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Shetland Rules 2018

Shetland Rules

Teams

  1. Shetland teams shall be limited to a minimum of ten (10) and a maximum of thirteen (13) players per team.

  2. Rosters shall not be limited to a certain number of players per age.

  3. The Commissioner shall fill any vacancy from the waiting list. Managers are required to immediately report any vacancy or prolonged illness or injury of a player to the Commissioner.

  4. The League adopt rule 4F(1) in regards to players participating in any other league/team.

Length Of Games

  1.  Games shall be three innings in duration. No inning shall begin after 1 Hour.

  2. Games called for any reason shall be considered a complete game if two innings have been completed. If games are called in less than two innings and are continued, they shall be rescheduled.

  3. Lightning:  Once a game has been stopped for lightning, it cannot be resumed until 30 minutes after the last cloud to ground lightning strike.  (Clock will begin after each lightning strike.)

Playing Rules

  1. All players will play on defense- seven outfielders maximum, five infielders maximum, one catcher and one pitcher. The pitcher shall be located on the mound. NOTE: Players will not pitch.

  2. All players should rotate through ALL the field positions.There are instances for safety reasons that a player will not be placed in “high-action” positions due to the player’s development.It is encouraged that through coaching, each player will be able to play each position by the end of the season.Player participation will be handled by each Manager/Coach.If problems arise because of players not rotating or playing in the same positions, a league mandated player rotation schedule may go into place.

  3. The catcher shall bat leadoff every inning in order to have his or her equipment on when the inning ends.

  4. Each team will have a lineup ready before the game starts for field rotation and batting order. 

  5. Baseball hats are to be worn by players when in the field defensively.

  6. Each team shall use a continuous batting order; the home team shall supply the batting tee and a parent to keep track of the time.

  7. Each batter will get five pitched balls; if the baseball in not put into play, the baseball is then placed on the batting tee and the batter will get three additional swings to put the baseball into play. After these are exhausted the batter shall retire to the dugout. 

  8. The following does not apply to the Shetland league:

    • NO Bunts or half swings

    • NO Infield Fly Rule

    • NO Walks.

  9. A coach shall do all pitching, if the pitching coach is hit by a batted baseball, the baseball is still in play.

  10. Once a hit baseball is in control or close to the infielders, base runners cannot advance. If the base runners are half way to the next base then the runner is entitled to the base.

  11. Base runners advance on a batted baseball only. There is NO STEALING.

  12. Upon completion of the entire team batting, that will end the inning. The team that is batting shall notify the team in the field when the last batter is up. The defensive team only has to gain control of the baseball to end the inning.

  13. When the defensive team records an out on a play, the batter-runner/base runner shall return to his or her dugout. No outs will be counted for the purpose of ending innings.

  14. After the game is over, both teams will line up on the baseline and proceed to congratulate each other.

  15. Shetland is an instructional, relaxed format division for introducing boys and girls to the great game of baseball. For this reason, there is to be no score kept. As stated above, the purpose of the Shetland division is instruction, building team play, and understanding the rules. 

Equipment Rules

  1. All offensive players must wear a helmet when not in the dugout.

  2. Baseball specifically manufactured and designed in such ways as to reduce injuries, or seriousness of injuries shall be used in local league play at the Shetland Division.

  3. At all times, each male player during games and practice must wear a cup-type athletic supporter.  

  4. 2018 Bat Rules

    1. In conjunction with USA Baseball and its other participating national member organizations, PONY Baseball has adopted the new USA Baseball bat standard (USABat). Effective January 1, 2018, with the exception of -3 (BBCOR certified), all other 2 1/4" and 2 5/8" barrel bats with a minus factor of (-5, -7, -9, etc.), must be USABat certified with the USABat licensing stamp on the bat in order to be used for league and tournament play. All 2 1/4" and 2 5/8" minus factor bats -5, -7, -9, etc. used in 2017 will be illegal to use in 2018.

      Tee ball bats are not required to undergo lab testing to receive approval under the USABat program. However, to be approved for play, tee ball bats must carry the USA Baseball mark accompanied by the following text: "Only For Use With Approved Tee Ball Bats." If you already have a tee ball bat you would like to continue using, all you have to do is purchase a USA Bat sticker directly from USA Baseball and place it on your bat. You can purchase a USA Bat sticker, click here. Tee ball bats manufactured after the new rule was adopted will already include the USABat Baseball mark. 


      The new USABat certified bats bearing the USABat licensing mark are expected to be offered in retail stores September 1, 2017.

Other Rules

  1. Please see the League’s Code of Conduct and Zero Tolerance Policy

  2. The chewing of gum and/or candy by players while playing baseball at St. Joseph Park is strictly prohibited during ALL games and practices.

  3. Only team members and Coaches/Adults shall be in the dugout or dugout vicinity during the game.

  4. All players shall be seated in the dugout when not on the field. Control of players is the responsibility of the manager and coaches, and shall be strictly enforced. Only players and coaching personnel shall be in the dugouts during the game. No swinging of bats is allowed except in the “on deck circle”.

  5. Managers and all Coaches shall wear a short sleeve shirt or tee shirt with long pants or league approved field shorts. Any shirts with vulgar wording or statements referring to tobacco, or any other types of shorts are strictly prohibited from being worn while on the field or in the dugout during the game.

  6. Two adult base coaches may be used but not an adult and player in the same coaching box at the same time.

  7. Any player, coach or manager who is dismissed from a game because of unsportsmanlike conduct shall be suspended for one game automatically.This will be served during the team’s next scheduled game.

Playing Field:

  1. Distance between bases:

                Shetland- 50 feet

  2. Pitching distance:

                Shetland- 38 feet (Coach Pitching)

  3. Home plate to center of second base:

                Shetland- 70 feet 8 1/2 inches

St Joe’s Baseball Fields and Grounds Guidelines

  1. Rake fields after last game or as needed to keep raked dirt out of grass.

  2. No flip drills into fences.

  3. Lock all gates after last game and batting cages.

  4. Remove all garbage from dugouts after each game.

St. Joe's Pony Baseball Sponsors 2023

St. Joe's Pony Baseball would like to thank each one of our sponsors for their commitment to St. Joe's and youth baseball in the greater Joliet area.

St. Joe's Pony Baseball