STOWE CO-ED SOFTBALL LEAGUE RULES
Team captain’s responsibility: to relay information to team players, communicate with other team captains, and with league leaders. This is a recreation league. It is imperative that captains set and assist in the enforcement of all rules, so as to ensure the safety of all players and fans. Please use common sense in determining the use of equipment and standard of play. Players of all abilities participate in the league. ANY TEAM that is determined by the Captains Committee to not participate in the true spirit of the league, will not be invited back next year and are subject to ejection from the league. It is also your responsibility to remove obviously intoxicated players and fans from the game area. League officials will contact police for refusal to leave the area.
Speaking captain: Teams must designate a speaking captain prior to the start of game.
Post game conduct: please be responsible after games, speeding and spinning out in the parking lot will be a point of issue for discipline.
Basic softball rules apply except where noted
Rainouts: The league will determine rainouts by a per game basis. If the game is in question due to weather, call your team captain for more info but assume games will be played regardless of the weather. Games shortened by rain are official after 5 full innings.
All games will be 9 innings. You can not start and inning after 8:15.
Player Age - All players in the league must be at least 21 years old to be eligible to participate in the Stowe Co-Ed softball league. Players who are at least 18 can play on a team if they have a parent on the team.
DEFENSIVE PLAYING RULES: you must always have 4 outfielders for male or female hitters (unless playing with 9 total on your roster). Outfielders are not permitted inside the outfield arc until the ball is hit .Once an inning has started you may not switch positions. No overloading either. You must have two on each side of 2nd base, in and out field. Infielders must play "normal" positions (i.e. shortstop cannot play behind second base or in shallow left field)
Infield defenders: are not allowed more than 3 feet in front of the bases .Each team must have at least 4 females to start the game and maintain 4 females throughout the completion of the game. All players must play at least 1 inning in the field. In the event of an injured player that makes it less than 9, that spot becomes an out each time the players spot comes up.
A game in which one team is leading the game by 15 or more runs after 5 innings is complete unless the losing team wants to continue.
Line-up is continuous. All players in the book bat, a player that shows up after the start of a game must be added to the end of the lineup. No additions after 5 innings. There is no "automatic out" for a player that does not show up until the 5th inning.
Base coaches are responsible for paying attention and being knowledgeable enough to be there. Coaches make calls at 1st, 2nd, and 3rd base. Base coaches are also needed to assist in fair and foul balls. Base coaches must be in the line-up or be an injured player on roster.
HOMEPLATE UMPIRE: the batting team (on-deck hitter) is responsible for calling balls (4) and strikes (3)
The umpire also calls foul balls and plays at the plate, illegal pitches can be called by all or any umpire. Pitches must be at least 6' and no higher than 12’. The illegal pitch may be called after hitting the ground. An illegal pitch may be hit.
OFFENSIVE RULES: No bunting or leading, leaving early. A runner on third may stand in foul territory if parallel to the bag. Batter will start an at-bat with a 1-1 count.
DEAD BALL (fair ball into tall grass) - a ball that is hit into the tall grass on one bounce or more is an automatic dead ball and baserunner is awarded a triple (3rd base). Any ball that is hit in fair territory into the tall grass on the fly is considered a home run.
OUT OF PLAY LINE - the out of play line will be determined by 10 big steps from the foul lines. Once that line is established, the out out play line will run the entire length of the foul lines
SLIDING is not mandatory but you MUST AVOID HARD CONTACT. Defensive players may not block the base or plate. A fielder must position themselves in a manner that gives the runner an avenue to the base, or plate. The runner may not collide with the fielder if the fielder is in the act of catching the ball. The runner is safe if the fielder makes contact with the runner without the ball.
BASE RUNNING: a runner headed to first base may over run the base. Any runner who makes an aggressive turn towards 2nd base is in jeopardy of being tagged out. Players who inadvertently turn that direction who are not trying to advance cannot be tagged out. This call can be called by the home plate ump. FOUL BALLS; runner may advance at their own risk when the ball is caught in foul territory.(must tag up).The entire mat is home plate. Runners may touch any part of mat to be counted as a run.
SAFETY BASE-DOUBLE BAG-the bag in foul territory (orange) is designated for the runner and the white part is for the defensive player. All plays at home are force plays. No tagging is necessary. Once a player has crossed the hash mark he/she is comitted to home plate for a force play.
HOME PLATE - All plays at home will be considered a force play. Home plate for a baserunner is the secondary base to the right of the third base line (typically a base spraypainted into the grass. If a baserunner touches this secondary base prior to the catcher recieving the ball that is touching the primary mat (used for balls and strikes), they are considered safe. A baserunner will automatically be called out if they attempt to touch the primary mat instead of the secondary mat either during a play at home or in a non-contact situation. A run can only be scored it the runner touches the secondary base. Failure to do so will be considered an automatic out.
If the catcher makes contact with the runner, or impedes the path of the runner attempting to touch the secondary base during a play at home, the baserunner will automatically be awarded the run. The catcher can still tag a runner prior to touching the secondary base but cannot block the path of the runner attempting to touch the secondary mat.
PITCHING CHANGES - Teams are allowed one pitching change per inning. The pitcher must come from a player on the field and the pitcher exiting the game must remain in the game for the remainder of that inning. Players may swich positions during a pitching change.
