TEAM STRUCTURE

The maximum number of players on the field defensively at one time is 10, 5 male and 5 female. A team may play with as few as 7 players in a game. Under no circumstances

shall there be less than 3 females. Spares may be used to help field a team, but if you do call up a spare and at game time your team is complete without the spare, you still must use the spare in your lineup along with your regular players. We don’t want to waste anyone’s time. All spares must have filled out a QHSA 2010 registration form before playing their first game. The completed registration form must be turned into the umpire at the Captains’ briefing before the game. Each captain will be responsible for ensuring this happens. The umpires will ask if there are any new spares during the Captains’ briefing before the game and note each new spare on the game sheet.

If there are more than 5 females and less than 5 males, the following procedure may be used: The females who are playing in place of the missing males will bat in the male batting order, may use male courtesy runners and will walk to 2nd base on 4 straight balls. Any males who show up after the female has batted in the male batting order will be placed at the end of the male batting order and the female will continue to bat in her established position in the male batting order.  

This should be the exception and not the rule. Teams repeatedly fielding 6 and 4 will have this option revoked. (see below)

During the regular season, if a team has 6 males and LESS THAN 5 females the 6^th male may play in the catching position only. If a fifth girl shows up during the game she must replace the 6th male defensively.  

A team cannot field 6 males defensively during the playoffs. There will be an automatic out for missing females during the playoffs.

If a team does not have 7 players at game time they will be given a 10 minute grace period. If still unable to field a team after 10 minutes the team will forfeit.

A team with 7, 8 or 9 players can borrow a catcher from the opposing team provided the opposing team agrees.

NOTE: If a captain is aware that they will not be able to field a team, the league convenor should be notified as early as possible in order to cancel umpires. 

All teams must provide the league with a $50.00 cheque (payable to QHSA) at the beginning of the season, this cheque will cover the cost of two (2) default games ($25.00 a game) without the proper notification. The cheque will be cashed after the first default, should a team default twice they will be considered AWOL and will not be entitled to return to the league from point of 2nd default. All cheques and remaining balances will be returned to the team captains and the end of the season.

SPARES DURING REGULAR SEASON

This rule as never been a written rule but given the misunderstandings over the years it is now being added. Players can spare up divisions but cannot spare down. Any player male or female that chooses to spare for another team can do so but no more than five (5) games. A player that spares more than five (5) games.

SPARES DURING PLAYOFFS

Spares must play at least one game during the regular season to be eligible for playoffs. Captains will provide the League Convenor with a list of spares they have used during the year 2 weeks prior to the start of playoffs. Any qualified spare, who is not required by the team he/she qualified with, is eligible to play for another team in the same division in which he/she qualified or a higher division. Once a spare has played for one team in the playoffs he/she is not eligible to play for any other team even if the team he/she played for is eliminated from the playoffs. Regular players are NOT eligible as spares once their team is eliminated from the playoffs.  

BATTING ORDER

A batting order may consist of as many players as you want but no fewer than 3 females. The order must alternate male/female at all times, unless there are more females than males. In this

case a female will bat in the males position. A total of only 10 batters may bat in an inning, (5male/5 female) or until a total of 3 outs.

If there are more females than males, a male may not bat a second time until all females have had a turn at bat (this does not apply if you have 9 or more players and at least 5 women. If a team makes it to 10 batters the 10^th batter must announce his/herself when in the on deck position. If a team errs and more than 10 batters come to bat, any runs which may have counted as a result of that at bat will be erased and the batter who batted in error will miss his/her turn in the next inning.

If a team makes it to 10 batters the 10^th batter cannot be walked, but must bat until the ball is hit or he/she strikes out. Should the ball be hit in the air and caught for the third out the inning is over. If there are less than 2 out and the ball is caught any and all runners on base may advance if they have tagged up. If they have not tagged up they may be called out on an appeal only if they reached home plate before a defensive player has touched home plate (any part of the mat) while in possession of the ball. Once the ball has reached home plate and is under the control of a defensive player, all play will cease and no successive runs may score. Note: Other methods of achieving the final out may be used - tag play, throw to first, etc., but only when the third out is recorded or the ball is received at home plate, whichever comes first, will all play cease.  

