INDOOR ADULT SOFTBALL RULES (Revised 10/16/16)

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1 Page 1 of 6 INDOOR ADULT SOFTBALL RULES (Revised 10/16/16) OBJECTIVE The Schaumburg Park District adult softball leagues are intended to provide players of all abilities with the opportunity to participate in organized league play. Fair play and sportsmanship are the responsibility of each player and captain. ELIGIBILITY Players must be at least 18 years old or a high school graduate. All players must have their name, address, and signature on a team roster to be considered a "legal" player. Teams found using nonrostered or otherwise ineligible players will forfeit any and all games in which the ineligible players were used. League Supervisor reserves the right to review any situation regarding league rules not being followed and issuing disciplinary actions. Team roster must be submitted to the Field Supervisor before the team s 1 st game. No roster changes may be made after the teams 4 th game. Any requests to change the roster must be made in writing to the League Supervisor by Thursday of the week prior to the team s next game. A player may not be added to the team roster without the removal of another player. EQUIPMENT The Schaumburg Park District provides bases, a new game ball and umpires for all games. Each team is responsible for supplying the following equipment: * Bats: All bats must be ASA approved as per the most current listing. All other bats (wood or older bat without certification stamp) must fit the ASA ring test. 16 bats must be labeled as official softball bats and must pass the ASA ring test. Aluminum or wood bats must have a grip on the handle We will keep you updated as information becomes readily available. Caution: ASA evaluates bats throughout the season; there is a possibility that a certain bat may be legal at the beginning of the season and then banned or recalled for adjustment by mid season. Bat lists are posted on the ASA website. * Gloves: 12" Softball only. Gloves are NOT permitted in 16 softball leagues NOTE: No metal spikes or screw-in spikes allowed. PITCHING MOUND and BASE DISTANCES Pitching mound distances will be 50 feet for Men s 12 and 38 feet for Men s 16. Base distances will be 65 feet for Men s 12 and 60 feet for Men s 16. SITE SUPERVISORS There will be site supervisors present at all playing areas. The site supervisors are there to assist in any way they can, including keeping score on the scoreboard and serving as a liaison between the players and the League Supervisor. Feel free to ask them for help or to report a problem. The Sport Center is equipped with a fully stocked first aid kit and AED. THE GAME * A.S.A. Rules will apply unless otherwise stated.

2 Page 2 of 6 * A game shall consist of 7 innings with the exception of the slaughter rule or a game called by the umpire, or a game that reaches the one-hour time limit. Any game called after 5 complete innings (4 ½ if the home team is leading) shall be considered an official game. * Game time is forfeit time. The scoreboard will serve as the official game clock and will start when the first pitch is thrown. Due to inclement weather the League Supervisor may allow additional time to teams to reach their minimum number of players required. * Games are limited to a one hour time limit. No inning may start later than one hour after the game has begun. At the end of the current inning, the game is over. (Note: Once the top half of the inning has started the bottom half must be completed if necessary regardless if past the hour of time limit.) If the time limit has been reached and the game is tied, regular season games will end in a tie, but playoff games will play an EXTRA INNING. In this extra inning, a 3-2 count will be used, and the offensive team will start with their last batted out on second base and one out. Championship games must go at least 5 innings, regardless of time limit. * Slaughter Rule: 12 runs after 5 innings; 10 runs after 6 innings. The slaughter rule does not apply to tournament championship games. The maximum run differential that will be awarded in the standings for any one game is 10 runs. * Batters start with a 1-and-1 count. * Teams must start with 9 players and may bat up to 12 players with a maximum of 10 players in the field, and may not play with fewer than 8 players. If a player cannot continue due to injury or ejection and an eligible replacement is not available; an automatic out will be recorded each time that position comes to bat. * A 6' - 10' pitching arc will be enforced in 12 leagues and 6' - 12' for 16 leagues. * There will be a double-first base used on each diamond. A batted ball hitting the orange portion is declared foul. Whenever a play is being made on the batter-runner, the defense must use the white portion without interference (umpire s discretion) and the batter-runner may touch the orange or colored portion. * NOTE: The batter-runner is out when there is a play being made at first base and the batterrunner touches only the white portion, providing the defense appeals prior to the batterrunner returning to first base. * The slide rule will be enforced. Players must slide or take some action to avoid substantial contact whether the defensive player has the ball or not. Runners initiating contact with a defensive player may be declared out (Umpire's discretion) and are subject to ejection from the game. (Umpire s discretion) * Use of the extra player (EP) is optional. Teams may bat up to 12 players. If used, the captain must notify the umpire and the opposing team prior to the start of the game and must be used for the entire game. In the event a team elects to bat 11 or 12 players and then loses that player due to injury or any other circumstance and cannot replace them the 11 th or 12 th batting position will be ruled an automatic out. * Any player with an open wound will be required to cover it so as to not put other players at risk of contact with the wound. A player will not be allowed to continue playing with an exposed, open wound until it has been covered properly as determined by the umpire. First aid supplies are available at the Sport Center. Please notify the Field Supervisor if needed. HOME RUN RULE The home run rule is 3 and 1 up. Once a team hits its third home run over the fence they cannot hit their fourth until the opposing team has hit 3 home runs. Result is an out. INDOOR RULE: Any ball that clears the center field fence is a home run. All other balls to other areas of the outfield are not home runs, and are to be played off the wall as live balls. Balls caught on the fly off the wall are NOT outs.

