Post & Pivot Sports and Social Network Adult Co-Ed Softball League Rules Post & Pivot Sports and Social Network (PPSSN) Adult Softball Co-Ed League follows rules and guidelines provided by USA Softball (formerly ASA). The rules listed below are adapted for PPSN. If a rule is not specifically stated below, please see the USA Softball 2022 Official Rules of Softball Participant Manual (aka rulebook) provided to each captain at the beginning of the year. All umpires are registered with USA Softball and attend USA Softball sponsored umpire clinics. Please note that, as a result of COVID-19, rules may be modified to ensure player health and safety. Please click here to review our COVID-19 Policies and Procedures (which are subject to change). Game Length Each game will be 1.5 hours or seven innings, whichever comes first. If any team is ahead by 10 runs or more after the 6th inning, the game is over. Runs are capped at eight (8) for each team per inning. No new inning will begin ten minutes prior to the scheduled end time after the start of play. Schedule There will be at least five (5) regular season games, as scheduling allows. After the completion of the regular season, there will be a single-elimination playoff tournament, with teams participating in at least one playoff game (unless a team is ineligible--see section on playoffs below). The regular season schedule is subject to change. Umpire Fees and Forfeits Umpire fees are $30 per game; per team, payable via cash, CashApp (@postandpivot669), or Venmo (@postandpivot) ahead of the start of the game. Ump fees MUST be paid in full in order for your game to start–no exceptions. This will be strictly enforced. If a team forfeits prior to the game without advanced warning, that team must pay both umpire fees ($30) before their next game or they will be unable to play until they do so. If you know that your team will have to forfeit, please let us know at least four hours prior to the start of your game to avoid this charge. This forfeit fee is not required for any forfeit once the game has started. When a team forfeits without prior notice (four hours) twice during a season, they may be removed from the league at the league commissioner’s discretion without a refund. If you forfeit your playoff game, you will be charged $30 regardless of when notice is given. Rosters and Fielding Every team must submit a roster online via Google Form Registration or on the postandpivotsme.com prior to the first game, with a roster minimum of 12 players and maximum of 20 players. Every player on the team must be registered prior to the start of their first game. League officials will check at the field prior to the start of the first game and anyone who is not rostered will not be permitted to play. Each player must be 18 years or older. The league is mixed gender. Teams field 10 positions and two (2) women/non-binary players must be on the field. Post & Pivot Sports, Media, and Entertainment, parent compant of PPSSN is an inclusive space, and players are encouraged to participate as the gender with which they identify. If players are running late, each team must have at least eight total players be permitted to start their game. Each team must finish the game with at least one (1) women/non-binary players, or the game will result in a forfeit. All players must play a minimum of two (2) innings to be considered an eligible player. If a complete game is not recorded due to time, the 10-run rule, or weather, it is assumed that players would have met this requirement. If a player fails to enter the game to play two (2) COMPLETE innings, they are an ineligible player and that team may be required to forfeit. This rule also applies to courtesy runners. All four outfielders must remain within the outfield. A rover position may be used, but MUST also abide by this rule. If, before contact is made, an outfielder is deemed by the umpire to be too close to the infield, the batter will be awarded first base. No fielder may drop a ball intentionally at any time. In non-infield fly situations, the umpire will call “dead” ball and the batter will be ruled out. The base runners are returned to the base they occupied prior to the at bat. When the IFF situation is in effect, the IFF rule will be applied--the batter is ruled out and runners may advance at their own risk. Determination of an intentionally dropped ball is at the discretion of the umpire. Fielders are not permitted to intentionally or unintentionally obstruct a base without possession of the ball. Fielders not in possession of the ball or not in the act of fielding a batted ball cannot obstruct the progress of a runner. See the USA Softball 2022 Official Rules of Softball here for complete policies on obstruction. Replacement players for severe injuries will be allowed in the playoffs only when it is approved by the league commissioner prior to the start of the playoff game in question. You MUST contact us prior to your team’s playoff game and arrival at the field and must receive approval if you need to use a substitute for an injured player. Pitching All pitches must have an arc between 6’ and 12’ arch. Pitches that do not meet this requirement are considered illegal and will be called a ball. However, if the batter swings at the pitch, the pitch will be declared legal, and if batted it will be considered in play. All ball