MYBSL will play under Will-Kan Pony Baseball Rules.
All games will be governed by Will-Kan Rules. IHSA rules will apply when Will-Kan rules do not address a particular situation. CUT OFF DATE IS APRIL 30TH.
1. The ten run rule will apply after the required amount of innings has been played to make the game official. A fifteen run rule will apply for the Mustang Division. Complete game for Mustang is 3 ½ innings. Complete game for Bronco/Pony is 4 ½ innings. Official start time will be determined by the umpire after coaches have met at home plate prior to the beginning of the game.
2. In the Mustang Division, teams will be allowed to score only five runs per inning for the first three innings, and allowed unlimited number of runs the last three innings.
3. There will be no BALK rule for the Mustang Division.
4. In the Mustang Division “only”, runners may steal bases, but may not leave the base they are occupying until the pitched ball has reached home plate. Once the pitcher steps on the rubber, runners who leave the base too soon will be called out and the ball is dead. After a walk, the batter can only go to first base until the next pitch unless a play is made on a runner on base or an overthrown pass ball. Runners on base can advance at their own risk. “No Delayed Steals” – Any runner stealing a base must make his break for the base he is stealing before the catcher is in the motion of throwing the ball back to the pitcher. In case of an over throw, the ball is in play for all runners including the runner on third and player that went first. Also, no stealing home unless there is a pass ball, or a play made on any runner.
5. For all divisions, a player must play two- (2) full innings and take one (1) turn at bat. If any player is denied this opportunity, his team shall forfeit the game. No forfeit shall occur for this reason, if the game is shortened for any legitimate reason, and the player(s) would have fulfilled his/their-playing requirement had the game been played for the full number of scheduled innings.
6. In the Mustang Division play, when the umpire calls “Infield Fly Rule” the batter is out, and the ball is dead. The runners must return to their bases.
7. NO DROP THIRD STRIKE IN MUSTANG DIVISION.
8. All divisions will play continuous batting. In the case of continuous batting, a player is not out for any injury or illness; but will be counted out for leaving the game early. In case of a suspended game, if using continuous batting, new or injured players may not be inserted anywhere in the batting order except to the bottom of the order. Any team playing with less than 9 players may insert another player(s) at ANTIME during the game. He must be put at the bottom of the batting order.
9. Games can only be postponed for any emergency, weather conditions or a school activity, which would bring the team to less then 9 players. Games will be an official game with 8 players. All postponed games must be rescheduled within one week and played within two weeks, or the league President will direct when and where the game will be played. If the games are not played, the team that cannot play will forfeit. Any game that starts with less than 9 players, the open batting position will be counted as an out.
10. All games called due to weather, darkness, light restriction, or anything else out of the control of the manager’s without the game being an official game; will be a suspended game, and will be completed from the point in which the game was stopped.
11. FOR ALL DIVISIONS, a pitcher hitting three batters per inning will be removed from pitching and will not be allowed to pitch for the remainder of the game.
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12. A sub can only be brought up from a lower division ONLY TO BE THE 9TH OR 10TH PLAYER AND CANNOT PITCH. A player rostered to an upper division, cannot go back down to their age group.
13. A player may be pulled up to reach 9 or 10 players not to exceed a total of 10 players. In order to play on a tournament team, a rostered player must play in over 75% of the games played that season. The only exception will be in the case of an injury that forces the original rostered member of a team to not meet the requirements. If there is any question to the validity of a player, the scorebook of that team will be used as proof. High School age eligible are not penalized for not play 75% of games.
14. No player will be allowed to play for another team within its own team’s age group.
15. No player will be allowed to wear metal cleats in any division.
16. It will be the umpire’s judgment if a player should be warned or ejected for “coming in hard” into a base. He should be removed if the attempt was to injure a player. A runner maliciously running into a player is automatically ejected from that game.
17. All players must wear a supporting cup. No game may proceed until all required protective equipment is properly used.
18. The home team manager shall notify the visiting manager and umpires at least one and one-half hours before game time barring any unseen weather changes if field is unfit to play.
19. Games must begin at their scheduled time. Games not started within 15 minutes due to lateness of an umpire, coach or a team of the scheduled time; the game will be rescheduled at the field of the team that did not violate the rule. The team that violated the rule must pay for the umpires. Umpires should insist on hustling of players between innings so that games will not drag out in length.
