CITY LIMITS 2015 RULES AND REGULATIONS 1. Playing equipment/uniforms Teams are not required to have a team uniform. No metal cleat playing shoes are allowed. The ball used for play shall be the Worth Optic COR.44 12 softball. The Home team shall supply 1 new ball for the game while the visiting team will supply additional balls in good condition when game ball is out of play. Teams will provide their own batting equipment; all bats must comply with Approved Bat List which can be found on the NSA website. Mat, bases and plate are supplied by the league and are found in the metal boxes at both diamonds. 2. Playing field dimensions and set up The distance between bases shall be 60 feet. The pitching mound shall be 50 feet away from Home plate. The home team is responsible for setting out the bases, plate & mat prior to the start time of the game. 3. The Team Each team will be allowed to sign a maximum of 20 players on their roster. The Team Roster forms (distributed at the league meeting) must be filled in and signed by each player before they can play as it is an acknowledgement that there may be penalties with regards to verbal/physical abuse of umpires, ball players, and league executive. The fielding team will consist of 10 players with a minimum of four females on the field at all times. A game can be started or played with a minimum of 7 players. An Automatic out will be added to the bottom of the batting order for every female short of the 4 female minimum. If a team has less than 7 players at the specified game time the team will forfeit the game and the win (2 points) will be awarded to the other team. Team can only use a spare player from another time for a total of three games during the regular season. This does not include female players. If a pitcher is needed who has already spared 3 times then this can be discussed between the captains on the playing teams and must be agreed upon by both teams for this pitcher to play more than three times. If a team only has 5 males and 5 females show up, they will be allowed this season to recruit a sixth guy from another team as a sub only if the team s females agree. This is to prevent forcing a female to play in an unfamiliar position to avoid injury. 4. Batting order No more than three males may bat consecutively in the batting order. All teams are eligible to bat 14 players provided the ratio of 1 male to 1 female is adhered to after the first 10 players on the score sheet. (team s must have 5 females in batting order to have 7 male batters)
5. Walking a male batter A male batter will be awarded first and second base only if he is walked without a strike being called with a female batter following. The female batter will be given the option to hit or advance to first base. A male batter will be awarded first base for all other walks. 6. Bunting Females are allowed to bunt at anytime during the game when up to bat. The batter will be called out on a foul tip/bunt on the third strike. If the bunt is going to be attempted, the batter must make/show full bunt commitment for that pitch. The batter will be called out on a swinging bunt. Definition of swinging bunt : when the batter is in a bunting stance when the pitch is thrown, then pulls back to swinging position to hit the ball. 7. Pinch runner A Pinch runner is allowed in for an injured batter only after the batter has reached 1 st base. Exception: A pinch runner can run from home for the injured player only if the opposing team has given consent. If consent has not been given he original rule stands. 8. Pitched ball The pitcher is required to throw the ball in an underhand motion with an arc between 6 and 12 feet, if the pitch does not have an arc it is ruled an illegal pitch or no pitch and will be considered as a ball in the batters count. 9. Commitment line A Commitment line shall be drawn across the 3 rd base line, halfway between home plate and 3 rd base. Once a runner has advanced beyond this line, they cannot return to third base they must advance to home plate. 10. Home Plate A base runner will be called out if he/she touches the plate or the mat on the way home. The base runner is required to run behind the mat to score a run. The catcher must have his/her foot on the plate (not on the mat) and have total control of the ball to get the base runner out at home; the catcher cannot tag the runner out at home at anytime. 11. Safety base (first base) The safety base is designed to avoid collisions on first base between the runner and the first base person. The first base player cannot step on the orange part of the base; this part of the base is for the runner. If the first base person steps on the orange part of the base while catching or holding the softball the runner will be called safe.
If there is no play on first base the first base person must get out of the way of the runner rounding the base. If the first base person does not get out of the way the umpire will call obstruction and the runner will be awarded one base. The first base runner can over run the first base and must turn Right (towards grass sideline) when heading back to the base. If by error, they turn left, they are only out if there is an actual intent to run to second. If they accidently turn left and are slowly walking back to first they would still be safe. This is more a judgement call by the umpire but please remind your team to turn right after running to first. 12. Obstruction Obstruction is called when a player on the field impedes (blocks) the progress of the base runner when he/she is advancing on the bases. The umpire will award an additional base if the obstruction is blatant, it will also be the responsibility of the umpire to warn the player who committed the obstruction. 13. Interference Interference is called when the base runner blocks, trips, or shouts at a player receiving the softball for a potential out. If interference is called by the umpire on the base runner he/she will automatically be out. Other base runners that have benefited from this interference will have to return to their original base. 14. Anticipation (leading off) A base runner must stay on their base until the ball is hit by the batter. If they step off the base prior to the batter making contact with the ball they will be called out by the umpire. Stealing is not allowed in this league. 15. Mercy rule A team can only score a maximum of 7 runs per inning except for the last inning which is considered unlimited. In the unlimited inning a team can score as many runs as they can prior to recording three outs. Once the maximum 7 runs are scored (except for last inning) the team will take the field and the opposing team will be up to bat. 16. Substitutions Any player being substituted must first play defensively (on the field) when entering the game. A female can only be substituted by another female; males can be replaced by either male or female player. 17. Start time & Time limits Games must begin and end at designated time with each game allotted for 1.25 hours. If a team does not have enough players to play at the designated time a 10 minute grace period will be allowed. If the team is not ready to play after the grace period the game will be forfeited with points being
