2008 League Rules

 

1.         Games are to begin with PRAYER, led by the home team.

2.         Games will start at 6:30 p.m. (unless otherwise indicated on the schedule for a specific diamond) If a team cannot field the minimum required players within 15 minutes of the required scheduled start time, that team will be in default.

3.         Home team must supply a new softball each game, as well as the bases and home plate. The bases provided should have straps and pegs to allow them to be securely fastened to the infield.  Every effort should be made to peg them down, and if that is not done the visiting team may decline to play the game for safety reasons.  The result of that situation would be the same as a rainout.  The coaches must agree on any ground rules and explain them to their respective umpires before the game begins (consider ground rule double, out-of-bounds and foul lines, etc.).      

4.         Regular season games are nine innings in length. At least five (5) innings must be completed for a decision. In the event that rain or darkness makes it dangerous or impossible to finish the game after five full innings have been completed - The results will be based on the last completed inning even if it results in a tie. There are no extra innings in the regular season - Ties will stand.

5.         Foul language or other unsportsmanlike behaviour should be reported to the player’s coach and may be reported to the League Executive for disciplinary action. However, abusive behaviour directed to an individual or an umpire should result in immediate ejection from the game subject to the consent of both coaches and a report sent to the League Executive for further disciplinary action.

6.         Players and Umpires (both plate and base) must be at least 14 years old by December 31st of this year.

7.         The Pastor of each church must approve the coach and team list and sign it before submission to the KDCSL. Late additions to the team roster from the church must also be given to both the Pastor and the League. The coach must give players who attend church functions regularly first preference to be on the team list. All players on a church team must attend church functions at least once a month. Players who attend a church that has a team in the League may not play for another team unless by special circumstances approved by the Executive and the Pastor of their church.

8.         In order to be eligible for the KDCSL playoff tournament, each player must play in at least eight (8) games during the regular season.  Exceptions may only be granted before the tournament by a majority vote among the league executive. Coaches are encouraged to play all roster players fairly during each game.

9.         Umpires: Home teams shall supply an umpire for home plate and the visiting team is responsible for a base umpire. The base umpire is responsible for calls at first and second base, and leadoffs at those bases. The home plate umpire is responsible for home plate and third base calls, foul balls and other rulings such as foul tips and infield flies. Either umpire should ask for assistance if others might have had a better view. Umpires may be changed during the game to allow them to bat. Coaches should not umpire, or be a base umpire, while continuing with their coaching duties. However, if they must umpire, then coaching duties must be relinquished to another member of their team.

10.       Umpires may seek verification on a rule in question from the coaches, and ONLY the coaches are allowed to discuss a ruling with the Umpire. Appealing a ruling must take place at the time of the call by either coach calling a time out. Once play resumes, which is deemed to be after the next pitch, no appeals will be heard. Umpires must grant time to hear an appeal.

11.       Steel spikes are prohibited for safety reasons. Hardball bats (larger diameter barrel) are not to be used. In the playoffs, batters will be called out upon entering the batters box with an illegal (altered or non-softball) bat.

12.       Catchers are advised to wear a mask to prevent injuries from foul tips.

13.       Pitchers: It is 3 pitch and pitchers pitch to their own team. Pitchers do not have to be in the batting order. The Pitcher must pitch from behind a line agreed upon by both coaches, and from a position in a line between home plate and 2nd base.

14.       If a pitcher unintentionally interferes with a throw or picks up a live ball, all base runners must stay at the last base they touched before the interference. If the interference is deemed intentional, the runner closest to home shall be called out.

15.       If a batted ball strikes the pitcher, it is a dead ball and not a strike.

16.       A Pitcher need not catch a ball thrown to him from an outfielder or a rover, unless that outfielder or rover has moved in to the infield or unless the pitcher has indicated their willingness to catch the ball. Once the ball is thrown to the pitcher area in the situations listed above, runners may not advance unless they are already halfway to the next base to which they are advancing (example: running between bases when the ball is thrown).

17.       Windmill pitching is absolutely not permitted.

18.       Stealing: No stealing and no leading off. Runners may step off base only when the bat has made contact with the ball, fair or foul.  If the batter swings and misses, baserunners who stepped off should be called out.

19.       Foul Tip: A foul tip is when a ball is batted backwards (example: just ticks the bat) and never goes over the batters head. If caught, the batter is not out (unless that was their 3rd pitch). If a foul ball goes over the batter’s head and is caught, the batter is out.

20.       Infield Fly Rule: On a fly ball A easily caught by an infielder (whether caught or not) with less that 2 out and runners at first and second base, or bases loaded, the umpire should immediately call infield fly- the batter is out, if fair. Base runners may advance (after tagging up) at their own risk, like any other pop fly.

21.       Sliding is not allowed at any base.  If a runner intentionally slides they will be called out (for safety reasons.)

22.       Bunting is allowed for female batters only. A male batter who bunts or is judged to have intentionally chopped the ball down for an infield hit will be called out. An infielder cannot advance further than the line between first and third until the ball is hit, and must avoid any interference with the pitcher.  If an infielder takes off across the line before a hit, the batter and all baserunners will get at least one free base.  The play is live, and all runners may advance further at their own risk.

23.       If a base is dislodged by a runner or fielder, neither that runner nor following runners need to follow a base that is in an unreasonable position (at the discretion of the umpire). The play remains live, but the runner at the dislodged base may not be tagged out unless they try to advance further.

24.       If the batted ball bounces off the plate it is still fair, as the plate should rest completely inside the baselines.

25.       Interference: If the batter (or their thrown bat) or a base runner makes contact (intentionally or unintentionally) with a fairly batted ball, they are out and the play is dead. Any runner hit by a thrown ball while running shall receive the base in front of them. If a runner is hit by a batted ball while on base, the ball is dead and the batter receives a new pitch.

