2020 SOFTBALL RULES

OFFICIALS

1. Officials will be provided by SARC.  These are not professional referees, so please be courteous to them, as they have the power to throw you out with our ZERO TOLERANCE policy.  

2. Only team captains are permitted to politely and maturely discuss a questionable call with the umpire and manager.

PARTICIPANTS

1. 18 to party and 21 to drink

2. Should have health insurance.

3. Must be registered (paid and waivers)

4. Players must wear some sort of athletic shoes, but METAL CLEATS not allowed.

5. Teams are responsible for their own bats and gloves as long as they are USSSA approved (bats must have USSSA stamp) or be approved by SARC management.

6. SARC will provide game balls.  Teams must retrieve game balls or a $10 replacement ball fee will be assessed.

 TEAMS

1. Minimum of 12 players- NO MAX of players.

2. 4 Females and 6 Males on the field.

3. Females can compensate for males, but not vice versa.

4. Minimum of 2 females in the INFIELD.

5. Teams can play with the minimal of 8 players from their roster, but outs will be assumed in place of missing players.

6. Every player present hits in the designated batting lineup. Hitting out of order results in an out for the batter that was out of order and the batters future turn is skipped.

7. Players that are late are added to the end of the lineup as long as they arrive before the start of the 4th inning.

8. No more than 3 guest players allowed playing in a game.  Guest players do not have to be okayed by opposing team.  No guest players are permitted if other team is short handed as well until teams are at equal strength.  Guest players ONLY allowed if a team is playing with less than 10 players.  Guest players must hit at end of the lineup and play only in the outfield.  If all 3 guests are girls, then 1 girl can play catcher and the other 2 in the outfield.

BASE COACHES

1. Are optional.

2. Cannot touch the ball in play or interfere with the defense.

3. Cannot physically assist runners.

4. Doing so for rules 2&3 result in an out for the batter and/or runner.

 GAME PLAY

1. Minimum of 4 innings and Max of 7 innings or 60 minutes.

2. Top of the inning must be started by minute: 50 and so is the last inning.

3. Tie games are possible but not favored.  OT if time permits.

4. 10 minute grace periods for shorthanded teams.       

5. Rock, Paper, Scissors will determine home and away.

PITCHING

1. Pitches must be underhand and slow in velocity.

2. Pitcher must set the plant foot on the rubber before the windup.

3. Pitch must be at least 5ft in height but no more than 10ft in height.

4. Pitch can have any spin desirable.

HITTING

1. Only USSSA stamped bats are permitted.  Use of any altered bats will result in at least the guilty player expulsion from the league.

2. Bunting is not permissible. 

3. Batter must stand in batters box when making contact.

4. There is no rule on making the batting order for gender spots.

5. Teams can hit 2 more homeruns than their opponent. Any ball over the fence after that is an out.

6. If the ball hits the pitching net it is a foul ball on the first time in the at bat. If it happens again in the same at bat the batter is out.

7. If a male walks with a female batting after, the female has the choice to walk or hit.

RUNNING/SCORING

1. Runners must stay within 3ft of the baseline/vice versa for fielders.  Exceptions are made when rounding bases at full speed.

2. Runnersâ?? interference is safe to base (catcher making contact with hitter while hitter is making contact with the ball or a fielder impeding the baseline).  If referee deems that runner could have another base as a result, another base can be awarded.

3. NO leading off when pitcher has ball until ball is hit by bat.

4. Base runners leaving early while a player is hitting will be called out, and play is dead.  Batter must re-hit.

5. Tagging runner or base is permissible.

6. Tagging up is permitted.  

7. Ties DO NOT go to the runner. 

8. Overthrows over the fence are out of bounds and give a runner an extra base and dead ball. (1 extra base past the one they are heading towards).

9. NO running past another runner (2nd runner will be out)

10. In the event a runner and fielder collide in the base path or on the base, the runner is automatically safe (unless the fielder has the ball in clear possession) and could be awarded the next base if deemed necessary by referees.

11. Fielders CANNOT block any base on a play at the base.  If an errant throw leads them into the runnerâ??s path then they must make every effort possible to get out of the way of the runner after making the catch.

12. Infield fly is in effect (multiple base runners in force out situation means batter is automatically called out).

13. Sliding is allowed as long as NO CONTACT with any fielder.  Violation of this rule will result in an out and possibly an ejection or suspension.

14. There will be NO SLIDING allowed into 1B when running from home plate unless there is a safety base.

15. All hitters running through 1B must use the safety base or they will be called out.  Runners looking to round the base can use the inside base.

16. When girls are hitting ALL outfielders must be behind the 200â?? line in the outfield.

STRIKE OUTS

1. Batters start with a 1 ball and 1 strike count.

2. 2 fouls equal an OUT.

3. 3 strikes is a strike out.

4. With 2 strikes any foul or strike thereafter results in an out.

 FOULS

1. The ball must stay in between the 1st and 3rd base, but after the bases it can roll out of the foul line and still be fair.

2. If the ball ever touches a player in fair territory, ball is fair.  If ball ever touches a player in foul territory then ball is foul.  Where ever it is first touched determines if it is fair or foul.

3. If a player is standing in fair territory and reaches into foul territory to touch the ball, itâ??s a foul ball.

 OUTS

1. 3 OUTS per hitting team per inning.

BALL IN PLAY

1. Ball to the pitcher in the pitchers area can result in the play being over. 

2. If a hitter runs through first base, and turns around back to base, they must       show intent to run to second to be considered in play.

SUBSTITUTIONS

1. All present players bat in the designated lineup.

2. Free and unlimited subs allowed in the field.

3. 1 defensive switch per position, per inning (pre-pitch). Players can move wherever after the ball has left the pitchers hand.

 CATCHER POSITIONING

1. Catchers must stand set up behind the batter and home plate until ball is hit.

2. Catchers cannot block home plate on a play at the plate unless they have possession before the runner gets there.

PINCH RUNNING

1. Pinch runners must be of same gender.

2. Limited to one per inning.

3. In the event of an in game injury, player may be removed without penalty (as long as game minimum requirements are met), and cannot reenter.  

 FORFEIT FEE

1. Any team that forfeits within 4 hours of scheduled game time is to assume a $25 inconvenience fee. 

2. 3 forfeit fees in one season are grounds for removal the league with no refunds.

CLEAN UP RULE

1. Bring a trash bag or any sorts to clean up after your self after each game. Iâ??m not a janitor and will not clean up after you. If season gets cancelled, there will be no refunds.  TAKE YOUR TRASH WITH YOU.

2. If failure to clean up happens, there will be a warning, then a $25 fine and/or a loss in the standings, then subject to removal from league.

3. Any adult beverages MUST BE IN A CUP if inside the park.

 

PLAYOFFS RULE

1. All playoff games are subject to mercy rule.  15 run lead after 3, 12 after 4, 10 after 5.

2. NO guest players are allowed for playoffs unless team is shorthanded.  

1. TEAMS MAY NOT PICK UP PLAYERS ON ANOTHER TEAM including any guest players they brought in.

2. Guest players must pay $20 to participate in playoffs.

3. Players must play at least 1 game during the regular season to be eligible for playoffs.

3. Rock, Paper, Scissors will determine Home and Away.  

4. In extra innings, the last batter of the previous inning will start on 2B. 

1. This runner cannot be pinch ran for and the inning still starts with no outs.

2. If last â??batterâ?? was an automatic out to end the previous inning, then no runner starts on 2B.

FOR ANY RULES NOT SPECIFICALLY FOUND HERE CAN BE FOUND AT THE USSSA WEB SITE:

http://www.usssa.com/docs/2015...