THE U.S.S.S.A. RULES WILL
BE THE BASE RULES FOR THIS LEAGUE WITH THE FOLLOWING ADDITIONS AND REVISIONS.
1.
SPORTSMANSHIP MUST BE STRESSED AT ALL TIMES BY TEAMS AND
SPECTATORS. COACHES ARE RESPONSIBLE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL IN THIS AREA.
2.
A PLAYER MUST ATTEND 3 SERVICES PER MONTH, AT THE CHURCH SHE IS
PLAYING FOR. A PLAYER MAY PLAY ON ONLY ONE TEAM IF THE CHURCH HAS MORE
THAN ONE TEAM UNLESS THEY ARE IN TWO SEPARATE DIVISIONS
3.
THE HOME TEAM WILL LAY OUT THE FIELD. 1ST AND 3RD
BASES ARE 65 FEET FROM HOME BASE. HOME BASE TO 2ND BASE 91
FEET AND 11 INCHES. THE PITCHER’S RUBBER IS 50 FEET FROM HOME BASE.
4.
THE HOME TEAM WILL SUPPLY A NEW GAME BALL AND THE VISITING TEAM SUPPLIES
A GOOD USED BACK UP BALL. THE HOME TEAM WILL HAVE THE UMPIRE SIGN THE
SCOREBOOK. TEAMS MUST HAVE 8 PLAYERS TO START THE GAME.
5.
ALL GAMES BEGIN AT 6:15 & 7:30 PM WITH A 5-MINUTE GRACE
PERIOD FOR FIRST GAME ONLY. AFTER THE 5-MINUTE GRACE IF PLAYERS ARE
NOT READY TO PLAY GAME SHALL BE CONSIDERED A FORFEIT.
6.
NO METAL SPIKES!!! CATCHERS MAY WEAR A CATCHER’S MASK.
7.
FOUL BALLS; IN THIS LEAGUE, THERE WILL BE TWO (2) FOUL BALLS.
8.
YOU MUST HAVE 8 PLAYERS TO START A GAME. HOWEVER, YOU MAY
FINISH THE GAME WITH LESS THAN 8 PLAYERS, IF A PLAYER IS INJURED DURING THE
GAME.
9.
MINIMUM AGE; PLAYERS MUST BE 13 YEARS OF AGE PRIOR TO JULY 15.
10. PLEASE
TRY TO HAVE NUMBERS ON THE PLAYER’S JERSEYS IF AT ALL POSSIBLE.
11. NO
STEALING AND NO LEADING OFF BASES. ONLY SOFTBALL BATS MAY BE USED.
12. A
LEGAL GAME IS 4 COMPLETED INNINGS OR A 12 RUN LEAD AFTER 5 INNINGS OR A 15 RUN
LEAD AFTER 4 INNINGS OR A 20 RUN LEAD AFTER 3 INNINGS.
13. NO
INNING WILL START AFTER 75 MINUTES OF PLAY FROM THE 1ST PITCH UNLESS
THERE IS A TIE GAME, THEN YOU MUST COMPLETE THE GAME.
14. A
PLAYER MUST PLAY 1 GAME OF THE REGULAR SEASON GAMES TO BE ELIGIBLE TO PLAY IN
THE POST SEASON TOURNAMENT. YOU MAY ADD PLAYERS TO THE ROSTER TILL THE
LAST REGULAR SEASON GAME.
15. BALLS
AND STRIKES: IN THIS LEAGUE THE BATTER SHALL APPROACH THE PLATE WITH THE COUNT
OF 1 BALL AND 1 STRIKE.
16. IF
A SCHEDULED GAME HAS TO BE CANCELLED, PLEASE CALL RICH AT (330)571-6555, AT
LEAST 24 HOURS IN ADVANCE, SO WE DO NOT SEND AN UMPIRE TO A FIELD NEEDLESSLY.
17. UMPIRE
DECISIONS ARE FINAL. NO PROTESTS WILL BE ALLOWED.
18. IF
THE UMPIRE IS NOT THERE BY 6:05 PM, CALL THE UMPIRE ASSIGNER, DAVE THORLEY AT
(330)620-2864 OR (330)688-2323. IF THE UMPIRE STILL DOES NOT SHOW AND
BOTH MANGERS AGREE TO PLAY THE GAME WITH SOMEONE FROM THE STANDS TO CALL THE
GAME, BOTH MANAGERS MUST SIGN EACH OTHER’S SCOREBOOKS, AND IT WILL BE AN
OFFICIAL GAME.
19. IF
YOU USE AN AH OR THE 15 PLAYER LINEUP, AND A PLAYER IS INJURED DURING THE GAME
(WITH NO SUBSTITUTIONS AVAILABLE), THAT PLAYER WILL BE SKIPPED OVER TILL THE 6TH
INNING WITH NO PENALTY OF BEING OUT. HOWEVER, AFTER THE 6TH
INNING IT WILL BE CONSIDERED AN AUTOMATIC OUT.
20. IF
A TEAM HAS ONLY THE MINIMUM NUMBER OF PLAYERS AND A PLAYER GETS INJURED AND CAN
NOT PLAY, THERE WILL BE NO PENALTY IN THAT PLAYER WILL BE SKIPPED IN THE LINEUP
TIL THE 6TH INNING WITH NO PENALTY OF BEING OUT AS RULE 23 STATES.
21. IF
YOU ENTER THE GAME WITH AN INJURED PLAYER, A COURTESY RUNNER MAY BE USED IF
BOTH COACHES AGREE TO IT PRIOR TO THE GAME (UMPIRE MUST ALSO BE NOTIFIED PRIOR
TO THE GAME). THE INJURED PLAYER MUST BAT AND REACH FIRST BASE SAFELY.
22. EJECTION
OF A PLAYER; IF A PLAYER IS EJECTED FROM A GAME BY THE UMPIRE, AND YOU HAVE NO
SUBSTITUTES TO REPLACE HER WHEN IT IS HER PLACE TO BAT IN THE LINEUP IT WILL BE
AN AUTOMATIC OUT. IF AN EJECTION HAPPENS, THAT PLAYER MUST SIT OUT THE
NEXT GAME.
23. THE
WINNING COACH MUST E-MAIL THE SCORE TO RICH MORTON AT NLMORTON@NEO.RR.COM, NO
LATER THAN 11 PM GAME NIGHT.