2024 DSA Senior Division Rules

Indiana High School Athletic Association (IHSAA) rules shall be followed where not defined in this document. 

GENERAL GAME RULES 

1. All senior division players must be 15 years and under on April 30 of the current season. 

1. A younger player from the (12U) Major Division may play in the Senior Division provided the player’s coach and league representative believe the player is capable of competing at the Senior Division level and it is safe for that player to do so. 

2. No such player can play in the Senior Division all season and then play in a (12U) Major Division post season tournament. 

3. Any player that is moved up from the (12U) major division to substitute for a team that is short of players may only do so 6 times total for a season. 

2. Any players playing high school or JV baseball will not be permitted to play in this league. 

3. Games will be 7 innings.

1. In case of a rain-out, 4 completed innings will constitute a complete game.

2. In the event the home team is ahead after three and one-half (3 ½) innings, then three and one-half (3-½) innings shall constitute a complete game.

3. Any suspended regular season game due to weather or any other circumstance will be restarted from the beginning of the game on the reschedule.

4. During tournament play only if a game is suspended for weather or any other circumstance and the home team is not winning after 3-1/2 innings, the game will resume from the same point with the same outs, runners on base, count on the batter, and time remaining in the game.

5. It will be the coaches responsibility to make sure that their entire roster is on the roster sheet for the tournament games. If a game is suspended and continued on another date, the players on the submitted roster for the postponed game will only be permitted to play. During the regular season, games that are rescheduled due to suspension will be treated as a regular season game. New rosters can be made at these games.

6. If a team is short players and needs to pull a kid up from the 12U age division, that will be allowed for both regular season and tournament games. During tournament play that player will have to fill in for the vacant spot. Teams can only pull players from the age group below. 15U can pull from 12U only.

7. During tournament play only. If a game is suspended and has to be resumed and a team is short players, then an out will be taken for the vacated spot. A team may play with 8 players at all divisions 15U, 12U, and 10U. 

4. No game shall be played by either team with less than eight (8) players. 

1. In the event a team fails to have eight (8) available players to start or continue a game then a forfeiture shall be called. The opposing team shall be declared the winner of the game  recording a score of one (1) to zero (0). 

2. If a shortage of players occurs for a game, a replacement may be chosen from the (12U) Major Division (See General Game Rules 1). 

3. If a team starts a game with 8 players and that team is at bat. When the ninth player is up an out shall be taken during tournament play only. This rule shall not apply during the regular season. 

4. If a game cannot start at the scheduled start time due to one of the teams having less than eight (8) players, there shall be a ten (10) minute waiting period to allow additional eligible players to arrive at the field to play. A forfeiture shall be called after this time and the opposing team shall be declared the winner of the game, recording a score of one (1) to zero (0). 

5. There is a two (2) minute time limit between innings.

6. The base path shall be eighty (80) feet. 

7. The distance from the back point of home plate to the front of the pitching rubber shall be fifty-four (54) feet.

8. Mercy rule:

1. If the home team has 15 or more runs than the visiting team after 3 ½ innings, then the game is over. If the visiting team is up 15 runs or more then the game is over after 4 innings.

2. If the home team has 10 or more runs than the visiting team then the game is over after 4 ½ innings. If the visiting team is up by 10 or more runs then the game is over after 5 innings.

3.  The 10-run rule (section 6.B.) applies the same way for the 6th inning (i.e. game over after 5 ½ innings (winning team is home team) or 6 innings (winning team is visiting team).

9. All regular season games shall last one (1) hour and forty-five (45) minutes with a hard stop at (2) hours.

1. If the hard stop is used and the home team has not had a chance to complete an at bat, then the score will be used from the previous inning. Whichever team was in the lead in that previous inning will be declared the winner.

2. If the game was tied at that point, then, the game ends in a tie.

3.  No inning will be counted towards pitchers in the last inning played if the revert back rule is used. That includes an incomplete inning with the home team in the field.

4. THE REVERT BACK RULE SHALL NOT APPLY DURING TOURNAMENT PLAY.

5. This rule shall not impact the safety of the players and coaches. The umpires shall retain authority to end the game due to weather, lighting conditions or other safety concerns and General Rule 3 shall apply. Should the game end in this way and there remains a tied score, the game will be over and end in a tie if general rule 3 is met.

6. The umpires shall note the game start time after the first pitch in the top of the first inning. In the event that the umpires shall fail to note the time, it is the responsibility of each of the coaches, both home and visiting, to establish the start time by asking the umpires.

