Softball Rules - Chicago Sport and Social Club

SPORTS LEAGUE OFFICIALS ASSOCIATION

Coed 12” & 16” Softball Rules

-WITH STRIKE MAT-

1. A “strike mat” will be used to determine balls and strikes. If the softball touches any part of the mat on a legal pitch (6’-12’ arc), it will be considered a strike. Pitches touching any part of the plate WILL BE considered a strike as well (Because of the small size of the strike mat and the difficulty of pitching, the CSSC has increased the strike zone to include the plate to promote teams to swing more and give pitchers a larger target.) **IMPORANT DISTINCTION** The strike mat is only used for calling balls and strikes. The strike mat is not home plate. Therefore, when a runner is trying to score, he or she must touch home plate in order to score. If he/she touches the strike mat and not home plate, and then is tagged, the runner will be tagged out.

2. All batters will start with a one ball, one strike count.

3. NEW RULE - WALK RULE: If a male batter is walked in 3 pitches (meaning no strikes were thrown or foul balls were hit) and a female follows him in the batting order, the female has the choice to take a walk or bat. (Exception: ***if the bases are loaded (at the time a male is at-bat) and a male is walked and a female follows him in the order, that female must bat.) Umps will enforce this rule upon request; however, they will not be responsible for notifying the batter in each walk situation.

4. A batter with two strikes is allowed one foul ball. On the second foul with two strikes, the batter is out. In other words, you are allowed one courtesy foul ball with two strikes.

5. All games are seven innings or one hour (warm up time included); the last inning will start 10 - 15 minutes to the hour. The ump will enforce this rule and will make the call at the top of the final inning. If a game is tied at the end of seven innings, extra innings will be played only if there is time. If there is not time (at least 10 minutes left in the hour), the game will end in a tie during the regular season. Note: Due to differing circumstances in each and every game, some games will finish short of an hour in length, while others might run over the hour mark. Please respect your ump’s call in this matter. He/she must keep all games on time in fairness to teams playing later hours and due to facility permit restrictions.

6. 10 players (at least 4 females) in the field at all time. (THERE ARE NO POSITION REQUIREMENTS of any players, i.e. there need not be 2 females in outfield and 2 in the infield) You are never allowed more than 6 men in the field at one time. CSSC rules will allow a team to play with a minimum of 8 players (at least 2 females). If only 2 women are present at game time, each woman must bat twice in the first 10 batters. If a team has less than the minimum required number of players it is up to the opponent and/or umpire as to what is allowable.

7. Teams may bat more than ten players; however, these teams must bat the same ratio (3 to 2) of men and women as fielding men and women. In situations where additional players wish to bat, the line

up must come as close to a 3 to 2 ratio as possible, even if some women need to bat twice in the batting order. ***Men CANNOT bat twice in the lineup to achieve a 3-2 ratio if a team plays with more women than men. Prior to game time, ask your ump for a score sheet. Line-ups must be given to the ump for every game.

8. There are no guy-girl batting order rules other than the 3 to 2 ratios and the scenario. (i.e. You may bat 6 men followed by 4 women or vice-versa) The batting rules are governed by the number of males in the line-up. examples are as followed:

I.e. 6 men 4 women

7 men 4 women

8 men 5 women (1 out of 4 batting twice if needed)

9 men 6 women (2 out of 4 batting twice if needed)

10 men 6 women (2 out of 4 batting twice if needed)

11 men 7 women (3 out of 4 batting twice if needed)

12 men 8 women (4 out of 4 batting twice if needed)

Etc., etc., etc.

*6 men 2 women (both batting twice) *If playing with the minimum # of people

9. All players in the field must be listed in the batting order. There are no designated hitters allowed. Any attempt at doing so must be brought to the attention of the umpire prior to game time and can only be deemed allowable by the opposing captain.

10. Game mercy rule: 10 runs up after five complete innings (home team always gets their final at bats when the last inning has been called).

11. There will be a 7 run limit per inning during innings 1-4. (Exception: unlimited runs may be scored if one of the innings 1-4 is declared the final inning of the game.) Unlimited runs may be scored in innings 5, 6, and 7, or in any extra innings.

12. No leadoffs or stealing allowed. Runners may leave the base once the ball crosses the plane of the plate or is hit by the batter. If a runner leaves early, the ball is dead and the runner is declared out. If this is the 3rd out of the inning the batter will be first up in the next inning.

13. Games start on time!!! Teams must be prepared to play.

Forfeit rule: 10 minutes after game time. If one team has less than the minimum number of players (8 total-2 females) at ten past the designated start time, the team that is short players will forfeit. If however, the opposing team wishes to allow the team to play with less than the minimum amount of required players, the game may be played as an official game. The opposing team must notify the umpire that they would like the game to be played as an official game.

