2008 BASEBALL GUIDE
RULES CHANGE 2007-08

2007-2008 Rule Changes

1-1-2 Clarified the role of head coach in terms of his communications with the game umpires.
1-1-2 Clarified the head coach’s duties in terms of supplying the umpire –in-chief with his
team’s lineup card.
1-3-6 Modified when a pitcher’s glove is removed from the game.
2-22-3 Modified the definition of obstruction.
3-2-4 Modified the head coach’s attendance at the pre-game conference.
6-2-4 Modified the penalty for an illegal pitch.
PEN.
10-1-9 Modified umpire uniform options.

VPA Points of Emphasis:
* If a team receives three or more ejections of a player or coach they will be required to
meet with the Activities Standards Committee before entering or continuing in the
Tournament.
* There will be no scheduled 5-inning doubleheaders. Games that are less than 7 innings will not count toward the tournament unless the game is shortened due to a rule book application (weather, 10 runs etc.).
*As of the Spring 2006, the number of pitchers/catchers who may begin one week prior to the season is unlimited.
VERMONT EXCEPTIONS
*10 run rule: The trailing coach anytime after 4 1/2 innings may choose to end the game. The trailing coach will inform the umpire of this decision. A 15 run mandatory rule after 41/2 innings is in effect for 07-08, during the regular season through tournament semi-finals.
* Baseball Committee Recommendation: All sub varsity games are limited to 2 1/2 hours (unless the game is tied). No inning should start after 2 1/2 hours. Any inning started should be completed.
* As of 05-06, all coaches are required to be in a full baseball uniform.
* Dug-Out Rule: An open-faced dugout may be extended in front up to 8 feet, but no closer than 40 feet from the nearest baseline. The extension must be marked with a white line. Any area inside the marked dugout extension must be considered dead-ball area. Players, coaches, and equipment, other than on-deck equipment, must be inside the dugout’s marked area, except for the batter, on-deck batter, base coaches and defensive players. For enclosed dugouts schools may mark one area extending the dugout up to 3 feet on the outside of either end of the dugout for equipment such as bats and helmets. This marked area will be a dead-ball area and is not meant to contain players.

REGULAR SEASON:

1. The spring season shall open the third Monday in March (March 17) (with the exception of
pitchers and catchers- see 3d) and conclude the second Friday/Saturday in June (June 13/14). Should state tournaments or authorized regional tournaments fall after the school is officially closed, a school who is otherwise eligible may participate.
2. No school shall schedule more than sixteen games exclusive of playoffs or tournaments sanctioned by the VPA. Pre-season scrimmages are limited to four. Post-season scrimmages are left up to the school. A team must have played a minimum schedule of ten (10) games to qualify for the tournament. Any request for a waiver of this requirement must be submitted by Monday, May 12, 2008 to the VPA Director of Student Activities. ONLY THE FIRST THREE GAMES WITH ANY ONE OPPONENT WILL COUNT IN FIGURING THE INDEX.
3. National Federation Baseball Rules will be used with the following adoptions:

a. In 2008, all regular season games are completed or suspended according to the Rule Book , pages 33-36:
*any interrupted game which is NOT REGULATION will be treated as a suspended game i.e. the game will be picked up at the point of interruption. [4-2-4,note]
*A game shall become a suspended game if it is called prior to the completion of a full inning after the FIFTH INNING and if the visiting team has scored one or more runs to tie the score or take the lead, and the home team has not retaken the lead(4-2-4, note).

b. VPA Pitching Limitation Rule (6-1-6) regular season and tournament) is based on the number of pitches thrown in a game. The pitch count is based on pitches thrown for strikes; balls; foul balls; and outs. Not warm up pitches allowed before each inning or those warm ups allowed by the umpire in case of injury or game delay.
The number of pitches is based on the level of pitching. Specific rest periods are in place when a pitcher reaches a high threshold of pitches delivered in a day.

LEVEL & PITCHES ALLOWED PER DAY
Varsity 120
JV 110
Freshmen 110
Middle Level 85
The rest periods required during the 2008 regular and tournament season are listed below:

VARSITY:
• If a pitcher throws 76 or more pitches in a day, three (3) calendar days of rest must be observed.
• If a pitcher throws 51-75 pitches in a day, two (2) calendar days of rest must be observed.
• If a pitcher throws 26-50 pitches in a day one (1) calendar day of rest must be observed.
• If a pitcher throws 1-25 pitches in a day no calendar day of rest is required before pitching again.

A calendar day means that if a pitcher throws 76 pitches on Tuesday that player may not pitch again until Saturday. If they throw 76 pitches on Saturday that player may not pitch again until Wednesday. The starting time of the game NO longer matters in the calculation of when a pitcher is eligible to pitch again.

JV/FRESHMEN:
• If a pitcher throws 66 or more pitches in a day, three (3) calendar days or rest must be observed.
• If a pitcher throws 41-65 pitches in a day, two (2) calendar days of rest must be observed.
• If a pitcher throws 26-40 pitches in a day one (1) calendar day of rest must be observed.
• If a pitcher throws 1-25 pitches in a day no calendar day of rest is required before pitching again.

MIDDLE LEVEL:
• If a pitcher throws 56 or more pitches in a day, three (3) calendar days or rest must be observed.
• If a pitcher throws 36-55 pitches in a day, two (2) calendar days of rest must be observed.
• If a pitcher throws 20-35 pitches in a day one (1) calendar day of rest must be observed.
• If a pitcher throws 1-19 pitches in a day no calendar day of rest is required before pitching again.

