A League Of Our Own 2018 Softball League Rules 1. Age groups for teams are as follows: 8U 10U 12U 2. Cut-off date on the girl's age is January 1st of the current year. 3. A player must play in the town she attended school or lived during this current school year. A team may pick up a player from another town if that town is not in the league or if that player's town is in the league but does not have a team in the player's age group. In cases where a player's town offers a team in the player's age group, a signed and dated release from the town's current president and the current league president must be obtained. This release must be used in extreme cases only. 4. Each team coach must have and is responsible for furnishing a copy of birth certificates for each player on the team roster. In the event that a player is in State custody/out of home placement and the guardians are unable to furnish a birth certificate to the coach, they may use court documents to prove the player s age. The coach must be ready to provide each player's birth certificate or court document at any regular season or tournament game. Failure to provide either document for a player who has participated in the game, will automatically forfeit the game. League Dates/Rules 1. A maximum of 15 girls on a roster. The league president may make an exception to accept a roster larger than 15 if notified prior to final league roster due date. Each team must submit a beginning roster of players (names and dates of birth) along with the registration fee of $100.00 and final team roster to the league president by April 20, 2018. If not provided that team will NOT be eligible for league play. The final roster is due to the league president at this time. Once a player has been placed on a team roster, she cannot be moved to another team roster. It will be up to each individual team to decide whether or not that town will purchase team insurance. It is not mandatory to have team insurance to play in any game and/or the league tournament. 2. A team must have a minimum of seven (7) players from their original team roster, players from teams of the same age or younger may be brought up to make a complete team of 9 players during a regular season game. No player brought up may play the pitcher position. During tournament play, a player may be placed on a roster for one team only. NO PLAYING UP OR PLAYING FOR ANOTHER TEAM DURING TOURNAMENT PLAY. 3. Every girl on a team roster will play at least one full inning of each complete game. An inning consists of 3 offensive outs and 3 defensive outs. Exception to this rule is if the game ends in a
run rule less than 4 innings; it is up to the coach to make every effort to play everyone. Failure to do this will result in an automatic forfeit. If all players have played and injury/illness occurs that prevents a player from finishing the game, a free substitution for the player will apply. This applies to all league and tournament games. 4. If a girl is being disciplined for missing practice or other reasons, it is to the coach's discretion to exclude her from the roster of that game. The coach must inform the opposing coach at the time the roster is given before the start of the game. 5. All rescheduling of games is the responsibility of the two coaches, if no satisfactory date can be reached - the league president will set a date. *24 Hour notice needs to be given when canceling or re-scheduling any games that are not weather related. 6. All league and tournament games will require at least one registered ASA or OSSAA certified softball umpire on the field. Home teams will furnish and pay umpires. If the umpire has not arrived 15 minutes after game time, the home team has the option to forfeit or agree to play at a later date at the opposing team's field, and will be responsible for paying the umpires of their choice. Final tournament games for 10U and 12U divisions will require two ASA or OSSAA certified softball umpires. 7. Any protest of a game or umpire must be filed in writing (no phone calls) to the league president within 72 hours after the game. The protest will be brought before the board of governors which consist of the outgoing, the current and the incoming league presidents if they are not the petitioning president. In that case, it will be the next in line from number 11 below; a $25.00 protest fee will apply at the time and is non-refundable. 8. Each team should arrive 30 minutes prior to game time. If a team has not arrived by 15 minutes after the scheduled game time, a forfeit is declared against the no show team. 9. If a town has two teams in a particular age division it is up to the individual team scheduler along with the opponent team to determine which team will play first at the scheduling meeting. 10. No profanity of any sort from anyone, including coaches, players or spectators will be tolerated. NO drug or alcohol use allowed on the property of the game field. This will lead to being removed from the game and/or field. 11. League tournament play will be in the following order: Rush Springs - 2018 Sterling - 2019 Fletcher - 2020 Apache - 2021 Cyril - 2022 Elgin - 2023
12. Trophies for tournaments: A. Individual trophies or medals for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place in each division will be awarded. B. The maximum of 15 trophies per team unless an exception was made by the league president prior to the tournament. C. Individual trophies or medals will be given to the team with BEST LEAGUE RECORD in each division. 13. Umpire must sign home team score book. GAME RULES 1. ASA rules will apply except those listed below. 2. Base distances are 60 feet for all age groups. 3. Pitching distances are: A. 8U - 35 ft. from home plate B. 10U - 35 ft. C. 12U - 40ft. 4. 8U and 10U will use 11" yellow balls with red stitch ASA/USSSA approved with core of.47 or less. 12U will use 12" yellow balls with red stitch ASA/USSSA approved with a core of.47. HOME TEAMS MUST FURNISH 2 NEW GAME BALLS PER GAME. During the tournament, each team must furnish one new game ball to the umpire per game. 5. The double base will be used at first base for 10U and 12U play. The base should be 15" by 30" and can be any color combination. Half the base is over fair territory and half the base is in foul territory. It should be not more than 5" in thickness. Refer to ASA rules for rule use. 6. All batters, base runners, and on-deck batters must wear a helmet with face shield. The face shield need not be NOCSE certified. 7. Catchers must wear all protective equipment including throat protector. A hockey style mask will negate the need for the throat protector. 8. In-field fly rule will apply for 12U. 9. 10U & 12U dropped third strike the batter can try to advance to 1st base. 10. 8U and 10U will play 5 inning games with a maximum of 5 runs per inning, no open innings, and a 1 hour and 15 min. time limit. 11. 12U will play 6 innings with a maximum of 7 runs per inning, no open innings, and a 1 1/2 hour time limit. 12. 8U and 10U will play the full 5 innings during the championship game in the league tournament. 12U will play the full 7 innings as well during the championship game in the league tournament.