14. Base runner to defensive player contact will be closely watched by the ump. Any excessive contact or collision will result in an “out” and/or ejection. This includes contact with the catcher. Sliding is allowed. Any sliding into a base to break up a double play, or any intentional (in the eyes of the monitor) interference with the defensive player will result in the runner and the batter being called out.

15. NO METAL SPIKES ARE ALLOWED.

16. A foul ball above the batter’s head may be caught for an out.

17. All thrown balls are deemed out of play when:

• The ball is thrown over the fence

• The ball is thrown beyond the fence

• The ball is thrown beyond the imaginary line extending from the

end of the backstop (if there is no fence).

• This imaginary line applies to overthrows and caught fly foul balls.

• If the ball is overthrown and hits the fence behind the 1st or 3rd base lines but does not travel out of play, this is NOT considered out of play and the runner may advance, BUT at his/her own risk.

• On overthrows out of play, the runner is granted the base he/she is going to (at the point of the throw) plus one more base. They will be awarded two bases from the last legally established base. Note: in cases where a base runner runs past first base, he/she must make a clearly aggressive turn towards second base to be granted 2nd and 3rd in overthrow situations.

18. On an infield fly (any fly ball within the infield with significant arc and deemed an “easy catch”) with less than 2 outs and runners on 1st and 2nd or 1st, 2nd and 3rd, the batter is automatically out and runners can advance, BUT at their own risk.

19. All outfielders must remain behind the chalked and/or coned “outfield line” (if applicable - consult with your ump before your game to determine if this rule is enforced at your particular league) when a female is up to bat. In most cases the “outfield line will be determined by where the infield dirt meets the outfield grass. If the “line” is not clearly marked it us up to the umpire’s discretion if an outfielder is too close to the infield. There cannot be more than 7 players on the infield at any one time. Once contact has been made the outfielders may cross the line. If an outfielder crosses the line before contact has been made the female may be awarded first base.

20. In certain facilities a home run rule may apply. (Consult with your ump and/or CSSC

Staff person to determine if a rule is in effect at your particular league.)

21. Pitching Mound: To increase the safety of the CSSC 12 inch softball leagues the pitching mound will be the distance of 45’ feet from home plate. This distance will be determined by the umpire before each game. Pitchers are allowed only one step in any direction off of the mound.

22. 5 innings will be considered a complete game. The home team will always be allowed their final at bat in order for it to be considered complete. (Example: The Home team is leading after six innings, and the game is called in the seventh with the visiting team batting and taking the lead. With the game being called we would revert to what the result was after the last completed inning after five, which would be the score after six and thus the Home team would win). EXCEPTION: During the playoffs if a game is called due to lights/darkness we may pick it up where it left off and resume the following week (Consult CSSC office for ruling).

23. If a game is called due to weather, and less than 5 innings have been played, the game will be restarted from the beginning.

24. If a game is called due to darkness, and less than 5 innings have been played the game will resume from the exact point at which it was stopped. i.e. same count, same batter, same base running situation

25. Due to safety concerns, the Chicago Sport and Social Club have implanted a bat policy for 12” softball only. Participants are still allowed to use any softball bat for 16” softball leagues. All bats for 12” softball MUST contain the ASA Certification stamp. Bats that do not contain this stamp are

ineligible for use in the CSSC 12” softball leagues. In addition to that, there are some additional bats that have certification marks but are not approved for use in our leagues:

26. In 16" softball women are permitted to wear gloves if the choose. Men may not.

27. The Chicago Sport and Social Club reserves the right to change or modify these procedures on a case by case basis, if necessary.

LEAGUE POLICIES

GAMES:

During the regular season games are to be played within time allotted (warm up time is included).

UMPS:

An umpire will be provided by the Sport & Social Clubs to supervise the game. It will be the umpire’s responsibility to coordinate and run the games, which include the following tasks:

• Starting games on time.

•Calling outs, making final calls on any disputed balls or strikes.

• Settling all disputes or disputed calls.

It is understood that umps will assist in the tracking of the score (i.e. announcing it between innings) and assist in any discrepancies with regards to the coed line-up ratios. However, it is the responsibility of both teams to maintain their respective line-ups and scores each inning.

BAT POLICY:

Due to safety concerns, the Chicago Sport and Social Club have implanted a bat policy for 12” softball only. Participants are still allowed to use any softball bat for 16” softball leagues. All bats for 12” softball MUST contain the ASA Certification stamp. Bats that do not contain this stamp are ineligible for use in the CSSC 12” softball leagues. In addition to that, there are some additional bats that have certification marks but are not approved for use in our leagues.

