The League Ball Play Rules (**Revised 2023)
MMSSPL League by-laws - Amended 2023
**Each team can have one twenty-nine year old player for the 2023 season This player would count as one of the two under thirty-five year old players currently allowed in the rules.
**When announced, the ?Last Inning? will be completed despite the time required to do so.
**The Pitching Rule has been changed to mirror the SPN wordage. Note it ?is a zone 24 inches wide?.
**The rule regarding jewelry has been removed, to comply with SPN rules.
**Article 4b, Team jersey or close match in colour and general appearance required.
**Ten courtesy runners.
**All players including subs must be registered with SPN.
**48 hours? notice required to reschedule a game (team can?t be fielded etc.).
$50 fine for defaulting. This covers the cost of ump.
**No anticipation to remain the rule.
Triple Knock Out playoff structure to apply for 2023
Article 1.— Roster Eligibility
A Pursuant to City of Mississauga rules, teams are required to have at least 80% of players resident in Mississauga
B A team is composed of players 30 years old or plus (at any point during the calendar year) to be eligible to play that year. (Revised 2017)
C Preliminary team rosters with names, addresses, telephone numbers and dates of birth are to be submitted to the Executive after the 1st and before the 2nd, regular season game. Final rosters must be submitted by June 30.
D Teams will consist of a maximum of 20 players
E Players not on a team roster are ineligible to play.
F To be eligible to play in the play-offs, a player must have played in a minimum of half the scheduled league games; prolonged injury exempted, on approval, by the executive. Players that have been prominent for a team in previous years and included on the team roster and do not meet the minimum games required may also be eligible on approval by the executive.
G A fee for team registration will be charged for the current year; the amount to be determined by the Executive yearly..
Article 2 — Schedules
A The regular schedule shall be submitted for approval at the regular league meeting in May.
B Play-off schedule will be made at the same time as the regular schedule.
C The League Executive must be informed of game(s) rescheduled by teams two weeks before the game(s) in question. Opposing teams must agree to the scheduled change.
Article 3 — Starting or Terminating A Game
A Games are to start and finish within the scheduled time. There is no grace period at the beginning of a game: games are to start on time.
B Each game to be 9 innings. In case of stoppage of play:
(i) Minimum of 5 innings to be a complete game (4 1/2 if home team ahead).
(ii) 1/2 innings revert to the last full inning completed (if over 5 innings) if home team is behind at the stoppage of play.
(iii) 1½ hour time limits from the scheduled start time of the game except final play-off games.
(iv) No new inning shall start after 1 hour and 20 minutes from the scheduled start time. At 1 hour and 30 minutes, the game will be considered complete and no new pitch may occur. If the game is not complete with a full inning, the score will revert back to the last complete inning.
(v) Subject to the league’s 1½ hour game time limit, in case of a tie at the conclusion of nine innings, play may continue to break the tie using the international tie breaker format
C The decision to cancel any game to be made by officially carded umpire, (i.e. heavy rain, field conditions, lightning, defaults). Provided that such cancellation can only be made after 15 minutes have elapsed from the scheduled start of any such game.
D Penalties — Teams defaulting a game will be fined as follows:
(i) $ 50.00 first game defaulted.
(ii) $ 100.00 second game defaulted
(iii) $ 200.00 or team expulsion, for the third offence, from League at the discretion of the League Executive and Team Reps.
E A minimum of eight players must be on the scorecard (player list) at the start of the game. A team will be charged with a loss if it cannot field sufficient players.
F A minimum of eight players are required to continue the game; if a team has less than eight, that team forfeits the game.
G (NEW) Any team that is scheduled to play may utilize (borrow) up to 2 additional players from another team to complete their game day roster. This rule is ONLY in effect if the team is in danger of default AND MUST have minimum 6 existing roster players to a maximum of 9 roster players to start. The borrowed players are to be included only to allow a team to reach the maximum 10 active players. In the event additional roster players arrive they would replace the borrowed player (s). The borrowed players must bat last in lineup, but are free to play any position
I Home team must supply and install the bases and the board. The distance between the bases will be sixty-five (65) feet. In the event the home team fails to supply bases and board the visiting team will supply them. The home team will be fined $50.00 and the visiting team will become the home team for that game. If the visiting team also fails to supply the bases and board they will be fined $50.00 and the game will be double default.
J Double bases will be used at first base, coming together over the first base foul line. The white base in fair territory and the orange base in foul territory.
K Home teams to supply a new ball; visiting team to supply a good second ball.
L The pitcher rubber is fifty (50) feet from back of the plate.
M In the interest of safety, there will be a commit line twenty-one (21) feet from home plate toward third base.
(i) A safety line will also be drawn in foul territory starting at the top left-hand corner of home plate closest to third base running perpendicular to the third base line and extending to the backstop.
(ii) The home team is responsible for marking the commit and safety lines before the start of each game.
(iii) All base runners attempting to score must do so by touching the ground in foul territory on or beyond the safety line. Sliding into home is not allowed.
(iv) The base runner is out if he touches home plate or the board unless avoiding a collision with a defensive player with, or attempting to, field the ball.
(v) Home team is also responsible for drawing on-deck circles for home and away teams. The circles shall be drawn near the gate closest to home plate on both sides of the field.
