Pinto American Rules

2025 Spring Season
Bats MUST BE USA stamped.
Level 5 Baseballs.

• WEEKLY EVENTS:
  • There shall be no more than two (2) events per week - One practice during the week, and one game on each Saturday.
  • There shall be no mandatory events on Sunday, unless rain requires games to be re-scheduled.

• GAME STARTS:
  • The Manager or a Coach MUST have the team roster and the medical release forms for all players at each game.
  • The home team is responsible for setting up the field before each game.
  • There shall be no practice on the infield prior to the game. All practice should take place in the outfield grass. No batting practice is allowed on the game field before the start of the game.
• UNIFORM:
  • Each player shall be permanently assigned a uniform number at the beginning of the season.
  • No team shall make changes to the league issued uniforms, other than printing names on the back (optional).  If so, the manager and team will face disciplinary action. A player may buy and wear his own fitted cap as long as it has the same logo as the league issued cap, or an approved alternative.  A player may also purchase pants as long as they are the same color as the team’s official colors.

• FIELD DIMENSIONS:
  • Base lengths are to be 60 feet.  Bases will be permanently installed at 60-feet on the field. 
  • The JUGS pitching machine shall be positioned 38 feet from home plate.
    
• COACHING:
  • While at bat, a team shall have a pitching coach, a first-base coach, a third-base coach, and a batting coach (to collect the passed balls.)
  • A maximum of two (2) defensive coaches are allowed; other coaches must remain in the dugout.  Defensive coaches shall be positioned in the area immediately behind the infielders, or entirely in the outfield. 
  • New for 2025: For games after 4/20/25, defensive coaches shall not be positioned in the field of play.
    
• BATTING ORDER:
  • The batting order shall contain the entire roster of players.
  • New for 2025: The batting order SHALL NOT CHANGE over the course of a game.
  • New for 2025: Players who come to bat less than their teammates in a particular game should be moved to the top of the order for the subsequent game.  There is no penalty for violation of this rule, but repeated violations should be reported to the Division Director, so that coaches may be reminded of the goal to teach ALL players at this level.
• SIDE RETIRED:
  • New for 2025: A half-inning shall be deemed complete after one of the following milestones is reached: 1) Five runs are scored, three outs are recorded, or the entire lineup has come to bat.
  • New for 2025:  Upon completion of a half-inning, the teams shall alternate offensive and defensive turns, regardless of whether all players have come to bat.
  • New for 2025:  Offensive half-innings should begin with the next batter in the order coming to the plate.  Teams will only return to the top of the order if, in the prior inning: 1) The entire lineup came to bat, or 2) The final at bat of the inning was taken by the last batter in the lineup.
    
• REGULATION GAME: Each game will be a MAXIMUM of one hour and thirty minutes (1:30) in length.  Game time shall begin from the actual start of a game and not from the scheduled start of the game.  At the completion of the time limit the game shall be declared over.  Clarification for 2025: The game will be OVER upon reaching the time limit, and the offensive team shall cease their turn at bat.  As a result, any players not coming to bat for the same number of turns as their teammates should be rotated to the top of the order for the team's next game.  There is no limit to the number of innings that can be played in the hour time limit.  The goal is to play 5 to 6 innings.

• SCOREKEEPING & STANDINGS: Coaches may elect to keep score for their own team, however, there will be NO formal standings kept.  There will be no protests or forfeits.
   
• FIELDERS: Each team will play a maximum of nine (9) to ten (10) players in the field, as follows:
  • Teams are limited to five (5) players in the infield: pitcher, first base, second base, third base, and short stop.
  • Teams may elect to have three (3) to four (4) players in the outfield, spaced evenly between the foul lines.
  • New for 2025:  Teams are REQUIRED to have a catcher.  The catcher may be the ninth (9th) or tenth (10th) player on defense, depending on how many outfielders are utilized.  Catcher should be in full gear (including a cup), and positioned behind and between the batters boxes.  It is the responsibility of the defensive coaches to monitor the catcher to ensure they are positioned properly.  Upon receiving a pitch, the catcher may either return the ball to the offensive coach positioned behind home plate, or to the pitching coach.  If the pace of play becomes affected by the catcher's efforts to return the ball to the pitching coach, the coaches may elect to require the catcher to return the ball solely to the offensive coach.
    
  • The pitcher shall be positioned next to the pitching coach or JUGS machine, not directly in front.
  • New for 2025: Outfielders MAY NOT participate in infield play, and should be coached to return the ball to the infield by throwing (not running) the ball back to the infielders.  There is no penalty for violation of this rule, but repeated violations should be reported to the Division Director, so that coaches may be reminded of the goal to promote a better understanding of gameplay at this age.
  • Outfielders must remain at least fifteen (15) feet behind the baseline until a ball is put in play.
    