FORFEITS:

If your team forfeits a game during the season, the following rules apply:

First Offense: Loss of game.

Second Offense: Loss of game and staff reserves the right to remove team from playoffs.

Third Offense: Removal from the league. Any team that forfeits more than once also forfeits any guarantee or right to a certain number of guaranteed games.

If you know in advance that your team is going to forfeit a game, we encourage you to call our office, at 312.850.8196, so as to help us schedule your opponent a game.

Teams have until ten minutes past the designated start time to field a full squad (minimum numbers of players required to play according to the rules). Refer to rules regarding guy/girl batting ratio. Anything less then the minimum must be approved by the staff and opposing team.

STANDINGS:

The updated standings will be posted weekly, displaying each teams rank within its skill level. Rank is based on winning percentage.

PLAYOFFS:

Playoffs will begin immediately following the end of the regular season and will typically last between 2 and 3 weeks. After teams have been seeded according to their records all captains will receive an email or call with the 1st week of playoff game times roughly 3 days before their league. Teams will not receive a call for any other weeks of playoffs! It is ALL TEAM’S responsibility to check the playoff brackets at the league to find out what time they will be playing the following week if they win. In playoffs it is not uncommon, (and in some cases will be necessary), for teams to have more than one game in a given night. No non-roster players will be allowed during playoffs. All players must have signed the waiver or be on the roster by the second week of the season in order to be eligible for playoffs. All eligible teams will make the playoffs. Playoff eligible teams will be determined on a league by league basis. Teams that have violated the forfeit policy during the course of regular season will not be eligible for playoffs. In certain situations teams at or near the bottom of the standings may not advance to the playoffs. Check with CSSC league coordinator to see if this applies to your league. Playoffs are single elimination.

Seeding: Teams are seeded according to winning percentage, point differential and various other criteria. Teams may be dropped from their regular season level based on the above criteria. Teams may play more than one game per day/night, and/or play games on days/nights other than your regularly scheduled league day/night if necessary. CSSC reserves the right to schedule playoff games on days other than teams regularly scheduled league night. CSSC reserves the right to schedule playoff games on days other than your regularly scheduled league night.

WAIVERS:

In order to participate in the league, each participant must sign the team waiver. Waivers are provided and must be completed and handed in no later than the first night of play. Players not present the first week of play will still be required to sign a waiver with our staff before participating.

PLAYER ELIGIBILITY:

A formal protest may be filed before a game if an opposing player’s eligibility is in question. The player in question will be required to provide his/her player information (name, address, phone #, signature) in writing to a CSSC staff member prior to the start of the game. This qualifies as an official protest. The game will then be played in its entirety as scheduled. Teams will be notified of all rulings on the identified eligibility discrepancy. Decisions will not be made on site. If the protest is proven to be legitimate, it will result in the forfeiture of the game in question. Games subsequent to the protested game may be rescheduled.

The above procedure will also apply for any other “logged” protests. All rulings by CSSC staff are considered final.

SPORTSMANSHIP:

The purpose of Chicago Sport and Social Club is to have fun. We hope that all participants keep that in mind when becoming involved. Although the games may become intense, you still can be competitive while maintaining good sportsmanship. With this said, any behavior deemed unacceptable by staff may result in suspension and/or ejection from a game or the league.

STAFF:

To coordinate and run the league, the umpires and/or staff will be available at all times to help the league run as smoothly as possible. If you have questions regarding schedules, policies, rule interpretations, directions to the bar, etc. please ask.

LEAGUE CANCELLATION/RAINOUT:

Please call our weather hotline for the most up to date information on any cancellations (312.733.7100)

Leagues may be cancelled due to existing weather conditions, dangerous or unplayable field conditions, facility constraints, etc. CSSC staff makes every effort to play all scheduled games, thus we will not cancel games until absolutely necessary. Therefore, if you are calling concerning a decision on a cancellation, remember we will not have an answer until close to the start of the league.

If the league is cancelled, CSSC staff will change the voicemail immediately. CSSC will then call all of the captains. If a league is cancelled on site, CSSC staff will attempt to contact those teams still scheduled to play the remainder of the league day/night. Depending on the time of cancellation, some teams will have to be notified on site. If we do cancel, follow next week’s schedule (ex. If April 13 is cancelled teams should follow the April 20 schedule for their next game). The games that are cancelled will be made up at the end of the season if time allows. In extreme circumstances, CSSC reserves the right to run a shortened season without a refund or schedule matches on days and/or other than our regularly scheduled league day/night/location.

