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NEWPORT HARBOR BASEBALL ASSOCIATION

NEWPORT HARBOR BASEBALL ASSOCIATION

Shetland American Rules

Shetland American Rules

2025 Spring Season
Bats MUST BE USA stamped.
Level 1 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 50-60 feet.  Clarification for 2025: Bases will be permanently installed at 60-feet on the field.  Coaches may elect to use "throw down" bases at 50-feet if they are available.
    • The pitching coach will be 30-35 feet from home plate.
  • COACHING:
    • This division will utilize coach pitch all season.  There will be no machine pitch.
    • 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 four (4) defensive coaches are allowed; other coaches must remain in the dugout. Defensive coaches are allowed in the playing field, but should make every effort to coach from outside the fields of play as the season progresses.  Clarification for 2025:  For games after 4/20/25, defensive coaches shall no longer be positioned in the infield, and may coach from the outfield, with the goal of being off the field entirely by the end of the year.
  • BATTING ORDER:
    • The batting order shall contain the entire roster of players.
    • Coaches may elect to change the batting order each half-inning, provided every player comes to bat in each half-inning.
  • SIDE RETIRED:
    • A half-inning shall be deemed complete after the entire roster has come to bat.
    • New for 2025: In the event a defensive play results in an OUT, baserunners WILL be called out, and MUST return to the dugout.  Batting will continue for the entire line up regardless of the amount of outs.
    • If three (3) outs are recorded, the offensive team shall clear the base runners and continue through the rest of the order.
  • REGULATION GAME: Each game will be a MAXIMUM of one (1) hour 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.  There is no limit to the number of innings that can be played in the hour time limit.  The goal is  play 3 to 4 innings.
  • SCOREKEEPING & STANDINGS: There will be NO scorekeeping and no 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 are limited to four (4) players in the outfield: left field, left-center field, right-center field, and right field.
    • New for 2025:  Teams may elect to use a catcher, and are encouraged to do so.  The catcher may be the tenth (10th) player on defense.  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 should return the ball to the offensive coach positioned behind home plate (not return the ball to the pitching coach), in order to promote a quicker pace of play.
    • The pitcher shall be positioned next to the pitching coach, not directly in front.
    • Outfielders may participate in infield play, but should be coached to return the ball to the infield by throwing (not running) the ball back to the infielders.
    • 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.
    • Coaches shall make every effort NOT to have the same players on the bench in back to back innings.
  • HITTING:
    • Each batter will be allowed five (5) hittable pitches thrown by the coach.  Clarification for 2025:  A "hittable" pitch is a ball that crosses the plate from the batter's ankles to their shoulders, four inches inside or outside of the plate.
    • The pitching coach 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 balls and strikes will be called.
    • Players are NOT ALLOWED to pitch.
    • If the ball has not been put into play by the fifth pitch, a batting tee may be placed on home plate and the batter will be allowed to swing until the ball is put into play.
    • A ball that is put in play between the foul lines, but does not travel more than 10-feet, shall be deemed a "foul ball."  The batter shall return to the batters box to continue their at bat.
    • Clarification for 2025: If a foul ball occurs on the fifth pitch, the ball shall be placed on a tee for continuation of the at-bat.
    • There are no strikeouts.
  • 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, 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, ball bucket, or other defensive coach, 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. 

Contact

Newport Harbor Baseball Association (NHBA)
1048 Irvine Avenue, PMB 320
Newport Beach, California 92660

Email: [email protected]

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