ARTICLE X - FARM BASEBALL DIVISION – NON-COMPETITIVE
Section 1. Limited to league ages 5 & 6. This is a coed division. League age of all players (boys and girls) in this division is determined by the baseball league age cutoff date (August 31st of the calendar year).
Section 2. Offensive manager or coach is home plate umpire and pitcher. Defensive manager and both coaches from both sides may be used to umpire the bases. Base umpires will position themselves in the vicinity of first and third bases. The offensive manager umpires the plate from the vicinity of the pitcher’s mound. Only players and persons acting as umpires, coaches and managers are allowed in the field of play.
Section 3. The defensive team shall not field more than 10 players, 4 being outfielders. Outfielders shall be positioned in the outfield and start with both feet beyond the cut of the outfield grass.
Section 4. During the first half of the season, each batter will get 5 hittable pitches from the offensive coach using coach pitching and up to 3 swings off the batting tee if needed. The batter will be retired but not considered an out if he/she still fails to hit the ball from the tee. There are no called strikes or balls and there will be no walks.
Section 5. During the second half of the season, there will be no tee. The batter will be retired but not called out if he/she fails to hit the ball after 5 hittable pitches. There are no called strikes or balls and no walks. The batter will not be called out if the 5th pitch is a foul ball.
Section 6. The offensive team is retired when either the defensive team completes three fielding outs or offensive team bats through the order.
Section 7. No stealing or bunting is allowed, and infield fly rule will not be in effect.
Section 8. Every player on the team will participate in each game. The entire roster forms the batting order. Managers are strongly encouraged to make sure that all players hit in different spots in the order throughout the season. No player will sit out more than one inning in a row which means that benched players must rotate every inning. Every player should have a chance to play every position and be rotated frequently, preferably every inning. In the interest of safety, managers should consider the risk of injury when positioning players.
Section 9. Farm division uses the level 5 ball.
Section 10. The Lower Division Coordinator assigns players to teams. There are no tryouts or draft.
Section 11. Parents may request assignment preferences in Farm division. Preference may be a request to be assigned to a particular team or manager or with a sibling or a particular child. ECLL 14 cannot guarantee assignment requests.
Section 12. To reinforce the instructional spirit of this division, score is not kept and there are no winners or losers.
Section 13. A game is complete when 4 innings of play are completed. However, no new inning may start after 1 hour 30 minutes from the scheduled game time.
Section 14. The first half of the season is completed when 50% of the regular schedule has been completed.
Section 15. Batters and runners may advance no more than 1 base for any ball hit into the infield that remains in the infield. Batters and runners may advance no more than 2 bases (from the base occupied at the time of pitch) for any ball hit past the outfielders.
Section 16. 4 coaches are allowed on the field/dugout at any time. 1 coach must remain in dugout at all times when players are present in dugout, and up to 3 coaches on the field at any one time per team.