Westchester Little League Rules
2026
These local rules (“Local Rules”) augment the Official Regulations of Little League and the Little League Operating Manual (“Little League Rules”) as updated for 2026. The Local Rules will be updated on an annual basis, as needed, and approved by vote of the Westchester Little League Board of Directors (“Board”). Local Rules are meant to expand and clarify the Little League Rules and be unique and specific for Westchester Little League (“WLL”). These Local Rules apply to all Divisions except for Rule Articles IV - VII that apply only to the indicated Division.
Failure to comply with any of the below sections will be reviewed by the President and Disciplinary Committee to determine what actions, if any, shall be taken to address the non-compliance including, but not limited to, monetary forfeiture of individual registration, loss of playing time, including practice and/or games, a team or player being disqualified from participating in post-season tournaments and/or all-stars, and spectator bans from viewing individual games or permanently.
Article I. Code of Conduct
1. DISCIPLINE
A. This Code of Conduct must be always adhered to by all coaches, parents, spectators, and players. Violation of the Code of Conduct will be reviewed by the Disciplinary Committee (defined below) and may lead to the violator receiving disciplinary action.
B. The President has the authority to immediately act for any violation in an emergency situation where a child’s safety may be at risk. A review of the incident will be conducted, and recommendations will be made later by the Disciplinary Committee.
C. The Disciplinary Committee will consist of three members of the Board who are appointed by the President.
D. The minimum penalty for a manager or coach who is ejected from a game by an umpire will be suspension from the next scheduled game. The President and Disciplinary Committee will review the incident and determine if additional consequences should be imposed. When ejected, the manager or coach shall exit the Nielsen Property immediately. The person ejected may way outside of the gates.
E. All Rule violations asserted must be reported in writing (paper or email) to the President and Division Director within 24 hours. Upon receipt, the President will convene with the Disciplinary Committee to review the incident and determine if further action is warranted.
F. A player may be benched for a game only if the manager has given prior written notice to the Division Director and has received approval for such action by the Division Director, President, or Vice President. Should urgent circumstances exist, verbal approval may be obtained from the Board Member on Duty. The benched player must be in the dugout for their benched game to count.
2. VOLUNTEER REQUIREMENTS
A. All managers, coaches, team volunteers, and Board Members are required to register as volunteers via the online registration system and complete an online background check. Managers and coaches are not allowed to act as such until a background check is completed. Managers are encouraged to qualify more than two coaches to ensure that substitutes are available for games and practices. A team volunteer is defined as, but not limited to, any adult who regularly participated or helps with practice or game warm-ups, team parents, and social media coordinators.
B. All Managers and coaches are required to take the online CDC Concussion Training annually and submit certification to the League Safety Director.
C. All Managers, coaches, team volunteers, and Board Members are required to take the online Little League Abuse Awareness course and submit certification to the League Safety Director prior to the second week of February. All Majors and Minors managers and coaches are also required to complete and submit certification for the Little League Diamond Leader training.
3. SNACK STAND: Only Board Members and necessary personnel are permitted in the Snack Stand. 4. ATTIRE: All managers and coaches are required to wear proper attire (clothing that does not restrict movement). Closed toe shoes without metal or rubber cleats must be worn by managers and coaches on the field during practices and games.
5. SCOREBOOK: If a scorebook is being used in lieu of GameChanger, Oone manager or coach per team must sign the scorebook at the end of each game. This is a requirement to maintain compliance with Little League Rules in preparation for post-season tournaments. Failure to do so may result in disciplinary action. The Division Directors will review the scorebooks periodically to ensure compliance.
6. SPORTSMANSHIP
A. Managers and coaches should emphasize sportsmanship at every opportunity. B. Majors/Minors
i. Baseball traditions such as not stealing bases or advancing on passed balls when a team has a lead of 10 runs or more shall be taught and followed.
ii. Observance and promotion of sportsmanship are criteria that will be considered in selecting managers and coaches for participation in All-Stars.
iii. No player may steal home (including on a wild pitch or passed ball) if their team has a lead of 10 runs or more. If this scenario occurs, the player will be returned to 3rd base, and the manager will be warned. In the event this occurs again in the same game, the manager will be ejected from the game. If a continuous pattern occurs, more sever
action may be taken by the Disciplinary Committee, leading to possible removal of the manager from their position.
7. MANAGER SELECTION
A. In November prior to the season, the President will request that managers who are interested in taking a team shall submit as request for the division they wish to manage, team name request, and coach (if any).
B. If there are more potential managers than manager positions, then manager selection will be based on seniority (years managed at Westchester Little League). The league President may choose to deviate from the seniority rule if they feel that is in the best interest of the league.
