Stickball League Rules

PALM BEACH COUNTY SENIOR STICKBALL LEAGUE

OFFICIAL RULES —

 

(Revised 09/2025) (BD.)

(Edited 10/24/25) (EF)

 

This Rule Book was specifically developed to carry out our mission of friendship and good sportsmanship.

Each team should bring a copy of the Rules to their games.

Stickball is a game that is similar to baseball, but as the name would indicate, a player uses a long, thin stick, and a smaller soft rubber ball (often referred to as a Spaldeen). Players don’t run bases. There are lines on the concrete or paved asphalt field to represent a single, double, triple, or home run.

Home Field

Wellington Village Park, 11700 Pierson Rd., Wellington. Directions: Starting at State Rd. 7 and Lake Worth road, head North to Stribling and make a left turn. Follow the road around to the left and then make a right turn onto Pierson. Entrance is on the left. Once you have entered the park, stay on your right and you will see a parking lot. Park and look for Stickball Blvd and our field.

 

1-Equipment

 

1A. Balls air filled rubber, resilient, soft, and high bouncing; Sky Bounce or equivalent, yellow in color. The league will supply 3 new balls per game.

 

 1B. Bats-

—Broomstick style (wood only)—no nails or fillers allowed. A bat can only be taped on one end and only up to 12 inches from the end. If the bat is taped, the batter must hold the taped portion of the bat when hitting. Note: Maximum length of bat is 43″.

Diameter of bat not to exceed 1-3/8 inches on any untaped portion of the bat. Each team should have their bats certified before they can be used in any regular season or playoff game with an appropriate sticker showing. Each team has the right to inspect the opposing team’s bats (whether a sticker is showing or not) at any time. Any player using or attempting to use an illegal bat will be considered to have made an out. Attempting to use an illegal bat is defined by bringing an illegal bat to the batter’s box (batting area. d bo The opposing team can then challenge the legality of the bat at that time or up to one pitch into the at bat. Board members have a “donut” with a 1-3/8 inch diameter. For a bat to be considered legal the donut has to be able to pass through the bat at least up to any taped area. Otherwise the bat is illegal.

 

1C. Gloves Any tight-fitting gloves, such as golf gloves or batting gloves, etc. may be used for both batting and fielding. No oversized gloves or mitts can be used. If a player is found not to be in compliance he will be ejected from the game. If a fielder is found to be not in compliance immediately upon completion of a play, he will be ejected from the game and the batting team has the option of allowing the play to stand or having the play nullified as a dead ball.

REV. 8/2024

 

1D. Cell Phones not permitted to be used by a player on the field. However, captains are responsible for having at least one cell phone at the game in case of emergency. Before the game a captain must indicate to his players who has the cell phones for emergency use.

 

1E….Equipment

 

     No Player shall use any materials attached to shirt or pants other than appropriate safety equipment. Example, knee pads, elbow pads, gloves…batting or golf and receivers gloves. Helmets or face masks if desired. If a rag is needed to dry hands it must be placed in a back pocket and nowhere else on your front of body. You can have a rag in your equipment bag and wipe hands or face in between innings.

 

     

2-Layout of the field

 

2A. There are bumpers along the edges of the field, and a painted line drawn inside the bumpers. The area including and inside the painted lines constitutes fair territory. Any ball hitting the painted line is fair. Lines drawn perpendicular to the bumpers across the field aid in determining if a batted ball is a single, double, or triple. (SEE PAGE 11, SECTION 14 FOR HOME RUN)

 

3- Games

 

3A. Each game is 9 innings long. An official game is at least 4.5 innings if the home team is winning; 5 innings if the home team is losing. Note-losing team must bat at least 5 times to be an official game.

 

3В.

In the event of a tie after nine innings, teams shall play extra innings starting

with a man on 2nd and all batters getting 2 pitches 1 swing.. 3 outs per team per inning until a winner is determined. There can be NO ties. This includes playoffs. (Rev. 5/23)

 

3C. Make up games due to rain outs will be made up on scheduled make up dates on the same field and time as originally scheduled. Dates and times will be scheduled by the Board of Directors

 

4 Game Cancellation Policy

 

4A. Any game cancellations, delays, rain delays, delays to field conditions, changes, will come from the Board of Directors only.

