EverplaySSC

Official Slow Pitch Softball Rules

Team

  1. Team rosters shall include a minimum of 13 players.
  2. The maximum number of players on the field is 10.
  3. The minimum number of players on the field is 7.
  4. All players present for a game may be placed in the batting order.
  5. All players must be registered with the League to play with the team. Unregistered substitutes are not permitted. A team will suffer a 7 run penalty for an illegal player and that player will be ejected. Team Captains reserve the right to do a Roster Check of the Opposing Team if there is suspected illegal players. 
  6. Fielding teams are required to play catcher and pitcher.
  7. The referee shall eject a player from the game if that player engages in unsportsmanlike conduct.  If a Player is ejected from a game, they are suspended for the following game as well.  If in Playoffs, they are suspended for the entirety of the Playoffs.  If a 2nd Ejection occurs during the Season, that Player is suspended for the remainder of the Season.
  8. If Games are Postponed/Canceled due to inclement weather or other factors, a game is considered official after 4 Full Innings or 3.5 innings if Home Team hasn't batted but is Leading.
  9. Late Registration: a team may add players to the roster through the Absolute Deadline for each Season.

Officials

  1. Each game shall be officiated by a League-assigned umpire.
  2. Umpires are responsible for:
    1. Keeping game time.
    2. Keeping score.
    3. Enforcing all game rules.
    4. Tracking all counts and outs.

Field

  1. Games may be played on any slow pitch softball field, fast pitch softball field, little league baseball field or general purpose field with a distance from home plate to the outfield fence of at least 180 feet.
  2. The distance between bases shall be 60 feet.
  3. First base shall include a safety base placed to the right; overruns must be made on the safety base. 

Equipment

  1. All equipment except for gloves will be provided by the League.
  2. Only single-wall alloy/aluminum bats with the ASA certification are permitted.
    • all composite bats are illegal
  3. The ball shall be a 12 inch .52 COR/300 maximum compression softball.
  4. Players must wear their League-provided t-shirts of the appropriate color for their team.  Beginning after the third week, If more than one person on a team is not wearing their League-provided t-shirt, that team will receive a 2 run penalty for each player beyond one that is not wearing their League shirt.
  5. Steel cleats are prohibited.

Game Clock

  1. Each game shall be completed in no more than 7 innings or 55 minutes, whichever comes first.
  2. No new inning may begin after 50 minutes; any inning being played after 50 minutes shall be the last inning of the game.
  3. Any inning in progress shall end immediately, and both teams shall vacate the field when:
    1. The clock has passed 50 minutes with the home team leading in the bottom of the inning (home team wins), or;
    2. The clock has passed 55 minutes; the score shall revert to the score at the previous full inning, with the team leading at the end of the previous full inning declared the winner.
  4. In the event of a tied score after the final inning, the game shall be recorded as a tie.

Game Start

  1. A coin toss shall determine the home team, who shall choose whether to bat first or field first.

Pitching

  1. All pitches must be with an underhanded motion.
  2. All pitches must arc between 6 feet and 10 feet; otherwise the pitch shall be considered a 'ball'.  
  3. When pitching the pitcher must have 1 foot on, or be touching, the pitching mound.
  4. The strike zone shall be marked with a rubber strike mat placed behind home plate. Contact with either the mat or home plate shall be considered a strike.
  5. The Pitcher's Mound is placed at 46.5 feet on 60 foot base fields.

Batting

1. Teams are encouraged to exchange batting orders prior to the start of the game.  Captains can ask for another team's lineup and the opposing team must comply.

  1. Each batter shall start at bat with 1 ball and 1 strike (1 and 1 count).
  2. Foul Ball Limit: Each batter is allowed one foul ball per at bat.  A 2nd foul ball will result in an automatic out.
  3. Bunting is not permitted; bunts shall be counted as foul balls.
  4. Each player that plays in the field must be in the line-up.  If a player is removed from the line-up they are not allowed to play the field the rest of the game.
  5. Each team shall be limited to a maximum of 2 over-the-fence home runs per game. Subsequent home runs shall be called an out.

Running

  1. Stealing bases and leading off bases is illegal. A player who was leading the base prior to the hit shall be called out.
  2. Sliding at first base is illegal. A player who slides at first base shall be called out. Runners must use the safety base.
  3. Simulating "fake" tags is illegal.  All attempts to do so will result in awarding an additional base to the runner.
  4. Pinch running is permitted at 1st, 2nd and 3rd base. The runner who was substituted for shall be removed permanently from the game. 

Walking

  1. When a batter has been awarded 4 balls called, the batter shall walk.

Mercy Rule

  1. The inning shall advance when a team scores 7 runs in the inning. The mercy rule shall be called and the inning advanced immediately upon scoring the 7th run. The mercy rule advances the inning; it does not end the game, except when a team is down by more than 7 going into the 7th inning, more than 14 going into the 6th inning, or more than 21 going into the 5th inning, the game will be called.

Playoffs

  1. Ties are not permitted in playoff games.  In the Playoffs, we will goto extra innings and start each inning with the 3 previous batters on base with no outs.  The Winner will be determined with the Team that is up after that inning concludes.  If a Tie occurs after the first Extra Inning, we will goto a 2nd Extra Inning until a Winning Team is Declared.

Forfeits

  1. Teams must be ready to play and meet game start requirements at the posted game time, plus a 5 minute grace period. Any team not ready to play at this time shall forfeit, and the opposing team shall take a default win, 6-0.
  2. If neither team is ready to play, both teams shall forfeit.
  3. Teams that forfeit (3) times during one season will be removed from the league schedule and forfeited out of the league.

Cancellation Policy

  1. Email is primarily used to inform participants of canceled games due to inclement weather and field conditions.  These cancellation decisions typically don't occur before 3pm the day of the game. Participants should always assume their game is being played as scheduled unless they hear otherwise.
  2. Everplay Sport & Social Club will make all efforts to reschedule up 2 weeks of games per season due to weather related cancellations.  Any cancellations after that, may not be made up due to time and scheduling constraints.
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