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2005 GENERAL RULES

FAST & SLOW PITCH SOFTBALL

I. General Rules

A. Regular ASA Rules will apply to all Fast/Slow Pitch games except for:

1. Base length:
1. Men’s Slow Pitch—Diamonds #1, 5, 6, 8 have 65’ bases
2. Men’s Fast/Women’s Slow Pitch—Diamonds 2, 3, 4, 7 have 60’ bases.

2. Slow Pitch Only (All Leagues)
1. Arc:Minimum arc—6 feet from ground to highest point of pitch.
   Maximum arc—12 feet from the ground to the highest point of the pitch.
2. Home Run Rule—No team can get more than three (3) over-the-fence home runs (HRs) ahead of the opposing team.  A HR which would put a team more than three (3) HRs ahead of the opposing team, is a single (1 base) hit and any base runners at the time may only advance one base.
3. Foul Ball Rule—The batter will be called out when, after the count has reached two strikes on the batter, the batter hits two foul balls.  The batter is out after the second foul ball following a two-strike count.
4. 1-1 Count—All batters in the slow-pitch leagues will come to the plate with a one-ball and one-strike count.

2. Fast-Pitch—A team may use a substitute pitcher from another team as long as specified guidelines are followed.  These guidelines may be found on the separate Fast Pitch Rules sheet.

B. Metal Spikes—Shoes with metal spikes/metal tipped spikes are not permitted.

C. The Women’s Slow Pitch and Youth Leagues will use the 11” optic yellow softball for all games.  Men’s 55+ will use the 12” optic yellow.  All other slow pitch will use the 12” softball.

D. All games on each diamond each night will be opened with prayer.  The home team manager for that game is responsible for implementation.

E. Certain bats are banned by the ASA for play.  These banned bats will not be allowed to be used at the CRRC during regular or tournament play.  A listing of banned bats will be available at the Managers Meeting and throughout the season.

II. TEAM COMPOSITION—All Leagues  (MSP 55+, 40+, Youth, High School may have special Rules)

A. A team may be constructed as follows:

1. A specific church or non-profit Christian organization plus 4 extra people.
2. Two churches may combine plus 6 extra people
3. In 40+, Youth, High School leagues, 2 or 3 churches may combine plus 6 extra people.
4. “Extra” players are highly encouraged to play on their home church team in that particular type of ball.

B. Teams may play more than one night although the rosters don’t have to be identical.

C. If two teams from the same church play on the same night and same league, players must be on one or the other roster.  A player cannot be on both rosters.

D. All players must have a CRRC membership and be placed on the team roster. In addition, the Softball Release waiver must be signed prior to participating in any games.

E. Women are allowed to play on a men’s fast-pitch team.

F. No new players may be added to the roster after the last Friday in June.

III. ELIGIBILITY

A. A player must have a CRRC yearly membership if you are 18 or older by March 15.

B. A family membership covers husband, wife, and all children 17 and under.

C. Parents or guardians of young players who are 17 and under must have a yearly membership and must sign the Softball Release waiver for the young player.

D. The minimum age for players wishing to play on adult teams is 14 years as of December 31.

E.A player may play more than one night in the same or different type of softball.

F. Players who have changed church membership may play for their former church as one of the “extra” players stated in II A 1-3.

IV. EXCEPTIONS TO ELIGIBILITY RULES

If you have a situation that doesn’t fall within the stated guidelines of eligibility, you are welcome to submit an Eligibility Request Form.  These forms are available at the yearly Managers Meeting or by calling the CRRC at 942-7540 and a form will be sent to you. 

V. CRRC BOARD ADMINISTRATION OF TEAMS

For the past several years the CRRC Board has attempted to relax several of its eligibility rules in order for more people to enjoy the game of softball while at the same time keeping the spirit of Christian fellowship and fair play paramount to our facility.  Therefore, if a team is in technical compliance with the stated rules but its actions are detrimental to fair competition and fair play, the CRRC Board reserves the right to take appropriate actions in order to rectify the situation.  An example of this may be a team “cherry picking” superior players or bringing in “ringers”.

VI. FORFEITS

A. Forfeit time for every game is the scheduled game time.

B. If a team use a player whose name does not appear of the official team roster card, that team will automatically forfeit the game(s) in which that player has participated. There will also be a minimum of two-game suspension for any player who violates rule II. D.

C. If a team forfeits any game(s) during the current season, they may be charged an additional fee of $30.00 per game forfeited, to be paid with their entry fee for the following season.  A telephone call prior to the scheduled game does not exempt a team from the forfeit fee.

D. Minimum number of players required to avoid forfeiture are the following:

• Slow-Pitch—A slow-pitch team may begin and end a game with 8 players.
• Fast-Pitch—A fast-pitch team may begin and end a game with 7 players.
• Co-ed—A co-ed team must have 8 players, 4 male and 4 female, to begin and end a game. A team may play with 4 male and 5 female but not 5 male and 4 female.

