1. FUN: The most important rule is to have fun while learning new skills, meeting new people and enjoying baseball.

 2. All games will begin as indicated on the ETBA/WABL Schedule.

Wexford Park:  6:30 p.m. game start, no new inning after 8:15 p.m. No pitch after  8:30 p.m.

Ted Reeves Park South West & Wishing Well Park: 7:00 p.m. game start, no new inning after 8:45 p.m. No pitch after 9:00 p.m.

Ted Reeves Park North East: 6:45 p.m. game start, no new inning after 8:30 p.m. No pitch after 8:45 p.m.

 At Ted Reeve North East, games may occasionally be interrupted for 5 to 10 minutes to reduce impact of the setting sun on the batters vision.

If, in the judgment of the home plate umpire, a coach or player intentionally delays the game in order to reach the time limit, the umpire may extend the time limit to allow the half-inning to finish.

 3. Cancellation:

Games may be cancelled by the Home Field Convenor prior to the game and any such cancellation will be communicated Two(2) hours before Game Start. If there is no cancellation by the Home Field convenor the teams must go to the park as scheduled. Thereafter, the decision to cancel a game or any part of a game because of playing conditions is at the discretion of the umpire(s). All umpire’s decisions are final. The Wexford-Agincourt website will normally have such cancellations posted on the main page. The League convenors (East Toronto and Wexford-Agincourt) will have the final decision on whether rained out games will be rescheduled if adequate notice was not communicated to the teams.

 4. The home team will be determined by the schedule. (Visitors versus Home)

 5. At Wexford and Wishing Well Parks, the Wexford-Agincourt team will set up the field (put out bases, rake as necessary, put away bases at game end). At Ted Reeve park, the East Toronto team will set up the field. At either park, if there are two teams from the same league playing, the home team will set up the field.

 6. The home team is to supply the official scorekeeper, one(1) new Game ball and good second ball for each game.

 7. Players are to be present at the game 15 minutes before game start.

 Each team’s Line up should also be exchanged with the opposing coach fifteen(15) minutes before the commencement of the Game. A consecutive batting order must be given to the scorekeeper with the players’ jersey numbers and names at this time as well.

 8. No player shall be listed on the game line up if he or she is unable to play a defensive position. All players listed on the line up sheet must bat.

 9. Pre-game warm-up: home team has the right to the playing field five (5) minutes before scheduled game time. All other warm ups are to take place in the bullpen or side areas of the diamond before game start.

 10. Minimum Number of Players:

Each team must have a minimum of seven (7) players to play an official game.

Subject to Rule 11 below, if a team is unable to field seven players by the

scheduled start time, the game will be declared forfeit and a score of 7-0 will be

recorded in favour of the non-defaulting team. If the game is played with fewer than 9 players, the 8^th or 9^th batters will NOT be automatic outs.

 11. A grace period of 15 minutes will be allowed to reach the minimum of eight (8) players. Once the minimum players are reached the game will commence immediately. Curfew time remains unaffected with the hard stop at 2 hours from official game time as noted on the schedule.

 12. Late arriving players may enter the game after it has commenced to assume an unoccupied defensive playing position once time has been granted by the Plate or Base Umpire. If the team has a maximum number of fielders on the diamond already, the late arriving player must be inserted into the defensive line-up the following inning.

 13. Late or additional batters must be added to the bottom of the batting order.

 14. All players must bat in the order presented to the official scorekeeper prior to the start of each game.

 15. Both teams are responsible for submitting the results of the game to the to agincourt-wexfordbaseball@hotmail.com within 48 hours or by entering them on the ‘Score Submission’ page at www.wexford.baseball.com . Scores not submitted in a timely manner will be considered a loss for both teams when determining playoff standings.

 16. Substitutions are only allowed at the end of an inning except in the case of a pitching change or an on-field injury. A pitching change must be an on-field substitution.

 17. Any player leaving the field during an inning due to an injury must remain out of the game for the balance of the defensive inning before re-entering the game in a defensive position. The player removed for injury may take their next scheduled turn at bat. A player unable to take their turn at bat, after being removed from the field due to an injury, shall be removed from the line-up and further play in the game (this is not an out nor is it considered batting out of turn). A batter or runner may not have a pinch runner unless the injury occurs during the player’s turn as batter or runner. The player who represents the last recorded out shall be substitute runner.

