League Rules & Certified Equipment

Certified Equipment

All bats must have an ASA stamp that is visible to the umpire and cannot be on the non-approved list. This list is posted by the water fountain by Field 1 and at https://www.teamusa.org/usa-softball/certified-equipment

Rule Violations

Definitions of violations which occur frequently and are of special interest

APPEAL PLAY: Live ball: defensive player may go directly to the missed base or base left too soon and appeal to umpire. Dead ball: defensive player must have the pitcher put the ball in play and then appeal to the umpire.

CRASH RULE: When a defensive player has the ball and the runner remains on his/her feet and deliberately crashes into the defensive player, the runner is out. The runner must attempt to avoid the defensive player in some manner. It is a dead ball. He/she may also be ejected at the discretion of the umpire.

INFIELD FLY RULE: Pop fly that can be easily played by an infielder. There must be runners at least on first and second base and less than two outs. Runners can advance at their own risk and are not forced out, must be tagged.

INTERFERENCE: Fielder is unable to make a play due to baserunner’s action. Runners do not have to slide but must avoid contact. Dead ball.

OBSTRUCTION: Fielder keeps runner from advancing when not in the act of playing the ball. Ball is live and runners are awarded the base they would have made.

OVERTHROW RULES: On all overthrows into the dead ball area, the baserunner shall be awarded two bases from the position of the runner at the time the throw leaves the fielder’s hand.

Co-Ed Softball Supplemental Rules

Team Distribution
A defensive team shall consist of ten (10) players, with a maximum of 5 men/5 women in the game
defensively at all times. However, a game may be played without a forfeit with 8 rostered players with no more than 5 of either sex playing defense. Specifically, 4 women/5 men, or 5 women/4 men, or 4 women/4 men, or 3 men/4 women. Never more than 5 of either sex may play defense in the game. Substitutes must be listed at the bottom. Substitutes or courtesy runners must be of the
same sex as the individual being replaced.

Batting Order
A batting order must be submitted prior to the game and followed during the game. The batting order may not exceed 16 players and must list men and women separately and followed alternately such that two batters of the same sex may never bat consecutively.

Courtesy Runners
Courtesy runners shall be the last out recorded by a player of the same sex. If no player of the same sex has recorded an out, the player of the same sex listed last in the batting order shall be the courtesy runner. Teams are allowed one make and one female courtesy runner each inning.

Outfield Restriction Line
A minimum of 4 outfielders (with 10 defensive players) must be behind an outfield restriction line
(a 180-foot arc from home plate) when a female is batting until she hits the ball.
PENALTY: The batter and all baserunners will be awarded one base unless each has advanced at
least one base, in which case the play proceeds without reference to the violation.

Walks
A male batter, who has walked on four consecutive balls without any strikes received during his
time at bat or intentionally walked prior to any pitches, shall be awarded second base. The female
batter has the option of taking her turn at bat or be awarded first base. Base runners advance only if
they are forced to vacate their base. NOTE: After a male batter has received one (1) or more strikes
and is then issued an intentional walk, he shall be awarded only first base.

Fast Pitch Supplemental Rules

•  Game times are at 6:30 and 8 p.m.
•  No new inning after 1:30
•  Mercy Rule: 7 runs after 5 innings
• Designated Hitter (DH)
  o Teams may bat 9 with no DH
  o Or bat 10 with a DH
•  Everyone with free substitution
• To avoid a forfeit, teams may pick up 1 or 2 players to reach 9 players
•  Pickups may not be from another team in the Fastpitch League
• Playoffs must be roster players only

Senior Softball Supplemental Rules

Age Requirements (Eligibility)
All Senior Softball players must be 50 years of age to play, or will tum 50 during the calendar
year for the subject season. The penalty for having an illegal player will be the forfeiture of the
game by the offending team.
Rosters-Player Participation, Regular Season and Playoffs
All players must be on the team roster, must have signed the roster, and must have played in at
least one league game to be eligible to play in a playoff game. The deadline to add players to the
roster is Game 6.
Shortage of Players at Game Time
If, during the regular season, a team is short players before the start of a game, to prevent a
forfeit, if a team has less than 9 players, a team may add up to 2 players. If a team has 9 players,
they may only add 1 player. A team that is short players before a playoff game may not add a
player.
Legal Bats
Only ASA, 1.20 bats, with the ASA seal, visible to the umpire, are allowed. Senior Bats may be
used by players over 70, or players who will tum 70 during the calendar year for the subject
season. No player may use a USSSA bat.

If a player uses an illegal bat, the opposing team must inquire or protest before the next batter
hits. If the bat is found to be illegal, the bat will be removed from the game, a “dead ball out”
will be recorded, and any base runners will return to the base occupied before the hit with the
illegal bat.

5-Run Rule
With the exception of the Senior League “Open Inning,” no team may score more than 5 runs per
“at bat.” Once a team has scored 5 runs in an at bat, that half of the inning will be deemed
concluded as the batting team having had 3 outs recorded.

Senior League “Open Inning” & Mercy Rule
The Open Inning will be declared by the umpire to be the first inning to start after one hour of
play. If an inning begins before the one-hour point occurs in a game, and that inning ends after
the one-hour, five-minute game-time limit, the game will end without an Open Inning being
played. It is the umpire’s discretion to declare an Open Inning before the one-hour point is
reached.

No Open Inning will be played if a game ends due to the Mercy Rule after the fourth (15 runs),
fifth, or sixth inning (12 runs).

Commitment Line
The Commitment Line will be played as pre-marked by park personnel. The Commitment Line
is not to be erased or redrawn by the players or umpire prior to or during the game.

Auxiliary-Home Plate Rules
The Auxiliary-Home Plate and Commitment Line are designed to prevent player/runner contact
in Senior Softball. Any out recorded at home plate must be done by the defender stepping on
home plate while in possession of the ball, after the runner has passed the Commitment Line. A
defender may not “tag” a runner after the runner has crossed the Commitment Line. Any runner
“tagged” by a defender after passing the Commitment Line will be ruled safe.
A player may slide across the Auxiliary-Home Plate. However, the umpire may ask the player
why he slid across the plate, and if the player cannot provide an intelligent reason for doing so,
the player may be subject to ridicule from the rest of the players.

Courtesy Runners
Courtesy Runners are unlimited, and any player may be designated the “Courtesy Runner” (he
does not need to be the last out), but he may only run one time per inning. However, if a
Courtesy Runner is on base when his normal place in the lineup as a “batter” is due to bat, the
“batter” will be called out.

If a Courtesy Runner replaces the “injured” batter and a potential lineup problem is realized, the
Courtesy Runner must be replaced before the first pitch is thrown, otherwise the Courtesy Runner
must remain on base.