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Subscribe to our Newsletter2025 Lanco Senior Softball League Rules
I. League Alignment
A. There will be 2 geographical divisions.
1. The Northwest Division contains 6 teams – Coopers Garage, Gus’s Keystone, Hoover Excavating (old Mid Penn Bank), Klein Chocolate (old TJ Rockwell’s), Rural City Beer (old Ephrata Good’s Disposal), and Speedwell Construction.
2. The Southeast Division contains 6 teams – Caruso’s Pizza, GE Richards, Kautz Roofing, LH Brubaker, Steel Fab, and Strasburg.
B. Each team will play all of the teams in their own division twice and all of the teams in the other division once.
C. Alignment of the teams within the 2 divisions will generally remain the same year after year.
Note: The Board of Directors can determine the alignment of the 2 divisions.
D. The point system.
1. Red point teams (3 points) – Coopers Garage, Gus’s Keystone, Kautz Roofing, and Speedwell Construction.
a. A team is awarded 3 points for defeating a red point team.
2. White point teams (2 points) – Hoover Excavating, Klein Chocolate, LH Brubaker, and Rural City Beer.
a. A team is awarded 2 points for defeating a white point team.
3. Blue point teams (1 point) – Caruso’s Pizza, GE Richards, Steel Fab, and Strasburg.
a. A team is awarded 1 point for defeating a blue point team.
II. Team Rosters
A. There can be no more than twenty-five (25) players on an active roster. Managers will keep the roster updated during the season. All rosters must have complete addresses and birth dates for all players.
1. All players must be 59 years old or reach age 59 during the calendar year.
2. Exception as follows:
a. Each White point team and Blue point team may have 1 player who is 58 years old or reaches age 58 during the calendar year.
3. All completed rosters must be submitted to the league president prior to the first game.
4. In season new roster players must be reported to the league president before they are permitted to play.
B. Players must reside within 100 miles of the Lancaster City square. The executive committee shall have the sole discretion to wave this rule to prevent a team from folding prior to or during the season.
C. Players must play in six (6) of their team’s regular season games to be eligible for the playoffs. Managers and assistant managers are excluded from this rule. An injured player who attends a game, is acknowledged as having participated in that game.
III. Field
A. There will be a double-wide 1st base.
B. A minimum 3-foot-long line must be placed on both sides of 1st base, 2nd base, and 3rd base.
C. A secondary chalk line extends from 3rd base, 60’ in length and positioned approximately 3 feet from the back corner of the right-hand batter’s box. An additional 3’ chalk line is positioned perpendicular to the secondary plate line at the end of the line. A secondary home plate is not used.
D. Check our league’s field diagram for field details.
IV. Game Rules (any rule not covered here will follow the current USA Softball rules)
A. Lineup.
1. Games will be played with 10 players. Teams whose average age is 70 may use 11 players. Age is determined as of May 1st.
a. Teams must have 9 players to start the game. If 10 players are present at gametime the game must start. Players that arrive after the start of the game may be added to the end of the lineup without penalty, as long as the team has not batted through the original lineup.
b. A Blue point team may use an extra fielder when playing a Red point team. The extra fielder is not required to bat.
c. If a player becomes injured during the game, and there is no available substitute, the existing batting position is skipped and no automatic out occurs at that spot. This provision does not apply to players that are ejected for unsportsmanlike conduct.
2. Per USA Softball rules. - The teams may bat extra players if desired. Extra players are defined as batting only. When extra players are used, any 10 players may play defense except as described in paragraph A 1.
3. Designated players may be used for any number of fielders. In the scorebook, the DP is listed in the batting lineup and the fielder that he/she is batting for should be listed in parentheses ( ) to the right of the batter’s name. If the connected fielder bats in place of the DP or the DP takes the field for the connected player, that is considered a substitution, and the DP for that position is eliminated. (See USA RULEBOOK, Rule 4, Section 3.)
4. All players and substitutes may re-enter the game only once. They must remain in the same batting slot.
5. Managers must report all changes to the other team’s manager or scorekeeper.
B. Cancellations/Postponements.
1. Games postponed due to weather or mutual agreement must be made up as soon as possible to avoid scheduling issues at the end of the regular season.
a. The home team should provide the visiting team with two dates (if possible) to choose from in order to make up a regular season game.
2. Game cancellations must be reported to the umpire scheduler no later than 5:00. Late cancellations will result in fees payable to the umpire.
