Softball Rules – SJ

CO-ED & MEN’S SOFTBALL RULES

ZogSports Softball contests will be governed by the official rules of the Amateur Softball Association of America (ASA) with the following modifications:

1. Safety line must be used in lieu of Home Plate at all times.  If you do not use the safety line (an extension of the 1st base line to the backstop) and proceed to tag the plate or enter the batter’s box at all, you will be called OUT even if there is no play at home plate (including out of park home runs:.  The safety of the players is our main concern so the umpires will be enforcing this rule in full effect.  Please remind your teammates before and during every game!  Thank you for your commitment to keeping our leagues safe!

2.Tagging at Home: Runners that cross the commit line may NOT be tagged when running home.  The ball must be thrown to the catcher on home plate otherwise the base runner will be called safe.

*For men’s leagues please disregard any gender rules below, but the other rules remain the same.

Bats

Each team must supply its own bat.  Certain bats are not allowed in our league and you can find them at http://www.asasoftball.com/about/build_batlist_one_page.asp

An ASA/USA stamp must be on each bat to be legal, even if it is not on the list.

Helmets

Helmets are optional.  We do not provide helmets for any of our leagues.  Each team may bring their own helmets to use if they feel it is necessary.

Players

A full team consists of 10 players.  There may not be more than 6 players in the infield.  A maximum of 7 males allowed on the field at all times.

Lack of Full Team

If you do not have a full team ready to play at start time you may play with a minimum of 7 players (minimum of 2 females, or 5 males).  If you do not have at least the minimum you must forfeit except, you may forfeit your first at bat to wait an additional 10 minutes. If you still do not have enough players, you may split up the players on both teams there and play for fun, but the umpire will not be used

Attire

Please remove jewelry.  No metal cleats. You must wear your team shirt or a shirt of your team color to each week’s game. If all players have the league shirt on, people tend to not question your players’ eligibility.

Sliding

Sliding is allowed.

Time Limit

Games are seven innings or 60 minutes minimum. No new inning will start once we’ve reached the 50 minute mark.

Pitching

Each batter will be pitched to by the opposing team’s pitcher.  The ball must travel no higher than 12 feet, but no lower than 6 feet and land on the plate or on the “mat” behind it to be a strike.  Anything else will be called a ball unless the batter swings.  If you walk a male and subsequently pitch to a female, the male will automatically take 2nd base instead of first base to avoid pitching around the male player.  If this occurs with 2 outs, the female player has the option of taking an automatic walk or batting.  Runners advance accordingly.  Pitchers may pitch up to 5 feet behind the rubber but must stay within the width of the rubber.

Batting

Batters start with a 1 and 1 count.  You are allowed 1 “grace” foul ball with 2 strikes.  If you foul the 3rd strike and subsequently the 4th strike, you are out.

Run Limit

Once a team has scored 7 runs in an inning they must take the field and allow the other team an at-bat.  This rule does not apply in the last inning.

Home Run Limit

A team is allowed a maximum of 2 over-the-fence home runs per game.  Subsequent over-the-fence home runs shall be considered outs.

Batting Order

All field players must bat in the lineup. If your team rotates 16 players in the field, they must bat all 16 players in the lineup. 3 women must be in the first 10 spots of the lineup. If you are short female players, one of the two women must bat a second time in the first 10 of the lineup. They must rotate every time through the lineup.

Fielding

You can have no more than 10 players on the field with a maximum of 7 men. If you are short women, you cannot replace a girl with a guy.  A team can have no more than 6 infielders at any given time and this includes the catcher.  Outfielders must stay back 20ft from the infield before the ball is hit.

Tagging at Home: Runners that cross the commit line may NOT be tagged when running home.  The ball must be thrown to the catcher as it is always a force out at home if the runner passes the commit line during the play.

If there is a ball hit to the outfield, the first-baseman should not be near the bag or in the runner’s path as he/she rounds 1st base.  The runner running to first may want to try for extra bases and a collision could occur.  If the baseman is caught impeding the runner, the umpire will allow the runner to advance to 2nd.  The same goes for any base where no play is possible.  This is to protect the base-runner and baseman from collision.

