RCBA Rules 2010

These are additional rules to the generally accepted rules of baseball that the Royal Canadian Baseball Association has adopted over the years.

Download a printable copy of the 2010 RCBA Rules.

All games are for fun.
All disputes to be handled by the captains only.
Home team is determined by the schedule.
The game is nine innings long unless weather or sunset create a condition where it is unsafe to play. Team captains must agree to play to the end of an inning or take the score from the last complete inning.
A team must have eight players by the end of the third inning, including three girls otherwise the game is considered a forfeit.
Up to 12 players on the field at a time. A team must play 3 girls every inning, 1 of whom must be in the infield (1b, 2b, 3b, SS).
As per City of Toronto insurance regulations all players must be at least 18 years of age.
Players must play half a season in order to be eligible for the playoffs. If a players has played less than 7 games, then that person must be brought forward as an exception to the league.
Pitch to your own team - 3 pitches to each batter.
There is a "Bunt Line", the circumference of pitchers mound from home plate, that a ball must travel by in order to be alive. If it doesn't cross the line, it's considered a strike. If the fielding team decides to play it within the boundary while it's rolling, it's alive.
Pop ups If a back-catcher catches a popped up ball in foul territory, it is considered a strike. If caught in fair territory, it is an out.
Bat throwing will result in one warning, then an out.
The batting order must remain consistent throughout the game. All players must bat.
A pinch runner may be employed if the batter reaches base safely. The runner must be the person of the same gender most recently called out.
Runner from home to Ist base when called safe, must turn (left or right) in foul territory and remain in foul territory to return to 1st base safely. If the runner turns in fair territory, to return to 1st, the player can be tagged out.
Lead-offs - There are no lead offs allowed. You can only leave the bag when the bat makes contact with the ball (foul balls included). If you leave the bag before the batter hits the ball or if you leave and the batter swings and misses the ball for a strike that is considered a lead off. The first time doing so will result in a warning, any other time will result in an out, no limit.
When a fly ball is caught, a player must "tag-up" and then may advance.
Infield Fly rule will be enforced. Please ensure your team understands the rule. (Please see addendum at bottom of this page for an explanation)
No sliding. If a player slides into any base, the player is out. If you overrun second or third base, you may be tagged out. You must slow down in order to stop in time and avoid sliding.
To avoid collisions: when a player is running home they are to run behind home plate, avoiding any contact with home plate. Any player will be called out if contact is made with home plate.
Once a player crosses the commitment line on the way home they must continue. Returning to third base will considered an out.
For all overthrows, everyone advances one base unless you are playing at a diamond where there are fences behind first and third base that keep the ball in play.
A ball hit near an obstacle (i.e. building, tree, etc.) will be considered to be a ground rule double unless it is very clear to all parties the ball is playable.
Riverdale East, Out of play area. Captains to agree before the game where the out of play line is situated. If a foul ball is caught beyond the out of play line, it is considered a strike unless it is the 3rd pitch. Out of play lines for the remaining fields are those that are in line with fences.
Pitcher and live/dead balls
- Pitcher must attempt to move out of the way. If the batted ball hits the pitcher, it will not count as an out, but as a dead ball and a strike. All runners return to their original base.
- If a ball is being thrown in to a bag/home and pitcher is hit by the ball, the play is dead and all runners will return to the most recent bag crossed. For example, a runner trying to make it home and the pitcher is hit, that runner will return to third.
- Only an infielder may throw the ball to the pitcher. If an outfielder throws the ball to the pitcher, the pitcher does not have to catch the ball, if they choose not to catch it, it is considered a live ball.
When a fielder catches a fly ball or an infielder makes an out at a base on a throw, the batter or runner is considered out even if the fielder drops the ball in the transfer of the ball from glove to hand when making another throw. i.e. double play ball from 2nd to 1st. The fielder must have control of the ball in the glove when caught.
No defensive player shall block a base path unless he is playing the ball. No base runner shall interfere with a defensive play.
The infield cannot move within the base paths until the ball is hit.
Any base coach must not intentionally interfere in any way with the ball (or the batter is out), runner or defensive player, whether in foul or fair territory.
Umpires
1st base umpire (1st base coach) calls first and home, 3rd base umpire (3rd base coach) calls third and second, including the commitment line. The catcher calls the foul balls.
Mercy Rules
- Maximum of 12 runs in an inning. The last inning is open and unlimited.
- After the 7th inning a team that is losing by 15 or more rums has the option to call a halt to the game.
Rain Outs - 4:30 PM will be the time IF games are to be cancelled. The commissioner will send an email out at that time based on weather forecast and field conditions. IF no cancellation email is sent out and you do not show up for the game, you will have defaulted the game and given a loss.

Infield Fly Rule

The infield fly rule applies only when there are fewer than two outs, and there is a force play at third (runners on first and second base, or bases loaded). In these situations, if a fair fly ball is a hit that, in the umpire's judgment, is catchable by an infielder with ordinary effort, the batter is out regardless of whether the ball is actually caught in flight. The rule states that the umpire is supposed to announce, "Infield fly, if fair." If the ball will be almost certainly fair, the umpire will likely yell, "Infield fly, batter's out!" or just "Batter's out!" Umpires also typically raise one arm straight up to signal to everyone that the rule is in effect.
Any fair fly ball that could have been caught by an infielder with ordinary effort is covered by the rule regardless of where the ball is caught. The ball need not be caught by an infielder, nor must it be caught in the infield. For example, if an infielder retreats to the outfield in an effort to catch a fly ball with ordinary effort, the Infield Fly Rule would be invoked, even if an outfielder ultimately caught the ball, and even if no infielder attempted to make a play on the ball. Similarly, a fly ball within the infield that could have been caught by an infielder with ordinary effort, but is caught by an outfielder, would also be covered by the rule.
On a caught infield fly, a runner must tag up (i.e., retouch, at or after the time the fly ball is first touched by a fielder, the base the runner held at the time of pitch) to be eligible to advance, as on any catch. If the infield fly falls to fair ground untouched, or is touched and dropped, runners need not tag up. In either case, because the batter is out, the force play on runners is removed.

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