Spring Softball Moore Park [Tue & Fri] Rules

EQUIPMENT AND FIELD:

  • Game balls and bats will be provided to use during games, but you are required to bring your own glove.  Please be sure to return the ball at the end of EACH NIGHT. 
  • We will only have 1-2 extra softball gloves available for participants to borrow in the event a glove is forgotten.  However, it is STRONGLY RECOMMENDED that you bring your own, as there are only a few spare gloves, and the sizing and comfort are not guaranteed.  If you do borrow a glove, ask our Event Host for one – you will need to sign your name down. 
  • No METAL baseball cleats are allowed.  Wearing metal cleats is grounds for ejection from the game.
  • Urban Rec will provide one heavy bat and one light bat per field.  Participants are allowed to bring their own bat for use or use one of the Urban Rec bats provided. 

TEAM SIZE:

  • Teams are comprised of nine to a side with the minimum number of each gender being 3. Teams will consist of between 11-13 players to allow for substitutes in the event that some players miss some games. 
  • There must be at least 3 of either gender in the field at any time. Teams with less than their full complement of players must play a player(s) down (can’t sub a guy for a girl).

BATTING ORDER:

  • The batting order alternates between men and women – at the VERY MOST there can be 2 males in between each female batter if the team does not have enough females to accommodate a 1 female, 1 male batting pattern.
  • The batting order must remain consistent for the duration of the game.  The lone exception is if a player leaves the game.  You can add players after the game has begun.  They will bat at the bottom of the order relative to their gender.
  • An out will be declared if a participant of either gender cannot bat in order because the person is on base.  The out will be called and the next batter will be up.

WINNING THE GAME: The team with the most runs at the end of the final innings will win the game.  Tie games are allowed.  Extra innings may be added but not if it interferes with the next round of games or conditions warrants stoppage of play (safety, sundown).  Playoff games cannot end in a tie.

THE PITCHER: is part of the offensive team (you pitch to your own team)

  • The pitcher CANNOT touch the ball or interfere with play in any way.  If they are hit by a ball, touch the ball or interfere with play, the batter will be declared out and the runners must return to their base.  They must pitch from the line in the middle of the infield between first and third base and halfway between home and second base.  The pitching stripe/mount will be placed at a distance 50 feet from the tip of home plate.

THE BATTER: has 3 pitches to put the ball into play.  The ball has to travel past the pitcher to be considered fair and batters must take a full swing at the ball.  They cannot chop the ball, check swing, drag bunt or bunt.  These types of swings will be given one warning and counted as one pitch, before resulting in an automatic out for the hitter if repeated.

THE INFIELDERS:  are not restricted to their location on the field.  Outfielders must stay behind the 160 foot restraining line until the ball is struck

BASE ETIQUETTE: The fielding team cannot block a base or home plate, but it is the responsibility of the runner to avoid contact with a fielder.

  • NO stealing bases
  • NO sliding -> sliding into bases is strictly PROHIBITED and the base will not count

BASE RUNNING:

  • When a ball is overthrown and ends up out-of-play/out-of-bounds (including in the outfield of another field), the base runner is allowed the base they are going to plus one base.  NOTE: Runners are not attempting a base if they are not moving when the ball is thrown out of play, and thus they cannot then take a base.
  • If the base runner is hit by a batted ball, the runner is out, and the ball remains live such that fielders can make plays and additional base runners can advance.  If the runner is hit by a batted ball while in foul territory or while standing on the base, it is a dead ball and the runner is not out.  If a base runner is hit by a thrown ball, the runner is NOT out, play continues and the ball remains live.
  • NO leading off
  • NO stealing -> if a player is caught stealing bases, the player will be out.
  • “Tagging up” = When a pop fly is hit and a fielder catches the ball (thus catching the batter out), players on base must “tag up” before running to the next base.  This means that if a runner ran halfway to the next base before realizing the batter was caught out, they must run back, tag the base they were just on, then run to the next base in order for it to count.  If the runner does not tag up, a fielder can then throw the ball to the baseman where the runner started and catch him out if he does not run back to the base in time.
  • Mercy rule is a maximum of 7 runs to an inning, unless it is the last inning and a team is behind by 10 or more runs. 

IT IS IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER THAT THIS IS A SELF OFFICIATED, RECREATIONAL LEAGUE, WITH THE FIRST AND FOREMOST PRIORITY BEING TO HAVE FUN. PLEASE USE YOUR FAIR JUDGEMENT WHEN MAKING CALLS AND DECIDING ON CLOSE PLAYS, AS YOU WOULD EXPECT THE SAME.

REC POINTS:

  • Rec points are meant to be given out to teams that you felt were fair and fun to play against.
  • If you give less than 2 Rec Points, this means the team was rude, aggressive, mean, unfair and you had an overall poor experience playing against them. You will need a valid reason for giving out a bad rec score (an Urban Rec staff will be calling you and the other team, to figure out what went wrong), otherwise your team will lose Rec Points as deemed fit by the event host.

FAIRPLAY SYSTEM: 

Each league night you will have a referee onsite, but these guys are not official referees. Urban Rec is proud to be the only non-competitive league which practices fair play, meaning you should be making your own calls on the game. The referee will be there to make the calls not made by individuals, keep time, and help guide the games within the game play rules. The Urban Rec Referee has the final say on any issue that cannot be self-resolved.

SPORTSMANSHIP:

If you are seen to be rude or not playing within the respect of the rules you will be asked to sub, and warned by one of our Rep’s if after two times you do not show your sportsmanship, you will be asked to leave the field, and an assessment will be made if you can play again. We do not tolerate idiots. Play fair.

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