C. Two managers may choose to manage together (i.e., co-managers). This must be declared prior to the start of evaluations. A team with co-managers will not have an additional coach when they enter the draft process.
Article II. Practice, Game, and Field Preparation
1. The visiting team will use the first base dugout, and the home team will use the third base dugout. 2. The home team is responsible for keeping score via GameChanger (preferred) or scorebook. The visiting team will provide a scoreboard operator.
3. TEAM REPSONSIBILITIES BEFORE AND AFTER GAMES
A. One representative from each team must check in with the Board Member on Duty. B. Each team is responsible for cleaning up the stands and dugouts on their respective sides before and after each game. This includes setting up and emptying their respective trash cans and ensuring the bathrooms (left bathroom – visiting team, right bathroom – home team) and bleachers are clean.
C. The home team is responsible for preparing the field for play prior to EVERY game. D. The visiting team is responsible for breaking down the infield, sweeping the dugouts, and emptying the trash cans in the bathroom (as needed – main only) at the end of EVERY game. E. After the last game of the day, each team is responsible for emptying their respective side trash cans and helping clean up common areas.
4. EVENTS PER WEEK
A. An ‘event’ is defined as a game, batting cage practice, team fielding practice, and pitcher/catcher practices. A week runs Sunday to Saturday.
B. Major and Minor Divisions shall not exceed 4 events per week.
C. AA shall not exceed 3 events per week.
D. A will not exceed 2 events per week.
E. Events other than games shall not exceed 2.5 hours per session.
F. Game times (during regular season):
i. Sunday – shall not have a start time prior to noon at Nielsen unless approved by the Board.
ii. All events shall end before 10pm.
5. BATTING CAGE PRACTICE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
A. Policies and procedures must be adhered to at all times. Violations will be reported to the President and Disciplinary Committee for review and possible penalty of loss of cage privileges or removal from the league.
B. Authorized managers, coaches, players and team volunteers may use the cages. C. Helmets are required by all players in the cages.
D. No practice swings outside the cages.
E. Coaches are encouraged to use “L” screens for protection.
F. Teams must clean cages after use.
G. Cage #2 Pitching Machine may be used only under Manager/Coach supervision. H. No unattended players allowed in the batting cages.
I. The last teams to use the cages must empty the trash and replace the bag (as needed), lock the cages and turn off lights.
J. GAME DAY CAGES: teams are assigned warmup cage allocations per the Final Practice Schedule.
K. Open cage time per the Final Practice Schedule may be reserved by teams via the President or VP Operations.
L. WESTCHESTER LITTLE LEAGUE IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY INJURIES INCURRED WHILE USING THIS FACILITY. PLEASE FOLLOW THE ABOVE RULES AND NOTIFY MANAGERS, COACHES, AND THE SAFETY DIRECTOR IF INJURY OCCURS.
Article III. Division Requirements, Replacement Players & Standings
1. EVALUATIONS
A. All registered eligible players who wish to play in the Majors, Minors, or AA Divisions must attend an evaluation. Players added after evaluations or who do not attend evaluations will be wait listed and added to teams only if space permits.
B. During evaluations, only managers and one coach (if co-managers, only 2 managers) are allowed on the field. Additionally, the Division Director and/or other Board members are allowed in the evaluation space with an official roster and rating guide as needed to assist in running the event. An impartial evaluation will also be present for each evaluation. 2. DRAFT LISTS
A. Major Division – All 11–12-year-olds will be on the Majors draft list. 10-year-olds will be considered based on evaluations. All 12-year-olds must be drafted onto Majors teams. B. Minors Division – All 11-year-olds not selected in the Majors draft and all 9–10-year-olds will be on the Minors draft list. 8-year-olds will be considered based on evaluations. All 10-year olds must be drafted onto Minors teams.
C. AA – all 9-year-olds not selected in the Minors draft and all 7–8-year-olds will be on the AA draft list. 6-year-olds will be considered based on evaluations. All 9-year-olds must be drafted onto AA teams.
D. Single A – all remaining registered players will be on the list for Single A team formation. E. Players may be selected in any order subject to the Little League limits on number of players per age group on any one team.
F. Exceptions to the above age guidelines require Board approval.
3. DRAFT ORDER
A. Prior to the draft, order will be determined by random drawing or randomizer. The manager who is selected #1 will get the first draft player selection.
B. Draft selection order may be traded prior to the draft commencing. Requests must be submitted and approved by the President prior to draft start.
