GENERAL RULES

• Age Bracket: 13-17 year olds (Click Here for league age requirements & guidelines)
• Recommended Max Team Size: 12 Players
• Field Size: 60/90
• Pre-Game Warm-Up: Both teams shall share infield and outfield space prior to the game for the purpose of warm-up. No batting practice should occur at home plate.
• Game Length: 7 Innings, 120 minute limit. No new inning to start after 105 minutes of play.
• Ball Requirements: Rawlings Cal Ripken. The home team will supply the game balls.
• Bat Requirements: USA Baseball Marking, 2 5/8" Barrel Maximum. (Click Here for bat rules)
  
• Helmet Requirements: All batters and base runners are required to wear proper batting helmets that are in acceptable condition (no cracks, missing padding, etc.).
• Scoring: Score is kept, League Standings are kept.
• Umpires: Paid Umpires are used.
• Jewelry or other metallic items are not permitted to be worn by players except for medical alert tags.

Please Click Here for Greater West Shore Teener Baseball League By-Laws (Select Articles are below)

ARTICLE XI – GENERAL PLAYING RULES

SECTION 1: All games shall be played under the rules as set forth by the National Federation Rules (PIAA) and the GWSTL.

SECTION 2: When and where applicable, Special Playing Rules adopted by the Board of Directors and/or the Executive Board of the GWSTL shall take precedence. 

SECTION 3: The visiting team will be given the field 30 minutes before the start of the game. 

SECTION 4: Lineup Cards – Must be presented to the opposing team prior to the game. They must have player’s full name, jersey number, batting order, players fielding position (if applicable). All substitute players must be listed with jersey number.

SECTION 5:  All players deemed unavailable to pitch due to GWSTL pitching rules must be declared prior to the game if the opposing coach requests that information, without exception.

ARTICLE XII – SPECIAL PLAYING RULES

SECTION 1: Waiver: The GWSTL will permit a player to play for a team other than the team from the association which is the residence of his parent or guardian as set forth in Exhibit A. Provided the player and his parent obtains the consent of his home organization, the organization for which team he wishes to play and the GWSTL Board of Directors. The player may not be rostered for the team for which he wishes to play, until a fully completed waiver form is on file with the applicable League Commissioner and the Executive Board of GWSTL.  A new waiver must be obtained by the player for each playing season. 

SECTION 2: Waiver violation of Section 1 will be forfeit all games that player has played in. 

SECTION 3: Substitution Rule for All Divisions: 

A. Fielding Rules: 
No Restrictions except for “Pitching Restriction Rules”. There are free substitutions on defense. Players do not need to be in the batting order to play defense and may be switched in/out at any time.

B. Batting Rules: 
1. A team may bat 9 players (There is no EH/DH) and follow standard substitution rules.

• A starter and substitute are married only in the batting order and can be moved in and out of batting order at anytime prior to an at-bat but may only bat in the same spot in the batting order.

                    A. A player that bats must run the bases after his turn at bat.                    
                    B. Except, pitcher / catcher “Courtesy Runner Rule” (Article XII, Section 12)

• Exception, injured player. 

                    A. Substitute can be put in batting order for injured player.
                    B. Starter stays in current position.

2. A team may bat their entire line up/roster
                    A. Batting choice must be declared by each Head Coach prior to the game and may not be switched at any time during that game.

SECTION 4: Pitching Restrictions Rules:

• If a pitcher reaches any pitch count threshold during an at-bat, he may continue to pitch to that batter until such batter is put out or reaches base, or until a third out has been made prior to the end of that at bat and will remain at that threshold.  
• No pitcher may appear in more than 2 consecutive days of competition
• Maximum pitch limitation for a week is 200 pitches (week is considered Sunday to Saturday)
• Scorekeepers are requested to frequently confer with one another to confirm pitch counts (no less than once per inning).  If a discrepancy occurs between the visiting and home pitch counts that cannot be resolved, the scorebook of the home team shall be the official book
• If the starting pitcher is pulled, he may re-enter as a pitcher one (1) time during the remainder of the game (all pitching restrictions still apply and do not reset with the re-entry)
• If a player throws more pitches than permitted by the restrictions he is considered ineligible and the game will be forfeited
• If a game is stopped for any reason prior to it becoming a legal game (see Section 5) all pitches thrown by all pitchers in that game will still count towards pitching restrictions

SECTION 5: A legal game is four (4) innings, home team losing; three and a half innings (3 ½) if the home team is winning. Games stopped before being considered a legal game will be considered "suspended" and rescheduled and continued from the exact suspended state. (all pitches thrown by all pitchers will still count towards pitching restrictions)   

SECTION 6:  Players will be permitted to wear metal spikes. 

SECTION 7:  National Senior and Junior Division Pitchers – Balk Rule is no warning.

SECTION 8:  American Senior and Junior Division Pitchers - Balk Rule There will be (1) warning per pitcher per game.

SECTION 9:  Mercy rule is as follows – 10 run rule (4 ½ -5 innings) - 15 run rule (2 ½ -3 innings)

SECTION 10:  Only BBCOR stamped (-3oz) 2 5/8 diameter (NFHS) and wood bats allowed