Division Rules
Shetland T-Ball
Download Entire Shetland T-ball Rule Book Here
1. PLAYING FIELDS:
- A. Pitching Distance: 38 feet (Machine Pitch)B. Distance between bases: 50 Feet
- C. The recommended homerun fence distances:
1) Foul Line: 125 ft minimum to 150 ft maximum
2) Centerfield: 125 ft minimum to 150 ft maximum - D. A 2-foot vertical line will be drawn halfway between each base to assist the umpire in determining where to place the
runner when a batted ball is dead. - E. Ten foot horizontal lines will be drawn 20 feet from the base lines and second base to determine where the outfield begins
and the infield ends. - F. No arc is to be drawn in front of home plate to determine whether the ball has traveled a certain distance
2. EQUIPMENT:
- A. The Louisville Slugger UPM 45 and the UPM 50 Pitching Machines are the Official PONY Baseball Pitching Machine for
Shetland Tournaments and is the only pitching machine approved for Shetland Tournament Play. - B. Safety baseballs, both leather and vinyl are the baseballs required. PONY Officials shall have the final approval on all
game balls. MANDATORY: Flexi Ball-Level 5 for Shetland 5 tournaments and Level 10 for Shetland tournaments. - C. PONY Recommends: That an extended safety base be used at first base.
- D. PONY Recommends: That players in the pitching position wear a protective product designed to protect the heart.
3. TOURNAMENT PITCHING:
- A. Pitching Machine ONLY. See Equipment 2A above.
(Recommended settings for the machine: Power Lever = 2: Micro Adjust = 3: Release Block = 4). Settings may be
adjusted by the Tournament Director to achieve a good strike pitch. The offensive team may adjust the Micro Adjust
screw to adjust the height of the ball and may adjust the base arm of the machine to adjust inside/outside unless the
base is permanently mounted to the ground. - B. The player fielding the pitcher’s position shall take a position five (5) feet to the rear of the pitching machine and 3 feet to
the left or right. A two (2) foot line will be drawn at this position. The player must keep at least one foot on this line until
the start of the pitch. If the other foot is free it will be on the side of the line extending away from the pitching machine. - C. If a batted ball strikes the coach pitcher, the ball is dead, the pitch counts as a foul strike and no runners shall advance.
- D. If a batted ball strikes the pitching machine and remains in fair territory, the ball is in play. If the deflected ball hits a
runner in fair territory he/she is not out, and the ball is live and in play. - E. If a batted ball strikes the pitching machine and goes into foul territory, the ball is dead, the batter is awarded first base
and all runners advance one base. - F. The coach who is feeding the pitching machine may give coaching instructions to batters and baserunners however may
not in any way interfere with the defensive players. The coach pitcher must operate the machine in accordance with the
operation manual. (PENALTY): The coach pitcher shall be warned once and if a second infraction occurs the coach
pitcher must be removed for the remainder of the game as the pitcher and a new coach pitcher put in his/her place. - G. If a live ball hits the coach operating the pitching machine, or in the umpire’s judgment the coach interferes in the fielders
attempt to make a play, the ball is dead and the lead runner is out. If in the umpire’s judgment the ball is intentionally
thrown at the coach, the ball is dead and all runners advance one base.
4. PLAYING RULES:
- A. Game length shall be five (5) innings, unless the score is tied. In this event the game will be played to its conclusion.
- B. All players present will bat. Once the batting order is submitted to the scorekeeper it will not be changed, except for injury,
illness or ejection. When a player is removed from the lineup due to injury, sickness, ejection, or other reason, the lineup
will be collapsed. No automatic out will be used. The player that was removed from the lineup shall not return to that
game in any capacity. - C. A batted ball becomes dead when an infielder has possession and control of the ball in the infield (see 1-E for where the
infield begins) or at a base and holds the ball over their head. - D. Defensive and Offensive Substitutions:
1) Minimum of nine players shall be used defensively with a maximum of ten. There will be free defensive
substitutions.
Teams must have a player at the pitcher and catcher position. Catchers are allowed to defensively field the position. - 2) There shall be a maximum of four outfielders, stationed not less than 20 feet behind the baseline when the coach
pitches the ball. - E. Offensive coaches will be stationed in the coach’s boxes and as a coach feeding the pitching machine. The fourth coach
will be in the dugout or designated area. One defensive coach will be behind the catcher or designated area as directed by
the umpire in consultation with the Tournament Director. The other defensive coaches must remain in the dugout or
designated area (not along the fair/foul lines). - F. If a live ball hits the coach operating the pitching machine, or in the umpire’s judgment the coach interferes in the fielders
attempt to make a play, the ball is dead and the lead runner is out. If in the umpire’s judgment the ball is intentionally
thrown at the coach, the ball is dead and all runners advance one base.
