Metro Area Baseball League

 

League Rules (updated 2/24/2024)

 

Section 1 Teams: League is open to all teams meeting age specific rules, MABL guidelines and association/organization admittance. Individual teams must be admitted by Board of Directors approval. The Metro Area Baseball League is established to create a safe and competitive environment for players not currently on high school, American legion or other outside organization rosters. JV teams may be place into two divisions if needed. Divisions will be determined by the Commissioner.

 

Section 2 Player Eligibility: Players must provide proof of age. Players must have drivers license or school ID available if questioned. Associations will provide insurance and medical releases for each team. NO player on an active High School roster, American Legion roster or other outside team or organization. Any coach caught with a illegal player will forfeit games played with the illegal player and will not be permitted to participate in the MABL state tournament. The Coach will be suspended for 14 calendar days. The team will be placed on probation. Any more violations the team and or association may be banned from MABL.  JV division is open to only players born on or after Jan. 1 2007. Varsity division is open to players on or after Jan. 1 2005. Any exceptions MUST meet board approval. (If a player is given an exemption the player is not permitted to play any infield position including pitcher and catcher.

 

Section 3 Entry Fees: Each team will pay $500 to the Metro Area Baseball League treasurer before participating in the scheduling meeting or games.

 

Section 4 Equipment: Each team is required to provide regulation equipment for each game. Proper and regulation equipment will be the responsibility of the member association. Face masks or face guard flaps are REQUIRED on all batting helmets for both JV and Varsity Divisions. Penalty for a batter stepping into the batters box with a illegal helmet will be an out AND the batter will be ejected from the game. Second offense the Coach will be ejected also. The ejected player rule will be in force. Any base coach under the age of 19 MUST also wear a batting helmet.

 4:A      Bats MUST be -3 for both Junior Varsity and Varsity teams. An illegal bat list is available on a yearly list.

4:B   Any player using an illegal bat will be ejected and suspended along with the Head Coach for 7 calendar days. Suspensions begin on the date of the offense. The bat will be confiscated and returned to the player at the end the season. 

Any player using illegal bat during the State Tournament the TEAM will forfeit the remainder of the State Tournament.

 

Section 5  Rosters: Players full names and jersey numbers MUST be on the website prior to the team's first game. Any team not having rosters on the website will forfeit all games until the roster is on the website. ALL rosters lock on June 1st of the current season. No players can be added after midnight June 1st. Until the roster lock date all new additions MUST be reported to the MABL commissioner. New additions must be on the roster 24hrs before being allowed to compete in a game. Any team violating these rules will forfeit games until the roster is legal.

 5:A     At the Junior Varsity division teammates can play “up” for a regular season game, ONLY if the Varsity division needs a 7, 8, or 9th player.  The player(s) must play outfield and bat at the end of the lineup. Teams can use borrowed players during tournament time, but only to get to 8 players. This still MUST be approved by the MABL commissioner.  An out is not issued for teams dropping under the 9 player lineup unless the 9th player is ejected or suspended or benched for discipline reasons. Players arriving late will be added to the bottom of the lineup without penalty.

 

Section 6  Released players: Any player released, cut or quits must be released by the head coach in writing. Email the MABL commissioner. No player who quits will be permitted to play in the MABL state tournament unless reinstated prior to the June 1st roster lock date and meeting Commissioner approval. 

 

 6:A   Transferring: Any player transferring to another MABL team must do so in writing (email) to the MABL commissioner. Players transferring to another MABL team must be released by the original head coach. Without release the player will be deemed illegal.

 

 6:B    Penalties: Any team proven to use illegal players will forfeit those games and the coach will be suspended for 14 calendar days. The team will not be permitted to participate in the MABL state tournament.  Any team using an illegal player during the State Tournament will forfeit the remainder of the tournament.The Commissioner has the option of prohibiting a team or association from participating in the MABL state tournament for any rule violations.

 

Section 7   Games: All teams will provide a safe and regulation home field or make arrangements with other member associations for field slots. All teams will play 7 innings unless games end due to run rules, time limit or weather issues. League run rules:

15 runs after 3 innings (unless the losing team has not batted thru their lineup. They will continue batting until having done so.

