Bronco Rules

Play in the Mountaineer Baseball Association is governed by Official Baseball Rules: “The Sporting News” edition and Pony Baseball. The rules contained in this section are only those exceptions to Official Baseball Rules and Pony Baseball, which are necessary to provide a safe and enjoyable experience for all participants.

• Coaches cannot deliberately tell players to stay home.
• The ten run rule shall be used after 4 ½ or 5 innings.
• The re-entry rule can be used.  (Refer to pony rulebook.)
  
• Pitching Rules:  Refer to M.B.A. Bronco Approved Pitch Count Chart.
  
• Each eligible player that arrives for the game is required to play at least 3 defensive outs.
  
• No steel spikes or equivalent are permitted.
  
• Additional Hitter: The AH can be used with the following guidelines: B. The AH may enter the game in a defensive position but shall keep his original batting position in the line-up.  The player coming out of the game defensively then becomes the AH, but must bat in his original batting position.
  
• A player may be used in your line-up as an AH.  The AH may be placed at any of 10 batting positions, but once established shall remain in the same batting position for the entire game.  If a team only has ten players and is using an AH and any one player cannot continue, they may play with nine players without penalty.
• The AH may enter the game in a defensive position but shall keep his original batting position in the line-up.  The player coming out of the game defensively then becomes the AH, but must bat in his original batting position.
• An AH may be substituted for in the line-up.
• When a team arrives at a game with more than eight players in the higher age bracket, no more than eight players in the higher age bracket may be in the line-up at one time.
  
• If there is “A Play at Home Plate” the runner MUST slide or he/she is out.
  
• Play at the Plate.” The purpose of this Rule is for the protection and safety of the runner and defensive    player. A runner proceeding from third base to home must slide at home if the defensive player is over home plate or in close proximity to the plate (i.e., able to contact the plate with foot, hand or glove from his current location) and either possesses the ball or has a legitimate opportunity to catch the ball as the runner approaches home plate. If under these circumstances the runner fails to slide, he/she shall be “out.”
• The above rule contemplates that the umpire will use proper discretion in interpreting the Rule. However, if in fact a collision occurs between a non-sliding runner and a defensive player in close proximity to home plate as described in the circumstances above, the runner is “out.”
• Courtesy Runner is allowed for pitchers and catchers.  Courtesy Runner must be someone not in the current line-up.  If no out-of-line-up player is available, then the player who made the last out may serve as the Courtesy Runner.