Rules
Welcome to the VIATeC Softball League!
These guidelines are provided to each team as a resource for the season. Included are timelines, rules of play and contact information.
If you have questions, email Ellen Henry at ehenry@viatec.ca
Introduction
League Objectives:
• To exercise and participate
• To “refresh” and learn new softball skills
• To compete in games with other teams
• To have FUN!!
This league is meant to be a fun way to bring the tech community together. Play will occur one night per week, Wednesdays, for a ten week period. No umpires are provided and it is expected that all players will bring a sense of fair play and cooperation to each game. A tournament will be held at the end of the season where all teams will play at least one game.
Team Representative Responsibilities:
• Put together your Team including alternates for when your regular players are unavailable (you can field up to 10 players for each game and need a minimum of 8)
• At least 3 players on each team for each game must be female
• Create a communication system between yourself and your players, especially for reminders before each game
• Order T-shirts if you are interested
• Arrive early for each game
• Winning team to email the score
• Let the league know of any changes - changes in representatives, contact information, change of address or phone number, etc.
Field Information:
We have booked Field #1 (Left Field) and Field #2 (Right Field) at Royal Oak Middle School for the following dates:
Wed Apr 21
Wed Apr 28
Wed May 5
Wed May 12
Wed May 19
Wed May 26
Wed Jun 2
Wed Jun 9
Wed Jun 16
Wed Jun 23
Game times are 5:30-7, and 7-8:30 pm. Please clear the field promptly so the next teams may play.
The school retains the right to cancel games if they deem the fields to be unsuitable for play. We will contact team representatives to advise of the game cancellation as soon as we have been informed by the school district. The league will make every effort to reschedule cancelled games where possible.
As we are playing on school property, we ask all teams to respect the policy of no alcohol being allowed on the grounds. Please take all your garbage with you and treat the fields with respect.
Player Guidelines:
• Arrive on time
• Bring your own glove
• Keep in mind this is a fun league with no umpires – a spirit of cooperation is essential
• Be aware of when and where your next team event will be held and give as much notice as possible if you are not able to play to allow your team rep to find a replacement
• Display Sportsmanship:
o The main intention of the rules is to prevent injury to players and to keep the game fun with a healthy level of competition.
o This is a community league wanting to create an environment that is enjoyable for all teams, no matter what their skill level.
o Rules can be bent if the intention is to create a good playing environment and more enjoyment for more people.
o Stay in the spirit of the league by having at least 9 players at each game. The main focus is intended to be fun.
Rules of Play
All rules will follow that of SPN Official Slo-Pitch Rules 2009 with the following changes and additions.
The Game:
1. No umpires are provided. The team at bat will provide calls in the spirit of fair play during their at bat in the inning. In the event of a dispute over a close/questionable play, a coin toss between each Team Captains will determine the final call.
2. A team may field no more than 10 players. There must be no less than 3 females at each game. One female must play in the infield and one must play in the outfield. The other females can play any position. A maximum of 7 males on the field at any time.
3. A default may be called if a team less than 8 people. If teams cannot field enough players to make the minimum team-size requirements, the two teams may still play a pick-up game that will not count for points.
4. Only the Pitcher and Catcher positions are permitted to be within 45 ft of the batter. A ball may only be fielded once it is past the dead ball zone. Only the Pitcher or Catcher are permitted to field the ball within 45 ft of home plate.
5. Outfielders and rover position are not permitted closer than 120 ft from home plate before a ball has been hit by the batter. This will be demarked by safety cones on the 1st and 3rd field lines in an arc across the field.
6. A game will last 6 innings or 80 minutes - whichever comes first. A game must end on a complete inning. Time slots are 5:30-7:00 and 7:00-8:30 pm. This allows 90 minutes for game play.
7. Regardless of when the game starts, it may not extend more than 5 min. into the next time slot.
8. No more than 5 runs may be scored per inning, except in the last inning.
9. In the last inning, if the home team is more than 10 runs behind, and time is limited, the game will be ended.
Field Layout
10. Distance between home plate and all bases is 60 feet.
11. Distance from Home to Second Base is 84’ 10”.
12. A non-standard mat (Home Plate Extension) will be provided by the league will be utilized. The mat and home plate will be the Strike Zone.
13. A second home “safety” plate is to be placed 8ft from and adjacent to home plate, in foul territory and in line with the first baseline and perpendicular to the third base line. If the second home plate or base cannot be used then a Safety line must be used instead. Base-runners running home must run to the safety plate/line only, behind the home plate.
