League Rules — 2026 Season

Teams

1 substitute allowed per game
Subs must be from the neighborhood and be 13 or older (Adopted 2026)
Subs bat last and play outfield only; subs cannot pitch
No substitutes allowed in playoff games (Adopted 2026)
Captains must agree before the game on any sub arrangement that falls outside these rules

A late player may join before their team bats through the lineup the first time, OR
They can be added to the lineup immediately and take an automatic out each time their spot comes up until they arrive

An injured player may be removed from the game and lineup with no out penalty
Exception: if removing the player drops the team to 4 active players, an out is recorded at each turn in the lineup

Games are 1 hour from first pitch; 5 innings per game
Minimum 3 innings must be completed to count as an official game (weather/lightning)
Need 5 minutes remaining on the clock to start a new inning
1 extra inning may be played if the game is tied after regulation
Games may end in a tie after the extra inning (regular season only)
Home/Away determined by pitch-off before the game
No run rules — per inning or for the game

3 strikes = out; 4 balls = walk
A batter hit directly in the head receives a base on balls
No intentional walks
Both of the batter's feet must be at least touching the batter's box lines
The hands are considered part of the bat — a ball in play off the hands is a live ball
Pitch interference: the batter receives 1 warning; second offense is an automatic out (Captains Agreement required to call)
A halo zone is marked around home plate for foul ball purposes; a foul tip that stays within the halo is dead — no collision risk between batter and catcher (Adopted 2026)

No lead-offs
Halo rule at 1st, 2nd, and 3rd: if a runner slides into the fielder, the runner is out (Adopted 2026)
Run Through Rule: a runner may run through any base without risk of being tagged out. If the runner makes any move toward the next base after running through, they are in play and may be tagged or pegged out (Adopted 2026)
Large bases are used — the full base is available to both the runner and the fielder (Adopted 2026)
Overthrow past the dugout or over the fence: all runners advance one base (Adopted 2026)
Outfield overthrows remain live (Adopted 2026)

New for 2026.

A batted ball that lands in fair territory and bounces out of play awards all runners, including the batter, two bases from their position at the time of the pitch

Pegs are allowed to the body only (not the face or head as a target)
A peg to the face or head is a live ball unless the player is injured — if injured, all runners advance one base
Any runner not on a base who is touched by the ball — regardless of the fielder's intent — is out (Adopted 2026)
A runner who has run through a base is considered to be on that base for pegging purposes
If the lead runner is pegged, the play is dead. The lead runner and any trailing runners may still advance on the peg. (Adopted 2026)

Adopted for 2026.

With the bases loaded, a fielder may throw and hit the strike zone to record a force out at home
Play is dead if the throw hits the strike zone; play is live if it does not

Called when a fly ball lands in the infield, or when a fly ball touches a fielder with any part of their body in the infield

The fielder must begin the process of the catch from inside the field of play; they cannot run around the fence
If the fielder completes the catch while over or beyond the fence, the batter is out
The foul line extends indefinitely past the fence: a catch made on the fair side of the foul line past the fence is a foul ball; a catch on the foul side is an out

A base runner hit by a fair batted ball is out, regardless of whether they are on base (Adopted 2026)
A base runner hit by a foul ball is not out

The pitcher must start with one foot on the rubber; no running starts allowed
Pitchers may pitch a maximum of 2 innings per game in any order (Adopted 2026)
Any appearance in an inning — even for 1 or 2 outs — counts as a full inning pitched

Adopted for 2026.

Captains must agree on any substitute arrangements involving teenage players before the game begins
Teenage players are subject to the same rules as all other players — no exceptions
High school players are not allowed to pitch

Disagreements are resolved by the Team Captains only. Captains meet at the mound and reach an agreement.
If an agreement cannot be reached between the two team captains, the Commissioner or a third captain may act as an arbitrator. The arbitrating captain's decision is final.