MARA AAA Coach Pitch Rules- Fall 2025

1. Pregame Practice, Field Preparation, and Post-Game Cleanup
Home Team (1st Base Dugout)
1.1 Batting cage, then field
1.2 Line the field
1.3 Clean up 1st base dugout and bleachers
Visiting Team (3rd Base Dugout)
1.4 Field, then batting cage
1.5 Rake around bases and fill in any holes, including home plate
1.6 Clean up 3rd base dugout and bleachers

2. Time Limit
2.1 AAA regular season games are 6 innings or 1 hour and 50 minutes, whichever comes first.
2.2 Once an inning has started, the inning must be completed (not a drop-dead timer).
2.3 For tied regular season games, extra innings are allowed within the time limit of the game. If the time limit
has been exceeded, no extra innings will be allowed.
2.4 Playoff games have no time limit. Extra innings are allowed, and games cannot end in a tie. Playoff games
will not end due to weather or darkness and will be suspended per the “Suspended Game” rule.

3. Extra Innings
3.1 Extra innings will follow the International Tiebreaker rule.
3.2 The last out of the previous inning will be placed on 2nd base with no outs.

4. Minimum Players
4.1 Teams must have a minimum of 8 players to start and finish a game.
4.2 For playoffs, teams must have 9 players to start and 8 players to finish.
Regular Season AA Call-Ups
4.3 AAA teams may borrow AA players only if the AA player is not missing an AA game.
4.4. Borrowed players must bat last in the lineup and play in the outfield.
4.5 Only enough players to meet minimum requirements may be borrowed.
4.6 No AA substitutions are allowed during playoffs.
Forfeits
4.7 Teams unable to meet the minimum number of players at game start will forfeit.
4.8 In the event of a forfeit, teams may play a scrimmage with no score kept.
4.9 Umpires are not required to stay for scrimmages.
4.10 Official forfeit score is 3-0.

5. Run Rules

5.1 Maximum of 5 runs in the 1st inning.
5.2 In innings 2–5: Leading team is limited to 5 runs. Trailing team may tie and go ahead by up to 5 runs.
5.3 No run limit in the 6th inning.

6. Mercy Rule
6.1 10-run rule applies after completion of the 4th inning.
6.2 If the home team leads by 10 runs after the top of the 4th, the game ends.
6.3 If within the time limit, teams may continue unscored play without an umpire.
6.4 Extended play stops immediately when the time limit is reached.

7. Bats
7.1 All bats must have the USA Baseball stamp.
7.2 No T-Ball bats allowed.
7.3 Maximum barrel diameter is 2-5/8".
7.4 Bats with a 1.15 BPF stamp are not allowed.
Illegal Bat Penalties
7.5 If discovered during an at-bat, the bat is removed and the at-bat continues.
7.6 If ball is put in play and bat is deemed illegal before next batter has begun their at-bat, batter-runner is out
and runners return to their original base.

8. Pitching
Pitcher Requirements
8.1 Must be at least 18 years old
8.2 Must be an official team coach
Pitching Distance
8.3 Must pitch from 35–40 feet
8.4 One foot must be in contact with rubber or chalk line
8.5 Must be aligned with pitching rubber and home plate
Pitching Style
8.6 Overhand only
8.7 Flat pitch required (no lobs)
Pitch Count
8.8 Maximum of 5 pitches or 3 swings per at-bat
8.9 5th pitch may be extended if fouled
Unhittable Pitch Rule
8.10 Only the 5th pitch may be ruled unhittable by the umpire. This is a judgement call by the umpire and
cannot be protested. A pitch cannot be deemed unhittable if the batter swings.
8.12 One additional pitch is allowed

8.13 No swing on additional pitch = strikeout
Lob Pitch Rules
8.14 A pitch considered a lob will be at the umpire’s discretion and called a no-pitch.
8.15 A lobbed pitch deemed no-pitch by the umpire will count towards the 5-pitch maximum per batter.
8.16 If the 5th pitch of the at bat is considered a no-pitch by the umpire, one additional pitch will be allowed
(unless fouled off).
8.17 If the one additional pitch is ruled no-pitch by the umpire, the batter will be called out on strikes.
8.18 If the “lobbed” ball is put in play by the batter, and deemed a no-pitch by the umpire, it is simply a dead
ball. Runners will return to their original base.
Pitching Coach Conduct
8.19 Coach may instruct batter only. No instructions to runners once ball is in play. Primary coaching to
runners come from the base coaches.
Exception
In a situation where there are no available base coaches, the pitching coach may instruct runners after
safely exiting playing field.
Interference
8.21 Coach must exit field to the closest sideline after ball is put in play. (Good opportunity to pick up bat/move
out of play)
8.22 Must kneel on bunts or slow grounders to avoid interference
Interference Penalties:
a. Ball is dead immediately
b. Force play → lead runner out
c. Non-force → batter-runner out. The other runners cannot advance and will remain at their original
base.
Ball Contact
8.23 Batted ball hitting coach is immediately dead
8.24 Ruled no-pitch
8.25 Runners return
Pitcher Continuity
8.26 Same adult pitches full inning unless injured
8.27 Pitcher may change between innings