5. BATTERS:
- A. Are not permitted to bunt. (Penalty: The batter shall be called back to the plate, the swing is a foul-strike, the ball is dead
and no runners may advance). - B. The batter is out if failing to reach base after a maximum of six (6) pitches or after 3 strikes from the coach pitcher feeding
the machine. The batter is not out on a foul ball if it is the 6th pitch or any subsequent pitch that is also a foul ball. - C. The batter is out on a foul tip (SEE MLB DEFINITION OF TERMS FOR FOUL TIP) if it is also the 3rd strike regardless
of the pitch number. The batter is out on a foul tip if it is the 6th pitch or any subsequent pitch.
6. RUNNERS:
- A. Runners are not permitted to steal or lead off, and shall remain in contact with the base until the ball crosses the plate.
(Penalty: PONY Rule Book 9G). - B. On a batted ball runners may advance until an infielder has control of the ball in the infield (see 1-E for where the infield
begins) or at a base and holds the ball up. Once the ball becomes dead and in the judgment of the umpire the runner has
not gone entirely beyond the halfway point between the bases, the runner will be required to return to the base in which
they are coming from.
7. MERCY RULES:
- A. If the visiting team is leading by 15 runs at the end of 3 complete innings or 10 runs at the end of 4 or more complete
innings, the game shall be declared complete and the visiting team shall be declared the winner. - B. If the home team is leading by 15 runs at the end of 3 complete innings or 10 runs after the visiting team has completed
batting in the 4th inning or later, the game shall be declared complete and the home team shall be declared the winner. - C. Maximum five (5) runs per half inning.
(1) No maximum runs apply in the 5th and all subsequent innings.
Pinto 8U™ League
PINTO 8U™ LEAGUE is an instructional league to teach eight and under (Minimum age 3 in Baseball, 4 in Girls Softball) players the fundamentals of baseball and Softball.
PINTO 8U™ LEAGUE comes in three flavors, Coach Pitch, Machine Pitch and Player Pitch.If your community does not offer a SHETLAND LEAGUE it is recommended the pitching core be handled by coach-pitchers, or a pitching machine. If the Shetland League is not used in your community, it may even be good to start PINTO 8U™ LEAGUE players with the batting-tee, switching to the coach-pitch format in the latter part of the season.
PINTO 8U™ LEAGUE teams are full members of PONY, receive supplies and the full support of the headquarters staff and Field Director organization. International tournament play is not conducted at these age levels. Leagues may play in regional invitational tournaments, but it is recommended they do so with regular season team rosters. The focus should remain on training more than competition.
Pinto teams may be attired in cap and t-shirt rather than full baseball uniforms. The cap and t-shirt will thrill a beginning player almost as much as a full uniform, will leave the player the added thrill of receiving a full uniform for a later day, and will prevent excessive demands on the league budget.
Managers and coaches at this level must be concerned with the development of all of the players on their team. These are training leagues and the development of a player’s skill and personality must remain the prime goal of the manager and coach, rather than the winning of a league title.
Every effort should be made to place every player who registers for the program on a team in these early years, and every effort should be made to play every player on the team in every game.
Pinto Baseball Field Specifications and Dimensions
BASES : 60 feet (UPDATED FOR 2017 RULES)
PITCHING : Pinto Baseball (Machine & Coach Pitch): 38 feet, Pinto Baseball (Player Pitch): 40 feet.
FAIR PLAY AREA : Within the first base and third base foul lines and a fence or marked line 150 feet from home plate. A ball hit beyond that distance on the fly will be a home run. A minimum home run distance of 125 feet or a maximum of 200 feet will be recognized, with the recommendation that the home run distance be 150 feet at the foul lines and 200 feet in center field to a six or eight foot barrier wherever possible.
BASES, PLATES : The home plate, pitcher’s rubber and the bases shall be official size as used in regulation baseball.
PITCHING MOUND : Shall be raised by a gradual slope to a height of four inches above the level of home plate and the base paths.
RESTRAINING LINE : Located along first base, beginning 25 feet from home base and extending three feet beyond the first and second base line. The line, paralleling the first base foul line and extending three feet (36 inches) into foul territory, shall be marked with chalk or other white material two inches wide.
DISTANCE TO BACKSTOP : Recommended distance from home plate to the backstop is 20 feet.
CATCHER’S BOX : By local option, the catcher’s box may be rectangular in shape 43 inches wide and eight feet deep from the point of home plate or it may be triangular in shape extending eight feet from the rear of home plate, being a continuation of the foul lines, in which case the line closet to the backstop shall be 16 feet in length.
