Rules of T Ball

T-BALL - THE BASICS
T-ball is a game for younger players, generally five to nine years old. Members of two teams take turns hitting a ball off a batting tee set on home plate. Batters try to get on base and advance to home. Fielders try to prevent that from happening.

The elimination of pitching allows children to participate without the fear of being hit by, or having to master hitting, a pitched ball. T-ball develops the primary baseball skills of hitting, running, fielding and throwing. The players gain an understanding of the fundamental rules, which allows minimally competitive league play at all age levels. Tee ball has proven to be a natural transition into standard baseball and softball. As such, it provides a steady supply of young players already equipped with the basic skills and an enthusiasm for these sports.

RULES

Players' ages are five to nine.
Players on a team - 12 minimum, 20 maximum.
The bases are 50 feet apart
A real or imaginary playing line is between first base and third base, or an arc 40 feet from home plate.
All players must remain behind this line until the ball is in play.
Every player bats and plays in the field.
The ball is hit off a batting tee; there is no pitching.
There are no walks or strikeouts.
The ball must travel 10 feet or it is a foul.
No fielder may cross the playing line until the ball is hit.
No stealing.
Player stays on the base until the ball is hit.
An inning is over when all the players have batted once.
As skills improve it is permissible to have 3 outs per inning.
Standard game is four innings.
Scores are not kept for the younger players.
As skills improve scores can be kept to simulate the real game.
Safety helmets must be worn.

EQUIPMENT

Bats - 25"/26" long. 2¼" diameter, max. 17 to 20 ounces.
Ball - 9" to 9½" around; 4 to 5 ounces - but softer than a standard baseball. Moulded core or sponge rubber centre.
Gloves - 12" long, max.
Tee - adjustable, flexible tube on a moveable base.
Athletic footwear.

T-BALL VERSUS BASEBALL

The major differences in play concern winning / losing and what constitutes an inning. As children play to win in other games and view competitive sports on TV, many t-ball leagues sanction scoring and winning for the older and / or more mature players (usually six years and up). This also permits another level of play, specifically tournaments and other competitive events. Otherwise, tee ball can be positioned as a skill building, learning experience, where the score is not the focus of the game. Some leagues prefer to consider an inning to be the traditional three outs but the majority of play is "bat around" where an inning is over after every player has batted one time.

COACH PITCHING

Coach pitched is a modification of the game usually reserved for older players. A coach (adult or mature teen-ager) throws the ball to the batter. Underhand pitches can be thrown with an arc to reduce speed. Overhand pitches can be thrown from one knee on the ground to put the pitcher at the same level as the batter. If the player is unable to hit the pitched ball after a pre-determined number of throws -- usually, four to seven -- the ball is placed on a tee and the player's turn continues. All other rules are the same.

T-BALL FIELD

The field of play is shared by an infield and an outfield and is separated into fair and foul territory. The field is similar to dimensions of a youth baseball / Little League type field but with only 50 feet between the bases.
The diamond is a square with a base at each corner.
The bases include first, second, and third base.
The playing line is an imaginary line running between first base and third base.
It can also be an arc, a curved circle extending out 40 feet from the point of home plate.
Home plate is made of white rubber, is five-sided and is set flush with the ground. It is 17 inches wide across the edge facing the infield, 8½ inches long on each side and 12 inches long on the sides of the point facing the catcher.
The centre of the pitcher's area is 38 feet from the point of home plate.
When having coach pitched games the ball is pitched from here.
The batter's boxes are to be 5 feet long by 3 feet wide (optional).
The batting tee is placed on home plate, 2 feet from the front edge of the boxes and 3 feet from their rear border.
The outfield is the wide area of the playing field beyond the diamond and most distant from home plate.
The foul lines extend from home plate past first and third bases.
Fair territory is the playing field within and including the foul lines; foul territory is the area outside the foul lines.
The foul strike area is ten feet out from the batting tee.

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

What is the real or imaginary line for?
The line between 1st and 3rd bases or an arc 40 feet from home plate is to keep fielders away from where the batter hits the ball. It is a safety rule. It also gives the defensive players some time to react in fielding the ball: moving up, back or to the side.

What are the ages for playing tee ball?
The recommended ages are four through seven. By eight or nine the players can move into standard baseball.

Is coach-pitch part of tee ball?
Yes. It is most effective when used with older players.

What does "bat around" mean?
An inning is over after every player has batted one time; then, the sides switch. This is the greatly favoured alternative to the traditional three outs, as it insures that all the players on the team at bat participate in each inning.