Softball Rules SMU Intramurals Any rule not specifically covered will be governed in accordance with the USSSA Softball Rules. Modifications have been made to suit the Southern Methodist University Intramural Program. Rule 1: Eligibility Any individual with an active Dedman Center membership is eligible to participate in intramurals. This includes all full time students enrolled at SMU and faculty, staff, alumni, and community members who have purchased a Dedman Center membership. Additional parameters are set for collegiate and professional players: Varsity Athletes: Current varsity Baseball/Softball athletes are ineligible to compete in intramural softball. A varsity athlete s status is determined by the official roster after the team s first contest of the year. Former varsity Baseball/Softball athletes must sit out for a full academic year prior to participating in that intramural softball. Professional Athletes: Professional Baseball/Softball athletes are ineligible to compete in intramural Softball. Once a professional Baseball/Softball athlete completes their career, they must wait two academic years prior to participating in intramural softball. Identification: All intramural participants must present their SMU ID at every game to intramural staff in order to check in for play. If a participant does not have their SMU ID, but already appear on the roster, they may check in utilizing any state issued ID. Social media sites will not be an acceptable form of check in for intramural play. If a participant attempts to utilize an ID that does not belong to them, it will be confiscated by intramural staff. The rightful owner may come to the game site or the intramural office to pick up their ID. Each participant involved must meet with the Assistant Director of Intramurals and Sport Clubs in order to discuss further participation in the intramural program. Rule 2: Leagues Open: Teams may be comprised of any gender ratio. A player may only compete on one open team. CoRec: Teams must meet a pre-determined on field/court gender ratio dependent upon the sport. Participants may only compete on one CoRec team. Rule 3: Equipment Athletic attire is required Jewelry is not allowed; including necklaces, wedding rings, bracelets, etc. Gym shoes or molded rubber cleats are allowed as well as hard plastic cleats. No metal cleats. All players must wear closed-toe shoes. Rubber, cloth, or elastic bands may be used to control hair. Hard items such as beads, barrettes, and bobby pins are not permitted. A guard, cast, or brace made of hard and unyielding leather, plaster, pliable plastic, metal, or any other hard substance, even though covered with foam padding, is not permitted on the finger, hand, wrist, forearm, or elbow. Knee and ankle braces that are unaltered from the manufacturer s original design/production shall be permitted and do not require additional padding. 1
Knee and ankle braces that are altered from the manufacturer s original design/production shall be permitted as long as they are soft and yielding or all exposed metal and other hard parts are padded with at least ½-inch foam rubber (or ¼ inch closed cell, slow recovery foam rubber). Hats, caps, visors, bandanas, or any head attire is allowed. The Intramural Office will provide bases, bats, and balls for each scheduled contest. Teams may use their own bats provided that the bat: o Is not more than 34 inches in length or exceed 38 ounces. o Has a safety grip of cork or tape. o Is marked as an "Official Softball Bat" by the manufacturer. o Meets all other specifications according to USSSA rules. o For a list of approved bats view the USSSA website or contact the intramural office. Rule 4: Team Captain Responsibilities Roster Management Minimum of 8 players Maximum of 20 players on the roster Add/Delete Players from roster Player eligibility Communication with Team SMU ID check-in policy (NO ID NO PLAY) Game time and location Rules Intramural policies and procedures Sportsmanship Communication with Intramurals Represent team at each contest Review schedule online Turn in Playoff Conflicts Represent team at captain s meetings File any protests regarding rule interpretation or eligibility Share concerns and/or questions Rule 5: Players Each team consists of ten (10) players. A team may start a contest with as few as eight (8) players. If a team plays with 8 or 9 players they do not have to take automatic outs. The Extra Player (EP) rule will be used. o If a team uses the EP, only ten (10) players play the field but eleven (11) are allowed to bat. A different ten (10) can play the field each inning provided the same batting order is kept. o Bat the bench teams will be able to bat the bench if they have additional players. At the beginning of the game a lineup must be turned in with all players listed in order. This order must be maintained through the entire game. 2
