We ask all teams to leave our fields at least as good as you found them - if not better.  That means dragging the field after practice, making sure the pitching mound is repaired (use infield dirt to fill any ruts), move dirt to fill holes or ruts in the infield, etc.  We are lucky to have 8 fields in Alpine that we use regularly.  But it is a lot of ground to cover for our volunteer facilities manager.  We need all managers/coaches doing their part to keep our fields in good condition.  Encouraging parents from your teams to help is highly recommended! 

Games - Field Set-up and Clean-up
The home team sets up the field to be ready for the warm-ups which includes dragging the field, installing the bases and chalking the batter’s box and foul lines. In AA it includes chalking the “Commit Lines” and the circle around the pitcher’s mound (see AA Rules). 

The visiting team cleans up the field after the game which includes putting away any equipment (including the bases), dragging the field and powering down the scoreboard and stowing the scoreboard controller where applicable (Ford Field). 

Each team is responsible for making sure its own dugout is clean from any trash or left behind equipment/clothing/water bottles after each game. If anything is broken, missing or if any chalk or other supplies are dwindling, please contact the Facilities Manager ([email protected]).

The Home team will occupy the third base dugout and supply the game balls. In Majors and AAA, 4-6 game balls should be provided. It is the duty of the umpire to inspect all game balls BEFORE they enter the game to ensure they are the right type of ball to be used.

Majors, AAA and AA Pre-Game Warm-Ups

45 minutes before the first pitch the teams share the use of the batting cage and the outfield grass. Every attempt should be made to split the allotted time equally between the teams. 

25 minutes before the first pitch the home team takes infield practice and the visiting team uses the batting cage. The visiting team can also use the outfield margins (along the foul lines). 

15 minutes before the first pitch the visiting team takes infield practice and the home team uses the batting cage. The home team can also use the outfield margins (along the foul lines). 

5 minutes before 1st pitch, the home plate meeting between coaches and umpires takes place. Each team manager shall select a player team captain for that game who shall be brought out to participate in the plate meeting.

Note: The goal is to make sure the visiting team has a proper warm-up time and is not dependent upon the home team in order to do so. Any time lost due to the infield not being prepared eats into the home team time. Fall Ball may have slightly different timing for warm-ups as the games tend to be scheduled closer together. 

Ground Rules at Barkley Field

• The outfield at Barkley Field is very large and often there is a soccer practice/game going on at the same time. At times, there is a makeshift fence set up to separate the baseball field from the soccer field (which is deeper in the outfield).  When the fence is present, the fence should be the boundary of play. 
  
  
• When the fence is absent, and when soccer is actively being played, managers/coaches and the umpires should agree on reasonable parameters for a ball out of bounds.  One suggestion is to set up cones in the outfield where the fence would be. Fly ball over the cones is a home run and a ground ball that rolls through the cones is a ground-rule double.
  
  
• If there is no fence and no soccer being played, consider the field to be infinite.
  

Ground Rules at Woodside Elementary

• Draw an imaginary line from the end of the third base dugout fence to the left field fence. Anything to the left of that line is out of play. Anything to the right of that line is in play.
  
  
• Draw an imaginary line from the end of the first base dugout fence to the right field running track path. Anything on the right of that line is out of play and anything to the left is in play. However, if the ball reaches the angled dirt path, standard out of play rules apply. 
  
  
• The left field fence cuts off in roughly left center field and there is no fence in center field or right field. Managers/coaches should place orange cones or some other marker from the first base foul line (described above) to the fence in left center field, marking the boundary between the grass and dirt path. 
  • Even if no formal markers are set up, if a batted ball reaches the dirt path or area beneath the right field trees on the fly, it is a home run. If a batted ball rolls past to or past the dirt path line on the ground, it is a ground-rule double. 
  • Managers/coaches should encourage all spectators to be seated behind the markers (or behind the dirt path and behind the first base and third base out of play lines). If they are in front of that line for whatever reason and they interfere with the play, it is an immediate dead ball and it becomes a judgement call for the umpire. He/she shall place runners where he/she thinks they would have been if the interference did not occur.