Beacon Hill House Rules
Minors & Majors Divisions

• All Beacon Hill Minor and Major teams must abide by these IN PARK (Beacon Hill vs Beacon Hill) rules. Interlock rules are to be used for interlock games. 
• Coaches may not wear shorts 30 minutes prior to first pitch nor during games. 
• No open toe or heel shoes are permitted. 
• All coaches, managers and umpires must review the safety rules for Little League Baseball and abide by them.  https://www.littleleague.org/playing-rules/appendices/appendix-b/
• If a team shows up to the park with fewer than 9 players (or a player is hurt during the game or must leave early rendering a team short), then the opposing team must lend a defensive player/players as necessary to fill all field positions.
• If a coach knows in advance they will have fewer than 9 players, the coach can “call up” a player from another Beacon Hill team from an equal or lower division (ie. a Junior Minors team can “call up” players from the Rookie Minors division, a Junior Majors team can “call up” players from the Senior Minors division. *All call up and/or sub players from other teams must wear their regular team jersey, bat at the bottom of the order, and are not permitted to pitch or catch – no exceptions.
• Continuous batting order will be used.
• One coach must always remain in the team dugout inside the field with the players, including in between innings.
• PARENTS ARE NOT PERMITTED IN THE DUGOUT OR ON-FIELD AREA BEFORE OR DURING GAMES (field set up excluded). Players go to their parents, not the other way around. Players cannot sit with parents, sit in the stands, wander, etc. We are responsible for players and must know where they are at all times. Players should be with the team unless they are in the bathroom.
• All games shall be played in accordance with the rules of Little League  Baseball except those noted within this house rules document. https://www.littleleague.org/playing-rules/rules-regulations-policies/

Home and visiting team responsibilities:

• Home teams provide field prep (rake, bases, and lines using the chalking machine setting two [not three] – the middle release lever setting), a scorekeeper, a scoreboard operator, and a game announcer. Scorekeepers must be in the clubhouse. Scoreboard operators should be in the clubhouse, but, if necessary, may work from the home team bleachers provided they are accessible to the umpires.
• The green field covers should be folded up and placed on the cart and stored behind the 1st base bullpen out of the way.
• Visiting teams must provide a scorekeeper – scorekeepers must be in the clubhouse and be accessible to umpires.
• Games cannot proceed without one scorekeeper from each team in the clubhouse for the entirety of the game.
• Visiting teams are responsible for putting away the bases, raking, shutting off the scoreboard, and locking all buildings at the end of the game or at the end of the day/night. If no coach from the next game is physically present to hand this off to, it falls on you, even if you think they are coming (ie. it’s 2:30 and you know there is a practice or game at 4:30, if the next coach is not there you must lock up and put everything away). Please ensure this happens and that the bases are put away in their proper place, and the storage room and the clubhouse are locked (at Hollywood, Brooke, and Pemberton).

Pitching

• Majors (Junior and Senior) will follow LL Canada rules on pitching all year, including playoffs.
• Minors  (Junior and Senior) will be working with a two-inning maximum for all pitchers until the May Long Weekend. Any part of an inning pitched counts as a full inning pitched (one pitch thrown to a batter is an inning pitched). Then we will follow LL Canada rules until the end of the season, including playoffs.
• If a player plays the position of catcher for 4 innings in a game, they cannot pitch. This is a Little League rule. Any player who has played the position of catcher in four or more innings is not eligible to pitch on that calendar day. A pitcher who delivers 41 or more pitches in a game cannot play the position of catcher for the remainder of that day.
• A player who played the position of catcher for three (3) innings or less, moved to the pitcher position, and delivered 21 pitches or more in the same day, may not return to the catcher position on that calendar day.
• Junior Minors pitching distance is 42 feet.
• Senior Minors, Junior Majors and Senior Majors pitching distance is 46 feet.