3. Prior to gametime, the home team shall determine whether or not a game is postponed due to weather conditions. After a game begins, the umpire(s) is in full charge of this decision.
4. The umpire cost for continuing a postponed game (that was already in progress from a previous date) will be shared equally by both teams involved.
C. Game length.
1. A complete regular season game will consist of 7 innings unless shortened by inclement weather/darkness as per USA rules. (5 innings or when the home team is ahead after four and a half innings) A game that is postponed before it is deemed complete must be continued at a later time and picked up where it left off.
2. The first 6 innings are governed by a maximum of 3 outs or 5 runs scored. (As of the 2025 season, the “Catch-up” run rule is no longer in effect.)
3. The 7th inning and any subsequent innings have no run limits.
4. There will be a 15-run rule in effect after 5 innings. The game is over if a team is ahead by 15 or more runs by the end of the 5th inning. If the home team is ahead by 15 or more runs, they will not bat in the bottom of the 5th. Note: After the 5th inning, the game is immediately ended if either team goes ahead by 15 runs.
D. Pitching. (USA Softball rules … 10-Man pitching rule)
1. Preliminaries.
a. When taking the pitching position in contact with the pitcher’s plate, the pitcher must have their hands separated and must have the ball in either the glove or the pitching hand.
b. The pitcher shall take a position with both feet in contact with the pitcher’s plate within the 24” length of the pitcher’s plate. The shoulders shall in line with first and third base.
2. Legal delivery.
a. The pitcher shall not make any motion to pitch without immediately delivering the ball.
b. The pitcher shall not take a stop or reversal of the forward motion.
c. The pitcher may take the ball behind the back on the back swing.
d. The pitcher shall not use a windmill or slingshot-type pitch or make a complete revolution in the delivery.
e. The ball must not be outside the pitcher’s wrist on the back swing, at the top of the back swing, on the downward motion, or during the complete delivery.
f. The delivery shall be an underhand motion with the hand below the hip.
g. On the forward swing of the pitching arm the elbow must be locked at the point of release, and the shoulders and driving hip must be squared to the plate when the ball is released.
h. The release of the ball must have a complete smooth follow-through with no abrupt stop of the arm near the hip.
i. In the act of delivering the ball, the pitcher must take one step simultaneous with the release of the ball. The step must be forward and within the 24” length of the pitcher’s plate.
j. The pivot foot must drag and not lose contact with the ground. The stepping foot must be pointed toward home plate and must not touch the ground in front of, or cross over a straight line be between the pivot foot and home plate. It is not a step if the pitcher slides the pivot foot across the pitcher’s plate provided contact is maintained. Raising the foot of the pitcher’s plate and returning it to the plate creates a rocking motion and is illegal.
3. Illegal Pitch - Any infraction of the rules is an illegal pitch, which the umpire calls out and indicates with the left arm extended. If the batter hits the ball and all runners advance at least one base safely, the play stands and the illegal pitch is nullified. Otherwise, the batting team has the option of accepting the results of the play or the results of the enforcement of an illegal pitch, in which a ball is called on the batter and all baserunners advance one base.
a. Exception: A high arc pitch that exceeds a height of 10’ shall be called a ball in which baserunners will not advance one base unless the pitch is ball four on the batter and thereby causes baserunners to be forced to advance.
4. It is recommended, but not required, the pitcher wear protective equipment.
5. An optional pitching screen may be used by either pitcher. The pitching screen is positioned 3’ to 6’ in front of the pitching rubber in line with the edge of the pitching rubber on the pitcher’s non-throwing side. The pitcher must stand entirely behind the screen when the ball is hit. After the ball is hit the pitcher may make a defensive play. If the umpire deems the pitcher is outside the screen when the ball is hit and fields the ball, a dead-ball is called, and the batter is awarded 1st base. Baserunners will advance one base, only if forced to do so. The screen may not be moved during a “live play.”
1. The Ball shall be a 52 COR / 300 compression ball that the league will purchase and sell to the teams.
2. The home team shall supply one new ball and one good used ball per game.
F. Catcher.
1. A catcher must touch home plate for the baserunner to be out. He cannot tag out a baserunner.
2. A pitched ball that passes the catcher is considered a dead ball.
3. A catcher can make a play when the ball is live and may throw directly to any base to retire a baserunner.
G. Batter.
1. Per USA Softball rules - The strike zone is between the batter’s armpits and the top of the knees.
2. No bunting is allowed.
3. Per USA Softball rules. - Prior to the pitch, the batter must have both feet completely inside the lines of the batter’s box.
