2003 Church Youth Co-Rec Softball Rules Sportsmanship The ...

Sportsmanship
2003 Church Youth Co-Rec Softball Rules
The philosophy of the program is that good sportsmanship is expected in the conduct of every contest. A
good sport is fair, courteous, has a positive attitude, and accepts results gracefully. All individuals and
teams participating should comply with the spirit as well as the written rules that govern all competitive
situations. In order to encourage proper conduct during contests, members of the Red River Valley
Softball Association or the League Coordinators will make decisions whether to warn, penalize, or eject
persons, teams, or spectators displaying poor sportsmanship. These members should be treated with
respect. Under no circumstances should these members be threatened or physically abused.
1. Ejection Policy
If a participant is ejected from any game, he/she is immediately ineligible from participating in any
further games until cleared by a member of the Red River Valley Softball Association’s Board of
Directors or a League Coordinator. The minimum suspension for any participant that was ejected
will be the current game plus one additional game. Infractions that may result in ejection from
intramural competition include the following:
A. Unsportsman-like behavior
B. Verbal Abuse
C. Unnecessary Physical Contact
D. Fighting (Striking or attempting to strike)
E. Threatening Behavior (Verbal) towards an official or supervisor
F. Threatening Behavior (Physical) towards an official or supervisor
G. Individual playing under an assumed name
H. Individuals playing after the consumption or suspicion of consumption of alcohol/drugs
I. Damage/Destruction of facilities or equipment
2. Forfeit Policy:
A. Teams should arrive 10 minutes before the game to check ID's and complete score sheets.
Teams are expected to begin the game at the scheduled time.
B. The games may be not started with less than the minimum number of players, eight (8), If the
minimum number of players is not reached 5 minutes after the schedule game time, a forfeit
will be awarded to the opposing team.
3. Equipment:
A. A 12-inch softball will be used (Slow Pitch) and provided by the Red River Valley Softball
Association.
B. Bases are in-ground Hollywood-style bases. They do not break away. All other equipment
must be provided by the participants and must be approved under ASA guidelines.
C. Gym shoes or molded rubber cleats are allowed as well as hard plastic cleats. No metal,
screw-in, cleats allowed. All players must wear shoes.
D. Teams may use their own bats provided that the bat:
1. Is not more than 34 inches in length or exceed 38 ounces.
2. Must be marked as an "Official Softball Bat" by the manufacturer and approved by the
ASA.
4. Field Conditions/Rainouts:
A. The supervisor or coordinator will have responsibility for determining whether a game can be
played or continued due to inclement weather, field conditions, etc. To check on rainouts, call
the Red River Valley Softball Association Hot-Line at (218) 979-9331 after 4:00 p.m., the day
of your game.
5. Determining Home Team:
A. A coin flip will determine the home team.
Rules of Play:
Play shall be governed by ASA Rules except where the following special Rules shall apply.
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6. Length of Game:
A. Games will be seven (7) innings, or of one (1) hour duration.
B. No new inning may be started 50 minutes after the scheduled beginning of a game.
C. In the event a game ends in a tie after seven (7) innings, one (1) extra inning will be allowed
to break the tie (as long as the extra inning begins before the 10 minutes prior to the next
game). If still tied, the score will be recorded as a tie.
D. In the event of bad weather, a game will be termed "official" after three and one-half (3 1/2)
innings with the home team ahead, or after four (4) complete innings, the game will be termed
"official" and the team ahead declared the winner (exceptions will be games that end early
because of the run-limit rule defined below in paragraph E. or games that are declared ended
because of the 60-minute time limit).
E. If a team is ahead by 18 runs after three (3) complete innings (or 2 ½ innings if the leading
team is the Home team) or 13 runs after five (5) innings (or 4 ½ innings if the leading team is
the Home team), the team ahead shall be declared the winner.
1. Players:
A. A team may start and play a game with as few as eight (8) players. If a team plays with eight
(8) players, an automatic out will not be declared. However, if a team plays with nine (9)
players where 5 are males and 4 are females, an automatic out will occur between 2 males
who bat back-to-back. If there are 5 females and 4 males, no automatic out will be declared.
