GAME PLAY RULES FOR FOAL DIVISION  3 & 4 Year Old

The ARCADIA PONY Foal program teaches the fundamentals of baseball, team spirit, and sportsmanship in a safe environment while having as much fun as possible. In addition to the rules that follow, please also review the League-Wide Rules.

Article I: Goals & Logistics

1.      The Foal Division is non-competitive; no score will be kept.

2.      Parents are encouraged to participate in the infield and outfield, as base Coaches, and to help direct play.

3.      Reduced injury baseballs MUST be always used during practices and games in the Foal Division.

4.      Coach pitching will be introduced in practice early on. The goal is to have the teams’ coach pitching in games. The use of a batting tee will be based on the skill level of the Player. Pitching underhand is permitted.

5.      The batting team is responsible for monitoring the home plate area to ensure Players are swinging the bat safely. The home plate monitor MUST be an adult. Players MUST be taught not to throw the bat: correcting this tendency early makes a world of difference when the Players are older.

6.      The team Manager must always keep a copy of each Player’s registration/medical form with him/her during practices and games.

7.      Every Player plays every inning. For example, you can have 6 infielders and 6 outfielders with a maximum of 2 players per position. Rotate all Players to all positions during the course of a season. This is not only “fair” but it also provides the Players with a better learning experience. All Players bat once per half-inning.

8.      Foal uses an approximately 50-foot diamond.

Article II: Foal Division Game Rules

1.      Games are three (3) innings or (1) hour in length, whichever comes first. A half inning is complete when everyone on a team has batted once. The last Player up in a half-inning hits a home run. The team in the field should wait for the last batter (during his home run sprint) to touch home plate before exiting the field.

2.      No outs are recorded, but if a batter or runner is out via a put out, or a caught fly ball, the batter/runner is retired. This reinforces the defensive concept of trying to get base runners out and keeps the defense interested in the game. Put outs from a runner failing to tag up on a caught fly ball are not called – the runner returns to their original base (no quadruple-plays).

3.      There is no bunting. A 10-foot arc shall be inscribed in front of home plate, from the first to the third base foul line, and any batted ball which does not travel beyond that line will be considered a foul ball.

4.      Base runners are not permitted to steal bases and shall remain in contact with the base until the ball is hit.

5.      No sliding is allowed.

6.      Players must have a helmet on their head before being handed a bat. There is no “on-deck” circle.

7.      The use of a batting tee may be used throughout the season. A team may also elect to coach pitch at any time during the season to skill appropriate Players. Managers/Coaches electing to coach pitch may throw overhand from a kneeling position or may pitch underhand.