4. If an optional pitching screen is used, a batted ball that hits the screen is considered a non-pitch. Baserunners may not advance and neither a strike nor ball is called. A thrown ball that hits the screen is a live ball and baserunners may advance with liability to be put out.
5. If the batter touches a pitched ball on the ground, it is considered a dead ball.
H. Bats. (Per USA Softball rules)
1. The official bat made up of the knob, handle, grip, taper, barrel, and end cap shall be free of burs, dents, cracks, sharp edges, rattles, and show no signs of excessive wear. The official bat may be marked OFFICIAL SOFTBALL by the manufacturer and shall be no more than 34 inches long nor exceed 38 ounces in weight. The official bat shall not be more than 2.250 inches in diameter at its largest part, including any tolerance for expansion. The official bat must bear the appropriate ASA or USA certification mark and must not be listed on the USA Softball Non-Approved Bat List with Certification Marks.
2. Altered Bat – USA Softball Official Bat’s characteristics shall remain fixed at the time of manufacture and may not be altered in anyway other than covered in USA Softball Rules, Rule 3 Section 1. Approved bats shall be considered altered if they are rolled, shaved, repainted, weighted, or modified to change their characteristics from that produced by the manufacturer.
3. League rule - The penalty for the use of an illegal bat is an automatic out and an ejection of the batter from that game. Use is defined as coming to the plate.
I. Baserunner.
1. Baserunners may leave the base when the ball reaches home plate or is hit.
2. Baserunners are liable to be picked off by the catcher or pitcher after a pitch.
a. The baserunner must return to the base. He/she is allowed to advance if an error occurs.
3. A baserunner must touch a base before proceeding to the next base except as described in rule I 4.
4. The baserunner may over run any base. When over running a base, the baserunner is deemed to have touched the base when a foot contacts the ground at or beyond the front edge of the base.
5. No stealing is allowed.
6. Sliding is permitted. Sliding into a base must be done feet-first either to the base or to the 3-foot line. (Head-first sliding/diving is only allowed when going back to a previous base.) The first infraction of a head-first slide will result in a warning from the umpire to the violating team. Any further infractions during that game by any player on the violating team will result in the baserunner being called out. The result of any slide that contacts a fielder is left to the judgment of the umpire.
7. No run downs are allowed. If a baserunner decides not to proceed to the next base, he/she must return to the previous base. He/she cannot advance a second time unless an error occurs.
8. To score a run the baserunner’s foot must touch the ground on or beyond the secondary line at home. The baserunner is out if he/she touches the normal home plate.
J. Baserunner Interference.
1. No contact between the baserunner and the defensive player should occur. If a defensive play is likely, the non-sliding baserunner is required to run by the bag on the side away from the defensive player to avoid contact as well as to avoid visual or physical interference. If contact or interference by the baserunner occurs, the baserunner is out. Contact interfering with a likely double play will cause both associated baserunners to be declared out. If the contact is deemed deliberate by the umpire, the player should be ejected.
a. Exception: According to the umpire’s judgment, if a defensive player moves to the opposite side of the base causing contact to occur with the baserunner, the baserunner should not be declared out as long as the baserunner initially did what was required to avoid contact. Contact avoidance also applies to returning to a base.
K. Courtesy baserunners.
1. Courtesy baserunners may be used for any batter-runner. The courtesy baserunner must enter the game for the batter-runner before the next pitch is thrown. A courtesy baserunner is not considered to have officially entered the game until the opposing team is verbally notified thereof, and until the next pitch is thrown. Simply standing on the base does not commit a courtesy baserunner to have officially entered the game.
a. Exception: a courtesy baserunner may be used at any base at any time if an injury occurs to a baserunner.
2. A player can serve as a courtesy baserunner only two times in a seven-inning game. A player can serve as courtesy baserunner a third time in extra innings. A courtesy baserunner on base when their turn at bat is up is an automatic out.
3. The batter must reach base before being replaced by the courtesy baserunner. Once play is dead, the batter does not need to wait at the base for the arrival of the courtesy runner.
4. In the case of a base on balls drawn by the batter, if being replaced by a courtesy baserunner, the batter may go directly to the bench and does not need to touch first base.