Defensive Pitcher Positioning
8.28 Player must be behind and to either side of coach
8.29 Within 4 feet of home-to-2nd line
8.30 No more than 42 feet from home plate

9. Batting

9.1 Continuous Batting Order
9.1 All players bat - no one sits out.
9.2 Late arrivals inserted at bottom of lineup.
9.3 Early departure due to injury/sickness → skipped with no penalty
9.4 Other early departures → automatic out

10. Bunting
10.1 One successful bunt is allowed per team per game. A successful bunt is a ball put in play, whether batter
is out or safe.
10.2 Slashing (fake bunt then swinging) is prohibited.
Slashing Penalty:
a. Batter is out.
b. Runners return to original base.

11. Player Positioning
11.1 Teams with fewer than 10 players must cover all infield positions (including catcher).
11.2 Remaining players play outfield.
11.3 No defensive shifts allowed. Players will play in their traditional positions. No short fielder will be allowed.
11.4 Pitcher positioning rules apply (see 8.28).
11.5 Infielders may charge on bunt.
11.6 Infielders must remain at least 30 feet from home plate.
Outfielders
11.7 Must be at least 15-20 feet into the grass when play begins. No short fielder permitted. Deeper play is
encouraged.
11.8 May enter infield to back up plays or cover a base vacated by long play such as run-down or overthrow.
11.9 Cannot cover force bases

12. Player Substitutions
12.1 Free substitutions allowed for all players.
12.2 No player may sit more than two innings in a 6-inning game.
12.3 No player may sit consecutive innings.
12.4 In the event of an injury, both coaches must agree on the proper thing to do.
Infield Minimums
12.5 Every player must play two innings in infield per game (minimum). Except in the case of a safety hazard.
A safety hazard must be discussed with the commissioner, the player’s parent(s), and opposing coach prior to
the start of a game.
12.6 Catcher position does not count as infield position.

12.7 Shortened games may affect minimums. It is up to the coaches to prioritize proper rotations to maximize
infield opportunities for every player.
12.8 Infield rule applies to regular season only.

13. Base Runner / Fielder Contact
13.1 Players must try to avoid contact.
13.2 Umpires have full discretion to make correct interference/obstruction calls when contact occurs that affect
the play.

14. Sliding
14.1 Headfirst sliding allowed only when returning to a base.
14.2 Sliding into 1st base is prohibited (runner will be called out).
14.3 Feet-first sliding required for any potential play at home plate.

15. Courtesy Runner
15.1 Allowed only with two outs and only for catcher of record.
15.2 Runner must be last batted out.

16. Overthrows & Stopping Play
16.1 One-base advance limit on any batted ball that remains in the infield, unless an overthrow at first, second
or third base occurs..
16.2 Umpire calls time only when play naturally stops (when runners stop trying to advance).
16.3 Infield overthrow → runner on base may move up a maximum of one base beyond the base they were
advancing toward at the time the overthrow occurred.
16.4 Batted balls to the outfield allow advancement until an infielder has possession of the ball on the infield.
The advancing runners can advance no further than the base they were attempting to advance to at the time
the infielder gained possession of the ball, unless the infielder that took possession of the throw from the
outfield attempts to make a play on an advancing runner and an overthrow occurs at first, second or third, in
which case each runner on base may move up a maximum of one base beyond the base they were advancing
toward at the time the overthrow occurred.
16.5 No overthrows allowed to home plate.

17. Plays at Home Plate
17.1 Catcher must be primary fielder when the ball is thrown to the plate.
17.2 If the catcher is cut-off by another fielder → runner will be called safe.
17.3 Judgment call by umpire; no appeals are allowed.

18. Playoffs

18.1 Higher seed is always the home team, except when the higher seed is coming from the loser’s bracket in
the first championship game of the double-elimination tournament. In the event the losers’ bracket
representative wins the first championship game of a double elimination tournament, the home team for the
second championship game shall be determined by coin flip.

19. Ejections
19.1 Any coach, player or parent that is ejected must leave facility immediately.
19.2 Automatic one-game suspension for ejected individuals (regardless of regular season or playoffs).
19.3 Minimum player rules still apply.

20. Coaches on the Field
20.1 Two defensive coaches allowed in outfield (foul territory only).
20.2 Two base coaches must stay in designated coach’s box.
20.3 Manager must stay within arm’s length of dugout and cannot be closer to home plate than the edge of
their respective dugout.

21. Coach / Parent / Spectator Rules
21.1 No parents, spectators, or assistant coaches are permitted to argue with the umpire; doing so will result in
an ejection. Only head coaches may address umpires.
21.2 Arguments result in ejection.
21.3 Discussions must be respectful and away from players/spectators.
21.4 No parents or siblings in dugout or field of play.
21.5 No profanity, alcohol, or tobacco products will be tolerated at MARA.