• MANDATORY PLAYING TIME:
  • ALL players shall rotate all positions.
  • Each player shall play at least 2 innings in the infield and 2 innings in the outfield per game.  Clarification for 2025: There is no penalty for violation of this rule, but repeated violations should be reported to the Division Director, so that coaches may be reminded of the goal to teach ALL players at this level.
  • New for 2025: With only 9-10 players in the field, most teams will have players on the "bench" when they are on defense.  Players on the bench shall be supervised by a parent or coach.  Teams may elect to rotate their bench players ONCE during a defensive inning, and should do so in an expedient manner with limited interruption to the pace of play.
  • The catcher may NOT be rotated mid-inning, unless one of the following occurs: 1) The catcher is injured or cannot safely/enjoyably complete the half-inning, 2) The defensive team has a second player in full catchers gear, ready to enter the game mid-inning.
  • If the catcher is removed for the former reason above, the game shall continue without a player at the catcher position until one of the following occurs: 1) A new catcher has been dressed in full gear and is ready to enter the game, or 2) The half-inning comes to a conclusion.
  • If the player scheduled to be catcher in a defensive half-inning was either on base or the was the final batter of the prior offensive half-inning, the game may resume without a catcher while that player is getting dressed.  The player must enter as catcher once properly dressed to play the position.
  • Coaches shall make every effort NOT to have the same players on the bench in back to back innings.
• HITTING:
  • New for 2025: The JUGS machines used in-game will have a digital readout to measure pitch speed.  To begin the season, the JUGS machine shall be set to a speed of at least 35mph.  Each team may elect to use a different speed, and may change this speed over the course of the game, provided the minimum speed is no less than 35mph.  Coaches are encouraged to increase the machine's speed weekly.  For games after 4/20/25, the minimum speed shall be 40mph.  There is no penalty for violation of this rule, but repeated violations should be reported to the Division Director, so that coaches may be reminded of the goal to adhere to PONY standards for hitting off the JUGS machine.
  • Each batter will be allowed five (5) hittable pitches from the JUGS machine.  Clarification for 2025:  A "hittable" pitch is a ball that crosses the plate from the batter's mid-shin to the top of the logo on their jersey, two inches inside or outside of the plate.
  • The JUGS machine may at times throw a bad pitch.  It is up to the pitching coach to call a “NO PITCH” if they feel that the pitch was not hittable. "NO PITCH" shall NOT count towards the batter's five (5) hittable pitch maximum.
  • STRIKEOUTS: A batter will be deemed OUT by strikeout after one of the following has occurred: 1) Three strikes have been recorded (combination of foul balls and swing and miss, concluding with a swing and miss), or 2) They have not put any of the five (5) hittable pitches in play (taking the 5th pitch). 
  • A batter may receive more than five (5) hittable pitches in the event that they foul off the 5th and any subsequent pitches.  In this situation, the at-bat will continue until one of the following occurs: 1) The batter puts the ball in play, 2) The batter swings and misses, 3) The batter does not swing at a hittable pitch.
  • Players are NOT ALLOWED to pitch.

• THROWING THE BAT:
  • Any player who, after one warning, throws the bat while batting shall be called out.
  • Any player who has been called out twice in one game for this offense shall lose their remaining turns at bat in that game.
• DEAD BALL / END OF PLAY:
  • A play is over once the ball is in possession by the pitcher, within a 10-foot radius of the mound. 
    
  • Runners who have not advanced past the half-way point between bases when a ball in in possession of the pitcher shall return to the base from which they were advancing.  Runners beyond the half-way point may elect to advance at their own peril - They are subject to the defense's efforts to record an out.
  • When the defense is attempting to record an out on an advancing runner, there will be no further advancement by the baserunners in the event of an overthrow.
  • A batted ball that hits the pitching coach, machine, ball bucket, or other defensive coach is declared dead. The batter is awarded first base and all other runners advance one (1) base.
  • If a throw from a defensive player hits the pitching coach, machine, or ball bucket, the ball is dead and the runners advance one base.
• BASE RUNNERS:
  • Base runners MUST stay in contact with the base until the ball is hit.
  • Players must touch all bases in order when running.
  • Stealing is not permitted at any time.

• PLAYER EJECTION: Players shall be ejected from the game and receive an additional game suspension for the following conduct:
  • Forearming or tripping runners;
  • Intentionally running into fielders; or
  • Bad sportsmanship, such as taunting or ridiculing other players.
  • If a parent, family member/friend or coach are ejected from a game, that person will not be permitted to attend the following scheduled game and the associated player will also be ineligible to attend. 
  • Any player that is ejected from a game will be subjected to a review of the play by the Division Director, which could include an additional suspension. If a player is ejected from a game for a second time during the same season, that player shall be suspended from the team's next one (1) to three (3) games (including practices) upon review and ruling of the NHBA President and Division Director. If a player is ejected for a third time in the same season, that player is subject to probable suspension for the remainder of the season upon review and ruling of the NHBA Board.