CEIC FUN SOFTBALL LEAGUE RULES 2018

 

 

 GAME STRUCTURE AND TEAM COMPOSITION

 

 1. Each team should have a copy of the CEIC League Rules as well as the Official SPN Rule book for that current season at each game.

 

 2. Every player on the field (full-time, part-time, spares, one time player) MUST have completed the waiver on the SPN website for insurance purposes.  If there are any questions about this at any time during the season please email ceicsoftball@gmail.com ASAP.  If a player has not completed the waiver they SHOULD NOT be on the field.

 

 3. Each game is to consist of seven (7) innings of three outs each. If the game is tied after seven innings, one extra inning will be played. If the game remains tied after the one extra inning, it will be scored as a tie.

 

 4. If at the end of the sixth inning, the visiting team is winning by six or more runs, the home team may choose to bat first in the seventh inning. If they do not score enough runs to tie or go ahead, the game is over.

 

 5. Maximum runs by a team in innings one through six, is six (6). The seventh inning and the extra inning are open. That is, there is no maximum to the number of runs that can be scored in these innings.

 

 6. Start time for games is 6:30 (unless otherwise advised). If at 6:45 a team cannot field a minimum of nine players, the game is forfeit. In the event that confronting a late team is not desirable, the non-offending team has the option of reporting the late start to the Rules Committee by e-mail as soon as possible. A decision will be made by the rules committee, and communicated to the two teams involved. If a forfeit is awarded the offending teams performance bond will be forwarded to the opposing teams Captain.

 

 7. Each team may play with up to a maximum of ten (10) players, not more than six (6) of which may be males, and not less than (3) females in the field at any point during the game. A team with less than (3) females at the start or finish of a game will result in a forfeited game for this team.

 

 8. Team captains must meet at the beginning of each game to discuss any ground rules prior to the game start. Only team captains may make decisions regarding issue(s) on the field, but if captains cannot resolve the issue(s), the Rules Committee should be made aware of the issue(s) after the game by sending an e-mail to the rules committee.  An email is to be sent to ceicsoftball@gmail.com and the rules committee will be forwarded the email to review.

 

  9. Rain outs will be decided on game day by the team captains. The decision cannot be unilateral and does not have to be made prior to 3:00 pm. If one captain feels the game should be played, both teams must show up at the part to determine if the game is playable. Should one team fail to appear it will result in a forfeit for that team.  Rain outs can be made up at both team’s convenience. If the game is not rescheduled, it will be deemed a tie. It is the responsibility of the team captains to make arrangements for rescheduling a rain out. No team is obligated to play a makeup game. If one team wants to play a makeup game, opposing captains should do their best to accommodate this.

  

EQUIPMENT & PLAYING FIELD

 

 1. Home Plate

 

a. The home plate & mat is to be provided by home-team.

 

b. The home plate mat should be placed on top of any existing baseball home plate or in the event a team has a mat with the home plate section cut out the mat should be placed in position where the front edge of the mat is in line with the front edge of the existing home plate.

 

 The plate/mat should look like the picture below whether there is a cut out or whether the plate and mat are one piece, meaning the flat edge of the plate should be flush with the top part of the mat.

 

                                                            

 

 

 

 

 

2. 1st Base Safety Bag

 

a. The 1st base bag should be a double safety base with the white portion of the base placed in the field of play like a normal base and the coloured safety portion placed entirely in foul territory.

 

 3. The Bases

 

a. 2nd and 3rd Base should be standard softball bases. 3rd Base should be placed entirely in fair territory with the edge of the base on the foul line.

 

 4. Field set-up

 

a. A legal game ball, the bases, and the home plate mat will be provided and set-up by the designated home team.

 

 5. Official Field Dimensions

 

a. Baselines of 60 feet.

 

b. Pitching rubber must be set up at a minimum of 50 feet.

 

 6. The Official Bat

 

a. January 1st, 2012, Slo-Pitch National announced that we will be recognizing and accepting the New USSSA bat testing methods for use in the SPN program. All 2012 USSSA Bats marked with the “NEW USSSA STAMP ON THE TAPER OF THE BAT” will be allowed in the SPN program. ALL bats manufactured after January 1, 2012 “MUST CARRY THE NEW USSSA STAMP”.

  

7. Altered Bats

 

a. Any bat that has been altered in any way from its originally manufactured state in such a way to improve the distance factor or provide an unusual reaction to the ball is illegal.

 

b. Examples of altered bats include:

 

1. Replacing the bat handle with a different type of handle

 

2. Inserting material inside the bat

 

3. Wrapping more than two layers of tape around the bats grip

 

4. Painting a bat on the grip or barrel

 

5. Attaching a flare or cone grip

 

c. EFFECT – If an altered bat is discovered prior to or during a game the bat should be removed from play immediately.

 

 8. Banned Bats

 

a. The league follows SPN guidelines in regards to banning bats that have not been approved. All 2012 USSSA Bats marked with the “NEW USSSA STAMP ON THE TAPER OF THE BAT” will be allowed in the SPN program. ALL bats manufactured after January 1, 2012 “MUST CARRY THE NEW USSSA STAMP”.  SPN will also continue to use the 2000, 2004 ASA and ISF stamps and the Non Approved Bat List.

