LOCAL RULES
MAJORS DIVISION
updated 3.9.24
The Major’s division is for players age 10 to 12 years of age that are drafted following tryouts. This division is intended to be a competitive and instructional division at the culmination of the Little League experience. Games are 6 innings. Batting order (continuous or not) will be voted on annually by the NSLL Board of Directors. Players and parents should expect 3/4 games and/or practices a week.
RULES OF PLAY
PR-1 Pre-Game and Post-Game Responsibilities
1. The Home team will be responsible for preparing the field before the game:
❏ open the snack shack
❏ remove the plugs and insert the bases
❏ rake and tamp the mound
❏ rake around the bases and the apron of the field
❏ drag the rest of the infield
❏ rake the home plate area
❏ rake the base paths
❏ water down the infield dirt
❏ water down and tamp the batter’s boxes
❏ chalk the baselines and batter’s boxes
❏ raise the flag(s)
❏ set up Scoreboard and Speaker (where applicable)
If the field is not ready 30 mins before game time, the visiting team will help. The visiting team will be allowed to take infield 15 mins before the game. The Home team forfeits infield warmup for any time needed to complete field preparations.
2. The Visiting team Is responsible for repairing the field after the game:
(When playing Interleague the NSLL team will fulfill both roles at NSLL fields)
After Every Game:
❏ rake the pitcher’s mound
❏ rake the infield
❏ rake the home plate area
❏ water down the infield dirt, pitcher’s mound and batter’s box areas
❏ tamp the pitcher’s mound and batter’s boxes
After Last Game of the Day:
❏ remove the bases and insert the plugs
❏ put away the bases and all the drags and rakes
❏ take down, fold, and put away flag(s) at field
* Game time is a maximum of 45 minutes after the end of the previous game.
3. The Home Team will provide a Scoreboard Operator and Announcer, the Visiting Team will provide an Official Scorekeeper who will keep the official paper score book which shall be picked up and returned to the announcer’s booth. Snack shack staffing will be scheduled separately by the Novato South Little League Snack Shack Coordinator working with the Team Parents.
4. Both Teams will provide a Pitch Counter to record the number of pitches thrown by both teams’ pitchers. Pitch counters verify and agree on the number of pitches thrown after each half inning.
The Visiting Team Pitch Counter will also act as a Game Director if needed. The, “if needed,” provision is when both umpires are legal minors. The game director will only step in if there is a disagreement on rules, playing conditions, or any matter that holds up the game. If the Game Director is unable to resolve, the game director contacts the Novato South Little League President or VP or Majors Commissioner. During inter-league, the home team pitch counter acts as game director.
PR-2 Site Rules & Player Warmups
1. There is no smoking or tobacco use on NUSD or City of Novato grounds at any time.
2. No food or beverages, except water and sport drinks, are permitted in the dugout or field. 2024: This extends to Sunflower Seeds as well
3. Noise makers (e.g., horns, cowbells, etc.) are not allowed at Novato South Little League games.
4. Each team is responsible for cleaning up their dugout and spectator area, after the game.
5. Hard ball batting practice of any kind is not allowed. Whiffle balls may be used.
6. Managers or coaches ARE PERMITTED to warm up a pitcher at home plate or in the bullpen or elsewhere at any time including in-game warm-up, pre-game warm-up, and in other instances. They may also stand by to observe a pitcher during warm-up in the bullpen.
PR-3 Game - Time Limit
1. There is no time limit at the Majors level.
PR-4 Pitch Counts and Reporting
1. Novato South Little League will follow the pitch count rules as they are written in the Little League Official Regulations and Playing. Each Manager MUST provide the required pitch count information IMMEDIATELY after each game (no later than midnight on game day).
2. The Pitch Count Tool is a web-based link (which should be bookmarked on your computer for easy access) that allows Managers to input the required information. The web address will be provided before Opening Day.
• Name of Pitcher
• Number of pitches thrown by each
• The next date each pitcher is eligible to pitch
• Notes about the Umpires (optional)
• General Game Notes (optional)
IT IS CRUCIAL you report pitch count data immediately following the game, as the Pitch Count Tool will generate an overnight e-mail that is sent to all divisional Managers. If you do not report the data, the data will not align.
