League playing rules

NOTE:  The fall league may add or change rules; if that occurs,  changes or additions will NOT appear in this document.  Any changes to Fall Ball are voted on at the initial draft and then just communicated to the players and umpire association.   The fall league is competitive but also used to experiment with rule changes for the Summer league

 

FRIDAY SENIOR SOFTBALL RULES


 


 

CODE OF CONDUCT

The objective of our league is to promote and ensure an enjoyable, competitive and safe environment for all players. These rules, along with the General and Playing Rules, must be adhered to and any violation will be considered detrimental to the league and subject to discipline:

  1. League participants may not harass, belittle, humiliate, threaten or cause embarrassment to another coach, manager, player or umpire associated with our league.

  2. All participants will accept the decisions of the umpires and the league managers. During a game, judgment calls cannot be appealed – if a manager believes a rule is interpreted incorrectly, that ruling can be appealed (See Playing Rule 19 ).

  3. League participants may not taunt or degrade the opposition.

  4. All participants must try to avoid bodily contact during the game that could be injurious to others.

  5. League participants may not direct abusive or profane language to umpires or league officials.

  6. League participants may not commit any act that is construed to be unsportsmanlike conduct.

  7. All league participants (coaches, managers, players, umpires and league officials) are expected to conduct themselves in a respectful and civilized manner at all times.

Any violations of these rules will lead to penalties as outlined in the League Playing Rules, which could include ejection, suspension or expulsion from the league.

GENERAL RULES

  1. Age requirement - all players must be 66 in the current calendar year. The only exception under the age of 66 are managers (or former managers) approved by the Commissioner. Managers and league officials will play for free. All other players will pay the predetermined registration fee.

  2. Banned Substances – during the games or between games, no alcohol, tobacco or illegal drugs (including marijuana) can be used on the playing fields, in the dugouts or in the stands, including down the foul lines, or in the walkway at Holiday Field, by players or spectators.

  3. Schedule – the plan is to play a ten-week summer schedule (7 week schedule in the Fall League) starting April 25 and then start playoffs. It is planned that the regular summer season should end by July 18 and the playoffs begin by July 25. The playoffs will be double elimination. The Commissioner can adjust those dates in the event of numerous rainouts. Playoff rules will be discussed by the managers near the end of the season.

  4. Draft - rosters will be determined by a draft each season. The format of the draft will be determined by the Commissioner with input from the managers.

  5. Players - the goal is to have 15 players per team – 90 players for 6 teams; 75 players for 5 teams, 60 players for 4 teams. The first 90 players registered and paid will be in the 6-team draft (75 or 60 players registered and paid in a 5-team or 4-team draft, respectively). After that players will go on the waiting list. If we get to 120 players registered and paid, we will have 6 teams and all 120 will be in the 8-team draft and the waiting list will start after that. During the game, a team with 11 defensive players in the field will have 4 outfielders and 5 infielders plus a pitcher and catcher. If a team is short and has less than 11 defensive players, he can choose which position is missing and tell the other manager: ie, infielder or outfielder.

  6. Replacement Players – players that drop out before the draft will be replaced by players on the waiting list in the order in which they signed up and paid. After the draft, if a player gets injured and expects to be out for an indefinite period of time, he can tell his manager he needs to drop out of the league and a comparable replacement player (assuming one is available) will be put on the injured player’s roster for the remainder of the season. The injured player will be put on the waiting list, and if he recovers from his injury before the season ends, he will be eligible to come back into the league if a replacement player of his caliber is needed. He could end up on a different team, as his replacement player became a permanent member of the team he was put on. This rule should not be used as an excuse for a player to switch teams.

Replacements will come off the waiting list and the Commissioner will do his best to replace a player with a player from the waiting list with comparable ability. Cut off for replacements will be one week before the regular season ends. Once the second to last regular season game for each team starts, there will be no more replacements allowed – and that means no replacements for the playoffs either.

  1. Refunds - once the draft is completed, refunds will be given to a player who drops out by his replacement player based on the number of games the replacement player is expected to play in the regular season. If a replacement player is not available, a refund will not be given. The manager is responsible for making sure the replaced player is compensated by his replacement.

