SaskFive Giants – Junior Rally Cap Rules
Practice/Game Session
- 30-35 minutes practice – MANDATORY (Warm up, Drills & Skills)
- 40-45 minutes game (2 innings or whatever can be completed)
- Keep kids active and engaged as much as possible.
Field Setup
- 45’ base lines
- 30-40’ pitching machine (approx. 10 paces)
- Batting Tee (coaches are welcome to soft toss)
Game Rules
Offence:
- Pitching can be live from a coach, soft toss by a coach, or a pitching machine. The goal is to have kids make contact with the ball. If coaches are comfortable, coach pitches can be easily adjusted to the skills of the batter.
- If using the pitching machine, instructions for operating the Blue Flame machine can be found online. Start with: Release Arm Block @ setting 3, Speed @ setting 1, and Height Micro Adjustment @ setting 4 (screwed in half way).
- Start Inning with loaded bases
- Every player bats every inning
- 3 hittable pitches /player. If no hit – set up batting tee for player, or soft toss by coach. The priority is having the batter hit the ball, however it happens. Kids quit baseball when they don’t hit the ball.
- Advancing after a hit:
o Infield hit = 1 base
o Outfield hit = 2 bases
o Last batter rounds all bases
- No outs (everyone hits)
- Batting team supplies home plate coach and operates pitching machine
Defence:
- All players on the field
- Pitcher wears a helmet and plays full inning at the position
- Rotate other positions as often as possible to keep kids engaged and moving
- Coaches on the field with the team
Team Responsibilities
- Home team: Field setup and maintenance
- Each team keeps their own batting lineup
- Score is not kept
SaskFive Giants – Senior Rally Cap Rules
Practice/Game Session
- 30 minute practice – MANDATORY (Warm up, Drills & Skills)
- 40-45 minutes game (2 innings or whatever can be completed)
- Keep kids active and engaged as much as possible.
- Score will be kept and outs will be called (each team will be provided a paper score book, scores are not to be uploaded to Teamlinkt).
Field Setup
- 45’ base lines
- 30-40’ pitching machine (approx. 10 paces)
Game Rules
Defence:
All pitching will be done using the manual, spring loaded pitching machine and it is EXPECTED that the pitching machine be used for games. Instructions for the blue flame pitching machines can be found on YouTube. Or try Release Arm Block @ setting 3, Speed @ setting 1, and Height Micro Adjustment @ setting 4 (screwed in half way).
1. An inning is completed when there are three outs or upon scoring the fourth run.
2. Coach from the batting team operates the pitching machine.
3. All safety equipment must be worn, including full catcher’s equipment and double ear-flap helmets with the chin straps securely fastened for the batter, all runners, the on-deck batter and pitcher. (The player beside the pitching machine).
4. No stealing bases, no bunting, no walks and no leadoffs.
5. Runners may advance only on a hit ball or a forced play.
6. When a batted ball hits the pitching machine, ball bucket or coach, the ball will be declared dead and the batter awarded a single.
7. The infield fly rule does apply (infield fly, batter is out, runners can advance at their peril after tagging up)
8. Runners must tag up on a fly ball and then may advance at their own risk.
9. Outs on a base are as in a regulation baseball game. Players called out return to their bench.
10. No advancing to the next base on an overthrow.
11. Once a ball hit into the outfield is thrown back to a fielder in the infield, runners cannot advance beyond the base they are approaching. The ball is live and a play may be made at a base. Once the runner reaches the base, the ball is dead. For the purpose of this rule, the infield means any part of the dirt surfaces.
12. Rotation of defensive positions should occur every inning so that players do not sit for more than one inning and all players have an opportunity to play as many infield and outfield positions as possible during the game.
13. 9 players permitted on the field during the defensive half of the inning. (We would like to start to implement pitching techniques to the kids who are on the bench for the defensive half of the inning).
Batting Rules
Early in the season, coaches are encouraged to do what is required to ensure players are hitting the ball. This could include soft toss after a couple swings, or a courtesy swing on a weak third strike. Rally cap baseball is for fun – kids have more fun when they’re hitting the ball!
1. Batters must hit a fair ball from six pitches in the strike zone. The coach (not an umpire) operating the pitching machine is to call a “no pitch” if the machine fails to deliver the ball within the strike zone. Play is dead once a “no pitch” is called. If the batter swings at a “nopitch” and hits a fair ball, the ball is played and the batter-runner must run to first base.
2. Strikes will be called by the home plate umpire. If the batter swings and misses on a third strike he/she is out even if it is not the sixth pitch and will return to the bench.
3. If a batter fails to hit the ball fair in one of the six pitches he/she will be declared out and will return to the bench. If the sixth pitch is fouled, the batter will be allowed one more hittable pitch. If that one is fouled they are allowed another pitch. If they swing and miss it, hit or let it go by the batter is out.
Team Responsibilities
1. Teams playing the last game are responsible for putting away the bases, pitching machine and locking the locked box. Please ensure the orange plugs are put in the base holes to ensure the city can provide proper grooming of the diamonds. Home plate is to be left in the ground.
2. The Home team supplies the score sheet and scorekeeper.
3. Home team provides balls at bat.
4. Coaches umpire.