N Mercy Rule. If a team is leading by 15 runs at the completion of 7 or more innings, or 6½ if the home team is ahead, the game will be over.
Article 4 — Rules of Play
A Suspension for unsportsmanlike conduct at discretion of the Protest Committee. Any player ejected from a game shall be suspended for their team's next game as well. A second offense shall result in a three game suspension. Suspensions will carry forward into playoff or league tournament games. The Executive shall review any ejection of a player for further action.
B Players cannot wear jewelry while fielding or batting (medic alert exempt).
C All players must wear matching team sweaters, approved by the league. Any player not wearing an approved team sweater will not be allowed to play. Sweaters must be tucked into pants. Consequences for failure to comply at the discretion of the Executive Committee.
D Players are not allowed to wear shoes with steel spikes or cleats. Rubber spikes or cleats are permitted.
E Catchers can wear a face mask and/or chest protector at their own discretion or option.
F No bats that mark or discolour the ball are to be used.
G All teams must bat their entire line-up.
H Any player arriving late may be added to the end of the batting order to a maximum of ten (10) players. Otherwise, he is not eligible to play.
I Any player arriving late may be added to the end of the batting order more than ten (10) before the leadoff batter on his team has batted twice, otherwise he is not eligible to play.
J After the first inning, pitchers will be allowed only one warm-up pitch between innings (relief pitchers excepted). No infield or outfield practice between innings is allowed.
K The pitchers are to pitch a slo pitch (can pitch from behind the rubber) with a minimum height of six (6) feet and a maximum of sixteen (16) feet, as determined and enforced by the umpire.
L Balls and strikes will be determined by an officially carded umpire and a board will be used to aid Umpires.
M Any batted ball that strikes the board and enters the playing field, shall be played as a fair ball, if it goes foul, it is a strike to the batter.
N On a play to first base, the runner must run to first base on the foul side of the foul line and touch the orange base, while the fielder must tag the white base on the fair side. If there is a play at first base, the runner must touch the orange bag.
O In case of injury the batter has to run to first base. A courtesy runner can be used if the batter reaches first base safely.
P A maximum of eight (8) courtesy runners per team per game regular season . In playoffs additional runner to be added (1) per each EXTRA inning (Revised 2017)
Q Courtesy runners can be any player in the lineup, but the courtesy runner must take his next scheduled at-bat. If a courtesy runner is due to bat, he must be replaced with another courtesy runner. The replacement courtesy runner counts against the team’s allotment of six courtesy runners.
R If a player is not ready to play when he is due up to bat, he is declared out and play continues with the next player in the batting order.
S If a player is removed from the line-up for any reason during the game, his spot in the batting order is vacated without penalty – and everyone moves up one position in the batting order.
T The courtesy runner must be announced to the Umpire before he takes his place on the base.
U The base runner cannot leave his base until the ball is hit. If a base runner leaves before the bat makes contact with the ball, the base runner will be called out, the ball will be declared dead and no pitch will be recorded.
V A four base hit includes a play where the fielder's contact causes the ball to go over the fence in fair territory.
Article 5.— Scoring of Runs
A The base runner must touch the ground in foul territory on or beyond the safety line before the opposing player with possession of the ball touches home plate for the run to score. Tag plays at the plate are not allowed.
B Home Run Rule ("Match plus One") is in effect in all fenced parks or parks with an out of play area designated. At no time during a game will the number of homeruns (over the fence or out of play) hit be more than ONE (1) more hit by the opposing team. When a home run is hit, that is in excess of the number allowed, the batter will be called out.
Article 6 — Results of Scoring
A A game can end in a tie. In case of a tie, each team will receive one point.
B All winning teams receive two points per win.
C A tie in the final standings (regular season or playoff) will result in the team with the best record of games won-lost involving the two or more teams, being declared the winner.
D Should there still be a tie, (regular season or playoffs) the runs differential (runs for minus runs against) in games between the tied teams would be the deciding factor.
E Should there still be a tie, (regular season or playoffs) the team with the greatest overall run differential will be declared the winner.
F In all games (regular season or playoffs), the bottom half of the last inning will not be played unless the team coming to bat is behind in the score.
G All rules not covered by the above will be governed by the rules of Slo-Pitch National (SPN).
H The score of a forfeited game shall be 7-0 in favour of the team not at fault
Article 7 — Reporting of Game Results
A Each team must complete the league schedule
B Both teams must report game results to the person in charge of receiving the score sheets (Statistician) within seven (7) days of the game. Teams which fail to do so will be fined $15.00 for each offense.
Article 8 — Obligations of Team Representatives (Team Rep)
A If the Team Rep or his designate does not fulfill his obligations as decided by the other Team Reps and the Executive, the penalty will be $ 50.00 for the first offence, $ 100.00 for the second offence and $ 200.00 or team expulsion, for the third offence, from the League at the discretion of the League Executive and Team Reps.
B Teams must submit requests for changes in colour or design of team uniforms to the league, which reserves the sole right to approve such changes.
Article 9 — Trophies
A. Awards shall be decided by the Team Reps and the Executive. Final decisions, if ties apply, will rest with the Executive.
Article 10 — League Meetings
A All league meetings are open to all league players. Each team will have only one vote on motions at regular scheduled meetings.
Please see added new rules for 2018 in the NEWS section
2022 Triple Elimination Playoffs