20. A courtesy runner may be used for the catcher after two outs in the inning. It must be the player, who made the second out of the inning, unless it is the catcher, in which case, the runner would be the first out.
21. The Bronco Division will have one BALK warning per pitcher per game. The Pony Division will have no BALK warnings. Any balk resulting from the hidden ball trick – no warning.
22. When a player or anyone involved on the playing field is obviously hurt badly, the umpire and only the umpire may stop play. Upon resumption of the game, the umpire will assign runners to appropriate bases and record outs that, in the umpire’s opinion, would have resulted had the game not been stopped during a “live ball” situation.
23. The home team’s score book is the official score book unless the umpire in charge has reason to believe that the home team scorer is in error.
- Physical and/or verbal abuse or intimidation by any game participant toward any other game participant shall result in immediate ejection from the game. Participants shall include players, team members, managers, coaches, umpires, parents, and fans. If a coach touches another player from another team in an inappropriate manner, it must be brought up before the Will-Kan Board.
- Negative comments, conduct, team profanity or harassment from the bench or on the playing field directed towards the other team will not be tolerated. Managers and coaches will have the responsibility for their own fan’s behavior. Failure to do this will result in their ejection. Good Sportsmanship will be expected at all times.
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- The home team shall furnish two new baseballs per game.
- Coach, managers and players are the only persons allowed on the playing field. Batboys or girls are not permitted on the playing field, bench or in the dugout.
- All league fees for Will-Kan Pony Baseball are to be paid to the League Treasurer by the coach’s meeting.
- On drop third strike for “only” the Bronco and Pony divisions – the orange safety base may be used for safety reasons.
30. USA STAMP MUST BE ON ALL BATS FOR ALL DIVISIONS. Pony length bat length of 31 inches or longer must be stamped BBCOR.50 and 30 length and under bats must be stamped USA – can’t exceed a minus 10. IHSA 2 5/8 maximum diameter of bat will be used at all levels – no 2 ¼ inch barrel in Bronco and Pony Divisions. Wooden bats are allowed. 1st Violation – for using illegal bat – the player will be out for that at bat. 2nd Violation – batter will be suspended for the game. 3rd Violation – the manager will be warned for the use of illegal bat if a seconded illegal bat is used the manager will be ejected from the game.
- ALL Divisions batting helmets will be required to have full face mask. Pony Division Only – face masks optional but will be governed by each town.
PITCHING INFORMATION FOR ALL DIVISIONS:
A. BASE DISTANCE
Mustang – 60 feet, Bronco – 70 feet, Pony – 80 feet
B. PITCHING DISTANCE
Mustang – 44 feet, Bronco – 48 feet, Pony – 54 feet
C. PITCHING LIMITATIONS Mustang Bronco/Pony
Max. innings per calendar day 3 7
Max. innings per calendar week 6 10
D. Pitchers who throw one pitch in any inning shall be considered to have pitched the entire inning. A calendar week extends from 12:01 am on Monday to 12:00 midnight on the following Sunday. Innings pitched shall be calculated on the actual day and in the actual week in which they were pitched.
E. Any pitcher withdrawn from the mound and/or lineup, or a pitcher, who is withdrawn from the mound and stays in the game at another position, shall not be permitted to pitch again in the same game in all divisions.
F. After a Mustang player has pitched three innings in a calendar day, or after a Bronco or Pony player has pitched at least four innings in a calendar day, there must be a minimum of forty (40) hours, in which he does not pitch. These times are calculated from the scheduled starting time of the game in which the pitcher accumulated the applicable number of innings to be the starting time of the next game in which the pitcher is eligible to pitch.
G. If any pitcher exceeds the daily or weekly pitching limits, the head coach of that player’s team shall be suspended for the next regular game. Suspension is defined as the complete absence of the coach from the park and area in which the game is being played. A second such violation by any pitcher shall result in a suspension of the head coach for the remainder of the year. In addition, the games in which any such violation occurs shall be forfeited.
H. At the beginning of each game, coaches from each team MUST exchange a list of innings pitched by all players on the roster for that week, and also, a list of players and innings pitched within the last forty (40) hours. Any manager that does not exchange pitching innings – PENALTY: TEAM FORFEITS.
I. In Bronco and Pony divisions, pitching signals must come from the catcher.
J. FOR ALL DIVISIONS – The higher seeded team for the tournament will have the 3rd base dugouts.
2021 wil-kan rules- mustang - bronco - pony.doc