Stealing

• Stealing – stealing is allowed, but no lead-offs (if a runner leads off, he will be sent back to the base or if called out on the ensuing play, he is out, i.e. won’t be sent back). Once the ball reaches the plate, the player on base can steal. When the pitcher is on the mound (i.e. dirt cutout) with the ball the runner cannot steal. Especially for Minors - let’s not get all technical about the pitcher being on the rubber. If the pitcher is on the mound and has the ball, the runner has to return to their base.
• Stealing Home – stealing of all bases is permitted. However, particularly for Senior Minors, if you would like to make an agreement before the game with the other coach not to steal home, or to wait until two outs before stealing home please decide this together prior to the start of the game and let the umpire know.
• Stealing - Junior Minors - stealing is allowed but only 1 base at a time
• Stealing Home - Junior Minors - stealing home is only allowed on 2 outs.
• Stealing on a Walk – on a walk, if the pitcher is not on his mound, the player can steal second. 
• Majors (Junior and Senior) has drop third strike rule, Minors does not.
• Minors (Junior and Senior) has a three run maximum per inning.
• Majors  (Junior and Senior) has a four run maximum per inning.
• Batters – Please teach your players to step out of the way of the play after each pitch when there is a player on third base who might be trying to steal home. It gets dangerous when a batter is standing there, ready to hit and a player is running in from third. Umpires can call batters out for interfering with plays at home plate. All runners must slide at home plate if there is going to be a play at the plate. This is a safety issue to avoid collisions, balls in the face etc.

Approved Bats

• Only bats with the USA Baseball certification can be used for games AND practices, and only 2 ¼” or 2 5/8” (No 2 ¾” bats). No tee ball bats are permitted in minors. This information should be reinforced with parents and players. No exceptions. One warning will be issued after which any further illegal bat use, or attempt to do so, will result in the ejection of the head coach.
• https://www.littleleague.org/playing-rules/bat-rules/

Umpires

• Coaches cannot tell an umpire what to do, they must form a review as a question. Be respectful and do not intimidate the umpires. It is easy to make a mistake – help each other make it fair for the kids.
• We use youth umpires for Minors and Majors games, some are umpiring for the first time. Please be understanding and respectful of the boys/girls in blue and model this for your players both in the words you say and your body language (i.e. throwing up your hands, eye rolls, all of those actions are picked up on by your players).

Game Duration

• MINORS (Junior and Senior): Must complete five innings unless it becomes unsafe to do so. The last inning is modified open as declared by the umpire. The visiting team can score 3 runs if tied or ahead OR can score as many runs as possible to go ahead by 3 if behind. The home team can score enough to win. Or 3 outs. Whichever comes first.

• MAJORS (Junior and Senior): Must complete six innings unless it becomes unsafe to do so. The last inning is modified open as declared by the umpire. The visiting team can score 4 runs if tied or ahead OR can score as many runs as possible to go ahead by 4 if behind. The home team can score enough to win. Or 3 outs. Whichever comes first.

Playoffs (not applicable for Fall 2026 season)

• Rankings are based on wins, then head-to-head, then run differential.
• 2026 Icebreaker Tournament Format

• Minors: 6 teams will play 3 games. 1 team will play 4 games. The 4th game for this team will not count towards standings. There are no playoffs. Final will be 1st vs 2nd ranked.
• Majors: 5 teams will play 3 games each. Top 4 teams will advance to the Semi Finals: 1st vs 4th and 2nd vs 3rd. Winners of each Semi will play in the Final.

• 2026 Year End Tournament Format

• Minors: 7 teams will play 4 games.  Top 4 teams will advance to the Semi Finals: 1st vs 4th and 2nd vs 3rd. Winners of each Semi will play in the final.
• Majors: 5 teams will play 4 games each. Top 4 teams will advance to the Semi Finals: 1st vs 4th and 2nd vs 3rd. Winners of each Semi will play in the Final.

Schedule

Spring 2026 Season Timeline:

• April 1-12: Icebreaker Tournament: standings will count for rankings.
• April 13 - May 29: Development Season: standings will NOT count for rankings.
• May 30 - June 14: Year End Tournament: standings will count for rankings.