PRIZES/ JERSEYS: Each team will receive a pre-bundled set of colored jerseys with various sizes at the first night of the league. Additional shirts and sizes can be purchased from the CSSC for an additional charge. The top teams in each division will receive a prize of great emotional, spiritual, and most importantly, social value.

These policies are designed to make the league run as smoothly and safely as possible, and provide continuity for its participants. Each player in the league is responsible for this information: please advise your team of these rules and thanks for playing.

Formatted: Indent: Left: 0", First line: 0", Tab stops: Notat 0.75" + 1.13"

SPORTS LEAGUE OFFICIALS ASSOCIATION

Men's ALL STATS 16” Softball Rules

1. A “strike mat” will be used to determine sure strikes, if the softball touches any part of the mat on a legal pitch (6’-14’ arc), it will be considered a strike. Pitches touching any part of the plate WILL BE considered a strike as well (Because of the small size of the strike mat and the difficulty of pitching, the CSSC has increased the strike zone to include the plate to promote teams to swing more and give pitchers a larger target.) An umpire will determine all balls and strikes. The Umpire will rule a dead ball if the pitch goes below or above the set height restrictions All judgment decisions are final. Any excessive disagreements will result in an ejection from the game and/or league if deemed necessary by CSSC staff. A legal pitch must have an arc of (6’-14’). Any pitch that is not deemed legal will be an automatic ball. **IMPORANT DISTINCTION** The strike mat is only used for calling balls and strikes. The strike mat is not home plate. Therefore, when a runner is trying to score, he or she must touch home plate in order to score. If he/she touches the strike mat and not home plate, and then is tagged, the runner will be tagged.

2. All batters will start with a one ball, one strike count. A batter that steps on or across the plate while swinging is out

3. A batter with two strikes is allowed one foul ball. Two fouls with two strikes, the batter is out.

4. Pitcher must start from the rubber and is allowed only one jump in any direction, and is allowed two pump fakes per pitch.

5. All games are seven innings or one hour (warm up time included); the last inning will start 10 - 15 minutes to the hour. The ump will enforce this rule and will make the call at the top of the final inning. If a game is tied at the end of 7 innings, extra innings will be played only if there is time. If there is not time (at least 10 minutes left in the hour), the game will end in a tie. Note: Due to differing circumstances in each and every game, some games will finish short on an hour in length, while others might run over the hour mark. Please respect your ump’s call in this matter. He/she must keep all games on time in fairness to teams playing later hours and due to facility permit restrictions.

6. 10 players in the field at all time. CSSC rules will allow a team to play with a minimum of 8 players. If a team has less than the minimum required number of players it is up to the opponent and/or umpire as to what is allowable.

7. Each team will be allowed to carry 12 players on their line-up card. 10 fielders max, 12 batters max in the line-up. Line-ups must be given to the ump for every game.

8. All players in the field must be listed in the batting order. There are no designated hitters allowed. Any attempt at doing so must be brought to the attention of the umpire prior to game time and can only be deemed allowable by the opposing captain.

9. Game mercy rule: 10 runs up after five complete innings (home team always gets their final at bats when the last inning has been called). NO homerun limit.

10.

11. Inning run limit rule: There will be a 7 run limit per inning during innings 1-4. (Exception: unlimited runs may be scored if one of the innings 1-4 is declared the final inning of the game.) Unlimited runs may be scored in innings 5,6,and 7 and in all extra innings.

12. A base Runner may lead off (3 steps max) but may not steal or leave until to ball leaves the pitchers hand. A Pitcher/Catcher can try and pick off the base runner but is allow 1 pickoff attempt per batter each (Batter mat advance 1 base on pickoff attempt from pitcher only He can not advance if there is a runner directly ahead of him).

13. Games start on time!!! Teams must be prepared to play.

Forfeit rule: 10 minutes after game time. If one team has less than the minimum number of players (8 total) at ten past the designated start time, the team that is short players will forfeit. If however, the opposing team wishes to allow the team to play with less than the minimum amount of required players, the game may be played as an official game. The umpire must be notified by the opposing team that they would like the game to be played as an official game.

15. NO METAL SPIKES ARE ALLOWED.

16. A foul ball above the batter’s head may be caught for an out.

17. All thrown balls are deemed out of play when:

• The ball is thrown over the fence

• The ball is thrown beyond the fence

• The ball is thrown beyond the imaginary line extending from the

end of the backstop (if there is no fence).

• This imaginary line applies to overthrows and caught fly foul balls.

• On overthrows out of play, the runner is granted the base he/she is going to (at the point of the throw) plus one more base. Note: in cases where a base runner runs past first base, he/she must make a clearly aggressive turn towards second base to be granted 2nd and 3rd in overthrow situations.

