RULES & REGULATIONS WARM-UP POLICY We have two hitting tunnels located down the hallway. There will be signs that can direct you to those. Each team gets a hitting tunnel to warm-up in for 50 minutes each. The hitting tunnels are to be used for all facets of warming up including hitting, playing catch, and warming up the pitcher. We understand the frustration of doing this all in the hitting tunnel, but with other leagues possibly going on in the other two fields and axe throwing groups possibly walking back to the the back axe throwing range, it is a liability issue to be throwing or hitting a ball outside of the hitting tunnel. ANY THROW HAS TO BE WITHIN THE CONFINES OF THE HITTING TUNNEL. There will be a 3 strike policy to the rule with the penalties being: First violation is a documented warning. Second violation will result in being kicked out of the hitting tunnel for the day. Third violation will result in your team not being allowed to warm-up before games for the rest of the session. An example of what teams have done in the past is: 0-15 minutes - Soft toss 15-30 minutes - Batting practice 30-40 minutes - Catch 40-50 minutes - Pitcher warms up using 45 feet of tunnel while players soft toss in the net on the other 30 feet of space to soft toss or get tee work in. There is one condition in which you may use our practice field or one of the soccer fields to warm up and that is if there is nobody on one of the fields and you want to pay to rent the space. IF A FIELD IS OPEN, YOU MUST PAY FOR THE FIELD TO WARM-UP ON IT. NO IFS, ANDS, OR BUTS.
GAMEDAY ROSTER RULES A game is 9 v 9, but you may start a game with 8 players. If you have 8 players, there will be a recorded out in the 9th spot of the order. Teams may bat the whole roster as that is up to the coach. Coaches are in charge of handling line-ups and scorebooks during the game. If a team starts with 9 players and 1 player gets injured and has to leave the game, then that team does not have to record an out in that player s spot in the lineup. GAMEPLAY RULES AND REGULATIONS No outdoor cleats Please wear turf shoes or tennis shoes. Players must have a signed waiver by a parent/guardian to participate. Games will be 55 minutes long and you will be able to finish out an inning. NO NEW INNINGS WILL BE STARTED AFTER THE 55 MINUTE MARK. NO IFS, ANDS, OR BUTS! We have games and rentals going on at the facility throughout the day and we are on a strict schedule. THE UMPIRE AND LEAGUE DIRECTOR have the power to throw players, coaches, or even parents out of the game. PLEASE be respectful to the league director, umpires, opposing coaches, opposing parents, and most importantly, THE PLAYERS! Bases will be marked off at 60 and the pitching rubber will be at 43. The League Director will have it all measured, so there is no need for coaches to measure out bases or pitching rubbers. The on-deck circle will be on your team s dugout side. Any ball that hits the first 3 sections of the ceiling will be ruled an out as it would perceivably be a flyout on a regulation sized field without a roof. If it hits the ceiling in the 4th or 5th section of the ceiling, then that will be considered a home
run as the projection of the ball would lead to a home run on a regular field. It will be a DEAD BALL if it hits the ceiling and if it is considered a flyout, then runners may not advance bases. Any ball that hits the left field or right field wall above the second beam will be a dead ball. If it hits above the second beam in left field, that will be considered a home run. If it hits between the 2nd and 4th beam on the right field wall, that will be considered a ground rule double. If it hits above the 4th beam on the right field wall, that will be considered a home run. If a ball touches the netting around the field on a fly ball or a line drive, it cannot be caught for a recorded out. The netting is to be considered like a wall or fence. If a ball somehow gets through the netting on a fair ball, the player closest to the ball must put their hands up and the batter will be rewarded a ground-rule double. Pitchers are allowed 5 warm-up pitches in between innings. Before the 5th warm-up pitch, the catcher needs to yell balls in and they can throw the ball down to second base. Infield and outfield may warm-up between innings, but after the catcher yells balls in, they must toss the balls into the dugout immediately. To prevent any extra injuries that may happen, sliding into first base is NOT ALLOWED. You are allowed to steal bases, but you cannot start running to a base until the ball is released from the pitcher s hand. Once the ball is back in the pitcher s hands, and the pitcher is within 8 from the rubber, then all baserunners should be on base or attempting to return to base. Drop-Third Strike: If the catcher drops the third strike, the batter may attempt to reach 1st base unless: 1st base is occupied There are two outs.
Catcher interference: If the catcher s glove touches a batter s bat throughout a swing, the batter is rewarded 1st base. There will be a safety base at 1st base that must be used when running through the base. Relief pitchers may warm-up while their team is batting. They must go to the designated warm-up area behind the net. (The area will be marked with tape.) There must be one person with a glove that guards them for extra safety purposes. A pitcher or a coach may intentionally walk a batter by simply informing the umpire. No running over the catcher. You must slide or give up. AFTER GAME RULES When the game has concluded, both teams must line up and shake hands. Gather up your stuff immediately after you shake hands and get off the field. We are on a very strict schedule. No meetings in the outfield with your team. Coaches, you can meet with your team and the parents in the lobby where there is plenty of space and picnic tables. PLEASE NOTE THAT ALL THE RULES AND REGULATIONS WRITTEN ABOVE ARE MANDATORY RULES THAT WILL NOT CHANGE THIS SEASON. THERE ARE OBVIOUSLY MORE TECHNICAL RULES THAT GO INTO THE GAME OF SOFTBALL AND OUR UMPIRES WILL GO BY OHSAA STANDARD RULES TO DEAL WITH TECHNICALITIES. THE RULES LISTED ABOVE ARE SET IN PLACE TO HELP GET A WHOLE GAME IN WHILE ALSO PROVIDING A CLEAR UNDERSTANDING OF HOW THINGS WILL BE RULED IN THIS COMPLEX. OBVIOUSLY, THERE ARE NO CEILINGS IN OUTDOOR SOFTBALL AND OUTDOOR FIELDS ARE A LITTLE BIT LONGER, BUT THE RULES SET IN PLACE REGARDING THE CEILING AND WALLS ARE COMPLETELY REASONABLE. IF THERE ARE ANY QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS ABOUT GAMEPLAY RULES
DURING A GAME, PLEASE TALK TO THE LEAGUE DIRECTOR AFTER THE GAME TO DISCUSS THE ISSUE.