Rules & Regs (SoftBALL)

General Rules and Safety Guidelines

1) The field will consist of 10 players (6 infielders and 4 outfielders), 5 of which will be each gender. The pitcher may be a non-batting, non-fielding participant. The batting team will provide its own pitcher.

2) Your batting order must alternate girl/boy or boy/girl and cannot have 2 or more of either gender batting consecutively.

3) Teams must provide all of their own equipment (e.g. helmets, bats, and practice balls). Game balls will be provided. The game ball used in all games will be an 11” softie ball (e.g. NC11S Training Ball, Jugs Softie Training Ball).

4) Use of helmets for batters, pitchers and base runners is MANDATORY. A minimum of 5 helmets is needed per team. It is also mandatory that the catcher wear a facemask and chest protector. The mask can be removed once the ball is put in play. For protection, the pitcher must wear a glove, helmet, and mask. A player may wear any type of ball glove for any position.

5) Rubber or hard plastic cleats are encouraged. Steel cleats are not permitted. Any player doing so will be asked to leave the field to change into proper footwear. A substitution will need to be made in order for this to happen. The game will not be delayed.

6) Athletic pants are recommended, but shorts may be worn. However, if a player intends on sliding, proper attire is required. Jewellery is not to be worn.

7) There will be NO throwing of the bat. If the bat is deemed by the umpire to be thrown, the batter is to be called OUT and no base runners may advance. Teams should designate a person to remove the bat from the home plate area after each at-bat.

8) Players cannot not slide into first base in an attempt to beat out the throw (if they round first, they are allowed to slide back). Sliding across the safety line at home is also not permitted.

9) Players are to remain back of the playing field or scorekeeper’s area while waiting for or watching play. Stay well back of the base paths and away from the home base area. Warm-up well away from heavy traffic areas. The batting team is permitted to have a first and third base coach on the field. Coaches should remain in the dugout when their team is fielding.

10) Players must wear identifiable numbers on their jerseys for the scorer’s benefit. Captains must have “C” on their jersey, as only captains so identified may approach the umpires at appropriate times (this includes coaches).

11) No player or coach will be allowed to dispute an umpire’s discretion call. If the interpretation of tournament rules is questioned, clarification may be sought from the official through the team captain. The official may decide to call the convenor. If a player or coach is considered by an umpire or a convenor to be “unsporting”, that person may be disqualified from the game or tournament by the convenor.

12) The umpire or scorekeeper will call out the score after each half inning. If there is a discrepancy in the score, it must be resolved prior to play resuming. If the score is not called out, coaches are welcome to ask for the score before play resumes.

13) Choice of field or bat will be determined by a coin flip (or rock, paper, scissors if a coin is not available) during round robin play. During playoff games, the higher ranked team will get the choice of taking the field or batting first. If it is not clear who the higher ranked team is during the playoffs (e.g. 1st Pool A vs. 1st Pool B), a coin toss will be used.

14) All round robin games, quarter final, and consolation games will be 4 innings long. Semi-finals and finals will be 5 innings long. Round robin games can end in ties. Consolation games can end in ties unless a winner is needed. If a tie occurs during a playoff game, additional innings are played until the tie is broken. If the home team is in the lead after the top half of the last inning, the bottom half need not be played. Walk-offs can occur where the home team wins the game in the bottom of the last inning once ahead in the score (If the batting team takes the lead in the bottom half of the last inning, 3 outs are not required as the fielding team will not have the opportunity to tie the score).

Game Play Rules

1) The batter is allowed only 3 pitches to hit a fair ball. Failing to do so, the batter is out and the base runners may NOT advance. In order to make contact with the ball, the batter must remain in the batter’s box. A ball hitting the ground before reaching the plate is deemed a “dead ball” and cannot be hit by the batter.

2) Once on base, a runner may not steal, but the runner may advance to any base at their own risk when the ball is hit. If a foul ball is hit on the ground, runners return to the base from which they started without risk of being put out. With any ball caught by a fielder, including a foul ball, the runners must return to the base from which they started to avoid being put out. Base runners can tag up and advance to the next base at their own risk on these balls.

