North Star Senior Baseball League's Game Rules
- All games must be played under the rules of the North Star Senior Baseball League to quailify as an official game.
- A game shall consist of 7 innings and 3 outs. In the event of a rain, a game shall be considered official if the losing team has batted their 1/2 of the 5th inning.
- Only wood or approved composite wood bats are allowed.
- Approved batting helmets must be worn when batting. When a batter reaches base safely, he is not required to wear a helmet.
- All players are required to wear matching uniforms and must wear caps on the field.
- Sliding Rule - Any runner is out when - "The runner does not slide OR attempt to get around a fielder who HAS THE BALL and is waiting to make the tag.
The key phrases here are: "or attempt to get around" and "has the ball waiting to make the tag." The runner may slide or attempt to get around the fielder. He does not have to slide.
Plus, unless the fielder has the ball, the runner doesn't have to do either. The purpose of the rule is to prohibit the runner from deliberately crashing into a defender who has the ball, for the sole purpose of knocking the ball loose, because the runner knows he is going to be out otherwise.
Anytime a runner deliberately and maliciously crashes into a fielder he should be ejected for unsportsmanlike conduct.
However, if a close play occurs and the runner does not slide and makes incidental contact with the defender before he has the ball, no call should be made. If the defender has the ball, the umpire should judge as to whether the runner made an attempt to get around the fielder. If he did, he should not be called out simply because he did not slide or made contact. The umpire's judgement decision will prevail in this situation. - Obstruction or Decoy - Defensive players may not "obstruct" the runner or "decoy" the runner into an unnecessary slide. If a defensive player pretending to have the ball, or pretending to be catching it, causes a runner to slide or stop at a base unnessarily, the umpire shall call "obstruction". Each base runner shall be awarded one additional base. The ball is dead and no runners may be put out as a result of his actions.
- 12 Run Rule - If a team is trailing by 12 or more runs and has batted their 1/2 of the inning, the game shall be declared over. This rule only applies to the 5th inning and beyond.
- Legal Lineup - A team may play with 8 players. There is no penalty or out stipulation for the No. 9 position.
- Batting Lineup - The following legal batting lineups. The manager must declare before the beginning of the game, which of the 2 lineup choices he will use.
A. Standard Lineup B. Roster/Shared Lineups Batters - 9 Batters All team members bat, or a number designated by the manager. The manager can also declare before the game that he will use a shared lineup, where a batter can share the fielding position with another player. Re-Entry - A manager may remove any starting player and re-enter said player 1 time into the same position in the batting order. There is free substitution on defense.
Any player not currently in the lineup may be used once. The starting player can re-enter once.There is free substitution on defense. Courtesy Runner - Anyone not in the lineup can run one time for any players. Also, players can run one time if they are the “last out”. Share position players can run one time. Designated Hitter - Major league DH rule - Only approved baseballs shall be used.
- In all other rule situations, Major League Rules apply.
- Official rosters must be submitted to league officers by July 1. Final adjustments may be made up to and including July 15.
- To be eligible for the State Tournament, players must appear in a minimum of five games.
2007 Rule Changes
Managers met Thursday, October 19, at the St. Louis Park Rec Center and approved the switch to wood bats. Metal bats will no longer be permitted.
In other action at the annual fall meeting, the managers:
- Eliminated the 1-1 count. Games will be full count, three outs, seven innings.
- Approved courtesy runners for catchers (last out of previous inning) and for other players at any time (last out). Pinch runners are still permitted.
- Locked in the designated hitter to the position for which he is hitting. In other words, the DH can only be used in place of that particular player and can be replaced in the batting order by that player. (The person being DHed for cannot then be a pinch runner for another player in the lineup.)
- Authorized a committee to explore post-season playoffs with the other senior leagues.