 

4B. There are no suspended games. If the game is canceled after it has begun and is after 5 complete innings (or 4-1/2 innings if the home team is ahead) then per Baseball rules it is a complete game and the team leading is the winner. However, if at that point the game is tied then it will continue from that point if the schedule has open day. All decisions will be made by the Board.

 

4C. If the visiting team takes the lead after a game is official and the home team does not finish its at bat because of rain or some other factor, the top of the inning does not count and the game ends with the score from the prior completed inning

 

5-Players

 

 5A. ALL PLAYERS MUST BE 35 YEARS OLD ON OPENING DAY.

• Any new players will be placed on a team by the Board of Directors according to a team’s need and in order to keep the league fair. No exceptions.

 

5B. Uniforms-No player will be permitted to play in an official league game unless he is wearing his team’s shirt with a number. However, a first time offender will be allowed to play but will be reported to the Executive Committee. That player will not be allowed to play in any subsequent games without wearing his team’s shirt. New players will be given a 4 week grace period.

 

5C. The most a team can have is 11 players in the field,  including the catcher,  but excluding the pitcher, who is supplied by the team at bat.

(REV.’22)

 

5D. If a player has to leave the game for any reasonable reason including being injured, sick or emergency), his place in the batting order can be skipped. If a player leaves for any unreasonable reason (such as quitting, being thrown out due to misconduct or anything other than injury, sickness or emergency ), he cannot be replaced and an out is recorded each time that player’s place in the batting order comes up. The opposing team must be notified as soon as it is known that a player must leave the game. (ALSO SEE PAGE 3, RULE 5-L-4)

 

5E. If a player in the line up decides he cannot bat anymore after his first at bat because of injury, but wants to play defense, his spot in the batting order is an out every time it comes up.

If the player sits out on offense and defense the spot in the order is skipped. •

 

5F. If a team has more than 10 players on the field after a batter has made an out, that batter will be awarded a hit equal to where the ball was caught. For any previous batters from the time the infraction was caught, their outcome will stand. It is the manager’s job to make sure 10 men are on the field and opposing teams to notice there are more than 10 on the field.

 

5G. Umpires will also call “Too many men on field”

 

5H. No more than 4 infielders may play on the doubles line (the infield).

 

5I. A team needs 8 players to start a game and will forfeit an out when the 9th spot comes up

 

5J. Teams MUST have a catcher no matter how many players you have.

 

5K. 7 players is a forfeited game,

 

5L. RICKY’s RULE…Batting Order… each team must present their batting order to Ricky or one of his replacements. That person presenting the line up must stay there making sure it is entered correctly. If during the game a batter bats out of order due to an error by the names being called out for who is up by the official scorer, no matter if the wrong batter takes a pitch, hits into an out or a hit, it counts as a no at bat. The official scorer makes this call and correction.

 

• 1. Prior to the start of the game, each captain can request the batting order of the other team.
• 2. Latecomers may be added at the bottom of the batting order. No latecomers may be added after completion of the 4th inning.
• 3.There is a continuous batting order. All players in uniform (able to play) must be in the line up for all nine innings. If a team has more than 13 players they can select to use the MARRIAGE SYSTEM***It is the managers responsibility to be fair and get all players in the game on defense at some point in the game. If a player is hurt or sick and he would rather just hit, the manager must notify the opposing team manager and a league officer before the first pitch of the game. That player cannot be used in the field for the entire game under NO circumstance.
• 4. If a player in the line up decides he can not bat anymore (injury or sickness only) after his first at bat, but wants to play defense, his spot in the batting order is an out every time it comes up. If he decides he can not play defense also, his turn in order is skipped.

