NEW RULES & REGULATIONS
2025
RULE UPDATES
18U AAA/BAEL LATERAL TRANSFER CHANGE (BAPL)
For the 2025 season and beyond, Baseball Alberta will no longer recognize the 18U AAA League and the Baseball Alberta Elite League as a lateral transfer. In order to stay consistent through all categories of play and in an effort to align the transfer process throughout the Province. It was determined that the removal of the lateral transfer between the two leagues was a logical step to ensure that the top 18U players in the province have the opportunity to evaluate and be rostered in the top 18U league in the province. Associations may still provide their own internal rostering policies around imports.
BAEL & BAEL - lateral transfer
BAEL & 18U AAA - no lateral transfer
BAEL & 18U AA - no lateral transfer
18U AAA & 18U AAA - lateral transfer
18U AAA & 18U AA - no lateral transfer
18U AA & 18U AA - lateral transfer
Player Transfers
SURPASSING THRESHOLDS WITHOUT DAYS OF REST REQUIREMENT EXPANSION
This rule will apply to the AAA League regular season and Provincial Championships for all AAA age groups in 2025.
When a pitcher reaches the maximum number of pitches allowed for a threshold (See Pitch Count Table), they can complete the earlier of the (i) the end of the at-bat or (ii) the end of the inning, without penalty on days of rest, as long as he/she does not pitch to another batter. The number of pitches corresponding to the threshold reached will be indicated on the pitching log. The coach or manager needs to acknowledge this to the umpire at the moment prior to the next pitch. The umpire will notify the scorekeeper of the threshold.
13U AA / 15U AA PARTICIPATION RULE IN AA TIER 1 PROVINCIAL CHAMPIONSHIPS
Participation Rule - 13U AA/15U AA Tier 1 Provincial Championships
Teams will have the option to play with or without the AA Participation Rule for the AA Tier 1 Provincial Championship round robin and playoff games. A team will be required to declare their selection at the home plate meeting prior to each game.
Participation Rule - 13U AA Tier 2+ Provincial Championship
All players listed on the official lineup card play a defensive position for 3 of their team’s defensive outs and receive 1 plate appearance.
Participation Rule - 15U AA Tier 2+ Provincial Championship
All players listed on the official lineup card play a defensive position for 3 of their team’s defensive outs and receive 1 plate appearance.
In the event a player is ejected or injured and no substitute is available, the last player substituted for may re-enter the game, and thus, there will be no forfeit (unless the injury/ejection leaves the team with only 8 players remaining).
GAME TIME LIMIT REMOVAL FOR PROVINCIAL CHAMPIONSHIP PLAYOFF GAMES IN 'A' AND 'AA'
Provincial Championship Round Robin Games in all ‘A’ age categories and all ‘AA’ Tier 2+ age categories - No new inning to start after 2 hours and 15 minutes of play, unless the game is tied. The start of the game begins when the first pitch is thrown.
Provincial Championship Tie Break/Semi-Final/Championship games in all ‘A’ age categories and all ‘AA’ age categories - there will be no game time limit
11U INFIELD FLY RULE
Infield Fly: The Infield Fly Rule applies to 11U categories
11U RUNNER ADVANCEMENT WHILE UP 7 OR MORE RUNS ADDITIONAL CLARIFICATION
When a team has a lead of seven or more runs, the runner(s) of this team can reach the following base only when the ball is hit or if forced to advance. If the runner advances in error, they are returned to the original base and the ball is dead. A baserunner(s) is able to advance should the defense attempt to make a defensive play to retire a base runner. A throwback from the catcher to the pitcher after a pitch does not constitute a defensive play to retire a base runner.
PITCH COUNTS FOR INTENTIONAL WALKS CLARIFICATION
Only pitches thrown will be included in pitch count totals. Automatic balls during an intentional walk do not count towards pitch count totals. For example, if with a 2-0 count, a team signals to the umpire that a batter will receive an intentional walk, only the two pitches thrown will be counted for pitch count.
