Official League Rules

(2010 Season) GENERAL

Managers are responsible for having their team’s stats updated weekly on the website. Home teams are to occupy the first base side of the dugouts.

GAME TIME

All games must be completed in 1hr20 minutes. Grace period to start a game will be strictly enforced at 5 mins past the starting time. The 1hr20min time allotment accounts for this grace period. If not enough players show up (8, including at least 1 girl), the team will be forced to forfeit. Game duration will be strictly enforced at 1hr20mins. No matter what the score or what part of the inning the game is in (as long 4 full innings are complete), the game will be terminated 1hr20min from the start time. Whoever is leading by that time wins. Games can end in a tie.

If the umpire has lost track of the time, it is the responsibility of the captains or the next game's captains to remind the umpire.

Pitchers are allowed 3 warm-up pitches at the beginning of the game. However, there will be NO WARMUPS (pitching or fielding) IN-BETWEEN innings. If a new pitcher enters the game, he/she is allowed 3 warm-up pitches.

FEMALE RULE Teams are expected to play 2 females in the field. If at least one female isn’t present at the beginning of the game, the team automatically forfeits. If two females aren’t present at the beginning of the game, the team will be penalized ONE batting out in the 1st, 3rd, 5th, and 7th inning AND can only field 9 fielders until the second female arrives. Once the second female arrives, both penalties will be lifted.

ROSTER RULE All rosters must match exactly those rosters submitted before the beginning of the season. Teams will be penalized, by FORFEIT OF GAME, if a player is deemed ineligible. Final rosters must be submitted by the beginning of opening day weekend. Only at the mid-way point in the season (6/21 for the 2009 season), can captains add new players to the rosters. A team can have an unlimited length to its roster. A team may begin a game with a minimum of 8 players (at least one has to be female). A spot in the lineup must be reserved for a 9th batter. Failure of that 9th batter to appear before his / her at-bat results in an automatic out for the team. Therefore, it’s conceivable for a team with only 8 players (7 male and 1 female), to be assessed a 2 out penalty in one inning (1 for not having a second female and one for not having a 9th batter when his/her batting position comes up).

Lineup spots may be reserved for more than 1 additional player, but an out will be charged for every player which fails to take their scheduled at-bat.

Game rosters must be set before the beginning of each game. Any changes to the roster will result in the loss of an out, subject to the realization of the opposing manager.

BATTING Chopped Balls, which occur when the batter strikes downward with a chopping motion of the bat so that the ball bounces high into the air, are illegal. Any batter doing so will be called out.

No bunting or three-quarter swings are allowed. It is up to the umpire’s discretion to determine if the swing is a bunt. The batter will be assessed a one-strike penalty for a bunt or three-quarters swing.

PITCHING A one-strike and one-ball count will be used for every at bat. There are no limits to the amount of foul balls that a batter can hit.

A pitcher’s starting position is facing home plate w/ at least one foot on the rubber. When the batter is ready, a legal pitch must be delivered in one continuous UNDERHAND motion at moderate speed with a perceptible arch between 3 ft. and 6 ft. in height. Illegal pitches will result in a warning and be automatically called BALLS (if the batter does not swing).

If any portion of the ball crosses any part of home plate between the batter’s knees and chest, that pitch shall be called a strike, subject to the call of the umpire. Any pitch swung at and missed is a strike, even if the catcher drops the ball. Foul tips count as strikes, but must be caught for outs strike 3. Any pitch that lands in front of the plate is dead (and a ball) and may not be hit. A ball that slips out of the pitcher’s hand during the windup is "no pitch". Runners may not advance.

BASE RUNNING Pinch Runners may be used. All Pinch Runners must be the last batter to record an out for that team. All Pinch Runners must be the same gender as the player being substituted.

Courtesy Runners: teams are allowed a maximum of 3 runners per game. If a player who has a courtesy runner and runs when he’s not supposed to, {1} he will lose all rights to a courtesy runner for the duration of that scheduled game. Also can’t use the same runner twice in one inning.

Base coaches cannot touch a base runner when the runner is in motion. If the umpire observes contact while the runner is in motion, he has the right to call that runner out.

Base runners are NOT ALLOWED TO TAKE A LEAD. Runners are allowed to leave a base only when the batter makes contact with a pitched ball. If caught doing otherwise, a warning shall be issued for the 1st offense. All subsequent offenses will result in that runner being called out.

BEST RECORD / CHAMPIONSHIP HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE Of the two teams that reach the championship game, home field advantage will be given to the team with the best overall record. In the event that the 2 teams finish the regular season with the same win-loss record,

a) the 1st tiebreaker will be decided by head-to-head regular season record,

b) the 2nd tiebreaker will be decided by total runs scored by each team over the course of the regular season,

c) the 3rd tiebreaker will be decided by fewer runs allowed over the course of the regular season.

MERCY RULE 15 run mercy rule is in effect after the completion of the 4th inning. The game will be called when a team has gone up by 15 runs or more, at the completion of each subsequent inning.

FAIR TERRITORY Home plate is in fair territory. Balls hitting bases are fair. Foul lines are fair territory.

Ground balls that bounce anywhere before first & third and then cross over (or between) first & third are FAIR--no matter where they land in the outfield. Fly balls or line drives past first & third must land in fair territory in the outfield.

Ground or fly balls that do not reach first & third are fair if they come to rest in fair territory or are first touched by a fielder while the ball is in fair territory.

In addition to standard called outs, A BATTER IS OUT WHEN

a) a batted fair ball hits him when he is out of the batter’s box,

b) a foul tip is caught when the batter has two strikes,

c) WHEN HE BUNTS OR HITS A CHOPPED BALL

(Umpire calls bunt a strike not an out; I think we should remove this as its covered in the batting section above).

INTERFERENCE / OBSTRUCTION Offensive interference occurs when a runner or batter (intentionally or not) obstructs, impedes, or hinders a fielder attempting to play a batted or thrown ball. If interference is an obvious attempt to prevent a double play, the umpire may call both runners out. If an umpire declares a batter or runner out for interference, all other runners shall return to the last base that was legally touched at the time the interference occurred.

Defensive obstruction is an act by a fielder who, while not in possession of the ball and not in the act of fielding, impedes the progress of any runner. The umpire shall call obstruction, but let the play proceed. At the conclusion of the play, the umpire shall explain the nature of the action and impose any penalties that nullify the act of obstruction.

WEATHER Rainouts & Weather Conditions (Including Darkness) In the event of weather conditions all tea