ADOPTED RULES

The Eclipse Base Ball Club of Northville has adopted, and will play home matches, according  The Revised Rules of the Game for 1867, by Henry Chadwick, with the following revisions, additions, clarifications, and omissions:

I. The .no stride rule. is NOT in effect.  A striker must remain in the striker.s box when batting, but may shift and lift his feet.

II. First base may not be overrun unless field conditions are hazardous and safety of the players is a concern.  The .Captain. of the Eclipse Base Ball Club will be solely responsible for implementation of the rule.

III. Open lead-offs are allowed. Stealing bases is allowed.  The base runner may steal the next base only on a muff by the behind (catcher).  A .muff. is defined as the ball contacting the ground twice after hurled by the hurler (pitcher) before it is returned by the behind to the hurler. If a player steals and it is determined that the ball was not muffed, he shall not have a free return to the base. Base runners  may steal at their risk on an overthrown .pick off. attempt.

IV. Balls struck, that reach the hill and weeds in right field and right center field will become an automatic ground rule double or single depending  upon which part of the hill is reached by the ball.  Players will be shown the single/double demarcation line prior to the start of the match. Click for photo. This includes balls that reach the hill on the fly, or on a bound.  If the ball is struck in the area and bounds out onto the field of play, the ball is considered .live..  A ball caught on the bound or fly is an out even if it has or may reach the hill. If the ball reaches this same area on a throw, the ball is.dead. and players shall hold or be awarded the closest base.

V. An inanimate object such as a tree or lamp post shall be considered part of the ground for bound rule purposes. The left field lamp post is completely in fair territory.

VI. Cursing, spitting and sliding into a base is ungentlemanly and such conduct is subject to public reprimand by the umpire.

VII. Open fielding.  Position players are NOT required to field their position no more than two paces off of the base they are stationed at, or to play .straight away. in the outfield.

VIII. NO FREE RETURNS on balls struck in foul territory.  For a runner to be called out, the ball must first be touched by the hurler on the fielding team who may position themselves anywhere on the field.  This shall be a .force. play.  The hurler does NOT have to be within the .pitcher point..

X. The bound rule shall apply to fair and foul balls.  Foul balls are outs only if caught by a fielder.