OPERATIONAL CHANGES
TRANSFER PROCESS UPDATE (BAPL)
Baseball Alberta is updating the Transfer Process to utilize the Spordle Transfer Process for more efficient player transfer requests. The goal of this update to the transfer process is to make the process easier for players, associations and Baseball Alberta.
*Aside from 18U AAA/BAEL no longer being a lateral transfer, there are no changes to the transfer rules, only the process*
In order to modernize and facilitate the processing of Player Transfers Requests across the province and ensure clarity for players and Associations in dealing with these requests, the following steps will be followed starting in 2025:
Players MUST communicate with their Home Association President or designate their intention to request a player transfer or their intention to try-out for a non-lateral association selection process. This would include identifying the Association that they wish to try-out for or transfer to.
Players may obtain the necessary Spordle Transfer Process in any order. However, the Outgoing Association President may require that the Incoming Association President portion of the Spordle Transfer Process be completed first in order to prevent “blank cheque” transfers. The completed Spordle Transfer Process must occur before the Initial Roster Deadline.
Upon Spordle Transfer Process completion, players MUST contact the Incoming Association Registrar, register, and pay the full registration fee to the Association that they are transferring to.
The Player Transfer forms and instructions for using the Spordle system will be made available soon on the Baseball Alberta website and in the Baseball Alberta Handbook for both Associations and players.
Player Transfers
11U AA TEAM REGISTRATION INFORMATION (BAPL)
There are often some questions about which division to enter an 11U AA team for the upcoming season as the 11U AA League is unique as it provides three divisions of play. Typically, Division 1 is Tier 1-3 calibre teams, Division 2 is Tier 3-5 calibre teams and Division 3 is Tier 5+ calibre teams. Using the 2024 11U AA League season, here is how the Divisions typically breakdown based on Tiering in July:
11U AA Division 1 (Tiers 1-3)
Typically teams will have rosters of rosters containing more than 50% of players as second year 11U age with Tier 1 teams consisting of closer to 100% of their roster being second year players.
95% of the teams are the top team from an Association
25% of the teams from Small Associations
25% of the teams from Medium Associations
50% of the teams from Large Associations
11U AA Division 2 (Tiers 4-5)
Typically teams will be fairly split between second year and first year players with some teams containing more first year players than second year players.
46% of the teams are the top team from an Association
54% of the teams are the second team from an Association
31% of the teams from Small Associations
8% of the teams from Medium Associations
62% of the teams from Large Associations
75% of the Large Association teams were the second team from that Association
11U AA Division 3 (Tiers 6+)
Typically teams will see rosters containing almost all first years with some teams featuring 50% or more of their roster as underage players.
43% of the teams are the top team from an Association
28% of the teams are the second team from an Association
29% of the teams are the third team from an Association
The purpose of this information is to help guide the Association on determining a registration point for their team based on the players that they have registered. Division 1 is typically more second year 11U AA players, Division 2 starts to see more of a 50/50 split between second year and first year players and Division 3 typically sees teams with more second year players than first year players and more underage players on rosters.
13U AAA LEAGUE STRUCTURE CHANGES (BAPL)
Starting in 2025, the 13U AAA League will move to follow a schedule structure similar to 15U AAA, 18U AAA and BAEL where teams will play opponents in a four game weekend series with two games on Saturday and two games on Sunday. This will dramatically increase the amount of games of the regular season and challenge the development depth of teams in the 13U AAA League while preparing players for 15U AAA.
The Development Round of play will also be reduced from three weekends to two weekends in 2025 making the regular season longer and more impactful on the standings.
18U AA LEAGUE SCHEDULE CHANGE (BAPL)
Starting in 2025 and in assistance for the Umpire Assignors across the province, Baseball Alberta will offer two rounds of play in 18U AA as opposed to three.
Round 1 = May & June and will be North/South regional
Round 2 = July will be the regular provincial tiered round
The change was made in discussion with the Umpire Committee to have schedules produced earlier and a longer schedule (May and June schedules released in April) to assist with the assigning of umpires. The pool of umpires for 18U AA is one of the most in demand groups as they also work higher tier 15U AA, 15U AAA, 18U AAA, BAEL and 22U as well.
