League Rules

Version 1

Player Equipment

A. Bats: Only ASA and USA stamped bats
- a. No USSSA or bats with BPF ratings
B. Balls: 52/300 balls

Logistics

A. Location: Alpine Township Sports Park - 1850 Alpine Church Rd NW, Comstock Park, MI 49321
B. Time:
- a. Game 1: 6:15 - 7:15
  - i. Finish current inning
- b. Game 2: ~7:30 - 8:30
C. Sign ups: There will be a playing fee for each team as well as a liability form required before play.
D. Substitutes: Required to fill out a liability form before play.
- a. If teams have less than 10 players, they can only request a catcher from the opposing team and the catcher will not play defensively. The pitcher or another infielder will need to step in to make plays at home plate.

Batting / Offense

A. Count: Batters start with a 1-1 count (1 Ball - 1 Strike)
B. Courtesy Runners: Courtesy runners can be used and will be the last player out. You may not use a runner from home (initial hit) to first.
C. Base Path: The base path is an imaginary area 3 feet on either side of the baseline
D. Runner Interference: A runner is out if they deliberately crash into a fielder with the ball, but if a ball is deflected off a fielder and the runner is hit, it's not interference, unless the runner runs into a fielder trying to field the deflected ball.
- a. If a base runner will inevitably be out from a force play, the runner cannot intentionally interfere with a potential double-play by obstructing the throw or else 2 outs will be automatically called.
E. Running into Ball: A batter is out and the ball is dead if they hit the ball, fair or foul, while their entire foot is completely out of the batter's box and touching the ground or home plate at the time of contact
F. Fair and Foul Balls:
- a. Fair
  - i. Batted ball hits home plate or any base
  - ii. Batted ball hits the foul line
  - iii. (Before passing 1st or 3rd base) Grounded ball goes to Foul territory and returns to Fair territory without being touched or coming to rest in Foul territory.
- b. Foul
  - i. A batted ball that settles in foul territory between home plate and first base or between home plate and third base, foul pole, or any object in foul territory.
G. Throwing Bats: If a bat intentionally or unintentionally hits the umpire or another player, the play will be reversed and the batter will be out.
- a. If the umpire deems it unsportsmanlike the first offense will be a warning, 2nd offense will be an out.
H. Run Limits: A team is limited to 8 runs if they are tied or in the lead. If your team is losing then, you may remain on offense until you are 8 runs ahead of the opponent before 3 outs.
- a. Ex. You're losing 2-8, then you may continue playing until the score is 16-8
I. Home Run Limit / Ladder: 3 home run limit per team per game. Any home run after the limit counts as a single and runners move one base. If both teams get to three home runs, the limit will increase by one, and so on, each time the teams tie.
J. Scoring: Scores will be shared between teams at each half-inning and at the end of the game.
- a. Scores will also be posted by the coaches to the Commissioner in a recommended communication channel.

Pitching

A. Pitch Motion: The slow pitch pitching motion in ASA softball starts in the same way as the fast pitch delivery, with at least one foot on the pitching rubber. The pitch release point must come from lower than the hip, and the motion must be continuous. The pitcher in slow pitch softball is allowed to step forward, sideways or even backward as he delivers the ball, but the arm must continue forward past the hip and below the head.
B. Strike Zone: The strike zone is defined as a legally pitched ball (NO 6'-12' ARC LIMIT) that hits any part of the mat; any ball not hitting the mat will be called a ball. The strike zone will be "MATT ONLY". The ball must have a visible arc and if the pitch is too flat or delivered with excessive/intentional speed, the umpire will rule it an illegal pitch (a ball), unless the batter swings.
- a. Strike mats will be placed on the very front of the home plate, covering its entirety.
C. Pitching Mound: The pitching mound used for the league will be located 53ft away from home plate (typically the furthest of the two mounds).
D. Pitching Screens: Available for use. The edge must be directly in the middle of the pitching plate and no further than three feet in front of the pitching plate
- a. All balls hit to the screen are dead foul balls.
  - i. You cannot get struck out from hitting the pitching screen
- b. Pitchers cannot field the ball off the initial contact with the bat. They may backup a fielder at a base or fully participate once another fielder makes contact with the ball.
- c. After the batted ball has been fielded by the defense, the screen is in play with no penalty