C. The manager with the last player draft pick will get first selection for field practice day/time. D. The manager with the first draft pick will then select first for cage day/time. E. Managers who are managing two teams will receive first overall field and cage selection in
their respective division (i.e., a manager with a Majors and AA team will select first practice times in those divisions).
F. Practice time selection will commence with Majors (all field and practice selection), then Minors, then AA, then Single A.
G. Team names
i. Team names will be selected by the first week of January to ensure uniform design is complete for order immediately after draft.
ii. Returning managers will have the option to select their previous year’s team. iii. All managers will then select their team names based on division, Majors first. iv. If a manager is not identified by the first week of January, they will select a name based on what is available at the time they sign up to manage.
4. DRAFT PROCEDURE
A. Only Managers, one pre-selected coach per team, President, Division Director, and appointees are allowed in the draft room. The President shall appoint one Board member to assist with the process. The appointee shall not have a say in his/her own player’s standing or selection during the draft.
B. Drafts will begin with Majors, followed by Minors, and then AA. Event draft order will follow the snake draft method (example 1-2-3-4-5-5-4-3-2-1). Single A teams are assigned to ensure even distribution of players.
C. Manager/Coach Player Ratings: Managers are permitted to select one coach prior to the draft. Manager and coach’s players are assigned a round ranking during evaluations by all team managers and a board member. These rankings are collected, consolidated, and reviewed by the President who will provide a final ranking round for each of the players. After receiving the final ranking round, the manager/coach may decide if they want to manage together prior to the draft.
i. In general, final rankings will be discussed and agreed upon at the start of the draft by the managers. If they cannot mutually agree then the final decision will be made by the President, VP, or Division Director (if any of the three has a player in the division then the managers may request they not be involved in the final ranking).
D. Managers will not draft in the round their player and coach’s player are slotted. In the event both players (or multiple players in the event of siblings) are both slotted in the 1st round, then that team will lose their 1st – 3rd round draft picks and will select their first player at the top of the 4th round. They will then draft their normal draft order in the 5th round and will select one additional player at the top of the 5th round.
E. Player trades may occur within the allotted timeframe pending approval of the President or a designee in the event of a conflict of interest with the President’s team(s). The President will determine the trade window prior to the close of the draft session. The President may extend the trade window as needed.
F. THE DRAFT BOARD, RATINGS, SELECTION ORDER, AND TRADE DISCUSSIONS ARE CONFIDENTIAL. BREAKING CONFIDENTIALITY MAY RESULT IN RELIEF OF
MANAGER/COACH POSITIONS.
G. No rosters shall be released until the President finalizes the rosters and the Division Director releases the final info to the managers.
5. REPLACEMENT PLAYERS
A. Should a player quit a team during the regular season, that player will no longer be eligible to return unless the player is given permission by the Board.
B. An eligible player may be selected from a lower division to move up to a team that needs a replacement player. If the player refuses to move up at that time, the player becomes ineligible for any other move up during that season.
6. POOL PLAYERS
A. The Division Director shall maintain a list of players who are interested in playing for a team that has an insufficient number of players (“Player Pool”). The Player Pool shall consist of: i. Next lower division players that the Division Director, President, or VP determine are appropriate for Division play
ii. AND same Division players that the Division Director determines are eligible to substitute.
B. Replacement players are referred to as “Pool Players” and the members of the team borrowing the player are “Roster Players.” If a team determines they need a Pool Player, the following rules shall be observed:
i. Managers are encouraged to roster 10 players. When a pool player results in more than 10 players, all regular roster players must play more innings than the pool player(s). ii. Managers must request pool players from the Division Director. They may not contact players directly and have them attend games.
iii. Pool players shall bat last in the lineup.
iv. Pool players sourced from their current division playing in the Majors or Minors divisions may only play in the outfield.
v. AA pool players may play a maximum of one inning of infield, in either the catcher or third base positions.
vi. Pool players playing up a division may play any position other than pitcher and catcher. a. A catcher exception may be requested due to circumstances that leave a team with no catcher. These exceptions must be approved by the President and Division Director.
C. Pool players shall wear their current team uniform during pool play.
D. Pool players must be identified by the manager at the plate meeting.
E. When a pool player is requested, the Division Director shall consider all players that are missing during a game, not just the top player. The Division Director will do their best to provide approved pool player(s) that are a similar caliber player to the missing roster player(s). In addition, the Division Director should try to rotate pool players, allowing many players the opportunity to play extra games. They will track who played.