Running

The safety line at home plate must be used at all times.  If you do not use the safety line at home, you will be called OUT even if there is no play at home plate (including out of park home runs).  This is so you don’t forget when it is not an outside the park home run. Umpires will be enforcing this rule at all times. Please remind your teammates before and during every game.

The safety base (orange) at first must be used on all infield hits.  You may use the regular (white) base at First Base on a hit to the outfield.

A pinch runner may be used in the event of injury, but the player must be the previous batter to get out of the same gender.  The player who is pinch run for cannot re-enter the game. NO EXCEPTIONS.

Sportsmanship

Sportsmanship must be practiced at all times.  Directors and umpires reserve the right to remove any player from the game for unsportsmanlike conduct.  No player other than the captain should speak to the umpires about calls or rules.

Substitutions

You may add up to 2 players from a previous game or following game if you are short players to avoid forfeit only. If you have 10 players, you may not add extras.

Rosters are final after week 2. Playing with a non-rostered player could result in a forfeit.

If a player is suspected to be a non-rostered player, you may bring it to the attention of the umpire before the start of the game. The umpire may then check ID and then the roster and if he finds that player to be a “ringer”, he can continue the game under protest and a final ruling will be made by our office as to whether or not it should be a forfeit.

Stealing

No stealing bases or leading off.  We require one foot on the bag until contact is made with the ball.

Commit Rule

After you touch or cross the commit line (approx. ½ way from 3rd base to home plate) you must continue home.  It is always a force out at home.  This only applies for home plate.  You must always use the “safety line” or you will be out.  If there is a fly ball in the outfield you must not cross the commit line or you have committed home.  *If there are 2 outs and a runner crosses home before or after a force out at another base, the run does not count.

In-Field Fly Rule

The batter will automatically be called out if there are less than 2 outs with runners on first and second or the bases are loaded and there is a pop fly, which the umpire judges could be caught by an infielder in fair territory.

Bunting

No intentional bunting allowed.

Ties

In the event of a tie, time permitting, extra innings will be played.  If time does not permit the game will end in a tie.  See special rules for tournament play.

Mercy Rule

If one team leads by 15 runs after 4 innings or 10 runs after 5 innings, the game shall be called and the results will stand. Players may play for fun after the game is called.

Tournament

A minimum of four teams will go to the post-season based on season rankings.  The top teams will be determined by record (3 points for a win, 1 point for a tie, 0 points for a loss).

Tie breakers for playoffs/seedings

1. Total number of points
2. Head-to-head competition
3. If team forfeited, loses tie breaker if other tiebreaker rules don’t resolve seeding
4. Record against other teams in or tied for playoffs (winning percentage – i.e., 0-1 is same as 0-2, but 1-3 is better than 0-1)
5. Number of wins
6. Record against next best common opponent
7. Coin toss

*FINAL CALLS ARE ALL DECIDED BY THE UMPIRE AND MAY NOT BE ARGUED. IF YOU HAVE AN ISSUE THAT YOU FEEL IS NOTEWORTHY, PLEASE CONTACT THE LEAGUE OFFICE THE NEXT DAY. WE CANNOT CHANGE CALLS, BUT IF IT’S A RULE ISSUE AND NOT A JUDGMENT CALL, WE WILL HEAR YOU OUT.*

FORFEIT NOTIFICATION

To forfeit, please fill out this form.

Forfeits ruin the experience for everyone. ZogSports exists to give you an opportunity to play and build community and forfeiting is a huge bummer. If your team absolutely needs to forfeit, you must let us know in advance so we can contact your opponent so that they don’t unnecessarily travel to the gym/field.

If you do not inform us of a forfeit your team could face penalties in your league’s standings. Once ZogSports is notified of your forfeit, it is final (you cannot change your mind) and the other team will be notified.

CODE OF CONDUCT: The Participant’s Code of Conduct applies to all ZogSports participants. You can access the ZogSports Participant’s Code of Conduct HERE.