Big Island Interscholastic Federation       2023-2024

BIIF BASEBALL, SPORTS PROCEDURES           Approved, 1/10/24

1. Governing Rules
   1. The National Federation Baseball Rules shall prevail unless otherwise stated.  
2. BIIF League Play
   1. Regular Season
      1. All games will be seven (7) inning contests
      2. Regular Season format will consist of:
         1. 1 round of games for both Division I & Division II
            1. All participating schools will play each other once.
         2. Overall records will be used to determine league standings.
      3. If there is a tie for teams qualifying for tournament participation, the league tie breaker rule will be used to determine how the tie will be broken. 
         1. If necessary, refer to the current BIIF Sports Procedures.
      4. All scheduled games will be played. 
         1. Postponed games will be completed in the order of postponement on the first available day (usually the next day) for both teams.
         2. Regularly scheduled games will take priority over postponed games.
         3. All games should be played even if they have no bearing on the Championships, or postseason, tournament. 
         4. The Executive Secretary will make a decision if teams cannot agree upon a make-up date.
            1. An Executive Secretary decision will be a final decision.
      5. Night Games are allowed.
         1. Games that are started in a daylight time slot cannot be completed under the lights.
         2. Night games are designated as such ahead of game start.
      6. Mercy Rule
         1. The Mercy rule will be in effect for all league contests including all tournament and Championship games.
         2. Games will be ended by Officials in the following manner:
            1. 10 run lead after 5 innings
            2. 15 run lead after 4 innings
            3. 20 run lead after 3 innings
      7. Rain Outs
         1. Regular Season Games
            1. Games will be replayed from the beginning if the contest does not go at least 4.5 innings with the home team having the lead.
            2. After 4.5 innings, if the home team has the lead, the game will be called a complete game and will not be replayed/continued.
         2. Play Off/Championship Games
            1. Games will be continued from the exact moment a rain delay is called.
            2. Umpires & Official Scorebook should reflect the exact details of the game at the moment of the rain suspension.
      8. Rosters
         1. Unlimited number of players and coaches can be listed.
      9. Uniforms
         1. All team members must be dressed uniformly
         2. Team uniforms are inclusive of the following items:
            1. Shirt
            2. Pants
            3. Cap
            4. Lettering, complying with NFHS Rules
         3. Coaches must be uniformly dressed in order to coach on the baseline, or to confer with players on the playing field.
            1. If a Coach is not uniformly dressed, he/she must be restricted to the dugout.
            2. No Shorts are allowed.
      10. Game Balls
          1. The home team is responsible for providing first grade game balls.
          2. NFHS and NOCSAE stamps are required.
          3. Balls must be the Baden brand.
      11. Ground Rules
          1. Home team is responsible for notifying sport coordinator, game officials and visiting school of all venue ground rules, time changes, postponed games
      12. Announcers & Scorers
          1. Host school is responsible for finding adult announcers and scorers as  required
      13. Foul Balls
          1. Both the home and visiting teams will be responsible for shagging foul balls.
      14. Line Up Cards
          1. Line Up cards must be given to the chief umpire and the opposing team.
          2. It is suggested that Federation lineup cards be used.
          3. The Umpires lineup card is the official batting order for the game.
          4. Clarifications:
             1. List the DH right under the player he is batting for.
             2. List players by last and first names.
                1. Do not use initials only.
                2. It is ok to list players with a first initial and last name.
      15. Infield Warm Ups
          1. The infield warm up time starts at least thirty (30) minutes prior to the start of the game.
          2. Home team will warm up first.
          3. Visiting team will warm up second.
          4. Both teams will be allowed fifteen (15) minutes to warm up. 
          5. A team may waive their warm up period.
      16. Protests
          1. All protests must be filed at the exact point in the game when an incident occurs, prior to the next pitched ball.
          2. The protesting coach will be allowed five (5) minutes to find the rule he/she is protesting.
          3. The umpire will note the situation that exists with the scorers of both teams.
          4. If the rule he is protesting cannot be located within the allowed period of time, the protest is ignored and the game will continue.
          5. All protests will be filed in writing with the Executive Director within 24 hours for weekday games and by noon of the next working day for weekend games.
          6. Written format for protests will be as follows:
             1. State the rule being protested.
             2. State the situation and correct ruling according to the rule book.
             3. State the ruling made by the umpire.
      17. Designated Batter & Courtesy Runner
          1. Are allowed during league play.
      18. Pitching Limitation Rule
          1. Same as the HHSAA Rules 
             1. HHSAA Pitch Count Rule.pdf
          2. Violation of the rule will result in:
             1. Contest forfeiture.
             2. Coach Suspended one (1) game.
             3. Players will NOT be declared ineligible from the contest. (contest will be over)
             4. Opposing team should notify officials if they are aware a pitch count  infraction is about to occur.
                1. Team should not be using an infraction as a method to win a game.
          3. Schools are required to report pitch count results via the team reach app within 24 hours of game completion.
      19. Officials
          1. At least two officials will be assigned to each game.
          2. If circumstances present themselves, and both schools agree, a game can be played with one (1) official. 
      20. Game Times
          1. Start Times
             1. Weekday Singles, 3:00pm start
             2. Weekday Double Headers, first game starts at 1:00pm
             3. Weekend Singles, 1:00pm start
             4. Weekend Double Headers, first game starts at 11:00am
             5. Schedule may reflect alternative start times if both schools agree upon the change.
          2. Time limitations
             1. First game of JV double headers shall be limited to two (2) hours with no new innings starting after the two (2) hours have expired.
             2. The second game shall be played to completion if conditions permit.
             3. There will be no time limitations to games when the games are baseball/softball combos (regardless of the level). 
      21. Coach Confined to Dugout
          1. By league adoption, the BIIF will not confine a Head Coach to the dugout in the event one of his/her Assistant Coaches is ejected, or if he/she makes an ineligible substitution.
          2. An official may restrict an individual coach as a form of sequential disciplinary action.
3. BIIF Tournament
   1. Format
      1. Qualifying Teams:
         1. Top four (4) teams in Division I, and the Top four (4)  teams in Division II after the regular season standings have been determined.
         2. The first (1st) round of playoffs will be the best of three (3) games format.
            1. Game 1, Higher Seed will be the host and home team.
            2. Game 2, Lower Seed will be the host and home team. 
            3. Game 3, A coin flip will take place at the completion of Game 2 to determine Home Team for Game 3.
         3. Super series winners advance to the best of three (3) Championship games 
      2. Championship venue will be determined by Sport Coordinator and league Athletic Directors.
      3. Championship schedule will look similar to:
         1. Semi Final’s: 

2. Finals:

3. “If necessary games” will use a coin flip to determine the Home Team.

2. Tournament Logistics
   1. Official Scorekeeper will be determined by the BIIF.
   2. All rained out or tied games that do not meet complete game status, will be suspended and will continue from the point of suspension.
   3. If the Tournament itself cannot take place, or is suspended prior to its completion, the regular season Champion will be declared the league Champion.
      1. The second place team in the BIIF standings will be the second team participating in the HHSAA State Tournament.
   4. Protests must be made to a designated official and/or the host school AD, and settled before the next pitch.

4. HHSAA Representatives
   1. Outright Regular Season Champions will receive an automatic HHSAA berth
      1. Outright is defined as:
         1. Did not use a BIIF Tiebreaker to distinguish #1 Seed.
   2. If Regular Season Champions lose in the first round, they will be the BIIF #2 Seed and the tournament Champion will be the BIIF #1 Seed at the HHSAA Tournament.