9U Tier 1

 

Details

• Age Group: 8 - 9 years old (in the current calendar year)
• Session Length: 90 Minutes
• Roster Size: Approximately 12-15 players

Equipment

• Required: Glove, Batting Helmet, Bat, Hat (supplied), Jersey (supplied)
• Recommended: Athletic Support (i.e., jock or jill), Long Pants
• Optional: Cleats, Baseball Pants, Batting Gloves

Session Structure

Warm-up (15 Minutes)

• There is no official warm up session, however, players should arrive at least 15 minutes prior to their scheduled game time to stretch and have an adequate warm-up catch.

Game Duration

• As per schedule, # of innings played is dependent on time allotment on schedule.
• Each inning will have 3 outs or 3 runs; whichever comes first.
• There will be no open inning at this level.
• No new inning will start after 1 hour and 15 minutes.

Playing Field

• The distance between the bases shall be 60 feet.
  The distance from the point of home plate to the front of the pitching rubber shall be 44 feet.

Rules of Play

• All games shall be played in accordance with official baseball rules except with any other rules contained in this document, Baseball NL and Baseball Canada.
• Games are to be played with nine (9-10) defensive players on the field.
• The tenth (10th) player must be used as an extra outfielder.
• Coaches must rotate players throughout the defensive line-up to ensure fair play.

NOTE: While it is important for coaches to ensure every player receives a fair opportunity to try all positions, it is also a coach's responsibility to ensure the safety of every child. Some defensive positions have higher risk of injury from a batted or thrown ball. A coach may decide to not let a player take a high-risk position if he/she feels there is an unreasonably high-risk of injury to the player.

• Score will be kept by the coaches.
• Staff will pitch and catch at this level.
• All batters MUST wear helmet when on deck, at bat or on the bases.
• Players must run on and off the field between innings.
• Bunting is NOT permitted in Rookie play.
• There is no infield fly rule used in Rookie play.
• Runners may tag and run to the next base, at their own risk, after a fly ball is caught.
• Lead offs and base stealing is NOT permitted.
• Batting Lineup: A pre-set batting line up for each team will be created for the entire season. Each game will begin with the "On Deck" player from the last game (ex. Batter 6 Is the last out, Batter 7 begins the next game).

NOTE: this is a slightly modified version of the Baseball Canada Canadian Content Rule. The intent is to provide the opportunity to develop batting skill while maintaining a reasonable pace of play.

Coaches

There will be two or three coaches per team (1 Head Coach, 2 Assistants) if the number of parent volunteers allow. There will also be two staff present to facilitate game play: home plate umpire and base umpire.

Head Coach

• Make batting and fielding line-ups and substitutions each inning.
• Coach a base when hitting.

Assistant Coaches

• Coach a base when hitting.
• Keep kids safe on bench.
• Call out batting order.
• Can assist head coach with hitting and fielding instruction, if comfortable.

Coaches/Parents please remember that the 9U Rookie program with focus on skill development. Please encourage kids to have fun while learning the game.