Dear Little League Boards I hope this message finds you well. I know many of us have not been able to play games due to COVID-19 related restrictions which had created a great challenge for leagues. If your leagues are able to get on the fields might we suggest an alternative. You have received a lot of communication from Little League International and the Regional team focusing on Sandlot Fun Days. They have seen great success with leagues holding Sandlot style events, by utilizing "Over the Line" guidelines. This allows kids to play ball, while maintaining social distancing. While I personally have not played Over the Line, most of our Regional team has throughout their youth. Here are some suggestions on how to make this work for your leagues. I've also attached an excel that shows the zones and player positions. Here are the basic rules and setup for Over the Line: Teams * Each team needs at least three players * Three is the ideal amount of players to ensure proper social distancing * One team is on defense * The other team is hitting with one supervising adult serving as the "pitcher" * The supervising adult will serve as the pitcher for both teams Equipment * Baseballs * Homeplate * Cones/chalk or spray paint * Little League approved bats * Gloves * Helmets Set Up * The game is setup just like a normal baseball game * 6 innings, 3 outs per inning * Visiting team bats first * Supervising adult will keep track of score, inning and base runners * Please see attached diagram for a visual of how the field should be setup How to Score/Hit * With one person batting at a time, the remaining players who are not hitting must sit in the dugout and maintain social distancing until it is their turn to hit * The supervised adult (who is 6 feet away from home plate) is serving as the pitcher. He or she will underhand toss the ball to the hitter * A hit is broken up into four different categories o Single, double, triple, homerun * A single is a ball that is hit (in fair territory) over the first line * A double is a ball that is hit over the second line * A triple is a ball that is hit over the third line (must be on the ground) * A homerun is a ball that is hit over the head of the last defender that is guarding the third line * Runs must be forced across o Example: Player 1 hits a single, Player 2 comes up next and hits a double. The result of this is runners on 2nd and 3rd. Player 3 comes up and hits a single. The result is now bases loaded because each runner may only advance if they are forced How to Play Defense/Record Outs * Each defender is guarding their line (three lines=three defenders) * If the first defender (line 1) catches the ball in the air or on the ground before it reaches the first line in fair territory, it is an out * The other two defenders (lines 2 and 3) must catch the ball in the air in order to record an out o If the ball passes their line on the ground, it is considered a hit for the other team * If the batter fails to hit the ball in fair territory in three pitches, it is considered an out o Each batter has a max of three pitches to do so, no matter what Safety Protocols * All hitters must wear helmets when hitting * Hitters who are waiting their turn must sit in the dugout 6 feet apart from their teammates * Use multiple bats, helmets, baseballs, gloves to keep from players sharing equipment Thank you, JP District Administrator
