Warriors Softball

WARRIORS SOFTBALL LEAGUE RULES

MEN’S SLOW-PITCH SOFTBALL

As of January, 2019

 

GENERAL RULES

We begin by stating that we follow the rules set down in the Official Senior Softball-  

USA Rulebook (SSWC), unless modified or added-to in these proprietary Warriors rules.  If a

subject is not addressed here we use the Official Rulebook. In case of a conflict between our    

league rules and SSWC rules, our league rules shall take precedence

A regulation game shall consist of seven (7) innings, time permitting. As of 7/23/09, games will begin at 6:30 pm and 8:00 pm. This is subject to change as necessary.

If seven (7) full innings (or 6 ½ if the home team is ahead) have not been completed by the seventy (70) minute mark, then the umpire shall make the “no new inning” announcement at the seventy (70) minute mark, meaning the top of the next inning shall be the beginning of the unlimited runs inning. This 70-minute time rule is also subject to change as necessary.

We will furnish all bats. No bats other than our bats are allowed.  EXCEPTION: Players who are 69 years of age older, or will turn 69 years of age that year, may use any bat of their choosing.

Any player who misses three (3) consecutive weeks’ worth of games, for any reason, shall be removed from his team’s roster and replaced with the next available player from the waiting list (if there are any). If there are no available players on the waiting list, then the player will not be removed. When a new replacement player joins the waiting list, if the current player is still “out”, he will be replaced at that time. The removed player will then be placed on the waiting list by the date they originally paid their league fees and, will be re-assigned to a team needing a replacement player when it’s their turn during the course of the regular season. No refunds will be made for any unplayed games.

All decisions by the umpire are final.

PITCHING

The pitching distance shall be fifty (50) feet and begins at the front of the pitching rubber to the back point of home plate. Pitchers may deliver the pitch from as far back as ten (10) feet behind the “pitching rubber” if they so desire. This is in accordance with Senior Softball’s standardized rules.

The pitched ball shall have an arc of at least six (6) feet but no higher than twelve (12) feet from the ground. If the pitched ball is higher than twelve (12) feet or lower than six (6) feet, it is considered an illegal pitch and the umpire will verbally call “illegal high” or “illegal flat” pitch.

Intentional walks, without delivering any pitches, are permitted if the pitcher first notifies the umpire.

We do not use a “pitcher’s box”.

BATTING

There shall be no intentional bunting or chop hits, (i.e. chopping the bat down on the  

pitched ball in order to create a higher bounce). PENALTY: The batter will be declared

out. The ball is dead. No runner may advance to the next base. Umpire’s judgment prevails.

Batters will start their at-bat with a count of one (1) ball and one (1) strike.

Fouled or tipped balls are considered a strike. A batter is permitted a maximum of two (2)

foul balls, even with a count of 2 strikes. 

A pitch that is foul-tipped straight back by the batter must be higher than the batter’s head to be called an “out” if caught by the catcher on the fly.

On a play at first base, in order to avoid contact with the first baseman, the batter/runner must run to, and cross, either an auxiliary first-base bag in foul territory, or the plane of a chalk line drawn horizontally from the foul line, whichever may be present. If a batter/runner runs to the real first base bag while a play is being made on him, the umpire shall call the batter/runner out.

Orange soccer-style plastic cones shall be set-up in an arc approximately 175-feet from home plate from foul line to foul line. No outfielder may position himself in front of the imaginary line made by the arc of the cones until the ball is struck.  No batter shall be put out at first base by any throw from any outfielder or on a relay throw started by an outfielder.  Any ball, in fair territory, that makes contact with the outfield grass, shall be at least a one-base-hit to the batter.

On a walk, or on a batted ball that makes contact with the outfield grass, the batter is not required to physically go to and touch first base before he can be replaced by a courtesy runner.

When a batter is unable to run from home plate to first base on a batted ball (and the ball fails to make contact with the outfield grass for a hit), a throw must be completed by an infielder to first base before the batter can be called out. Existing runners on base (if any) can move on the play as they would on any batted ball.

On a force-out at home plate, the catcher’s foot may be in physical contact with any part of the entirety of the strike mat.