3) No leading. A player cannot leave the base until the ball crosses the plate. If the ball is not put in play, the base runner cannot try to advance.

4) Bunting is NOT allowed.

5) One half inning consists of 3 outs or once through the entire batting order (10 batters). If the first three batters are out, the 4th name on the list now becomes the 1st batter of the next inning. The 10th batter to hit in the inning is the last batter. This player must hit the ball and run all the way around to score. So too must any other base runners. The inning is over when the 3rd out is made or the ball reaches home plate, after the 10th batter hits (no tag required). When either of these possibilities occurs, no other runs will be counted in that inning. If the 10th batter fails to hit a fair ball, the base runners may NOT advance.

NOTE: If you have more than 10 batters on your list, you can only bat 10 per inning.

6) To ensure a good pace of play, teams are limited to using two pitchers per inning. If the second pitcher comes up in the batting order, a batter should be ready to substitute. When transitioning between half innings, teams are expected to be out in the field or ready to bat within one minute and 30 seconds. If a team takes longer than this, they will be issued a warning, then the next time they will receive an “out” during their next at bat.

7) The pitcher shall pitch from an area designated by the umpire or convenor. No player may position themselves in front of the pitcher until the ball has been thrown (including the rover). The pitcher cannot physically or verbally interfere with an infielder attempting to play a ball, or the batter will be called out. In either case, base runners may NOT advance.

8) A batted ball striking the pitcher will result in a dead ball, equivalent to a foul ball. If the batter has any pitches remaining, the at-bat can continue.

9) The ball must be given to the pitcher by an infielder (ANY infielder, including the catcher). If the ball is thrown to the pitcher by an outfielder, the pitcher may move aside, thus allowing any base runners to advance at their own risk. Once the pitcher has been given the ball by an infielder, the base runners may not advance further. Any dropped ball or missed catch by the pitcher would result in a dead ball situation.

10) A commitment line will be in effect between 3rd base and home plate. Once a runner crosses this commitment line, they cannot return to 3rd base.

11) A safety line will be used at home plate. To score a run, the runner needs only cross the line. The catcher need only be standing on home plate with the ball to put the runner out (no tag). If the runner steps on home plate, they will be called out and the run will not be allowed. If the catcher tags the runner between the commitment line and home plate, the runner will be called safe. The goal is to avoid collisions at home plate.

12) A ball thrown out of play (ground rule) will result in one base awarded to a base runner. For a ball thrown away, but still in the playing field, the runner may advance at own risk.

13)On the first or second strike, if the catcher catches a foul ball (any height), the batter is out. If any base runner has left the base (although players must wait until the ball is hit), they must return to the base.

14)The “Infield Fly Rule” rule will not be used. Therefore, all base runners on any fly ball, outfield or infield, must advance at their own risk, after having tagged up.

Substitutions

1) During one game, any number of substitutions may be made. These substitutions can take place all at one time or one-at-a-time.

2) A batting order consists of 10 players. If a player is removed from the lineup, they may only re-enter in the same spot in the order. You may choose to list more than 10 players in your batting order, but only 10 can bat in an inning. If this is your choice, then there will be no changes to the original batting order. Notice of substitution can be made to the scorekeepers at the start of the at-bat.

3) There are unlimited substitutions allowed in the field (although they can only take place at the start of the inning, not during one - unless there is an injury).

4) Courtesy runners are allowed for players with injury or physical need (“pinch running” for players otherwise able to run is not permitted). This courtesy runner must not come up in batting order while on base, or an out will occur.

Tie Breaking Rules

1a. If two teams are tied in points, the team that defeated the other during round robin play will be ranked higher.

1b. If more than two teams are tied in points, the winner of the most games between the tied teams will advance.

2. Runs allowed

3. Coin toss

Following these guidelines is your responsibility. THE CONVENORS ACCEPT NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE COACHES’ INTERPRETATION OR CUSTOMIZATION OF THESE GUIDELINES. All other conduct and playing rules recognized by the Ontario Softball Association can apply. This includes bench decorum. Profanity and verbal intimidation are specific examples of behaviour that WILL NOT BE TOLERATED.