Baseball Rules

Contrary to popular belief, there is not a single set of rules for the game of baseball. Major League baseball uses the Offical Baseball Rules (OBR) for their games, as do a great many other leagues, from Little League on up. However, almost all of the leagues that use OBR as a basis for their games, including Major League baseball, have "supplemental" rules that regulate play in their leagues. In addition, there are rules for the game of baseball that are specific to high schools and various college levels. It is imperative that the umpire calling a baseball game know which set of rules, and any "supplemental" rules, are being used for that game.


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National Federation of High Schools
(NFHS)

 

Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools
(TAPPS)
Rule Changes
2006    2007   2008    2009    2010    2011 2012    2013   2014    2015    2016    2017
2018    2019   2020    2021    2022    2023
2024
 
Rule Book
(Available online throuh NFHS AllAccess app)
 
NFHS Interpretations
2005  2006   2007  2008  2009  2010 2011 2012  2013   2014  2015  2016  2017 2018
2019  2020   2021  2022  2023 
 
TASO Interpretations
   TASO Interpreter 2005 & 2006
 
TAPPS Rule Book
 
(TAPPS uses NFHS rules with a few modifications as shown in the TAPPS Rule Book above)
     

Southwest Preparatory Conference
(SPC)

  

National Collegiate Athletic Association
(NCAA)
SPC uses NFHS rules (see NFHS above)
  
Rule Changes     
2006    2007    2008   2009  2010  
2011 & 2012   2013 & 2014   2015 & 2016
2017 & 2018   2019 & 2020   2021 & 2022
 
Rule Book
 
Interpretations
2007   2008   
(beginning in 2009, interps are included in the rulebook)
     

National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics
(NAIA)

  

Official Baseball Rules
(OBR)
Used by Major League Baseball, most Youth Leagues (Little League, Pony/Colt, Babe Ruth, Dixie League, etc.), and Adult Leagues
Rule Changes
2006   2007   2008   2009   2010  2011  2012 2013   2014   2015   2019
 
Rule Book
(Beginning in 2012, NAIA uses the NCAA as the basis or their rules, with modifications as shown in the Rules Changes above. Prior to 2012, NAIA used the OBR as the basis for their rules)
 
Rule Changes
2006   2007    2008  2010  2011   2013    2014
2015   2016    2017  2018  2019   2020    2021
2022
 
 
     

Men's League
Austin Metro Baseball League  (AMBL)

  

Summer League Baseball Rules
(Select, Pony/Colt, etc.)

AMBL Rules


 Rule Book
(AMBL/MABL uses the OBR as the basis of their rules, with modifications as shown above)
  
Wings
 
BCS,   Perfect Game,  World Wood Bat
 
Balcones
(Balcones plays under PONY rules, which is basically the OBR with very few modifications)

Pony Rule Book