12 runs after 4 innings

8 runs after 5 innings 

7:A   Time limit is 1hr 50 minutes. NO NEW INNING can start after1 hour 50 minutes. Each team will play a minimum home and home schedule for their Junior Varsity or Varsity division. Coaches MUST provide 24 hour notice of game cancellation to prevent a forfeit. Any MABL game called to due weather is considered complete after 3 ½ innings with the home team winning and 4 innings with the visiting team winning.

 7:B  Teams having a no-show no call will pay for the umpire fees. Any team with multiple no show issues will not be permitted to participate in the MABL state tournament. Rain out or canceled games MUST be rescheduled in a timely manner. Any team having issues getting a team to respond to rescheduling efforts need to contact the MABL commissioner. If after numerous recorded attempts to reschedule canceled games the MABL Commissioner may award forfeits. Games can start with 8 players without out penalties. Any team with 7 players or less will forfeit.

 

Section 8   Tie-Breaker: Regular season games can end in a tie. Extra innings can be played during the regular season IF time remains in the 1hr 50minute game time.  Tournament games having a tie after regulation will start the extra innings with the last batter completing an at bat from the previous inning on second base. The inning will start with 1 out and no count on the batter.

 

Section 9   Sliding: Players are not required to slide at any base or home plate. BUT ALL PLAYERS MUST AVOID CONTACT. Any player caught making avoidable contact WILL BE EJECTED from the game.

 9:A   All ejected players MUST be reported to the MABL commissioner within 12 hours of ejection or prior to the ejected player's next game.

 

 9:B    Contact rule: Slide or avoid contact. Malicious contact by an offensive or defensive player will be grounds for a player ejection from the game for the unsportsmanlike conduct. A runner does not have to slide but the runner must avoid malicious contact with a defender at or close to a base. A runner may be ejected from the a game if in the umpire's judgment the runner could have avoided malicious contact. A runner may also be ejected if contact is excessive. A runner may also be ejected if he made an attempt to run over or injure the defensive player. Defensive blocking of a base and excessive force tagging the runner may be viewed as unsportsmanlike contact by the umpire and may also carry a penalty of warning or ejection, If a player is ejected for violating the contact rule, said player is also suspended for the next game. A repeat offender may be suspended from the league for the entire season.

 9:C  NO FAKE TAGS.

 

 

 

Section 10   Scores: The scores for all League games including pitching stats must be recorded on the MABL website within 24 hours of the game's completion. Any game not reported within the 24 hours period will be a forfeit. All coaches must present a score card with first and last names for players, jersey numbers and positions of starting players. These score cards must be presented to the opposing head coach prior to the beginning of the game.

 

Section 11   Protests: All protests must be submitted by email or in writing to the MABL commissioner within 24 hours. There will be a $50 fee paid by the team. A selection of MABL board members will make a decision.

 

Section 12   Uniforms: All league teams must be in uniform when playing a league game or league sponsored event. Uniforms will consist of a matching shirt with individual numbers on front and/or back. Baseball hats and baseball approved pants. Shirts and hats all must be the same color and style. Any exceptions must be board approved.

 

Section 13   Pitching:

PITCH COUNTS (VARSITY)

Pitches Required Rest Pitches Required Rest

91-110 4 Days      110 Pitches is MAX for Varsity pitchers per day.

71-90 3 Days 

51-70 2 Days 

31-50 1 Day

 

 

13:A   PITCH COUNTS (JV)

Season Start – State Tournament

Pitches Required Rest

91-100  4 Days rest  100 pitch maximum for JV Pitchers per day

71-90 3 Days   

51-70 2 Days

31-50 1 Days

*Note – the required rest days are full calendar days.

 13:C    The MABL pitch count rule is based on the number of pitches thrown in a day. The pitch count is based on pitches thrown for strikes, balls and foul balls.

*Note – the required rest days are full calendar days.

