PITCHING, BATTING, BASERUNNING, FIELDING
31) Infield warm-ups shall be allowed in the first inning only, including up to 3 warm-up pitches for the pitcher. In subsequent innings, the pitcher is allowed one warm-up. A replacement pitcher who has not yet pitched in the game is allowed up to 3 warm-up pitches. If a pitcher returns in the same inning in which he was removed, no warm up pitches are permitted.
32) A pitch must be delivered with a minimum height of 6’ and a maximum height of 12’. Any legal pitch that meets the pitching height requirements and hits any part of the home plate board before hitting the ground or any player or equipment will be called a strike.
33) An illegal pitch shall be called by the umpire immediately upon recognizing it. If the batter does not attempt to hit the illegal pitch it shall be called a ball, however, if the batter attempts to hit the pitch, it shall be considered legal pitch and any resulting play shall stand.
34) A batter shall be called out immediately if he hits a pitched ball while stepping on the home plate board or while one foot is entirely out of the batter's box. If a proper batter's box is not outlined on the field, the determination of the batter being out of the batter's box when he hits the ball is if 1) his entire foot is directly in front of or behind the board, or 2) he does not have at least one foot on the ground within the confines of being directly adjacent to the home plate strike board.
35) A batted ball hitting the home plate board is in play, subject to eventual fair/foul decision. A batted ball that is untouched and comes to rest on top of the board or is first touched while on or above the board is to be judged fair or foul according to the foul lines (approximately half of the board is in foul territory).
36) A foul tip will be treated the same as a foul ball. If any batted ball is caught before touching the ground the batter is out, regardless of the height.
37) Baserunners are entitled to advance with liability to be put out when any legally caught fly ball (fair or foul) is first touched.
38) When the ball is thrown out of play, all runners are awarded two bases from the last base safely reached at the time the ball was thrown. If a fielder loses possession of the ball (such as on an attempted tag) and the ball enters the dead ball area, each runner shall be awarded one base from the last base touched at the time the ball became dead. If two runners are between the same bases, the award is based on the position of the lead runner.
39) A runner must stay in contact with the base to which he is entitled until the pitched ball touches the ground, reaches home plate, or is batted.
40) A maximum of 5 courtesy runners may be used by a team in a game, as outlined in SPO rules.
41) When there are 2 out, a ‘temporary runner’ may (optional) be used for a pitcher who is on base so that the pitcher may start to put on protective equipment to be ready to pitch. The pitcher on base must have been the pitcher who finished the previous half-inning. The temporary runner is the player in the batting order furthest from coming to bat who is not already on base at the time of use. This does not count as a courtesy runner.
42) The AMSA has no limit on the number of home runs hit by either team, provided they are legal. (Any untouched ball which travels over the fence, over fair ground, is a home run.). An exception to this is diamond 3 (with shorter fence distances) at Ajax Sportsplex, where the game limit is 5 over-the-fence home runs per team (any additional home run will count as an ‘out’)
MISCELLANEOUS
43) Rule Books are permitted at benches or in dugouts, not on the playing field.
44) There will be no protests of an umpire’s rule interpretation/application and the outcome of the game will stand. However, follow up of the situation (when appropriate) will be handled by the umpire-in-chief.
45) The final playoff game(s) shall be seven full innings (conditions permitting), and 2 umpires shall be used (subject to availability).