7. In the event that there is a failure of the umpires and the coaches to note the start time of the game, then the scheduled start time of the game shall be used as the official start time of the game. For the purposes of this rule, an inning begins (starts) when the final out of the previous inning is made. 

10. All rosters must be submitted before the first game and are final at this point. 

1. Any additions to rosters must be submitted to the senior trustee (Mike Mortimore or Joe Fuentes) for approval. 

2. Rosters should state a player’s name, DOB, if the kid is playing travel ball or not,  and coaches of the team. This roster is to be turned in by the coach to the league and placed on the local drive for all coaches to see before the season begins.

3. If the age of a kid is in question the town's commissioner will be asked to supply that information. Rosters will be available upon request.

4. Kids will be allowed to participate in travel ball leagues as well as the DSA. If a team has a player that is participating on a travel ball team that said player should be noted on the teams roster. That player must participate in 75% of the regular season games to be eligible to play in the postseason tournament. 

5. A player must play 2 innings in any game to constitute a full game.

6. If a player is in question of their eligibility during the post season the following will need to be done by the team asking the question.

   1. Check the teams roster to be sure the player was on the team. If the player is found on the roster, it needs to be determined if the player in question played 75% of the games during the season. Then the coach of the player in question will need to produce the scorebook or books for the season. The DSA facilitator and assistant will review the book or books to determine if the player is eligible. If the coach or coaches are unable to produce any scorebooks then the questioned player will be ineligible to play in the tournament.

11. Home team pays umpire fees. 

12. The post season tournament shall consist of 3 separate single elimination brackets.

1. The Gold bracket shall comprise the top teams from each division based on final records.

2. In the event of a tie the tie breaker rule (para. G) shall be used to break the tie. 

3. The number of teams in this first bracket will be dependent on the number of teams registered for the regular season. The commissioners of the respective participant leagues shall decide the number of teams for Bracket number 1.

4. The Silver bracket shall be comprised of the next best teams with records not selected for the gold bracket.

5. The teams playing in the silver bracket shall be assigned seeds based upon their records within the division. In the event of a tie, the tie breaker rule (para. G) shall be used to break the tie.

6. The Bronze bracket shall be comprised of the remaining teams not selected for the gold or silver brackets. The teams playing in the bronze bracket shall be assigned seeds based upon their records within the division. In the event of a tie, the tie breaker rule (para. G) shall be used to break the tie.

7.  The tie breaker rules shall be applied in order, until the tie is broken. 

i. Wins 

ii. Losses 

iii. winning percentage overall record 

iv. coin flip

13. Metal cleats allowed, except on portable pitching mounds.

14.  No infield practice before games. EXCEPTION: If both home and visiting head coaches agree AND both teams are granted equal access to the field for infield practice AND the game can begin at the time originally scheduled on the schedule (or any subsequent rescheduling occurring before the day of the game) following such practice, then infield practice is permitted.

15.  It is requested that the coaches of all teams track the number of innings pitched in each week for their team. This data should be provided to the league facilitator weekly. 

16. Any player or coach who is ejected from a game shall also be required to sit out their next scheduled game.

1. Coaches are responsible for their teams’ fans and shall suffer the same penalty for ejection if due to the behavior of those fans as if the behavior was their own. 

2. The rules board shall meet to determine if General Game Rule 13 should be applied as written, or modified for a greater or lesser penalty, based upon the facts and circumstances of the particular event resulting in game ejection. 

17. THE PITCHER

1. Each pitcher is allowed 5 innings per day with a max of 8 innings per week. A week is defined as 12:01 am Monday to 12:00 am Sunday (Monday to Sunday). 

2. If a pitcher throws a single pitch in an inning, that inning is counted as one inning against the daily and weekly maximum for that pitcher.

3. A pitcher may not re-enter the same game in the pitching position after substitution (relief) for said pitcher.

4. The pitcher shall be pulled from the pitcher’s position after a coach (head or assistant coach) has made two (2) trips to the mound in the same inning.

5. A pitcher must be relieved by a different eligible pitcher following the striking of a batter or any combination of batters by a pitched ball for the third time in a single game.

6. The regular season Pitching Rule (A) is adjusted for the tournament as follows

   1.  Each pitcher is allowed 5 innings per game with a max of 10 innings within any three (3) calendar days.

18. THE BATTER

1. USA Bat Stamp, BBCOR .50 Bat Stamp, and USSSA bats can be used.

2. Bat barrel sizes up to 2-¾” may be used.

3. All players for a team that are available to play at the beginning of a game may bat and be in the line-up. A coach may use 9 players if they wish. Substitution rules according to IHSAA rules must be followed if 9 players are used.