Peewee Rules
Dunham Boys Baseball Organization
PeeWee Level Rules
(as of 2024 season)
A. The Playing Field.
Coaches may begin pitching to their players from 20 ft during the first half of the season. However, during the last half of the season, they should work at pitching from 40 ft, so that players are prepared to move on to Rookie.
Bases at 60 feet.
B. The Game
All games are four (4) innings. For a game to be an official game, the losing team must have had a chance to bat in the 4th inning.
Three (3) outs or one (1) time through the batting order per inning. If a team bats through the entire order in any inning, the inning is over. This rule does not apply for the 4th inning. Exception: In the 4th inning, the team batting will be allowed to bat TWICE around the order. At that point, the half inning (or game) will end. Should the 1:45 time limit be reached in the middle of the third inning or earlier (for whatever reason), the rule will not adjust, and teams will only be allowed to bat ONCE around the order, again, in the interest of time.
No new inning will start after the 1 hour and 45 minute mark of the game has been reached, whether a game is scheduled after or not. Official start time is the first warmup pitch, not the first game pitch nor the scheduled time.
A coach will pitch all four innings. Coaches may pitch from 20 ft for the first 4 games or half way through the season. From that point, they must pitch from the pitching rubber and overhand.
C. Rosters and Playing Time
Nine (9) players on the field, including a Catcher. Each player must play a minimum of 2 innings or 6 outs in the field of a full 4-inning game (or 2 innings in the field of a 3 and ½ inning game) and each team will bat all players in a continuous order.
D. Game Play
1. A coach pitching during the coach pitch portions of the game shall immediately leave the field of play, without causing any interference once the ball is hit into play. If a coach interferes, the player shall be called out, and the play is dead and runners reset.
2. Each batter will attempt to swing at least 3 pitches. If the player swings and misses at all 3 they will have the opportunity to hit the ball off the tee. If the batter hits the ball foul of a coach pitch, this will not be counted towards their 3 swings. Only when the batter swings and misses at three coach pitches, will they be allowed two attempts to swing off the tee. If the batter swings and misses EITHER opportunity to hit the ball (including swinging way too low and hitting ONLY the tee), unfortunately, the batter will be out. If the batter hits the ball foul off the tee, he/she gets another swing. If, on any of these pitches or swings off the tee, the ball is put into play, it is a live ball and baseball rules apply.
3. No bunting
4. No stealing or lead-offs allowed.
5. No “Infield Fly” Rule.
Once the baseball reaches the infield and is controlled by an infielder who puts his hands up in the air with the ball in his hand or glove, he signifies to the umpire that the play is dead. The umpire must call the play dead. Players cannot advance to the next base, except if the runner is more than halfway to the advancing base, that player will be allowed to advance at the umpire’s discretion. Additionally, once the infielder raises his hands with the ball in the air, he/she cannot tag a runner out or force out a runner, as the play has been called dead. The home team shall mark the halfway point between third base and home with chalk.
Example: If a ball is hit, all players can advance as many bases as they want until the baseball reaches the infield and is controlled by an infield position player, raising his or her hands in the air while in the infield and in fair territory. Upon the player “killing the ball” the umpire will call “Dead Ball” and all runners not more than half way will have to return to the base they came from. Runners that are more than half way will be granted the advancing base.
E. Scores, standings and playoffs
Since this is an intermediate division, this division will keep score using outs and there will be no standings or playoffs. The home team will keep the official scorebook. Scoring will consist of the number of outs made by each team in each inning. The team with the most number of outs recorded in 4 innings will be considered the winning team. Instead of playoffs, players will participate in an All Star game at the end of the season. The winning team manager or their designee must report the score of the game to dunhamboysbaseball@gmail.com.
F. Pregame warm-ups
Pregame warm-up time is NOT guaranteed. If available (i.e., the game scheduled on the same diamond for an earlier time finishes on time), each team will be allowed 15 minutes of warm up time prior to the game provided they arrive early enough. The home team should be the first to warm up. Use good judgment and courtesy in order to get the game started on time. If there is not 30 minutes of practice time available, the available time will be split in half with each team receiving equal time on the diamond for warm ups. The first pitch should be thrown at the time listed on the league schedule.
Umpires
Each game will have one umpire behind home plate or on the field.