F. Use of pool players may not be grounds for protest (i.e., top pool player selected to help a team win the game).
G. Pool players in post-season are at the discretion of the President.
7. PLAYER REQUIREMENTS FOR GAMES
A. Majors and Minors: Managers shall always strive to roster 10 players, using pool players as needed. Games may begin with as few as 8 players per team with approval from the Division Director or a Board member. No penalty (such as automatic out) shall result from the missing player. If a team fielding 9 players drops down to 8 during the game, play may proceed. If a team drops to less than 8 players during a game, play shall stop and the Division Director or Board member will determine whether the game will be forfeited or continued later.
B. AA games may be played with as few as 87 players. If a team fielding 87 players drops to 76, play shall stop and the Division Director or Board member will determine whether the game will be forfeited or continued later.
8. INTERLEAGUE GAMES: The season will consist of regular games and may include interleague games. The standings will be tracked and totaled at the end of the regular season. Each team will be ranked according to its regular season records for playoffs. The Board may schedule practice games as appropriate, which must be predesignated as practice games/scrimmages. Interleague games may count in standings at the discretion of the President or the Board prior to the start of each season.
9. To determine regular season standings, each team shall be awarded two points for one win, one point for a tie, and zero points for a loss. For tiebreakers, the following rules will apply in list order (does not apply to Single A as there is no scorekeeping or playoffs):
A. Head-to-head record in regular season games;
B. Fewest defensive runs allowed, head-to-head;
C. Fewest defensive runs allowed, season;
D. Coin Flip by President
10. RAIN OUTS: The only rain out, postponed, or incomplete regular season games that will be made up are those that have bearing on overall season standings. In the event of a discrepancy in standings caused by an uneven number of games played by multiple teams, the league shall attempt to remedy the situation by subtracting all tournament games from all teams affected by the discrepancy. If there is still a discrepancy then the completion of make up games is subject to schedule permitting and approval of the Division Director, President, or VP.
11. PLAYOFFS
A. Home Team Decision: Home team for playoffs shall be determined as follows: i. In games conducted under the winner’s bracket, the highest seeded of the two teams shall be the home team.
ii. In games conducted under the elimination bracket, the home team shall be decided by a Board Member coin flip. The flip may be conducted remotely. The coin flip will be completed no later than 45 minutes prior to the game.
iii. In the first championship game, the winner’s bracket representative shall be the home team.
iv. If there is a need for a second championship game, the home team shall be decided by a Board Member or umpire coin flip 30 minutes before game time.
B. When there is more than one Westchester team in a tournament and as time allows, the winner of the playoffs may select its position in the postseason tournament pool. The runner up shall have second pick. If there are additional teams entered, the next place team will choose its position and so on from there.
C. Only a manager may ask the umpire for time to discuss pitch count or score discrepancy while a game is in progress. They shall discuss the discrepancy with the umpire only (not the score booth). The umpire will then discuss it with the appropriate personnel, and all decisions will be final.
D. A minimum of 60% attendance for regular season games is required to participate in playoffs or approval by the Board. TOC and All Stars participation must follow Little League requirements.
Article IV. Majors Division Specific Rules
1. DEFENSIVE PLAY REQUIREMENTS: Every player on a Majors team must play at least 3 defensive innings. This will be tracked directly in the scorebook/GameChanger to ensure minimum play can be verified. If a player does not play the required number of defensive innings, they must: A. Start the following game;
B. Complete the requirement missed from the previous game;
C. AND complete the playing requirement for the game being played.
D. If any manager does not comply with the minimum defensive play rule, which is half the game, that manager will be subject to suspension for the next game.
2. COURTESY RUNNER: Courtesy runner for the next inning’s pitcher and catcher is permitted with 2 outs. The courtesy runner must be the player who made the last out. When the substitution is made, it is to be reported to the umpire and scorekeeper.
3. CONTINUOUS BATTING ORDER: Per LL Rules, all games during regular season and playoffs must use continuous batting orders.
4. TIED GAME AFTER REGULATION PLAY (Subject to Game Time Limit Below) A. If after 6 innings of regulation play the score is tied, the game shall continue 1 final inning, with each half-inning starting with a runner on 2nd base, who will be the last batter to make an out from the previous inning.
B. If after the completion of 7 innings the score is still tied, the game will officially end and be counted as a tie. In the playoffs, WLL shall revert to Greenbook LL Rules for extra innings. 5. RUN LIMIT
A. Preseason Run Limit: All preseason games will use a 4-run limit rule for the first 3 innings. B. Season Run Limit: Per the LL Rules, if after 4 innings (3.5 innings if the home team is ahead) one team has a lead of 10 runs or more, the manager of the team with the least runs will concede the victory to the opponent and the game will end. The same is true if after 3 innings, the lead is 15 runs.
