USA Baseball is the official governing body of amateur baseball in the United States, given that designation by the U.S. Olympic Committee. The organization adheres to the basic rules of baseball set forth by the International Baseball Federation, with a number of rules changed for the U.S. market. USA Baseball governs not only game play, but player eligibility and tournament administration.
Age Rules
When players play games in the U.S. for domestic league play, USA Baseball sets age eligibility rules based on an April 30 date. Whatever the player's age as of April 30 is the player's eligibility age for the duration of the season. If a player plays on one of the national teams, the player must be eligible under international rules, which use Jan. 1 as the eligibility date. This means the player must be the required age during the entire calendar year. If a player turns 19 years old on Dec. 31 or sooner, he cannot play in any 18U games that year.
Tie-Break Rules
Beginning in 2008, USA Baseball adopted the new IBF tie-break rule for ending games. When a game is tied after 10 innings, each subsequent inning starts with runners on first and second, with no outs. All other rules of baseball remain the same.
Coaching Rules
Two rules regarding coaching cover helmet use and position on the field. All on-field coaches must wear a hard helmet. If a coach refuses to don a helmet after begin directed to do so by an umpire, the umpire will eject the coach from the game. During a game, a coach cannot move closer to home plate or fair territory than the coach's box until a batted ball passes the coach. If a coach does not move to the proper position after a warning from an umpire, the umpire will eject the coach.
Sanctions
For a team that is part of USA Baseball to play outside the United States, or to host a foreign team, the game must receive a sanction from USA Baseball.
National Training Complex Guidelines
When you visit the National Training Complex of USA Baseball, you must follow certain rules, including no coolers and outside food or drink allowed when concessions are open, umbrellas allowed only in grass seating areas, no skateboards, skates or scooters, no animals other than service animals, no alcohol or weapons, no telephoto or zoom lenses on cameras and no behavior or actions that USA Baseball deems unsafe or detrimental to the facility or experience of others at the facility.
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