FIELD DIMENSIONS DRAWING (Machine & Coach Pitch) :
FIELD DIMENSIONS DRAWING (Player Pitch) : :
Pinto Fast Pitch Softball Field Specifications and Dimensions
BASES : 55 feet
PITCHING : 35 feet
RECOMMENDED FENCES : 150 feet to 175 feet
FIELD DIMENSIONS DRAWING :
Mustang 10U™ Information
MUSTANG 10U™ LEAGUE begins PONY Baseball and Softball belief that rather than change the rules of Baseball and Girls Softball to make it possible for young people to play the game, it is more logical to change the size of the diamonds, to adjust them to the physical potential of the players.
Use of diamonds matched to their capabilities permits younger players to play in the same proportionate position as the Major Leaguers and to make the same plays as a Major Leaguer. The double play, the squeeze play, the force play, etc. all become probabilities instead of remote possibilities.
Beginning with MUSTANG 10U™ LEAGUE Baseball, the players are playing real baseball in accordance with The Rules of Major League Baseball as well as specific PONY rules that are in place to supersede the MLB rules where appropriate such as pitching, substitution, re-entry, etc. MUSTANG 10U™ LEAGUE Girls Softball plays in accordance with the PONY Girls Softball Rulebook.
With scaled down bases and pitching distances, players react quite favorably to the greater challenge of the game and have little difficulty mastering the transition.
Baseball Field Specs
FAIR PLAY
BASES,
PITCHING
RESTRAINING
DISTANCE TO
CATCHER’S BOX : By local option, the catcher’s box may be rectangular in shape 43 inches wide and eight feet deep from the point of home plate or it may be triangular in shape extending eight feet from the rear of home plate, being a continuation of the foul lines, in which case the line closest to the backstop shall be 16 feet in length.
FIELD DIMENSIONS
Fast Pitch Field Specs
BASES : 60 feet
PITCHING : 35 feet
RECOMMENDED FENCES : 150 feet to 175 feet
FIELD DIMENSIONS DRAWING :
Slow Pitch Field Specs
BASES : 60 feet
PITCHING : 40 feet
RECOMMENDED FENCES : 150 feet to 175 feet
FIELD DIMENSIONS DRAWING :
Bronco 12U™ Information
BRONCO 12U™ LEAGUE is a continuation of the philosophy to fit the diamond to the physical potential of the players.
The bases and pitching distances are scaled up slightly fromMUSTANG 10U™ LEAGUE.
The transition diamond used in BRONCO 12U™ LEAGUE, permits infielders and outfielders to select their defensive positions in relationship to the anticipated speed of the ball when they field it.
Without this transition diamond, BRONCO 12U™ LEAGUE players play their position disproportionately closer to the bases, infield and pitcher.
This diamond positions the infielders and outfielders in direct proportion to that assumed by Major League Baseball players and Professional Girls Softball players and permits the younger players to play the game as it was designed to play.
Baseball Field Specs
BASES : 70 feet
PITCHING : 50 feet
FAIR PLAY AREA : Within the first base and third base foul lines and a fence or marked line 200 feet from home plate. A ball hit beyond that distance on the fly will be a home run. A minimum home run distance of 175 feet or a maximum of 275 feet will be recognized, with the recommendation that the home run distance be 225 feet at the foul lines and 275 feet in center field to a six or eight foot barrier wherever possible.
BASES, PLATES : The home plate, pitcher’s rubber and the bases shall be official size as used in regulation baseball.
PITCHING MOUND : Shall be raised by a gradual slope to a height of six inches above the level of home plate and the base paths.
RESTRAINING LINE : Located along first base, beginning 35 feet from home base and extending three feet beyond the first and second base line. The line, paralleling the first base foul line and extending three feet (36 inches) into foul territory, shall be marked with chalk or other white material two inches wide.
DISTANCE TO BACKSTOP : Recommended distance from home plate to the backstop is 20 feet.
CATCHER’S BOX : By local option, the catcher’s box may be rectangular in shape 43 inches wide and eight feet deep from the point of home plate or it may be triangular in shape extending eight feet from the rear of home plate, being a continuation of the foul lines, in which case the line closest to the backstop shall be 16 feet in length.
FIELD DIMENSIONS DRAWING :
Fast Pitch Field Specs
BASES : 60 feet
PITCHING : 40 feet
RECOMMENDED FENCES : 175 feet to 200 feet
FIELD DIMENSIONS DRAWING :
Slow Pitch Field Specs
BASES : 65 feet
PITCHING : 46 feet
RECOMMENDED FENCES : 175 feet to 200 feet
FIELD DIMENSIONS DRAWING :
Pony
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Colt
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