 

6 Conduct.

 

6A. A player who throws anything, a bat, ball, chair, etc. in anger or because of a dispute, during an at bat, or anytime during a game, will be ejected immediately by any of the executive board that are in attendance at the time of the incident. His spot in the order, if it comes up again, will be an out. No warning will be issued, immediate action will be taken. If a second incident occurs to the same player, he will be suspended for 2 games. Improper conduct such as (but not limited to) verbal or physical abuse shall not be tolerated. If a players) displays unacceptable conduct, that players) shall be removed from the game immediately. It is the captain’s responsibility to remove the players). If an offending player refuses to leave the game, the game is forfeited. Any player found to be urinating on the Wellington Park premises, not using the bathrooms, will be immediately suspended from the current game and from league play for the remainder of the season. There will be no exceptions or further discussion.

 

7-START OF PLAY

 

7A. All games must start on time with at most a 5 minute grace period.

NO Batting practice before games.

 

 8- Umpiring

8A. There will be 2 umpires at every game. The umpire will make all calls.Fair/foul, double, triple, home run, foul Tip, catch/ No catch, Etc. UMPIRES RULING IS FINAL !!!!

 

9.-Pitching

 

9A. Each hitting team supplies its own pitcher.

 

9B. The pitcher must start his pitch on or beyond the pitching line. He cannot pitch from any place in front of the pitching line.

 

9C. Pitchers cannot field batted balls. If a ball inadvertently hits a pitcher, it is a no pitch. Dead ball.

 

9D. Pitchers cannot deliberately interfere or touch a batted ball, or “screen” a fielder.

If he does, the batter is out.

 

9E. 4 pitchers total per at bat, 3 swings total per at bat

(REV.’22)

 

9F. A pitch is a thrown ball that bounces once before the batter hits the ball.

9G. Pitcher protection-pitchers may protect themselves in any way that they see fit such as wearing a mask, wearing a helmet, using a baseball glove, etc.

 

9H. A pitcher will get 3 warm-up pitches the first time he goes to the mound.

Every time after that he will get 1 warm up pitch.

ADD 5/2023

 

10-Outs per Inning

 

10A. There are three outs per inning.

 

10B. Double innings are played for innings 1-8. After the hitting team makes three outs, they will remain at bat for the second inning. Therefore a team stays at bat for

innings 1&2, 3&4, 5&6, and 7&8. The 9th inning follows.

 

10C. If the weather is threatening after 4 full innings, the top of the 5th inning will be followed by the bottom of the 5th inning, As long as the weather remains threatening teams will stay at bat for only one inning at a time Otherwise if the game continues, teams will stay at bat for innings 6&7 and 8&9.

 

11-Runs per Inning

 

11A. A team can score a maximum of 5 runs per inning for the first 8 innings. The only exception is if an extra base hit forces in additional runs. For example, a team has already scored 4 runs in an inning. The bases are loaded. The next batter doubles, forcing in 2 more runs. The team has scored 6 runs in the inning and the inning is now over.

 

11B. In the 9th inning, a team can score as many runs as they can before making three

outs.

 

12-Fielding-Ground balls/ Fly Balls/ Outs

 

12A. It is not mandatory for all players to play in the field. 9 SEE RULE #SL #4)

 

12B. If a battered ball that DOES NOT go past the pitcher’s mound (Line, Rubber) is a foul ball. Any ball that DOES go past the pitchers mound (Line, Rubber) and before the doubles line is a fair ball no matter which direction it bounces (backward, forward, sideways), until it crosses the foul line or crosses “BACK” over the pitchers line toward home plate untouched.

Then it is a foul ball.

12C. Once a ball is batted, if it is touched by the batter or anyone on the batters team it will be considered an out. Once the umpire or scores table calls it a foul ball then it can be touched by the batting team. If a batter hits the ball and it bounces back toward him he can not touch it until it is called foul.

REV. 5/2023

 

12D. Ground Balls —a ground ball is defined as a batted ball with forward motion that bounces at last once before the doubles line. If available, a cone or other object may serve as a foul pole, and is situated in foul territory at the intersection of the

foul line (adjacent to the bumpers) and the doubles line. If a cone is hit by a ball it is a foul ball.