13. 8U, 10U, and 12U - If all teams have 10 available players, the tenth player (Rover) will be used in the outfield in the game. If one team has only 9 available, the other team must play 9 as well. Both coaches & umpire have to agree with the number of players for that game. 14. All games, including 8U, 10U and 12U, that are tied at the end of regulation play will play one extra inning. If still tied, international tie-breaker will be used. (International tie-breaker rule - The last batter from the previous inning is placed on 2nd to start the inning. This is not sudden death. Each team has an opportunity to bat in each inning and whoever has the most runs at the end of the inning is the winner). 15. No one will be permitted on the playing field except players, coaches, and umpires, unless a player is injured in a game. 16. 10U can steal any base after pitch, including home. 17. The umpire must call the game in the standard position behind the catcher for 10U and 12U divisions. (Added 2018) 18. All other rules will be governed by ASA rules. Specific 8U Machine Pitch Rules 1. Each batter will receive three (3) strikes or (5) pitches. Each pitch will count even if the batter does not swing. Foul balls count as pitches but you can have unlimited fouls on the last pitch. 2. If the pitch is outside the strike zone it will be called "NO PITCH" and adjustments to the machine may be ordered by the umpire. A coach can request a machine to be adjusted but it must be done at the top of an inning. 3. The umpire will determine the strike zone. 4. The dropped third strike ball rule does not apply. 5. There will be no walks. 6. If the hit ball strikes the pitching machine, it will be called a dead ball. The batter will advance to first base. Other runners will advance ONLY if forced by the runner behind them. 7. If the batted ball hits the pitching coach, it is a dead ball, batter takes first base and other runners advance only if forced. Unless, the umpire judges the coach interfered with the play then interference rule applies. 8. If a thrown ball accidentally hits the pitching coach it is a dead ball and the runners stop on the base they were headed to. If the umpire determines the coach interfered with the play then interference rule applies. If the umpire determines the ball was intentionally thrown by a player to stop the play, the ball will be considered live. 9. A runner can advance/steal only one base per pitch. If they attempt to steal a 2nd base on the same pitch, they are liable to be put out. At end of play, if the runner is safe and has advanced more than one base, the umpire will return the runner to the correct base. 10. Runners can advance home only on a hit ball. 11. Runners can lead off base when ball LEAVES the machine. Runners advance only when ball is hit.
12. Bases are 60 feet. 13. Ten players will be allowed on the field at a time. If one team only has nine players, then both teams must play with nine. 14. Pitching rubber will be set at 35 feet. 15. The pitching machine will be set on the pitching rubber with the back leg touching or in contact with the rubber. 16. Speed of machine will be set at 35 mph on machines with dial/digital settings. Any machine without dial/digital speed settings must be set to speed by both teams agreeing that the machine's speed is 35 mph. If teams are unable to make an agreement, the umpire will set the speed. 17. Ball will become dead when returned to the pitcher or by umpires discretion. The runners advance if passed the half-way mark when umpire rules ball dead or ball is thrown to the pitcher. 18. The circle will be 8 feet in diameter with a 3 foot chalk line marked parallel with the machine on each side. No one other than the coach is inside the circle during the pitch. The pitcher is to stay BEHIND the 3 foot lines until the ball is batted. Pitcher can stand on either side of the circle as long as she is behind the lines. Below is a diagram of how the pitching circle must be marked for each game by the home team. 19. Teams with 12 or less players must bat all players consecutively. Teams with more than 12 players must substitute the remaining players into the lineup. All players still must have at the minimum of 3 offensive outs and 3 defensive outs. 20. Bunting is allowed. A player may square to bunt and pull back. A bunt that is fouled on the third strike or fifth pitch results in the batter being out. 21. Slashing is NOT allowed. A batter CAN NOT square to bunt, pull back, and then either hit or bunt the ball. If the batter does this, she will be called out. No runners advance. 22. Ball lands/stops in circle it's a dead ball. Runner may advance one base. 23. Pitcher can reach in the circle and retrieve ball ONLY if it is arm's length. IF pitcher's steps in the circle when the ball is hit, it is considered a dead ball. 8 Diameter (4 ) (4 )