• A baseball team in the dugout.baseball kids image by Linda Mattson from Fotolia.com
  
  The Hot Stove League was conceived by sports editor Karl Artman in an effort to form enjoyable baseball clubs throughout the country in the 1930s. The idea grew and there are currently 23 charters of 850 teams in the state of Ohio with around 12,000 baseball players in total. The leagues use rules consistent with Major League Baseball (MLB) with some local rules from league to league.
  
  

Field Dimensions

• Hot Stove Baseball includes leagues and children of many different ages. As a result, field dimensions for the leagues vary, depending on the age demographic. The field size for the youngest league (Farm League) is 55 feet between the bases and 40 feet from the pitching rubber to home plate. In the league with the oldest players (F League), the field has 80 feet between the bases and 55 feet between the pitcher’s rubber and home plate. Fields may have slight variations among leagues.
  
  

Base Running

• In Farm League there is no stealing, bunting or leading off. In H League (the middle age bracket) stealing is only allowed after the ball has crossed home plate. There is stealing allowed in F League. In Farm League a runner can only advance one base on an overthrow, and timeout is immediately called when a ball is thrown back into the infield.
  
  

Game Length

• In the Farm League, games are two hours in length or six innings, whichever of the two comes first. An inning cannot be started 10 minutes before the two-hour time limit is up. H League and F League are both seven-inning leagues, though a time limit may be enforced locally, depending on the ability to play games at night.
  
  

Players

• In each of the leagues, players must play at least four innings per game without exception. In Farm League, the players are not allowed to play the same position for more than two innings per game. Players must wear a regulation uniform, including shirt, hat, pants and socks to each game. Taunting is strictly prohibited, and any player, manager, coach or parent will be ejected from the game if found taunting. If the player, manager, coach or parent refuses to leave, the game will be forfeited.