Softball League Rules The Wrightwood CSD reserves the right to make any changes deemed necessary to ensure the safety of the participants and/or operation of the league. If changes are made, updates will be emailed to the team captains to share with their team. Sportsmanship This is intended to be a fun co-ed adult league, arguing, fighting, and yelling from the field or the stands will not be tolerated. Foul and offensive language will not be tolerated. All participants are required to read and sign the Sportsmanship Code of Conduct Agreement at the time of registration. All issues that cannot be handled on the field with the umpire and team captains can be taken up with the WCSD General Manager, Tamie Keen. Email your concerns to gm@wrightwoodcsd.org. Ball Size/Pitching Rules • Softballs will be provided by the WCSD. • Pitcher is to pitch 45 feet from home plate. The pitcher is required to pitch from the mound. • Pitchers must put an 8ft to 12ft arch in their pitches. • Any pitch outside of the 8ft to 12ft arch rule will be considered a dead ball. A dead ball is a ball. • A ball that lands on home plate or the mat behind the plate is a strike. Home Run One-Up Rule (Over the Fence Home Runs ONLY) • The fence is in play, like an outfield wall in baseball. Any ball hit over the fence is a homerun. This rule is subject to amendment at particular fields due to the size and shape of a field. For fields without fences, if the ball hits the cement walkway at the end of the grass field it will be considered a ground rule double. Both WCSD fields have fencing. • Players must run all bases when hitting a home run. • Teams may only hit a maximum of +1 homeruns relative to their opponent's home run totals. • Any male batter that hits a homerun for a team that is already +1 in homeruns will immediately be declared out. Runners will not advance. • A female homerun is never out and is not counted towards the team’s homerun count. The cone will not move if a female hits a homerun. • If a team is -1 in home runs relative to their opponent, that team may hit two consecutive home runs, moving them from -1, to even, to +1. • The Umpire will be keeping a tally of homeruns on a clipboard by home plate, and/or a cone by the backstop. • It is encouraged that the score keepers keep a homerun tally to help with any possible discrepancies. Batting Rules • Men must use all wood bats. Wood bats shall not be more than 34 inches long, 2 ¼ inches in diameter, and must be stamped "Official Softball". • Women must use a softball bat. • Helmets are encouraged, but not required. • If the base runner cannot run the bases for any medical reason, a designated runner may be selected from the bottom of the current inning line up. Designated runners must be the same gender as the batter they are running for. Designated runners are for medical reasons only, and using a designated runner to put a faster person on base is prohibited. The designated runner must start from the fencing behind the batter. • All batters will start with a 1:1 Pitch count. After the second strike they are allowed to hit 1 foul ball. The second foul ball is an out. • No bunting is allowed. • Walk Rule- If a batter gets a strike during their at bat, then walks, they just take first base. If a male walks by getting all balls he takes first base UNLESS a female batter is up after him: Male goes to 2nd base and female can choose to bat or just take first base. Fielding Outfielders and/or rovers are not allowed to enter the infield until the ball is hit into play. The infield is designated as the dirt area and the out field is designated as the grass area. Mercy Rule Once 7 runs are scored during a team's at bat, the half inning is over and the game moves into the next portion of the inning. The last inning is a closed inning. If the team is more than 7 runs away from winning they can play the remainder of the time or innings for fun. Base Stealing You cannot steal a base. No leading off. Home Plate/First Base • A base extender will be provided for first base. Runners are encouraged to run through the base extender instead of directly over first base to avoid causing injuries to the runner or the first baseman. • Players running home must touch the home plate, not the mat behind the plate, to score a run. Roster • Teams are required to submit their official roster before the registration deadline. Players will not be allowed to be on more than one roster per season. • In the event of an injury or the need to replace a player, contact the WCSD. Adding or replacing players will be addressed on a case-by-case basis. • Team's official game rosters will need to be recorded on the score sheets each week in their batting lineup order. When teams are signing in before each game on the score sheet, it is the team captain's responsibility to check that their roster is correct. If the team captain feels that the roster is incorrect, they need to correct it before the game begins. Score sheets have been provided to team captains, and there will be extras on the umpire's clipboard if needed. • You must be 18 years or older to play. • Each team must have at least 5 women on their roster to play and at least 4 women on the field for games. • All players must sign the liability waiver at the time of registration. • All teams must have no less than 10 players on their official roster. For games, all teams must have no less than 8 players and no more than 10 players on the field at a time. Less than 8 players in attendance during a game will result in a forfeit. If a team allows more than 10 players on the field then they must immediately remove the extra player(s) or forfeit the game. • Teams are to bat their entire game roster in attendance, in the lineup recorded on their score sheet. If you feel that a team is batting out of the lineup order, please have your team captain call a time out and discuss it with the umpire. If the team is found batting out of order by the umpire, the following consequences apply: If the incorrect batter has advanced to a base, it will be an automatic out. If the incorrect batter is still up to bat, the correct batter will