A pitcher at any level who reaches the pitch count limit in the middle of an at bat will be allowed to finish that hitter. This only applies to maximum limitations. i.e. varsity 120, JV/Freshman 110, middle level 85.

c. VPA Pitching Limitation Procedure (6-1-6) applies to varsity, jayvee and freshman games:
1) The pitch count chart is to be presented to the opposing coach before the game.

2) At game's conclusion, the VPA pitching form will be signed by the
coaches or designated representative.

3) Coaches have the responsibility to maintain this pitching chart form. The hard copy must be available upon VPA request.

4)*Note for the 2008 season, pitching charts will need to be turned in on May 8th, and May 29th. Division I Baseball teams should turn their charts into Bob Hingston, AD, Windsor High School. Division II is to go to Ed Hockenbury, AD, Essex High School. Division III is to go to Tony Cirelli, Burr & Burton Academy. Division IV is to go to Chris Antonicci, Principal, Union Memorial School (Colchester). Coaches who do not have their pitching charts with them during the regular season will be given a warning. The 2nd offense would result in a forfeiture. During the tournament season, a team without their pitching chart would result in a forfeiture.

d. Pitchers and Catchers may begin one week prior to the regular season (March 10) with the following limitations:
1) Practice can be no longer than 90 minutes per school. You may not have a 90- minute session per team.
2) The only activity will be pitching and catching. No offensive or defensive drill
work.
3) Practice must be held in the normal practice facility.
4) Prior to March 10th practice the coach must submit to the athletic director the roster of varsity/ JV pitchers ,and varsity/ JV catchers. No changes or substitutions may be made to this original roster.
e. A regulation game, where a winner cannot be determined will count as 1/2 game won and 1/2 game lost (4-2-2, + 4- 4).

4. IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT WRITTEN GROUND RULES FOR TEAMS AND UMPIRES BE PRESENTED AT ALL GAMES.
5. It is recommended that card-backed line up cards be used.
6. Schools are reminded to check the specifications of their field - i.e., mound size, holes, baseline markings. Hazardous conditions must be corrected.
7. Umpires who work a suspended game shall be paid an entire game fee; the umpires who work the completed suspended game shall also be paid an entire game fee.
8. When the umpires travel to a game site, and said game is rained out prior to its starting time, each umpire will receive 1/2 a game fee with no mileage.

TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE

1. To qualify for the tournament, a team must submit an application.
In seeding teams, a point index will be used as one of the factors. The index points will be found as follows:

The points will be totaled and the total divided by the number of games played to find the point index.

2. Only the first three games with common opponent will count. The tournament application must be complete with all games listed and the line showing total wins, losses, ties and index points filled in. This application must be filed electronically no later June 3, 2008, 10 AM.

3. Official dates for tournament play are as follows:
Last date for regular season games: June 2
Baseball pairings June 4, 10:00 a.m.
Play downs June 5 1-4:30 start time
Quarter-Finals - JUNE 7- 4:30 start time (SAT Date)
Semi-finals - June 10--4:30
Finals - Friday ,June 13, and Saturday, June 14, 2008
NO TOURNAMENT GAMES MAY BE PLAYED PRIOR TO THE SCHEDULED DATES.

4. The umpires for the tournament will be assigned through the V.P.A. office by the Executive Director, chairman of the Baseball Committee, and President of the State Baseball Umpires Alliance. All umpires for championship games will be assigned from the collated list of recommended umpires taken from the baseball applications.

5. The higher seeded team will furnish new balls for state-level play through the semi-finals. The host team is to furnish a ball to the opposing pitcher at warm up time. The VPA will furnish the balls for the championship games (official balls are the. Rawlings R100) The pre-game schedule for all games throughout the state tournament is as follows:
a) 1 hour before the start of the game - Visitor's batting practice
b) 25 minutes before the start of the game - visitor's infield/outfield practice
c) 15 minutes before the start of the game - home teams infield/outfield practice
5 minutes before the game - both teams meet with umpire crew at home plate.

6. TIMES ARE NOT NEGOTIABLE.
The home team may have their batting practice at any time prior to this pre--game schedule.
6a. At the baseball tournament games, from the play downs through the state semi-finals, the home team will include the chief scorer as one of the officials. It is required that an adult be included to supervise the scoring and pitch count.
b. All quarter-finals and semi-finals games will have a 3 person umpiring crew. Each umpire will receive a full game fee.

7. IF THE FIELD OF THE HIGHER SEEDED TEAM IS NOT SUITABLE FOR STATE TOURNAMENT PLAY, THE LOWER SEEDED TEAM'S FIELD SHALL BE USED.

8. The higher seeded team will be the home team as it relates to the batting order.

9. All tournament games (play downs through finals) will be a complete 7-inning game with the following modifications:
A. Any interrupted game will be treated as a suspended game will be picked up at the point of interruption.
B. The regular season 10 run rule is in effect for all tournament games
C. If there is a10-run discrepancy in an interrupted regulation game, the principal of the losing school may take the opportunity to cease playing further.
D. The 15 run Mandatory rule is in effect for the tournament and up to the Championship.

10. Protests will be ruled upon by the four umpires plus the VPA representative working that championship game. All other tournament game protests will be ruled on by the Executive Director of the VPA, the Baseball Committee Chair, and the Rules Interpreter of the Umpires' Association.

11. A list of current unsuitable fields for tournament play follows. Any questions must be addressed to the VPA office by APRIL 28, 2008.