6. GAME TIME LIMIT
A. No new inning shall begin after 2 hrs from the start time (first pitch of the game) with a drop dead time of 2 hrs 30 mins from the start time. If a game is not completed by the drop-dead time, the score will revert to the last completed inning.
i. If no start time is declared by the umpire, it is the responsibility of the managers and/or the official scorekeeper to have the umpire declare a starting time.
B. The manager of the team in the lead shall not purposefully delay the game. The umpire shall decide if such a delay occurs (e.g., delay in sending the team to the field or batter to the plate, extended mound visits, etc.). Such manager will be warned in the first instance and if there are repeat offensives, it will be reported in writing (paper or email) to the President and Division Director. Upon receipt, the President will convene with the Disciplinary Committee to review the incident and determine if action is warranted.
7. PLAYOFFS: All Majors Division teams will participate in the playoffs. The Playoff format will be a double elimination tournament. The teams will be seeded according to their finish in the regular season, subject to the discretion of the Majors Division Director in the event of uneven numbers of complete games. The official brackets from the Little League website will be used.
8. COACHES:
A. 1 defensive manager or coach is allowed to sit or stand outsidebe at the mouth of the dugout with the gate open but swung inward (protecting the kids from balls hit in that direction). The manager should remain entirely inside the dugout. They do this at their own risk.
A.B. A total of only 3 managers/coaches are allowed during a game (ex. Manager, asst coach, dugout coach).
Article V. Minor Division Specific Rules
1. DEFENSIVE PLAY REQUIREMENTS: Every player on a Minors team must play at least 2 defensive innings, or ½ of the game, whichever is greater. This will be tracked directly in the scorebook to ensure minimum play can be verified. If a player does not play the required defensive innings he/she must:
A. Start the following game;
B. Complete the requirement missed from the previous game;
C. AND complete the playing requirement for the game being played.
D. If any manager does not comply with the minimum defensive play rule, which is half the game, that manager will be subject to suspension for the next game
2. PITCHING: The following applies to preseason and regular season games only – not playoffs. A. Any player who throws at least 1 pitch in the 1st inning will not be permitted to pitch the following game until 1 inning has been completed (pitcher may enter in the 2nd inning). B. If a pitcher who threw at least 1 pitch in the 1st inning of the previous game pitches in the 1st inning, the manager and pitcher will be subject to the Little League rules regarding use of ineligible pitcher.
3. COURTESY RUNNER: Courtesy runner for the next inning’s pitcher and catcher is permitted with 2 outs. The courtesy runner must be the player who made the last out. When the substitution is made, it is to be reported to the umpire and scorekeeper.
4. CONTINUOUS BATTING ORDER: Per LL Rules, all games during regular season and playoffs must use continuous batting orders.
5. TIED GAME AFTER REGULATION PLAY (Subject to Game Time Limit Below) A. If after 6 innings of regulation play the score is tied, the game shall continue 1 final inning, with each half-inning starting with a runner on 2nd base, who will be the last batter to make an out from the previous inning.
B. If after the completion of 7 innings the score is still tied, the game will officially end and be counted as a tie. In the playoffs, WLL shall revert to Greenbook LL Rules for extra innings. 6. RUN LIMIT/OPEN INNINGS
A. Pre-season games will have a max limit of 3 runs per inning, and local playoff games will have a max limit of 5 runs per inning.
B. Regular season games will have a max limit of 4 runs in each of the first 5 innings. C. Any runs scored beyond the applicable run limit will not be counted, unless an over-the-fence home run was hit.
D. If the umpire believes the 4th or 5th inning may be the last due to approaching the 1:45 time limit, they can declare it an open inning (i.e., no run limit). If the inning moves fast and time allows for an additional inning, the next inning will be as well.
E. During an open inning, we amend the LL Rule stating that any inning is over once a team has batted through the lineup, to the following: During an open inning, if two teams have different sized active rosters/lineups, the team with fewer players will not be deemed to have batted around until they have batted the number of players equal to the larger team’s roster/lineup. This is intended to remove the advantage of the larger roster with continuous batting.
F. Per the LL Rules, if after 4 innings (3.5 innings if the home team is ahead) one team has a lead of 10 runs or more, the manager of the team with the least runs will concede victory to the opponent and the game will end. The same is true if after 3 innings, the lead is 15 runs. 7. GAME TIME LIMIT
A. No new inning shall begin after 1 hr 45 mins from the start time (first pitch of the game) with a drop-dead time of 2 hrs 10 mins from the start time. If a game is not completed by the drop dead time, the score will revert to the last completed inning.
i. If no start time is declared by the umpire, it is the responsibility of the managers and/or the official scorekeeper to have the umpire declare a starting time.