come to the plate and assume the incorrect batters count. If this is a continual problem with a team, the umpire has the right to require the team to forfeit. • If a medical issue occurs during the game that would prevent a player from batting, the team captain must notify the umpire that their batting order will change immediately. Substitutes • Teams are required to have a minimum of 7 of their rostered players present for a game. If you go below 7 of your officially rostered players, you will be required to forfeit. You may still play the game if the other team agrees, but your team will still be recorded as having forfeited. • Teams are allowed to add a maximum of 2 substitutes to allow your team to have 9 players on the field. The only exception would be to meet your female requirement, in which you'd be allowed no more than 4 females on your line up for that game. • Substitutes must be registered players from the current season. • During end of season playoffs, substitutions are not allowed. • In the event of an injury to a female player during a game, the team with the injured player can choose to continue playing with 9 players on the field if no other female player on their team is available to play. A substitution from another team for a female player due to injury is not permitted during the game. Umpires • Umpires will be scheduled and provided by the Wrightwood CSD. If you do not have an umpire at your game, both teams must agree on a player, from either team, to umpire the game. • Umpires are given full discretion and are the final word regarding a call. • If your team wishes to challenge an umpire's call, they must call a time out and only your team captain may approach the umpire to discuss. • You can challenge a call if it is regarding a rule, but you cannot challenge a judgement call. • The umpire's decision is final. Arguing with the umpire may result in ejection of player(s) and/or forfeit of the game. Please see the Sportsmanship Code of Conduct for examples and ejection procedures. • Team captain and umpire signatures acknowledge the final score and the outcome of the game. You will not be able to challenge a game after you've signed the score sheet. Any issue that cannot be resolved with the umpire at the conclusion of the game must be sent to the WCSD general manager, at: gm@wrightwoodcsd.org. Field Setup WCSD staff or the Umpire will set up the field with bases and chalking before the first game. However, the home team captain is responsible for re-chalking the field prior to each game, if necessary. Score Keeping • Each team will be required to keep score. Please have the score keepers sit together. They must check the runs they have tallied at the end of each teams at bat. If there is a discrepancy, they must question it before the next inning with the umpire and the team captains and fix it at that moment. The Umpire has final say if there is a disagreement on score. Once the next inning/at bat has started, you can no longer contest the runs from the previous at bat. The home team will be the official score card that needs to be turned in to the umpire. If a team does not provide a score keeper, then they forfeit the right to contest a score to a game. • Score keepers need to tally and record the final run count on the scoresheet. • All players must be listed on the score sheet (first and last name). As a courtesy, please include the player's number if they have one on their jersey. • Both the visitor and home team captains are required to sign the score sheet after game for • verification of correct scores being reported. • Official score sheets must be turned in to the umpire at the conclusion of the game. IF NO SCORE SHEET IS TURNED IN GAME WILL NOT COUNT. Games • Games are 7 innings or 60 minutes, whichever is first. • There will be a 15-minute break between games to allow for switching of the teams in the dugouts. • A 10-minute grace period will be given for teams that are not ready to play at their designated time. After the 10-minute grace period the game will be forfeited. Teams can play for fun if they choose. • No new innings are allowed to start after 55 minutes. • The Umpire is the official timekeeper. • In the event of a tie at the end of the 7th inning, the game will go into international tie breaker rules. The last batter from the previous inning will be placed at 2nd base in order to help accelerate scoring opportunities. Games that are tied will end in a tie if the time limit has been reached. Playoffs • All teams will be seeded for the playoffs based on their regular season winning percentage. In the event of identical winning percentages, the following tie breaker system will be in effect: o 1st tie breaker - Head-to-Head o 2nd tie breaker - Total run count for the season o 3rd tie breaker - Coin Flip • The top 50% of teams will advance to the post season tournament. • Only players registered on the official roster are eligible to play during playoffs. • No substitutes will be allowed during playoffs. • You must contact the General Manager if you are unable to field a team of your rostered players in order for the next team in line to be notified to play. • In the event of a tie at the end of the 7th inning, the game will go into international tie breaker rules. The last batter from the previous inning will be placed at 2nd base in order to help accelerate scoring opportunities. • 1st place winners from playoffs will receive a $50 discount off the next season's registration fee. Game Cancellations • Unavoidable game cancellations due to rain, irrigation, and other factors will be rescheduled by the league coordinator, unless unable due to prior facility conflicts. • Make-up games may be played on a different night of the week than normal season games. Alcohol • Due to issues in previous seasons, we are adopting a ZERO TOLERANCE policy regarding alcohol consumption during any WCSD organized softball game. Anyone found in violation of this policy will be immediately ejected from the game, will be banned from playing for the remainder of the season and the violating team will forfeit the game. • Games are held on elementary