The People’s Baseball League
Official Rulebook

v3.1 – Last Updated March 2, 2024

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Original rulebook derived from the Pacific Coast Hardball League Rulebook
Edited by Braden Piper

1. General

• 1-1 Rule guidelines. If a rule is not covered in this document, we will refer to the official 2019 MLB rulebook. In the event that there isn’t a clear rule, the umpire-in-chief makes the final call.
• 1-2 Rules changes. Any rules changes or additions must be voted on by the team managers and the commissioner. Each team gets one vote, and the commissioner gets one vote. Majority rules on all votes.
• 1-3 Adding new teams. New teams may be added if a majority of the current managers vote to add the team to the league.
• 1-4 Teams. The People’s Baseball League consists of one division of eight teams.
• 1-5 Ties. If a game must end in a tie due to time constriction, weather, or other reason that game must be resolved with a tiebreaker game or by continuing and finishing the game at a time no later than the last day of the regular season.
• 1-6 Makeup Games. Teams are individually responsible for scheduling and playing any makeup games prior to the last day of the regular season.
• 1-7 Post-season. At the end of the season, the top four teams play a one-round playoff with the 4th ranked team playing the 1st ranked team at home, and the 3rd ranked team playing the 2nd ranked team at home. The winners of each playoff game face each other in the championship game with the higher ranked team at home.
  • a. For the purposes of making the playoffs, in the event there is a tie for 1^st, 2^nd, 3^rd, or 4^th place at the end of the season, the ranks of the tied teams will be decided by the first applicable tie-breaker listed below prior to the official playoff games:
    • i. If two teams are tied: An added one-game playoff
    • ii. If more than two teams are tied: the tied teams will decide on a mutually agreed upon tiebreaker.
  •  b. In the event two or more teams are tied for 1^st, 2^nd, or 3^rd place, such that all of the tied teams would make the playoffs, the tied teams may mutually agree to opt to use the first applicable tie-breaker listed below to determine ranking.
    • i. Win-Loss record against tied team(s) for that season
    • ii. Run differential against entire league for that season
    • iii. Run differential against tied team(s) for that season
    • iv. Coin flip

• 1-8 Ejection from game. Aggressive behavior or verbal abuse of the umpire or any person(s) will result in a warning and then ejection from the game. Warnings/ejections can be given by umpires, both team managers together, and/or the commissioner. Any player ejected from a game must meet with the commissioner prior to returning to play in a game.
• 1-9 Player removal from league. A player may be removed from the league based on a manager vote. All managers except for the manager of the player being voted on must vote unanimously to remove a player from the league.
• 1-10 Uniforms. The PBL will enforce no uniform rules.

 

2. Game Play

• 2-1 Game time. Games should start at their scheduled time, ie. games scheduled for 2 PM will have first pitch at 2 PM.
  • a. Time limit. For any game with another game immediately following: at 10 minutes prior to the start of the next game, if it is not the ninth (or a later) inning, the umpire shall call “last inning.” After which the current inning will be played to completion*, and the game will be over.
    *unless the home team is winning after the conclusion of the top of the inning, in which case the game will end.
• 2-2 Helmets. Batters and base runners are required to wear a helmet.
  • a. Each team will provide a minimum of four helmets for their players while batting and base running.
• 2-3 Warm-up pitches. Pitchers are allowed eight warm-up pitches between innings.
• 2-4 Roster requirements. Each team must have a minimum of nine players from their own team at game time to play. If a team has fewer than nine players at game time, the game will be forfeit.
• 2-5 Bats. All players will use wooden bats only.
• 2-6 Hit-by-pitch rule. If a pitcher hits two or more batters, the batting team may elect to require the pitching team to replace that pitcher. The batting team must make this request to the umpire immediately after the batter is hit and prior to the next batter beginning his/her at bat.
• 2-7 Strikeout Limit. If a pitcher records seven or more strikeouts in a single appearance, the batting team may elect to require the pitching team replace that pitcher at any time.
• 2-8 Balks. There are no balks.
• 2-9 Stealing. No stealing from first or second base. A player may steal home from third.
  • a. Exception to stealing rule. A baserunner on first or second base may attempt a steal if the pitcher or catcher attempts a pick-off throw AND after the pick-off throw, the baserunner touches the base they are currently on before advancing.
  • b. Lost ball. In the event the ball is inextricably trapped in or behind the backstop and there is a runner on third base, the play is dead, and the baserunner on third will be allowed to advance to home plate, but any other baserunners will not advance.
• 2-10 Pinch runners. In the event that a baserunner is injured, or must leave the game, a pinch runner may be appointed. The player who made the last out on that team will be appointed the pinch runner. A batter may not appoint a pinch runner to run to first base on his/her/their behalf.
  • a. A catcher may use a pinch runner even if he/she/they are not injured.
• 2-11 Collisions / blocking bases. Baserunners must slide to avoid collisions, and fielders must not block bases or home plate. In the event that a base runner fails to slide to avoid a collision, the umpire may call the runner out and any additional runners out if the umpire judges that the interference resulted in a double play being broken up. In the event a fielder blocks a base or home plate, the umpire may call the runner safe.
• 2-12 Mercy rule. If one team is ahead of another team by 20 runs after five innings, or 15 runs after seven innings, the game will be ended.
  • a. If both managers agree not to end the game, it may proceed.
• 2-13 Automatic Runner. If both (or all 3) teams agree, all half-innings after the conclusion of the ninth inning begin with an automatic runner on second base. The runner should be the batter preceding the leadoff hitter in that inning.

