Los Altos-Mountain View Pony Baseball

These local rules are designed to make the sport of baseball fun for our players. Please follow them faithfully. The Board of Directors is asking the parents who serve as volunteer umpires in these games to take the leading role in enforcing these rules.

Please also review the League Wide Rules. These 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.

PLAYERS: Each team must field a minimum of 8 players or forfeit the game. If a team is playing with 8 players and one of those players must leave the game due to an injury, that team's coach may decide to either forfeit the game or continue playing with less than 8 players. Only team roster-listed players may play. If a team will only have 7 or 8 players for a game (can’t borrow a player if you have 9 available) that team can borrow one player from another team within the division. That player must bat last in the order, and can only play LF or RF on defense.

Each team may only have 9 defensive players on the field at any one time. Everyone must bat. No player may sit out more than 2 innings per game. Sitting out 1 pitch counts as sitting out the entire inning. The innings a player misses arriving late to the game, or leaving early, do not count as sitting out. If an injury keeps a player out for more than 2 innings, the player must be removed from the game. Injured players who cannot bat in their proper position are removed from the game.

Players who show up to the game after their listed turn in the batting order are placed at the bottom of the batting order. If a player must leave a game early or has to be removed due to injury that spot in the batter order is not an out.  If a coach knows a player must leave early, that player should bat last in the order and the umpire and opposing coach should be notified prior to the start of the game.

LENGTH OF GAMES: All games are 6 innings (5-1/2 innings if the home team is leading after the visitors bat in the 6th inning). However, on weekdays no inning shall start after 2 hours and on weekends after 2-1/2 hours. Time is judged at the end of the previous inning. Games must start within 10 minutes of the scheduled start time. If a prior game is running late, the next game must start within 20 minutes from the end of the previous game. Games may end in a tie; however, extra innings will be played until a winner is determined or the time limit is met.

10-RUN RULE: The 10-run forfeit rule may be imposed at the sole discretion of the losing manager at the completion of the fifth inning.

10TH BATTER RULE: There are no limits to the number of runs per inning scored in MUSTANG, however, the 10th batter to come to the plate during an inning automatically brings with him/her the 2nd out of the inning, regardless of the number of outs already recorded. If there are already 2 outs, nothing changes. The 10th batter rule does not apply after the fifth inning.

BALKS: Balks will be called in MUSTANG. They will be called when, in the umpire’s judgment, the pitcher attempts to deceive the runner. Each pitcher will be issued one balk warning per game, after which the balk will be enforced.

PITCHING THROWS: These are the formative years for our players’ arms and wrists. Pitchers are only allowed to throw fast balls and change-ups. Curve balls and other breaking pitches are not permitted.

PITCHING AND CATCHING DURATION: We recommend that each team develops a 5 or 6 player pitching and catching staff.

Pitching Limits: A player may pitch for a maximum of 75 pitches in one day. A pitcher that pitches more than 20 pitches in a day must rest in accordance with the table below:

All rest days are based on calendar days. For example, if a player pitches 57 pitches on Saturday, he would not be eligible to pitch again until Wednesday (resting on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday). If a pitcher reaches his maximum per-day 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 the pitch count for each pitcher, and will notify the appropriate head coach when a pitcher has reached his/her 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.

Catching Limits: A player may catch for a maximum of 3 innings per day.  For catchers a single pitch is considered to be an inning.

These pitching and catching limits will apply to all regular season, make-up, and Club games.  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.

STEALING BASES: Runners may lead off of first and second base and steal at will. Runners may not leave third base until the ball crosses the plate. After a single warning per team, runners will be called out for leaving early. Stealing home is permitted, provided that the runner does not leave until the ball crosses the plate.

NO DROPPED THIRD STRIKE RULE: The "dropped third strike" rule will not apply in MUSTANG.

BALLS OUT OF PLAY: When an overthrow goes off the field of play (as determined by the extension of the backstop down each foul line), runners will be awarded two bases (typically from their position at the time the ball was thrown). On an overthrown pick off attempt by the pitcher out of play, the runner will receive one base if the pitcher kept his foot on the pitching rubber, or two bases if the pitcher’s foot left the rubber before making the throw.

SLIDING: Because of the concern for player safety, sliding is mandatory on any close play (umpire’s judgment) at second, third, and home. Head first sliding is not permitted, except when diving back to base to avoid a pick-off. Sliding with the apparent intention of injuring or threatening the fielding player is not permitted.

CONDUCT: We are teaching baseball and sportsmanship. Unsportsmanlike conduct (such as but not limited to: throwing bats, helmet, balls, gloves or abusive language) by a coach, parent, or player is not condoned. Hidden ball tricks will not be allowed. Violators may be removed from a game and could ultimately be subjected to suspension by the Los Altos-Mountain View Pony Baseball Disciplinary Committee.

COACHES: The home-team will occupy the third-base dugout. There are to be no more than three coaches in the dugout for a game. All coaches are to stay in the dugout or in the doorway during the game. Coaches must keep their players who are not assigned to a field position in the dugout. Players who are warming up may do so only in designated warm-up areas. Non-players and non-coaches are not allowed in or near the dugouts.

EQUIPMENT: Shoes with metal cleats are prohibited. All male catchers must wear a protective cup. A protective cup is recommended for all male players.

UMPIRES: All umpires are supplied by the league. Any abuse of umpires will not be tolerated. This includes loud complaints about their calls as well as persistent complaining about ball and strike calls. Coaches will be held responsible for the conduct of their fans. The umpire may select assistants at the game if he chooses. In the rare case where no umpire is available, coaches should select a person to call the game.

INTERACTING WITH THE UMPIRES: At the pregame meeting, each team will designate one coach who is allowed to interact with the umpires. Coaches are not permitted to question judgment calls. When there is more than one umpire, the designated coach may ask an umpire to get help if he believes the umpire may have missed seeing something like a foot being pulled off a bag, or a dropped ball. As with appeals on check swings, the umpire is under no obligation to ask for help. The designated coach is not allowed to ask for help, just because he thinks the umpire missed the call. The designated coach may also ask the umpire about interpretations of the rules. The coach must be ready to calmly and objectively present the umpire with the written rule from the Division’s Local Rules, PONY Baseball Rules & Regulations, and/or the official rules of Major League Baseball. What the umpire finally rules will stand for that game.

FIELD PREPARATION: The home team is responsible for preparing the field before and after a game. Visit the Field Maintenance page for more information.

GAME SCHEDULES: Rescheduling of games is strongly discouraged, except in the case of rainouts or other extraordinary circumstances. If a team wants to request a game to be rescheduled, the request must be made in writing directly to the Division Director at least seven days prior to the scheduled game. If a request is granted, the game will be rescheduled solely at the convenience of the opposing team.