If a ball bounces directly over a cone it is a foul ball.

 

12E. Untouched fly balls that bounce on the yellow line is a fair ball. It is a fair LINE.

REV.5/24/2023

 

12F. touched balls the position of the ball, not the players feet determines whether a ball is fair or foul

 

12G. A batter, when swinging, must make contact with the ball behind the front edge of the plate:

 

12H. The batter can stand/ start anywhere behind the front of the plate.

 

12i. Ground outs a ground out is made when a ground ball is caught by a properly positioned infielder. An infielder can “reach” into foul territory to field a ground ball, but he must not step over the fair line with either foot. He is allowed to step on the line but not over the line.

 

12J. Outfielders cannot “reach” into foul territory to catch a foul ball.

 

12K. Prior to a pitch an infielder INFIELDERS MUST HAVE AT LEAST 1 FOOT ON DOUBLES LINE AT TIME OF PITCH., IF FIELDER DOES NOT HAVE 1 FOOT ON LINE AT TIME OF PITCH AND BATTER MAKES OUT ANYWHERE ON THE FIELD, HE WILL BE AWARDED A SINGLE ,DOUBLE, TRIPLE OR HOME RUN, WERE EVER THE OUT WAS MADE. Umpire will give 1 courtesy to the team per game.

 

12L. After the pitcher releases the ball, infielders) may move forward or backward.

 

12M. A ground ball striking an infielder and then caught in the air by another infielder is a single.

 

12N. A fly out is made when a ball is caught on a fly in fair territory by any fielder. A fly ball striking a fielder in fair territory and then caught by any fielder in fair territory before it hits the ground is an out. However, if a fly ball strikes a fielder in fair territory but then is caught on a fly by any fielder in foul territory it will be ruled as a single, double, or triple depending on where on the field the ball was originally touched.

 

12O. Sacrifice flies A runner on 3″d base will score when a fly ball is caught on or beyond the triple line with 0 or 1 out before the ball is caught.

 

12P. Double Plays there are no double plays.

 

12PQ Split Balls a ball that splits into at least 2 separate pieces is considered a dead

ball and no pitch. However, a ball that cracks and stays intact is in play.

 

12R. Trapped Balls— if a player catches a ball against his body or in his clothing he must firmly grab it in his hands) and show it otherwise it is not a catch. Also balls cannot be trapped on the ground but must be picked up cleanly and shown otherwise it is not a catch.

 

13- Hitting

 

13A. Singles-any ground ball that bounces before the new doubles line and goes past or is dropped by the infielder is a single

 

13B.Any fly ball or line drive that is touched and dropped by a fielder whose foot is on the doubles line is a double. Doubles any fly ball or line drive that is not touched on a fly by a fielder and lands on the doubles area is a double. Also any fly ball or line drive that is dropped by a fielder in the doubles area is a double.

 

13C. A fly ball that hits the HR fence anywhere on the fence and does not go over the fence is a fair ball. If the ball hits the fence on a fly at the outer edges on either side, it is a triple. It is considered a fair ball, even though the edges of the fence on either side, are slightly in foul territory. Any fly ball or line drive that is touched by a players hands in front of the triples line even It is ruled the players hands not his feet were in doubles territory though the players feet are beyond the triples line is a double. Triples any fly ball or line drive that is not touched on a fly by a fielder and lands in the triples area is a triple. Also any fly ball or line drive that is dropped by a fielder in the triples area is a triple .

 

13D. A line drive or fly ball that hits an infielder and is not caught is a double if the infielder is on the new doubles line or in the doubles area. It is a triple if the outfielder is on the triples line or in the triples area. However, if the ball deflects from a fielder and past the home run fence it is a home run no matter where it lands

 

13E. A ground ball that hits an infielder in fair territory and lands in foul territory is a single.

