Wood Bat League Rules
Wood Bat League Rules
LEAGUE MISSION
Our goal with the Silver Sluggers Academy Fall League is to provide a productive venue for improving baseball skills, game experience, and a high level of competition for players. These games are intended for the players to gain on the field experience, manage pressure, teamwork, failure, and success while learning more about competing at a high level on the baseball field.
This league is not about winning at all costs, but it is about letting the players earn their success on the baseball field. We will attempt to provide an environment to help players learn from failures and teach them to work hard to turn failures into successes. Our goal at Silver Sluggers is to develop players as athletes, teammates, students, and productive young adults through learning more about managing the natural adversity presented in baseball games.
Players must treat umpires and coaches with respect and maturity, and the same is expected of coaches to players and umpires. Coaches must set a good example for their players, treating umpires, players, and other coaches with respect. There is no tolerance for coaches and players exhibiting behavior that is not a good example for their peers and young adults.
Our philosophy is that if young players are held to high standards and treated with respect and responsibility, they will reciprocate that to their coaches and umpires.
LEAGUE GOALS
Our goals for this league is for all players to improve their skills and gain much needed game speed experience. Our challenge to our players is to actively prepare to improve 2-3 aspects of your mechanics, game strategy, or ability to process information in games.
- Evaluate and Improve: Players must actively see what the game is telling them. Each game is like taking a test, and it is telling players what they need to improve. Each week is a retest that players should expect to get a better grade through hard work on what they learned the previous week. Use this information to improve your skills this fall.
- Embrace Challenges: Embrace the challenges of managing the adversity created in competition.
- Get out of Comfort Zone: Challenge yourself to learn other positions, or develop more versatility in your game. Bunting, stealing bases, learning a new pitch, playing a different position.
- Have Fun: Enjoy the time with your teammates, coaches, umpires, and family
A couple of quick rules that go along with our league philosophy::
- Never argue with umpires!! This includes coaches, players, and parents. This is not tolerated in our fall league
- Be a great teammate at all times. Find a way to make your teammates better. They will return the favor to you.
FALL WOOD BAT LEAGUE RULES AND GUIDELINES
Games will be played under WIAA High School Baseball Rules, with the following exceptions:
- Time Limit: No full inning can start after 1:30. Second game of each double header will start 15 minutes after the first. Games must be played to either the time limit or 7 innings. Any team that stops the game short of the time limit or 7 innings due to any reason other than a weather delay (or other unforeseen circumstance) will forfeit the game.
- Pitcher Inning Limit: Pitchers may only pitch 6 innings per week.
- Extra Hitter Rule: Teams must use 10 hitters in the lineup at all times, but may at the team discretion hit every player on the roster.
- Substitutions: Teams may use defensive substitutions freely. Players may re-enter the game at any time.
- Home vs. Away: In each double header, the designated home team on the schedule will be the home team in the first game, then visitors in the second game.
- Courtesy Runners: Courtesy Runner may be used for the Pitcher or Catcher with 2 outs in the inning. A bench player may be used, or the last player to hit and not reach base may be used for the pinch runner.
MUTUALLY AGREED UPON RULE CHANGES
If agreed upon by both teams (coaches), and umpires, a rule can be "bent" if it is in the best interest of the players and their development for that game.
SCHEDULE
Each team will have 12 scheduled regular season games. We have room in the schedule for one make up week at the end of the season. If more than one weekend is rained out, we will likely not make up any games past weekend number 7 (rain makeup weekend) which could shorten the season to 10 total games, or 5 Sundays of baseball.
REPORTING SCORES AFTER GAMES (WINNING TEAM)
The winning team of each game is responsible to update the final score of the game on Crossbar.
More details and instructions to come.
BASEBALL ATTIRE AND UNIFORMS
Each player will be provided a team shirt. Players must wear their team shirt with baseball pants and a cap of their choosing (preferably High School Team Cap or similar). If a team has a specific uniform for all of the players, the team can wear their team uniform as long as all players have access to wear the uniform. Typically, players will wear grey baseball pants, but the team can decide differently during the season.
EQUIPMENT NEEDED
Players should bring a glove, bat, helmet, or any other personal equipment with which they may feel comfortable. The league will provide baseballs, helmets and/or catcher's equipment if needed by the team. Most importantly…bring a good attitude and be ready to learn every week. The quickest way to improve your game is to learn and practice as much as possible.
RAIN POLICY
In the case of rain delays or cancellations, we will post updated weather cancellation information on the home page of the League Website. We will also post updates often on Twitter at https://twitter.com/SilverSluggers .