 18. A 5 run mercy shall apply to all innings.

 19. Tied games are allowed during regular season play. During playoffs and the Championship Game extra innings can be played subject to curfew and maximum game time rules. If the game remains tied or the inning cannot be completed and the home team is trailing, then the tie will be broken by reverting to the last winning inning. In the event that the time limit has been reached, (subject to resolution of any 'intentional delay' under rule 1 by the home plate umpire) and the tie cannot be resolved by reverting to a 'winning inning', then coaches have the option to continue the game past the time limit until a winning inning is achieved. At the end of each inning, either coach, or the home plate umpire, can elect to suspend the game until a later date. Such date to be determined by the respective convenors of the leagues. Pitchers already used in the suspended game will not be eligible to pitch in the resumed game, (except for the active pitchers at the time of the suspension, whose innings pitched in the suspended game will count towards the resumed game, subject to the provisions of rule 36).

 20. A regulation game consists of 7 innings. A game will be considered official if 3-1/2 or 4 innings have been completed or curfew has been reached. 3-1/2 innings will be considered official if the home team is ahead at the time or any time they are at bat.

 21. All Players and coaches will be dressed in a baseball team uniform as issued by the league (Coaches uniform being a shirt and a cap). No visible jewelry is permitted on the diamond. If it is not removable, it must be taped down and covered for the player’s protection.

 22. Only rubber cleats are to be worn on the East Toronto Baseball Association or Wexford-Agincourt Baseball League’s playing fields. Metal cleats are prohibited at all levels of play below Midget.

 23. It is mandatory that all players wear a protective athletic support (Jill for girls or Jock for boys). The use of mouth guards while playing infield positions (including pitchers) is strongly encouraged.

 24. All Catchers are required to wear full catcher’s equipment and a catcher’s mitt during the game.

 25. Anyone assuming a squatting or kneeling position to warm up a pitcher must wear a protective mask.

 26. Batting helmets must be worn by all batters, base runners and batters in the on deck circle. Helmets cannot be removed when the player is on the field of play. Any player intentionally removing his or her helmet while on the field of play (unless time is called) will be declared out. Chin straps must be fastened and remain so until the batter/runner is off the playing field. Any player throwing their helmet (whether on the field or in the dugout) is subject to ejection at the discretion of the umpire.

 27. Protests:

Coaches, parents and players are reminded that house league baseball at ETBA/WABL emphasizes sportsmanship, fair play and mutual respect for players, coaches and umpires.

Parents, coaches and players should consider that umpires at house league games are typically teenagers trying to successfully manage a game involving a broad range of skill levels, temperaments, baseball knowledge and age ranges (from adult coaches to youngest players on the field). The umpires are learning and improving a new set of skills, just as the players are. The standard baseball rule book is over 90 pages, and each league and age division imposes additional rules (you are reading one of about 40 ‘exceptions and clarifications’ to the standard rules for this age group alone).

Protests will not be allowed for games in the Peewee Division. If concerns about the quality of judgment or rule interpretation exist, they should be addressed after the game, with the appropriate league convenor and/or umpire-in-chief.

 28. No smoking or use of tobacco products is permitted on the playing field, the dugouts or the immediate vicinity of the dugouts (This applies to coaches, players and umpires).

 29. Absolutely no ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES are allowed in the park or parking lot during the game. This also applies to street drugs.

 30. Sportsmanship:

Displays of poor sportsmanship by players or coaches will not be tolerated. Be reminded, the umpires have the discretion to remove any coach or player from the game or the field for disciplinary reasons. Regardless of an umpire’s exercise of discretion, an “offending” player’s coach has the discretion to remove the player from the game for disciplinary reasons. In these circumstances both the home plate umpire and the opposing coach shall be notified and Rule 14 will not apply to the disciplined player.

 Examples of conduct subject to discipline:

a) Players caught throwing dirt;

b) Players or coaches deliberately directing discourteous and/or disrespectful remarks to the opposing team.

c) Any player not on the field may not play Ball or Run around. The players must sit on the bench with the rest of the team unless they are given permission to leave the bench by the coach.

 31. Respect for Officials

Any coach or player who abuses and umpire or opponents either verbally or physically will be ejected from the game and suspended for the next league or play off game. Additional suspension may be determined by the Joint executive committee. The umpire must notify the umpire-in-chief as soon as possible of any infraction. All coaches are responsible for their parents and spectators. If either abuse the umpire or opponents, verbally, physically or otherwise the coach will be asked to control this person(s) or they will be ejected from the park. If the person(s) will not leave the park and continue to carry on the abuse, the umpire will forfeit the game to the opposing team.

 The umpire must notify the umpire-in-chief as soon as possible of any such infraction.

 32. Contact Rule:

Runners are encouraged, but not required, to slide when there is a potential play at home plate or any other base. Regardless of whether the runner slides or not, the runner MUST attempt to avoid contact with the fielder(s) taking the throw.

