These rules shall be uniformly applied to all games of the 2008 season. Throughout the course of the season, they can be periodically reviewed and, if necessary, revised by the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors will decide upon any situation, event or happening that is not specifically covered by these rules. Their decision will be final.

The rules of the National League of Major League Baseball shall apply to all games with the following exceptions:

LEAGUE INFORMATION

1. The league will consist of 6 - 12 teams

Each team will play a total of 21 – 24 games

2. Official Age: All players must be at least 25 years old as of December 31^st 2008.

LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP

1. At the conclusion of regular league play, there will be a championship playoff tournament. The tournament details will be announced before the end of the season.

2. To be eligible for the championship playoff tournament, a player must have paid his full registration fees at the beginning of the season, or if a player is added to the roster after the season has begun, that player must have played in at least 10 games during the season.

3. The following tie-breaker rule will be used to determine league standings and playoff qualification:

Win/Loss record (scored as follows):

a. Win = 2 pts.

b. Tie = 1 pt.

c. Loss = 0 pts.

At the conclusion of the season, if two games are tied in the standings, the tie shall be broken as follows:

Head to head record in games involving two teams who are tied.

If the two teams were 1-1-1 in head-to-head games, a 7-inning playoff game will be played to determine who advances to the playoffs.

The winners of each divisional playoff series will advance to the Best of 3 Championship Series. Each game will be 7 innings. The team with the best overall record will be home for the 1^st game and the 3^rd game, if a 3^rd game is necessary. The team with the second best overall record will be home for the 2^nd game.

ALL STAR GAME

1. An All-Star Game will be played on or around the 20^th of July. One of two formats will be selected at the manager’s meeting held before the season begins. Format #1 will feature players 39 years of age or younger vs. players 40 years old and older. Format #2 will feature players of the American Division vs. players of the National Division, regardless of player’s age.

2. Ballots will be provided to all teams at least two weeks prior to the All Star Game. Each All Star teams will consist of eighteen players with five alternates. The competition committee will select a manager for each team.

COMPETITION COMMITTEE

1. The Competition Committee (Board of Directors) shall interpret the intent and application of these official rules.

2. The Competition Committee will resolve all protests, questions, and conflicts in a timely manner.

3. The Competition Committee will maintain competitive balance in the league by evaluating new players during preseason tryouts. The new players will be assigned to teams according to team weaknesses. The Competition Committee reserves the right to reassign returning league players to any team if that player has not met the registration deadline or the player requests to play on a different team.

LENGTH OF GAMES / PLAYER ATTIRE

1. All league games will conclude at the end of seven innings, unless a game is tied (see rule # 3). The playing time per game is 2 hours, 45 minutes when another league game is scheduled on the same field. There will be a fifteen minute field prep before the start of the next game.

2. When (in the sole opinion of the umpire) a game is moving at a pace that will not allow a full seven innings to be played, the plate umpire will announce “Final Inning”. This announcement must be given to both teams prior to the start of the final inning. Once “Final Inning” has been announced, it shall become, for all intents and purposes, the seventh inning.

3. In the event of a tie, extra innings will be allowed if time permits. A time game shall continue until a winner is decided, unless darkness, curfew or a followed scheduled game interrupts play.

4. All teams must have full baseball uniforms consisting of: Caps , Numbered jerseys, Baseball Pants and Matching Socks. Each player’s uniform must of the similar design of his team mate’s uniform. Teams having sponsors may have the sponsors name on the jersey. No player out of uniform will be allowed to play, unless they are a substitute player.

5. There will be a grace period of two weeks at the beginning of each season for new players and/or teams to obtain the proper wear.

PLAYING TIME

1. All players must play at least 50% of all available innings over the course of the season. An available inning is an inning that the player is in attendance and in uniform. An inning played is an inning in which the player is in the defensive line-up.

2. All roster players who have been in attendance since the start of the game must receive at least one at-bat and at least one inning of defense (even if the game is short due to rain or darkness). The only exception to this rule is for defense only, and that is if a player does not want to play defense, he personally must ask the opposing managers permission. He will still be required to bat at least once.

3. The team manager (or his delegate) shall maintain accurate records of the playing time, at-bats and statistics for all players on the official team roster. The record of playing time shall be made available to the players and shall be provided to the competition committee upon request.

4. A team that is found in violation of either individual game playing time rule or the overall season playing time rule shall be subject to disciplinary action by the competition committee including possible forfeiture of games.

OFFENSIVE / DEFENSIVE LINE-UPS AND SUBSTITUTIONS

1. A minimum of eight players must be available at game time for any league game to be conducted. If only eight players are present, an out will be recorded when the 9^th position is due to bat.

2. A game that starts with nine players may continue with eight players in the case of injury, ejection or other reason. In the case of injury and out will not be recorded when the injured players at-bat time occurs. In all other cases, an out will be recorded when the players at-bat occurs. A game will not be allowed to continue with less than eight players.

3. The manager may start a game with a batting line-up of between 9 – 18 players. As the game progresses, he may add players from the bench at the end of the batting order, up to a maximum of 18 players. However, once a batting order of more than 9 is established, it cannot be reduced for the remainder of the game. If due to injury or another reason a player cannot perform his time at-bat, and all other players have been inserted in the batting order, an out will be recorded each time that player is scheduled to bat. This rule does not prevent a manager from using normal batting substitutions as defined in Major League Baseball.

4. If a batter is removed for a pinch hitter, the removed batter must remain out of the batting order for at least one full cycle. After one full cycle, the batter can be substituted for any batter in the batting order (including his original place in the order). This rule also applies to the use of pinch runners, since they are part of the offensive (batting) lineup. After one full cycle, the batter (or pinch runner) can be substituted for any batter (or runner) in the lineup.