BATTER/BASERUNNER

The batter becomes a baserunner as soon as he/she hits a fair ball or receives a base on balls while at the plate. When being walked it is not necessary that the pitcher throw any pitches, he may just inform the umpire that he/she wishes to walk the batter. If the batter is a male and is intentionally walked and has no strikes on him he will be awarded 2^nd base. He will also be awarded 2^nd on a 4 ball 0 strike count. Any female batting in the male batting order will also be awarded 2^nd base on a 4 ball 0 strike count. In this case the next female in the batting order must bat. A males batter (or females batting in the male batting order) who has 4 balls and at least one strike will be awarded first base only.

A batter/baserunner when making it safely to first may turn towards fair territory when overrunning the base. However, if in the umpire’s judgment, the batter/baserunner

has made an attempt to continue towards 2^nd base the batter/baserunner would be in jeopardy of being tagged out. A batter/baserunner having overrun first without an attempt to continue towards 2^nd may return to 1^st safely. A baserunner, while not in contact with a base, will be called out if he/she is struck by a fair batted ball that has not yet passed by an infielder excluding the pitcher, unless, in the umpire’s judgment , no infielder had a chance to play the ball. 

SAFE BASE

A safe base is a double base used at 1^st base to prevent collisions between offensive and defensive players. The base is half white (which is in fair territory), and half orange (which is placed in foul territory). The orange half is for the batter/baserunner and the white for the defensive player. The batter/baserunner must touch any part of the orange in order to be called safe. The defensive player must touch any part of the white for an out to be recorded. Either player may come in contact with the opposite side of the bag while making a play. This is permitted as long as part of the body is touching the appropriate colour. The only time batter/baserunner may use white is to avoid a collision with the defensive player or the ball has passed through the infield, and there is no play at first.  

COURTESY RUNNERS

A team will be allowed to use unlimited courtesy runners, even from home plate, for any player playing with an injury or medical condition that does not permit them to run. The courtesy runner

must be the same gender as the batter he/she is running for unless a female is batting as a male in which case a male can be the courtesy runner. The courtesy runner shall be the last available person in the batting order, of the same gender, prior to the injured player’s position in the order. Any player requiring a courtesy runner must be reported to the umpire prior to the start of the game unless the injury occurs during the game. A courtesy runner may be used from home plate or from any base where the injured player has safely touched. Runners starting from home plate will align themselves with the backstop post closest to and behind the extension of the third base line. The discretion of the umpire will be final in determining whether a courtesy runner is properly aligned and whether the courtesy runner left early. If the courtesy runner leaves early the batter will be declared Out. The use of courtesy runners is a privilege and should not be abused. At the umpire’s discretion, if he/she thinks this is being abused, an automatic out in that batting position will be assessed for the remainder of the game.  

ANTICIPATORY STEP

Base stealing is not allowed. Baserunners may leave the base after the ball is batted, or has crossed home plate. If the baserunner leaves before either of these options it will be considered leading, and he/she will be called out.  

LAST INNING OF PLAY

No new inning will be started after 1 hour and 15 minutes. The umpire will advise both teams when the last inning of play will begin (based on the time factor). Should the last inning drag out to 1 hour 25 minutes the umpire will stop the game and the final score of the game would revert to whatever it was at the end of the last completed full inning. The last inning will not be subject to the 10 batter limit used for all previous innings. An unlimited number of batters may bat in the last inning until three Outs have been registered. Hustling during the game and not deliberately wasting time is important to ensure all games are played out in their entirety.  

BATS

Any bat may be used that is an official “softball” bat, either metal or wood, provided it has not been designated an illegal bat by the official “SPN” rule book. For a list of illegal bats check the web site at (www.slo-pitch.com) under banned bats. Any illegal bats being used will result in a warning. The second offence will be an out.

GLOVES

Trappers may only be used by defensive players at the catcher, pitcher and first base positions.  

PITCHERS MOUND

An area 24” wide located 50’ to 65’ from home plate. A pitcher may pitch from anywhere in this area. (Note: The pitcher’s plate is installed at 50 feet)  

HOME PLATE

The entire mat shall constitute home plate. Any player stepping on the mat or in front of the mat while making contact with a pitched ball shall be called Out by the umpire.  