A LEAGUE SCHEDULE CHANGE (BAPL)
Each season, Baseball Alberta receives a large amount of feedback from 'A' League teams and Provincial Championship hosts about the lack of time between the final game of the regular season and the first day of 'A' Provincial Championship. Starting in 2025, Baseball Alberta has added a weekend in between the last play weekend of the regular season and the Provincial Championship weekend for teams and hosts to prepare and find accommodations.
Regular Season Weekend #1 - June 28-29, 2025
Regular Season Weekend #2 - July 5-6, 2025
A Provincial Championships - July 18-20, 2025
AA TEAM MOVEMENT AFTER EACH ROUND OF PLAY (BAPL)
To assist AA teams that may have been misregistered into a Division, Baseball Alberta has updated the Handbook to allow for movement of teams after the first round of play (month of May) in 11U AA/13U AA/15U AA. Previously, Baseball Alberta would wait until the end of the second round to move teams for the tiered third round. Baseball Alberta will now be able to better work with teams/Associations for additional team movement after each round.
* Please note: If a team is registered into Division 1 at any AA age category, they may not play on the Tier 1-3 Provincial Championship weekend if they are moved out of Division 1 because of a lack of competitiveness. Likewise, any Division 2 team that plays well can be moved out of the Tier 4+ Provincial Championship weekend and into the Tier 1-3 Provincial Championship weekend.
AAA BLACKOUT DATE CHANGES (BAPL)
With the increasing size of the AAA Leagues across the province and crunch on field availability in what is a short 11 week AAA season, Baseball Alberta has changed the way blackouts will be handled for teams.
Baseball Alberta has identified the following weekends as blackout weekends based on previous season blackouts by teams in each AAA League and will not schedule games on these weekends:
13U AAA = June 14/15 & June 28-29
15U AAA = May 17/18 & June 28-29
18U AAA = May 17/18 & June 28-29
BAEL = May 17/18 & June 28-29
Should a team require an additional blackout weekend during the regular season, teams making the request will be required to coordinate with the opponent that a re-schedule will occur and re-schedule the games with Baseball Alberta once agreed to by both teams. A deadline for additional blackout dates will be made and communicated to teams at the time of schedule release. This deadline will occur prior to the start of the regular season.
AAA REGISTRATION INFORMATION (BAPL)
Team entry into Baseball Alberta's 'AAA' Leagues is subject to the 'AAA' Eligibility Checklist which can be obtained by contacting Baseball Alberta. Teams would be required to meet minimum standards to be considered for 'AAA' League entry and teams will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis by the League Manager. Baseball Alberta reserves the right to accept or reject league entries based on league structure, competitiveness, association development and capacity.
Additional AAA Team Entry Into Same Age Category
Only one team can be entered for the 'AAA' Division in each age category by an individual Member Association. Applications to enter more than one team for the 'AAA' Division at an age category will be reviewed and subject to the approval of Baseball Alberta. Baseball Alberta will consider proposals for additional 'AAA' teams, including specific consideration of the following factors:
Population base / registered player base of the community and Association, respectively, from which the teams are being formed.
% of transferring players at the age category at a maximum of 20% in the age category.
Competitiveness of teams at the age category in previous season(s) – winning %, Provincial Championship results, RF/RA, etc.
Overall impact on baseball more broadly in Alberta.
2024
Baseball Alberta has implemented the following rule changes for the 2024 season after consultation with the Baseball Alberta Technical Committee and approval of recommended changes from the Baseball Alberta Board of Directors. These rules have also been added to the appropriate section of the Baseball Alberta Handbook.
UMPIRE FEES
New for the 2024 season, the Baseball Alberta Board of Directors has voted to adjust the umpire game fees for 2024 and beyond. The 11U and 13U age categories will remain the same as in previous years. The 15U fees have been increased to $60, the 18U fees have been increased to $65, and the 18U BAEL, 22U, and Senior League game fees have been increased to $75 per game.
