2005 Rules and Regulations:
- Co-Ed Rules
- Fielding: Each team must have at least one female fielder.
In the event that a team has no female player, the team must play with a maximum of nine fielders.
- Batting: There must be two female batters included in the batting order. At least one female player must bat no lower than sixth in each team's batting order.
A second female player must bat in any other spot in each team's order, regardless of the total number of players in the batting order.
If a team has only one female batter, that female batter must bat a second time anywhere in the order.
If a team has no female player, an out will be counted against the team every sixth batter.
Example I: A team has one female batter and eleven male batters.
The female must bat once among the first six hitters and then again anywhere in the order
(ie., she could bat sixth and first, ninth, thirteenth, etc.).
Example II: A team has 10 male players and no female players.
An out will be recorded after the fifth male hitter the first time through the order.
The second time through the order an out will be recorded after the first batter in the order, etc.
- Defensive Positioning: When a female player is batting, no outfielder, including the shortfielder,
may be positioned closer to home plate than where he or she was positioned for the prior batter.
A fielder may however move laterally.
Outfielders may exchange positions with one another,
as long as each is no closer than the fielder with whom they have exchanged position was for the prior batter.
If a walk is issued to a male hitter who immediately precedes a female hitter,
during the female player's at bat the outfielders must be positioned no closer to home plate than they were positioned for the hitter prior to the hitter who walked.
- Balls/Strikes
- Each at bat shall begin with the count one ball and one strike. Four balls is a base on balls.
Three strikes is an out. A foul ball is a strike, provided, however, that a foul ball may not constitute a third strike
(Exception: see 8(a)).
- An 18 by 36 inch board or mat shall be provided by the home team. The board or mat shall be place behind home plate.
Any pitch which strikes the board or mat shall be ruled a strike provided
that pitch meets with the additional requirements of Rule 2(c). Any other pitch, except a foul ball, shall be ruled a ball.
- A pitch must have an arc of no less than six and no more than twelve feet at its highest point.
A pitch may not be thrown with backspin. Any pitch not meeting these requirements shall be ruled no pitch,
unless the batter swings at the pitch, in which case the result of the swing shall control.
- Pinch Runners
- A pinch runner may be used for any player who is legitimately injured or disabled,
or for whom running the bases would present an unusual risk of injury due to the individual circumstances of that player.
- The player making the last out prior to the player requiring the pinch runner shall serve as the pinch runner.
In the event that the player making the last out is unavailable (ie., injured, already on the bases serving as a pinch runner,
or himself requires a pinch runner), the player making the out prior to that player shall serve as the pinch runner.
- When pinch running from home plate,
the pinch runner shall start from a position touching the post of the backstop second closest to first base,
or from some other location agreed upon by the managers prior to the game.
- Advancement on Overthrows
- A base runner may advance one base without risk on an overthrow which goes into territory deemed
by ground rules to be out of play.
Such advancement is in addition to the base to which the runner was heading at the time of the overthrow.
A runner may advance one base without regard the origin of the throw (ie., outfield or infield).
Example I: Batter hits ground ball to shortstop and runs to first base.
Throw to first is errant and goes out of play. Runner is awarded second base.
Example II: Runner on first base. On a fly ball to the outfield, the runner advances halfway to second.
The fly ball is caught. The runner retreats to first base. Throw back to the infield is errant and goes out of play.
The runner is awarded second base.
Example III: Runner on second base. On a fly ball to the outfield, the runner tags up.
The fly ball is caught. The runner bluffs as if he or she is trying to advance and stops before reaching third base,
as the ball is thrown toward third base. The throw is errant and goes out of play. The runner is awarded third base.
Example IV: Same facts as Example III, except runner does not bluff and retreat.
Runner tags up and attempts to advance to third base without stopping. Errant throw goes out of play.
Runner is awarded home plate.
- Umpiring
- The batting team shall provide first and third base coaches. The base coaches shall serve as umpires.
The first base coach shall be responsible for all fair/foul determinations along the first base/right field foul line.
The third base coach shall be responsible for all such determinations along the third base/left field foul line.
- The first base coach shall make all out/safe calls at first base and home plate.
The third base coach shall make all such determinations at second and third base.
On balls hit in the air, the base coach closest to the play shall make any determination of whether a ball was caught
and should be recorded as an out.
- The catcher shall make all determinations regarding balls and strikes,
including those relative to pitch arc and backspin.
- A call may be reversed by agreement of both managers.
- By aggreement of both managers, teams may may designate a neutral umpire(s) for a game.
In such a case, the umpire(s) shall be responsible for all determinations described herein.
- Equipment
- The home team is responsible for providing at least two identical games balls (375 lb, .44 cor) ,
the second of which will be used as a replacement if the first is lost or the managers agree to a replacement.
- The home team is responsible for providing the strike zone board or mat (36" * 18").
- It is advisable, though not required, that the home team provide two cones or
other markers to mark the foul lines in the outfield, in the event that such lines are poorly marked.
- The use of baseball bats is prohibited.
- Substitution
- Fielders may be substituted without restriction.
- Batters may be substituted, provided, however, that a batter may not be removed from the batting order
and then re-inserted in the order prior to where he or she would have batted had he or she remained in the batting order.
- Bunting Prohibited
- Bunting is prohibited. Any attempt to bunt shall be deemed a strike (whether the ball is missed, hit in fair territory,
or hit in foul territory). An attempt to bunt with two strikes shall be deemed a third strike.
- Inclement Weather
- A game may be cancelled due to inclement weather by agreement of both captains.
A game may be rescheduled by agreement of both captains.
- Metal Cleats Prohibited
- Players may wear rubber or plastic cleats. Metal cleats are prohibited.
- Playoff Eligibility
- A player must play in a minimum of five regular season games to be eligible for the playoffs.
- This rule shall not exclude any player whose absence results from injury or illness.
- Baserunning
- A baserunner must be in contact with the base prior to the hitter making contact with the ball.
If a runner leaves early, he or she must return to the base after the ball is hit prior to advancing.
If the runner fails to due so, the runner may be declared out upon a fielder in possession of the ball,
prior to the next pitch, tagging the base from which the runner left early.
Note: This analagous to a runner tagging up on fly ball. If a runner leaves early in such a situation,
such a runner may be declared out through an appeal to the base from which he or she left.
- Reporting Scores
- The manager of the winning team, shall be responsible for posting to the other league managers
via e-mail the score of each game, no later than the day following the game.
- Minimum/Maximum Players
- A team must have at least eight players to begin play. In the event that a team has only eight players,
the batting team will provide a catcher who will field pitches but will make no other fielding plays.
A catcher may not be provided in the event that a team has nine players.
- A team unable to meet the minimum number of players shall forfeit.
- A team may have no more than ten fielders.
There is no limitation upon the number of players in a team's batting order.
- Pitching Rubber
- The pitcher must pitch from the pitching rubber. If the pitcher fails to do so, the pitch shall be ruled a ball.
- Other Rules
- Unless otherwise stated herein, the rules of the American Softball Association shall govern.
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