This is a Christian softball league and each team and player is a witness of Christ to non-believers and new believers. Coaches should take this calling seriously and remind each player on his team that they are a representative of themselves, their families, their church, and Christians everywhere. If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to contact NECAL League Director
***Unless specifically noted, these rules are in effect for the regular season as well the post-season tournament***
1) Players are encouraged to attend a church service once a week at the church for which he is playing. Each team must turn in a roster prior to the third week. PLEASE NOTE: If completed rosters have not been received by the league commissioner by the third week of the season, your team will forfeit each scheduled game until the rosters are received. THERE WILL NO EXCEPTIONS MADE FOR THE POST SEASON TOURNAMENT.
2) This is a church recreational softball league intended for fun and fellowship among Christian men. Our attitudes should reflect this and there should be no player ejections. However, should an ejection occur, NECAL's ejection rules, which have been in place for years, are simple and strict. Any player ejected by the umpire or league director from a game - for any reason - may not participate in their team's next scheduled game, nor may he coach a base. ***This means, if the ejection occurs during the 1st game of the night, the ejected player(s) will sit out that game as well as their team's 2nd game. Simply put, the ejected player is done for the night. If the ejection occurs during the team's 2nd game, the player will sit out that game as well as the team's 1st game the following week. If it is the tournament, the ejected player will miss their team's next tournament game. THERE WILL BE NO EXCEPTIONS!! *** The player may stay in the dugout with his team as long as he does not disrupt the flow of the game IN ANY MANNER, including antagonizing the umpire or the other team. If the ejected player does disrupt the flow of the game, he must leave the field completely. If he continues to disrupt the flow of the game from off the field, he will be asked to leave the ballpark within the next 5 minutes. If he refuses, his team will forfeit that game. This will be at umpire's discretion. The coach/manager of each team is required to contact the league director and report the ejection within seven (7) days of the game. If a player is ejected twice during the season, he will be suspended for the remainder of that season, including the playoffs. NOTE: If a coach/manager fails to report an ejected player, he may also face suspension.
***Your 3rd "career ejection", will result in a ONE YEAR SUSPENSION from NECAL***
3) Abusive or threatening language, rough play, or unsportsmanlike conduct (including throwing bats or not sliding/getting out of the way) on the field - or directed toward an umpire - will not be tolerated. This will be your one and only warning. This is umpire discretion and is cause for AUTOMATIC EJECTION!!! Also, there will be absolutely NO PROFANITY. Offenders will be ejected. NOTE: An ejected player will be declared "out" each time that position comes up in the batting order. Teams may use a substitute for an ejected player, and then no "out" will be recorded. On the second ejection the game is an automatic forfeit.
4) This is a USSSA league and USSSA bat rules will be in effect. Anyone caught using a banned or altered bat will face disciplinary action, up to and including a one-year suspension from USSSA play. If you are not sure if your bat is legal, please check here www.usssa.com/usssa/usssa-general/LegalBats.asp (USSSA Approved Bats) or contact Ed Johnson (USSSA AZ State Director). His email is: usssaaz@cox.net.
5) National USSSA rules will be enforced when there is no outlined league rule. This is a Men's League and a co-ed leauge To be eligible for participation, players must be at least 14 years of age when the season begins.
6) The coach of the HOME TEAM is to report the score for the previous weekend game(s) as soon as possible, but no later than midnight on the WEDNESDAY following the game(s). Scores should be submitted on the NECAL website (www.necalsports.com) under the tab “Game Score Submission Form”. Failure to report scores accurately - and on time - will result in a forfeit against the home team. Please refer to the “Scoreline Info” page on the NECAL website for more details.
7) A player may only play for one team during the season and in the post-season tournament. Once he has played for that team, he may not play for another team, even from the same church, in any division.
8) No metal, steel, or steel tip spikes of any kind may be worn.
9) There is no "run rule" in league play. However, if a team is losing by so many runs that their coach (and players) determine that it is nearly impossible to come back and win, the LOSING coach may request that the game be called early. If the winning coach agrees then the umpire can call the game early. The score at the time the game is called will be the "official" score. Otherwise, all games will be played to the time limit. No new inning will begin after fifty (52) minutes, but an inning started before time expires will be completed. *** PLEASE NOTE...Extra innings will only be played if TIME HAS NOT EXPIRED AND 7 FULL INNINGS HAVE BEEN COMPLETED. Otherwise, the game will end in a tie ***. Post season and tournament games will include extra innings, i.e., no games will end in a tie.