14. A dead ball zone will be marked on the field in an Arc 15 ft from home plate between the 1st and 3rd baselines.
15. The Pitching zone will be marked on the field between 40 and 45 feet from Home plate in line with Second base.
16. A set of orange marking cones will be set out at 120 ft in line with the first and third base lines to demark the field lines for foul balls and define the outfield limit line.
17. A commitment line will be marked at 20 ft from home plate perpendicular to the 3rd base line.
General Playing Rules:
Base-running:
18. The ball is live on a hit and stays alive until such time as all attempts to throw out base-runners are completed and the ball is returned to the pitcher. The play is dead when the pitcher has control of the ball.
19. Base-runners cannot make any contact with a fielder while she/he is attempting to field the ball. In situations where contact is unavoidable, runners should slow their momentum. Runners must not try to “jar” the ball loose by running into a fielder, if this occurs the runner will be called out. Runners are permitted to dive back to a base in a situation where they overran second or third base.
20. Base-runners can go back to first base without being tagged out regardless of whether he/she turns left or right after she/he touches the bag. If the runner turns left, and makes/shows an attempt to go to second base and is not on base the runner can be tagged out.
21. All batters must run to first base (i.e. no pinch runners for the batter from home to first) following a hit. In a pinch runner situation, a player may be substituted at first base. In case of an injury to the batter, the team with the injured player can ask the opposing team for an exception to this rule so that there can be a pinch runner from home.
22. On an overthrow where the ball goes out of play all base-runners are awarded the base they were going toward plus one more. The award (given once the play is ruled dead) is determined from the time the ball left the fielder’s hand which caused the overthrow.
23. Fielders must not intentionally block bases especially if there is no play at their base. (Note: This is also dangerous as it may lead to collisions and injury.)
24. No base stealing allowed.
25. There is no leading off. If a base-runner leads off from a base before the batter makes contact with the ball, the base-runner will be called out. There will be no excuses.
26. The in-field fly rule is waived.
27. Sliding is allowed, except at first and home.
28. The catcher can only get the runner out by contacting home plate when they are in legal possession of the ball. If the base-runner touches the safety plate before the catcher touches home plate, the runner is safe. If both teams agree at the start of the game, a “Safety” line can be used instead of a safety plate. In that situation, runners going home would have to cross the Safety line (one foot across and on the ground) before the catcher caught the ball with his/her foot on home plate.
29. If the base runner passes the commitment line marked on the 3rd base line they are committed to proceed to the Safety Plate or Safety line at home plate. If the runner decides to go back to 3rd base they will be called out.
Pitching and Batting:
30. The Pitcher is provided by the team in the field. Pitching will occur from a Pitching zone marked on the field between 40 ft and 45 feet.
31. The Pitcher may begin the pitching motion from outside the 45 ft mark of the pitching zone. The Pitcher must release the ball no closer than 40 ft, and no further than 45 ft. For safety reasons the pitcher must not be closer than 40 ft when releasing the ball.
32. A Strike will be called when a pitched ball has a perceptible arc between 6 feet and 12 ft from the ground before it passes any part of home plate and lands on the plate or home plate extension mat, in the Strike Zone.
33. A Strike will be called for any pitch where the batter swings and misses.
34. The first 2 foul balls for a batter will count as strikes. The third foul ball for the batter does not count as strike.
35. A ball will be called for any pitch where the arc height is less than 6 ft or greater than 12 ft.
36. A ball will be called for any pitch that lands outside of the Strike Zone.
37. A batter is out after 3 strikes. After the batter receives 6 balls, the pitcher will give the batter the option to walk to 1st base. If the batter chooses to walk, existing base-runners will advance as necessary. If the batter chooses not to walk, the pitcher will continue pitching until the batter hits fair or strikes out. There will not be a second option to walk.
38. Bunting is not allowed. If a hit does not pass the dead ball zone into fair territory of the infield, the play will be dead. The batter and base-runners will not advance. The hit that becomes a dead ball does not count as a ball or strike.
39. If the bat makes contact with any pitched ball, whether the contact was intentional or not, fair and foul hit ball rules apply accordingly.
40. Batting order is determined by batting order scorebook list. Batting order must not have more than 3 male players in a row. Players arriving late may be added to the bottom of the list as substitutes.
41. Where a batting list contains 4 or more male players in a row, including rotation from bottom to top of the list, the team at bat will have an automatic out where a female player should be in the order (after every 3rd male player).
42. All attending players can bat whether they play in the field or not. Players bat in regular order regardless of whether they played the inning before.
43. There is no batter’s box. if a batter is hit by any pitched ball where the pitch is within Strike Zone the pitch will be ruled a strike. There are no walks if the batter is hit with a pitch.