and strike calls are at the umpire’s discretion. Pitchers must start on the pitching mound, but are allowed to take a step off the mound while they are in the pitching motion. There is no limit on the number of runs that may be walked in, except that runs are capped at eight (8) for each team for the entirety of the game. Intentional walks are not permitted. Pitchers must make genuine attempts to pitch hittable balls to each batter. If, in the umpire’s judgment, a pitcher is purposely and/or willfully pitching unhittable pitches, the umpire will give one team warning. If, after that warning, a pitcher from the same team continues to intentionally throw unhittable pitches, that player will be ejected and can not be replaced in the lineup. A second ejection from that same team may be grounds for a forfeit. Hittable versus unhittable pitches are determined at the umpire’s discretion. Base-Running No leading or stealing. A runner may not leave the base until the batter makes contact with the ball. If a runner leaves the base prior to contact, they are ruled out and the ball is declared dead from the time the runner left the base. No runner can impede or initiate contact with a fielder, except when sliding into a base. Any baserunner interference will be called an out. Runners must refrain from avoidable, unnecessary, and/or excessive contact at all times. Failure to do so could result in a runner being called out, ejected, and/or possibly suspended. Crashing into a fielder, even when that fielder is in possession of the ball and/or obstructing the runner, is strictly prohibited and will result in the runner being called out and, if determined to be flagrant by the umpire, may result in the runner being ejected and/or possibly suspended. Flagrant, intentional contact may also result in a team forfeit at the discretion of the umpire or league officials. See the USA Softball 2022 Official Rules of Softball here for complete policies on interference and contact with fielders. Courtesy Runner Any eligible player on the official line-up for the day’s game including available substitutes (or players that have already been substituted) may be used as a courtesy runner. A courtesy runner may be used once per inning per gender. If the courtesy runner is on base when it becomes their turn in the lineup to bat, the runner will be declared out and removed from the base. The courtesy runner will then take their turn at bat. If there are two outs when the courtesy runner vacates the base, they will be the first batter in the next inning, in accordance with the lineup. Courtesy runners must have played, or plan to play, their three innings to make them eligible to run. When a thrown ball is deemed out of play, the umpire will call the ball “dead” and runners will receive the base they were going towards and one additional base. If a woman/non-binary player is batting more than one time in the lineup, if they are due up to bat and they are currently on base, the vacated runner will be out. No player may vacate a base in order to bat. Batting Order All registered players meeting fielding requirements are eligible to bat. However, each team must abide by the 3:2 ratio. Each team must bat one (1) women/non-binary players for every three men. Batting Each batter will start with one ball and one strike. When a batter has two strikes, they will be given a “courtesy” foul. The next batted ball MUST be hit within fair territory. If the next batted ball is declared foul, the batter is out. Bats: Men can only use 100% wooden bats designed for softball. No DeMarini Corndogs are permitted and no baseball bats are permitted. Teams may bring their own bats, but their usage is subject to the umpire’s discretion. Bats will be available for use each game, provided by PPSN We recommend players check with league officials before purchasing a bat to ensure that the bat is approved for play. There may be bats not on the list above–newer bats, for example, that are approved but must be cleared by league officials prior to use. All bats must be approved by the umpire to ensure safety, and umpires can declare bats illegal at any time. Any player using a bat that was not approved by the umpire at the start of each game will be an automatic out and/or a possible ejection and that team may be required to forfeit. If you have any questions or concerns about the equipment, alert the umpire immediately. Substitutions A team may bat all of its players and rotate subs or a team may choose to use a subbing system (“hard subs”) where players are removed from the lineup and substituted. When using a hard sub system, a player is allowed one re-entry, however, each player must remain in their original batting order. PPSN also permits the use of an extra player. Single-Elimination Playoff Tournament All teams will receive at least one playoff game unless the team does not meet roster requirements or has more than two forfeits within a season. A playoff bracket will be generated, seeding teams based on their regular season record. In a tiebreaker scenario, the first tiebreaker will be the head-to-head record. If that does not determine the higher seed, the record versus common opponents will be used. If the third tiebreaker results in a tie, the team with the higher run differential will be seeded higher. Finally, if the above methods fail, a coin flip will