B. The manager of the team in the lead shall not purposefully delay the game. The umpire shall decide if such a delay occurs (e.g., delay in sending the team to the field or batter to the plate, extended mound visits, etc.). Such manager will be warned in the first instance and if there are repeat offensives, it will be reported in writing (paper or email) to the President and Division Director. Upon receipt, the President will convene with the Disciplinary Committee to review the incident and determine if action is warranted.
8. PLAYOFFS
A. All Minors Division teams will participate in the playoffs. The playoff format will be a double elimination tournament. The teams will be seeded according to their finish in the regular season, subject to the discretion of the Minors Division Director in the event of uneven numbers of completed games. The official brackets from the Little League website will be used.
B. All playoff games will consist of at least 6 innings. The 5-run rule will apply for the first 4 innings. The 5th inning and beyond will be open. A 10-run rule limit will be enforced after 4 innings (3.5 innings if home team is ahead by 10 or more runs).
9. COACHES
A. 1 defensive manager or coach may coach from outside the dugout but must remain between the “bricks” (entrance to the dugout). They do this at their own risk.
B. A total of only 3 managers/coaches are allowed during a game (ex. Manager, asst coach, dugout coach).
Article VI. AA Division Specific Rules
1. PLAYER REQUIREMENTS PER GAME
A. A maximum of 9 players play in the field.
B. There is a minimum requirement of 8 players per team or play cannot commence/proceed. There are no forfeits in AA, so the game will be made up if it has an effect on standings for playoff seeding only.
C. When teams know prior to a game they will be short players, the manager should contact the Division Director to request pool players. If the opposing team has more than 9 players, they may also lend a player so the game may proceed.
2. DEFENSIVE PLAY REQUIREMENTS
A. Players cannot play the same position more than 2 innings in the same game. This includes playoff games.
B. When a team is playing with only 9 or 10 players, no player shall play in the outfield for 3 innings in a 4-inning game.
C. All players must play at least 1 inning in the infield and 1 inning in the outfield each game. D. For playoff games, which are a minimum of 5 innings, all players must play at least 2 innings in the infield.
3. COURTESY RUNNER: Courtesy runner for the next inning’s pitcher and catcher is permitted with 2 outs. The courtesy runner must be the player who made the last out. When the substitution is made, it is to be reported to the umpire and scorekeeper.
4. CONTINUOUS BATTING ORDER: Per LL Rules, all games during regular season and playoffs must use continuous batting orders.
5. SCORING: During regular season games, wins, ties and losses are tracked. Ties may not occur in playoffs.
6. PLAYOFFS
A. AA will have Division playoffs pending President approval.
B. Only teams with umpires who have fulfilled their required number of games will be eligible for playoffs.
C. Seeding will be determined based on the number of teams participating. The teams will be seeded according to their finish in regular season, subject to the discretion of the AA division Director in the event of uneven numbers of complete games. The official brackets from the Little League website will be used.
7. PITCHING
A. After a player has pitched 4 balls to a batter, a coach pitcher will relieve for the hitting team. They will stand up (not from knee or on the grass in front of the mound) pitch the remainder of the at-bat from the front of the pitcher’s mound while wearing a mitt (for protection from line drive come-backers). The player pitcher will stand to the left or right of the mound. An umpire will call strikes during player and coach pitch. Walks cannot occur during coach pitch, but strikeouts can. The batter does not have a maximum number of pitches during coach pitch to allow kids to swing at good pitches. Batters are not awarded 1st base if hit by a coach pitch.
B. Regular Season Kid Pitch: Kids may only pitch a maximum of 1 inning per game during the regular season. This will ensure all kids pitch under 50 pitches and there is no need for a pitch count. Scorebook/GameChanger operators should practice keeping the pitch count in preparation for playoffs.
C. Playoff Kid Pitch: Kids may pitch more than 1 inning, but after 50 pitches, the coach must pitch the rest of that inning. Pitch count days of rest requirements apply based LL rules. D. Batter Hit by Kid Pitch
i. If a batter is hit by a kid pitcher, they are awarded 1stt base. The batter may decline to take 1st base (at the batter’s request) and stay at bat to face a coach pitcher. This allows the player more game reps if the batter desires. If the batter is hurt, a pinch runner (last out) may pinch run. If a coach pitch hits a batter, the player remains at bat. If the batter cannot continue, the player’s at bat is skipped and no penalty occurs.
ii. If a kid pitcher hits 2 batters in the same inning, the coach of the team batting will pitch the remainder of that inning. In the playoffs, this resets each inning.
