Site hosted by Angelfire.com: Build your free website today!
AWBL 2K2   The Official Home of the AWBL AWBL 2K2

 INSIDE THE NUMBERS
    Batting Stats
    Pitching Stats
    League Leaders
    Standings
    Record Book
 AWBL Superstars
    Player Bios
    Rosters
    Free Agents
 2003 SCHEDULE
    Team Barilar
    Team Walker
    Team Frosty
    Team Smacker
 NEWS & NOTES
    Latest Headlines
    Game Summaries
    Transactions
 INTERACTIVE
    Message Board 
    All-Star Voting
 MULTIMEDIA
    2003 Game Photos
    2002 Game Photos
 ARTICLES
    Diamond Notes
 AWBL INSIDER
    League History
    The Field
 ARCHIVES
    2002 Draft Results
    2002 Final League Leaders
    2002 Final Standings
    2002 Batting Stats
    2002 Pitching Stats
    2001 Batting Stats
    2001 Pitching Stats
    2001 Awards
    2001 Playoff Batting Stats
2003 Winter Meetings Rule Changes
 

During Christmas vacation at PHS, the AWBL captains and a committee of players met to discuss the upcoming season. Topics discussed ranged from the draft and its order to rules including foul balls, pitching, the batter's box, and more. Eventually, the committee made a few changes to the AWBL rulebook that should enhance the gameplay in 2003. The following rules have been changed, altered, or enstated for 2003.

- Due to the lack of saves over the first two seasons of the AWBL, closers have been nearly extinct. Now, anytime a new pitcher enters the last inning, he is eligible for a save if he does not blow his team's lead. Basic save rules apply as well, meaning if a pitcher enters in the 6th inning with the a three run lead or less, or the tying run on base, and does not blow his team's lead over the 6th and 7th inning, he will recieve a save. This is an effort to establish closer's in the AWBL.

- A major rule change is the addition of the intentional walk to the AWBL. Each team is eligible to intentionally walk one batter per game. This was enstated because there are no other ways to pitch around a batter. One player could kill a team the entire game while the rest of his team is playing horrible. Now, a team can take the risk of putting that batter on base to pitch to the following batter. Even if a game goes extra innings, each team only gets one intentional walk.

- Regulations on pitching innings has always been in question in the AWBL. Now, a pitcher may only pitch 7 innings over a two game span. The exception to this rule is a game that goes to extra innings. Extra innings do not count towards the 7 innings a pitcher must distribute between two games. Therefore, a pitcher who pitches a complete game may not enter the next game unless it goes to extra innings.

- The Kevan Emhoff rule of bat throwing has been changed once again. Only a legit throw that will delay the course of a game will be counted as an out for the team. If someone tosses the bat gently, or throws the bat after making contact with a pitch, it will be not be considered an out. Also, bat throw outs cannot be carried over between games but can be carried over between innings.

- Foul balls on the third base line will be judged basically the same way they were in 2002. If the ball is hit anywhere into the tree on the third base line, it is foul, whether it comes back into play or not. Anywhere on the tree is foul, the trunk through the branches. A ball may be caught anywhere out of the tree for an out.

- A ground-ruled double will occur anytime a ball is hit into a bush, tree, etc. and the fielder cannot locate the ball by the time the baserunner has reached 2nd base.

- Due to Kyle Barilar's Happy Gilmore batting style from 2002, the batter's box was a major topic in AWBL debate. The rule has been changed so that there are boundaries to the batter's box on the front, left, and right sides, but there is no boundary to the back.