Morgantown Pony Baseball League

BRONCO Division Rules "2020"

1.      The official playing rules, with the exceptions and variations contained in this document, she be "Official Rules of Major League Baseball" completely revised, as released through the office of the Commissioner of Baseball.

2.      Players shall be evaluated and drafted onto their teams in accordance with the procedure set in place by the Morgantown Pony Baseball League.

3.      Bronco playing fields will be set up in accordance with PONY recommendations where possible.  The distance from the pitching rubber to the back of the plate shall be 50 feet.

4.      Bats may be no larger than 2 5/8 inches in diameter at its thickest point.  

5.      The batter, players in the on-deck batting area, and baserunners shall be required to wear batting helmets at all times.

6.      Catchers are required to wear proper protective equipment including a mask with throat guard, chest protector, shin guards, and approved headgear.  Coaches should encourage all male players to wear athletic supporters.

7.      The entire roster of players present for the game shall bat in rotation.  If a player fails to bat in their batting position for any reason except for injury, an out will be recorded.  If a player misses an at-bat due to injury and returns to the game, they must do so in their original batting position.  Any player who shows up after the start of the game will be inserted into the last batting spot unless they arrive so late that the team has already batted one time through the lineup.

8.      No player participation rule applies.  Free substitution on defense, excluding the pitching position.  Once a player is removed from pitching in a game, he may remain in the game at another position, or be substituted back into the game at any position, except pitcher.  

9.      No player may sit for more than two (2) defensive innings until all players have sat for two (2) defensive innings, unless injured.  

10.    Nine (9) defensive players shall take the field.

11.    A team must start a minimum of eight (8) players or the game will be forfeited.  The player must be present and able to play to be "starting."  Coaches may agree to start a game with eight (8) players present, the ninth (9th) batter will be an automatic out every time it comes up.  If you do not complete the game with the same number of players started, the absent batting position will be an automatic out every time it comes up (i.e. if the player leaves the game after it is started).  The only exception would be for a player injured in the game and unable to complete their at-bat because of this injury.

12.  Once an at-bat begins, batters must maintain one foot inside the batter's box.  PENALTY, the umpire will call a strike.

13.  Runners must slide in an effort to avoid contact with defensive players at any base.  If a runner fails to slide and a collision occurs between the runner and any defensive player with the ball or receiving the ball, the runner shall be out.  A defensive player shall not block any base when no play is being made at said base.  If a collision occurs when no play is being made at a base, the runner shall not be out.  

***There shall be no head-first slides, except when returning to a base.  The runner shall be declared out if they slide head-first.***

14. Bronco will follow the Pitch Smart chart as follows:

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15.  Pitchers reaching their maximum number of pitches in a day while pitching to a batter, may finish pitching to that batter before being removed.

16.  Once the umpire signals "play ball" to the pitcher, that pitcher shall become the pitcher of record and their pitch count begins at that point.

17.  A pitcher is charged with the number of pitches in the specific calendar day in which they are pitched, regardless of whether they are league games, the resumption of postponed or suspended games, tie games, or exhibition games.  Rest is calculated as per calendar day.

18.  Pitchers in violation of the pitching rules shall be considered ineligible players.  Penalty for use of an ineligible player, upon appeal by the opposing manager when the official scorebook or other league records verify the ineligibility of the player in question, shall be immediate removal of the player from the lineup and ejection of the team manager from the game.  Both the player and manager will be ineligible to participate in the next scheduled game played by the team.  

       a.       For the purposes of interpreting this rule, a player shall not be considered in violation of the rule until the umpire signals "play" to the pitcher.

       b.      In the event a manager of an ineligible player refuses to remove the player from the lineup and the manager does not leave the field when the appeal is made, and verified, the game is subject to forfeit.

       c.       If an opposing coach does not appeal the use of an ineligible player during the course of a game, the game will stand as played.

19.  A coach has one courtesy trip to the mound each half inning to a pitcher.  On his second trip, the pitcher must be removed.

20.  A cold pitcher will be given seven (7) warm up pitches upon entering the game.

21.  When intentionally walking a batter, the pitcher must pitch out to the batter.

22.  If a pitcher hits three (3) batters in a single inning, he must be removed from the game.

23. Courtesy runners for catcher only may be used regardless of # of outs.  If there are no players available on the bench, then you may use the last recorded out as a courtesy runner.

24. Once play has begun, the game shall be played to regulation length (seven (7) innings) or five (5) and a fraction if the home team is leading unless called because of 10-run rule. If a game is tied at the end of regulation, it shall go into extra innings until the tie is broken or the umpire calls the game.

25. All games shall have a time limit.  The umpire shall declare the official start time of the game.  Start of a new inning will begin when the last out is recorded of the previous inning.  No new inning shall start after 1 hour and 50 minutes has passed from the official start time.  If a new inning has started prior to the time limit, then that inning will finish.  Umpires will announce the start time right after the pregame discussion.  No Time limits in tournament games.

26. If a game is called for any reason, it shall be a complete game if five (5) innings have been completed, or if the home team has scored more runs in four (4) and a fraction innings than the visiting team has scored in five (5) completed innings.  i.e. home team is still winning after the visiting team has batted in the fifth inning.  Exception: all tournament games must be fully completed.

27. If game is called for any reason before it is a complete game as described in Rules 24 through 26 above, or when the score is tied, it shall be considered a suspended game and shall be resumed from the point of curtailment at the time scheduled by the league director.

28. If a game is called for any reason in an uncompleted inning, after having reached complete-game length as described in Rules 24 through 26 above, and the visiting teams ties the score or takes the lead in the uncompleted inning, and the home team does not tie the score or takes the lead in its portion of the uncompleted inning, the game shall be considered a suspended game and shall be continued from the point of curtailment at the time scheduled by the league director.

29. 10 run rule:

      a.       If the visiting team is leading by at least ten (10) runs at the end of five (5) or more complete innings, the game shall be declared complete and the visiting team shall be declared the winner.  If the home team is leading by at least 10 runs after the visiting team has completed batting in the 5th inning or later, the game shall be declared complete and the home team shall be declared the winner.

30. Once a game is stopped for lightning, it cannot be resumed until 20 minutes after last cloud-to-ground lightning strike.  Teams must vacate the entire field to wait the 20 minutes.  Teams CANNOT wait in the dugouts.

31. Both teams shall keep an official scorebook of each game.  Both coaches are required to report the scores and pitch count of the pitchers in the game to the league director by midnight following completion of the game.

32. No coach, manager, or player shall argue with an umpire.  A spectator, player, or coach who uses profanity will be removed from the game at the umpire's discretion.  See Code of Conduct.

33. A bat or helmet thrown in anger will result in ejection from the ballgame as determined by the umpire.  The umpire shall notify the league director.

34. Penalties for Coaches:  Violations of these rules shall be reported to either the league director or the safety committee by the umpires.  Violations may result in the coaches being suspended and/or forfeiting the game. 

35. Any coach or player removed from a game by an umpire for conduct prohibited above, will be suspended for the team's next game, tournament games included.

36. All uniforms must be MPBL issued only.  No metal spikes may be worn.