T-Ball and coach pitch are youth baseball leagues, and are often a player's first introduction to organized baseball. In most cases these leagues are for players younger than 8 years old. T-Ball is seen as a beginners league while coach pitch leagues would be for players more advanced or older than the T-Ball level. Both T-Ball and coach pitch leagues tweak the standard youth baseball rules.
Pitching Rules
In T-Ball leagues there are no pitches, players must hit the ball off of a batting tee. In coach pitch leagues, coaches or adults do the pitching and but often a youth plays the position of pitcher behind them to field any balls hit to the mound. T-Ball USA says that coaches should throw underhanded or overhanded from a knee to simulate the ball being on the same level as the batter.
Batting Rules
In T-ball and coach pitch, there are no walks and called strikes, according to the Family Homeschool Baseball League. FHBL also notes that in T-Ball, players cannot strike out and can receive a coach's assistance to hit the ball, but in coach pitch a player can strike out by swinging and missing on the third strike or by hitting three foul balls after the second strike. In addition, the FHBL notes that T-Ball batted balls must travel 10 feet, while all balls are in play during coach pitch. In most T-Ball leagues every player bats, while in coach pitch leagues usually standard baseball rules are used, but a maximum of nine players bat per inning.
Baserunning
T-Ball and coach pitch leagues are tight base leagues, which means there is no stealing bases allowed. FHSB notes that in T-Ball players are able to advance one base at a time and cannot advance on overthrows. However, in coach pitch, players can run like regular baseball and advance one base on overthrows, according to the FHSB.
Fielding And Defense
The major difference between standard baseball defensive rules compared with T-Ball and coach pitch rules is that every player plays defense in T-Ball and coach pitch. This means that often there are extra defenders, meaning 10 to 12 instead of the standard nine players. T-Ball USA adds that in T-Ball there is a line that is 40 feet from home plate that defenders may not cross until the ball is in play. This rule is designed to protect players and keep them away from hard hit balls too close to them.
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