26.       If a catcher hinders a batter (probably by being hit by a swing), the play is dead and the batter is awarded first base.

27.       An advancing base runner has a right of access along the base path unless a fielder is playing the ball. If a fielder without the ball interferes with a base runner (by blocking their path or faking a tag), the play remains live but the umpire ensures that all runners get to at least the base that they would have reached without the interference. If a runner interferes with a fielder fielding a batted ball, the runner is out. If a runner intentionally interferes with a fielder or a throw to prevent a double play, both runners are out.  A runner is allowed to run around a fielder only if the fielder is waiting to play the batted ball.  If a runner goes more than 3’ off the line to the base to avoid a tag from a fielder who has the ball, they shall be called out.

28.       Overthrow: When any fielder throws a ball out of bounds, all runners get two bases from the last base they occupied when the ball was thrown. (This usually results in only one free base from the time the ball actually goes out, but can mean two full bases for a runner who is standing on first or second!) If a fielder accidentally carries the ball out of bounds, or it is knocked out (on a tag play for example): the runners get one base from the moment the ball left the field. The boundaries will be defined at the start of the game and enforced by both coaches.

 29.      Safe Bag: The safe bag should straddle the baseline so that the white side is where a normal first base sits and the orange bag is in foul territory. A batted ball hitting the orange bag is foul (unless it somehow hit the white bag first.) If there is a play at first, defined as a ball thrown to first base for a play on a batter advancing from home plate after a hit, the batter must run over the orange (outside) part of the bag to be safe. Similarly, the fielder must use the white (inside) part on any play. If any part of the fielder touches the orange part of the safe bag, the runner is safe. If any part of the runner touches the white part of the safe bag, the runner is out. A tag out is legal at first. A batter running may touch the white part of the bag if there is no play at first. If the fielder has to reach across the orange bag to touch the white one and gets in the way of the batter/runner, the runner is safe on fielder’s interference. A batter who overruns first base may not be tagged out as long as they return directly to the bag without starting a deliberate move towards second base. The orange safe bag is no longer in-play, once a play at first is over. All further play is from the white portion of the bag. Base runners at first, preparing to advance to other bases, may be in contact with any part of the white bag.

30.       Pinch Runner: Pinch runners should be the last person out in the batting order of the same gender that is not already on base. 

A. The batter may be replaced for health/injury reasons after reaching first base.  If they continue on to second they should run for themselves, unless the injury occurred on the run.

B. With the agreement of both coaches, pinch running from home is fine provided the player has obvious health concerns and/or challenges.

31.       Home Plate/ Commitment Line: Instead of touching home plate, there will be an extension of the first base line behind home plate that the runner must cross. After the commitment line (20 feet from the home plate line and 40 feet from third) is crossed or stepped on, the runner can be forced out by touching home plate ( they cannot return to third base), but cannot be tagged out.

32.       A runner touching home plate will be called out.

33.       The Batting Order can be arranged in any reasonable way (example: all players hit; only the fielders hit) as long as two males in a row appear no more than twice. Three or more males may not bat consecutively (unless separated by an automatic out if a team is short of female players).

34.       The Fielding Team is limited to a maximum of ten (10) players with six (6) being males and a minimum of seven (7) players with at least four (4) females at any time. A team can play with one less girl, but must leave an automatic “phantom out” in their batting order. If a team has less than 3 girls they shall default the game. Players do not need to play in the field before batting, nor do they need to be in the current batting order to play in the field.

35.       Substitutions: A player removed from the batting order may be returned freely, but only to the same spot in the order. The only exception to this rule is when an injured player leaves the team with no remaining eligible substitutes  a player who has already left another position in the order may return to replace the injured player. Substitutions must be announced to the other teams scorekeeper before the new player bats.

36.       Score Keepers should periodically check with the other team to coordinate the scores.

37.       Mercy Rule: There will be a cap of 10 runs per inning per team. In the 5th inning, the team that is behind can call the game if they re down by 20 runs. This must be done at the beginning of the inning, and the inning will be played. The cap does not apply to the last inning played.

38.       Home Run Rule:  Over-the-fence home runs will be limited by the Match Plus 3 rule.  Neither team may have more than three more than the opponents at any point in the game.  If an additional HR is hit over the fence after that limit has been reached, it counts as a single instead.  For example, if the visitors get one HR in the top of the first, the home team may accumulate up to four (match the 1, + 3).  If the home team did go ahead 4 HR to 1, the visitors could get up to six in a row to get to plus-3, and so on.  Both scorekeepers should keep track of both teams’ HR tally in a corner of the scoresheet.  Inside-the-park HRs are unlimited.

39.       The winning coach is responsible to call the League Coordinator with the final score after the game so that the standings can be kept up to date and sent in to the Kingston Whig Standard for publication. Scores must be phoned within one week, or games may be recorded as a tie.

40.       Safe Bags and Score Books belong to the League and will be collected at the year-end tournament.

41.       Ten Yard Rule: For all batters, the outfield, including rovers, must stay a minimum of ten yards outside the baselines between first, second and third. They may move towards the infield after the ball is hit. The Umpires are to use their discretion for the distance. Ten paces from the baseline will be adequate. Any infraction will result in the batter receiving first base.

42.       No Blood Rule: If any player is injured such that their blood might be a danger to other players, they must leave the field for first-aid to clean the injury and stop the flow of blood.  All teams should have a stocked first-aid kit with them at every game.  The injured player should be replaced by a pinch-runner or substitute fielder.  If  a sub isn’t available, the game should be paused.

Revised April 2008 (highlighted changes)