E. If a kid pitcher no longer wants to finish the inning, another player cannot replace the kid pitcher that inning. The coach of the batting team shall pitch the remainder of that inning. 8. TIME LIMITS FOR GAMES
A. Regular Season
i. A game will not exceed 5 innings, or 4.5 innings if the home team is winning. ii. No new inning shall begin after 1 hr 30 mins from the start time (first pitch) of the game. If no start time is declared by the umpire, it is the responsibility of the managers and/or the official scorekeeper to have the umpire declare a start time.
iii. An umpire may add additional minutes to the end of the 1 hr 30 mins if they feel there was unusual down time in between innings or game stoppages.
B. Playoffs
i. Playoff games will play 5 full innings, or longer if tied. A tie game shall continue, with each half inning starting with a runner on 2nd base, who will be the last batter to make out from the previous inning.
ii. The championship game(s) will play 6 innings, or longer if tied, with no time limit. If after 6 regulation innings the score is tied, the game shall continue, with each half inning starting with a runner on 2nd base, who will be the last batter to make out from the previous inning.
9. RUN LIMIT/OPEN INNINGS: A 4-run limit per inning applies even during the final inning. No open innings in the regular season. This rule changes for playoffs: Like WLL Minors level, the last inning will be “open,” following the guideline in Rule V.6.
10. STEALING
A. During preseason and the first 5 games of the AA regular season, base runners will not be permitted to steal any base.
B. Starting in the 6th game through playoffs, stealing/advancing to 3rd base on wild pitches/passed balls is only allowed during kid pitch (not coach pitch). Runners may only steal from 2nd base to 3rd base. Stealing 3rd base is only allowed when a pitched ball gets past the catcher. If the ball stays in front of the catcher, they are deemed to have “blocked” it, and no steal may occur. WLL encourages all catchers to throw to 3rd base during a steal to develop catchers. Home plate is ‘dead’. Advancing to home may only occur because of a ball put in play or a hit by pitch (HBP). Example, runner steals 3rd, catcher overthrows ball to third, runner must stay at 3rd.
11. DEAD BALLS
A. Overthrows
i. Overthrows to 1st base from infield and outfield, runners are allowed to advance at their own risk ONE additional base. (i.e., runner on 1st, ball hit to pitcher who throws over the 1st baseman’s head. The runner on 1st may advance to 2nd or round 2nd and
advance only to 3rd at their own risk. In the event of additional overthrows in the same play, the runner may NOT advance further than 3rd. The ball is dead.
ii. Overthrows from an infielder to 2nd, 3rd, or home, all runners may advance one base at their own risk. After the first overthrow, the ball is dead.
B. Outfield throws infield
i. In the event a play is made from the outfield to 2nd, 3rd, or home (not 1st base), runners may not continue to advance.
ii. If the defense throws the ball near 2nd base while the runner is near, at, or just past 2nd, the runner may not continue to advance to 3rd base, no matter where the ball ends up. All other runners may not advance further. Possession is not required. The ball is dead.
iii. If the runner has fully rounded 2nd, the runner may continue to 3rd at their own risk. 12. OUTFIELDERS
A. An outfielder is not allowed to step into the infield and make plays that could be made by infielders. If the ball goes past the infielder (e.g., a missed ground ball), the outfielder is then free to field the ball. They may never record an out at a base. This is to prevent: i. Overcrowding the infield, causing possible collisions; and
ii. Aggressive fielders from taking infield plays that could be made by more passive players.
b. Enforcement is at the discretion of the umpire. Plays deemed illegal will not count and runners will be placed at bases the umpire deems appropriate.
13. INFIELD FLY RULE: There is no infield fly rule in AA. A pop-up must be caught to record an out, regardless of the situation.
14. BUNTING: There is no bunting in AA.
15. COACHES
a. The team on defense may have up to 2 coaches out of the dugout they are restricted to the outfield or foul territory. Teams are limited to 4 coaches in the dugout area designated for their team. To speed up the game when teams play on main field, 1 coach is allowed to stand behind the catcher (to the side by the backstop) to get the passed balls. They may not stand in this position when there are runners on base who may steal. Offense base coaches follow normal LL Rules.
b. During playoffs, there may be 2 coaches out of the dugout. Both are restricted to the space near the dugout (not on the outfield or foul territory).
c. Coach interference – If a ground ball hits the coach pitcher unintentionally, it’s a live ball. If the coach picks up the ball or purposefully stops the ball, it’s an automatic out. Self defensive, reflexive actions against a line drive comebacker will not result in a penalty. A batted ball reflexively blocked or deflected by the coach is still a live ball. A batted ball reflexively caught in self-defense by the coach pitcher will result in the batter hitting again, with the same count.