3 Page 3 of 6 LEAGUE PROTOCOL/PROCEDURES * Teams are listed as home and away on the league schedule. * The home team keeps the game ball after the first two weeks of the season. At the beginning of the game a new game ball will be issued. If that ball is lost, the Sport Center will supply a suitable used ball. * The winning team s captain must sign the game report in the field supervisor s binder at the end of the game. CAPTAINS RESPONSIBILITIES * All teams should send a captain or team representative to the pre-season captains meeting. * All captains are expected to inform their players concerning all rules and regulations prior to the first game and as many times thereafter to insure that no violations occur. * It is the team captain s responsibility to make sure that all league fees and rosters are submitted and paid. * All captains are expected to inform their players of scheduled games, schedule changes and make-ups. * Captains are responsible for notifying the Schaumburg Park District of a change of address or phone number. * It is the team captain s responsibility to check the score each inning. * Team captains are responsible for the conduct of their team members and any team spectators. * Only team captains are permitted to discuss a disagreement with an umpire. * If it is known that a team captain will be absent or unavailable during a certain period of time, it is the responsibility of the team captain to call the athletic supervisor and submit a new contact name. * Only team captains are permitted to file protest. SCHEDULES * The Schaumburg Park District reserves the right to change and/or adapt all softball schedules in any way necessary to operate the league by giving notice to the team captains. * Anytime there are make ups, rescheduling, rainouts, playoffs, tournaments, etc., they will be scheduled in accordance to the availability of Park District facilities and staff. If necessary, teams may have to play makeup games on nights other than their normal league night. PLAYER CONDUCT All players are expected to respect the rights of the umpires, Park District staff, and spectators. If an umpire or Park District staff member is verbally threatened, physically threatened, or struck by a player or captain before, during or after a game, that individual may be suspended and/or permanently expelled from participation in any adult league without warning. If a player is ejected from a contest for any reason, he/she will be required to serve a minimum one (1) game suspension thereafter. Any player or captain ejected from a game is required to leave the facility immediately. If the player continues to interfere with the orderly progression of play the umpire may forfeit the game in favor of the team not at fault. o Player ejections are not subject to protest. o Use of a suspended player, knowingly or unknowingly will result in forfeiture of that game and the team s next game. o Active participation in any type of disorderly conduct (fighting, excessive arguing,

4 Page 4 of 6 making threats of violence, etc.) will result in an automatic minimum 1-year suspension beginning the day of incident, for the player and possibly the team. o Alcoholic beverages are prohibited on Park District property. Teams violating this policy are subject to removal from all League play, forfeiting all fees paid. o The SPD reserves the right to eject any player or team from the adult softball program without warning or refund at any time in cases of severe circumstances. PROTESTS All protests must be submitted in writing to the Schaumburg Park District Sport Center Manager 1141 W. Irving Park Rd., Schaumburg, IL within twenty-four hours of the game. Protests are often relayed to ASA officials for clarification before judgment is made. All protests must be accompanied by a $35.00 fee. If the protest is found to be valid, the fee will be returned. If the protest is not valid, the fee will not be returned. In order to file a protest, the umpire must be notified during the game and both teams should note the protest in the scorebook. The only protests which will be considered are those which involve misinterpretation of a playing rule, failure of the umpire to apply the correct rule to a situation, or failure of the umpire to apply the correct penalty for a violation. Protests will not be accepted for decisions involving accuracy of judgment on the part of the umpire. FORFEITS Game time is forfeit time. The umpires watch will serve as the official game clock. A forfeit is scored as A team with two forfeits will be removed from the league and will not be eligible for league play the following year and league fees will not be returned. Special accommodations will be made on an as-needed basis due to severe weather conditions. ROSTER CHECKS A copy of each team s roster will be kept on file at the game site. In the event an opposing team captain or site supervisor requests a roster check during a game, the game will stop and photo identification of all players on both teams will be checked. Any players unable to produce photo identification that confirms that player s eligibility and presence on the roster at that time shall be declared a non-roster (illegal) player. Teams found using non-roster players will forfeit any and all games in which illegal players were used. All roster checks must be called prior to the completion of the 1st inning. RAIN OUTS/SNOW-OUTS/GAME CANCELLATIONS The Sport Center will not cancel games unless the Schaumburg Park District has closed the facility. Please call the Sport Center at (847) for game information on days with inclement weather. All attempts will be made to notify team captains before the games. Due to field availability, games may not be rescheduled. COURTESY RUNNER Courtesy runner is considered the last batted out. A team may use as many courtesy runners as needed. Note: Individuals that may need a courtesy runner must have the team captain mention it to the umpire prior to the start of the game. SPECIAL RULES CEILING RULE If a batted ball hits any part of the ceiling/rafters/beams, it will be called as a strike. This rule applies to both Men s 12 and Men s 16.

