2010 Season Softball Rules

1. Play for 55 minutes starting after completion of the coin toss;

2. If teams are late, forfeit after 10 minutes; late team is visiting team if less than 10 minutes; first games start at 6:00PM; allow for extenuating circumstances when teams travel between fields and are running late due to extra time or extra innings circumstances;

3. If the visiting team is batting at the 55 minute mark, finish that half of the inning, go to next step; if the home team leads and is batting at the 55(+) min mark - game over - home team wins; if the home team trails at the 55 min mark, finish the inning: the home team gets the lead - game over, home team wins;

4. The home team trails and completes the inning (3 outs) - game over, visiting team wins;

5. Game tied - go to another inning; make sure the teams are hustling in and out - no delays - to get the next inning going and finish as soon as possible (the 15 minutes between games are, partly, for these circumstances); three warmup pitches in the first inning only, or for a new pitcher; no other inter-inning warmups allowed;

6. There is no cutting short at 45/50 minutes unless the run rules take effect - play up to the 55 minute time limit and use the above guidelines to determine the outcome; Mercy rule (men only): 15 run lead after 4 innings played; 10 run lead after 5 innings played; women play without a mercy rule.

7. Upper Division vs. Lower Division: Coin toss decides home team. Regular innings. Home run rules apply using the lower of the 2 divisions:


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These are league specific rules for Los Alamos that differ from the USSSA rules:
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Home Run Limit: (Lower Division Limit)
A League: 7 per team per game
B League: 5 per team per game
C league: 3 per team per game
D league: 1 per team per game

All home runs hit over the limit are outs.

A home run towards the home run limit is one that flies over the fence without touching the ground or a player in the field of play. If a ball touches a player and then carries over the fence, it is a 4 base error and it does not count toward the home run limit. Home runs that hit the top of the fence and then bounce over the fence or hit the foul pole count toward the limit. Inside the park home runs do not count towards the limit.

Women’s league: No home run limit

XL:
The extended fence in right field must be cleared for a home run to be called. Consider it our version of the “green monster” from Fenway Park.

Mixed League Play:
Men’s rules:

When a lower division team plays an upper division team, the lower division team will automatically be the home team. The game will start in the bottom of the first inning, with the home team batting. The upper division team will have one less at bat.

Women’s rules:

ALL GAMES INCLUDING INTERLEAGUE GAMES ARE PLAYED STRAIGHT-UP with no rules, just a 55 minute time limit.
Home team determined by the coin flip"

Game Time Limits:
All league games are scheduled for a maximum game length of 55 minutes. No new innings will be started after 55 minutes have expired from the start of the time limit. However, if an inning is started and the home team is not ahead, the inning will be completed before the end of the game. If the score was tied at the end of the last completed inning, the game ends as a tie game. Games that are called in progress because of rain or darkness are considered complete after 4 innings.

Note: Game time is start time. For games where a team is playing before you, there is no on-the-field warm up unless the previous game ended before the start of the next game. Teams that are short have 5 minutes after the official game time to get enough players to be official.

Digging-In Rule at the Plate:
No formal rule as of this point, however if the areas in front of the plate get as warn down again this year as last we may institute a new “no-digging-in” rule where a batter can be assessed a strike for excessive digging in. Notification of this new rule would be brought to the teams attention before implementation. Purpose is to keep everyone safe and injury free.

Batting Line-up:
All players that show up for a game can for their bat in the line-up. This is different from the USSSA rule that says only 11 batters per team can bat in a game.

Illegal Equipment:
Balls are Men’s .44 / 400, women’s is a .47 / 500. In the past folks have complained that other teams intentionally doctored equipment to gain an advantage. This is meant to be a fun league where everyone stays safe and enjoys themselves. As a result, the following new rule will be imposed for the use of illegal equipment:

If ANY team is suspected (umps decision) or caught doctoring a ball or using an illegal ball to gain an advantage, for all remaining games of the season for the offending team, the umpire shall supply the balls for the game. The cost of the replacement balls must be paid for by the team before the team will be allowed to register for the next season.

There are additional penalties for using an illegal ball:
1.  First offense -- warning  
2.  Second offense -- immediate forfeiture of game
3.  Third offense -- review by the league committee to determine if team should be removed from the league.

