Tampa Senior Baseball Rules

Standard Major League baseball rules apply to all games, with the following exceptions:

General League Rules

1. Games are scheduled for 2 hours and 40 minute time limits. No new inning will start after the 2 hours and 40 minute time limit has elapsed, however if an inning had started prior to the expiration of the time limit, that inning of play may be completed, provided that inning of play is completed within the 3 hour drop-dead limit, as outlined below. The start of an inning is considered to be immediately after final out of previous inning. Not when a team takes their defensive position. For example, the 4th inning ends and the time expires while teams are changing sides, the fifth inning has indeed started and teams will play that inning. There is a 3 hour drop-dead time limit on all games. In the event that the visiting team or home team does not complete their at-bat, due to the 3 hour drop-dead limit having been reached, the official score of the game reverts to the last completed inning of play. During playoff games, the 3 hour drop-dead limit is not applied, and the game will be played for the full 9 innings, weather permitting. In the event a playoff game is affected by weather, major league rules will be applied to determine the officail outcome.
2. There will be free and open substitutions on defense. Neither the umpires nor the opposing manager needs to be informed of any defensive changes.
3. A team must have at least 8 players at the official start time of the game, as determined by the umpires, or by the scheduled starting time of the game, if there are no umpires. At the opposing manager’s discretion, the team with only 8 players may pick up a league rostered, legal age player, attending the game as a spectator, or borrow a player from opposing team; selected by the opposing team’s manager. If a team cannot field a minimum of 8 players, that team forfeits the game and the official record will record a 1-0 loss. A practice game may still be played with the approval of both team managers.
4. Each player must have on their person, or available at the game location, a copy of their driver's license to verify league age.  If a player's age is challenged and the player can not provide proof of that player's age, that player is immediately disqualified from playing until such proof can be obtained. Team rosters must be submitted and verified by the manager prior to the first game of each season. Teams failing to submit rosters by this deadline may play scheduled games, but the official record will record a loss to the team not having submitted their roster. The recorded score will be zero for the team not having submitted a roster, while the opposing team will be credited with their actual score. If both teams playing did not submit a roster, the final recorded score will be 0-0. Team rosters will be limited to 20 players, which is the roster size limit imposed by the Insurance Company.  
5. Tampa Senior Baseball will purchase an insurance policy, covering all teams in the league, with a liability limit of no less than $2,000,000.00 and a minimun secondary medical insurance limit of $10,000.00. Certificates of insurance coverage will be posted on the league's website, and will cover all the field location which the league plays on.  The cost for this insurance will be prorated to each team, and will be part of each team's league fee. 
6. Home team gets first base dugout.
7. Players may play in both age divisions, as long as they are of legal age minimums, and can play on two teams in the same division. Players must be listed on each team's active roster if they play on a team on a regular basis. A player occasionally substituting on a team will not be required to be listed on that team's roster.
8. An injured player, unable to bat, will be declared out for the first time his at-bat is skipped. Thereafter his at-bat may be skipped without penalty.
9. The batting lineup may be a large as the manager decides, but must be a minimum of 8 batters.
10. Playoff games are generally scheduled after the spring season, and not after any short season, or summer/fall baseball. Playoff standings are determined by each team’s win-loss record. In the event of a tie, head-to-head games will be the first tie-breaker, followed by runs scored, then runs against, then run differential. If there remains a tie for any position, after applying these tie-breaking rules, a coin flip will determine which team has the higher standing. Teams with the higher standing will be home team in each playoff game. The first place team will play the last place team, unless there is an odd number of teams competing in the playoffs, in such case, the first place team will get a bye for the first game. The second place team will play the next-to last place team, and so on.  Playoffs are held only in the Spring season; no playoffs are scheduled for the Fall season, since that typically ends jsut before Fall tournaments begin.
11. Each team must supply three new baseballs at the start of each game. These are given to the home plate umpire at the pre-game meeting.

 

 

54 Division Rules

1. Batters may be thrown out at first base, and may become part of a double play,  from any defensive player. This includes both outfielders and infielders who may have fielded the batted ball with one or both feet on the outfield grass. Runners advancing from any bases may be thrown out by any defensive player.

 

2. Courtesy runners will be allowed for the pitcher and catcher and any two additional players. The two additional players who will be replaced on base by courtesy runners, must be identified on the lineup card prior to the start of the game.  This running substitution may take place at first, second or third base. Time must be called by the offensive team and granted by an umpire prior to making this change. Substitute runners may not advance by stealing any base; they may advance only on a pickoff attempt by the pitcher or catcher, a ball that gets by the catcher, and leaves the dirt perimeter around the catcher, or by a batted ball. Courtesy runners attempting to steal will be automatically out if they touch the next base. The defense may elect to throw the ball to the base the Courtesy runner vacated, and the runner will be declared out unless the runner beats the throw back to the base. This will be a force play on the runner, the defense does not have to tage the runner out. Pinch runners (a runner replacing an injured batter who safely reaches base) is allowed to steal bases. 