awarded to the opposing team. If the opposing team does not have enough players to play the game it is still forfeited and the teams split the points and take a tie. 18. Rainouts All teams are required to show up at the diamonds with the intent to play regardless of poor weather conditions. Unless otherwise cancelled by the league executive prior to game time. If a team does not show for a scheduled game and the opposing team does (with enough players) the game will be considered a forfeit and the points will be awarded to them. The umpire along with managers and/or captains of each team will decided as to whether a game will begin or be called due to rain, cold, darkness or diamond conditions due to weather. 19. Umpires All teams are required to supply 2 umpires for the game previous or following on that diamond when they are the Home team. Home teams are determined by the division game schedule. Example. Team 1 visits Team 2; Team 2 would be the home team. Teams will be fined $25 for supplying only 1 umpire and $50 if they do not supply any umpires at all. Umpires must call the opposing coaches to the plate and inform them as to what markers they will be using to determine fair and foul balls. They will also make the coaches aware that they re the only people allowed to launch a protest on a call. If any other player harasses either umpire, the umpire will have the right to eject that player from the Game. Umpires have the right to eject any player from the game for the following reasons; excessive verbal abuse of an official (umpire) or ball player, intent to injure an official or ball player or any other blatant act. Any major incidents that result in the ejection of a player must be reported by the umpire to their Division Rep. and/or the league following the game for further disciplinary action. In the case of a questionable call Home plate umpire will have the final decision. 20. Infield Fly Rule An infield fly is a fair ball (not including a line drive), which can be caught by an infielder with ordinate effort. An infield fly is called by the umpire when: first and second, or first, second, and third are occupied by base runners with less than 2 out. In this situation the umpire will call Infield Fly Batter is out. The base runners can advance on an infield fly at their own risk. 21. Point System Win = 2 points Tie = 1 point Loss = 0 points
22. Make up games Only these games that are not completed to at least 4 innings and called by the umpire for reasons of rain, cold, darkness, or field conditions due to weather or unsafe conditions will be made up on designated dates, coordinated by the executive. 23. Length of game A completed game is normally 7 innings in length or 1 hour and 15 minutes in duration from the scheduled start time. The only exception to this rule is if there is a tie in the 7 th inning of a playoff game; in this case extra innings will be played to determine the winner. Umpires will not allow a new inning to begin if there are less than 15 minutes remaining before the start of the next game. 24. Suspensions Suspensions of varying degrees may be handed out for the following conduct or actions deemed inappropriate by the league. a) Use of foul language on the site of games, league meeting places, and or any other functions of associated groups our league may be affiliated with. b) Careless actions deemed to jeopardize the personal safety of players, officials, or fans. c) Repeated disregard of the rules/regulations and operating procedures of the league and associated groups. d) Misappropriation of funds designated for the use of the league, league teams, and associates. 25. Penalties & Fines Fines will be issued for the following: a) No representation for meetings $25.00 per meeting b) No show for a scheduled game $25.00 per game c) Umpire no show team penalty $50.00 per game (No ump s present) $25.00 per game (1 umpire present) Violations for b and c above must be reported to a division rep within 24 hours to be passed on to the treasurer for the record. Violations of the operating and or playing rules results in loss of membership in the league. All fines given to players or teams must be paid prior to them playing the next game. 26. Protests Judgment calls on pitches or other plays such as balls, strikes, fair or found balls, and calls on the bases and home plate, will not be accepted as a protest.
Protests will only be accepted for hearing by a protest committee or league executive only when the interpretation of a rule or regulation is in question. A team protesting a game must declare immediately on the field, to the plate umpire, that the game is being played under protest. This must be noted on the score sheet with the signature of the coach and umpire. A complete written explanation of the protest and the rule interpretation being protested must be submitted with at $40.00 bond. The bond and written protest must be in the hand of the league by 5 pm the following day. The league will form a protest committee of 5 persons who cannot be a Player/coach or manager of the teams involved or player/coach or manager of the umpires involved. The committee will meet within 7 days of receipt of the protest and review the written material and meet a representative form both the protesting team and the umpire involved. A written deciding will be given to the parties involved within 24 hours of the decision being made. Should the protest be lost, the $40.00 bond will not be refunded. The League president shall chair the committee or appoint a president if he or she is ineligible. 27. Play off structure Teams advancing to the playoff round will be determined by their point standings. The top 6 teams in each division will the make playoffs. If there is a tie in points between two teams, the following will decide the outcome. a) Total runs for and against, the games played by the tied teams against each other. The bottom two teams will now play in a toilet bowl before playoffs start for prize. Teams in the regular playoffs can only find league substitutions from the bottom two teams up to a maximum of two players. These league substitutions can only sub for one team during playoffs, even if that team does not advance further. 28. Other regulations of the league All Players on the rosters must play a minimum of 5 regular season games to qualify for playoff action. All league players must be 18 years of age or older. Meetings must be attended by 1 rep from each team plus the executive. DOGS MUST BE ON LEASH, as per city by law. ALL ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES MUST BE CONCEALED IN CUPS OF TRAVEL MUGS. NO COZIES WILL BE ALLOWED, $25 FINE WILL BE GIVEN IF YOUR DRINKS ARE NOT CONCEALED. All other regulations and information is contained in the operating by laws of the City Limits Slow pitch league. The league executive reserves the right to review and amend any rules or regulations that may not be fulfilling their purpose or intent due to an oversight.