T.A. VERN SOFTBALL LEAGUE RULES
Last Updated:
31 May 2010 Addendum to 14 M regarding overthrows, Added verbage for intentional fly and other commonly misunderstood rules to the end of the rules to Appendix B.
24 April 2008 Walk rule replaced, Labatt Product rule instigated
24 April 2008 ( Rule 14 C )4 ball walk replacing 6 ball walk, NO intentional walks
ULTIMATE RULE: Exclusive Labatt product only allowed at games. Breaking this rule constitutes a forfeiture of game Included are:BASS PALE ALE,BECKS,BELLE VUE KRIEK,BLUE LIGHT,BLUE STAR,BODDINGTONS,Brahma,BUD LIGHT,BUDWEISER,BUSCH LAGER,GUINNESS STOUT,HOEGAARDEN,
JOCKEY CLUB,KEITHS IPA,KEITHS LIGHT,KEITHS RED AMBER ALE, Keith's Traditional, KOKANEE,LABATT BLUE,LABATT ICE,
LABATT LITE,LABATT MAXIMUM ICE,LEFFE BLONDE,LOWENBRAU LAGER
,Nordic,OLANDS EXPORT,SCHOONER,STAROPRAMEN,STELLA ARTOIS
,STERLING,TENNENTS LAGER,WILDCAT
1. Only females may be allowed to bunt.
2. <*2006 updated>Teams scoring five runs in an inning will automatically be called out. This rule applies to all but the final two (2) innings of a game when there will be no limit on runs scored, (i.e., innings 6 and 7 are open).
3. The pitch shall be "slow pitch", with whip or sling deliveries prohibited. Pitchers shall not stand closer than 40' from home plate. The pitched ball must travel in an arc that reaches its highest point 6-12 feet above the ground. Coaches and umpires should be in agreement prior to the start of the game as to the speed and arc of pitches. Illegal Pitches - will be considered a ball. The umpire shall call an illegal pitch when the ball reaches its maximum arc. Batters are permitted to swing at an illegal pitch at which point it will become a strike.
4. No stealing or leading off allowed. It is permissible to leave base only after the ball has crossed home plate or made contact with the bat. Base runners can only be advanced by a hit, walk, or fielding error on a hit or sacrifice play.
5. All games will be seven innings in length unless otherwise agreed upon by both coaches prior to the game. Five (5) complete innings constitutes an official game. A fifteen (15) run “Mercy Rule”, anytime after five (5) complete innings of play, will be implemented.
6. Regular season games will start at 6 p.m. A team not on the field by 6:15 will forfeit.
7. A NEW game ball, a safety bag, pylons, bases and a ball/strike mat (measuring 2' x 3') that wrap around both sides of the plate - will be provided by the home team. Failure to provide this equipment will subject your team to a $5 fine for each occurrence/piece of equipment. The league will provide new balls, at the beginning of the season, so that each team will have the required number for home games. The home team must have at least two balls (one NEW and another in excellent condition) at the beginning of each game. The home team is the second team listed on the schedule. It is not required that 1st base (the safety bag) be pegged down.
8. <*2007 updated> Scores must be entered through the website, by each team within 48 hrs. Failure to do so will result in default.
9. No less than seven (7) players will constitute any one team in the regular season and the playoffs. Any number of females can make up the necessary players in a contest. The following chart shows the maximum number of males allowed depending on the number of players fielded:
Maximum # of Men Minimum # of Women
10 players 6 4
9 players 6 3
8 players 5 3
7 players 5 2
10. Teams should come to a game with their nine or ten players and be prepared to play at the designated time. Borrowing of players from other league teams is not permitted. No players may change teams after July 1st.
11. Forfeits: A game is forfeited when a team does not give 48 hours notice of availability to the Statistician. Two (2) forfeits during the regular season may result in disqualification of a team from the league. Entrance fees shall not be refunded in this event. Any forfeit in the playoffs will result in a $50 fine.
