T-Ball (Pre-K and Kindergarten)

Commitment: 2, one hour practice/games each week.

Season: Late April to Mid/Late June

MGSA's T-ball league is for pre-Kinders and Kindergarteners. It is a very basic instructional league with an emphasis on hitting off a tee, catching the ball, throwing and, frankly, running the right direction.

The T-ball league plays on Thursday nights at Bennett Family Park and Sunday early afternoons at Legacy Fields (at Minnetonka High School). During their one hour, they practice and play a short game.

Players receive a t-shirt, black socks and visor. Players must provide their own batting helmet (with mask) and softball mitt. Gym shoes are fine, plastic cleats are optional.

T-Ball Rules

Games will consist of an instruction session and a competition session: in total, both sessions will last no longer than 60 minutes. During the competition session, the following special rules will apply:

• All batters will hit off of a tee.

• There will be no strikeouts. The batter will swing until the ball is hit into fair territory.

• A ball that is hit and goes less than 5 feet in front of the plate in fair territory is considered a foul ball.

• The home team will supply the tee and game ball.

• The game ball will be a soft baseball or softball (nine-inch circumference).

• There will be one pitcher at or near the pitcher’s rubber. The pitcher may not leave the rubber area until the ball is hit.

• A base runner may not leave a base until the batter strikes the ball.

• Runners may not advance further than the base to which they were approaching once a fielder has touched a batted ball.

• On an overthrow, runners may not advance beyond the base to which they were approaching when the overthrow occurred.

• The infield fly rule is not in effect.

• Baserunners may not tag and advance on a fly ball.

• The distance between bases is 50 feet.

• The home plate umpire will remove the tee from home plate if a play is likely to be made at home plate.

• One coach is allowed in the outfield to provide instruction to fielders. Play may not be stopped for instructional purposes.

• All available players may play in the field at one time, with no more than 6 players in the infield; the rest of the players must be in the outfield, at least 20 feet behind the first-second and second-third baselines.

• There is no minimum number of players required to start a game.

• Bat your entire line up.

• Coaches should make every effort to rotate players evenly between infield and outfield positions during a game.

• Each team is responsible for cleaning up their dugout and bleacher areas after the game.