5. Each team may declare two non-runners in their batting order. The non-runners must be clearly marked on the batting lineup given to the other team. The last batted out will be the player that goes in for the non-runner.

6. If there are two outs and the catcher for your team reaches base, you may substitute a runner for him. If a player on your team is injured and cannot run you may run for him with the last batted out. Players in these two situations may have runners, even though your team may already have used their allotment of two declared non-runners.

7. Shared batting positions: Two batters may share any batting position in the lineup. They must alternate times at-bat. However, once either of the batters reaches base, the other player may go in and run for him with no restrictions.

8. Free defensive substitutions are allowed. A player may play any fielding position at any time; he does not have to be in the batting order at the time his playing in a fielding position.

9. Game reschedules will only be allowed in the event of rain or unforeseen circumstances, such as construction problems at Lee Field. Games will not be allowed to be rescheduled due to players being unable to attend the game, which would result in a forfeit for your team.

10. Teams forfeiting one game because players were unable to attend will result in the loss of $50 of the end-of-season rebate to the manager of that team. A second forfeited game will result in the loss of the additional $50 rebate. It is the responsibility of each manager to call his players and ensure that they will be attending the scheduled game. A forfeit of 3 or more games will result in disciplinary action by the competition committee including the team being removed from the league, and the players wishing to continue out the season being placed in the player’s pool or on another team. No refund of player’s fees due to forfeited games will be issued.

PLAYER CONDUCT

1. Swearing, obscene language or gestures, threatening gestures, equipment abuse, failure to comply with your manager’s instructions, excessive arguing with other players or umpires, verbal and physical confrontation with other players and any other unsportsmanlike conduct WILL NOT BE TOLERATED! Violators will be subject to suspension or expulsion by the League Board of Directors with forfeiture of all paid fees.

2. The plate umpire may warn and/or eject any player who commits one or more of the above infractions.

3. All complaints of unsportsmanlike conduct will be directed to the Board of Directors. Players or umpires may file complaints. After investigation, the Board of Directors will determine the appropriate penalty based on the signed Code of Conduct each player submitted prior to the start of the season and based on the severity of the infraction.

4. NO ILLEGAL DRUGS, SMOKING OR ALCOHOL IS ALLOWED ON THE PLAYING FIELD OR IN THE DUG OUTS AT ANY TIME.

PHYSICAL CONTACT

1. No player shall intentionally collide with any other player. If a base runner intentionally collides with a fielder, the base runner will be called out and may, at the umpire’s discretion, be ejected from the game. Base runners must either slide or give up their rights to the base (avoid a collision by stopping or leaving the base path) if the defensive player has possession of the ball or is in the act of received the ball and will be able to make the play on the runner.

2. A defensive player cannot block the base or be in the path so as to impede (obstruct) the base runners right to that base, unless he is in possession of the ball or is in the act of receiving the ball, otherwise the runner will be considered safe and the obstruction rule will be enforced. The defensive player, at the umpires discretion, may be ejected from the game if the action was intentional and the player may be suspended from league play if the obstruction is judged to be flagrant.

PLAYER POOL

1. Managers of teams that require additional players for the roster during the course of the season must contact the Competition Committee a minimum of twenty-four hours in advance of game time for assignment of a pool player. This player may play in any position except pitcher. Such a player must be placed at the bottom of the batting order.

2. If a manager is unable to field a complete team via the player pool in a timely fashion he may insert a regular league player, hereafter referred to as a “roster player”. This player may only play in right field or First Base. In the event there are two roster players picked up for a game, one player must play in right field and the second player must play in left field or First Base. No roster players will be allowed to play in any other position. If the roster player in right field does not stay for the duration of the game, the other roster player must be moved to right field. Such a player must be placed at the bottom of the batting order.

3. Pool players and regular league player subs can only be used to field a complete team of nine (9) players in order to avoid a forfeit. The team must have 7 players from its own roster at game time to begin an official game. If an invited pool player shows up for the game, he must play the full game. If the game starts with a roster player from another team, he must be allowed to play at least ½ of the game. Any deviations from this procedure will result in a forfeit.

4. Pool players must submit a $50 deposit to be eligible to be in the player pool along with the player consent form and waiver. A pool player will be charged $10 per game; thus the $50 deposit allows the pool player to play 5 games. Should the pool player wish to stay in the pool after playing 5 games, they must remit another $50 deposit. Should they not play all five games by season’s end, the additional fees will not be refunded to the player.

TEAM ROSTERS

1. The Competition Committee will provide official team rosters. No changes may occur on a roster without the approval of the Competition Committee.

2. Team rosters will normally consist of 12 - 18 registered players who have remitted all payments to the league treasurer. A team roster of more than 12 players is at the discretion of the team manager unless the Competition Committee determines, for the welfare of the league, that additional players must be added.

3. Managers cannot recruit from the list of new players.

4. No player already on a team and indicating a desire to return to that team will be forced to leave that team in order to make room for a new recruit.

5. Managers should contact the Competition Committee prior to the draft in order to indicate their team weaknesses and needs. New players from open registration will be assigned to teams with the objective of maintaining competitive league balance.

6. Approval by the Competition Committee in required before a pool player can become an official team roster player.

7. No player will be allowed to participate in any games until all registration fees have been paid, the waivers have been signed and proof of age has been provided. Managers are responsible for reporting any violations of these rules to the Competition Committee.

8. Rescinded.

9. There will be no age limit for pitchers this year. Any player age 25 or older may pitch as per the guidelines of the MSBL league rules.

10. No players are allowed which are not paid roster players. If a non-roster player is found to be playing, this will result in forfeiture of all games this player has participated and will eliminate your team from qualifying for playoffs and post-season play.