Roster / Number of Players:
If a minimum of 7 players from a teams roster are not present, the game shall be considered a forfeit. IF BOTH TEAMS are in agreement, a team may pick up extra players in order to field a team in order to prevent a forfeit. A team may loan another team players, or provide a catcher for the sake of having a game instead of a forfeit. IN NO CASE shall a game be played with a USSSA umpire that does not count. If the game is being played for fun, and the forfeit taken by one of the teams, the umpire shall leave the field area. A rostered player may join a game in progress at any time.

Mandatory Slide Rule:
If there is a close play going to be made by a fielder on a runner as they are coming into a base or home plate, the runner is required to slide into the base or home plate or stop before the base/plate. This is also in effect for trying to break up a double play. Runners who deliberately try to deflect the ball being thrown to first or slide into the defensive player at second base will be called out, and the runner at first base may also be called out by the umpire if the umpire feels there was a reasonable chance that the double play would have been successful.
Players that purposefully try to injure another player or intentionally attempt to knock the fielder over during a play at a base or home plate will be called out and will be ejected from the game. Enforcement of this rule is up to the umpire’s discretion. Additional administrative actions may result from the league, including suspension from league play.

Umpire / Player relations:
Both players and umpires are required to treat each other with respect and courtesy. Only the managers from each team are allowed to protest calls made by the umpire. Formal protests are filled with the League President. The President and other league officials will confer and decide whether to accept the protest or deny the protest. By accepting a protest, the league is acknowledging that a significant reversible mistake or incorrect rules interpretation was made by an umpire. If a protest is denied, it is due to the fact that the league board found that there was no significant mistake or rules misinterpretation. Umpire calls made in the field by an umpire are typically not reversible by the board.
Verbal threats of violence made against umpires are taken seriously and are prohibited. Threatening an umpire with violence will cause the player to be ejected from the game. The player may also be suspended from league play for the remainder of the season or for a period of time determined by the league up to an including one year from the date of the incident.

Assaulting or battering an umpire will result in a player suspension from league play for 3 years and the offending player’s team will forfeit the remainder of the season. Legal action may be taken against the player.

Suspension from league play also means the player is not allowed at the softball fields while the suspension is in effect, regardless of whether the players team is playing or not.

Player / Player relations:
All players are to treat each other with respect and courtesy. Fighting between players will not be tolerated. 1st offense: Ejection from the game and 1 month suspension from league play. 2nd offense: Ejection and suspension for the remainder of the season.

Run/rule limits:
The only run rule limits in effect for league play will be 15 runs after 4 innings, and 10 runs after 5 innings.

Jewelry:
According to USSSA, jewelry is the number one cause of lawsuits against USSSA. Our league policy will be no bracelets, watches or piercings of any kind. Neck chains and medallions must be tucked into the shirt or taped down to the chest. Small rings such as wedding bands are allowable.

Courtesy Runners:
Courtesy runners shall be allowed for a batter that reaches base safely. To have some type of fairness for the fielding team, the courtesy runner must be the player from the batting team who made the last out. A runner tagged out at a base or home plate does constitute the last out, even though the runner was not the batter. If more than one runner is needed, the out prior to the last out should be used. If a runner is needed early in the game and no outs have yet been recorded, the last batter in the lineup or the last batter available shall be used.

Equipment Issues:
Bats will not exceed 1.20 bpf.
Legal bats may be found at USSSA web site: http://www.usssa.com/usssa/usssa-general/LegalBats.asp. If the bat is not listed on the USSSA web site, it will be considered to be an illegal bat. Use of an illegal bat may involve suspension of up to one year from USSSA play. If you are not sure if your bat is legal, it is your responsibility to determine its status prior to using the bat.

Ball for the men’s league will be .44 / 400 compression or less.
Ball for the women’s league will be .47 core/ 500 compression or less.


Rained Out Games/Games Called for Darkness:
Games that are cancelled will be made up on Fridays when possible. Games that are called in progress because of rain or darkness shall be considered completed after 4 complete innings have been played, and will not be rescheduled. Games that are forfeited will not be rescheduled.