11U PITCH COUNTS OVER 4 DAYS
Pitch Count Rules Updates: a maximum number of pitches over four days have been added for each age category as outlined below:
11U = 115 pitches *New for 2024*
13U = 120 pitches
15U = 135 pitches
18U = 150 pitches
18U 'A' RULE UPDATES
18U 'A' Mercy Rule
Mercy Rule in Effect - 10 run differential when the losing team has completed their 5th offensive inning/at bat.
18U 'A' Inning Run Limit Rule
Maximum 7 run/half inning rule. Once the 7th run of a half inning is scored the inning automatically stops no matter how many outs there are and that half inning is over.
13U 'AA' UNLIMITED SUBSTITUTION RULE
Starting in 2024, the Unlimited Substitution Rule in 13U AA (All Tiers) will be extended to include Round 1, Round 2 and now Round 3 and Provincial Championships.
PROVINCIAL CHAMPIONSHIP TIE BREAK GAME REMOVAL
The following change will impact these categories at Provincial Championships:
All 'A' Levels
11U 'AA' All Tiers
13U, 15U & 18U 'AA' Tier 2+
These specific categories Provincial Championships will no longer have Tie Break Games on the schedule and instead, solely rely on the Baseball Alberta Tie Breaker Guidelines to settle ties amongst teams in the standings. All 'AAA' and 13U, 15U & 18U 'AA' Tier 1 Provincial Championships will continue to schedule Tie Break Games if needed. The Baseball Alberta Tie Break Guidelines will remain the same as previous seasons.
The Baseball Alberta Tie Breaker Guidelines will now be applied as follows:
All 'AAA' and 13U, 15U & 18U 'AA' Tier 1
Two Way Tie for First Place - Head to head record between the two teams will be used to determine 1st and 2nd place.
Two Way Tie for Second Place - Tie Break Game between the two tied teams to determine 2nd place.
Three Way Tie for First Place - The Tie Break Guidelines will be used to determine the 1st place team, the remaining two teams that are tied will play a Tie Break Game to determine 2nd place.
Three Way Tie for Second Place - The Tie Break Guidelines will be used to determine the 4th place team to eliminate them, the remaining two teams that are tied will play a Tie Break Game to determine 2nd place.
All 'A', 11U 'AA' All Tiers and 13U, 15U & 18U 'AA' Tier 2+
Two Way Tie for First Place - Head to Head record between the two teams will be used to determine 1st and 2nd place.
Two Way Tie for Second Place - Head to Head record between the two teams will be used to determine 1st and 2nd place. There will be no Tie Break Game.
Three Way Tie for First Place - The Tie Break Guidelines will be used to determine the 1st place team, the remaining two teams that are tied will have their Head to Head record between the two teams used to determine 2nd place. There will be no Tie Break Game.
Three Way Tie for Second Place - The Tie Break Guidelines will be used to determine the 2nd place team. There will be no Tie Break Game.
GAME TIME LIMIT CHANGES
Starting in 2024 Game Time Limits will be as followed:
All 'A' age categories (League Play & Provincial Championships)
2 hours and 15 minutes
13U, 15U & 18U 'AA' Tier 2+ (League Play & Provincial Championships)
2 hours and 15 minutes
13U, 15U & 18U 'AA' Tier 1 (League Play & Provincial Championships)
All Rounds of League Play - 2 hours and 15 minutes
Provincial Championships - No Game Time Limit
Senior, 22U, BAEL and 'AAA'
No Game Time Limit
PACE OF PLAY RULES
Enforcement of 90 Seconds Between Innings during Baseball Alberta Elite League and 18U 'AAA' League games ONLY:
The between innings clock will be set at ninety (90) seconds. The umpire will keep time with a stopwatch. The clock will be in effect for the entire game, including any extra innings. It will be activated once the last out of the inning has been recorded. The pitcher must complete and may not exceed 8 warm up pitches within the time. The catcher will be instructed to throw to second base with 30 seconds left on the clock. The batter must be entering the batter's box as time expires or when instructed by the Home Plate Umpire. The umpire will use discretion when the catcher or pitcher is a runner or batter/hitter when the half inning ends.
