shall start at 6:15 p.m.
3.2 Games at the Major level have no stop time; however, darkness may be a factor.
The home plate umpire has responsibility for calling the game in the event of
darkness or weather. The home plate umpire is urged by the WVLL Board of
Directors to err on the side of caution when determining when to call a game due
to weather or darkness.
3.3 Games at the Rookie level shall be played for six innings or 1 ½ hours, whichever comes first. (Home umpire will keep official time.)
3.4 Games at the AA and AAA level will have a rule that: no new inning may start after 1 hour and 45 minutes of game play.
3.5 Rookies teams may play with a minimum of 8 players. If a game cannot be played due to a lack of players for one team, the coaches are encouraged to make up two teams from the available players and allow the players to play a game. The purpose of the Rookie division is recreational/instructional play.
3.6 Run rules. AA and AAA 15 runs after 3 innings and 10 runs after 4 innings shall constitute the end of play. There is a 5-run rule per inning for each Team in AA and AAA. Majors level 15 runs after 3 innings and 10 runs after 4 innings shall constitute the end of play. Intermediate level and above 15 runs after 4 innings and 10 runs after 5 innings shall constitute the end of play. Final inning of play shall have no run limit for all Divisions.
4.0 Players, Substitutions and Coaches
4.1 Children not registered in West Valley Little League may not play, practice or
reside in the dugout with any team.
4.2 Coaches will follow the Little League Baseball’s Official Regulations and Playing
Rules regarding pitchers.
4.3 All Managers must abide by the minimum playing requirements as detailed in
Little League Baseball’s Official Regulations.
4.4 In the event that a team loses a player through injury or other approved means a
replacement will be selected pursuant to the rules noted in the Official
Regulations and Playing Rules.
5.0 Batting Order
5.1 As per rule book.
5.2 In the Rookie division, managers are to bat their entire roster (all players in attendance) per their batting line-up. The first batter in each inning after the first inning shall be the player whose name follows that of the last player who legally completed a time at bat in the preceding inning. A half inning is considered complete when 3 outs are posted or the entire line-up has batted (whichever comes first).
6.0 Stealing
6.1 As per rule book.
6.2 Rookie ball does not allow for stealing of bases.
6.3 For AA, runner can advance (steal) when ball is in hitting zone, catcher has the ball or (upon a pass ball or wild pitch) the catcher is hovering or positioned over the ball.
7.0 Pitching
7.1 West Valley Little League utilizes the Pitching Affidavit form. This form is
maintained, in ink, by the Official Scorekeeper (home team’s responsibility) and
is used to document the date of the game, team played against, name of the
pitcher, league age of the pitcher, number of innings pitched. This form is to be
signed at the end of each game by the Official Scorekeeper and returned to each
team’s Manager for maintenance. It is the Official Scorekeeper’s responsibility to
notify the home plate umpire if a team is utilizing (or appears to be utilizing) an
ineligible pitcher.
7.2 Refer to Official Regulations and Playing Rules for pitching rules for Majors Division.
7.3 Please note specific guidelines for AA Division. In the event a pitcher has walked/Hit by Pitch (HBP) two consecutive batters (anytime in the ½ inning) and 4 balls to any other batter in the ½ inning, a coach from the offensive team will pitch to the batter receiving 4 balls until the batter strikes out (the existing strike count still applies to the batter but additional balls don’t count) or the ball is put into play. At this time the defensive pitcher will resume pitching.
To clarify, in the event a pitcher has walked two consecutive batters no other batter may walk in that ½ inning. HBP is considered a walk for AA pitching rules.
In the event a coach is to pitch, the coach shall not wear a glove and must maintain contact with the pitching plate while pitching and shall not interfere or participate in any play. While the coach is pitching the pitcher shall remain near the pitching mound (and not in front of) and act as a fielder.
Example #1 Example #2
Batter 1- hits Batter 1- hits
Batter 2- walks Batter 2- walks
Batter 3- hits Batter 3- hits
Batter 4- walk Batter 4- walks
Batter 5- walk (2nd consecutive walk) Batter 5- hits
Batter 6- 4 balls from pitcher- coach then pitches Batter 6- hit by pitch (HBP)
Batter 7- player Pitch- batter hit by pitch Batter 7- walk (2nd consecutive walk)
Batter 8- player Pitch- Batter hits Batter 8- player Pitch- Batter hits
Batter 9- 4 balls from pitcher- coach then pitches Batter 9- 4 balls from the pitcher-
Coach then pitches
Batter 10- 4 balls from pitcher-
Coach then pitches
Note 1: After 2 consecutive walks there will NOT be another walk in that ½ inning.
Note 2: This rule starts over with each ½ inning.
7.4 Pitcher age requirements, to clarify, are as follows; A pitcher who has attained a league age of twelve (12) is not eligible to pitch in the Minor League. Refer to Official Regulations and Playing Rules for pitching rules.
8.0 Batter and Overthrows- Rookie Division
8.1 There will be a six-pitch limit per batter; however, after three swinging strikes the batter is out by strike out. This rule should be applied to the latter half of the season, we ask Managers to be lenient on this ruling so as to focus on development of the players.
8.2 The batter will also be out if he/she has not made contact after six pitches. A foul ball on the last pitch entitles the batter to another pitch.
8.3 No batter shall be entitled to first base as a result of receiving four pitches that the umpire (Coach-Pitcher) has called balls. There are no walks in the Rookie division.
8.4 No batter shall be entitled to first base as a result of being touched by a pitched ball. If a player is touched by a pitched ball & unable to continue to bat, the at bat will not be recorded.
8.5 An overthrow is defined as a ball thrown by a defensive player that goes beyond the foul line of the playing field by more than 15 feet.
8.6 If the game is being played on a field without a backstop, a ball thrown more than 15 feet beyond home plate is also defined as an overthrow.
8.7 When an overthrow occurs, the ball is dead and the runners are entitled to advance one base beyond the base last legally touched at the time of the overthrow
9.0 Umpires
9.1 Each team shall provide a Certified Umpire. Home team provides the home plate umpire
9.2 Each team shall provide a Certified Umpire. Home team provides the home
plate umpire and the visiting team provides the field umpire.
9.3 The home plate umpire has responsibility for calling the game in the event of
time, darkness or weather. Refer to Division start and stop times in section 3.0.
9.4 Ten run rule does not apply.
9.5 Managers will support the umpires. Managers may address any issues with their own team including their team’s spectators harassing umpires so the game is not negatively impacted for players. If any issues are not being addressed with the opposing team harassing umpires, then managers need to find a board member that is not involved with the two teams playing.
10.0 Official Scorekeeper
10.1 The official scorekeeper, provided by the home team, is to maintain both teams’
pitching affidavits and the official scorebook. This individual is not to be in the
dugout and is to be available to the home plate umpire at all times.
10.2 The Pitching Affidavit is to be completed in pen, signed at the end of the game
by the Official Scorekeeper, Managers and Umpire and returned to the respective Managers.
10.3 The Official Scorebook is to be completed by the official scorekeeper. The
Official Scorekeeper is to sign the official scorebook. The book is to be retained
by the home team manager. Gamechanger APP can be used as official book for the game.
11.0 End of Season Play-off
11.1 Seeding is determined by www.wvll.org Regular season rules. Not tournament rules.
Voted in and Attested to: March, 2021.
Attested: Nate Garr, MacKenzie Casagrande,
MacKenzie Casagrande , VP of WVLL Operations
Nate Garr, President, WVLL