Baseball Rules

Adult rec leagues run wood-bat or BBCOR-certified (-3) divisions. Check certification before purchase; non-compliant bats are outs plus ejection in most leagues.

Metal cleats are legal in most adult baseball leagues but banned on some turf fields — the facility rule wins.

Leagues either bat every present player (most common in adult rec, so nobody sits), bat a fixed number, or leave the order free. This drives whether an approved lineup is required at all and how many slots it must contain.

Coed divisions constrain both the COUNT of each gender in the order and the SEQUENCE they bat in. The order is circular — the last slot is followed by the first next inning — so a consecutive-gender cap must hold across that wrap. "alternating_lineup" is a cap of 1; "max_2_consecutive" is a cap of 2. A division set to "no_requirement" generates no constraints at all.

Most leagues allow a courtesy runner for the catcher with two outs (to speed gear-up) and for injured players — typically the last batted out.

Leagues generally allow a designated hitter and often an Extra Hitter so ten bat while nine field, with free defensive substitution among them.

Below this count the shortfall penalty applies. Nine is the standard fielded side; many adult rec leagues allow starting with eight and charging an automatic out for the vacant slot.

When a team fields fewer players than a required count — the overall minimum, or a per-gender minimum in a coed division — leagues either let the team play short, charge an automatic out in the vacant lineup slot each time it comes around, or record a forfeit. This applies to ANY shortfall, not only coed ones: a single-gender league below its overall minimum is the same case.

When time permits extras, leagues commonly start each extra inning with a runner on second to force a result quickly.

Adult rec baseball commonly plays seven innings (or a ~2.5 hour no-new-inning cap). A game is official after 5 innings (4½ with home team ahead).

OBR Rule 7 (adapted)

Balks award runners one base. Many rec leagues give each pitcher one warning per game before enforcing.

OBR 6.02

Games end early when a team leads by a league-set margin, commonly 10 runs after five innings (or 15 after four).

Adult leagues protect arms with weekly inning caps (e.g., 7–9 innings) and rest requirements. Follow the league rule set — this is the most varied rec rule.

Runners must make a bona-fide slide or avoid contact on force plays and at home; malicious contact is an automatic out and ejection.

OBR 6.01 (adapted)