Fielding / Defense

A. Catch: A catch is a legally caught ball, which occurs when the fielder catches a batted, pitched, or thrown ball with the hand(s) or glove.
- a. In establishing a valid catch, the fielder shall hold the ball long enough to prove complete control of it and/or that the release of the ball is voluntary and intentional. If a player drops the ball after reaching into the glove to remove it or while in the act of throwing, it is a valid catch.
- b. If the ball is merely held in the fielder's arm(s) or prevented from dropping to the ground by some part of the fielder's body, equipment or clothing, the catch is not completed until the ball is in the grasp of the fielder's hand(s) or glove.
- c. The fielder's feet must be within the field of play, touching the "out of play" line or in the air after leaving the live ball territory in order to have a valid catch. A player who is "out of play" and returns must have both feet touching the playable area or one foot touching and the other in the air, before the catch is legal.
- d. It is not a catch if a fielder (while gaining control) collides with another player, umpire, or fence, or falls to the ground and drops the ball as a result of the collision or falling to the ground.
- e. A ball which strikes anything other than a defensive player while it is in flight is ruled the same as if it struck the ground.
- f. An illegally caught ball occurs when a fielder catches a batted or thrown ball with anything other than the hand(s) or glove in its proper place. Should the catcher catch any fly ball with the mask, the batter is not out.
B. Obstruction: A fielder is allowed to block a base or base path ONLY when in possession of the ball to apply a tag; otherwise, blocking a base without possession is considered obstruction and will result in the runner automatically being safe.
C. Foul Tip: If a foul tip has a visible arc and the catcher moves their glove to catch the ball then it is considered an out.
D. Infield Fly (0 or 1 Outs, 2 or 3 Runners on Base with a force out): The infield fly rule in softball states that a fair fly ball can be caught by an infielder, pitcher, or catcher with ORDINARY effort. The ump will shout "INFIELD FLY!" when this occurs. The rule applies when:
- a. There are fewer than two outs
- b. There is a force play at third base
- c. There are runners at first and second base
- d. The bases are loaded
- e. The ball has reached its apex and the umpire determines it is an infield fly
  - i. The batter will automatically be called out.
  - ii. The ball can be located 15 feet past the baseline for an infield fly

Umping

A. Personnel: Teams are encouraged to have 4 designated (experienced and knowledgeable) players to ump behind home plate when they are on offense.
- a. Base Coaches: Offensive teams will provide their own base coaches to assist calling at 1st and 3rd.
  - i. The ump's call overrules a base coaches' call.
B. Close-calls: If there is confusion with the call, the coaches will come together and if a decision cannot be made, the ruling will be determined by a coin-flip (offensive team will call the flip).
C. Equipment: If someone identifies the use of equipment that is not allowed in the rules (Ex. USSSA bat), then a coach or Ump may notify the player or respective coach to remove the equipment from use in the game.

Ending Games

A. Final Inning Warning: After 1 hour of play, a horn will notify the teams to not start another inning and the game will end after the current inning is completed.
- a. Any unfinished innings will not be counted towards the final score. Even after a tie game during the regular season.
B. Inning Limit: A total of seven innings will be played.
C. Ties: Due to a tie at the end of seven innings, coaches may decide to end the game with a tie or enter extra innings with respect to time.
D. Mercy Rule: 16 runs after the 4th inning

Tournament

A. Substitutes: Any substitutes for the playoffs must play at least 3 regular season games (or 2 weeks) to qualify for play.
B. Tournament Rules:
- a. A full 7 innings is played with no time-limit
- b. Home run limit is removed
- c. 8 run limit per half inning is removed
- d. Mercy rule of 16 runs after 4 innings
- e. If the game is tied at the end of the 7th inning, the game goes into extra innings. Each extra inning will have the "last batter out" from the previous inning on second base to start the extra inning.
  - i. If the game is still tied by the end of the 9th inning, the highest seed team wins.
C. 4-Team Tournament Bracket: All teams will participate in the playoffs (1 week) in the following order:
- a. 1st Place vs. 4th Place
- b. 2nd Place vs. 3rd Place
  - i. Winner's bracket
  - ii. Loser's bracket
D. 6-Team Tournament Bracket: All teams will participate in the playoffs (1-2 weeks) in the following order:
- a. 1st Place & 2nd Place (bye/scrimmage/practice)
- b. 3rd Place vs. 6th Place
- c. 4th Place vs. 5th Place
  - i. 1st Place vs. Lower Tiered Winner
  - ii. 2nd Place vs. Higher Tiered Winner
  - iii. Eliminated Teams may play an exhibition game
    - 1. Championship