Willie Beamons Mens Softball Rules
WILLIE BEAMONS 2010 SOFTBALL RULES AND REGULATIONS


The following rules and regulations have been established to allow participants to compete in a
safe and fair environment. Participants are to be familiar with these directives. Team managers
have the responsibility of informing team members of these rules and regulations and assuring
the Willie Beamons that these rules will be followed.

1. LEAGUE MANAGEMENT – Willie Beamons Softball Leagues are managed by:
Scott Sockett: 920-419-8050, scottsockett@gmail.com

2. ON THE FIELD - Two umpires and a scorekeeper are scheduled to work each game.

3. PLAYING FIELD - 60’ base, 46’ pitcher to home plate, and 275’ fence distance. A safety
bag is used at first base. A mat (17” W x 35” L) is part of the strike zone. Total strike zone
including mat and home plate is 17” x 43.5”. Coed league has a 120’ line from the
pitcher’s mound for out-fielding. The fields are maintained by the Willie Beamons staff. Games may be postponed if it is determined that the playing field is not in playable condition due to weather.

3. WARM UP AREAS – Warm up areas are designated on the 1st base and 3rd base side of the diamond. Please use these areas only.

4. DOGS AT THE DIAMOND – Please keep dogs off the grass.

EQUIPMENT

1. BALL - All official slow pitch game balls will be supplied by the Department: white 12”
ASA approved 375 lbs. compression, .44 cor ball.

2. BATS – Only bats that have the blue “WILLIE BEAMONS APPROVED” sticker on them will be allowed into play. Wooden bats do not require a sticker. Refer to the Willie Beamons Approved bat list for up to date information. Bats may be tagged at the Scorekeepers table.
The penalty for using a banned bat is as follows:
Any team having hit with an illegal bat will forfeit the game immediately
and the player that used the bat will be suspended from all City of Appleton Parks and
Recreation leagues for one (1) calendar year and the manager will be suspended for
three (3) games.

3. METAL SPIKES - Metal spiked shoes are prohibited.

TEAMS

1. ROSTER LIMIT - Will be unlimited number of players in all leagues.
2. PLAYER ELIGIBILITY – Players must be a minimum of 18 years of age at the time of
their first game. There are no residency restrictions for players participating in Willie Beamons
leagues.
3. LEAGUE ELIGIBILITY – No player may sub on another team in the same league unless the opposing team agrees to let said player play against them. During league tournament play a player can only play for one team, NO EXCEPTIONS! During you must play at least 5 players that have played 5 or more games during your teams regular season play.
5. FALSIFICATION OF INFORMATION - If a player is caught falsifying information on a
roster or plays a game under a false name both the player and the manager will be
suspended from all Parks and Recreation Department activities for one year.
6. LINE UPS – The team line-up consisting of actual team member names (no nick names,
first initial and last name is OK), must be provided to the Scorekeeper at the beginning of
the game.
PLAYER CONDUCT
1. Managers will be held responsible for the actions of their players. In case of a
dispute, the team Captain shall be the only person to talk to the official.
Any un-sportsman like behavior that includes use of profanity, derogatory remarks,
argumentative acts, and/or aggressive behavior will not be tolerated. Penalty:
Ejection from the game and the ball park, and suspended from the next scheduled
game including all leagues the player plays in at Willie beamons. Example: If a player is
suspended from a Tuesday night league, they cannot play with any other Willie Beamons
league for seven days (the following Wednesday). If the Tuesday night team has a
bye the next week, the player is suspended for through the next scheduled game on
Tuesday night but can return to the other leagues seven days from the suspension.
FIGHTING IS NOT TOLERATED.
4. The Umpire is the official representative of Willie Beamons Softball and is
not expected to tolerate abuse. Willie Beamons will support the Umpire in their
judgment.
5. SMOKING AND DRINKING OF INTOXICANTS is not allowed by team members during
the game, on the field. Players arriving at the game
GAMES
2. WEATHER CANCELLATIONS – Games cancelled due to weather will be announced on
a recorded message after 4:00 p.m. at 920-419-8050 or on www.williebeamons.com.

5. REGULATION GAME – A normal regulation game will be seven innings. A game called
for rainout will be considered regulation if five innings have been completed.

6. TIME LIMIT - A time limit of one hour determined by the umpires watch for all slow pitch
games will be in effect. No new inning will start after the time limit.. In the event that a tie score exists at the end of the time limit, one extra inning will be played. If the game remains tied, it will be recorded in the standings as a tie.
7. RUN AHEAD RULE: A 15 run mercy rule will be in affect after 4 innings.