PR-5 Minimum Play, Continuous Batting and Substitutions & Communications with Umpires:
1. 2024: Games may begin with 7 players. The 9th place in the batting order will not be considered an automatic out.
2. NSLL adheres to all Minimum Play Regulations and Substitution Rules specified in the Little League (“Blue Book”). Every player present at the start will participate for a minimum of six (6) defensive outs-outs do not need to be consecutive and bat at least one (1) time.
3. 2024 NSLL will institute ‘Continuous Batting’ during regular season and postseason.
4. Use of Continuous Batting will be determined prior to inter-league play. Home Team Rules apply:
5. If Continuous Batting Rules:
❏ Batting order includes all players on the roster present for the game
❏ Each player is required to bat in their respective spot in the batting order
❏ Batting order will not change during a game except for injury or illness
❏ A player may be entered and/or re-entered defensively at any time.
6. If a player is injured or must leave the game, the team will skip over them in Batting Order without penalty. If the player returns they are re-inserted to their original spot and the game continues. If a player arrives late, the manager enters him/her at the end of the Batting Lineup.
7. Any player not completing minimum play (even in a 10-run rule scenario) must start the next game, play any previous minimum play requirements and then complete all minimum play requirements for the current game before being replaced.
8. For any violation of Minimum Play, the manager shall be penalized as follows:
a. First Offense – Written warning, unless intentional, in which case the manager will be suspended for the next scheduled game.
b. Second Offense – Suspension for the next scheduled game, unless intentional, in which case the manager will be suspended for the remainder of the season.
c. Third Offense – Suspension for the remainder of the season, unless intentional, in which case the manager will be subject to a permanent ban from the League.
9. Courtesy Runner: NSLL will opt-in to Local Rule 3.04. A courtesy runner may be installed for the Pitcher or Catcher when there are 2 outs. The runner must be the player who made the last out.
Communication with Umpires
The ONLY situation when a Manager may ask an umpire to confer with his/her partner is to see if the partner umpire had a better view of a:
• “Dropped Ball” play at a base, or
• “Foot off the Bag” play at a base.
The Managers may however request the umpire address or clarify a regulation or policy (i.e., batting out of order, wearing jewelry, number of coaches in the dugout, etc.) found in the LL Rule Book or NSLL Local Rules, but never about a specific play on the field. Umpires will not review any rules that affect a call on the field of play.
Regardless of a Manager’s request for help, the Umpire is under no obligation to review any play with his partner or change any call. ALL other umpire calls on the field of play ARE NOT ELIGIBLE for review.
VIOLATIONS: ANY ATTEMPT BY A MANAGER/COACH TO CHALLENGE AN UMPIRE CALL MADE ON THE FIELD OF PLAY WILL RESULT IN THE IMMEDIATE EJECTION OF THE MANAGER/COACH FROM THE GAME & MUST VACATE THE BALLPARK ENTIRELY.
PR-6 10-Run Rule
1. NSLL plays under the 10-run rule as defined in Little League Official Regulations (“Blue Book”). The game is considered final when the umpire calls the game after 3 ½ or 4 (or 5 innings) have been played. The remaining innings may be played as a scrimmage until the 2-hour time limit is reached. The spirit is to give minimum play players additional playing time. Managers should:
● Move players to infield who usually only play in the outfield
● Sit players who usually play all six innings
● Have players pitch who usually do not
2. Scrimmage innings must be conducted according to the rules of NSLL
3. Pitch counts will COUNT in pitch-count standings
4. The scrimmage game – cannot exceed 2 hours
5. Umpires may remain at the game until the scrimmage ends
PR-7 Interleague Play
1. Each season NSLL will determine whether to play Interleague games outside of NSLL
2. 2024 NSLL will play inter-league games against Novato North Little League
3. Scheduling will be determined each year 2024
Note - District 3 determines rules used for T.O.C. (2024: continuous batter)
Note - Little League International determines rules for All-Stars (2024: standard substitution)
STANDARD PITCH COUNT
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