19. 5 innings will be considered a complete game.

20. If a game is called due to weather, and less than 5 innings have been played, the game will be restarted from the beginning.

21. If a game is called due to darkness, and less than 5 innings have been played the game will resume from the exact point at which it was stopped. i.e. same count, same batter, same base running situation

22. The Chicago Sport and Social Club reserves the right to change or modify these procedures on a case by case basis, if necessary.

LEAGUE POLICIES

GAMES:

During the regular season games are to be played within time allotted (warm up time is included).

UMPS:

An umpire will be provided by the Sport & Social Clubs to supervise the game. It will be the umpire’s responsibility to coordinate and run the games, which include the following tasks:

• Starting games on time.

•Calling balls/strikes and keeping the count

•Calling outs, making final calls on any disputed balls or strikes.

• Settling all disputes or disputed calls.

It is understood that umps will assist in the tracking of the score (i.e. Announcing it between innings) and assist in any discrepancies with regards to the coed line-up ratios. However, it is the responsibility of both teams to maintain their respective line-ups and scores each inning.

FORFEITS:

If your team forfeits a game during the season, the following rules apply:

First Offense: Loss of game.

Second Offense: Loss of game and staff reserves the right to remove team from playoffs.

Third Offense: Removal from the league.

Any team that forfeits more than once also forfeits any guarantee or right to a certain number of guaranteed games.

If you know in advance that your team is going to forfeit a game, we encourage you to call our office, at 312.850.8196, so as to help us schedule your opponent a game.

STANDINGS:

The updated standings will be posted weekly, displaying each teams rank within its skill level. Rank is based on winning percentage.

PLAYOFFS:

All eligible teams make the playoffs (teams that have not abused any policies are eligible).

In certain situations teams at or near the bottom of the standings may not advance to the playoffs. Check with CSSC league coordinator to see if this applies to your league.

Playoffs are single elimination.

Seeding: Teams are seeded according to winning percentage and strength of schedule.

Teams may be dropped from their regular season level based on the above criteria. Teams may be moved to a higher division during the playoffs only if permission is granted.

Skill levels may be divided into separate divisions based upon size of level.

Teams may play more than one game per day.

Any questions regarding rules, policies, or eligibility must be addressed before the start of the game.

CSSC reserves the right to schedule playoff games on days other than your regularly scheduled league night.

Team with the best record after week 11 wins $500 cash. If 2 or more team have the same record the winner will be determined by the head to head matchups with the overall run differential being the tie breaker. If the run differential is even the teams will split the $500. The Campion of the playoffs will win $1000 cash

WAIVERS:

PLAYER ELIGIBILITY:

Any protest made during a game or after a game will NOT be considered a formal protest. A formal protest may be filed before a game if an opposing player’s eligibility is in question. The player in question will be required to provide his player information (name, address, phone #, signature) in writing to a CSSC staff member prior to the start of the game. This qualifies as an official protest. The game will then be played in its entirety as scheduled. Teams will be notified of all rulings on the identified eligibility discrepancy by the following business day – decisions will not be made on site. If the protest is proven to be legitimate, it will result in the forfeiture of the game in question. Games subsequent to the protested game may be rescheduled.

The above procedure will also apply for any other “logged” protests. All rulings by CSSC staff are considered final.

SPORTSMANSHIP:

STAFF:

LEAGUE CANCELLATION/RAINOUT:

Please call our weather hotline for the most up to date information on any cancellations (312.733.7100)

If the league is cancelled, CSSC staff will change the voicemail immediately. CSSC will then call all of the captains. If a league is cancelled on site, CSSC staff will attempt to contact those teams still scheduled to play the remainder of the league day/night. Depending on the time of cancellation, some teams will have to be notified on site. If we do cancel, follow next week’s schedule (ex. If April 13 is cancelled teams should follow the April 20 schedule for their next game). The games that are cancelled will be made up at the end of the season if time allows. In extreme circumstances, CSSC reserves the right to run a shortened season without a refund of schedule matches on days and/or locations other than our regularly scheduled league day/night/location.

SPORTS LEAGUE OFFICIALS ASSOCIATION

Men's 12” & 16” Softball Rules

1. A “strike mat” will be used to determine sure strikes, if the softball touches any part of the mat on a legal pitch (6’-12’ arc), it will be considered a strike. Pitches touching any part of the plate WILL BE considered a strike as well (Because of the small size of the strike mat and the difficulty of pitching, the CSSC has increased the strike zone to include the plate to promote teams to swing more and give pitchers a larger target.) An umpire will determine all balls and strikes. All judgement decisions are final. Any excessive disagreements will result in an ejection from the game and/or league if deemed necessary by CSSC staff. A legal pitch must have an arc of (6’-12’). Any pitch that is not deemed legal will be an automatic ball. **IMPORANT DISTINCTION** The strike mat is only used for calling balls and strikes. The strike mat is not home plate. Therefore, when a runner is trying to score, he or she must touch home plate in order to score. If he/she touches the strike mat and not home plate, and then is tagged, the runner will be tagged.