d. If a manager or coach is heard or seen telling a hitter not to swing at a kid pitch, either verbally or by signal, the pitch is a strike. Coaches can instruct the player to wait for a pitch they like but not tell a player not to swing. This is at the umpire’s discretion.
e. When no umpire is available to officiate the game, 1 manager or coach (must be a registered volunteer with appropriate coach’s training certifications) from each team will umpire for their own team’s at bat.
f. Arguing umpire’s judgment calls by a manager/coach could result in ejection and one game suspension. With a second offense, the manager or coach may be removed at the discretion of the AA Division Director and the Board.
g. Only 1 team manager (or acting manager) may call a time-out to discuss calls that may be incorrect per AA rules (ex. Overthrow rule) with the umpire. This rule is in effect with both official umpires and coach umpires.
h. No protests are allowed in AA.
Article VII. Single A Specific Rules
1. Score is not kept during these games and wins/losses are not recorded.
2. Soft baseballs will be used.
3. TEAM FORMATION
A. Single A has no draft. Teams are formed.
B. Players are assigned to teams by the Division Director(s) based on their skill level rating provided by managers and Directors during pre-season events. Parent and coach requests to have kids play together or for a specific team will be considered during team formation to a reasonable extent.
C. Single A players typically range from league age 5-7. Only very inexperienced 8-year-olds will be considered for this Division if Safety is a concern in AA.
D. Team size of 9-10 players is optimal for this Division.
4. No minimum inning requirement. No new inning shall begin after 1 hr from the start time with a drop dead time of 1 hr 20 mins from the start time.
5. A team may play with fewer than 9 players but must have a minimum of 6 on the field. A team with less than 6 players may borrow kids from the other team to balance and allow the game to proceed.
6. PITCHING/HITTING
A. All pitching is done by a league approved manager/coach). Pitching must be overhand and may be done standing up or from a knee at the coach’s risk.
B. For the first 6 games, each batter will be allowed ~5 pitches. There will be no walks. Players may be offered a tee if they are struggling to hit the ball to allow them the opportunity to get on base.
C. Commencing game 7, strikeouts may be introduced to a team at the coach’s discretion. Each player will be allowed ~5 pitches. If the player is unable to hit, they may be out and return to the bench. Alternatively, teams may proceed with a tee if the player is unable to hit to allow players a chance to run the bases. Note, most players will be able to hit coach pitch by this time of the season. Coaches should review their plans for strike-outs vs tee offering prior to starting each game.
D. If the batter is hit by a coach’s pitch, they remain at bat. There are no walks in A. 7. OUTS
A. During the first 6 games of the season, put-outs may be made, but the runner is allowed to stay on the base.
B. Starting in game 7, if a batter strikes out or a batter or base runner are put out, they must return to the dugout. The entire team’s lineup will be allowed to bat each inning regardless of the number of outs made.
8. PLAYER POSITIONS
A. Every player is on the field during defensive innings in Single A.
B. Players must play every position except for catcher (players choice) or 1st base (coach decision for safety) regardless of skill level. Every player who wants to play catcher shall be allowed at least 1 inning in that position during the season.
C. A maximum of 6 players may be in the infield. C, P, 1B, 2B, SS, 3B. Each player will play a specific position.
D. The remining players in attendance shall be evenly distributed in the outfield, positioned beyond the dirt infield or designated line when each pitch is thrown.
E. The catcher may stand behind the batter in the catcher’s position or they may stand behind the backstop and come out once the ball is in play.
9. Stealing, leadoffs, and sliding are not permitted.
10. Protests are not allowed in Single A.
11. DEAD ZONE/DEAD BALL: This area is a triangle from the back stop to the pitcher’s mound. When the ball is thrown in from the field, the ball becomes dead in this zone; the base runners cannot continue to advance. At the start of the season, players should be encouraged to throw the ball into the pitcher or to their catcher if there is a play at home. As the season progresses, the players should be encouraged to throw the ball in to their infielder teammates ahead of the base runners to hold them or to their catcher if there is a play at home.
12. Base runners may only advance 1 base on an overthrow.
Article VIII. All-Star Selection
The All-Star committee shall make a recommendation regarding the All-Star selection process at or before the May Board Meeting.
Article IX. Local Rules Approval
These Local Rules of Westchester Little League may be added to or amended at the discretion of the League’s Board of Directors and will be reviewed on a yearly basis. The signatures below certify the above rules have been voted on and approved by the 2026 Board of Directors.