B. A player shall be officially in the game when his/her name has been entered on the score
sheet as playing the field, batting or a substitute.
C. A player who has signed the team’s roster and is listed on the team’s score card but is not
present at the start of the game, may still bat once s/he arrives
D. The Extra Player (EP) rule will be used. If a team uses the EP rule, only ten (10) players play
the field but an unlimited number are allowed to bat. A different ten (10) can play the field
each inning provided the same batting order is kept.
3. Batting:
A. Men and women must alternate in the batting order unless there are more than 5 females. If
there are 4 or fewer females, no team may have a situation where males bat back-to-back
without taking an automatic out. If there are 5 or more females, an unlimited number of
rostered males can bat back-to-back after all females have batted.
B. Batters will enter the box with an "1-1" count.
C. Batter is out when:
1. The third strike is swung at and missed
2. Each batter is allowed one “Courtesy” foul ball. The batter is out on a foul ball on the
third strike if a courtesy foul has already been used.
3. A third strike is called
4. The batter enters the batter box with an illegal bat.
5. A foul tip above the level of the batter's head is caught
6. The batter is hit by their own batted ball in fair territory before it has been played by a
fielder
7. The ball reaches first base and is caught before the runner reaches first base
8. The batter is tagged with the ball before reaching base.
D. Teams are allowed one home run over the fence per game. Any subsequent home runs will
result in the batter being called out. Inside-the-park home runs do not count towards the
home run total.
E. Infield fly Rule: When a batter hits a fair infield fly with base runners on first and second; or
first, second, and third with less than two (2) outs, the batter is automatically out. The runners
may advance at their own risk on an infield fly but must return to their bases if the ball is
caught (an infield fly is any fair ball that should be easily caught by an infield player). If a
declared infield fly falls to the ground untouched, it will still be considered an infield fly as long
as it stays in fair territory (ball does not have to be caught for this rule to apply).
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F. Any ball hit by a batter that strikes home plate and enters fair territory between the first and
third baselines shall be considered a fair ball.
4. Substitutions
A. A substitution shall be allowed if the plate umpire is notified at the time the substitute enters
the field.
5. Base Running
A. No leading off or stealing is allowed. A base runner may not leave the base until the ball has
been hit. Penalty: If a base runner does leave too early, the umpire shall call the base runner
out, the pitch shall be nullified, and the ball becomes dead immediately.
B. Sliding is allowed only if runners needs to protect themselves. Sliding may not be used (or
intentionally not sliding) to intimidate or otherwise break-up a play on a base runner.
Conversely, an infielder may not block the base. Also, fake tags are illegal.
C. Courtesy runners are allowed only be in cases of injury. The player making the last out may
run for a batter who has successfully reached base.
D. In the interest of safety, plays at home plate will be the same as a normal play at first base.
The runner will be "out" if the ball is held by a fielder (normally the catcher) touching home
plate with any part of his/her body before the base runner breaks the plane of the first base
foul line. Runners are instructed to run behind the plate. If, in an attempt to touch the plate,
the runner initiates a collision with the catcher, the runner will be ruled out.
6. Overthrows
A. When the ball is in play and is overthrown (beyond the boundary line) awarded bases will be
determined by the last base established by the base-runner at the time of the throw. Baserunners
will be awarded two bases from their established base at the time the ball is released.
B. On an overthrow by a fielder, the player is awarded the base that s/he was going to, plus the
additional base for the overthrow. (Example: If runner is between first and second base and
the ball is overthrown, the runner is awarded second base for being on their way there, and is
awarded third base for the overthrow).
7. Pitching
A. The ball must be delivered with a minimum arc of six (6) feet and a maximum arc of no more
than 12 feet. Penalty: An illegal pitch will be called. The batter may attempt to hit the pitch at
which time it becomes a live ball. If the batter does not swing at the pitch, it is a called ball.
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