Softball Rules

LEAGUE POLICIES:

There are no maximum number of players allowed on your roster. Players will not be allowed to participate without signing the RGV SSC roster/waiver form. New shirts cannot be ordered. The only way to add a new player to your roster after the registration deadline is by first dropping another player. Teams have up until the third week of the season to do so. After that, rosters are frozen. The additional player must obtain the uniform from the dropped player in order to play. If a team wishes to add a player only after the registration deadline, this can only be done if the league has the uniforms in stock.

WAIVERS:
In order to participate in the league, each participant must sign the team waiver. Waivers will be e-mailed to all team captains, which need to be printed out, and turned in no later then the first night of play. Players not present the first week of play will still be required to sign a waiver with our staff before participating. An RGV SSC staff member will keep your team waiver at the field, or a new one can be printed out. Players, who sign up as individuals, sign the waiver online when they register.

PLAYER RESTRICTIONS:
A. All RGV SSC participants must be at least 21 years old before the season starts.
B. Players that have participated in Division 1 or professional sports must be 2 years removed from participation if they wish to play in a similar RGV SSC sport.
C. RGV SSC will have the right to request ID from any player. Any player in the super social league who is determined a social player by the RGV SSC will have their league fee credited towards a future season. If more than one player fits in the category, the RGV SSC has the option to move the team to the social division.
D. Players may only play for one team and be on one roster, regardless of if multiple divisions are offered. One can play, for example, softball on Tuesdays & softball on Thursdays, but not for two teams in the same day or night. Any player that breaks this rule will cause both of their teams to forfeit games played on that day.

SPORTSMANSHIP:
We are all adults, and the RGV SSC expects all participants to act like it. Unsportsmanlike behavior may result in that player or team being suspended from participating in all RGV SSC sports. Being ejected from a game may carry a suspension.

GAME UNIFORMS:
RGV SSC t-shirts are your team’s uniforms. All players must wear their current RGV SSC uniform (past season’s uniforms are not permitted) to participate and any player not wearing his/her uniform will be will be sidelined for that game. Missing or swapped uniform players’ names will be taken and if they are not on your roster, a loss will be assessed for that game.

UNIFORM ALTERATIONS:
Names on uniforms, numbers, cut-off sleeves, corporate logos, etc, are permitted, as long as they do not cover any logos originally printed on the shirts.

GAME EQUIPMENT:
RGVSSC will provide all equipment necessary with the exception of gloves and bats.  An “official” RGVSSC softball will be used for legal game play.

FORFEITS:

If your team forfeits a game during the season, the following rules apply:
First Offense: Loss of game and warning issued.
Second Offense: Loss of game and staff reserves the right to remove team from playoffs.
Third Offense: Removal from the league.

If you know in advance that your team is going to forfeit a game, we encourage you to call our office so as to help us schedule your opponent a game. This will still be considered a forfeit, but is a courtesy to your opponent.

Teams have until ten minutes past the designated start time to field a full squad (minimum numbers of players required to play according to the rules). Refer to rules regarding the guy/girl batting ratio. Anything less then the minimum must be approved by the staff and opposing team.

STANDINGS:
The updated standings will be posted weekly on RGVSSC’s website, displaying each teams rank within its skill level. Rank is based on winning percentage. 

POINTS AWARDED:
Win – 2 points…Tie – 1 point….Loss – 0 points.

PLAYOFFS:
All eligible teams make the playoffs (teams that have not abused any policies or forfeits are eligible).
In certain situations teams at or near the bottom of the standings may not advance to the playoffs. Check with RGVSSC league coordinator to see if this applies to your league.
Playoffs are single elimination.

Seeding: Teams are seeded according to winning percentage and strength of schedule.
Teams may be dropped from their regular season level based on the above criteria. Teams may be moved to a higher division during the playoffs only if permission is granted.
Skill levels may be divided into separate divisions based upon size of level.

Teams may play more than one game per day.

Any questions regarding rules, policies, or eligibility must be addressed before the start of the game. RGVSSC reserves the right to schedule playoff games on days other than your regularly scheduled league night.

Coed 12 Inch Softball Rules

1. A “strike mat” will be used to determine balls and strikes. If the softball touches any part of the mat on a legal pitch (6’-12’ arc), it will be considered a strike. Pitches touching any part of the plate WILL BE considered a strike as well (Because of the small size of the strike mat and the difficulty of pitching, the RGVSSC has increased the strike zone to include the plate to promote teams to swing more and give pitchers a larger target.) **IMPORTANT DISTINCTION** The strike mat is only used for calling balls and strikes. The strike mat is not home plate. Therefore, when a runner is trying to score, he or she must touch home plate in order to score. If he/she touches the strike mat and not home plate, and then is tagged, the runner will be tagged.

2. All batters will start with a one ball, one strike count.

3. If a male is walked, and a female follows him in the batting order, the female has the choice to take a walk or bat. (Exception: ***if the bases are loaded (at the time a male is at-bat) and a male is walked and a female follows him in the order, that female must bat.) Umps will enforce this rule upon request; however, they will not be responsible for notifying the batter in each walk situation.