RULES
1. Willie Beamons Mens Softball Leagues will follow the National Federation of
State High School Associations Softball rules for the current season, except for the local
rule adaptations.
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LOCAL RULE ADAPTATIONS – SLOW PITCH
1. RULES - The Official Softball Rules as adopted by the National Federation of State High
School Associations, with the exception of the local rule adaptations, will govern all play.
2. BALLS AND STRIKES - All slow pitch leagues will play 3 balls for a walk and 2 strikes for
an out. The second strike will be an out regardless of whether it is a called strike,
swinging strike, or a foul ball.
3. STRIKES - Any pitched ball striking the plate (including the black edge) or any portion of
the mat will be a strike. The batter’s box length will be measured from the back edge of
the balls and strike mat extending in front of the plate, four feet from the center of home
plate (approximately a bat length from the front edge of the plate). The width is three feet.
4. PITCHING - There will be no maximum arc restriction in the slow pitch pitching rule. The
minimum arc is 6 feet from the ground. The pitcher may at any time before, during, or
immediately after the pitch have both feet leave the ground.
5. BATTING ALL PLAYERS - All leagues will have the option of batting all players in
attendance at the game or substituting into the starting line-up. Re-entry is unlimited
and batters must reenter into the same spot in the line-up. Players who plan to leave the
game early must declare so at the beginning of the game to score keeper. In the spirit of
the game, players who are taken out of the batting line up for the purpose of better
competition, will be charged with an out for their to turn at bats.
6. NON-BATTING PLAYER – Players age 60+ may play the field and not bat provided their
team has at least 10 players in the batting line up.
7. BASE RUNNERS –Under no circumstances is a runner permitted to steal a base. He
may leave his base only when a pitched ball has been hit, or results in a walk (cannot
leave on a missed swing). The runner shall be called out if he/she leaves the base before
the ball is hit or a walk has been declared (no courtesy step). The ball is dead if the ball
is in the catcher’s glove or is stopped.
8. BATTER’S BOX – If the batter’s foot is out of the line of the batter’s box, it is an out. The
batter’s foot may be on the line. The back of the box line is even with back of the mat. It
is an out (Umpire’s decision) if the batter steps in front of or on the plate; however, their
foot may be in the air above the plate. The batter must be inside the box at the time of
the bat-ball contact.
9. RIGHT TO BASE – The runner has the right to the base.
a. Fielders must give the runners the base path and base when they do not have the
ball. A fielder must have possession of the ball before they can legally block the base
or home plate.
b. Runners must slide into home.when there is a play at the plate
c. Runners must avoid contact with fielders. Runners must slide our get out of the way on double play opportunities. Malicious contact by either runner or fielder is a judgment call made by the umpire. PENALTY: Player is out and ejected from the game.
10. FORCE OUT AT FIRST BASE: The batter-runner must touch the safety bag when
approaching first base (batter-runner is considered off base and out if they do not touch
the safety bag) and the defensive player must touch the white bag in a force out
situation. However, if the fielder is fielding a legal fair ball in foul territory the fielder may
touch the safety bag for the out. This includes jumping into the air to catch a ball and
landing on the safety bag from an errant or missed throw pulling the player into foul
territory.
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11. COURTESY RUNNERS are allowed with the following stipulations:
Those needing a runner must declare to the scorekeeper prior to start of game.
Should a batter hit for a double or more, no courtesy runner will be allowed (Umpire’s
discretion).
Should a player get injured in a game, the umpire will determine if a courtesy runner will
be allowed.
Person making the last out is the courtesy runner unless it is the first inning with no outs,
then the last player in the batting order becomes the courtesy runner.
12. GROUND RULE DOUBLE – Any time a batted ball touches the field (grass, gravel or
dirt) in fair territory, and then goes over/under the outfield fence it becomes a ground-rule
double. Balls hit out of play are to be retrieved by the team at bat. Home runs – You hit it,
you get it.
13. INTENTIONAL DROP - An intentional drop by a fielder is an automatic out (judgment
call).
14. FAKE TAG – A fake tag is an obstruction of the game and the obstructed runner and
each other runner affected by the obstruction will be awarded their base(s) had there not
been an obstruction.
15. FOUL TIP – A foul tip is a batted ball that goes directly from the bat to the catcher and is
legally caught by the catcher. It an out and the ball becomes dead. The ball does not have to be above the batters head to be a foul tip.
16. IMPROPER BATTER - An improper batter, discovered by either the offense or the
defense, can step away from the box and the proper batter replace him, assuming
whatever count the Umpire has.
17. APPEAL – It is the team’s responsibility to appeal a play. The Captain must verbally alert
the Umpire that made the call. Example: The base runner fails to touch a base
(advancing or returning), or fails to tag up after a fly ball.
18. RUNNER IS OUT if he gives up (reaches the fence or is behind the fence) and the fielder
drops the fly ball.
19. IN FIELD FLY – If a runner is on 1st and 2nd and/or 3rd and there are less than 2 outs, the
in field fly rule applies. (pop-up). It is the umpire’s discretion to call the in-field fly. Base
runners advance at their own discretion and they must tag up if the ball is caught.

PROTESTS
All protests will be handled at the field by the umpire. The umpire’s call is final.
Player eligibility protests may be checked at the Facility Manager’s office that evening or
called into the Willie Beamons softball line for review within 24 hours of the game.
registration.