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Youth Baseball Rules
Basic
Baseball Rules
Youth Baseball Rules
Official Rules
Sources
Little League
Equipment Rules
What Is The Infield Fly Rule?
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Youth Baseball and Little League Rules and
Regulations - Differences Between Different Leagues and Age Groups
If you want the basic rules of play laid out in an
easy-to-read format, go to the Basic
Baseball Rules section of this site. These rules apply to most
youth baseball.
Little League, Cal Ripken, and other non-affiliated
youth leagues all use the
Official Baseball Rules modified for kids age 12 and under. A nice
summary of these rules is given at
This Wikipedia Page and a comparison of
Little
League vs. Major League is given here. Also, realize that there
are usually up to 4 levels of youth baseball from age 4-12 - a nice
summary of how this is broken down is given at this
Cal Ripken League Site. If your local league is not affiliated
with Little League or Cal Ripken, it may only have 2 or 3 of these
levels of play. For example, in our local area, we only have the
minor league, major league, and the tee-ball league, all not formally
affiliated with Ripken or Little League, but still set up in formal
manner with playoffs at the major league level. Our rules and
equipment are similar, but not identical to Ripken and Little League.
To get the exact rules of your league, you need to contact a person
directly involved in setting up and organization. Your local coach or
volunteer umpire are good people to start with.
Here are some of the major modifications for youth
play:
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The distances between bases and the distance from
the pitcher's mound to home plate are significantly less than in
adult baseball.
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In most minor league youth baseball and all Tee-ball
(ages 4-9), no stealing of bases or sliding is allowed.
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In major Little League and other youth baseball,
sliding is allowed except for at first base. Stealing is usually
only allowed after the ball is caught by the catcher or passes home
plate (some youth leagues). In some independent leagues, stealing
may be allowed in the same manner as in adult baseball.
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Only 6 innings are played in most youth leagues.
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In many major and minor youth leagues, there is a
"five run rule". If a team scores five runs in an inning, the
inning automatically ends and the opposing team is allowed to bat.
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