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Elmsford Little League

Elmsford Little League

Rookie League Guidelines

The mission of our Rookie League is to teach the basic fundamentals of baseball to children who are between kindergarten and second grade. At those ages, attention spans can be limited limited and boredom -- especially in the field -- takes over. We have put together some guidelines and rules so that we can alleviate these issues and have all of the Rookie League teams on the same page when it comes to fielding and batting protocol.

Batting

  • Half the roster in attendance makes a plate appearance each inning.  NO EXCEPTIONS.
  • Coach, parent or student coaches pitch from their knees, keeping the ball on a straight plane to the bat. The pitcher should have at least seven balls at the mound.
  • If the batter has not gotten a hit after seven  pitches, the tee should be brought in. No more than seven pitches should be thrown. NO EXCEPTIONS!!
  • A foul ball close to being in fair territory should be considered a hit when deep into a pitch count. We are working on swinging fundamentals and contact is good.
  • All hits should be singles. Have the player run through the base. Rookie League is station-to-station (base to-base) running.
  • Last batter in each half inning hits a base-clearing "home run," with each player rounding all remaining bases.
While in the field:
 
  • There will be two  Pitchers Helpers).  One stands behind the coach pitcher to the first base side; the other stands behind the coach pitcher to the third base side.
  • Encourage the player who fields the ball to throw to first base or the closest base that would result in an out. 
  • If it is obvious that the batter would be safe before the throw, have the player throw the ball anyway. This will develop throwing skills.
  • The fielding team should not leave the field to return to the dugout until the last base runner crosses home plate. 
  • Later in the season, if three legitimate outs are made, the inning should be over. This is to reward the fielding team for making the plays. (If this happens, the opposing batting order picks up with the next batter in the order for the next inning.)

Some tips to keep the game moving:

1) Have the team lined up in the dugout in the batting order for the inning.

2) Have the batting team wear helmets while in dugouts so they are ready to hit.


Safety rules 

  • ONLY approved coaches/parent helpers should be on the field.
  • One coach/parent helper MUST be in the dugout at all times
  • ONLY the batter may hold a bat. NO on-deck swingsno bats in dugout.

 

Contact

Elmsford Little League
Elmsford Little League, P.O. Box 25
Elmsford, New York 10523

Email: [email protected]

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