12. Rain-outs: In cases of rain during the day of the game, the home team will be responsible for contacting the competitor three (3) hours prior to game time in order to cancel or agree upon a time later in the day to discuss cancellation. Both teams should call the HRM Field Condition Line, 490-7100 or check their website: http://www.halifax.ca/recreation/field_conditions.asp prior to making any decisions on cancellations. Once a decision to cancel has been made, the home team captain must contact one of the Rainout Schedulers ( the acting President and Vice President). In the event of a rained-out game the make-up game will be scheduled on the first most convenient date Time and place for a rained-out game shall be co-ordinated by the rainout scheduler.
13. Re-scheduled games: Regularly scheduled games cannot be re-scheduled unless five (5) days notice is give to the Statistician. No more than three (3) games may be re-scheduled during the season initiated by a single team, without incurring fines ($20, single game and $30, double-header). During playoffs, no re-scheduled games will be allowed. In the event of a re-scheduled game, time and place for a make-up game shall be co-ordinated by the Master scheduler and agreed upon by the two teams involved. If teams decide to play games outside of the Statistician’s authority, the game will not count. If there are extenuating circumstances the Statistician must be notified and an Executive decision will be made as to whether or not the game may be re-scheduled.
14. The following rules must be adhered to:
a. No more than two males may bat consecutively.
b. All players in the batting order must bat before the first batter hits again, unless that would require more than two males batting consecutively (i.e., a team cannot bat its male batters more often than its female batters).
C <*2008 updated> 4 Ball Walk . 4 balls in any order deems a walk, 4 straight balls in a row is just a walk as well. No intentional walks allowed, to be enforced by the discretion of team co-captains.
d. All teams must use a score sheet and, upon the request of the opposing team/coach, this score sheet may be examined.
e. Metal cleats are not allowed. Soccer cleats (rubber or plastic) are permitted.
f. Sliding is allowed at 2nd and 3rd bases ONLY.
a. There can only be one play on the bag if the bag moves at 2nd or 3rd base only.
b. Scores should be checked after each inning and teams must be in agreement.
g. When a player advances to first base and overruns the bag, s/he must turn right when returning to first base, or may be tagged out. This will be the decision of the umpire.
h. No hard ball bats are allowed.
i. The league will enforce the ASA's “banned softball bat” list. The list of banned bats will be provided to each team captain. The use of a banned bat in a game will result in the following:
a. The team using the bat(s) immediately loses the game in a forfeit.
b. Each individual player using the bat(s) will be fined $50, and suspended from league play until the fine has been paid.
c. Team captains or co-captains have the right to inspect the opposing team’s bats before, or at any point during, a game. For the list of banned bats, please see Appendix A.
j. Players shall be called "out" if they foul on a third strike.
k. In addition to home plate the umpire and team captains will agree on a "second" home plate which should be a line between home plate and the (backstop) screen. No tag will be permitted once a runner has crossed the commitment line. In order for a runner to cross the home plate line, the runner’s foot must be on the ground. The catcher (or other player covering the plate) must have possession of the ball and touch home plate before the runner crosses the line, to have the runner called out. Once the base runner crosses a "commitment line", approximately ½ way between 3rd base and home plate, s/he cannot attempt to return to third base, and will be called out if an attempt is made. If a base runner crosses OR touches home-plate OR the mat s/he will automatically be called out, unless it is the result of avoiding the catcher - this call will be made at the discretion of the Umpire.
l. All players who participate in the League do so at their own risk.
m. When a ball is thrown out of play while attempting to make a play at a base, no matter where the throw comes from, base runners will advance one base from the last base they last touched.
n. When a runner replaces an injured hitter, the last female OUT runs for a female; the last male OUT runs for a male. No replacement runner may leave from home plate. The replacement runner must replace the player at a bag.
o. Anyone who plays a position in the field must bat and any person who bats must play a position in the field. Players arriving late for a game must be ready to play by the beginning of the 5th inning. Both teams must agree, prior to the game that any players arriving late may play.
p. A Strike/Ball mat will be used to determine pitches. If the ball (having a legal arc) drops on any part of the mat the pitch will be called a strike; if the ball (having a legal arc) does not drop on the mat the pitch will be called a ball. Runners or fielders should not consider the mat to be home plate.