3. Team Responsibilities / Umpiring

• 3-1 Umpire requirement. Each game, one of the non-competing teams will be assigned to provide at least one umpire to officiate.
  • a. Teams are encouraged to provide a crew of up to four umpires
  • b. If a team provides more than one umpire, one of the umpires will be designated the umpire-in-chief, and all final calls will defer to him/her/them.
• 3-2 Umpire positioning. The home-plate umpire may call balls and strikes from a position behind the pitcher’s mound or behind the catcher.
• 3-3 Disputed rulings. Umpires make the final call on disputed rulings. In the event of a misapplication of a rule, the umpire or commissioner may retract the initial call. Judgement calls (i.e. fair/foul, safe/out, ball/strike) stand as called.
  • a. If a manager believes a call was made improperly, or a rule has been misapplied, they may protest after the game for a review of the rule, or the creation of a new rule.
• 3-4 Changing home-plate umpire. If the umpire calling balls and strikes is changed mid-game, the switch must be made in-between innings.
  • a. An umpire change may not be made mid-inning for any reason other than injury/excessive impairment.
• 3-5 Failure to umpire. If a team fails to provide an umpire when scheduled, the team will have an automatic loss applied to their league standings.
• 3-6 Scorekeeping. It is the home team’s responsibility to keep an inning-by-inning scorecard which will be the official score of the game. If the home team opts not to keep a scorecard, the visiting team may keep a scorecard which will then be the official score of the game. Any disputes regarding the score or the inning should be settled using the scorecard. If the dispute still cannot be settled, the umpire-in-chief will have the final call.
• 3-7 Baseballs. The league will provide three approved baseballs per game.
• 3-8 Ground rules. Both teams and the umpire will agree to any ground rules before the game begins. In the event of any dispute over ground rules, the umpire will have final say.
• 3-9 Foul balls. If there is neither an umpire behind the catcher nor umpires on the 1^st and 3^rd baselines, the catcher is responsible for calling a ball fair or foul.
• 3-10 Umpire hydration. Both teams should provide beer/water for the umpire(s)!
• 3-11 Calling-off / postponing games. The umpire may call the game due to inclement weather, darkness, safety concerns, or other disturbances.
  • a. If five innings have been completed, the team in the lead after the last completed inning will be declared the winner of the game.
    • i. If both teams agree, a game with five innings completed may be resumed at a later date.
  • b. If five innings have not been completed, the game will be rescheduled and will resume from where it was stopped.
• 3-12 External Interference. In the event of external interference (dogs, soccer players), the umpire will use their judgement to make the call and award bases, if any.

4. Lineups

• 4-1 Lineups. Except in cases of physical/mental/alcoholic impairment, all players in the lineup must bat in the batting order consecutively and play at least one inning in the field.
  • a. A player may opt not to play or voluntarily remove him/her/theirself from the game at any time.
  • b. Late players may be added to the lineup upon arrival, but must be added to the end of the lineup.
  • c. Post-season exception. During the playoffs and championship game, a team may limit their batting lineup to 12 positions. Each player in the lineup must have at least one at-bat and play at least one inning in the field.
• 4-2 Waiver / dues. All players are required to pay dues and sign a PBL waiver prior to playing in any PBL regular season, playoff, or championship game.
  • a. Waiver / dues are not required to play in a pre-season or exhibition game.
  • b. Financial hardship. In the event that a player is financially unable to pay their dues, the commissioner reserves the right to waive their dues.
• 4-3 New Players. New players to the league may opt to pick a team they want to play for, or if they are undecided, a team may elect to recruit them, or they will be assigned to a team by the commissioner.
  • a. Mid-season additions. If a player joins mid-season, they may play in one PBL-sanctioned game as a trial. After the trial game, the player must join a team, pay dues (pro-rated to the number of games remaining in the season), and sign a waiver before playing in another PBL event.
• 4-4 Post-season eligibility. A player must play in at least two regular season game to be eligible to participate in a playoff or championship game.