2. All batters will start with a one ball, one strike count.

3. A batter with two strikes is allowed one foul ball. Two fouls with two strikes, the batter is out.

4. All games are seven innings or one hour (warm up time included); the last inning will start 10 - 15 minutes to the hour. The ump will enforce this rule and will make the call at the top of the final inning. If a game is tied at the end of 7 innings, extra innings will be played only if there is time. If there is not time (at least 10 minutes left in the hour), the game will end in a tie. Note: Due to differing circumstances in each and every game, some games will finish short on an hour in length, while others might run over the hour mark. Please respect your ump’s call in this matter. He/she must keep all games on time in fairness to teams playing later hours and due to facility permit restrictions.

5. 10 players in the field at all time. CSSC rules will allow a team to play with a minimum of 8 players. If a team has less than the minimum required number of players it is up to the opponent and/or umpire as to what is allowable.

6. Teams may bat more than ten players. Prior to game time, ask your ump for a scoresheet. Line-ups must be given to the ump for every game.

7. All players in the field must be listed in the batting order. There are no designated hitters allowed. Any attempt at doing so must be brought to the attention of the umpire prior to game time and can only be deemed allowable by the opposing captain.

8. Game mercy rule: 10 runs up after five complete innings (home team always gets their final at bats when the last inning has been called).

9. NEW RULE ***Inning run limit rule: There will be a 7 run limit per inning during innings 1-4. (Exception: unlimited runs may be scored if one of the innings 1-4 is declared the final inning of the game.) Unlimited runs may be scored in innings 5,6,and 7 and in all extra innings.

10. No leadoffs or stealing, runners can leave the base once the ball crosses the plane of the plate or is hit by the batter. If a runner leaves early, the ball is dead and the runner is declared out. If this is the 3rd out of the inning the batter will be first up in the next inning.

11. Games start on time!!! Teams must be prepared to play.

12. Base runner to defensive player contact will be closely watched by the ump. Any excessive contact or collision will result in an “out” and/or ejection. This includes contact with the catcher. Sliding is allowed. Any sliding into a base to break up a double play, or any intentional (in the eyes of the monitor) interference with the defensive player, the runner and the batter will be called out.

13. NO METAL SPIKES ARE ALLOWED.

14. A foul ball above the batter’s head may be caught for an out.

15. All thrown balls are deemed out of play when:

• The ball is thrown over the fence

• The ball is thrown beyond the fence

• The ball is thrown beyond the imaginary line extending from the

end of the backstop (if there is no fence).

• This imaginary line applies to overthrows and caught fly foul balls.

16. On an infield fly (any fly ball within the infield with significant arc and deemed an “easy catch”) with less than 2 outs and runners on 1st and 2nd or 1st, 2nd and 3rd, the batter is automatically out and runners can advance, BUT at their own risk

17. 5 innings will be considered a complete game. The home team will always be allowed their final at bat in order for it to be considered complete. (Example: The Home team is leading after six innings, and the game is called in the seventh with the visiting team batting and taking the lead. With the game being called we would revert to what the result was after the last completed inning after five, which would be the score after six and thus the Home team would win). EXCEPTION: During the playoffs if a game is called due to lights/darkness we may pick it up where it left off and resume the following week (Consult CSSC office for ruling).

18. If a game is called due to weather, and less than 5 innings have been played, the game will be restarted from the beginning.

19. If a game is called due to darkness, and less than 5 innings have been played the game will resume from the exact point at which it was stopped. i.e. same count, same batter, same base running situation

20. The Chicago Sport and Social Club reserves the right to change or modify these procedures on a case by case basis, if necessary.

LEAGUE POLICIES

GAMES:

During the regular season games are to be played within time allotted (warm up time is included).

UMPS:

An umpire will be provided by the Sport & Social Clubs to supervise the game. It will be the umpire’s responsibility to coordinate and run the games, which include the following tasks:

• Starting games on time.

•Calling balls/strikes and keeping the count

•Calling outs, making final calls on any disputed balls or strikes.

• Settling all disputes or disputed calls.

BAT POLICY:

http://www.asasoftball.com/about/build_batlist_one_page.asp

FORFEITS:

If your team forfeits a game during the season, the following rules apply:

First Offense: Loss of game.