Substitutions The captain making the substitution will immediately notify the plate umpire when the sub enters. A player shall be officially in the game when his/her name has been entered on the score sheet. An illegal substitute is handled as a protest by the umpire or opposing team. If batting the bench, substitutions will be free but the batting order must remain the same. Re-entry o Any of the starting players may be withdrawn and re-entered provided the player occupies the same batting position whenever in the line-up. o Violation of the re-entry rule will result in the use of an ineligible player. Players have unlimited re-entry opportunities, provided they follow the re-entry rules. Rule 6: Forfeits/Defaults In order to keep the intramural schedule running on time, game time is forfeit time. The team or individual present may choose to give the opponent additional time to arrive, however the game clock will start. If the opponent arrives, the game will be played in the time remaining. Once the game is started, the result will be the official score. Any team forfeiting/defaulting two scheduled contests in a major sport will be dropped from further competition in that sport. A forfeit fee of $25 will be charged to the team captain for all contests in which his/her team forfeits during the season. The team will not be permitted to continue play until the forfeit fee is paid and the captain will be suspended from all intramural play until the fee is paid. Teams may default one contest per season by contacting the intramural office (intramurals@smu.edu or (214) 768-3367) by 3 p.m. on the day of their scheduled contest for week day games or by 5 p.m. on the Friday before a weekend contest. You will receive a loss for this contest but not be charged a forfeit fee. The Intramural Office will make decisions concerning weather related cancellations two hours before the first scheduled contest for each day. Captains/players should call (214)SMU-PLAY (214)768-7529 in order to get daily rain out information. NO TEAMS WILL BE CALLED. Rule 7: Protests If a team or individual believes that an intramural sport rule or eligibility policy has been violated, they have an opportunity to immediately protest. If it is a rule protest, the team captain or individual must notify the officiating crew immediately that they wish to protest that play. If the desire to protest is not made known to the officiating crew prior to the next play, then the protest cannot be made. If it is an eligibility policy protest, the team captain or individual must make the protest prior to the completion of the contest. If the protest is made after the contest, the score will stand, but the player will still be subject to review by the intramural office for any sanctions. o Exception: If an ineligible player plays in a championship game, if it is protested within 24 hours of the contest, the championship team will be stripped of their title. The runner up will be recognized as the champion. 3
A rule protest will be resolved by the supervisor on duty and a report will be filed with the game time and situation recorded, as well as the resolution to the protest. All protests will be reviewed the next day in the intramural office; if the protest was incorrectly resolved the game may be replayed from the point of interruption by the protest. Rule 8: Play Start of Contest Play shall be governed by USSSA Rules except where special Intramural Rules apply. A game consists of seven (7) innings or fifty (50) minutes whichever comes first. o No new innings can begin after the fifty (50) minute time limit has expired. o An inning that begins prior to the fifty (50) minute time limit will be completed. The choice of "home" and "visitor" (first or last bat in the inning) shall be decided by a coin toss. The team roster and batting order must be listed on the score sheet prior to the game. Games may end in a tie during the regular season. No extra innings will be played. In case of rain, four (4) or 3 ½ innings (if the home team is ahead) will constitute a complete game Pitching The pitcher shall take a position with one foot firmly on the ground and with at least one foot in contact with, but not on the side of, the pitcher's plate. The pivot foot must remain in contact with the pitcher's plate until the pitched ball leaves the hand. The pitch shall be released at a moderate speed. The speed is left entirely up to the umpire's judgment. The pitcher's hand must be below their hip when the ball is released. The ball must be delivered with a perceptible arc, and reach a height of at least six (6) feet from the ground while not exceeding a maximum of twelve (12) feet. Any pitch outside of these perimeters will be considered an illegal pitch, and called a ball. The umpire should immediately call illegal pitch and the batter may choose whether or not to swing. Any pitch that first contacts home plate will be called a ball. Any pitch that first contacts the strike plate it will be called a strike. Batting Batters will enter the box with a "1-1" count. A batter will be allowed one foul with two strikes, a second foul with two strikes will be an out. The batter is out and base runners may not advance if: o The batter steps across or on home plate. o The batter enters the batters box with an illegal bat. o The batter bunts the ball (It is considered a bunt any time the batter holds the bat over the plate and allows the ball to hit the bat, no matter how the bat was put into the position). The infield fly rule will apply. This rule states that the batter is automatically out when an infield fly is hit with runners on first and second, or first, second, and third bases, with less than two outs. An infield fly is any ball that can be caught with ordinary effort by an infielder. Scoring A run is scored when a base runner legally touches home plate prior to the last out of an inning. o Exception: If the third out of an inning is a force play, no runs shall be counted during that hit. 4
