In addition to the rules stated herein, all games are subject to the 2025 PONY Baseball Rules & Regulations and/or Official Rules of Major League Baseball.

  1. EQUIPMENT:
    1. Pitching Machine Speed shall be set at 40 MPH. Tournament Directors have authority to make minor modifications if the machine being used is deemed to be out of calibration
  2. PLAYING RULES:
    1. Positions Fielded and Batting Order:  Field ten (10), bat the entire lineup.  Teams must have a player at the pitcher and catcher position.  A maximum of 4 outfielders may be used.
    2. The player fielding the pitcher’s position shall take the position five (5) feet to the rear of the pitching machine and 3 feet to the left or right.  A 2 foot line will be drawn at this position.  The player must keep at least one foot on this line at the start of the pitch.  If the other foot is free it will be on the side of the line extending away from the pitching machine. 
    3. A batted ball which strikes the pitching machine before touching the ground or a fielder and is subsequently caught before touching the ground is NOT an out.
    4. When a player is removed from the lineup due to injury, sickness, ejection, or other reasons the lineup will be collapsed.  No automatic out will be used.  The player that was removed from the lineup shall not return to that game in any capacity. 
    5. An offensive coach will feed the pitching machine while their team is batting.  The coach who is feeding the pitching machine may give coaching instructions to batters and baserunners.  However, they may not in any way interfere with the defensive players. 
    6. If a batted ball hits the coach operating the pitching machine the ball is dead, the pitch is a foul strike, and no runners may advance.
    7. If a live ball hits the coach operating the pitching machine, or in the umpire’s judgment the coach interferes in the fielders attempt to make a play the ball is dead and the lead runner is out.  If in the umpire’s judgment the ball is intentionally thrown at the coach the ball is dead and all runners advance one base.
    8. The batter is out on a foul tip (SEE MLB DEFINITION OF TERMS FOR FOUL TIP) if it is also the 3rd strike regardless of the pitch number. The batter is out on a foul tip if it is the 6th pitch or any subsequent pitch.
    9. If a batted ball strikes the pitching machine and remains in fair territory the ball is in play.  If the deflected ball hits a runner in fair territory he/she is not out and the ball is live and in play.
    10. The umpire shall be positioned near home plate to the right or left of the catcher as the pitch is delivered. 
    11. The batter is not out on a foul ball if it is the 6th pitch or any subsequent pitch that is also a foul ball.
  3. MERCY RULES:
    1. If the visiting team is leading by 15 runs at the end of 3 complete innings or 10 runs at the end of 4 or more complete innings the game shall be declared complete and the visiting team shall be declared the winner.
    2. If the home team is leading by 15 runs at the end of 3 complete innings or 10 or more runs after the visiting team has completed batting in the 4th inning or later the game shall be declared complete and the home team shall be declared the winner.
    3. Maximum five (5) runs per half inning. No Maximum applies in the 6th and all subsequent innings.