  2. Game Length - two 7-inning games will be played on Friday mornings beginning at 10 am (9:30 beginning June 20). Games may be shortened due to heat. If both managers agree to shorten the game due to heat before the game starts, they must inform the umpire. If they decide to shorten the game after it starts, both managers must agree and they must notify the umpire. A game must go 5 innings (4 ½ if home team is ahead) to be official. If a game is rained out before it becomes an official game, it will be rescheduled and picked up from where the rained-out game was stopped. If the game is tied after 7 innings, we will play one extra inning (during the playoffs, the games will continue until there is a winner). The last batter from the previous inning will start at second base. He cannot be replaced with a courtesy runner until he reaches third base.

  3. Rainouts – on a questionable rainy day, the Commissioner will send an email to the managers and players before 8 am (7:30 if the games are to start at 9:30) to let them know if the games are cancelled. Rainouts will also be posted on the web site. If the game is not called by 8 am (or 7:30 am if applicable), all players are obligated to go to the fields and the two managers have the authority to delay the start or cancel the game if they feel the field is too muddy, unsafe or if the rain is coming down too hard. If there is thunder and/or lightning, everything is on hold for 30 minutes. Once the game begins, the umpire has full authority to continue play or stop the game.

  4. Umpire Fees – the league will give each manager $432 (assuming we have 5 teams in the summer - $378 in the fall if we have 4 teams) to pay the umpires. Each manager will give the umpire at each doubleheader $54 in cash ($27/game). That will cover 8 doubleheaders for the regular season (7 doubleheaders in the fall). Any unused umpire fees should be returned to the league treasurer after the season ends. Playoff umpire fees will be distributed when the regular season ends.

  5. Standings and Tie Breakers - the standings will be determined by points (2 for a win, 1 for a tie, 0 for a loss). The tie breakers will be: Head-To-Head results; Run differential between the tied teams; Run differential for all games played; and, finally, a Coin Flip. The tie breakers are for playoff seedings. The number of points determines standings, and teams with the same number of points are deemed tied; however, if two teams are tied for first at the end of the regular season with the same number of points, the tie breaker will determine Regular Season Champion.

  6. Waiver And Liability Release – managers will be given a waiver and liability release. On page 2 of the release each player is to print and sign his name. Managers should make copies of page 1 for each player on the team and give a copy to each player. The manager should retain the waiver with all the players’ signatures in the event of a potential liability event. Players who don’t sign the release will not be allowed to play.


 


 


 


 


 

PLAYING RULES

  1. Pitching - all teams must use the pitching screen during the game and for batting practice. During the game we will use the wooden board for home plate and a pitch will be declared legal if it is in a 6-12 foot arc and it will be a strike if it hits the home plate board (see separate pitching rules).

  2. Bats – players 75 years or older or who will reach the age of 75 in the current calendar year will be allowed to use senior bats and will have a “75” on their shirts. All other players must use ASA or USA stickered bats.

  3. Balls – we will use a 52-300 ball with a Poly Core Composite cover. New balls will be supplied by the league. The first game home team will give the umpire one new ball plus one back up ball and the other team will do the same for the second game. The manager should get his balls back after the game and use the game ball as the back-up ball for the next week’s games. Writing the date on the game ball will be helpful finding it for the next game.

  4. Bases - the bases will be 70 feet. We will use two home plates – the wooden board for the pitcher to pitch to and a second rubber home plate for the runner to run to. A commitment line will be placed half way between third and home. Once a runner touches or passes the commitment line, he cannot go back to third. At that point the defender can throw home to force the runner out. He is forced at the plate and the play must be made at the wooden plate to get him out while the runner runs to the rubber home plate. A defender can tag the runner out until both feet touch or cross the commitment line. Once both feet have touched/crossed the commitment line, any tag results in the runner being called safe. For purposes of the play at the plate, the whole wooden board is in play and counts if the defensive player is touching it. If the runner goes back and re-crosses the commitment line he will be declared out. We will also use 2 first bases to avoid collisions. If the batter hits a ground ball to the infield and a play is made at first base, the batter must run to the outside base. If he runs to and steps on the inside base he will be declared out. The only exception is if the throw to the first baseman pulls him off the base, the batter can run to either base to try to avoid a collision, and, depending on which base the runner runs to to avoid a collision, the first baseman can touch the other base (or tag the batter) to get the batter out. The purpose of the exception is to avoid collisions at first base.