Mercy Rule If a team is ahead 25 runs after two innings the game shall be called. If a team is ahead by 10 runs after 5 innings (or 4.5 if the home team is ahead) the game shall be called. Out of Play If a batted fair ball leaves the playing area a ground rule double will be awarded. If a thrown ball leaves the field of play, runners will be allowed the base they were trying to attain plus one. Base Running Runners cannot lead off or steal bases. The runner cannot leave a base until the pitched ball crosses home plate or is contacted by the batter. A runner is out when he/she is struck with a fairly batted ball before it passes through the infield, excluding the pitcher. Base runners are responsible for avoiding collisions with fielders anytime the fielder is making a play on the ball. This includes fielding or throwing the ball and catching a thrown ball. If the base runner does not try to avoid a collision they are liable to an ejection at the officials'/supervisors discretion. A base runner may not charge with great force into the defensive player hoping to dislodge the ball. The base runner will be called out, and if the action is flagrant, may be ejected from the game. Any fielder not making a play on the ball is liable to ejection from the game if they interfere with a base runner. (This includes "run down" situations). Appeals An appeal play is a play on which an umpire cannot make a decision until requested by a captain, coach, or player. The appeal must be made before the next pitch. The ball must be returned to the pitcher, he/she indicates to the umpire that they are appealing, then verbalizes the incident being appealed. Rule 9: Sportsmanship Unsportsmanlike Conduct A Conduct warning will be assessed to any individual who commits the following actions: Refusal to comply or abide by the request or decision of an official Unsporting conduct on or off the court Participate while wearing illegal equipment Any persistent use of vulgar or profane language Any disorderly conduct to the opposing players The team may receive a conduct warning for spectator behavior Ejection An ejection will be assessed to any individual who commits the following actions: Unsporting conduct 5
Violent conduct Vulgar language directed at the official(s) Non-Softball play Flagrant play with intent to injure Receives a second Conduct warning Intentionally contacting an official Fighting an opponent A player receiving an ejection must be removed from the game. The player must leave the facility immediately. Rule 10: CoRec Modifications Number of Players A game may start with 8 players, as long as they stay within the maximum limits of men/women. The male/female, female/male ratio in the field can be 4/4, 5/4, or 5/5 Batting All players who take a fielding position must be in the batting order. Batting order must alternate between males and females. Should two men be forced to bat consecutively an out will be assessed for the female spot in the order. Bat the bench if a CoRec team with an uneven number of female and male players would like to bat the bench, two line ups must be given to the umpire before the game. One line up will be for women and one for men. The lineups will be independent of each other. This only applies to teams with more than 10 players. If a man is walked while batting they will always advance to second base. When there are two outs and a man is walked the woman following him has the option to automatically walk or hit. Substitutions/Fielding Rules Substitutions must be man for man or woman for woman. If only playing with 8 or 9 players, you must at least field a catcher. Three (3) outfielders must remain behind the 150 foot restraining line until the ball is hit. The fourth outfielder may play in front of the line. Rule 11: Playoffs Teams who do not forfeit/default more than once during a season AND have a minimum 3.0 sportsmanship rating average will qualify for playoffs. The sportsmanship rating average is based on the regular season contests. Playoffs consist of a single elimination bracket for each league. Games will be scheduled on Sundays between the hours of 5:30 and 10:30 p.m. and Tuesday between the hours of 6:30 and 10:30 p.m. Captains will have an opportunity to provide their teams conflicts through IMLeagues. While the intramural office cannot guarantee that all conflicts can be avoided, it will do it s best to accommodate team schedules. For any questions regarding the intramural basketball rules, please contact the intramural office at (214) 768-3367 or by email at intramurals@smu.edu. 6