Unionville Slo Pitch League (USPL)

The USPL Executive Committee can declare a game forfeited or disqualify a team from the playoffs for the following reasons:

- Using ineligible or fraudulently represented players.

- Engaging in abuse towards umpires, players, or USPL executive members.

- Using players who do not meet the USPL registration process or eligibility requirements.

COURTESY RUNNERS 

Open Division > 5 courtesy runners per team (all runners must be different as per SPN rules)

Masters & 40+ Divisions > Unlimited courtesy runners (runners may only run ONCE per inning as per SPN rules) 

 HOME RUN RULE

Home Runs are plus TWO...after that, it becomes an OUT. Please keep track of the other teams' home runs to avoid conflicts

 SPARES

There are no spares allowed in the playoffs, roster players ONLY.

a)      If a team has 9, they play with 9

b)      If a team has 8, the other team can offer a catcher. The catcher is NOT LIVE and cannot make plays at home.

c)      If a team has 7, the team is defaulted

 GAME LENGTH

Round Robin games will be seven (7) innings long or with a time limit—no new inning after 80 minutes. The inning must finish if started including the bottom of an inning for plus/minus. Elimination games will be 7 innings with NO TIME LIMIT.

 INNING MERCY

There will be a six (6) run “mercy rule” in each of the first 5 innings. There is no “mercy rule” in innings 6 and/or 7.  These innings will be open

 GAME MERCY

The game mercy will be 12 runs after 5 innings (or 4.5 if the home team is leading). The game mercy will be in effect in ALL games including the Finals in all divisions

 PLUS/MINUS (round robin only)

The HOME team must bat in the bottom of the 7th if they are not ahead by 7 or more runs (for tie-breakers, the maximum plus/minus per game is 7 runs). Once the maximum of 7 runs has been achieved the game is over.

 EXTRA INNINGS

There will be no extra innings in round-robin games. Ties are allowed during round-robin. During elimination games, if teams are tied after 7 innings, the last official batter in the previous inning starts at 2nd base, with one out (after the runner has gone to 2^nd base, he can be subbed as per regular courtesy runner rules)

 HOME TEAMS

The home team for the round-robin is the higher-seeded team from the regular season.

The home team for the quarter-finals, semi-finals and final games (i.e.: elimination games) is the higher-seeded team after the round-robin.

 BALLS

Umpires will provide balls for ALL games. Please give them backup balls if requested 

 TIE BREAKER RULES

·        Head-to-head

·        Plus/Minus

·        Total Runs for in all round-robin games (higher is best)  

·        Total Runs Against in all round-robin games (lower is best)

·        Coin Toss

MASTERS ONLY > GRASS RULE

Infielders MUST start on the dirt to be able to make a play at first base. After contact, if the infielder is normally taken onto the grass to make a play on the ball, they are still able to throw to first base. An infielder that starts on the grass CANNOT make the play at first base. No relays or indirect throws are permitted to make an out at first base once the ball is in the outfield. (A fielder may throw to second base but that player may not throw to first base). A five-man infield is permitted. That fifth infielder must start on the dirt and is considered an infielder for the purposes of this rule and the infield fly rule. However, any fielder is still allowed to tag the runner out at first if he is caught “rounding the bag”

EQUAL PLAY— MASTERS ONLY 

No player may sit twice until all players have sat one inning (except in the case of a late arrival) No player may sit three times until all players have sat two innings and so on

Late arrivals must play in the game and will be considered as having sat any missed defensive innings. Late arrivals must play in the game and go to the bottom of the order. A player showing up after the 3^rd inning cannot enter the game.

At the request of the opposing team, if a sit violation is not corrected, a forfeit of the game may occur pending the review by the USPL executive following the completion of the game (FYI, a few years ago, a team in the playoffs was forfeited by the executive because of a sit violation that was not corrected, so please be careful)

By the way, the EQUAL PLAY rule is not the responsibility of the umpire to track or administer. It is up to the teams. The umpire's only involvement is to assist and mediate any violation that one team might bring up against the other.

Alcohol Policy

The U.S.P.L. has implemented a policy of zero tolerance in relation to the consumption of alcoholic beverages by U.S.P.L. members before, during or after a U.S.P.L. softball game or other U.S.P.L. function or event, which takes place in park or diamond facilities, including adjoining parking facilities, licensed to the U.S.P.L. by the Town of Markham (the “Alcohol Policy”) and that if a written complaint is received by the U.S.P.L. Executive from any member of the public or from a U.S.P.L. members, which involves an alleged breach of the Alcohol Policy by a U.S.P.L. members, the Executive is fully empowered to investigate the complaint and impose such penalties and/or sanctions against the breaching members and/or member’s team, which may include, without limitation, financial fines, forfeit of game points and individual or team suspension or expulsion from the U.S.P.L., as deemed necessary by the Executive.