Pony Division Local Rules

In addition to the following local divisional rules, please also review the following:

• Pony Division Interlock governs the games between the teams from LA-MV, Sunnyvale-Cupertino, and Saratoga that comprise the Pony Division South Bay Interlock.

• LA-MV League-Wide Rules are designed to help maintain the condition of our playing fields, to help ensure everyone’s safety, and to supplement the League’s Good Neighbor Policy. Enforcing these general rules, at games and practices, is everybody’s responsibility.

All other playing rules are governed by the PONY Baseball Rules & Regulations and the Official Rules of Major League Baseball.

1. Players: Each player must play 3 defensive innings and bat at least once each game, except in the case of an injured player. If the playing time is not met in a game, that player must start the next game. Only the 9 starting players bat. Substitute players bat when replacing a starting player. A starting player may re-enter the game only once after being replaced. Once removed, a substitute may not re-enter the game. No more than two players can be used in the same batting order slot during a game.

2. Length of Games: All games are 7 innings with no time limit, except for the 10-run rule.

3. To expedite play, a batter must keep one foot in the batters’ box between pitches, except after a foul ball.

4. 10-Run Rule: If the home team is leading by 10 or more runs after 4-¹/₂ innings or the visiting team is leading by 10 or more runs after 5 innings, the game is automatically over and the leading team wins.

5. Pitching:
   • All types of pitches are legal.

   • A player may pitch for a maximum of 10 innings or 120 pitches (whichever comes first) in a week, and a maximum of 7 innings or 80 pitches (whichever comes first) per day. A pitcher who pitches 4 innings or 50 pitches in a day may not pitch again until 40 hours have elapsed from the start of the game in which the player first pitched that day.

   • If a pitcher reaches his maximum per-day or per-week pitch count during an at-bat, the pitcher will be allowed to continue to complete the current at-bat, but must be replaced immediately afterwards.

   • Scorekeepers shall track both innings pitched and pitch count for each pitcher, and will notify the appropriate head coach when a pitcher has reached his/her inning and/or pitch count limit. In the event that the home and visitor scorebooks cannot be reconciled during in the course of a game, the home scorebook will take precedence.

   • A single pitch is considered to be an inning. The week runs from 12:00am Monday to 11:59pm Sunday.

   • These pitching limits will apply to all regular season, make-up, Club, playoff, and post season games with the following exceptions:
     1. 1.During playoffs, if a team must play 3 or more games in one week, its pitchers' per-week pitch count limits will increase to 160 for that week only. All other pitching rules will remain in force.

     2. 1.At the start of each season, the Division Director will set the ratio of per-week pitch counts allocated to Club and Regular teams for Club team players.

     3. 1.Pitch Count and catching limits will be suspended during post-season PONY Sanctioned Tournament play. All other inning-based per-day, per-week and 40-hour rest limits will remain in force in accordance with PONY Baseball rules. This exception does not apply to non-PONY post-season tournaments (e.g. "warmup tournaments").

6. Balks: Balks are governed by Major League rules.

7. Sliding: There is no mandatory slide rule.

8. Conduct: Generally the same as the Bronco Division, however, rules pertaining to safety and conduct are closely monitored and strictly enforced by professional association umpires.

9. Coaches: Same as the Bronco Division, home team has 3rd base dugout.

10. Protests of Umpire’s Calls: No protests of judgment calls are allowed. This rule is strictly enforced.

11. Umpires: The Pony Division uses professional umpires from the Santa Clara County Federation of Umpires. These umpires also work high school and college games.

12. Field Preparation: The home team is responsible for preparing the field before the game and for removing bases and raking the field after the game. Both teams cleanup their own dugouts after the games. The last team using Covington or Rosita as a practice field on any given day must properly drag and water the field.

13. Equipment: Metal cleats are allowed for the first time at the Pony Division level and are generally preferred by most players.