The following is a summary of the changes between the 2003 Little League Baseball and Softball rules and their 2002 counterparts.  With the exception of two example situations, this summary covers only the regular season rules, not the Regulations or the International Tournament rules.  Items have been loosely marked as to whether the change represents a clarification from the previous year, or whether it represents an actual rule change.

The following clarifications have been added to the Little League Casebook regarding pitching eligibility:

Play 10-7:    Junior/Senior baseball
Game being played on Monday, pitcher “A” pitches the first and second innings, pitcher “B” takes over in the third and pitches through the sixth inning.  In the seventh, pitcher “C” enters and finishes the game.  In the third inning, a protest is lodged.  The protest is upheld by the protest committee.  The game is to be replayed on Wednesday, returning to two outs in the third inning.  What pitchers are eligible to pitch on Wednesday?

Ruling:    Pitcher “B” and “C” are eligible, since they had the required on calendar day of rest.  However, both “B” and “C” have used up some inning eligibility for the week.  “B” can pitch five innings, and “C” can pitch 8 innings.

Thus, even though the results of the game following the protest are erased from the record book as far as the game’s result goes, the innings pitched still count toward the mandatory rest and pitching limit requirements in Regulation VI.

Play 10-8:    Majors
The Bears pitch Andy (age 12), Mike (age 12) and Mark (age 12) on Monday, two innings each.  On Saturday, the Bears manager intends to pitch Mike and Bill (both 12 years old) three innings each.

Ruling:    By pitching Andy, Mike and Mark on Monday, the Bears manager has already determined which three 12-year-olds may pitch for the week.  Mike may pitch for up to four innings, but Bill is not eligible to pitch at all.  (Of course, both Andy and Mark may also pitch on Saturday).

Having reached his limit of three 12-year-old pitchers in the calendar week, the manager may continue to use them to the extent of their weekly eligibility, but may not use any other 12-year-olds as pitchers that week.

The rule now reads:

1.01        Little League Baseball/Softball (Majors) Division, Junior League Baseball/Softball, Senior League Baseball/Softball and Big League Baseball/Softball is a game between two teams of nine players each, under the direction of a manager and not more than two coaches, played on a regulation Little League field in accordance with these rules, under the jurisdiction of one or more umpires.

                Tee Ball/Minor League is a game between two teams, under the direction of a manager and not more than two coaches, played on a regulation Little League field in accordance with these rules, under the jurisdiction of one or more umpires.

The italicized phrase was added.  Note that the phrase “of nine players each” is missing from the second paragraph.  This implies that Little League will allow official games to occur at the Minor and Tee Ball level even if one or both teams does not have nine players present.

The rule now includes the following text:

Bases designed to disengage their anchor systems for safety purposes are highly recommended and leagues are encouraged to use them.

Previously, the rule merely said

Bases designed to disengage their anchor systems for safety purposes are permitted.

Diagram 5 has been added just before the rules section that indicates how gloves are to be measured.

Parts (a) and (b) of the rule now read:

(a)    The pitcher’s glove shall be uniform in color, or of varying shades of the same color, and may have contrasting stitching, lacing, and/or webbing, providing the glove, lacing, or webbing is not white or gray.

(b)   No pitcher shall attach to the glove any foreign material of a color different from the glove. The pitcher may wear a batting glove on the non-pitching band under the pitcher’s glove provide the batting glove is not white, gray, or optic yellow.

Paragraph (a) was rewritten in 2002, and has been re-rewritten in 2003 to make absolutely clear that two-tone gloves are, indeed, legal for pitchers.  In addition, the phrase permitting batting gloves was added to Paragraph (b) this year.

Also note that, at a Southern Region umpire clinic, Andy Konyar explicitly said that it was the color of the batting glove that was important, not the color of any writing on the batting glove.  Thus, a black batting glove that has some white writing on it would be legal.

Softball Divisions Only

A new definition has been added:

        DROPPED BALL  is a ball which slips from the pitcher’s hand after the pitcher takes a position on the pitcher’s plate, or goes directly from the pitcher’s hand straight to the ground during the pitcher’s motion.This can be while the pitcher is just standing on the pitcher’s plate, during the back swing or up to the delivery of the pitch in the windmill motion. A drop is distinguished from a pitch in that a pitch must have lift and carry past the release of the hip and a drop slips from the hand and/or goes straight and direct to the ground. Penalty: See 8.07(a).

At present, 8.07(a) calls for this to be called a “ball” on the batter.  At the November 2002 Southern Region Umpire Clinic, it was indicated that the intent had been to change the penalty to “no pitch,” but that this had not made it into the printed books.  Williamsport may issue a revision on this later in the year.

The definition of Foul Tip has been changed to read:

        A FOUL TIP is a batted ball that goes sharp and direct from the bat to the catcher’s hands and is legally caught. It is not a foul tip unless caught and any foul tip that is caught is a strike, and the ball is in play. It is not a catch if it is a rebound, unless the ball has first touched the catcher’s glove or hand. A foul tip can only be caught by the catcher.

The italicized sentence was added.

The following comment was added to the Little League Casebook:

Comment:   A ball must pass through the strike zone in flight to be a strike.  Any pitched ball that touches the ground and bounces through the strike zone is called a ball.  A pitched ball that bounces and hits the batter is a dead ball, and the batter is awarded first base.

Of course, a ball that bounces can be a strike if the batter swings at it.  In addition, a ball that bounces and is then hit by the batter is alive and in play.