school property and the consumption of alcohol on campus is prohibited. It is a privilege to use the field and the privilege can be revoked. We ask for everyone’s cooperation in preventing this from happening. Please be respectful. • No rostered player (regardless of playing status) may drink alcohol during or in between games. • No open containers of alcohol will be permitted in the team dugout. Field Rules • Soft tossing against fences is prohibited. • Only players, coaches, and staff are allowed in the dugouts. • Children are not allowed on the field of play. • Any player that deliberately throws a bat may be ejected from the game. In the case of an accidental bat throwing, the umpire will issue a warning. • Cleats are recommended, but not required. Metal cleats are prohibited. • Uniforms are recommended, but not required. Sportsmanship Code of Conduct The mission of the WCSD Parks & Recreation Sports Programs is to promote athleticism and friendly competition through sportsmanship and fair play. A display of good sportsmanship is expected of all participants at any WCSD organized game or event. Although competition may become intense, we expect good sportsmanship from all participants throughout the game and after it’s ending. As a participant in any WCSD league, tournament, or event, you must pledge to: • Respect the game, play fairly, and follow all rules and policies. • Accept the decisions of umpires and officials with good grace. • Demonstrate good sportsmanship before, during, and after games, win or lose. • Be responsible for the sportsmanship of my teammates and assist in maintaining a respectful environment for all participants. • Be courteous and respectful to all players, opposing teams, officials, monitors, facilitators, umpires and WCSD staff. • Help to maintain and keep all equipment and conditions at the facility/park in good condition. • Obey all facility rules, while respecting all equipment, common areas, playing areas, parking areas, and surrounding neighborhoods. • Refrain from the use of abusive language or profanity, which is strictly prohibited. • Refrain from playing music containing profanity, abusive language, or language not suitable in a family friendly environment. • Not engage in any behavior which would endanger the health, safety, or wellbeing of any player, official, staff member, or spectator. • Not engage in verbal, written, or physical threats or abuse aimed at any participant, official, staff member, or spectator. • Not initiate a fight, scuffle, or exchange with any individual (including but not limited to: pushing, shoving, punching, kicking, etc.). • Not use alcoholic beverages or illegal drugs at or during any WCSD organized game or event. Alcohol Policy The WCSD has adopted a ZERO TOLERANCE policy regarding alcohol use during any WCSD organized game or event. The team captains will be given a first warning at the team captains meeting that applies to all team members. Any person in violation of this policy will be banned from participating in the remainder of the season on the first offense. No exceptions will be made. Sportsmanship Sports are filled with judgment calls and, as a result, disputes between players, opponents, and staff may occur from time to time. However, it is important that participants respect and handle all disputes that may occur in a civilized manner. No one may argue/protest a judgment call. Protests for player eligibility or rule misapplications/misinterpretations are time-sensitive and must be made before the next live ball situation. Only team captains may call “time out” and approach the official for discussion. All decisions made by on-site WCSD officials must be respected and obeyed. Any feedback regarding rules, players, officials, or staff members should be brought to the attention of a WCSD General Manager in written form at: gm@wrightwoodcsd.org. Any behavior deemed unacceptable by WCSD may result in an ejection, suspension, and/or expulsion as outlined below. Repeated Code of Conduct violations by the same team could result in a team expulsion from the league without refunds. All Code of Conduct violations during a dead ball situation will result in a suspension as outlined below. All violations/fouls/penalties during a live ball situation which result in an ejection are subject to review and a possible suspension. Players may appeal a suspension in writing within 48 hours of a suspension notification. Players cannot participate during the appeal process. Ejection Procedure The umpire has the discretion to administer one verbal warning or to eject the offending player. A record of the verbal warning will be submitted to the district office. A second offense will result in immediate ejection and expulsion for the remainder of the season. Upon ejection, the game and clock stop, and a player must: • Immediately leave the field and subsequently the premises • Take no longer than TWO minutes to get out of sight and sound of the field • NOT wait in the parking lot or anywhere on site The following behaviors will result in immediate ejection and expulsion for the remainder of the season: • Vulgar, abusive, sexist, racist, discriminatory comments or gestures and verbal threats of violence towards an opponent, teammate, spectator, umpire or staff member • Excessive arguing over judgment calls or making physical contact with an umpire while arguing a call • Leaving the dugout, bench, or substitution area to enter the field and argue an umpire's call or attempting to enter the field during an altercation • Charging/Confronting another individual in a combative/threatening manner • Attempting to punch, kick, choke, slap or strike an opponent, spectator, umpire, or staff member • Punching, kicking, choking, slapping, striking, or pulling the hair of an opponent, spectator, umpire, or staff member • Throwing equipment in anger at the ground, bleachers, fence, opponent, spectator, umpire or staff member • Brandishing/Displaying any type of weapon (including equipment) in a menacing/threatening manner • Striking an opponent, spectator, referee, or staff member with any type of weapon (including equipment)