Second Offense: Loss of game and staff reserves the right to remove team from playoffs.

Third Offense: Removal from the league.

Any team that forfeits more than once also forfeits any guarantee or right to a certain number of guaranteed games.

If you know in advance that your team is going to forfeit a game, we encourage you to call our office, at 312.850.8196, so as to help us schedule your opponent a game.

STANDINGS:

The updated standings will be posted weekly, displaying each teams rank within its skill level. Rank is based on winning percentage.

PLAYOFFS:

CSSC reserves the right to schedule playoff games on days other than your regularly scheduled league night.

WAIVERS:

PLAYER ELIGIBILITY:

The above procedure will also apply for any other “logged” protests. All rulings by CSSC staff are considered final.

SPORTSMANSHIP:

STAFF:

LEAGUE CANCELLATION/RAINOUT:

Please call our weather hotline for the most up to date information on any cancellations (312.733.7100)

Leagues may be cancelled due to existing weather conditions, dangerous or unplayable field conditions, facility constraints, etc. CSSC staff

makes every effort to play all scheduled games, thus we will not cancel games until absolutely necessary. Therefore, if you are calling concerning a decision on a cancellation, remember we will not have an answer until close to the start of the league.

If the league is cancelled, CSSC staff will change the voicemail immediately. CSSC will then call all of the captains. If a league is cancelled on site, CSSC staff will attempt to contact those teams still scheduled to play the remainder of the league day/night. Depending on the time of cancellation, some teams will have to be notified on site. If we do cancel, follow next week’s schedule (ex. If April 13 is cancelled teams should follow the April 20 schedule for their next game). The games that are cancelled will be made up at the end of the season if time allows. In extreme circumstances, CSSC reserves the right to run a shortened season without a refund or schedule matches on days and/or locations other than our regularly scheduled league day/night/location.

SPORTS LEAGUE OFFICIALS ASSOCIATON

Coed 16” Softball Rules

-RADIO STATION LEAGUE-

1. A “strike mat” will be used to determine balls and strikes. There are no maximum arc limits, the ball must be pitched at a minimum of 6’. If the softball touches any part of the mat will be considered a strike. Pitches touching any part of the plate WILL BE considered a strike as well (Because of the small size of the strike mat and the difficulty of pitching, the CSSC has increased the strike zone to include the plate to promote teams to swing more and give pitchers a larger target.) **IMPORANT DISTINCTION** The strike mat is only used for calling balls and strikes. The strike mat is not home plate. Therefore, when a runner is trying to score, he or she must touch home plate in order to score.

2. All batters will start with a one ball, one strike count.

3. NEW RULE - WALK RULE: If a male batter is walked in 3 pitches (meaning no strikes were thrown or foul balls were hit) and a female follows him in the batting order, the female has the choice to take a walk or bat. (Exception: ***if the bases are loaded (at the time a male is at-bat) and a male is walked and a female follows him in the order, that female must bat.) Umps will enforce this rule upon request; however, they will not be responsible for notifying the batter in each walk situation.

4. A batter with two strikes is allowed two fouls with two strikes. If the ball if fouled off after that then the batter is out.

5. All games are seven innings (warm up time included). If a game is tied at the end of seven innings, extra innings will be played. Note: Due to differing circumstances in each and every game, some games will finish short on an hour in length, while others might run over the hour mark.

6. 10 players (at least 2 females) in the field at all time. (THERE ARE NO POSITION REQUIREMENTS of any players, i.e. there need not be 2 females in outfield or 2 in the infield) CSSC rules will allow a team to play with a minimum of 8 players (at least 1 female). If only 1 woman is present at game time, an automatic out will be assessed in the tenth position in the batting order.

7. Teams may not bat more than eleven players. There are no male/female specific requirements for the batting order. Males may not pinch-hit for females.

8. No bunting

9. All players in the field must be listed in the batting order. There is only one designated hitter allowed on each team.

10. Game mercy rule: 10 runs up after five complete innings, unless the home team is winning after 4 ½ innings.

11. Leadoffs/Pick off Attempts:

A) Leadoffs are allowed. Runners may steal one base at a time provided the base being advanced is unoccupied and the pitcher has attempted to pick off the runner. If a pitcher runs at the base runner before the base runner has moved, this IS NOT considered a pick-off attempt and the runner may NOT advance to the next unoccupied base.

