WYTHE COUNTY PARKS & RECREATION
PITCHING MACHINE 2011 RULES AND REGULATIONS

1. Players must reach their seventh (7) birthday by April 30th of the current year and may not reach their ninth (9) birthday prior to May 1st of the current year.
2. Pitching Machine baseball uses RIF baseballs.
3. Home team will be the official scorekeeper.  Tie games will remain as a tie.
4. A coach of the team at bat will operate the pitching machine, which will be placed on the field and have settings as designated by the attached sheet.
5. A batter is allowed no more than 6 pitches to hit the ball. No walks are allowed.
6. If the pitching machine or the coach operating the pitching machine is hit with a batted ball, the batter will return to the plate and the pitch will not count.
7. Action is stopped when the infielder returns the ball to the pitcher within the eight foot (8’) circle, a player is tagged out or on the eleventh (11) batter the ball is thrown home to the catcher.
8. The ball must be returned to the pitcher after a hit and a play is made.  The pitcher must be inside the eight foot (8’) circle when he/she receives the ball.
9. The catcher must remain in the catching box and offer a target for the pitched ball.  The coach operating the pitching machine should instruct the catcher on where to be positioned and where to place the target.
10. A substitute runner will be used for the catcher when the catcher is a runner and there are two (2) outs.  The catcher should then return to the bench and put on the catching equipment.
11. Free substitutions are allowed.  There is no limit on the number of times a player may be substituted in and out of the game, but the batting order must remain the same.  Player positions cannot be changed in the middle of an inning.
12. Each player shall play two complete innings and bat at least one time.
13. An inning is deemed over when the defense has earned three (3) outs; the offense has scored eight (8) runs or batted eleven (11) players.
14. Scores may be kept but standings will not be published.
15. Pitching machine baseball shall have ten (10) players in the line-up.  The positions shall be the normal positions used in baseball and a fourth outfielder.
16. Teams may begin with or continue a game with as few as eight players but an out will be recorded each time the ninth and/or tenth player would be at bat.
17. If a player arrives late, they may immediately enter the game but will be inserted into the last position in the batting order.
18. If a team falls below eight players the game will be ended at that point.
19. All batters must wear batting helmets with facemask and chin strap.
20. ALL GAMES ARE FOUR (4) INNINGS OR ONE (1) HOUR WHICHEVER, COMES FIRST.