4. A batter with two strikes is allowed one foul ball, two fouls with two strikes, the batter is out.

5. All games are seven innings or one hour (warm up time included); the last inning will start 10 – 15 minutes to the hour. The ump will enforce this rule and will make the call at the top of the final inning. If a game is tied at the end of seven innings, extra innings will be played only if there is time. If there is not time (at least 10 minutes left in the hour), the game will end in a tie. Note: Due to differing circumstances in each and every game, some games will finish short of an hour in length, while others might run over the hour mark. Please respect your ump’s call in this matter. He/she must keep all games on time in fairness to teams playing later hours and due to facility permit restrictions.

6. 10 players (at least 4 females) in the field at all time. (THERE ARE NO POSITION REQUIREMENTS of any players, i.e. there need not be 2 females in outfield and 2 in the infield) RGVSSC rules will allow a team to play with a minimum of 8 players (at least 2 females). If only 2 women are present at game time, each woman must bat twice in the first 10 batters. If a team has less than the minimum required number of players it is up to the opponent and/or umpire as to what is allowable.

7. Teams may bat more than ten players; however, these teams must bat the same ratio (3 to 2) of men and women as fielding men and women. In situations where additional players wish to bat, the line up must come as close to a 3 to 2 ratio as possible, even if some women need to bat twice in the batting order. ***Men CANNOT bat twice in the lineup to achieve a 3-2 ratio if a team plays with more women than men. Prior to game time, ask your ump for a scoresheet. Line-ups must be given to the ump for every game.
I.e. 6 men 4 women
7 men 4 women
8 men 5 women (1 out of 4 batting twice if needed)
9 men 6 women (2 out of 4 batting twice if needed)
10 men 6 women (2 out of 4 batting twice if needed)
11 men 7 women (3 out of 4 batting twice if needed)
12 men 8 women (4 out of 4 batting twice if needed)

Etc., etc., etc.

*6 men 2 women (both batting twice) *If playing with the minimum # of people

8. All men must bat “off-handed” (i.e., right-handed batters must bat left; left-handed batters must bat right.)  If questioned by the opposing team, they can have them switch, but then the umpire will decide which way they will bat after that.  Switch hitters must bat one way the entire game and indicate on the batting order which way, right or left.

9. All players in the field must be listed in the batting order. There are no designated hitters allowed. Any attempt at doing so must be brought to the attention of the umpire prior to game time and can only be deemed allowable by the opposing captain.

10. There are no guy-girl batting order rules other than the 3 to 2 ratios and the scenario discussed in rule #6. (i.e. You may bat 6 men followed by 4 women or vice-versa)

11. Game mercy rule: 10 runs up after five complete innings (The home team will always get their last at bats).

12. No leadoffs or stealing allowed. Runners may leave the base once the ball crosses the plane of the plate or is hit by the batter. If a runner leaves early, the ball is dead and the runner is declared out. If this is the 3rd out of the inning the batter will be first up in the next inning.

13. Games start on time!!! Teams must be prepared to play.

Forfeit rule: 10 minutes after game time. If one team has less than the minimum number of players (8 total-2 females) at ten past the designated start time, the team that is short players will forfeit. If however, the opposing team wishes to allow the team to play with less than the minimum amount of required players, the game may be played as an official game. The umpire must be notified by the opposing team that they would like the game to be played as an official game.

14. Base runner to defensive player contact will be closely watched by the ump. Any excessive contact or collision will result in an “out” and/or ejection. This includes contact with the catcher. Sliding is allowed. Any sliding into a base to break up a double play, or any intentional (in the eyes of the monitor) interference with the defensive player will result in the runner and the batter being called out.

15. NO METAL SPIKES ARE ALLOWED.

16. A foul ball above the batter’s head may be caught for an out.

17. All thrown balls are deemed out of play when:
· The ball is thrown over the fence
· The ball is thrown beyond the fence
· The ball is thrown beyond the imaginary line extending from the end of the backstop (if there is no fence).
· This imaginary line applies to overthrows and caught fly foul balls.
· If the ball is overthrown and hits the fence behind the 1st or 3rd base lines but does not travel out of play, this is NOT considered out of play and the runner may advance, BUT at his/her own risk.
· On overthrows out of play, the runner is granted the base he/she is going to (at the point of the throw) plus one more base. Note: in cases where a base runner runs past first base, he/she must make a clearly aggressive turn towards second base to be granted 2nd and 3rd in overthrow situations.

18. On an infield fly (any fly ball within the infield with significant arc and deemed an “easy catch”) with less than 2 outs and runners on 1st and 2nd or 1st, 2nd and 3rd, the batter is automatically out and runners can advance, BUT at their own risk.

19. All outfielders must remain behind the chalked and/or coned “outfield line” (if applicable – consult with your ump before your game to determine if this rule is enforced at your particular league) when a female is up to bat. In most cases the “outfield line will be determined by where the infield dirt meets the outfield grass. If the “line” is not clearly marked it us up to the umpire’s discretion if an outfielder is too close to the infield. There cannot be more than 7 players on the infield at any one time. Once contact has been made the outfielders may cross the line. If an outfielder crosses the line before contact has been made the female may be awarded first base.

20. In certain facilities a home run rule may apply. (consult with your ump and/or RGVSSC

21. 5 innings will be considered a complete game.

22. If a game is called due to weather, and less than 5 innings have been played, the game will be restarted from the beginning.

23. If a game is called due to darkness, and less than 5 innings have been played the game will resume from the exact point at which it was stopped. i.e. same count, same batter, same base running situation

24. The Rio Grande Valley Sports and Social Club reserves the right to change or modify these procedures on a case by case basis, if necessary.