B) Pickoff scenarios: If the base runner takes off before the pitcher throws the ball to either the original base or the next base, the runner must go back to the original base. If the pitcher fakes toward an occupied base and the runner starts advancing toward an unoccupied base, the runner must return to the original base and all the pitcher must do is tag the runner before the runner returns to the original base. If the pitcher fakes toward an occupied base and the runner starts for the next base and then the pitcher releases the ball either to the original base or the base being advanced to, it is considered a pick-off attempt and all above rules apply even though the runner started for the base before pitcher released the ball. Any time the pitcher releases the ball toward a runner at an occupied base, this IS considered a pick-off play and the runner may advance to the next open base or back to their original base if they choose.

12. Games start on time!!! Teams must be prepared to play. Forfeit rule: 15 minutes after game time. If one team has less than the minimum number of players (8 total-2 females) at fifteen past the designated start time, the team that is short players will forfeit. If however, the opposing team wishes to allow the team to play with less than the minimum amount of required players, the game may be played as an official game. The umpire must be notified by the opposing team that they would like the game to be played as an official game. Once a game has been called a forfeit, the forfeit will not be rescheduled and cannot be overturned.

13. Base runner to defensive player contact will be closely watched by the umpire. Any excessive contact or collision will result in an “out” and/or ejection. This includes contact with the catcher. Sliding is allowed. Any sliding into a base to break up a double play, or any intentional (in the eyes of the umpire) interference with the defensive player, the runner and the batter will be called out. The base runner must slide in order to avoid contact.

15. NO METAL SPIKES ARE ALLOWED.

16. A foul ball above the batter’s head (6’) may be caught for an out.

17. All thrown balls are deemed out of play when:

 The ball is thrown over the fence

 The ball is thrown beyond the fence

 The ball is thrown beyond the imaginary line extending from the end of the backstop (if there is no fence).

 This imaginary line applies to overthrows and caught foul balls.

 If the ball is overthrown and hits the fence behind the 1st or 3rd base lines but does not travel out of play, this is NOT considered out of play and the runner may advance, BUT at his/her own risk.

 On overthrows out of play, the runner is granted the base he/she is going to (at the point of the throw) plus one more base. Note: in cases where a base runner runs past first base, he/she must make a clearly aggressive turn towards second base to be granted 2nd and 3rd in overthrow situations.

19. The safety base. In order to avoid collisions on plays at first base, a “traditional” first base is placed in the usual position on the inside of the foul line while the second "safety" first base is placed adjacent to it on the outside of the foul line. The batter is the only person who uses the safety base (when trying to beat out a grounder). After the batter has reached safely, the traditional base is to be used. The batter is out if they do not touch the safety base when running out the initial batted ball. The batter is safe if the first-baseman does not touch the traditional base (the white part of the base).

20. Protests can only be made on the grounds of rule interpretation and not judgment calls by the umpire. Protests must be written up and be in the commissioner’s possession within 48 hours. Ejections from the game are not eligible for protest under any circumstances. All decisions rendered by the league directors are final. Protest fees will be returned in the protest is upheld.

21. A team must have a minimum of 5 station employees on the field at all times. All rosters are due by the end of game three and are considered final. A maximum of 25 players is allowed on any team using non employee players. A roster may exceed 25 players only if every player on that roster is a station employee. A team may not add an employee to exceed the 25 player limit unless all of the previous roster positions are filled by employees. No non employees are allowed on a roster exceeding 25 players. All information on the roster is required. Any player not providing all the required information shall be ruled ineligible and their team will forfeit any game(s) where an ineligible player participated after the rosters are final

22. There is no bat rule. Any bat is legal for league use.

23. ONLY women are allowed to use fielder’s gloves. Male players are not allowed to wear gloves of ANY kind in the field.

24. Team captains are the only players allowed to speak with the umpire regarding any disputes or discrepancies. It is fully within the umpire’s authority to eject any player for excessive abusive or profane language. The league will fully support any action taken by an umpire. Team captains should identity themselves to the umpire before the game begins.

25. If any team wishes to challenge the validity of the opposing team’s batting order, the captain only may approach the umpire regarding the discrepancy. In this event, the opposing team captain must show the score sheet to the umpire to verify the correct player. Teams should not use this rule as an excuse to check the opposition’s lineup every inning and disrupting the game.

26. Rules not covered by this document are governed by official ASA (American Softball Association) rules. The rules in this document take precedence over the ASA rules if there is a conflict.

27. WAIVERS: In order to participate in the league, each participant must sign the team waiver. Waivers are provided and must be completed and handed in no later than the first night of play. Players not present the first week of play will still be required to sign a waiver with our staff before participating.

28. PLAYOFFS: TOP 4 Teams in the league qualify for a one day, single elimination playoffs. Playoffs are single elimination. Top four (4) teams are seeded according to winning percentage head to head, run differential and strength of schedule.

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