Oak Park & River Frest 14U/Senirs Sftball League Rulebk 2014 United States Specialty Sprts Assciatin (USSSA) Official Fastpitch Rules & By-Laws apply except where mdified by Huse League rules belw. Link t 2013 USSSA Rules: http://www.usssa.cm/usssa/usssa-general/2013fprules.pdf Overall League Philsphy and Purpses The OPRF Girls 14U/Senirs Sftball league was created t encurage participatin by all girls 14 and under frm Oak Park and River Frest schls wh desire t cntinue playing in a cmpetitive league, withut the cmmitment required by travel teams. While teams strive t win, caches are t cnduct themselves and run their teams within the cncepts f the Psitive Caching Alliance. All players present fr a game will play in the game. We encurage that all players play the field fr at least three innings. We als encurage teams t mve players and rest catchers (at least ne inning) t ensure that players are nt verused ver the curse f the seasn. Eligibility League age is determined by age n birthday in previus year. Girls whse 14 th birthday was n r between January 1 st and December 31 st f the previus year are cnsidered league age 14 fr the current huse league sftball seasn. Girls wh are league age 14 and yunger are eligible fr the 14U league. Example: Fr 2014, girls brn in 1999 r 2000 are eligible fr 14U. In additin, advanced yunger players may play up t this league. The League There is a League President frm bth Oak Park and River Frest wh wrk tgether t manage the league. The number f teams will vary frm year t year, based n the number f girls enrlled in the league. Each team will have between 11 and 15 players (with a target f 13-14 per team), with girls divided evenly amng teams. They will play in ne divisin. All teams cmpete fr the 14U Champinship in a single-eliminatin playff turnament at the end f the regular seasn. Mandatry evaluatins are held at Cncrdia University the first tw weekends in February. The purpse is t help evenly allcate players acrss teams. This is nt a try-ut. ALL girls wh sign up will be n a team. In 2014, evaluatin dates are Sunday, February 2 nd and Sunday, February 9 th.
A sltting meeting and draft meeting will ccur after evaluatins t help evenly place the players based n evaluatin scres, maintain an equal split f Oak Park and River Frest players per team and spread ut the High Schl players. The regular seasn cnsists f 16 games scheduled fr each team. A minimum f 12 cmplete games are necessary fr seeding in the playff turnament. A cmplete game is defined as a win, lss r tie. If a team has nt cmpleted 12 games by the end f the regular seasn, the games that were nt played are cunted as a lss in calculating the team s winning percentage. Each team must play each ther at least twice, (with at least ne game hme and ne game away). This rule shuld guide the scheduling f necessary make-up games t reach twelve games in ttal. Schedule The seasn starts mid-april and will be cmplete by July 4 th. Game schedules are created by the League Presidents using the vended league management sftware and psted at http://www.quickscres.cm/orgs/index.php?orgdir=pybs r can be accessed via a link frm the Oak Park Yuth Baseball and Sftball website: www.pybs.rg If games need t be rescheduled due t cancellatin r pstpnement related t weather, darkness r therwise directed by the league, teams shuld cntact the OP and RF League Presidents t wrk ut anther date, time and lcatin, as well as secure an umpire. In case f games where ne r bth teams wish t reschedule NOT related t cancellatins r pstpnements due t weather, darkness r therwise directed by the league, the Manager f bth teams must agree t the alternate date and then wrk with the League Presidents. If bth teams d nt agree, the game will prceed at the regularly scheduled date and time. Failure t play n that date will result in a frfeit by the nn-attending team(s) and cunt as a lss. Mst games will be played at Keystne Park (RF). A few will be held at Willard (RF), and there may be sme at Ruby Field in Melrse Park r at Cncrdia (RF). The playffs will cnsist f a single-eliminatin frmat, with ne champinship game at the end f the seasn. Befre the seasn ends, an all-star game will be held. Weather and Field Cnditins Field Clsures The Park District f River Frest maintains a htline fr field cnditins. If yu are cncerned abut whether a game will be cancelled, please call the htline at 708.802.1314. Cancellatin r Pstpnement f Games When there is inclement weather prir t game time, the League President will cmmunicate a decisin t the Managers an hur befre scheduled games. If games are nt cancelled an hur befre, expect t play. The Park District status f fields supersedes any decisin f the League Presidents (i.e. a field status is changed t clsed less than an hur befre game). Further decisins at game time and during play are the discretin f umpire r league fficials. If a game is cancelled r if the umpire pstpnes it during play, caches shuld fllw the prcedures defined under the Schedule sectin abve. Thunder and Lightning Guidelines
Play is terminated and shelter shuld be sught when lightning is 6 miles away r flash-t-bang time is 30 secnds r less. T use the flash-t-bang methd, cunt the secnds frm the time lightning is sighted t when the clap f thunder is heard. Divide this number by 5 t btain hw many miles away the lightning is ccurring. If lightning is seen, all must wait in a safe area fr 30 minutes after the last lightning flash, r fr 15 minutes fr the sund f thunder befre resuming a game. Safe waiting areas include fully enclsed vehicles with windws rlled up. Umpires will seek shelter in a vehicle with a cach r player s family if they d nt have their wn vehicle. All must stay away frm metal bjects like fences, equipment bxes and bleachers. Avid trees and pen fields. In the event smene is struck by lightning, call 9-1-1 immediately. Each time lightning is bserved r thunder is heard, the 30 r 15 minute waiting perid shuld start ver. If the lightning has nt passed after 45 minutes frm the first lightning flash, the Umpire will call the game. The Umpire The umpire is an emplyee f River Frest Yuth Baseball/Sftball and the ultimate authrity n the field. All decisins by the umpire are final. The decisins f the umpire shuld nt be challenged in an attempt t pressure r intimidate him/her in t changing a call. If a cach disagrees with the call, s/he shuld demnstrate gd sprtsmanship and discuss the situatin with the league president after the game. It is a felny in the State f Illinis t threaten r accst an umpire in a yuth sprts game. Equipment Caches and players must treat league equipment with care and respect. An umpire may eject a player fr thrwing equipment (regardless f if it is the league s equipment r their wn). The catcher must wear full equipment at all times when playing defense n the field. Batters and base runners must wear a batting helmet with face mask and always begin an ffensive play wearing it. The hme team will prvide the game ball. The umpire has discretin t withhld permissin t use a privately-wned bat if there is safety cncern. Unifrms Players are required t wear the league-issued jersey, sftball pants and visr during games. Any unifrm alteratins r mdificatins shuld be in gd taste and dne in a similar manner by all players n the team. During inclement weather, players are encuraged t wear sweatshirts, thermal shirts, etc. under their jersey. Jackets r sweatshirts ver the jersey are permissible, but shuld be clrcrdinated s players the difference between ffensive and defensive players in the field is easily identifiable by the umpire. N metal spikes r metal cleats. Jewelry is permissible, but nt anything lse r hanging and can be asked t be remved at the umpire s discretin. Hair shuld be secured ut f a player s eyes fr her wn safety and the safety f ther players. Muth guards, chin straps and pitching face guards are encuraged, but nt required.