 

b. A full listing (and pictures) of banned bats is available at the SPN website http://www.slo-pitch.com.

 

c. EFFECT – If a banned bat is discovered prior to or during a game the bat should be removed from play immediately.

 

 9. Metal cleats are not allowed. Eight or more moulded cleats are acceptable.

 

 10. The catcher’s mask is optional.

 

 11.  Official Balls

 

As per discussions with Vancouver Parks Board, it is required on shorter fields (most of our fields have short outfields) that core .44 balls are used.   Please ensure that you are using balls that comply with the Vancouver Parks Board requirements.

 

 12. SPN recommends that all players wear helmets when batting and running the bases. They also recommend

wearing facemasks in the field.

 

PITCHING

  

1.  The pitcher must pitch from the pitching rubber (50ft) or behind the rubber up to 15 feet (65ft). This is for insurance purposes.

 

 1. Walks & Intentional Walks

 

a. A walk will consist of 4 balls

 

b. An intentional walk will be awarded to any male batter with a count of 4-0 (4 balls and zero strikes)

 

c. On an intentional walk, the male batter if followed by a female batter will proceed directly to 2nd base, and the following batter must bat. If the male batter is followed by a male batter then he will only be awarded first base, and the following batter must bat.

 

 2. All other pitching rules please refer to SPN Official Slo-Pitch Rules

 

BATTING

  

1. Each team is required to have a set batting order consisting of as many players as they wish, however, the batting order must consist of at least 9 players (minimum 3 females).

 

1. 1. If your batting order consists of 10 or more players, of which 4 or more are female, twice during the lineup you may bat two males consecutively or two females consecutively

   2. At no point in your batting order can three males bat consecutively

   3.  Each team is required to provide a copy of their batting order to the other team before the start of the game.  Each team will be provided with a booklet of batting lineup cards prior to the start of the season.

   4. Your batting order must be fixed, meaning the order of your girls and the order of your guys must be the same every time you go through the batting order.

   5. Each team is required to keep their line up in a scorebook and must provide it to the other team and will be used to resolve any score disputes in the game.

 

2. Bunting

 

a. A female may choose to bunt.

            b. A bunt with 2 strikes that goes foul is an out

            c. No “hack” or “slap” bunting is permitted. Either of these types of bunts will result in an automatic out

             d. If the batters foot is in contact with the plate or mat when contact is made the batter will be called out

             e. If the batters foot is out of the batters box when contact is made the batter will be called out

 

 3. A variation of the infield fly rule is in effect – Where there are runners on 1^st and 2^nd or bases loaded, with fewer than 2 outs, a fly ball is hit to an infield player, umpire calls “batter out, infield fly” and that is the end of the play, whether the ball is caught or not the runners cannot advance

  

**Umpires please notify at the beginning of bat whether the infield fly rule is in effect

 

SPN Definition – Sec. 48 Infield Fly – is a fairly batted fly ball (not a line drive) which can be caught by an infielder with ordinary effort when first and second, or when first, second and third bases are occupied with less than two out.  Any defensive player, who positions himself within the infield area, will be considered an infielder for the purpose of this rule.

  

4. The batting team supplies an umpire. Umpires call balls, strikes, illegal pitches, fair & foul balls, safes and outs, all out of bound plays, and whether a batted ball is in play or out of play. If the batting team does not have an umpire in place, all disputed calls are decided in favour of the defensive team.

 

 5.  A FEMALE batter may not be thrown out at first base by an outfielder. An outfielder does not include the players at first base, second base, third base, short stop, catcher or pitcher.

 

 6. A strike is called when the pitch is within the specified SPN Arc range and contacts either home plate or the mat, or both.

  

7.  Ground rule double

 

a. Award of two bases from the time of the pitch to all baserunners including the batter(runner) as a result of the ball leaving play after being hit fairly and leaving the field under a condition of the ground rules in effect at the field where the game is being played

  

b. It does not matter if an existing baserunner advanced a base before the Umpire rules a ground rule double, a baserunner may only advance two bases from where they were at the time of the pitch

  

c.  A baserunner on 3^rd base at the time of the pitch does not need to be pushed home on a ground rule double.  They will be awarded home regardless if there are any baserunners behind them.

  

8.  Third strike foul is an out.

  

BASERUNNING

  

1. No leadoffs are allowed. Anticipation of a swing or missed swing is permitted.

 

a. EFFECT - The runner will not be called out if it is deemed by the umpire they were anticipating a swing or if there is a missed swing. If there is no swing or the person is off the base prior to the ball crossing home plate the runner will be called out as it is deemed a leadoff.

 

b. If the pitch is hit, the play is dead and will be replayed.