STRIKE

A legally pitched arced ball going no higher than 12 feet and no lower than 6 feet that is either swung at and fouled off, or swung at and missed by the batter; or a legal pitch that arcs between 6 and 12 feet that strikes any part of the mat. - 4 -  

HOME RUN RULE

At any one time during the game, no team shall have more than a 2 home run differential over their opponent. This is considered “Match plus 2”. An inside the park home run is excluded from this rule. Any ball hit over the fence in fair territory in excess of the 2 allowable home runs will be an Out. 

APPEAL PLAYS

When a runner leaves his base to advance to another base before a caught fly ball has touched a fielder, when a runner fails to touch the intervening base or bases in regular or reverse order, the umpire should NOT make any attempt to call the runner out UNLESS the play is appealed by the defensive team. This appeal must be made before the first pitch to the next batter. The umpires should be diligent in watching for these offences but must NOT indicate to either team what they saw. It is up to the defensive team to notice and take appropriate action.  

INFIELD FLY RULE

An infield fly is a fair ball (not including a line drive) which can be caught by an infielder with ordinary effort, when first and second, or first, second and third bases are occupied, before two are out. The pitcher, catcher and any outfielder who positions himself in the infield on the play shall be considered infielders for the purpose of this rule. When it seems apparent that a batted ball will be an Infield Fly, the umpire shall immediately declare “INFIELD FLY - IF FAIR THE BATTER IS OUT” for the benefit of the runners. The ball is alive and runners may advance at their own risk. If the ball is caught, any baserunner who left his/her base before the ball was touched can be put out by a defensive player, in possession of the ball, who touches the baserunners previously occupied base, the same as on any fly ball. If the ball is not caught any baserunners who advanced are safe. If the hit becomes a foul ball, it is treated the same as any foul ball. There is no forced play on an infield fly. Any advancing baserunner must be tagged to be put out.

If a declared Infield fly is allowed to fall, untouched, to the ground, and bounces foul before passing first or third base, it is a foul ball. If a declared Infield fly falls untouched to the ground outside the baselines, and bounces fair before passing first or third base, it is an Infield Fly.

SLIDING

In all Divisions, baserunners are allowed to slide at any base except home. Sliding can be dangerous. Captains should advise their teams that only players who know how to slide should attempt to do so and then only when necessary.  

COMMITMENT LINE

The line drawn 20 feet from the front right left corner of home plate (the corner closest to third base) and perpendicular to the third base line. Once the baserunner has touched the line or touched the ground past this line with any part of his/her body, he/she is committed to going home. The baserunner must continue towards home plate unless he/she is going back to third to tag up on a caught fly ball.  

SCORING LINE

The line drawn from the corner of home plate closest to and perpendicular to third, in order for a baserunner to be safe he/she must have any part of his/her body, on the ground, on or past the line. The defensive player will record an Out at home plate by having control of the ball while in contact with any part of the mat before the baserunner touches the ground on or over the line.  

THERE WILL BE NO TAGGING THE RUNNER BETWEEN THE COMMITMENT LINE AND SCORING LINE 

THROWS FROM THE OUTFIELD

An outfielder fielding a ball may not make a throw directly to first base in an attempt to put out a base runner. A relay throw to an infielder may be used.  

REPORTING SCORES

The captains of both teams must report the score of the game at the QHSA Website at www.qwhsa.com within 48 hours of the game. Any team which fails to report the score will be considered to have defaulted the game and the team that reported the score will be awarded the win regardless of the score. Any discrepancy in the reported scores will be resolved by the League Convenor.  

ETIQUETTE

1. Jewelry should not be worn as a safety precaution. Our league has no jewelry rule but common sense should prevail.

2. Blood rule. If a player cuts him/herself, the affected area must be bandaged so that no blood is showing before the player is allowed to continue playing.

3. NO alcoholic beverages are allowed in or around the playing field during the game.

4. No smoking on the playing field during the game.

5. Females should not play while pregnant, but the league cannot stop her. However the league does discourage her participation due to the possible harm to her unborn child.  

EXCEPT AS EXPRESSLY SET OUT HEREIN TO THE CONTRARY, SLO-PITCH NATIONAL (SPN) RULES SHALL APPLY. (Check the SPN website for the latest rules at www.slo-pitch.com)