L. Fielder obstruction.
1. A fielder cannot obstruct a baserunner at any base. This includes fake tags and occupying the base when no play is possible.
M. Outs.
1. The infield fly-rule is in effect.
2. Outs at all bases are considered force outs. The fielder must touch the base while in possession of the ball prior to the baserunner touching the base or overrunning to either side of the base.
3. Baserunners may be tagged out between bases.
V. Miscellaneous
A. Game time is 6:15 pm, unless changed by agreement of the managers. A 15-minute grace period is allowed.
B. No player may use foul language or be abusive to another player or umpire. Such a player can be warned or ejected at the umpire’s discretion. If the player is warned, the warning extends to his/her entire team. If a second infraction occurs by any player(s) on this team, the offending player(s), whether it is the player that was originally warned or a different player(s), is ejected and is also suspended from the team’s next game. An ejected player(s) must leave the field of play or the game is forfeited.
C. All shirts must have a number, but no duplications. This rule is to aid the scorekeepers.
D. USA umpires will be randomly assigned to games and the home team will pay the umpire before the game begins.
E. Forfeits will be reported as a 7-0 score.
VI. Playoffs
A. There will be two separate playoff brackets.
1. The American Division playoffs bracket will be comprised of the top four teams of the Northwest Division (based on total wins) and the top two teams of the Southeast Division. (based on total wins)
a. In the case of win-total ties, head-to-head record will be the determining factor, followed by point totals, followed by a coin flip.
2. The National Division playoffs bracket will be comprised of the bottom two teams of the Northwest Division (based on total wins) and the bottom four teams of the Southeast Division. (based on total wins)
a. In the case of win-total ties, head-to-head record will be the determining factor, followed by point totals, followed by a coin flip.
B. Playoffs will be double elimination including all teams that desire to participate.
C. Seeding will be determined by each team’s point totals.
1. In the case of point-total ties, head-to-head record will be the determining factor, followed by a coin flip.
D. The home team throughout the playoffs will be the team with the better seed except the finals which will be a home and away series. The undefeated team (winners bracket team) will be the home team for the first game of the finals.
E. The playoff committee shall be responsible for determining the site of playoff games giving preference to the better seeded team for only the first game played by a team.
F. Regarding weather/darkness, all playoff games must be played to their entirety of seven innings. (or more, if extra innings are required to determine a winner)
G. Unless covered by board decision, the participating teams shall be responsible for equally sharing any field rental/preparation costs.
H. The participating teams shall equally pay for the umpire. Two umpires may be utilized for the championship playoff game(s) in both brackets if the two participating teams are in agreement. The league will pay for one of the umpires while the two participating teams will equally split the cost of the other umpire.
I. There will be no Double-Header or Friday-Saturday-Sunday playoff games.
J. The home team shall supply one new ball and one good used ball for each playoff game. The visiting team shall supply one good used ball for each playoff game. The league will later replenish all teams with the correct number of new balls that were used.
K. The “Catch-up” run rule will not be in effect.
VII. All-Star Game (Not being played this year)
A. There will be two fielders selected by each team to play in the game.
B. The opposing teams will be selected by alternating the records at the time. (Example 1,3,5 versus 2,4,6 etc.)
C. The game managers will be from the top two teams with the next two as assistants.
D. The managers will select a minimum two (2) pitchers and catchers from the teams in their grouping.
E. Each player gets a minimum of three innings in the field barring injury. Extra inning players are the Manager’s choice.
F. All players on each team will bat in a one line-up order. (Pitchers optional)
VIII. Player Movement Between Teams
A. Maintaining league competitiveness is important to league longevity. Managers and players should refrain from recruiting players from other teams.
B. A new team can take no more than one player from an existing team without approval by the Board of Directors. The new manager must inform the existing manager of the acquisition.
C. No more than 2 players can go to any established team as part of the distribution of players from a disbanded team.
D. During the off-season, a Red and White point team may only add one player from the rest of the league. See Vlll. A. for guiding principle.
E. During the off-season, a Blue point team may only add two players from the rest of the league. See VIII. A. for guiding principle.
F. No player may move from one team to another team during the season.
G. No compensation of any kind should be provided to any player.
1. The penalty is forfeiture of every game in which such individual played.
H. The Board of Directors shall have the sole discretion to assist in directing Team/Player mediations where necessary, in the best interest of the good of the league.
