The Coastal Plain League will implement new pace of play measures for the upcoming 2018 season. These rules were discussed and voted in during the CPL Team Owners meetings in February.
“The Coastal Plain League and its member clubs are continuously evaluating all aspects of our operation, as well as identifying baseball-specific trends that help make our games more fan friendly,” said Justin Sellers, Coastal Plain League COO/Commissioner. “The sport of baseball is taking strides to speed up the game and the policies we’ve implemented for 2018 should factor in on that goal. We hope these changes will be well-received by our players, coaches, and fans.”
As players continue their journey to professional baseball the CPL prides itself on providing every avenue for them to better prepare themselves for the next level. Given the recent pace of play changes at the Minor League and Major League ranks, CPL executives felt the following rules would be applicable to the CPL in 2018.
No-Pitch Intentional Walk:
The defensive team’s head coach may signal a decision to the home plate umpire to intentionally walk the batter. This signal will be shown by the coach holding four (4) fingers up to the home plate umpire. Following the signal of the head coach’s intention, the umpire will immediately award first base to the batter.
Base Coaches Staying in Their Box:
All bases coaches must stay within their respective base box. The host team must draw the boxes each night prior to the game, and coaches must adhere to the lines drawn. This rule is more for safety, but needs to be adhered to.
Limits on Mound Visits (including player conferences):
Each team will now be limited to six (6) mound visits, including player conferences, per game, plus one (1) additional mound visit for each extra inning played. Note that the extra mound visit per each extra inning is limited to one (1) per extra inning and they do not carry over from inning-to-inning.
A coach (head or otherwise) trip to the mound to meet with the pitcher shall constitute a visit. A player leaving his position to confer with the pitcher, including a pitcher leaving the mound to confer with another player, shall also constitute a mound visit, regardless of where the visit occurs or the length of the visit. Thus, a mound visit will now include visits by coaches, as well as by other players (i.e. if the catcher goes to the mound, it counts as a visit). A coach or his representative may not leave the bench or dugout and approach the base lines to confer with the pitcher for the purpose of evading this rule.
There are some exemptions to the mound visit rule; as the following does not count against each team’s mound visit total:
- Discussions between pitchers and position player(s) that occur between batters in the normal course of play and do not require either the pitcher or the position player(s) to relocate;
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When a position player goes to the mound to clean his spikes during rainy conditions;
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Any visit involving an injury or potential injury;
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Any visit after a pinch-hitter is announced.
Lastly, the second mound visit of an inning requires a pitching change. Also, a coach may not make a second trip to the mount in the same inning with the same batter at-bat. Those stay the same.
Penalty: If a team commits a seventh mound visit (and for each one thereafter) during the first nine (9) innings of a game, then the home plate umpire will automatically award the batter first base. This action will be scored as an intentional walk. In extra innings, should a team exceed their number of allotted mound visits (including the extra one per each extra inning), then the plate umpire will award the batter first base; and it, too, will be scored as an intentional walk.
Limits on Warm-up Pitches:
All relief pitchers are limited to five (5) warm-up pitches prior to entering the game officially. Further, all pitchers are limited to five (5) warm-up pitches during the 2-minute time limit during between-inning breaks. If the catcher is the third out or on base when the third out is made, the offensive team should have someone ready to warm up the pitcher. Umpires will not grant additional warm-ups if the 2-minute time limit expires.
In-Between Innings Time Limited to Two (2) Minutes:
The time limit between innings is limited to two (2) minutes (120 seconds). All promotions and such should be completed under this time limit so that the game may start back promptly following the two-minute break. At the end of two minutes, the game shall resume.
International Tiebreaker During Extra Inning Games:
For all regular season games, should a game move to extra innings, then each inning – starting with the tenth – will be played under the International Tiebreaker Rule. For each inning after the ninth, each team will begin with a runner on both first and second base. The runner at first base will be the player in the batting order position previous to the leadoff batter of the inning; while the runner at second base will be the player in the batting order position previous to the runner on first base. For example, if the number six hitter is up to lead off the top of the tenth inning, the number five player in the batting order (or a pinch-runner for such player) shall begin the inning on first base. The number four player in the batting order (or a pinch-runner for such player) shall begin the inning on second base. Any runner or batter removed from the game for a substitute shall be ineligible to return to the game, which is the case in all circumstances of the game.
For purposes of calculating earned runs, the runners who begin an inning on first and second base shall be deemed to be runners who have reached base on a fielding error, but no error shall be charged to the opposing team or to any player. Thus, if the runners at first or second should come home to score, they will be entered as unearned.
About Coastal Plain League
The Coastal Plain League is the nation’s premier summer collegiate baseball league. Heading into its 22nd season in 2018, the CPL features 16 franchises playing in Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia. To date, the CPL has had over 1,450 alumni drafted and 114 alums – including 2017 ALCS MVP, 2017 World Series champion, 2011 AL MVP and Cy Young award winner Justin Verlander, as well as 2017 NLCS MVP Chris Taylor – make their Major League debut. For more information on the Coastal Plain League, please visit the league website at CoastalPlain.com, and be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat @CPLBaseball.
