SoJo Baseball

Spring Season

*All players will participate in tryouts for the 2025 spring season to establish draft policy*

1. Players who are new to an age division will participate in tryouts and will be selected to a team through a draft process. Players who are returning to the same age division for a second season will not need to participate in a tryout and will be placed on the same team as the previous season. 
   • Note: We do not place players on teams because of close relationships like cousins or friends (only exception would be siblings who are in the same age division). Players are not placed on teams for neighborhood connections, car pool needs, or coach preferences.
2. The order of drafting players will be determined by drawing at the time of the draft. Draw order determined by previous year’s final standings.
3. The head coach’s child(ren) will automatically be assigned to the team and count as their fourth (4) and fifth (5) draft pick(s).
4. A pre-selection of up to three (3) assistant coaches will be allowed. The assistant coach’s children will count as picks two (2), three (3) and one (1). Assistants are required to be officially rostered.
5. In the case of drafting a player with a sibling playing in the same division, the sibling will be your next draft pick (i.e. Sibling A is picked in Round 5, Sibling B becomes your Round 6 selection).
6. Player trades may be made at the conclusion of each draft. The window available for trades will be five (5) minutes. All trades must be approved by the SoJo Baseball Administration.
7. 14/15 & 16/18 players and coaches may choose to play together prior to team assignments by SoJo Baseball. These players will establish the initial team roster. Additional roster spots will be filled by SoJo Baseball from remaining pool of registered participants.

BBCOR bats are always allowed in younger age divisions.

Any bat that has been Withdrawn/Disallowed will no longer be permitted for use on any league or post season game. We will use the list provided by USSSA baseball. 

Non-Compliant Bats

Pitch Counts

No pitcher is allowed to pitch in 3 consecutive days

Pitch Count Limits and Rest Periods

• Daily Maximum
  • Represents the highest number of pitches allowed per day for a pitcher.
  • Reaching this limit requires a mandatory 2-day rest period before pitching again.
• Rest Period Guidelines:
  • Even if the daily maximum isn't reached, certain pitch counts still require rest.
  • Rest periods vary based on the number of pitches thrown and player's age division.
  • Refer to the table above for specific pitch count ranges and corresponding rest days.
• No Rest Required (0 Days Rest):
  • If a pitcher throws fewer than the specified amount for 0 Days Rest in their age division, they may pitch again the next day without rest.

A day of rest is a full day, not 24 hours from the last pitch.

• Example: if a pitcher throws on Monday and is required one day of rest, they are not eligible to pitch again until Wednesday.

Coaches must remove a pitcher when they reach the daily maximum pitch count for their age division. The pitcher may continue playing at another position. 

• Exception: If the daily maximum pitch limit is reached mid-batter, the pitcher may continue until:
  • The batter reaches base, or
  • The batter is put out

Penalty- failure to comply with the pitch count rules:

• 1st Offense: ejection of the head coach and the immediate removal of over-limit pitcher (player may remain in the game at another position).
• 2nd+ Offense: game forfeit. (Offenses are tracked per season, not per game)

Important Notes:

• Pitch count violations do not nullify results of pitched balls.
• Umpires do not track or mediate pitch count disputes.
• Pitch count concerns or disputes must be addressed by coaches and a SoJo Baseball site supervisor.  

Pitcher Re-entry

A player may be removed as pitcher and returned as pitcher only once per inning, provided the return as pitcher does not violate either the pitching, substitution, or charged conference rule. (NFHS Section 3-1, Art. 2)

Defensive Conference

Each team, when on defense, may be granted not more than three charged conferences during a seven-inning game, without penalty, to permit coaches or their non-playing representatives to confer with a defensive player or players.  A request for time for this purpose shall be made by a coach, player, substitute or an attendant. Time granted for an obviously incapacitated player shall not constitute a charged conference. Prior to accumulating three charged conferences in seven innings or less, a conference is not charged if the pitcher is removed as pitcher.

PENALTY: After three charged conferences in a seven-inning game, or for any charged conference in excess of one in each extra inning, the pitcher shall be removed as pitcher for duration of the game.

(NFHS Section 3-4, Art. 1)

The Run Rules apply to all innings including the final inning of any game. The max runs in any inning are listed above.

In the event during the final offensive play of any inning when multiple runs score after the max run count, those runs are not counted in the official score.

*Exception: If the final offensive play is a homerun hit over the fence, all runs scored as a result will be counted in the official score.