1. Players
    • All teams are required to begin the MSBL/MABL season with an active roster of 16 players.
    • All players must be 18 years of age by the date of their first game of the season. Players 18 through 27 years of age will be registered in MABL and eligible to play in MABL tournaments. Players 28 years and older will be registered in MSBL and eligible to play in MSBL sponsored tournaments.
    • Players that will turn 18 years of age during the course of the season may be put on the roster at the beginning of the season while still 17. They are not eligible to play until the day they turn 18.
    • Pro ball players are eligible to participate in MSBL Jacksonville.
    • No player is eligible to play in any game until all required League forms are completed, submitted and accepted by the league.
    • All team rosters must be final by April 28th. After this date, a player may only be added by Board of Director approval. Any player added after the April 28th date will pay the full individual league registration fee. ($50.00)
    • All appropriate league funds due by both individual player and team are due by the date(s) established by the league President’s concurrence. Absolutely no further games will be scheduled for teams in arrears beyond one week of scheduled payment.
    • All team switching must occur before the deadline of June 15th.
    • No player may switch teams without the consent of both managers and the local league President (according to Player Movement rules). If one of the managers is the League President and is involved with the trade then another Board member may act in his/her place. Should all three parties agree the player may switch teams and be eligible for the next game.
    • Players MUST play a minimum of 6 league games to be eligible for tournament play.

  2. Uniforms
    • All teams will have full uniforms by their third game. Wearing of caps, baseball pants, and shirtsleeves are mandatory. Jerseys MUST match and hats must match colors. Shirts will be tucked into pants, and hats worn straight wile on the field. Teams violating this rule will not be allowed to play until outfitted properly.
    • Either metal or rubber cleats are permitted.
    • All batters will wear at least one earflap on their helmet. Base runners will be required to wear helmets while running the bases. These helmets may or may not have earflaps.
    • Catchers must wear a helmet. Throat protection is also strongly advised.

  3. Equipment
    • Any major league baseball will be permitted, provided the ball meets major league specifications such as a Wilson A1010, NCAA certified, or Wilson A1001, Diamond D1 Pro, Rawlings MSBL balls or better.
    • Home team is required to provide 4 new baseballs for each game. If those balls are lost, both teams will throw in the best balls available for the remainder of the game.
    • Wooden and composite bats will be allowed.
    • Bats not deemed playable will be dis-allowed by umpires.
    • Modified helmets and balls are not allowed

  4. Games
    • Games can only be canceled due to inclement weather at ballpark sites two (2) hours prior to game time unless agreed upon previously by Home field managers. The Home Field Manager is responsible to notify the MSBL Jacksonville Field and Umpire Director in a timely manner to prevent the umpires from reporting to the field at the time of the game with agreement from both managers and the umpire.
    • All games rained out, postponed, or called because of darkness, or for whatever reason, should be rescheduled by agreement of the managers within two (2) weeks, and must be rescheduled prior to official end-date of the season. The Home Team Manager is responsible for field acquisition of rain canceled games, and must coordinate with the Field Umpire Director for provision of umpires. Either team unable to make up the game shall forfeit the game to the other team. All teams are responsible for completing their entire schedule.
    • If for some reason both umpires do not show up, the game shall be canceled and rescheduled. If only one umpire shows up, the game will be played. The Home Team Manager must contact the Field and Umpire Director immediately after the game.
    • There will be no beer or alcoholic beverages permitted before, during or after the games on park grounds. If this problem should arise, the player or players will not be allowed to play in that game and will be warned the first time and expelled for NO LESS THAN ONE FULL YEAR on the second offense.

  5. Game Length
    • All regular season single games will be 9 innings, or as many innings as can be played in two hours and forty-five minutes (2:45) of the first pitch.
    • All regular season double-header games will be (2) 7 inning games, or as many innings as can be played in two hours and thirty minutes (2:30) of the first pitch of each game.
    • There will be a fifteen (15) minute grace period, from the scheduled start time for the required number of players to be available, once the fifteen (15) minute grace period is over, the game is either declared a forfeit or played (SEE RULE 6).
    • In the event a doubleheader is to be played, once the fifteen (15) minute grace period is over and the first game is declared a forfeit, the second game will start thirty (30) minutes later. There is no grace period for the second game.

  6. Players needed to begin a game
    • Each team shall have, at a minimum, nine registered MABL players to begin a league game. Players may be borrowed from either the opposing team (with permission from the manager) or from other MABL teams (registered players only). These players may not pitch or catch. Also, there is a limit of 3 players that can be used at one time.
    • A team may begin play with eight (8) players. The missing ninth players spot, in the batting order, will be an automatically recorded out. If the ninth player arrives before the ninth spot has been passed over, he may take a position in the field and will be inserted in that spot and no automatic out will be recorded. If the ninth player arrives after the ninth spot has been passed over, he must take a position in the field and be inserted in the tenth batting spot with the ninth spot an automatic out.
    • If a player is forced to leave a game, a reserve player not previously entered into the line up, as a hitter must hit in batter’s spot. If no reserve is present, that spot is skipped and all batters move up in the batting order. An out is recorded each time the disbanded players spot comes to bat.
    • If a player is forced to leave a game and there are only seven (7) players, that game is automatically forfeited.