 

 2. Sliding

 

a. Is permitted at 2nd base and third base only

 

b. Sliding is not permitted at 1st base, or home plate

 

c. Aggressive sliding will not be permitted. Sliding to purposely try to break up a play will not be permitted and will result in an automatic out

 

d. Sliding is permitted to avoid a collision between a fielder and a runner to remove the chance of injury to either player

 

e. Avoiding a tag is a secondary reason to permit a slide, and not one to be taken at the expense of safety. If it appears that the runner slid into the base with the intent of dislodging the ball from the fielder’s glove, in anger or with an intent to injure it is expected that the runner’s team captain will remove this player from the game.

 

f. Sliding back to a base is permitted on all bases but not home plate (e.g.: a runner rounds second base and a throw comes in from the outfield and the runner dives back to the base without a slide involved)

 

  4.  OVERTHROW:

 

a. SPN  Sec. 65 OVERTHROW is a ball thrown from one fielder toward another and for whatever reason, goes into “out of play territory”.  If this occurs, ALL baserunners will be awarded two bases from the last base touched at the time of the throw.

  

5. The ball is “dead” when any defensive player is in control of the ball in the infield facing home plate and there is no play to be made.

 

6. If a batted ball hits a runner, the runner is “out”.

 

a) Exception: If the ball is touched first by a defensive player, or could have been played but wasn’t, or was missed, and then hits the runner, the runner is not out; the ball continues to be “live”.

 

7. A base runner has the right of way on the base path and a fielder must not interfere with the runner. To do so is “obstruction”.

 

a) Exception: A fielder playing a batted ball has the right of way over the runner. Interference with the fielder playing a batted ball results in the runner being out. A safety bag is to ensure no collision happens between runner and first base player. Every batter should try to avoid the first baseman; touch the outside or "orange" bag. The first baseman should ensure their body is not blocking the bag for runner; keeping their foot on the inside or "white" bag. Keeping this in mind will keep us safe and free of injury.

 

 8. COURTESY RUNNERS

 

a.  The batter must run out his/her hit.  There will be no courtesy runners from home plate (Exception – if there is an injury and both team captains agree to it before the at bat)

 

b.  Courtesy runners are granted from first base only.  At no other base can you get a courtesy runner, unless an injury occurs to a baserunner advancing on the next play.  Example – baserunner advancing from first base injures themselves on a slide into second base.

 

c.  Exception – batter hits a ground rule double, batter would get a courtesy runner at second base.

 

d.  Courtesy runners must be of the same sex as the batter and farthest away from the batting order or the last batter out of the same sex.

 

e.  There is no maximum for courtesy runners and you can run for the same person more than once.

 

f.   If the courtesy runner is still on base and it then becomes their turn to bat, they are deemed “an out” as the batter (at the plate)

  

9. All plays at home plate are force plays. A point of no return shall be marked thirty feet from home plate towards third base. Once a runner crosses this point, he/she must continue to home plate. In order to execute the force play (that is, for the runner to be out), the defensive player must be in possession of the ball and touching home plate before the runner crosses the extended plane of the first base line. The runner coming home cannot be tagged after s/he crosses the commitment line. The play must be made to the home plate.  The runner is automatically out if he/she touches home plate. All the runner must do is cross the extended plane of the first base line before the defensive player gains possession of the ball and touches home plate.

 

10. IF THE CATCHER IS IN CONTACT WITH HOME PLATE AWAITING THE THROW, AND THE RUNNER COLLIDES WITH THE CATCHER, THE RUNNER IS OUT.

  

TOURNAMENT ROSTERS:

 

In order to be considered a regular roster player for our tournament, a player must have played in _50%_ games during the regular season.  If player has not played in _50%_ games, they will be considered a “pick-up”.

 

A team may only have 2 male pick-ups and 2 female pick-ups during the tournament.  If there are extenuating circumstances send an email to ceicsoftball@gmail.com and the rules committee and league executive will review and return with a decision.

  

Pick-ups CANNOT play shortstop or pitcher and must bat at the end of the batting order.

  

If there is a dispute of whether a player has played in the required amount of games, the opposing team may request to see the batting lineups of the team for the regular season games in order to review.

 

IMPORTANT NOTES

 

 

As our name implies, this is a friendly and fun league, so play the game with that spirit at all times.  If there are conflicts during a game between teams, please do your best to resolve them at the field, if something cannot be resolved, call the game and report the incident to ceicsoftball@gmail.com and the rules committee/league executives will discuss what needs to be done to address and resolve the situation.  Unsportsmanlike behaviour will not be tolerated! 

  

1. If there are issues with the fields or with the rule interpretations during the game please email ceicsoftball@gmail.com and they will be addressed.

    

2.  Please ensure that people who are umpiring are aware of SPN softball rules and our league rules. Captains should have a copy of these rules with them at every game.

    

3.  Discretion must be exercised regarding alcohol at parks/schools. Our contracts for diamonds stipulate there is to be no alcohol consumption at these places.

    

4.  Scores are to be sent in by the WINNER of the game. Scores are to be emailed to ceicsoftball@gmail.com by no later than Monday afternoon following each game.  The website www.leaguelineup.com/fedfunleaguewill be updated by Monday evening.  If scores are not reported, both teams MAY be recorded as a loss for the week