City of Westminster
Community Services & Recreation Department

 ADULT SOFTBALL LEAGUE RULES 

I.    RULES

A.     All Softball games shall be played under the current SCMAF rulebook.

B.     The OFFICIAL TIME shall be kept by the official scorer/scorekeeper.

C.    The team manager shall be provided with an official line-up card, which is to be completed and submitted to the official scorer 5 minutes before the game time and all line-up changes will be made directly to the scorekeeper.

D.    The MANAGER is responsible for checking the game card and determining that no irregularities exist.

E.     The SCOREKEEPER shall keep the official score.  It is the responsibility of both team managers to verify the score at the end of each half inning.

F.   TIE GAME ? After the game time/innings have expired, all games ending in a tie (teams having equal number of runs) will result in a half (1/2) win and a half (1/2) loss for each team.

G.  Fifteen (15) run mercy rule will be in effect after five (5) innings.

H.  Slo-Pitch games are one hour and ten minutes (70 minutes) or seven innings.  Ties will not be played out after the time limit has expired.

I.    Schedules are played as published.  For field conditions or rainouts, call the Westminster Sports Coordinator at (714) 548-3671. All rainout games will be played at the end of the season.

J.   BLOOD RULE ? A player or coach who is bleeding or who has an open wound shall be prohibited from participating further in the game until appropriate treatment has been administered.  If medical care or treatment can be administered in a reasonable amount of time, the individual would not have to leave the game. The length of time that is considered reasonable is the sole judgment of the umpire.  If there is an excessive amount of blood on the uniform, it must be changed prior to that player participating further in the game.

II.   ROSTERS

A.     Each team must submit a complete roster with a maximum of eighteen (18) players before the first game begins.

B.     Every roster change after the first game must be submitted to the scorekeeper on the field before the game begins.  Roster additions may be during the first half of play only.  No additions will be accepted after the fifth game.

III.   PLAYER ELIGIBILITY

A.     A player is eligible to play in one league per night.

B.     All players must be on the roster prior to the start of each game.

C.    If a manager is caught using an illegal player (non-rostered) or ineligible player, the manager will be suspended for a minimum of two games and the game will be declared a forfeit.

D.    The City of Westminster reserves the right to re-classify each team based on performance in league play.

E.     To protest a player's eligibility:

1.      Manager must protest prior to the start of the game.

2.      Umpire must notify each team that the game is being played under protest.

3.      Protesting manager must identify player(s) in question; Maximum number of players whose eligibility is in question is two (2).

4.      Players who are in question must provide picture identification when requested.  Failure to produce a reasonable identification will result in that player's disqualification and the protest will be upheld.

IV.  PROTESTS

A.     All protests must be clearly written.

B.     All protests must be submitted to the Scorekeeper on the night of the protest and accompanied by the required $30.00 cash-filing fee. If a protest is upheld, the fee shall be returned.

C.    Protests will not be considered for any judgment call.

D.    Protests must be stated at the point of contention and before the ball is made live or put back into play.  Protest must be made with the Umpire and opposing manager with the exact reason for the protest stated.

E.     All protest decisions will be made by the Sports Coordinator and Major League Softball staff and are FINAL.

V.   FORFEITS

Game time is forfeit time.  There is no grace period.

VI. PLAYER CODE OF CONDUCT

A.     The SCMAF Player Code of Conduct will be strictly enforced.

B.     Ejected players must leave the park site within three (3) minutes of the ejection.  If player refuses to leave, the game can be forfeited by the offending player's team.

C.    Any player who physically abuses an official, scorekeeper, player or coach will be banned from participating in any leagues with the City of Westminster.

D.    Any player or fan that verbally abuses an official, scorekeeper, player or coach will be removed from the site.

E.     These actions may result in the permanent removal and ban of the offending person from the facility.

VII.   MISCELLANEOUS

A.     ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES ARE NOT PERMITTED IN WESTMINSTER PARKS.

Any team member consuming alcoholic beverages at the park facility will be suspended from play for the remainder of the season.  Any team manager consuming alcoholic beverages will forfeit the current game and the team will be suspended from the City of Westminster Community Services Division activities for one calendar year.  Managers are responsible for the conduct of their players and spectators.

B.  All players must carry picture identification with them to each game.

VIII.   WOMEN'S SOFTBALL LEAGUE RULES ADDENDUM

1. Age limit will be 35 years of age or over. Players can play the full year they turn 35; that is if their birthday is on or before December 31 of the current year.
2. Sliding is not allowed. A player who slides will be called out.
3. Base runners may overrun any base either way, provided there is no motion to advance to the following base.
4. Base runners must re-tag after running through a base to advance to the next base (except first base).
5. Base runner is out if, by physical contact, she jars the ball loose from a defensive player. This judgment call is non-protestable.
6. A base runner may leave the base only after the ball leaves the pitchers hand.
7. A fourth strike rule will be in effect with a foul on the fourth strike constituting an out (scored a strike-out).
8. Plays at home plate:
   
   • All defensive players must use the white portion of home plate to record an out. Base runners must cross the scoring line (drawn from the upper left corner of home plate, perpendicular to the third base foul line). There will be no tag plays allowed at home plate. Runners must have at least one foot down on or past the scoring line before the defensive player has possession of the ball and touches home plate.
9. When a team has scored seven (7) runs in one inning, the team’s at bat ends and they must take the field on defense. This rule does not apply in the seventh (7th) inning or during any inning after the fourth (4th) inning which started with less than three (3) minutes remaining on the game clock.
10. An unlimited number of courtesy runners will be permitted. However, an individual player may only serve as a courtesy runner once per inning. The courtesy runner may be any player on the roster.
11. A line will be drawn halfway between third (3rd) base and home plate. Any base runner who passes this commitment line must continue towards home plate.
12. When there is a play being made at first base, the runner must touch the outside (orange) base.
13. Mercy rule. A twenty (20) run mercy rule will be in effect after four (4) innings (3 1/2 if home team is winning) or a fifteen (15) run mercy rule will be in effect after five (5) innings (4 1/2 if home team is winning) thus ending the game.
14. A team shall consist of ten (10) players. However, a team may begin play with eight (8) rostered players. Any team unable to field a minimum of eight (8) rostered players by game time shall forfeit the game. The team forfeiting is responsible for a $40.00 forfeit fee.
15. Two (2) players can be picked up to fill out a team of eight (8) players. The player must be a member of the league. Picked up players must bat at the bottom of the batting order, and play right field or catcher.
16. Pitching Regulations:
    
    • (a) The ball must arc higher than the batter’s head.
    • (b) The ball must not exceed a height of more than 12 feet above the ground.
17. Repeated offender of using an illegal bat the following week or later in the season will be ejected or suspended.
18. 1+1 Count: When batter comes to the plate, she will begin with a 1+1 count.
19. The pitcher shall take a position with both feet firmly on the ground and one or both feet in contact within the pitcher’s box. While the pivot foot is in contact with the pitcher’s plate and throughout delivery, only the pivot foot must be within the length of the pitcher’s plate when on the ground or on the pitcher’s plate.
20. To determine a tie-breaker:
    
    • 1) Head-to-Head
    • 2) Run differential between 2 teams
    • 3) How many runs scored against other teams