  5. Lineups - all healthy players must be included in the batting lineup and all healthy players at the field are expected to play in both games; all players must play a minimum of 6 innings in the field (assuming 14 full innings are played and the players are there for both games). If a player tells a manager he must leave early, the manager should inform the opposing manager before the first game starts who the player is and when he has to leave. Then when the player leaves, he will not be an automatic out when his turn comes to bat. If a player decides to leave (or is ejected) during the course of the doubleheader without previously notifying his manager before the first game (unless he has a valid excuse, like an emergency at home or he gets injured), when his turn at bat comes up, he will be declared an out in the inning, and if he leaves or is ejected in the first game, he will be assumed to be in the lineup for the second game, and will be declared out every time his spot is due up. If a player gets hurt, sick or done in by the heat during the game, he can be taken out of the game without penalty. The manager should notify the opposing manager and the umpire if this occurs. We want to have fun and play by the rules, but we also need to apply common sense. If a player can stay for just one game, he should play at least 3 innings in the field. If one team has more players than the other team, the team with more players can have one or more “two headed coin” batters in order to have the same number of batting slots as the team with fewer players. For example, if one team has 15 players and the other team has 12, the team with 15 players can choose to bat 6 players in 3 slots (2 in each slot as “two headed coins”) so that each team has 12 batting slots. Teams must have at least 11 batting slots (unless the team has less than 11 players at the game) and the team with fewer players cannot use the “two headed coin” in its lineup. When using the “two headed coin”, the manager can decide which player bats first. Then the other player must bat second, and the manager can decide which player bats third, and the other player must bat 4th should that slot come around again. If a team is playing with less than 11 players, the missing slots will be recorded as outs each time around the batting order.


 

  1. Five Run Rule – the maximum number of runs scored by either team in the first inning is 5 runs. After that the rule becomes catch up plus 5, until the seventh inning, which becomes an open inning. Extra innings are also open innings.


 


 

  1. Grass Rule – if a batted ball touches the outfield grass (even if previously touched by an infielder), the batter-runner cannot be thrown out at first, but he can be thrown out if he rounds the base or attempts to go to second. Outfielders cannot start on the infield dirt and cannot throw a runner out at first. Infielders must start on the infield dirt to be eligible to throw a runner out at first. If the infielder starts on the grass, he cannot throw a runner out at first.

  2. Pitch Count – all games will start with a full count (4 balls and 3 strikes). There are no courtesy fouls after two strikes except if the batter hits the screen with a batted ball (see pitching rules). After 2 strikes, if the batter hits a foul ball and the ball is caught on the fly, the ball is live, and runners can tag and advance. If it is not caught, it’s a dead ball and the batter is out. If it is very hot, and both managers agree, the game can start with a 1-1 count. Both managers must notify the umpire if they decide to start with a 1-1 count.

  3. Runners – a runner can leave his base once the pitch passes the plate or is hit.

  4. Courtesy Runners – any player may be inserted at any base as a courtesy runner. But the courtesy runner can only run once an inning as a courtesy runner, unless the player he ran for gets up a second time in the inning – then he can run for that same batter again. Once a pitch is thrown, the courtesy runner cannot be replaced as a runner unless he is injured. If the courtesy runner is on base when his turn comes to bat, he stays on the base, his turn to bat is forfeited, he is declared an out as a batter, and the next batter comes to bat. If it happens to be the last out of the inning, he does not lead off in the next inning; the next batter in the lineup leads off.

  5. Sliding – sliding is allowed. A runner who does not slide should veer out of the way of the fielder in order to avoid a collision or to prevent the fielder from throwing the ball. If a collision occurs or the fielder is prevented from throwing the ball, the umpire will use his judgment as to whether the runner is out for not sliding and may even call a double play if the umpire feels the runner interfered with the fielder and impeded his ability to throw another runner out (see Interference below).

  6. Interference – when a fielder is attempting to field a batted fair ball, or throw the ball, and is interfered by a runner, the ball is dead, the runner who interfered is out and the batter is awarded first base. All other runners must return to the last base touched at the time of interference. If, in the umpire’s judgment, the interference is an attempt to prevent a double play or prevents the fielder from throwing the ball and occurs BEFORE the runner is out, the immediate trailing runner is also out. If the interference prevents the fielder from catching a routine fly ball, fair or foul, the batter is out and runners on base cannot tag and advance. If AFTER a runner has been declared out or scores, and a runner interferes with a fielder’s opportunity to make a play on another runner, the ball is dead, the runner closest to home is out and all runners must return to the last base touched at the time of interference. In all cases the runner can be ejected if, in the umpire’s judgment, the interference was deliberate.

