GVSLL follows Little League Rules, Regulations, and Policies.

Little League also provides a mobile Rulebook app with all the Official Regulations, Playing Rules, and Operating Policies.

Exceptions/changes/additions to those rules are listed below and in the Managers Handbook listed on the right.

The Light Rule

The GVSLL Official "Light Rule" (Signaling the end of a game due to darkness.)

On the minor and major fields there is a light which comes on when the ambient light reaches a certain level.  The light on the major field will be the official signal used for both the minor field and the major field. The light on the minor field, while functional,  is not used.  When the major field light comes on during games, either on the minor field or major field, the following scenarios will happen:

•  The batter will complete his/her at bat
•  If the game is in the top half of the inning the game will end and the score will revert back to the beginning of the inning.
•  If the game is in the bottom half of the inning and the home team is behind the score will revert back to the beginning of the inning.
•  If the game is in the bottom half of the inning and the home team is ahead the game will end and the official score will be what the score is at that time.
•  If the game is in the bottom half of the inning and the game is tied three different outcomes are possible
•  If the visiting team was ahead at the beginning of the inning then the game ends in an official tie.  Whether or not this game is made up at the end of the season is up to the competition committee.
• If the home team was ahead at the beginning of the inning then the game reverts back to the score at the beginning of the inning.
• If the game was tied at the beginning of the inning, then the game is a tie and the final score was the score at the beginning of the inning.
  

Pitch Count Limits and Mandatory Rest Rules

In an effort to stem the alarming increase in elbow and shoulder injuries among young baseball pitchers, Little League Baseball adopted important new rules in 2007 to limit the number of pitches a pitcher can throw in a game and how much rest he must take pitching appearances.

In its continuing effort to protect the health and safety of youth pitchers, and to reflect the latest research on pitching injuries, Little League made additional changes in its rules which went into effect for the spring 2010 season and beyond.

Revised pitch count limits for 2011 and beyond

Enforcement

To ensure that pitching rules are strictly followed, Little League now imposes a number of other strict requirements:

• Each league must designate a scorekeeper or official to track pitch counts as the official pitch-count recorder.
• The pitch count recorder must provide the current pitch count for any pitcher when requested by either manager or any umpire, and notify the umpire-in-chief when a pitcher has reached the pitch limit, who will, in turn, notify the pitcher's manager that the pitcher must be removed.
• Failure of the pitch count recorder to notify the umpire-in-chief, and/or the failure of the umpire-in-chief to notify the manager does not relief the manager of his/her responsibility to remove the pitcher when that pitcher is no longer eligible to pitch.
• Violation of the rule can result in a protest of the game in which it occurs.

New rules on rest periods

In general, the new rules add extra days for pitchers regardless of age and lower the threshold for pitches triggering extra days off between taking the mound. The old rules set different rules for pitchers league age 16 and under and league age 17 and 18. The new rules establish different rules for pitchers league age 14 and under and league age 15 to 18. Reflecting new research findings about the risk of injury to pitches who throw the most pitches, the new rules require a fourth day of rest - not required for a pitcher of any age at any pitch count under the old rules - for pitchers throwing 66 pitches or more for younger pitchers (7 to 14) and 76 pitches or more for older pitchers (15 to 18).

Rest requirements: Pitchers league ages 7 to 14

Rest requirements: Pitchers league ages 15 to 18

Other important rules

• Pitcher to catcher ban: any pitcher who delivers 41 or more pitches in a game may not go behind the plate to play catcher for the remainder of the day.
• Catcher to Pitcher-Any player, who has played the position of catcher in four (4) or more innings in a game, is not eligible to pitch on that calendar day.
• Minor league pitching: Players over age 12 may not pitch in Minors division games
• Multiple games: Players may not pitch in more than one game in a day
• Pitches in suspended/regulation tie games charged against pitcher's eligibility. If suspended games are resumed on another day, pitchers of record at time game was suspended will be allowed to pitch to the extent of their eligibility for that day if they have rested the proper amount of days.
• Completion of pitching to batter:In a new ruling for 2010, if a pitcher reaches the pitch-count limit for their age while facing a batter, the pitcher may continue to throw until the batter reaches base, is thrown out, or the third out is made to complete the half-inning.

Limits are working

According to a 2011 study by researchers at the University of North Carolina commissioned by Little League, its pitch count program appears to be working, reducing the risk of shoulder injury among pitchers in Little League Baseball (ages 8 to 13) by 50 percent.