Pinch-hitting is not allowed. If a batter is incapable of taking his turn at bat due to an injury occurring during the game, and is unable to continue play, the next batter in order shall bat.

There may be one (1) designated hitter (DH). A DH must be announced to the opposing team’s manager and to the umpire at the time the player is designated. A player injured during a game may become a DH during that game. A player so designated as the DH is not required to play defensively. All requests for a player to be a D.H. in a game must come from the player to his manager and not from the manager to his player.

Late arriving players may be immediately inserted anywhere into the batting order providing the batting order has not gone through once. Otherwise, late additions must be added to the BOTTOM of the batting order. 

RUNNERS IN THE HOLE

None are allowed. All batters must make it to first base on their own.

SUBSTITUTIONS

If a team manager has more than 10 players available to play, excluding a DH, he must rotate all players defensively. The manager shall rotate the players every inning. No player shall sit out a second defensive inning until every other player present has sat out one inning. No player shall sit out a third defensive inning until every other player present has sat out two innings.

FLIP FLOP RULE

This rule only applies if, at the top of the unlimited runs inning, the VISITING team has a lead of eight (8) runs or greater.  In that event, the HOME team, which batted in the bottom of the previous inning, continues to bat in the top of the unlimited runs inning after the bases cleared of any base runners from the previous inning.  In the event that the home team ties the game or takes the lead, then the visiting team bats in the last half of the unlimited runs inning.

TIED GAMES

If the score is tied after seven (7) complete innings have been played, the game shall be end as a tied game.  In post-season play only we will break ties using the International Tie Breaker procedure as described in the Official Rule Book.

WET BAG CONDITION CALLED BY UMPIRE

When invoked by the umpire, a base runner does not need to make physical contact with 2^nd or 3^rd base, however, the runner’s body must cross the vertical plane of 2^nd or 3rd base. The defensive player must always make actual contact with the base for a force out.

PLAYERS (Including the “9-8-7 rule”)

A team on defense shall not have more than ten (10) players on the field at any one time: one catcher, one pitcher, four (4) infielders and four (4) outfielders. 

A team with only nine (9) of its own players present plays with those nine (3 outfielders/infielders).

A team with eight (8) of its own players shall be loaned a catcher by the opposing team and then plays with only three (3) outfielders/infielders. This loaned catcher shall play with the same defensive effort as if he were catching for his own team.

A team that finds itself with only seven (7) of its own players and, therefore, unable to field a minimum of eight (8) team members at start of game time, shall forfeit the game.

During the course of the game, if the shorthanded team which received a loaned catcher, has one or more of its regular players show up late, the late-arriving player(s) shall enter the game batting last in the batting order, and the loan of the catcher from the opposing team ends.

If neither team is able to field a minimum of eight (8) team members at start of game time, then both teams will each be charged with a forfeit.

Teams will be granted a five (5) minute grace period from scheduled start time of the game to gather the minimum team members required before a forfeit is declared.

Replacement players from the waiting list will be assigned to teams through the penultimate week of the regular season only.

 

MANAGERS

Managers may not make, change or bend any rule or league policy or make “agreements” between themselves before or during the game on matters either covered or not covered by these rules.

CONDUCT

We will not tolerate anyone banging our composite bats against each other or against anything else. Our league bats are not to be used for any pre-game batting practice.

Only the manager (or his designated representative) is allowed to question the umpire regarding a call, the game in progress, players or game rules.

Team players or members of our league shall not make disparaging, abusive, profane or insulting remarks to or about opposing players, officials or spectators or commit other acts that could be considered unsportsmanlike conduct by a reasonable person.

No alcoholic beverages will be permitted in the dugouts or field of play. For safety purposes, if in the umpire’s judgment a player attempts to play a game while under the influence, he will be ejected from the game.

If the umpire ejects a player that player must completely exit the premises (including the spectator stands and the areas behind the backstop and down the foul lines) in no more than two (2) minutes time.  Failure to comply with this rule is grounds for the umpire declaring a forfeit.

CHAMPIONSHIP AND PLAYOFF FORMAT

We will use two (2) umpires in both semi-final games and in the championship game.

In all post-season games leading to the championship game, the team with the higher finish in the regular season standings shall have its choice of being home team or being the visitor. In the championship game home team will be determined by a coin flip.