10) Game time is forfeit time, there is no grace period. If you notify the league commissioner PRIOR to game day that you will be forfeiting your game(s), it MAY result in a $15.00 fee being assessed (per game). Forfeit ON game day WILL be a $20 fee (per game). Therefore if you forfeit both games, you could be liable for up to a $40.00 fine. If you know you will have to forfeit a game, please try and give the league director prior notice ASAP. Also, please note: the team that won the forfeited games will NOT be refunded any monies.
11) Teams may have up to sixteen (16) offensive players (batters) while continuing to field 10 defensive players. The 16 batters may rotate among the defensive fielding positions, while maintaining the original batting order. NOTE: If you start with sixteen, you must finish with sixteen unless there is an injury or player emergency and he has to leave. If a team is batting 16 and a player is ejected; if there is no “rostered” substitute in the dugout, the game will be forfeited. Teams must have at least eight (8) players to start a game and may add rostered players to the bottom of their batting lineup (up to the maximum of 16 players) as they arrive. If, at the beginning of the game, you have only 8 players, and the rest of your team arrives AFTER you've batted through your lineup one time, the late-arriving players can play. Starters may re-enter the game once. They must re-enter in the same batting order, but may play a different defensive position. A substitute may not re-enter, after playing he is done.  For Tournament team batters are limited to 13 batters per team.
12) All batters start their "at bat" with a count of one ball and one strike. After the second strike (either a foul ball or called strike), the batter has “one to waste”. Once the "waste pitch" is fouled off, the next batted ball must be put into fair territory or the batter is declared OUT.
13) The official NECAL game ball is supplied by Anthem Parks and Rec.
14) The pitching rule is no lower then 6 feet, and no higher than 12 feet at its highest point. An illegal pitch will not be called until it hits the ground or is caught by the catcher. The umpire must give the batter an opportunity to hit the pitch if he desires. It does not matter where the pitch crosses the batter. If the pitched ball lands on home plate, or on the mat behind home plate, it is a "strike" NOTE: USSSA rules state the pitcher does not have to be in contact with the pitching rubber, but may be up to six feet behind it. However, he may not be in front of the rubber on his release.
15) One courtesy runner allowed per inning. Courtesy runners may run for the same runner more than one time in an inning. The runner must be either the last out made (previous inning if none out) or a rostered player not in the starting lineup. NOTE: If a batting position comes up and that batter is the courtesy runner on base, he is declared an "out" for that at bat only. There is no skipping his at bat.
16) Homerun limit at fields with a fence is 5 per game. After that it is an out. At fields without a fence, there is no limit. However, "automatic" homeruns may be called on hits where the ball goes past the outfield trees and/or sidewalks or into the street behind the field. This is umpire discretion.
17) The home team is responsible for keeping the official score. If the home team does not have a score keeper, then the visitors will keep the official score. If the visitors do not have a scorekeeper, the score is kept by the umpire to his best ability. It is not the umpire’s responsibility to keep score. It is each team’s responsibility to check the score at each half inning of play.
18) Teams must chase their own home run balls and foul balls.
19) If a protest is to be filed, it must be done according to the USSSA rulebook. Protests will be accepted upon the basis of rules interpretation only. NO protests will be allowed on umpire judgment situations (i.e. strike, ball, out, safe, ejections, etc.). The manager of the protesting team must notify the umpire immediately before the next legal pitch, intentional walk, illegal pitcher action, or in the case of the 3rd out, before all fielders have left fair territory. He must state his reason for the protest and obtain the umpire’s name. He must then contact the league director and submit the $25.00 protest fee within seven (7) days of the game. After the league director makes his decision, if the protest is upheld, the fee will be refunded. If it is denied, the fee will be forfeit and then deposited into the league account. NOTE: The umpire has complete control of the game and makes the final decision on the field. The league director has no authority until and unless a protest is properly filed.

20) Tie-Breaker Rules for final season standings are as follows:
A) Head-to-Head Record Then,
B) Totals Runs Allowed THEN, 
C) Total Runs Scored THEN, 
D) Coin Flip

21) All players are playing at there own risk this is a sport and players do get hurt. Each player must play at there own skill level.It is up to each coach to make sure there players are aware of this. Anthem Parks and Rec does not supply insurance.

22) pitchers mound is closed, any ball hit 2 feet left, 2 feet right or 3 feet above a pitcher is an out EXCEPT.

   ( A )   A GROUND BALL TO THE PITCHER THAT IN THE UMPIRES JUDGEMENT IS CATCHABLE WILL NOT BE DEEMED AN OUT.

  (B)     A GROUND BALL TO THE PITCHER THAT IN THE UMPIRES JUDGEMENT IS NOT CATCHABLE WILL FALL UNDER THE CLOSED RULE 22.