  7. 2-Base Rule – will be in effect. If the batter tries to make a triple, he can turn around and hustle back to second, but it would be a force play at second because he is off the base and he must return safely to second to be safe. If he just slides past the base or runs past or rounds the base, he must be tagged to be out. If a runner starting from first attempts to score, he will be declared out if he crosses the commitment line since he is not allowed to recross it. He can turn around and try to return to third base if he didn’t cross the commitment line. If a ball is thrown out of bounds, the umpire will award the runners an extra base (2nd base if a single; third base if a double and home if running from first). The runner must be past half way to his next base when the ball goes out of bounds to be awarded the base after the base he was running from (in other words, if he just rounds first, he doesn’t get third; he is only awarded second base. But if he is stretching to get to second and is more than half way there, he gets third).

  8. Flip-Flop Rule – if the visiting team is winning by 10 or more runs after 6 innings, the home team can invoke the flip-flop rule which means the home team will bat in the top of the 7th and if they tie or go ahead, the visiting team will bat in the bottom of the 7th. If the game is tied after 7 innings, the visiting team bats in the top of the 8th and the home team bats in the bottom of the 8th. We do not have a mercy rule, but on a hot day where the losing team is way behind, the losing manager can concede the game, and if it’s the first game of the double header, the teams can take a break and then start the second game.

  9. Bases Loaded Walk – if a batter walks with the bases loaded, and the runner on third is the last run allowed in the inning (the 5th run in the 1st inning, the 5th run when the team at bat started the inning tied or ahead, or if the team at bat started the inning behind and the runner on 3rd puts them ahead by 5), none of the runners are required to go to the next base. The batter and the runners do not have to touch the next base; rather the batter and runners can run off the field to get their gloves to get back on the field to play defense. In all other cases, the batter (or a courtesy runner) must go to first and the other three runners must proceed to the next base.

  10. Scoring Disputes – each manager will be given a score book at the beginning of the season. The book of the team at bat is official for that half inning if no disputes. Managers should check the score with each other after every half inning. If there is a dispute, they should review the book of the team that just batted to confirm the number of runs scored. Once the next half inning starts, the score will not change, even if a mistake is discovered later, so make sure the player keeping the book knows what he is doing.

  11. Forfeits – we want to avoid forfeits. If you find your team will be short for the Friday game or you don’t have a pitcher, let the Commissioner know by Wednesday. A team can play with 9 or 10 players. In the event of an injury, a team can finish the game with 8 players. If a team only has 10 (or 9) players on hand, its lineup would include 11 batting slots and the missing players would be an automatic out each time the lineup comes around to the empty slot. The opposing team would still have to bat a minimum of 11 slots, and if asked, will supply a catcher for the team that is short, but the catcher is not in play. He is just there to throw the ball back to the pitcher. One of the infielders or the pitcher will need to cover the plate if there is a play at home. It the team in the field expects to have a play at the plate, they can place one of their fielders at home as the catcher and send the other team’s catcher back to the bench. Remember there are 20-30 players showing up at each game expecting to play; we don’t want to disappoint them by having a forfeit.

  12. Unsportsmanlike conduct – if a player is ejected from a game, he is also suspended for his next game (whether it is the second game of the morning or the first game of the next week). The ejected player must also leave the field of play - he can watch the game from the parking lot. The manager of the ejected player and the umpire must notify the Commissioner within 24 hours of the ejection and discuss the reason for the ejection. The Commissioner will then notify the other managers and discuss whether the reason for the ejection deserves a longer suspension. The Commissioner will then make a ruling.

  13. Appeals – a judgment call by the umpire cannot be appealed. If a manager thinks the umpire has misinterpreted a rule, he can protest the game before the next batter bats and appeal the ruling to the Commissioner. If it is determined that the appeal is upheld, and the Commissioner deems that the misinterpretation of the rule impacted the result of the game, the game will be replayed from the point of the misinterpretation. Therefore, the manager should keep a copy of the rules with his equipment at the game so that he can refer the umpire to the rule that he believes was misinterpreted so that the error can be corrected at the game.

  14. ASA or USA Rules – any rules not specifically discussed here will fall back to the basic ASA or USA rules