RVSL Rules

Baseball

More at-bats, more action, less waiting. Everyone bats, everyone rotates through the field.

Team size & setup

Game format

Item	12 & Under	13 & Up
Game length	6 innings or ~1h45	7 innings or ~2h
Batting order	Continuous, the whole roster bats	Continuous or standard 9, by league
Run limit	5 runs per half-inning until the last inning	No cap, by league
Playing time	Every player bats; at least 50% in the field	At least 20% in the field

How the game starts

The home team takes the field, the visitors bat first. Each inning has a top and a bottom, three outs end each half-inning.
A run scores each time a base runner touches first, second, third, and home in order before three outs.
Play every scheduled inning so every player gets to bat and field.

Flow of play

A batter is out on a caught fly ball, a force at a base, a tag, or three strikes. A walk is four balls (kid-pitch divisions).
The whole roster bats in a continuous order for 12 & under, so no child sits waiting for an at-bat.
Fielders rotate positions across the game, no player is stuck in the outfield or on the bench two innings in a row.

Fouls & safety

No intentional contact or collisions at any base, runners slide or peel off, they do not run over a fielder.
No head-first slides into home in 12 & under.
No throwing the bat after a swing. First offense is a team warning, a second by the same player is removal from the game.
No player sits a second defensive inning until every active player has played at least one.

Equipment

What technique looks like

Fielding form and footwork, throwing mechanics, contact and timing at the plate, and smart base running for the player's age.

Scored the RVSL way

Referees rate both teams on the five criteria: effort, technique, teamwork, fun, and sportsmanship.

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