Summerland Slo-Pitch League

2024 Operating Rules

1.0 MEMBERSHIP AND ELIGIBILITY

1.1 Registration

Total fees of $1200 (Cheque or e-transfer) must be submitted by March 4, 2024. Fees are payable to the “Summerland Slo-pitch” or e-transfer to janaausten@hotmail.com (Treasurer).

Each team must register their team roster with National Slo-pitch Athletics (NSA) http://www.nsacanada.ca/leagues/roster.php to be covered by insurance. Insurance is included in the fees.

1.2 Team Roster

A minimum of ten (10) players and a maximum of twenty (20) players are allowed on a team roster. A player may be listed on one roster only.

1.3 Team Structure

A team on the field consists of ten (10) players of which a minimum of four (4) players must be female.

A team may play with eight (8) or nine (9) players including at least three (3) females. However, the missing players will be counted as an out each time they appear in the batting order.

A team not able to supply eight players as per League rules will forfeit the game.

EP is permitted - Twelve (12) players, seven (7)male and five(5) females

1.4 Substitutes

Teams may substitute a maximum of two (1 male and 1 female, or 2 female) eligible players for a game where it can be shown that a shortage of players results from unexpected, non-preventable circumstances. Substitute players cannot be from a higher division.

A substitution cannot occur while there is a player on the team roster available to play.

All players must be sixteen (16) years old by April 1 of the current year. Players younger than sixteen (16) must have written consent from a parent or guardian submitted to the League Executive before playing.

Pregnant players must submit a doctor’s written consent to the League before playing. The League will not be held liable for injuries to pregnant women and they may not be covered by insurance.

2.0 TEAM RESPONSIBILITIES

2.1 Equipment

The home team must supply two regulation Hot Dot soft balls in good condition per game.

2.2 Game Rules and Publicity

Each winning team must submit the results of the game immediately after the game.

Please submit the score in the manner supplied on the homepage. Any scores not submitted will be recorded as a 7-7 tie.

The home team must report a tie.

The Umpire in Chief (Kaitlin Vikse) must be notified immediately if no umpire shows up for the game so that a replacement can be arranged.

2.3 Conduct

Vehicle parking must be confined to the approved parking areas.

Please watch your speed at the park and avoid the NO PARKING in front of the concession and at the crosswalks.

Playing fields and surrounding areas must be left clean. The rights and wishes of private property owners next to the playing fields must be respected. Field #1 lights are to be turned out by 10PM.

Profanity on the ball field will not be tolerated.

Open liquor is prohibited at the Dale Meadows Sports Complex. Any team could forfeit the game for continuing to drink openly after being warned by the umpire.

The Recreation Director for District of Summerland must approve all practices on Dale Meadows fields before the official start to the season.

3.0 GAMES AND SCHEDULES

3.1 Schedules and forfeits

Game schedules will be prepared by the Executive and will be forwarded to each team before league play.

Games must be played according to the approved schedule. Games may be rescheduled when weather makes the field conditions unsafe or unsuitable for play. In inclement weather, teams and umpires must show up at the field ready to play. The ability to play will be decided by the plate umpire. Five (5) complete innings (or 4 ½ if the home team is ahead) must be played to make an official game.

Rained out games may be considered a tie if both teams agree not to play the game at a later time. Make up games can be scheduled by calling one of the executives for a field time and U.I.C. for an umpire.

The offending team will be charged $40 for each forfeit game. A forfeit is giving less than 48 hours’ notice to reschedule a game.

3.2 Games

Game start time will be indicated on the schedule. All infield practice and warm up must be played prior to game time.

Game points will be assigned:

WIN = 2 points TIE = 1 point each LOSS = 0 points

The winning team (or home team in the case of a tie) must report in the manner specified or no points will be awarded.

3.3 Officiating

All games must have a carded umpire. Contact the U.I.C. if an umpire does not arrive by game time.

4.0 DISCIPLINARY ACTION

At the discretion of the Executive, disciplinary action including forfeits, fines, and expulsions may be taken against a player or a team for:

a) failure to play with players on the approved roster

b) failure to follow substitution rules

c) failure to pay fees by the cut-off date (section 1.1)

d) failure to submit a roster by the cut-off date (section 1.1)

e) acting in an unsportsmanlike manner

f) not conducting themselves according to Section 2.3 of these operating rules

g) verbally of physically abusing any person

h) forfeiting more than one (1) scheduled league game

5.0 PROTESTS

Protests regarding rule interpretation must be made at the time of the incident and immediately before the next pitch. The team representative must advise the plate umpire that the game is being played under protest. Umpires must accept all legal protests. All parties must take notice of the conditions surrounding the making of the decision that will aid in the correct determination of the issue.

The scorekeeper shall make the appropriate notes on the score sheet at the time the protest is first lodged. The official written protest must be noted in writing and submitted to a member of the executive or the U.I.C. within 48 hours.

Must be submitted in the manner outlined by NSA Canada.

5.1 Umpires

Protests regarding an umpire’s judgement will not be accepted.

Judgement calls are:

a) whether a batted ball was fair or foul.

b) whether a base runner was safe or out.

c) whether a pitched ball was a strike or ball.

d) whether a base runner did or did not touch a base.

e) whether the field is fit to continue or resume play.

f) any other matter involving only the accuracy of the umpire’s judgement.

6.0 RULES OF PLAY

1. Unless specifically stated in these operating rules, all play will be governed by the National Slo-Pitch Association (NSA) rules.

2. Equipment

a) All catchers must wear an approved mask when playing behind the plate.

b) No metal cleats or shoes with detachable cleats are allowed.

c) Only approved softball bats are allowed. Check the NSA website for approved bats or the Summerland Slo-pitch Association website (www.summerlandslopitch.com) for legal bats.

d) Only NSA approved softballs are allowed.

e) All braces or exposed metal must be covered with soft material.

