USSSA 8 & Under Coach Pitch Rules 1. Play will be governed by USSSA Rule Book unless specified in this section. 2. Ball: 11-inch USSSA approved ball optic yellow in color with a maximum Compression of 375# and a COR rating of 46.25 +/- 0.75 will be used. 3. The game will be played for 5 innings or a 70-minute time limit whichever comes first. 4. Games can end in a tie during pool play. Bracket games that are tied at the end of regulation or upon completion of an inning with time expired shall go to the International Tie-Breaker method. 5. A maximum of 6 runs can be scored each inning for each team regardless of situation (e.g. batter comes to bat with one or more runners on base with 5 runs already being scored that half inning only one more run can be scored even if no out is recorded during or after that at bat). 6. The RUN RULE awards a win to a team that has a 12 runs lead after 3 completed innings or 2 1/2 innings if the home team is ahead 10 runs after 4 completed inning or 3 1/2 innings if the home team is ahead 8 runs lead after 5 completed innings or 4 1/2 innings if the home team is ahead. a. Basically “12-10-8 (runs) after 3-4-5 (innings)” 7. Offensive Lineup: The batting lineup may be any number from nine (9) to all players present. If any position in the batting order is left open due to injury illness or ejection it will be an automatic out if a substitute player is not available. Exceptions will be made if an injury is the result of a rules violation by the opposing team. 8. Defensive Positions: There will be maximum of ten (10) defensive players in the field but no more than six (6) including the catcher can be positioned inside the infield baselines. 9. A team may play with an optional tenth (10th) player on defense. This optional player must be positioned in the outfield and must stay a minimum of ten (10) feet outside of the baseline until the ball is hit. 10. The outfield is defined as the turf area on a regulation sized youth field or at least 10 feet beyond the baselines for other playing surfaces. 11. The player pitcher must have at least 1 foot in the pitcher’s circle when the batter’s coach is pitching. No other defensive players may be positioned inside the pitcher’s circle at the same time. The catcher must start in the catcher’s box simulating a catcher’s position. 12. The catcher’s box is the area in which the catcher must remain from the time the pitcher steps on the pitcher’s plate until the pitch is released. The catcher’s body and equipment are considered within the box unless touching the ground outside the box. 13. The use of a DP/Flex or DH is not allowed. All players listed on the lineup card will hit. 14. If you start the game playing 10 players defensively you must end the game with 10 players defensively. 15. There will be no infield fly rule. The ball remains alive and in play until play is stopped. Any/all runner(s) are in jeopardy of being put out or advancing. 16. There will be no stealing. Any/all runner(s) are liable to be put out if they are off the base. 17. Base runners cannot advance on any passed balls. 18. A runner may not leave the base before the ball crosses the plate. If the runner leaves the base early they shall be called out. 19. Batting: The batter’s coach will make a maximum of 5 pitches to a batter. b. If the batter has not hit a fair ball struck out or been put out after receiving the maximum number of pitches they will be called out unless they have fouled off the 5th pitch. All foul balls on or after the 5th pitch will extend the at-bat one more pitch until the ball is not contacted or batted fair unless they have fouled off the 5th pitch. All foul balls on or after the 5th pitch will extend the at-bat one more pitch until the ball is not contacted or batted fair. 20. There will be no base on balls. 21. There will be no hit by pitch. 22. There will be no dropped third strike. 23. Bunting is allowed however if 3rd strike or 5th or last pitch is bunted foul batter is out. 24. A maximum of two (2) defensive coaches are allowed in the outfield. 25. The coach in the outfield cannot instruct his players after the ball has been pitched. 26. The pitching coach cannot instruct players on the field. The base coaches are allowed to coach the base runners only. 27. To stop runners from advancing the ball must be in front of the lead runner or in possession of the pitcher player inside of the pitching circle before time can be called. If the runner is more than half way to the next base when time is called the runner will be awarded the next base. If they are not half way to the next base when time is called they will be returned to the previous base safely. 28. NOTE: We will attempt to draw hash marks marking the halfway point between 1st and 2nd base 2nd and 3rd base and 3rd and home. If not available the umpires will determine the runner’s position between bases. 29. If the pitching coach is unintentionally hit with a batted ball it is an immediate dead ball and a no pitch. If the pitching coach intentionally makes contact with the ball or in the umpires judgment interferes with a defensive play the ball is dead and the batter is out. The coach will be given a warning and a second infraction will result in the coach being ejected. 30. The base distance will be 60 feet. 31. A team must have a minimum of nine (9) players to start a game but can finish with eight (8) if one is injured or becomes ill. c. A team shall be allowed to play with one batting position unfilled. The batting position the team cannot fill shall be designated as the absent player. When the absent player is scheduled to bat an out shall be declared for each turn at bat. A team may play short under the following circumstances: i. A team may continue a game with one less player than is currently in the batting order whenever a player leaves the game for any reason other than ejection and no substitutes are available. ii. If the player leaving the game is the batter or a runner they shall be declared out. Exception: If the injury is caused by a rule violation by the defensive team (for example batter hit by pitch obstruction malicious contact) the player may be replaced by the player not currently on base who had the last completed time at bat. This exception does not apply to any future time at bat. An injured or ill player may return to the lineup but must return to the same position in the batting orde Thanks for playing USSSA... contact Vince Tucker at vince.tucker@usssa.com or 904.591.3502