q. If a game or incident is in dispute the team representative may contact the President and ask for a ruling. The President will contact all players involved and the Rules Committee and a decision will be reached. Both teams will be advised of the decision and any penalties. Teams should lodge protests at the time of the occurrence and the opposing team captain/representative must be informed of an official protest being lodged with the President by the end of the game.
r. When there is a play at first base, the base runner must touch the orange 1/2 of the safety bag. A runner touching the white 1/2 of the bag will be called OUT. Conversely, the fielder covering first base must make contact with the white 1/2 of the base. A fielder touching the orange 1/2 of the base will be deemed not in contact with the base and the runner will be called safe.
a.There should never be a tag on a player when a safety bag is in place, the play for the out when the batter/runner is trying to advance to 1st base must be at the 1st base safety bag.
s. Fielders may be positioned anywhere on the field (i.e., an outfielder or rover may play on the infield dirt).
t. All players must be 19 years or older. All teams must submit a FINAL playoff roster (maximum of thirty players) to the league by 1st July.
u. In order for a player to be eligible for the playoffs, that player must have played in at least 10 regular season games. Teams should maintain their game books in case proof is required of a player’s regular season play history.
v. In the event of a tie in the standings the scheduler will break this tie using the following criteria:
a. Head-to-head record between the teams involved
b. Total wins in the League
c. Runs for/against between the teams involved
d. Runs for/against during the entire season/overall throughout the League
e. Flip of a coin between the Team Captains
w. If a game is tied after seven (7) innings, the score should be relayed to the Statistician (by the home team) as a TIE. No extra innings will be played under any circumstances.
Appendix A:
The following are a list of banned bats from a list made up from ASA the Amateur Softball Association.
BANNED BATS ARE FOUND AT the FOLLOWING LINK
http://www.asasoftball.com/about/build_batlist.asp
or with pictures here
http://www.asasoftball.com/about/build_batlist_one_page.asp
This list of banned bats will be enforced in the T. A. Vern softball league
Appendix B Commonly misunderstood rules.
1) Infield Fly rule- The infield fly rule applies when there are fewer than two outs, and there is a force play at third base (runners on first and second base, or bases loaded). Under these conditions, if a fly ball is hit into fair territory and the umpire perceives that an infielder using ordinary effort would be able to catch the ball, the umpire will call the batter automatically out. Even if the infielder later drops the ball, it makes no difference. As soon as the umpire makes the call, the batter is out and must leave the field.
According to the rule, the umpire is supposed to announce, "Infield fly, if fair." If the ball will be almost certainly fair, the umpire will likely yell, "Infield fly, the batter is out!" Umpires also usually raise one arm straight up to signal to everyone that the rule is in effect.
Players and fans sometimes misunderstand the infield fly rule. The infield fly rule is not in effect if there is a runner on first base only, as the rule-makers assumed fielders would not gain a significant advantage by forcing out the runner rather than the batter; in either case, the net result would be one more out and a runner on first base. Also, an infield fly does not affect baserunners other than the batter.
On a caught infield fly, the runners must tag up (retouch their base at the time of pitch) in order to be eligible to advance, as on any catch. If the infield fly falls to fair ground untouched, or is touched and dropped, runners need not tag up. In either case, since the batter is out, the force play on the other runners is removed.
The infield fly rule does not apply to line drives or bunts. Nor does the rule cover all situations where the defense may wish to allow a fly ball to drop uncaught.
For example, if there is just a runner on first base, a quick-thinking infielder might purposely let a pop-up drop to the ground and get the force at second, if it happens that the runner on first is faster afoot than the batter-runner is, or if the batter is loafing on his way to first base. This is only legal if the fielder lets the ball hit the ground untouched, which carries some risk to the fielder as it might bounce away from him.
However, in all situations where the infield fly rule does not apply, a different rule prevents fielders from touching a catchable ball and dropping it intentionally in an attempt to turn a double or triple play.
2) Ball hit off plate -That the ball struck home plate is of no special relevence. The plate is entirely in fair territory and, on a batted ball, it is treated just like any other patch of dirt on the playing field.
In fact, a ball could come off the bat, land right on top of the plate and just sit there and that would be a fair ball!
3) stepping on plate when advancing to 1st base--You cannot step on the plate with any part of your foot while making contact with the ball but after you hit the ball you can
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