VII. PROTESTS

A. Protests will be honored only on a rule infraction, not judgment calls.

B. Protests must be lodged with the home plate umpire at the time of the alleged rule infraction.

C. Formal filing of the protest must be made to the Night Supervisor in charge within 24 hours of the game in question, and accompanied by a $20.00 deposit.  The deposit will be returned if the protest is upheld.

D. The Protest Board, assembled to examine the protest, will consist of 4 managers from another league, the Night Supervisor, the CRRC Softball Supervisor, and a member of the Program Committee of the Board.  The Softball Coordinator, or his/her designate, will call and chair this meeting.

VIII. TIME LIMITS/MERCY RULE/TIE GAME

A. Length of games:

• Fast-Pitch—Three(3) games/diamond  No new inning begins after 1 hr 20 minutes  Two(2) games/diamond  No new inning begins after 1 hr 30 minutes
• Slow-Pitch—Four(4) games/diamond  No new inning begins after 1 hr 5 minutesThree(3) games or less/diamond  1 hr and 15 minutes

B. No team may score more than 8 runs per half inning including the seventh inning.  However, this 8 run rule does not apply if the team batting is behind by 9 or more runs.  If that is the case, a team may score more than eight runs and all runs will be counted until three batters are out or until the score is tied, whichever comes first.  Rule VIII C (Mercy Rule) will still apply.

C. Mercy Rule

• Fast-Pitch--A game will be called if a team is leading by 11 or more runs after 5 innings.  In fast-pitch, if a visiting team establishes an 11 or more run lead in the top half of the 6^th inning, the home team will have the opportunity to bat in the bottom half of the inning.
• Slow-Pitch—a game will be called if a team is leading by 16 or more runs after 5 innings, or 11 runs after 6 innings.

In either league, if a visiting team assumes an 11 run lead in the top of the seventh inning, the mercy rule will take effect at that point.

D. Tie Game—If a game ends in a tie (either at the end of seventh inning or because of time limit) at least one extra inning will be played.  Each team will begin the extra inning by placing a runner on 2^nd base.  This runner is to be the last official batter from the previous inning.  If the time limit has not been exceeded after this one inning, then this procedure will be followed for each additional inning played.  Games that do end in a tie will be entered in the official standings as ½ game won and ½ game lost.

IX. INCLEMENT WEATHER

A.  In case of inclement weather check www.crreccenter.org for weather posting.  Every attempt will be made to reach an official decision between 5:00 PM and 5:45 PM.  As soon as a decision is made not to play the games that evening, we will post the decision on the website and call WFUR-FM and WCSG-FM.  You may also attempt to call the softball office at 942-1637.  Do not call the Fellowship Greens golf house.

B. TORNADO WARNING—All games are automatically cancelled for that evening unless the warning is lifted by 5:45 PM.

C. When games are postponed, they will be rescheduled.  Check the bulletin board in the softball central area for the schedule for postponed games or call the softball office.

X. UNSPORTSMANLIKE CONDUCT

If a player is ejected from a game for any reason, he/she will be automatically suspended for the team’s NEXT TWO SCHEDULED GAMES.  This is the minimum penalty.  The seriousness of the incident may result in a stricter penalty.  A decision regarding the penalty will be made by the Program Committee of the CRRC Board along with input from the Softball Coordinator.  The chairman of the Program Committee will chair the meeting and make the appropriate contacts.

XI. SUBSTITUTION

There will be a choice of two procedures for substitution.  Each team will declare its choice to the home plate umpire at the beginning of the game.

• Choice 1:  The regular substitution procedures from the ASA Rule book will be used.  A listed batting order of 9 (or 10 for SP) will be presented, and once a player has been replaced he/she may re-enter that game once.

• Choice 2:  Every player present will be listed in a designated batting order for that game.  Free substitutions defensively will be permitted.  Late-comers to the game will be placed at the end of the listed batting order.

XII. COURTESY RUNNER

A. A courtesy runner may be used by a team for a player recovering from a recent injury or for a player injured in that game.  If possible, the request should be made to the umpires and to the opposing manager prior to the start of the game.

B. If a courtesy runner is used, that runner should be the last batted out.

XIII. CO-ED RULES

A. Defensively, no more than five(5) males and five(5) females may play at any time.

B. If a male is walked, he is to advance immediately to second base and the following female must bat.

XIV. SLIDING RULE

A. All runners approaching a possible tag play at any base, including home plate, are expected to execute a slide, in which the runner attempts to reach the bag safely.  Any apparent attempt to dislodge that ball, to physically knock over the player covering the base, or to purposefully prevent the defensive player from continuing action on that play will result in that runner being declared out and the ball declared dead.

B. Such calls by the umpire are considered judgment calls.

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