Batting Order: Alternate Boy/Girl as numbers dictate, between innings as well. After a player is removed from batting order, he/she may not re-enter
Team Sportsmanship Policy: (Per Game Policy)**
-1st Occurrence – Issuing of warning to team/bench
-2nd Occurrence – Player Ejected – Automatic suspension of 3 games
-3rd Occurrence – Team Forfeit
**Please understand umpires have full discretion to report any players who are disrupting games to the City of Tampa. The city athletic office then has the authority to prevent anyone in the league from using the facility to participate or spectate.
Eligible Players:
-DSBPC Employees/spouses/significant others
-DSBPC Employees/spouses/significant others who work at locations not part of the league (5 total any gender ratio)
-Interns are eligible if the following criteria is met:
-Playoff eligibility requires players to play in at least half of teams regular season games.
-Team captain will submit roster with amount of games played for each player
-Players who have school related obligations are required to play just (2) of teams regular season games
–Drafting: If a team cannot field a team of 10 players, they may “draft” players already on teams for the regular season to fill their roster to minimum standards of play. (they are NOT eligible to play on that team during the playoffs)
Minimum # of Players: Eight to start game; Ten maximum; Opposing team must provide out of play catcher if asked
Minimum Age: No players under 18
Count: All batters start with one strike and one ball
Pitching: No trick pitches allowed
Game Length: 60 Minutes (Five Games Per Night)
-Play until 60 Minutes or 7 Innings
Grace Period: Each team is allowed a 5 minute grace period after the scheduled start of the game. Grace Period does not apply when five games are scheduled.
Home Runs Rule at 200ft. Field: If team one hits a home run, the other team can match. If team one hits another BEFORE team two, then it is an automatic out. If team two matches, they can hit another until Team One matches. Girls can hit unlimited home runs. Those who hit home runs should ONLY touch first base.
Ties: If game is tied after 60 minutes and home team had last at-bat then game will end in tie
-If tied at end of time period during playoffs, inning will be completed. If still tied, teams will play a Texas Tie Breaker (A one inning tie breaker (as many needed to determine a winner) with a runner starting on second base at the beginning of each half inning, with no outs). Runner must be opposite sex of first batter. Teams must continue their batting order where left off at end of regulation time period. Runner on 2nd must be the last out made of that gender.
-If game is not tied as time expires during playoffs, and home team is behind and has not completed their at bats, we will revert to score of previous inning.
New Inning: A new inning will not start after 60 minute mark of game. Any inning that is already started will be finished unless home team is ahead and visitors have completed their half of the inning
Courtesy Runner: One courtesy runner per half inning may be used.
-Must be same sex and the previous out made
-Can be used for a runner on any base
Pitching Rubber:
-Closest rubber to the plate will be used
Walks:
-If a male batter is walked, he advances to second. The following female has the option of taking first
or hitting
Ball: Yellow 12′ Incrediball will be used for men (leather cover, not cloth – regulation Yellow 12′ yellow softball for women (52/300 Compression), brand does not matter
Each team must provide one set of game balls to the umpire prior to the start
of the game. If team is unable to provide a set of game balls, they forfeit
the right to be the home team.
Home Team: Determined by schedule, higher seed for post-season
Infield Fly Rule: Applies when there is runners on 1st and 2nd, or 1st, 2nd, & 3rd with less than two outs
-Fly ball must be in infield only (no foul balls – Male or Female)
-Batter is out (runners may advance at own risk)
Substitutions: Players may enter and re-enter the field at any time
-# of players hitting: Teams may bat as many people as are present in dugout
-If consecutive men bat an out is charged with the at-bat of the second male
-Players do not have to be in the field to be in the batting order
Fouls: After two strikes, the batter receives one courtesy foul
Faking/Deeking Baserunners: Fielders are not permitted to fake or deek baserunners
Arc: All pitched balls must be thrown with an arc (slow-pitch)
-Players should not swing at flat and/or fast pitches
-No trick pitches
Tagging Up: Players may advance by tagging up from any base (foul balls included)
Infield/Outfield Alignment: To earn a win there must the following at all times
-One Female in the battery
-Two Women in the infield
-Two Women in the outfield
-If a team is playing with eight or nine players the male to female ratio can
be 2:1 in the outfield only
-Outfielders cannot make outs in the infield unless covering a base after ball
is hit into the outfield
-4 women must be on the field at all times***
-Teams may shift with the above requirements however they like***
Forfeit Rules: Forfeiting team charged five runs against and two runs for
-Team that wins by forfeit charged five runs against and eight runs for
Equipment: All equipment must be ASA compliant. Umpires have the right to enforce. No metal spikes.
Mercy Rule: After 5 complete innings, half of inning is over if one team scores five runs in their half of the inning and they are leading by 10 or more runs. Captains can waive this rule at their discretion and complete the game. Both captains must agree.
Official Games:
-Game is official after four innings (home team must get last ups)
-Game length is determined by starting time, not the scheduled time of game
Foul Tips: Batter can only be out on a foul tip if the ball is higher than the batters head and there are less than two strikes
-With two strikes batter is out if catcher catches the ball, regardless of height
Overthrows: Runner may only advance one base if ball goes into dugout (even if it comes back out
-Maximum of two bases on any overthrow that does not enter a dugout
No Bunting is permitted
Outfield Markers: For female hitters only. Outfielders cannot move past the markers in the outfield until the ball is hit
Flexibility: Keep in mind rules can be adjusted throughout the season as not every contingency can be accounted for
Ground Rules:
Foul balls cannot be caught for an out off any wire, fence, or building
Game Results
Winning team please report score to Chris Loth via email/text if not present at game
Team Dues
-Season Dues information available on website link
-Money to be used for: *Trophy/Lights/Field Rental
-Trophy Engraving is responsibility of winning team
Rain-outs/Forfeits
-Forfeits may not be made up
-Please call opposing team captain the day prior to forfeit
-If any of the fields are no longer available because of rain-outs and games can no
longer be scheduled, the team with the best record in their division will be the winner, regardless of how many games were played or any other tie breaker
-Winning team by forfeit is charged five runs against
-Losing team by forfeit is charged eight runs against
League Title***
We are using an 6 game “regular-season” with each team qualifying for the playoffs
Teams are seeded based on record in their division during regular season,
Tie-breakers
*Head-to-Head/*Division Record/*Runs Against (Fewest allowed)/*Runs For (Total runs scored)
Single-elimination playoffs
Winners from each division will play for the trophy
Team Trophy
Winning team earns right to keep trophy until start of next year’s post-season
Game Schedules
All games 60 minutes
6 regular season and two playoff rounds
Five games scheduled per night at New Tampa Recreation Center
Disputes
-Any issue regarding rules will be brought to the attention of team captains who will vote on the issue, jury of appeals can be formed if absolutely necessary.