establish which team is the higher seed. Playoff Tournament Rosters Each roster is due through Google Form before starting the first game of the postseason and all players must be registered through Google Form. In order to be an eligible player for the playoffs, you must be on the roster submitted within Google Forms and have participated in three (3) games during the season. Players cannot register the day of the first game of the postseason as all players are required to be registered prior to playing their first game of the regular season. Players may not be double rostered and cannot play on more than one team during playoffs--no exceptions. Teams MUST have two (2) women/non-binary players during playoff games or the game will result in a forfeit--no exceptions. Umpires & Player Conduct Umpires will determine the official outcome of each play; all umpire decisions are FINAL. Umpires will explain field ground rules to both teams at the start of the season and during the annual, mandatory Captains’ Meeting, then interpret those rules at his/her discretion. Excessive arguing, disrespectful conduct or gestures, personal attacks, profanity, verbal abuse, and/or derogatory or hateful language directed toward PPSSN umpires, other officials or directors, other players, spectators, league partners, or members of the public will NOT be tolerated and will result in penalties up to ejection, team forfeit, and/or league-mandated player suspension or ban. Any player ejected from a game due to conduct will be required to leave the field and surrounding area immediately--no exceptions. Ejected players will not be permitted to stand outside of the fence area, on the sidewalk, or in the street and may have zero additional verbal contact with anyone at the field. Failure to comply will result in additional penalties including player suspension and/or team forfeit. We take all threats of violence very seriously and we have a zero-tolerance policy for any direct or implied threats of harm or challenges to fight, fighting, or otherwise unwanted physical contact. This will result in penalties including immediate ejection, team forfeit, and/or league-mandated player suspension or ban (including a lifetime ban), even for first offenses, at the determination of the umpire and/or other league officials. Individuals 18 years of age and older are welcome to participate in PPSSN free from discrimination on the basis of race, ethnicity, nationality, national origin or ancestory, immigration status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, disability, marital status, familial status, military status, religion or creed, age, or socioeconomic status. The use of discriminatory, racist, misogynistic, anti-LGBTQ/homophobic, transphobic, or otherwise derogatory, hateful, or offensive language--even if not directed at a specific individual--is not permitted in any context and will also result in penalties including immediate ejection, team forfeit, and/or league-mandated player suspension or ban (including a lifetime ban), even for first offenses, at the determination of the umpire and/or other league officials. Cursing or profanity specifically directed at or targeted towards other individuals is also not permitted and may result in the same penalties. Likewise, displaying or wearing banners, signs, flags, hats, clothing, etc. that are deemed by the umpire and/or league officials to be derogatory, hateful, offensive, or discriminatory is strictly prohibited and will be subject to the same penalties as listed in the above paragraph. Refunds will not be issued if a team or individual is suspended or banned from the league due to conduct–no exceptions. Dogs must be kept on a six foot leash or shorter and cannot be restrained in the area behind the backstop due to tripping concerns. While we love dogs, dogs that bark excessively or exhibit reactive behavior towards people or other animals should be left at home where they will feel more comfortable. To respect everyone’s safety and comfort levels, we may ask you to remove your dog from the field if your dog or ask that your dog not return if your dog is barking excessively or demonstrating reactive behavior towards adults, children, or other animals such as lunging, snapping, attempted biting or biting, growling, and/or hard barking. If you bring your dog, please make sure that someone is available to stay with your dog at all times and that the dog is not left unattended for your dog’s safety and for all of the attendee’s safety. No smoking, disposal of cigarette butts, or use of chewing tobacco is permitted at the field while within the gates of the premises. Please go outside of the gated field area if you need to smoke and do not leave cigarette butts on the ground. No pinching. Alcohol As 63rs St. Playground is owned and operated by the City of Philadelphia, the consumption of alcoholic beverages by players and spectators on the premises is prohibited. Refunds All sales are final. Refunds are given only for entire league cancellations or if individual free agents are not assigned to a team. Refunds will not be issued if a league is postponed or suspended. Refunds will not be issued if a team or individual no longer wishes to play after registering. And, as noted, refunds will not be issued if a team or individual is suspended or banned from the league due to conduct.