Looking to make an impact with the youth in our community? Do you have skills - life, leadership, patience and/or sports - you can share with the children of Payson? We are looking for POSITIVE role models to serve as team managers and coaches from Tee-Ball through Intermediate Baseball & Little League . 

Questions? Email us at [email protected] 
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The Little League manager and coach must be leaders. All must recognize that they hold a position of trust and responsibility in a program that deals with a sensitive and formative period of a child’s development.

It is required that the manager and coach have understanding, patience and the capacity to work with children. The manager and coach should be able to inspire respect. Above all else, managers and coaches must realize that they are helping to shape the physical, mental and emotional development of young people.

The Little League manager must be something more than just a teacher. Knowledge of the game is essential but it is not the only badge of a Little League coach or manager.

While an adult with training and background in the game is a desirable candidate for manager or coach, league screening committees should look for other important qualities. Screening of managers, coaches and others at the local league level who have contact with children is also important in attempting to discover those with a history of child abuse.

The heart of Little League is what happens between the adult manager/coach and player. It is the manager more than any other individual who controls the situation in which the players may be benefited. Improving the level of leadership in this vital area must be a continuing effort.

Children of Little League age are strongly influenced by adults whose ideals and aspirations are similar to their own. The manager/coach and player share a common interest in the game, a desire to excel, and determination to win. Children often idolize their managers and coaches, not because the adult is the most successful coach or mentor, but because the manager and coach are sources of inspiration.

Managers and coaches must be adults who are sensitive to the mental and physical limitations of children of Little League age and who recognize that the game is a vehicle of training and enjoyment, not an end in itself. It has been stated many times that the program of Little League can only be as good as the quality of leadership in the managing and coaching personnel. New leagues particularly, should make a determined effort to enlist the best adults in the community to serve as managers and coaches.

Anyone interested in being a Little League manager or coach should contact their local league president in person, and be willing to undergo a screening process that may include a background check, as well as interviews of those with personal knowledge of your qualifications.

Who is responsible for the conduct of the manager and coach? First and foremost, it is the manager or coach themselves. Each of us in Little League must take responsibility for our own actions.

However, as the chief administrator, the president selects and appoints the managers and coaches. As such, no person becomes a manager or coach without the approval of the president. All appointments are subject to final approval by the local league’s board of directors.

Only the local Little League board of directors has the authority to remove or suspend a manager or coach. If a parent or anyone else is dissatisfied with a manager or coach, they must present the issue to the local league president and board of directors. Because the local league president and board of directors are closest to the situation, it would be a disservice if Little League Headquarters became involved in disputes or personality conflicts between managers/coaches and parents.

However, any person who believes that a manager or coach (or any other Little League personnel) is, or has been, violently or sexually abusive to children should report the situation immediately to Little League Baseball International Headquarters as well as to the local police. It is Little League policy that no person who has a history of sexual abuse toward children be given any volunteer responsibilities in Little League. Read more about the Little League Child Protection Program.

2023 Significant Rule Updates (Little League International):

 

1.       Run Rule (Regular Season Only)

a.       Majors/Minors

 i.      15 runs after third inning (two and a half if home team is winning)

                              ii.      10 runs after fourth inning (three and a half if home team is winning)

                              iii.      8 runs after fifth inning (four and a half if home team is winning)

b.       Intermediates/Juniors/Seniors

i.      15 runs after third inning (three and a half if home team is winning)

ii.      10 runs after fourth inning (four and a half if home team is winning)

iii.      8 runs after fifth inning (five and a half if home team is winning)

2.       Warming up (Regular Season Only)

a.       Adult coaches can warm up pitcher between innings

 

Payson Little League Adopted Rules  

Payson Little League has adopted the following intraleague (Payson v. Payson) rule changes. When a Payson team plays a non-Payson team, local league adopted rules are NOT applicable and you should refer to Little League International’s Official Rules.

Seniors/Juniors/Intermediates/Majors/Minors

1.       Lineups – Teams shall utilize a continuous batting order. (Rule 4.04) (Regular Season)

2.       Injuries – A player removed from the game due to injury who misses an at bat may not return to the game. If the continuous batting order is used, the injured player’s batting position will be skipped over without penalty.

3.       Other than Injury – A player removed from the game for any reason other than injury who misses an at bat may not return to the game. If the continuous batting order is used, the player’s batting spot will be skipped over without penalty.

4.       Ejections

a.       If a player is ejected from the game and the continuous batting order is used, the ejected player’s batting position is counted as an automatic out.

b.       Any player/coach/volunteer ejected from a game is excluding from participating in any further game(s)/event(s) for the remainder of that calendar day.

c.       Any player/coach/volunteer ejected from a game/event shall be automatically suspended and ineligible to participate in their next scheduled game. If formally requested through writing, the Payson Little League Board of Directors may review the facts leading to the ejection and may waive the one game suspension. The Payson Little League Board of Directors reserves the right to extend any suspension based on the severity of the incident.

