Playing Rules
Follow the base rules for Open competition at H2Baseball events, including these adapted house-keeping rules:
Mercy Rule: 10-run difference through 7 complete innings, as long as both teams have had the same number of at-bats.
Time limits will be enforced (2:30 hours of playing time for 7s and 3:10 hours of playing time for 9s).
H2B Shootout rules will be used to resolve games that reach time limit in order to complete the schedule inning-length of the game.
Weather-shortened games are suspended pending the decision of the tournament director.
Eligibility
All players must abide by H2Baseball eligibility rules
Ex-professionals: may play but must meet H2B guidelines for time out of paid, professional baseball in order to pitch or catch.
Ex-professionals: In the case of sons, if they are ex-professionals, they must meet H2B retirement guidelines and must be at least 30 years old to pitch or catch.
Pitching
Fathers must pitch 4 complete innings of a game, 9- or 7-innings.
Fathers must pitch at least the last 2 innings of a game. (If father has not pitched in the first 5 innings, he must finish the game, pitching 6-7-8-9th innings. This requirement is superseded only by the mercy rule (6g), time limits or weather considerations.)
Sons: May not pitch in the final two innings of a game
Sons, exception: Sons currently competing in high school or college may not pitch or catch (Competing means: 1) enrolled in school and either on the high school or collegiate roster or 2) attempting to make such a roster; and 3) on scholarship to play college ball, regardless if not yet enrolled in the college.)
Penalty at the time of infraction: Remove ineligible pitcher, return to start of inning, play on.
Penalty after the fact: Game forfeiture.
A game may not end with a son pitching; i.e., a mercy-rule (H2B Mercy Rule, 10 runs after 7 complete) game may not conclude without a father pitching the last 3 outs. (For example, if it is a 10-run game after 7 innings and a son was pitching for the winning team; the 8th must be played with a father pitching for both teams, and if the 10-run lead holds up in that inning, it is complete.)
Offensive Lineup
All players must have at least one complete at-bat in every game. Exception: documented injuries.
No more than 2 sons may bat consecutively.
Minimum batting order of 10 to start. Batting order may be enlarged as the game progresses; it may not be decreased at any time.
Use H2Baseball’s shared lineup position designations.
No courtesy runners (shared lineup positions may be used to run for players who do not want to run bases).
Wood or H2Baseball-approved composite bats only.
If no substitute is available for a father, who is unable to bat, thereby resulting in 3 consecutive sons coming to the plate, an out will be declared.
If no substitute is available for a son, who is unable to bat because of injury, the position will close up with no penalty; if the son has been ejected or left the game site of his own volition, an out will be declared.
Penalties: All infractions will incur an out, using the ORB batting out of turn rules as the guideline.
Defensive Lineup
There must be a minimum of 4 fathers on defense at all times.
Penalties: Infractions will lead to offense receiving an extra out during the inning in which the infraction occurs, using the ORB batting out of turn rule as the guideline. Defense will correct the infraction at the time of awarding the extra out.
H2Baseball Note: These rules are effective with the editing of September, 2009, and supersede any previous version – Tom Giffen, H2Baseball Partner