The Game The league will be fast-pitch style, using a 12 inch regulatin sftball. All games will be seven innings, unless they exceed tw hurs. If a game exceeds 2 hurs, teams will cmplete the inning being played when the 2 hur limit was exceeded. After the inning is cmpleted, the game will be cnsidered ver. If an inning can t be cmpleted in the alltted time, the scre will revert t the last cmpleted inning. N new inning shuld be started after the 1 hur, 45 minute pint. There will be a seven run limit per inning, except fr the seventh inning which will be unlimited. If darkness, late start r weather cnditins threaten the length f a game, the tw caches may agree t invke the unlimited inning earlier in the game. This is ptinal and must be agreed t by bth caches, with the cncurrence f the umpire. In the event a game is called by the umpire (it is always the umpire s call) n accunt f rain, lightning, darkness, r ther reasn the fllwing rules apply: If fur innings were cmpleted, it will be a cmplete game, even if it is a tie. If the fifth r later inning was started and nt cmpleted when the game is called, the scre will revert t the last full inning (bth teams batted) and the winner declared. If a game is called befre it is a cmpleted game (i.e. befre fur cmplete innings r slaughter rule) the game will resume frm the pint at which it was suspended (bth team shuld nte in screbk) until it is a regulatin game (if the game figures in the final standings). Screkeepers fr each team shuld cmpare and cnfirm scres between each inning and update the umpire. The winning cach shuld submit the scre n QuickScres after every game. The Field Bases will be set at 60 feet apart, measured (fr first and third base) frm the apex f hme plate t the back edge f base (clsest t utfield). Duble first base a safety base will be placed next t first base in ful territry. Runners shuld aim fr that base; fielders shuld utilized the base in play. Pitching distance is 43 feet, measured frm apex f hme plate t frnt f pitching rubber. Specific Rules Teams are required t have a minimum f eight players fr the entire game. If the eighth player is injured and cannt cntinue, the game is frfeited. T avid a frfeit, and nly t avid a frfeit, a Team Manager may cntact a player frm the Girls 12U (OP) r Majrs Divisin (RF) wh is eligible t play-up t the Girls 14U/Senirs Divisin fr this replacement purpse. N later than 5PM the day f a game (even thugh the day befre is much preferred), a Team Manager shuld ntify League Presidents frm Oak Park and River Frest that they intend t call up. The Team Manager can nly call up enugh girls t field a team f 10 r 11. In the case f day-f-game callups, the Team Manager shuld als ntify the ppsing cach f the ptential fr a frfeit.
This prcedure is subject t the fllwing cnditins: The replacement player cannt play the pitching r catching psitin. The replacement player is ineligible if playing-up, in any way whatsever, by chice r nt, prevents them frm playing at any time within their regular Divisin r League. The replacement player is nt allwed t play defensively in any game fr lnger than any regular player n the team. The replacement player is required t bat last in the batting rtatin. A replacement player is t wear the unifrm f their regular team t identify themselves n the field as a replacement player. A replacement player may nly be utilized with their parent's permissin fr a ttal f 3 times per seasn. It is the Team Manager s respnsibility t email the League Presidents frm bth Oak Park and River Frest and identify which replacement player they used fr each game. LPs will email caches the name f a player wh has reached her maximum number f call-ups. In the event that a team des nt have nine players, the ninth spt in the batting rder is an autmatic ut. Batting rders are cntinuus, as ppsed t "substitutin". Players wh arrive late t games are autmatically placed at the bttm f the rder, regardless f where in the rder the team is at the time f the arrival. A curtesy runner will be required fr catchers after tw uts. The runner will be the last player t be called ut. Stealing is allwed fr all bases, but n leadffs. On clse plays at hme, runners are required t avid cllisins, r they may be called ut at the discretin f the umpire. All players are encuraged, but nt required t wear sliding pants/pads. Stealing is permitted after the ball leaves the pitchers hand. Pitching: 1. Teams are required t pitch at least tw pitchers fr an fficial game (i.e. in fur innings). 2. The maximum number f innings fr ne pitcher is fur. 3. A pitcher cannt pitch mre than 3 innings in a rw. One (1) pitch in an inning is cnsidered a pitched inning. 4. The pitcher cannt return t the game as a pitcher unless three defensive uts have been made. 5. There are n pitch cunt limits. 6. Pitchers may return t the game nce EXCEPT if the game ges int extra innings. In extra innings, a pitcher can cme back a 3 rd time BUT she cannt pitch mre than 4 innings ttal. Fr example, the pitcher culd pitch the 2 nd inning, 4 th and 5 th and then cme back t pitch in the 8 th. 7. A pitcher will be pulled autmatically if they hit three batters in an inning. If a pitcher hits fur batters, she will be pulled frm the game as a pitcher. She can play ther psitins. Dead Ball -- Balls ff the fences and backstps are in play. If the ball crsses the "extended line f the fence", it is a dead ball and the runner shall be entitled t the base she is ging t plus an additinal base, if the umpire deems it s. The "extended line f the fence" applies t the fence immediately in frnt f r behind the player's bench, whichever extends further tward the utfield. In the case f a trapped ball under a fence, etc., the umpire will declare a "dead ball" and award bases t runners as he determines apprpriate.