 

13F. Ifa fly ball touches a fielder in fair territory and lands in foul territory, the number of bases is determined by where the fielder was when it touched him (i.e. doubles territory, triples territory), with the exception of whether the ball goes past the home run fence in which case it is a home run.

 

13G. A GROUND ball that deflects from 1 player can not be caught by another player.

 

13H. A FLY ball that deflects off 1 player can be caught in the air by another player in fair territory only.

13I. A batter can only hit a pitch on 1 bounce. Any other pitch is not allowed and counts as a pitch.

 

13J. Each batter gets 4 pitches total— 3 swings total per at bat, including foul balls.

 

13K. If a batter catches a pitched ball without swinging, it will count as one of his 4 pitches, and if it’s the 4^th pitch, you are out. If a batter swings and hits a foul ball and it comes back towards the batter or home plate, and he catches it, it will still be a foul ball strike. If the same ball is heading back towards the plate, and the batter swings at it again, it is an automatic out.

 

14-Home Runs

 

14A.Any ball that is batted beyond the home run fence and lands on the concrete area or hits a car in the concrete area of the parking lot, will be considered a Home Run. If it lands on the grass area beyond the Home Run Fence, it will be considered a Foul Ball. A battered ball that goes over the fence between the fair lines is a home run, no matter where it lands. ALL CALLS WILL BE MADE BY THE UMPIRE. Also, any fly ball that bounces off a fielder in fair territory and lands past the fence is a home run regardless of where it lands.

As in baseball, a fielder may not climb over the fence to catch a home run. However, if a fielder leaps over the fence and catches the ball before he lands on the other side, it is an out. Any ball that goes past the fence but is touched before it lands by someone on the other side of the fence shall be considered to be a home run if the person touching it has both feet on concrete when the ball is touched. Otherwise it will be considered to be a foul ball.

 

14B. A Home Run must go over the fence not around the fence from either side and land on the concrete.

REV. 2022

 

15-Tiebreakers

 

15A. League standings are determined by winning percentage only.

 

15B. If two or more teams are tied in the league standings at the end of the season, the following order shall be used to break the ties) and determine the final standings.

1- Winner of the games played between the tied teams

2- Runs scored in the games between the tied teams

3- Run differential in all league games

4- Coin toss

 

16 PLAYOFFS

 

16A. All teams will participate in the playoffs.

 

16B. Round Robin Seeding will be used (subject to change)

 

16C. Schedule TBA

 

16D. A player must have played in 4 games, thru the 5^th inning, to be eligible for the playoffs.

 

17-Awards

 

17A. There will be a trophy handed to the championship team. The team name and year will be engraved on the trophy and that team will keep the trophy until the end of the next season.

Likewise in each successive year the championship team name and year will be engraved and that team shall keep the trophy until the end of the next season.

 

17B. A determined amount of money will be given to the championship team for shirts. The amount will be decided each year by the President according to league funds available.

 

MARRIAGE SYSTEM**

 

A TEAM MUST HAVE A BATTING ORDER OF 13 SPOTS WHEN THEY HAVE 13

OR MORE PLAYERS AT THE GAME. WHEN THEY HAVE MORE THAN 13

PLAYERS THEY WILL USE “THE MARRIAGE SYSTEM” **

“MARRIAGE SYSTEM” ** EXAMPLE-LINE UP:

1- TONY

2- JIM

3- BILL

4- JOE.

MARTY

5- JERRY

6- HARRY.

LARRY

JOE AND MARTY MUST REMAIN IN THIS SPOT IN THE BATTING ORDER FOR THE ENTIRE GAME. THEY WILL ALTERNATE TURNS HITTING. EITHER ONE CAN PLAY THE FIELD AT ANYTIME.

SAME GOES FOR HARRY AND LARRY.

IF YOU HAVE 17 GUYS THEN FOUR SPOTS IN THE BATTING ORDER MUST HAVE 2 GUYS HITTING IN THAT SPOT.

YOU DO NOT HAVE TO USE THE “MARRIAGE SYSTEM” IF YOU DECIDE YOU WANT ALL YOUR PLAYERS TO BAT.