We encourage you to “Friend” (Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/silversluggersWI/ ) and or “Follow” us to get the latest updates on Silver Sluggers Academy and our programs.
Immediately prior to or during games, the weather cancellation decisions will be made by the umpires and coaches on the field.
WOOD BATS ONLY
Bat Types Allowed: All players must use a wood bat. Metal (or metal composite) bats may not be used. There are no specific guidelines on size, weight, or brand of wood bat. Also, composite wood bats are also allowed.
Purchasing Bats: Every player is recommended to have their own wood bat to use during the season. While many of you may already have a wood bat, our league has affiliated with multiple wood bat vendors. Please contact brad@silversluggers.com for more information to purchase discounted bats for the fall league.
TEAM ROSTERS
Each team may have a minimum of 11 players on the roster.
FIELD LOCATIONS
Field location and directions are found under the "Locations" section of the league home page.
COMMUNICATION
Always feel free to contact us via email or phone at any point during season with questions and inquiries or anything else regarding our programs. I encourage parents to get involved and stay involved with our programs and their son’s baseball progress. We would be happy to answer any questions that you may have.
Rain Cancellation/Delay Notification Process
In the event of rain on Sundays, we will follow the process below:
- We will notifiy the league of any rainouts in this order:
- Twitter -- https://twitter.com/silversluggers
- Announcements Page
- Email Notification to specific teams/players
- We will try to update Twitter and the website with any rainouts/delays as soon as possible in the morning by 7:30am.
- In the event of rain during games, the umpires/coaches or field maintenance team will make the final decision on field conditions.
Check Game Schedule Every Week
Please check the schedule for your games prior to going to the games every week. We will not change the games and locations often. Just in case you missed an email or notification, the online schedule should be the latest version of the schedule for your team.
Questions on Game Day
If questions arise on Game Day and you need answers or information quickly, do not hesitate to call, text or email. If texting or emailing, please be sure to include your name, player's name, and team.
League President: Brad Woodall
brad@silversluggers.com 608-213-6261
We are available to help make your experience fantastic every Sunday.
LEAGUE CHECKLIST AND FAQ
Rosters
Rosters can be found on the Teams page on our website. Players and families must download the Crossbar App to view rosters, schedules, and receive notifications from the fall league.
For those who registered as a full team- Team Managers/Coaches should have received instructions to add and manage rosters on the Crossbar platform. All players must be registered and rostered on the Crossbar app to play in this league. We will also send out a waiver form for all players (on full teams) to be completed before the beginning of the season.
League Game Schedule Timeline
League schedule for Weeks 1-2 are posted on the website (team pages) and Crossbar App for your team The remainder of the schedule will be posted after the first two weeks of games. We want to be able to create better matchups later in the season so we will wait for the game results to come back first. Our prospective game times each week are (All Double Headers) either 10am or 2pm Sundays at the following locations:
- Waunakee
- Stoughton
- Cottage Grove
- Verona
- Poynette
- McFarland
- Sauk Prairie
- Kennedy Little League
- Fort Atkinson
- Waterloo
- Albany
*We try to minimize extensive travel for all teams during the season.
Jerseys/Uniforms
Each player will receive a team shirt for the fall season. Teams may choose to wear their own uniforms for the season, but will still receive a shirt for all players. Players must supply their own hats and pants for game days. Teams should coordinate pants color prior to the season. Our league is relaxed so if you do not all have the same color pants and hats, we are perfectly fine with it.
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Crossbar- League App
- Download the Crossbar app and make sure that you see your team (once teams are posted).
- Add any additional emails on the player account
Crossbar is the platform we will be using for league home and team communication.
If you are not able to find your team, or you realize that you may not be on the correct team, email us immediately and we can help you. brad@silversluggers.com
Crossbar App Communication (Message and Chat Feature)
Coaches, players, and families should use the message and chat feature on your Crossbar app to communicate, ask questions, or make requests to your team and coaches. Crossbar makes it very easy to communicate with your teammates and coaches, and good communication helps everyone on your team.
If you need information or have a question pertaining to the league please email brad@silversluggers.com.
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Wood Bats
All players are required to have a wood bat for the season. All wood bats (and composite wood) are allowed. Silver Sluggers has a select inventory of wood bats at a league discount. Please contact brad@silversluggers.com for details.
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Free Agent Team Players- Team and Coaches
Most of you will hear from your coach (on Crossbar) before your first game...but if you do not, no worries. Your team shirts will be at the field for your first game. Just be ready at the field one hour before your frist game of the double header (unless otherwise instructed by your coach).
Thank you for your patience as we create the league this week. We are looking forward to seeing everyone on the field this fall!!
Brad Woodall