5 Page 5 of 6 BALLS HIT OFF THE WALL - All balls hit off the outfield wall are to be played off the wall as live balls. Balls caught on the fly off the wall are NOT outs. Exception: Balls that clear the center field fence are home runs. Men s 16 - Stealing is not permitted. ; lead-offs are permitted. The pitcher/catcher may play on the runner once in one at-bat. If either plays on the runner a second time, it will be declared a ball on the batter. Drag steps and hesitations are permitted. STANDINGS Standings and League information will be posted at the website Standings will be updated AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. Standings will also be posted at the Sport Center and be available at the Site Supervisor s table on the field. He or she will have pertinent information in their site notebook. TOURNAMENT/PLAYOFFS The top four (4) teams in each league will advance to the post season single elimination tournaments. Teams will be seeded according to where they finished in the final league standings. The home team will be the higher seeded team (team with the better overall record). Regular house rules apply for all playoff games, except time limit in the championship game. Championship games will have no time limit. AWARDS Regular Season 1 st Place = $ T-shirts Regular Season runner up = $ Tourney Champs = $ Tourney Runner-up = $ TIE BREAKING PROCEDURE (Modified Fall 2015) In the event that two or more teams have equal records at the conclusion of the regular season, the tie breaking procedure will be as follows: Any team who has a forfeit during the season automatically loses all tiebreakers. The ONLY exception is as follows: If there is a 2-way tie, and the forfeited game does not involve a head-tohead matchup between the two teams, then regular tie-breaker rules would apply. 2 team tie A two team tie will be broken by the results of head to head match ups between the teams in question. If for some reason these two teams played each other twice with split decisions, the tie will be broken by the run differential versus the two tied teams. If the teams are still tied, run differential throughout the season will be used. We will take the amount of runs scored minus the amount of runs given up to determine this number. The team with the higher number will win. A 1-game playoff will be played to determine the winner if time permits. The decision to play a 1-game playoff will be decided by the Athletic Supervisor. If the top two teams are tied at the end of the season and have not played each other, a 1- game playoff will be scheduled before the playoffs begin to determine the winner. All other ties for playoff teams that have not played each other will be broken by run differential throughout the whole season. Example: Team 2 played Team 1 twice. Team 2 was victorious in the first contest while Team 1 won the second contest Team 1 would win the tie due to more runs scored in the differential. 3 or more teams tie If 3 or more teams are tied at seasons end, the teams in question will

6 Page 6 of 6 be placed together in a pool where the teams head to head results will be checked. Note: If the 3 or more tied teams do not all play each other at least once, the best team will be determined by overall run differential throughout the entire season. Once the best team is determined after run differential, the next spot will be determined by head to head if possible. o The teams will be ranked based on their records in H2H play among the pool of teams. This step will always supersede any of the steps listed below, which will only be used to break any ties that remain after Step 1 is applied. A) If after Step 1, SOME teams are still tied in pool play, then the tie between only those tied teams will be broken as follows: 1) H2H records against only the teams that are still tied. 2) H2H Run Differential among the teams that are still tied. 3) Overall Run Differential against all teams in the league B) If after Step 1, ALL teams are tied in pool play, then proceed to step 2 to determine the BEST team: o H2H Run Differential within the pool of tied teams. o Overall Run Differential against all teams in the league o Once the best team is determined by either Step 2 or 3, the next spot will be determined again by head to head record among those teams that still remain. If these two teams are still tied, then H2H run differential will be taken, followed by Overall Run Differential. Example #1: Team 1, Team 2, and Team 3 are all tied at end of season. Team 1 beat team 2 and 3 in regular season play. Team 1 has a record of 2-0 within the pool of tied teams. Team 1 wins the tie breaker. Example #2: Team 1, Team 2 and Team 3 are all tied at end of season. Team 1, Team 2 and Team 3 are all 1-1 vs. each other in pool play. Run differentials are as follows: Team 1 Team 2 Team 3 Beat team 2: 8-4 Lost to team 1: 8-4 Beat team 1: 12-1 Lost to team 3: 12-1 Beat team 3: 9-1 Lost to team 2: 9-1 Total run diff. Total run diff. Total run diff = = = + 3 Results: Team 2 wins the tie with a total score of + 4 and Team 3 gets 2 nd due the win over Team 1. All other Indoor Softball questions should be directed to Derek Dvorak at (847) or dedvorak@parkfun.com