3. The arc of a pitch must be a minimum of six (6) feet and a maximum of twelve (12) feet from the ground. A no arc ball is considered an illegal pitch (delayed dead ball) unless the batter hits the ball, then it becomes live.

4. Games shall be seven 7 innings with a maximum of seven (7) runs per team per inning. The last inning is open. All regular season games may end in a tie. The bottom of the last inning does not need to be played if the home team is ahead. No new inning to start after 75 mins of play. The mercy rule is in effect – the game is over if a team has a fifteen (15) run lead after five (5) innings (or 4 ½ innings if the home team is ahead).

5. With only nine (9) players, the tenth (10) batter is automatically out when his or her name comes up in the batting order. With only eight (8) players, the ninth (9) and tenth (10) batters are automatically out.

6. Free substitution is allowed. A player may play in any defensive position. A player must play a defensive position immediately before their turn at bat. Substitutions are male for male and female for female unless playing with more than four (4) female players. Note: The batting order must not be changed. The substitute player must bat in the identical batting order as the replaced player.

7. Base stealing is allowed only after a pitched ball has passed home plate and has contacted someone or something (ground, glove, person). Otherwise, it is a leadoff and the runner will be called out.

8. Any pitched ball that lands before or on home plate will be declared a dead ball for the purpose of base stealing only. This will be considered a ball unless the batter strikes at it. If the batter swings and misses, a strike will be called (a strike, dead ball). The ball remains dead and base stealing is not allowed.

9. A base runner must be hit home. A runner on third base who leaves the base when there is no hit ball, may be tagged out or forced out at third base. In this situation, runners at first and second base must be tagged out – no forced play. In this situation base runners are not awarded home on an overthrow.

10. Sliding is allowed (including first base but not permitted at Home Plate).

11. Players may exchange positions on the field as long as the batting order remains the same.

12. If the batted ball hits the pitcher and in the opinion of the umpire, the pitcher has been injured, then the umpire will call time and award bases accordingly, otherwise it will be a live ball.

13. A pitched ball cannot be chopped. The batter is out.

14. Bunting is allowed for female players only. Once a batter has prepared to bunt on the pitch, she may not swing away. If she does, she will be called out.

15. The batting order is to be alternated between male and female players. There may be a maximum of two (2) males batting consecutively.

16. Trapper gloves may only be used by pitchers, catchers and first base players.

17. A pitched ball will be declared a dead ball if it hits the batter outside the strike zone. A pitched ball that hits any part of the batter’s body that is in the strike zone is a strike (dead ball).

18. Intentional walk. If a male batter is walked on four (4) pitches only, all called balls, and the next batter is female, then he is automatically awarded second base and the following female batter has the option of batting or accepting a walk, up until the delivery of the first pitch.

19. A batter is declared out on the first foul ball hit after the second strike.

20. A fly ball or line drive cannot be dropped intentionally. The batter is out. Runners may not advance. Time is called and the ball is dead.

21. The Infield fly rule is in effect. It is a fair ball (not a line drive or an attempted bunt) which can be caught with ordinary effort by a player who has positioned themselves in the infield on the play, when first and second or first, second and third bases are occupied and there are less than two (2) out.

22. The pitcher must pitch with at least one foot on the pitchers rubber or behind the pitcher’s distance of fifty (50) feet. One step only is permitted for each pitch, walking onto the pitcher rubber while in the pitching motion is not allowed.

23. No runs score if the third out of an inning is the result of:

a) An appeal on the batter-runner missing first base.

b) An appeal on the base runner at any other base.

• Runners ahead of the appealed runner will score if they cross home plate before the appeal.

• The appealed runner does not score.

• Runners behind the appealed runner do not score.

c) A runner leaving base before a pitched ball reaches home

plate (lead off).

d) A force out at any base

e) An appeal on a runner at a base to which they were forced.

24. Substitute runners are allowed but they must be male for male or female for female. It must be the last available player on the batting order (the next previous player, not on base).

25. On an overthrow, the runner is entitled to the base not yet obtained plus one base from the time of the throw (two base award), except as noted in #9.

26. If, after the third player is called out, the batter up has not completed his or her turn at bat, they will begin as first batter at the start of the next inning.

27. The ball will be considered live until the umpire calls TIME, which will be done when the ball is held by a player in the infield area and, in the opinion of the umpire, all play has stopped.

28. The following rules apply the double base.

a) A defensive player must only use the white portion of the base at all times.

b) If a batter runner fails to use the orange portion of the bag on their first attempt at first base, and if a play is made, the batter is out.

c) After over-running the base, the batter-base runner must return to the white portion of the base. If they purposely attempt to advance toward second base, they may be tagged out.

d) When tagging up on a fly ball the white portion of the base must be reached.

29. Before the pitch, the batter must have both feet entirely within the lines of the batter’s box (the lines are considered to be inside the box). The batter shall not have his entire foot touching the ground completely outside the lines of the batter’s box or touching home plate when the ball is hit. Otherwise, The batter is out and the ball is dead.

30. All injuries resulting in blood flow must be cleaned and covered immediately.

31. Home Run Rules: For all Divisions, after a 3-home run differential, all subsequent balls hit over the fence will be considered strikes.

32. In all Divisions, there will be a commitment line and scoring line at the plate, so that the catcher does not need to tag a runner out. If the runner crosses the scoring line before a defending player has control of the ball and has one foot on the plate, the run scores. If the defending player catches the ball, with a foot on the plate, before the runner crosses the scoring line, the run does not count and the runner is out.

33. After a mercy, the losing team decides whether to continue playing the game.

HAVE A FUN AND SAFE SEASON!