LL minors 5 run rule?

[1dumbquestion]

Hey all, I'm new to LL but have done other youth leagues with a 5 run rule. other leagues have the last inning open. I did a LL game last night at the end of the 5th the HC comes up and says thats game because they were up by 6 and the other team could only score 5 in the 6th so no reason to play. This is new to me, but again I have never done LL before. is this the case? no open inning in the last? I know in general scorekeeping is not my job as an ump I just want some insite from you all. thanks, 1

[mstaylor]

LL gives you the option to open the last inning but they need to do it at the division level. But even if they don't open the last inning, you should play the game out. Minors are considered instructional and should play out.

[kylejt]

Williamsport has given us no guidance at all on some of the gray areas of the 5 run rule. So, every local, or district should close all the loop holes, such as:

Over the fence home runs. Do you score all the run, if over five?

Open last inning. If you get the waiver for this, what defines your last inning?

Bat the order. That might give one team, who may have more players, an advantage.

Do you play out the last inning, if one team has no possibility to catch up?

[1dumbquestion]

thanks for your response guys... I just spent the last 2 hours rereading every word of my rule book, and sure enough nothing about open innings. Guess I'll confirm with my local league on thier handling of these sitchs. thanks, 1

[mstaylor]

LL does give you the option to open the last inning only and with a waiver. The last inning would either be the sixth inning or if you decide the game will end early because of light or time limit then you open that inning. I believe there was a Q&A that said to finish whether the team can come back or not. The only way they couldn't is if you decide not to open the last inning or it is a mercy game.

[blindumpire99]

I've done ( and actually enjoy it!) a pitching machine age group ( 8 y/o) in a local youth league where they have a 3 outs or 6 runs, whichever comes first, per inning rule.

But they utilize the standard "10 runs after 4 1/2 or 5" mercy rule..

[catoblue]

LL only specifies the 5 runs per inning. Generally additional modifications to that rule happen at the Local League level.

Ours is 5 run limit/inning except an open 6th or extra inning(s) (not "last" inning, it doesn't happen before the 6th). With the new pitching rules, I only saw three minors games the whole season that managed to start a 6th inning before the two hour time limit was up. An additional local rule clarifies the grand slam scenario that would normally score more than 5 runs, in that the half-inning is over when the 5th run crosses the plate.

[catoblue]

I've done ( and actually enjoy it!) a pitching machine age group ( 8 y/o) in a local youth league where they have a 3 outs or 6 runs, whichever comes first, per inning rule.

But they utilize the standard "10 runs after 4 1/2 or 5" mercy rule..

Pitching machine divisions shouldn't be concerned with score at all. Yes, I realize that the kids are "into" scoring these games, but mercy rule etc. shouldn't apply. The kids should play out the game (within time limits), so that all the kids can gain experience. This is purely instructional baseball and generally falls in between T-Ball and Minors.

3 outs or one time through the order (the order being the entire roster) is more appropriate for this age group.

The 3 outs to switch sides is an incentive to help teach the kids the importance of defense (instead of catching bugs, picking dandelions, making dirt piles in the infield, etc.). It works because they know that if they can get 3 outs, they get to bat again, and we all know that kids are really, really, really into the batting part of the game.

Batting through the roster if the defense can't get 3 outs, gives all the kids multiple opportunities to bat through the course of a game, while at the same time, pushing those kids on defense to focus more on the game and less on all of the neat little distractions that 6 or 7 year-olds manage to find while in the field. For this age group, it's all about learning, and the volunteers that run the league trying to make that learning a fun experience.

Edited April 15, 2009 by catoblue

[prumpire]

Thats how my league does it too.