Italian Baseball League

For the 2010 season, FIBS maintained the number of sport visas granted to non-EU import foreign players at 4 per team. Per EU and Olympic Committee directive, EU citizens will have the same player rights of Italian passport holders. FIBS, however, will continue to enforce the regulation on the Italian School of Baseball that requires six ASI (Associazioni Sportive Sociali Italiane) players be on the field at all times of every game, including the pitcher in either game 2 or 3 of each series.

An Italian player is classified as Italian School of Baseball, or ASI, only if he has been developed in Italy or if has played six seasons in the Italian Leagues.

EU citizens have the same rights of the players who hold Italian citizenship but were not developed in Italy.

One particular case of the ASI rule would be a foreigner who developed as a baseball player in Italy (started playing as an U15). This is the case of a foreigner who is also an ASI, but will be able to play only respecting the limitation on import players.

Game 1 of each three-game series is classified as the Foreign Affair Game, with the pitcher's mound free to be occupied by any pitcher including foreign imports.

In either Game 2 or Game 3, an EU pitcher may be the starting pitcher; however, IBL rules require that an ASI be the starting pitcher for one of these two remaining games. Moreover, whichever game a manager selects the ASI as the starting pitcher, then all subsequent pitchers must be ASI. Therefore, there may be ASI vs EU match-ups for the first time beginning in 2010.

Half of the teams are based in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy. A team from the Republic of San Marino also plays in the IBL. Like Japanese baseball, many of the official team names contain the name of the team's corporate sponsor.

• Orel Anzio

• Jason Simontacchi: Pitcher for Novara Baseball and retired Major League Baseball pitcher
• Chuck Carr: Centerfielder for Rimini and retired Major League Baseball outfielder
• Junior Guerra: Pitcher for T & A San Marino before joining the Milwaukee Brewers
• Robel García: Infielder for Fortitudo Bologna before joining the Chicago Cubs
• Abraham Núñez: Outfielder for The Nettuno Baseball Club and retired Major League Baseball outfielder

• FIBS Federazione Italiana Baseball Softball website
• Italian Baseball League Encyclopedia and History Baseball Reference website

• Baseball in Italy
• Italian Baseball League 2D
• Italy national baseball team
• Baseball awards in Italy
• Baseball awards in Europe