 13:D   No Junior Varsity pitcher may throw more than 100 pitches per game. A pitcher will be allowed to finish a batter if they hit the maximum limit  (100 JV /110 Varsity) during an at-bat, but must exit the position after the hitter.

13:E   No pitcher may throw more than two consecutive days. Use the two day total to determine how many days rest is needed following day two. The two day total should not exceed the cap of 110 pitches.

 13:F    Doubleheaders: If a player pitches in more than one game in a day, the pitch count for the day should be the two-game total and this number will be used to figure the days’ rest. No pitcher shall pitch over the daily max.

 13:G   NO PITCHER SHALL BE ALLOWED TO BECOME THE CATCHER AFTER BEING REMOVED FROM THE PITCHER'S MOUND HAVING PITCHED 40 OR MORE PITCHES. 

NO CATCHER CAN BE ALLOWED TO BECOME THE PITCHER AFTER HAVING CAUGHT 50 OR MORE PITCHES.

Section 14   Player participation: Teams have the option to use any one of 4 options.

14:A     Option 1: Bat entire roster.

14:B      Option 2: Bat only 9 (nine starters on the field)

 14:C     Option 3: Bat 10 batters including an EH (Extra Hitter) EH can change every inning if desired.

 14:D    Option 4: Bat 9 using a DH (Designated Hitter) DH can bat for any position players on the field.      

14:E      OPPOSING coach MUST be notified prior to the game which option each team is using for the game.

 14:F   Courtesy runners can be used for Pitchers and Catchers. This can be any bench players not in the lineup. (This does not burn a sub) Teams batting entire roster can use the last batted out as courtesy runner.

14:G      Pitching must be reported to the MABL website within 24 hours of the end of the game.

 

Section  15    Re-entry rule: All players can re-enter a game as long as it is the same position in the batting order. Pitchers can not re-enter into the pitching position. Sub players can not re-enter unless for injury when a team drops below 9 players.

 

Section 16     Injury rule: If any injury puts a team below 9 player level, the team may use a sub player to fill the hole in the lineup. Teams below the 9 player level without subs can continue to play without penalty including no out taken in the lineup.

 

16:A      Discipline rule: If a team falls below the 9 players level due to disciplinary reasons that team will take an out in that spot in the lineup for the remainder of the game.

 

Section 17     Ejections: Any player or coach ejected by the umpire will sit out their team's next scheduled game. The ejected player MUST report to the umpire at the next scheduled game and sit out the game including base coaching and score keeping. The ejected coach will not be permitted to participate in the next scheduled game and can not be present. Players or coaches ejected MUST be reported to the MABL commissioner within 12 hours of ejection. It is the responsibility of the ejected player or coach's director to contact the MABL commissioner.

 

Section18      Conduct and sportsmanship: Each member association is responsible for their own coaches, players and fans. Any team having multiple conduct violations will be placed on probation or removed from the league. ALL coaches and players MUST read and sign the MABL Code of Conduct. All coaches must carry the signed Code of Conduct with them.

 

18:A     Player conduct: Players will act appropriately representing their team, association and MABL. This will include the use of profanity in the field or dugout. The results may be suspensions or ejections from the league. CELL PHONES will not be permitted on the field during games. Unless for injury calls to 911. No Profanity from coaches or players will be allowed. Suspensions will be awarded to those using profanity. Adhere to the Code of Conduct rules.

 

Section 19      Tournaments: All eligible teams can participate in the MABL state tournament. No teams with outstanding fees or unpaid umpire fees will be allowed to participate in the MABL state tournament until fees are paid. Fees must be paid prior to the tournament seeding meetings. Teams with 2 or more forfeits will not be allowed to participate in the MABL State tournament. Any team who forfeits during any round or pool play in the state tournament is out of the tournament. There will be no time limit for the Championship final games. But run rules are still in effect.

 

19:A      Tournament seeding: If a team plays all required games, less two, their winning % only will be used for seeding. (For example, if there are 11 teams you would have to play the other 10 teams 2X each. This would require 20 games. If you play 20, 19 or 18 the winning % would apply.