5.       Starting a game - Teams may start a game with less than nine (9), but no fewer than eight (8) players. If a team only has eight (8) players, the ninth batting position is skipped over without penalty. Should additional players arrive after the start of the game, they shall be inserted into the batting order after the eighth batting position.

6.       Player Pool – Each division will have an established list of players that can be contacted as a fill-in should a team have fewer than nine (9) players at the start of a game. The fill-in player(s) must be assigned to the bottom of the batting order and shall only be utilized in an outfield position. If a player regularly assigned to the team utilizing the player pool arrives to the game late, that player will take the batting position and place of the player from the player pool provided that the team can field a minimum of nine (9) players.

Seniors/Juniors/Intermediates

1.       Time Limit – Games consist of seven (7) innings or a 2 hour and 0 minute time limit.  If an inning is started prior to the time limit, it will be completed; however no new inning will begin after time expires. If after seven (7) innings, the game is tied, but the time limit has not expired, additional inning(s) may be completed until the time limit is reached. The time limit begins at first pitch, and the plate umpire has sole responsibility of timekeeping. (Rule 4.10c2)

Exceptions: If the home team is ahead and time expires, the bottom half of the inning does not need to be completed.

2.       Inning Run Rule – During the first, second, and third innings, a six (6) run rule for each inning is enacted. A team may score more than six runs in each of the first, second, and third inning if any subsequent runs score during the same play that the sixth run was scored. Beginning in the fourth inning, the six-run inning rule is no longer in effect as the game ending mercy-run rules apply. Game ending mercy rules are 15-runs after the fourth inning, 10-runs after the fifth inning, and 8-runs after the sixth or subsequent inning. (Rule 4.10e) 

Scenario: In the second inning, the visiting team is leading over the home team 9 to 0. The visiting team is up to bat and has already scored five runs in the second inning. When the batter steps to the plate, the bases are loaded. The batter hits a double and three runs cross the plate. How many runs are counted from the play? Ruling: All three runs are counted and the score should be 12 to 0. During the second inning, the Payson League 6-run inning rule is in effect. The visiting team has already scored five runs; however, because the seventh and eighth runs scored during the same play that the sixth run scored, those runs count. At the end of the play, play is stopped, and the half inning is over regardless of the number of outs recorded. 

Intermediates

1.       Each pitcher will receive one balk warning before a balk call is enforced.

Majors/Minors

1.       Time Limit – Games consist of six (6) innings or a 1 hour and 45 minute time limit.  If an inning is started prior to the time limit, it will be completed; however no new inning will begin after time expires. If after six (6) innings, the game is tied, but the time limit has not expired, additional inning(s) may be completed until the time limit is reached. The time limit begins at first pitch, and the plate umpire has sole responsibility of timekeeping. (Rule 4.10c2)

Exceptions: If the home team is ahead and time expires, the bottom half of the inning does not need to be completed.

2.       Inning Run Rule – During the first and second inning, a five (5) run rule for each inning is enacted. A team may score more than five runs in the first and second inning if any subsequent runs score during the same play that the fifth run was scored. Beginning in the third inning, the five-run inning rule is no longer in effect as the game ending mercy-run rules apply. Game ending mercy rules are 15-runs after the third inning, 10-runs after the fourth inning, and 8-runs after the fifth or subsequent inning. (Rule 4.10e)

Scenario: In the second inning, the visiting team is leading over the home team 9 to 0. The visiting team is up to bat and has already scored four runs in the second inning. When the batter steps to the plate, the bases are loaded. The batter hits a double and three runs cross the plate. How many runs are counted from the play? Ruling: All three runs are counted and the score should be 12 to 0. During the second inning, the Payson League 5-run inning rule is in effect. The visiting team has already scored four runs; however, because the sixth and seventh runs scored during the same play that the fifth run scored, those runs count. At the end of the play, play is stopped, and the half inning is over regardless of the number of outs recorded. 

3.       No diving/head-first sliding – Any runner is out when the runner slides/dives head first regardless of whether the runner is advancing or retreating. The out occurs at the time of the infraction making it a time play. (Rule 7.08a4)

Minors – Only

1.       Pitching Machine – Beginning in the top of the third inning, a pitching machine shall be utilized. A hitting team’s coach is responsible for operating the pitching machine for their own team. The speed setting shall be set to speed setting “5.” A change to the speed setting may occur if both managers and umpires agree to the adjustment. When the pitching machine is in use, no base on balls or hit by pitch awards shall take place. The player assigned the pitching position shall take a fielding position within five feet of the pitching machine.

2.       Fourth Outfielder – A team has the option of fielding a tenth position player with the extra fielder playing an outfield position. If utilized, the outfield would consist of left field (LF), left center (LC), right center (RC), and right field (RF).