MERCY RULE - if a team is down by 15 or more runs at the end of the 7th inning, the losing team can choose to forfeit and end the game. If the losing team declares a forfeit but still wants to continue to play out the game and they come back and "win", the team that forfeited will still be considered the losing team.
WALK: a walk is 4 balls. A pitcher can intentionally walk a batter without pitching by notifing the umpire that he/she wants the runner intentionally walked.
Courtesy runner: a pinch runner may only be used for a player that sustains an injury during the course of a game currently being played. If the injured player is male, the pinch runner must be a male that made the last out. If the injured player is female, the pinch runner must be female that made the last out. If the injury occurs with no outs in the inning, the pinch runner who made last out in the previous inning with serve as the pinch runner but they still must maintain the male/female rules for a runner.
Ground Rules: deep grass, bench area and road are dead ball out of play territory, so keep your bench area tidy. Balls that BOUNCE into the deep grass in fair play in the outfield are automatic triple (Capt. Pre game meet)..If a ball flies into deep grass in fair play is a home run. Fielders may not catch in deep grass. If a ball deflects off of a fielder in play into deep grass it is a triple. If a fielder catches a ball in deep grass it is a HR. An overthrow landing out of play/dead ball territory equals the base you were headed (at least half way) to plus one base. If the throw is in foul territory, the player may advance at there own risk.
STRIKE ZONE: any ball that touches any part of the primary mat. On deck batter calls this and foul balls.
BATS- . Men must use a wooden bat issued by the league only. Women may use any non-wood bat approved for slow pitch softball or wood bats approved by the league.
ILLEGAL BATS - A player that is determined to have used or attempts to use an illegal bat in a game (i.e. a bat not approved for play in the league) will be removed from the game and his team will have the current game forfeited. A second offense of an illegal bat for a player or team will result in suspension for the entire team for the rest of the current season and can be banned from the league per decison from league captains.
ROSTERS: may include up to 20 players (at least 4 women) . Players must compete in at least 5 of the scheduled games in the regular season to be eligible for playoffs. A rain-out will count as a game played.
Cleats are recommended but are not mandatory. NO METAL SPIKES
NO SWEARING CURSING OR FOUL LANGUAGE
NO FIGHTING, OBVIOUSLY- Fighting wil result in expulsion from the league. Arguments will not be tolerated. The team captains must discuss, and solve the issue. Individual player conduct and behavior that is deemed inappropriate (foul language, disrespect, unsafe behavior, peeling out, speeding) or any complaints should be reported the league. The incident will be reviewed and a possible suspension will be issued. A second complaint and the player or team will be removed from the league. Appeals may be made to the league in writing. If an appeal is written, the rules and discipline committee will make the final decision.
NO GLASS BOTTLES-make sure players and fans know that it is our rule not to bring glass to the games.
NO CIGARETTE BUTTS-PLEASE-check your bench area and make sure the fields are left as we found them
Trash must be cleaned up, even if it wasn't yours.
PARENTS-please keep children within sight at all times, there is equipment and dangerous areas at the fields. Please don't allow kids to play around barn.
Dogs must be leashed and controlled
PLAYOFFS- Tournament is a single elimination tournament for 2023. Top two seeds from the regular season will have a bye. If there is a tie in the regular season, tie breaker will be: 1) head to head record 2) fewest runs allowed in head to head meetings 3) total fewest runs allowed during regular season
Tournament will be held on Saturday (date TBD) only. There are no Thursday playoff games for the 2023 season
PLAYOFF SEEDING - As determined by the final end of season position, the higher seeded team will always be the home team for playoff games.
Starting a game with 3 women rule “Anti-Forfeit Rule”
A team can begin a game with only three women players without forfeit after the 6:45pm start time has been reached. If a team only has three female players to start a game, the following restrictions will be placed on that team. Those restrictions will include:
- a team may only put 9 total players (3 have to be women) on the field, regardless if they have enough male players to have a full infield and outfield
- a male player has to field the catcher position. The three female players must occupy any other position on the field except for catcher
- an out will be automatically recorded when the female player is due up in the order and the next batter in the line-up will hit.
If during the course of the game the fourth female player shows up, that player will be placed into the batting order in her designated spot and the game will then continue without the previous restrictions placed on the team beginning after the half inning has been played. Example: the fourth female shows up while her team is in the field in the top of the 3rd inning. The team must play the remainder of the half inning without the female. That female may now join the team in the bottom of the 3rd inning. Team captains must speak to acknowledge that the new player has arrived and is being inserted into the last spot in the batting order
The “anti-forfeit” rule can only be as many times as needed (multiple times will result in a league review if necessary) during the current season and will be permitted in post-season play (tournament).
This “anti-forfeit rule” can only be used if a team is one female player short. An automatic forfeit will be declared if a team is two or more female players shy of the four total to start a game.
If both teams do not have the required number of females to start a game, both teams will play under the “anti-forfeit rules” for the duration of the game or until one or both teams have the required amount of female players.
Stowe co-ed Softball League bylaws and protocol
New teams to the league: In the event that a team leaves the league, the captains will meet to discuss the process for accepting a new team to the league.
Field usage: all games will be played at the five Mayo Farm events fields.
Teams changing hands/sponsorship: If a team changes management or sponsor, the change must be approved the league, and must include at least 50% of previous season's roster. Other wise the team will be considered a new team and must apply and go through the process and protocol set in place by Stowe Co-ed Softball