A called ball will be awarded to the hitter by the umpire should a hitter be ready and in the batter's box with the pitcher being deemed unready on the mound for play to begin as time expires.
A called strike will be awarded to the pitcher by the umpire should a pitcher be ready and on the mound with the hitter being deemed unready and not in the batter's box as time expires.
Courtesy Runner for Catcher and/or Pitcher during Baseball Alberta Elite League and 18U 'AAA' League games ONLY:
A courtesy runner will be permitted to replace the catcher and/or pitcher on any base provided that there are two outs in the inning. The catcher and pitcher will be defined as the players who finished the previous defensive inning in those positions.
A courtesy runner must be a player from the bench who has not yet entered the official lineup for their team.
If a team no longer has any players on the bench who are eligible, they will not be permitted a courtesy runner.
A player may be a courtesy runner multiple times in the same game, provided they have not entered the official lineup in any offensive (pinch hitter/pinch runner) or defensive position.
EXCEEDING PITCH COUNT THRESHOLDS IN 'AAA'
This rule will apply to the BAEL/18U 'AAA' regular season and Provincial Championships, 13U 'AAA' Provincial Championships and 15U 'AAA' Provincial Championships only.
When a pitcher reaches the maximum number of pitches allowed for a threshold (See Pitch Count Table), they can complete the earlier of the (i) the end of the at-bat or (ii) the end of the inning, without penalty on days of rest, as long as he/she does not pitch to another batter. The number of pitches corresponding to the threshold reached will be indicated on the pitching log. The coach or manager needs to acknowledge this to the umpire at the moment prior to the next pitch. The umpire will notify the scorekeeper of the threshold.
YELLING AND/OR SWEARING AT AN UMPIRE RULE EXPANSION TO 15U/18U CATEGORIES
Any umpire report which is submitted for 11U, 13U, or 15U games which include any mention of confrontation between a coach and an umpire and includes mention of a coach yelling or swearing at an umpire will result in automatic one game suspension of the coach. Any additional similar incidents involving the same coach could result in longer suspensions.
Any umpire report which is submitted for 18U games which include any mention of verbal abuse, which could include swearing, are subject to a minimum one game suspension of the coach. Any additional similar incidents involving the same coach could result in longer suspensions.
STANDARDIZED SUSPENSIONS FOR EJECTIONS AT PROVINCIAL CHAMPIONSHIPS
Baseball Alberta is committed to ensuring that the experience at Provincial Championships is a positive one for players, coaches, officials and volunteers. The Baseball Alberta Technical Committee has been tasked with introducing Standardized Suspensions for Ejections at Provincial Championships that will work in unison with the upcoming Baseball Alberta Code of Conduct being produced. Baseball Alberta will update this section of the Handbook with the official information as soon as it is approved by the Baseball Alberta Board of Governors.
AFFILIATE PLAYER REGULATIONS
Each ‘AAA’ team may draw affiliates from their own Association’s ‘A’/’AA’/’AAA’ base (including lower age categories) or from ‘A’/’AA’ and/or lower age categories within a 75 km radius.
2023
15U Bat Rule:
In 2023, players in 15U A and 15U AA are now permitted to use a drop five (-5) USSSA/USA non-wood bat with a maximum diameter of 2-3⁄4” during league play and Provincial Championships.
13U AA Run Limit:
Starting in 2023, for 13U Tiers 4+ (Division 2 teams), the Maximum 7 Run/Half Inning Rule will now apply to Round 1 (May), Round 2 (June), and Round 3 (July). There are no changes from the 2022 Maximum 7 Run/Half Inning Rule for 13U Tier 1-3 (Division 1 Teams), and all tiers of 13U Provincial Championships will maintain open innings.
13U Umpire Assigning:
Beginning in the 2023 season, associations are required to assign their own local umpires at the 13UA and 13UAA levels, as well as at the Community League, 11UA, and 11UAA levels, as was previously done.