 As written by Ontario Baseball Association

No player shall maliciously run into another player. Contact shall be considered malicious if it involves:

a) Intentional excessive force

b) Intent to injure

c) Deliberate attempt by a runner to dislodge the ball

d) A runner making no legitimate effort to reach the base

e) A runner who could have reasonably slid or otherwise avoided contact and still reached the base

     Penalty: Player is ejected from the game and declared out.

i) Malicious contact is to be penalized whether committed by an offensive or defensive player. In the case of a defensive player being ejected for malicious contact, the runner will be called safe according to the result of the play at the discretion of the umpire.

ii) The ball is dead and all other runners shall return to their last legally occupied base at the time of the contact.

iii) A runner guilty of malicious contact is out even if the fielder loses possession of the ball.

iv) A runner guilty of malicious contact after scoring a run shall not be declared out, but is still ejected.

v) This rule applies at home plate and all other bases.

vi) A runner may make incidental contact with a fielder as long it is not "malicious" as defined above. The rule does not prohibit contact. It simply

requires player to make a reasonable attempt to avoid contact, and to ensure that any incidental contact is not malicious in nature.

vii) If contact occurs where a defensive player blocked the base path clearly without possession of the ball, obstruction shall be called according to specified below in age related playing rules. If this obstructed runner uses this opportunity to collide maliciously with the fielder, he would be declared safe due to the obstruction, but still ejected from the game.

 33. Diamond layout:

Base distance = 75 Feet

Diagonal dimensions : home to 2nd / 1st to 3rd = 106 Feet and 3/4 inches

Pitching Rubber = 50 Feet

 34. Batting:

Continuous Batting order shall apply.

Dropped third strike does not result in an out if first base is unoccupied or dropped third strike occurs when there are two outs and bases are loaded.

Batter is at liberty to attempt to advance to first base unless tagged out or forced out at first base. All other base runners can advance at their own risk.

 All batters at plate or in the on-deck circle must wear a helmet with a chin strap secured.

Thrown bats will be:

- Warning on First Occurrence

- Automatic out on the Second Occurrence

- ejection from the game upon the Third Occurrence.

A batter may not switch sides of the plate after the first pitch has been thrown. 

Infield fly rule applies (see baseball rules – definition of terms, and rule 6.05e) 

35. Runners:

Runners are allowed a full lead off and the ability to steal the next vacant base at their own risk. Runners may advance at their own risk on a dropped third strike in accordance with standard baseball rules 6.09 and 7.08.       

Runners may tag up on a caught fly ball to try and obtain the next available base at their own risk.

Contact rule is in effect as per Ontario Baseball Association’s Playing Rules.

Any runner or player who interferes with a ball while being fielded or an infielder fielding a ball will be called out by the umpire, as per the standard rules of baseball (7.09).

Obstruction will be called in accordance with standard baseball rule 7.06.

 36. Pitching:

Each pitcher shall have 5 warm up pitches upon taking the mound.

A pitcher may only pitch 3 consecutive innings during a regulation game. Balks are defined in the Baseball rule book under rule 8.05 e) and referred to elsewhere under rule 8.00 – The Pitcher. Balks will be called at the PeeWee level on the first offense. Each pitcher will be given one warning, and subsequent offences will be called. Any pitcher who hits 3 batters while in the pitching position will be removed from the mound and may continue in the game in another defensive position. If a pitcher hits a batter intentionally he or she is to be ejected from the game. One trip per pitcher to the mound will be allowed by a designated coach during an inning. The second trip will be to remove the pitcher from the mound. No extra coaching is to take place at this time.      Pitcher must be replaced from the field.

37. End of offensive half of the inning:

 The offensive half of the inning shall be retired when 3 outs are counted against the team at bat or the mercy rule takes effect. The mercy is limited to 5 runs per inning as set out in Rule 17 above.

38. Defensive Positioning:

All Players must play equal playing time. No Player may sit out a second time until all players have sat out one inning. No player may sit a third inning until all players have sat out two innings. No players may sit out a fourth inning until all players have sat out three innings. No player may sit out two innings in a row.

Any coach found sitting out players illegally will be assessed an automatic team out during their next at bat and have the proper player placed on the field immediately. Any coach found doing this more then once in one game will be suspended for the balance of the game and for the next league or play-off game.

39. Courtesy Rule:

The courtesy rule is in effect that if you have two outs and your catcher for the next inning is on base, please inform the umpire and switch your last out into the running position to insure prompt change over at the end of your offensive half of the inning.