T-Ball (Pre-K and Kindergarten)

Commitment: Two 1-hour practice/games each week

Season: Late April to Mid/Late June

TB information falls under Slowpitch

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, Legacy Field or Optimist Field (Glen Lake) 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 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/coach 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.