ROMC Baseballs:
Rawlings offers a baseball, the ROMC baseball, comparable to the ROML baseball, approved for use in Baseball Alberta league play and Provincial Championships. The ROMC baseball is available from Rawlings at a different price point than the ROML baseball. While it is not as water-resistant and has a slightly lower-grade cover, it serves as a viable option if difficulties arise in sourcing the ROML. For information on ordering baseballs this season, please contact your local sporting goods dealer.
2023 Fines Update:
Associations will be subject to a $500 fine per infraction for the following reasons:
Entering a team into a Baseball Alberta league after the team entry deadline. Teams are not permitted to enter a league more than a week after the team entry deadline for any reason.
Changing blackout dates or availability on team entry forms after the team entry deadline. Changes will not be accepted after the final schedule is released.
Withdrawing a team entry from the league after the team entry deadline at any point until the end of the season. This includes teams withdrawing from the Provincial Championships without indicating non-participation before the Team Entry Deadline.
Failing to show up for a scheduled game without prior notification at least 48 hours in advance OR without a valid reason.
When an infraction occurs, the Association President will be notified and sent an email outlining the details of the infraction along with the amount fined. All fines must be paid to the Baseball Alberta office by cheque, credit card, or e-transfer within 30 days of notification.
2022
If an Association would like to enter a second 18U AAA team, the maximum imports allowed is seven total between the two teams, with a maximum of four of those seven allowed on the second team.
If a player's home Association does not provide AAA or AA, that player still requires a transfer but is not counted as an import.
If a player has been registered with an Association in the 2021 Baseball Alberta season and either of the 2019 or 2020 Baseball Alberta season(s) at the AA or AAA level, that Association now becomes the home Association for that player and they would no longer be considered an import. That player will always have the option to return to play in their closes Baseball Alberta Association if they so choose.
If you do not make either of your home Association's 18U AAA teams, you are not eligible to play AAA in that season.
Associations may carry a maximum of four (4) - 19 year old non-collegiate players in any one 18U category (A, AA, AAA)
For 18U AAA the maximum roster size is now 18 players
2021
13U Curveball Rule: 13U Pitchers are now permitted to throw curveballs in League Play.
Winning teams are now required to enter scores on RAMP within 48 hours of game completion. A team who fails to enter their game score on RAMP within 48 hours of game completion will receive a warning for a first violation. Any further violations may result in supplementary discipline, which may include team fines and/or forfeiture of the game.
Baseball Canada's Contact Rule has been updated in 2020: 6.01(i)(j) - CONTACT RULE - All penalties and enforcement guidelines regarding collisions at home plate and slides at base apply as outlined in Rules 6.01 (i) and Rules 6.01 (j) of the Official Rules of Baseball. In addition, any offensive or defensive player who, in umpire's judgement, makes malicious contact with another player shall be ejected. Contact shall be considered malicious if, in the umpire's judgement, it is the result of intentional excessive force or there is an intent to injure. Official Rules of Baseball 6.01 (i) and 6.01 (j) would come into force for Post-Provincial Play only
Pitch Count Rules Updates: a maximum number of pitches over four days have been added for each age category as outlined below: *PLEASE NOTE - this rule has been updated for the 2024 Baseball Alberta season*
11U = 105 pitches
13U = 120 pitches
15U = 135 pitches
18U = 150 pitches
For the 2020 Nationals, Baseball Canada has added the following rule for pitch counts: When a pitcher reaches the maximum number of pitches allowed for a threshold, he/she can complete the earlier of the (i) the end of the at-bat or (ii) the end of the inning, without penalty on days of rest, as long as he/she does not pitch to another batter. For this to apply, the coach or manager needs to acknowledge this to the umpire at the moment the threshold is reached and prior to the next pitch. The Umpire would then notify the scorekeeper. In this situation, the number of pitches corresponding to the threshold reached will be indicated on the pitching log. This rule WILL NOT be applied to Baseball Alberta games. *PLEASE NOTE - this rule has been updated for the 2024 Baseball Alberta season*