The definition of Obstruction now reads:

        OBSTRUCTION is the act of a fielder who, while not in possession of the ball, impedes the progress of any runner. A fake tag is considered obstruction. (NOTE: Obstruction shall be called on a defensive player who blocks off a base, base line or home plate from a base runner while not in possession of the ball.)

Previously, this definition read:

        OBSTRUCTION is the act of a fielder who, while not in possession of the ball or not in the act of fielding the ball, impedes the progress of any runner. A fake tag is considered obstruction. (NOTE: If a fielder is about to receive a thrown ball and if the ball is in flight directly toward and near enough to the fielder so he/she must occupy his/her position to receive the ball, the fielder may be considered “in the act of fielding a ball.” It entirely up to the judgment of the umpire as to whether a fielder is in the act of fielding ball.

Thus, unlike previously, a fielder who is “in the act of fielding the ball” but does not have possession of the ball is now guilty of obstruction if her or she hinders a runner.  The November 2002 issue of Fair Ball included the following comments:

        Examples of obstruction: The firstbasemen using their foot or sometimes dropping down and using their leg from the knee down to block the runner’s dive/step back into first base on a pickoff throw; or the shortstop without the ball coming in behind the runner leading off second base and blocking the runner’s path back to the base on pickoff throws; the third basemen standing in the base line watching the play develop and making the base runner go around to touch third base.  All are obstruction because all would occur prior to the defensive player catching the ball, and many times the runner has no opportunity to get back to the base or get to a base.  The defensive player (after being contacted by the runner who was attempting to return to the base) would then catch the ball and apply the tag.

        The play where the throw takes a fielder into the path of a runner is still incidental contact, i.e. a train wreck, as it always has been.  If a throw takes a defensive player (in a legitimate attempt to catch the throw) into a baseline or in front of a base/plate and there is contact with the base runner, this should be deemed incidental contact (as it always has been) and would only be obstruction if the umpire determined the contact was intentional.

        The defensive players should be taught that without the ball they must stay out of the baseline and once they have made the catch they may now go into the baseline to apply (make) the tag.  Instead of how it has been in the past, where they are taught to block the base (plate), and then catch the ball and apply (make) the tag.

At a Southern Region umpire clinic, Andy Konyar had the following to say:

a.     The runner does have to be hindered in some way to call obstruction.  If the catcher is in the baseline as the runner rounds third, this is not automatically obstruction.

b.     The intent of the rule change is two-fold: 

(1)   To make the defensive players stand clear of the baseline until they have the ball, instead of taking a position in the baseline ahead of time

(2)   To eliminate the age-old question of how close the throw has to be to a fielder before he/she is “in the act of receiving a throw.”

Junior/Senior/Big League Baseball Divisions Only

The following rule was added:

5.09 (h)   The ball becomes dead and runners advance one base, or return to their bases, without liability to be put out, when… any legal pitch touches a runner trying to score; runners advance.

This covers the situation in which a pitch hits a runner trying to score during a squeeze play or steal of home.  The ball is immediately dead, the run scores, and any other runners on base are awarded one base.

The comment in the Little League Casebook regarding 6.02(b) has been rewritten.  The baseball version of Rule 6.02(b) reads:

6.02(b)    The batter shall not leave that position in the batter’s box after the pitcher comes to Set Position, or starts a windup.  PENALTY: If the pitcher pitches, the umpire shall call “Ball” or “Strike” as the case may be.

The softball version reads:

6.02(b)    The batter shall not leave that position in the batter’s box after the pitcher starts the windup.  PENALTY: If the pitcher pitches, the umpire shall call “Ball” or “Strike” as the case may be.

Previously the Little League casebook indicated that this was an “automatic strike for most experienced umpires.”  Now, the relevant section reads:

Comment:    Keep in mind, however, that with no batter present, the pitcher should be given the benefit of the doubt in this case.  After all, the batter backed out without permission.  It is, however, not an automatic strike.  The batter leaves the batter’s box at the risk of having a pitch delivered and a strike called unless he/she requests the umpire to call “Time.”  The batter is not at liberty to step in and out of the batter’s box at will.

The following comment was added to the Little League Casebook:

Comment:    Remember that in Little League (Majors) and below, batters will “freeze” when they see a ball coming at them.  If they don’t attempt to get out of the way, give the batter the benefit of the doubt and award him/her first base.

Thus, although Rule 6.08(b) requires that a batter attempt to avoid being hit by the pitch in order to be awarded first, umpires are being instructed to give some leniency to younger players who “freeze” instead of “dodge.”  It would still be up to the umpire’s judgment as to whether a player “froze” or deliberately allowed the pitch to hit him/her.

Tee-Ball Divisions Only

The following note was added regarding runners in Tee-Ball:

        NOTE: In Tee Ball, base runners must stay in contact with the base until the ball is hit. When players have advanced as fas as possible without being put out or having been retired, the umpire shall call “Time” and place the ball on the tee.

The following rule was added:

9.01(f)        Umpires may order both teams into their dugouts and suspend play until such time as League Officials deal with unruly spectators. Failure of League Officials to adequately handle an unruly spectator can result in the game remaining suspended until a later date.

The November 2002 issue of Fair Ball included the following:

Comment:    While we don’t the authority or responsibility for the stands, we now have a rule that tells us what we can do in the case of an unruly spectator.  Notice, nowhere in the rule does it say anything about a forfeit.  We are just going to suspend the game, either a few minutes or a few days.

In addition, at a Southern Region Umpire Clinic, it was stated that if two games were scheduled back-to-back, and the first game was disrupted, it was perfectly permissible to suspend the first game until a later date and then start the second game on schedule.