 

3. Defensive positions and pitching changes may be made at any time.

 

4. All players participating in this division must be a minimum of 54 years of age by the end of the current calendar year. Any player’s age, challenged by the opposing manager, must show proof of age at the time of challenge, or will be subject to expulsion for the remainder of that game.

 

64 Division Rules

AGE EXEMPTIONS APPROVED AT THE MANAGERS' MEETING ON MAY 21, 2025, ONLY FOR THE FALL SEASON (AUGUST THROUGH OCTOBER 2025).  EACH 64+ TEAM MAY HAVE UP TO THREE PLAYERS AS YOUNG AS 61, AND ONE PLAYER AS YOUNG AS 59.   AGE RULES FOR THE SPRING 2026 SEASON WILL REVERT TO THE RULES, AS OUTLINED IN PARAGRAPH 4 BELOW.

 

1. Batters may not be thrown out at first base, or become part of a double play, from the outfield, from any defensive player. Fielders must have both feet on the infield dirt when the ball is put in play by the batter, then catch and throw the ball, while remaining on the infield dirt, in order to make the out at first base. Once the ball reaches the outfield grass, the batter is safe at first base. Once the ball reaches the outfield, even if an infielder attempted a play, and deflected the ball to another fielder, or even to himself, the batter is safe, and the batter cannot be thrown out at first base. Runners, already on base, advancing from any bases may be thrown out by any defensive player.  Outfielders must begin the play with both feet in the outfield grass, and are not allowed to throw the batter out at first under any circumstances.

 

2. Any offensive player may be a Courtesy runner for a batter who has safely reached any base. This running substitution may take place at first, second or third base. Time must be called by the offensive team and granted by an umpire prior to making this change. Courtesy runners may not advance by stealing any base; they may advance only on a pickoff attempt by the pitcher or catcher, a ball that gets by the catcher, and leaves the dirt perimeter around the catcher, or by a batted ball. Courtesy runners attempting to steal will be automatically out if they touch the next base. The defense may elect to throw the ball to the base the Courtesy runner vacated, and the runner will be declared out unless the runner beats the throw back to the base. This will be a force play on the runner, the defense does not have to tage the runner out. 

 

3. Defensive positions and pitching changes may be made at any time.

 

4. All players participating in this division must be a minimum of 64 years of age by the end of the current calendar year, with the following exceptions: Each team may have a maximum of three under age players providing that they are at least 62 years old by 12/31/2026. The minimum age will be 63 for the calendar year ending 12/31/2027, then 64 for the calendar year ending 12/31/2028. This age progression shall continue until all players in this division are a minimum of 65 years old by the end of that applicable calendar year.  Approved, underage players will be identified on their teams' respective roster by showing two asterisks (**), next to their name.

Pitchers must be at least 64 years old by the end of the calendar year (12/31/2025). Violation of this rule will result in the offending team’s score set to zero, for each inning the underage pitcher has thrown a pitch.  

Any player’s age, challenged by the opposing manager, must show proof of age at the time of challenge, or will be subject to expulsion for the remainder of that game.

 

5. In order to keep the games moving, and play as many innings as possible, the 64+ managers agreed to adopt the 5 Run Rule for each and every game. This agreement was made at the managers' meeting held on 12/4/2024. The intent of this rule is to prevent long lop-sided innings when a strong team is playing a weaker team. Each offensive team is allowed to score a maximun of 5 runs per at-bat, then their team at-bat ends, regardless of the number of outs. The 5th run is the limit per inning, with the exceptions stated below, even if multiple runs score off a batter's hit. For example, a team has scored 4 runs, bases are loaded and the batter hits a double, driving in all three runners. Even though that team scored 7 runs, only the first 5 runs count towards the official score. Exceptions to the 5 Run Rule: The team who is behind more than 5 runs will be allowed to score as many runs as needed to tie the score. For example, either the visitor or home team is behind 7 runs; during their at-bat, they will be allowed to score 7 runs to tie the game, then their at-bat will end, and the other team will come in to hit, regardless of the number of outs. The other exception to the 5 Run Rule, is that the official or declared last inning of play will be considered an "open" inning and both teams will be allowed to score as many runs as possible.