  7. A/B Slot Batting order
    • The slot batting order or tournament style batting can be used to help get more players involved. Each team has the option to alternate different players in their batting lineup, giving more players an opportunity to participate in the game. The conditions for the Slot A/B batting style are as follows:
    • The team using this style of batting order must declare this before the game starts and the player’s names need to show up on the lineup card. The slot batting order, if started must also finish in the same fashion. Players can be substituted in the A/B slot. For example: If Tom and John are sharing the #10 batting slot and for some reason Tom is no longer able to play (injury, ejection or has to leave) and there is nobody else available Tom’s spot would be an automatic out. If there is another player available to fill that spot, that player bats in the slot. A of A/B slot bats first time around and B of A/B slot bats next time that spot comes to bat, alternate the same way, until game is finished.
    • A/B slot batting order can be used anywhere.

  8. Speed Up Rule
    • The Pitcher and Catcher may have a courtesy runner; at any time is optional, mandatory after two outs. The last batted out will be the courtesy runner. (Can be used in addition to Rule 8)

  9. Courtesy Runners
    • Players that require a courtesy runner must have their Manager notify the Umpire and the Opposing Manager before the start of the game. The manager can ask for courtesy runner privileges for a maximum of two players before the game. The last batted out will be the courtesy runner. If a player designated at the beginning of the game, to need a courtesy runner, stays on the field, that player will forfeit his right to a courtesy runner the remainder of the game
    • If less than 2 courtesy runners are declared at the beginning of the game, and a subsequent obvious injury occurs during the game that precludes a player from running the bases, the last batted out may be used, as a courtesy runner and it will not count as a permanent offensive substitution. The original batter must still run to first base.

  10. Run Rule
    • If a team has a twelve run lead, at any time after 5 innings have been completed, it shall be the option of the losing team manager, to continue play.
    • If a team has a twelve (12) run lead after 7 innings have been completed the game will be ruled complete. ** Note** The 12 run rule does not effect games played involving the 45+ team(s). It is up to the managers to determine if the game should continue.

  11. Rules
    • Offensive changes to the line up must be reported to the Umpire and the opposing Manager.
    • Free defensive substitutions will be allowed, at any time. Defensive players do not have to report and do not have to be in the offensive line up.
    • Each team must bat at least nine (9) or more players to start the game. The manager may add more batters to the bottom of the batting order. If a player fails to bat in his turn (unless substituted for), he will be counted as an out.
    • The pinch hitter rule shall follow the American League rulebook.
    • There is no requirement on how many innings a pitcher may pitch in a game or week. No white or gray sleeves are permitted for pitchers. No batting gloves or wristbands will be allowed for pitchers while pitching. The American League rulebook shall dictate the color of the pitcher baseball glove.
    • Brush back pitches or knock down pitches will not be tolerated. The pitcher will be warned one time. A second brush back in that game will result in an ejection and a one game suspension. A subsequent brush back ejection will result in a two game suspension. The third occurrence of a brush back ejection for that player will result in a one-year suspension from the date of the third occurrence. No action will be taken against the manager.
    • A pitcher may return to pitch after he has been defensively re-aligned in the field. However, he will not be able to pitch if he is taken out of the game defensively.
    • Charging the pitchers mound will result in a two game suspension after the first offense, a five game suspension after the second offense and a one-year suspension after any other occurrence.
    • A pitcher will be removed from the mound after he has hit 3 batters, not ejected, just removed from the mound.
    • All players must avoid an intentional collision with the fielder. In this case, the player will be out and ejected from the game and receive a two game suspension immediately. The NCAA rule applies.
    • If an infielder fake tags, all runners will be entitled to advance one base and a warning will be given. If any infielder fakes tags again in the same game, he will be ejected from the game. The fake-tag referred to, be where a player on base slides unnecessarily due to a fake tag.

  12. Unsportsmanlike Conduct
    • Unsportsmanlike conduct will not be tolerated. If the umpire ejects a player from a game, the following will apply: First offense – two (2) additional game suspensions. Any subsequent ejection will result with the player being suspended for the balance of the 2008 season. The Rules Committee will place into effect for individual game suspensions. The Board of Directors will determine all issues surrounding season-long or greater suspensions. The Board of Directors is tasked with providing greater weight in favor of the umpires, and the burden to prove otherwise is solely on the shoulders of the individual player concerned. Rules of Administrative Procedure will apply at these hearings.
    • Physical aggression will be treated as a criminal offense and will be reported to the city officials. Any player in this category will not be allowed to play in the MABL for life.

  13. Protests
    • All protests should be lodged with the Rules Committee within forty-eight (48) hours from the end of a ball game with a $25.00 protest fee. The $25.00 will be refunded to the protesting manager if his/her protest prevails at the Rules Committee hearing. If the protest is lost, the money will be deposited into the league account. The manager wishing to protest a game must inform the umpires immediately and inform the Rules Committee in writing within forty-eight hours after the game. In the event a protest involves the Chairman or a member of the Rules Committee, or they are a member of one of the two teams involved in the protest, that member or members will excuse themselves from the discussion and voting on that particular protest. The Chairman of the Rules Committee will be also a Member of the Board of Directors and selected annually by the league President.

  14. Forfeits
    • Two forfeits by any team would result in a $100 fine and will double for each subsequent forfeit, so on and so on. These fines MUST be paid before the next scheduled game or the team would incur another forfeit and fine. If for any reason a team is expelled from the league there will be no money refunded to the team.

  15. Spectators
    • The (2) Team Managers will be responsible for the conduct of their respective players fans in the ballpark. No beer or alcohol will be allowed in the stands. No abusive language will be tolerated.
    • Non-registered MABL participants will not be allowed in the dugouts.




Rules adopted by the Board of Directors on February 16, 2006

Rules amended on February 18, 2008