2010 IBM Canada Co-Ed Rec. Slo-Pitch League: April 2010

Team Captains are responsible for ensuring the integrity of the playing rule guidelines in a sportsmanlike manner, in the spirit of Fun, Fitness, and Fellowship!!

Note: Prior to the start of a game, Captains may agree on any amendment of these rules that improve the safety and conditions of the game (ie. parking lots are out of play, determine the validity of bats to be used)

1) General Guidelines

PLAYER ELIGIBILITY:
1. Individual players must sign the Toronto IBM Club Waiver form prior to playing in any games.
2. Players must be registered with the league as part of your submitted team roster to be eligible to play in the year end tournament.
3. Players with an active TIC Membership need to pay $25 to the Toronto IBM Club (TIC) to participate. Players without a TIC Membership need to pay $40 prior to being able to play.
4. If a player plays in 5 or more games during the regular season and/or any games in the tournament, they will need to have their name registered with the league, sign the Toronto IBM Club Waiver form, and pay either $25 or $40.
5. If a player plays in 4 or less games during the regular season and does NOT play any games in the September 18th, 2010 tournament, then no payment to the league is required. (Note: Providing the players name to the league as a member of your roster would be recommended).

Games should start by 6:30pm sharp between May and August. Regular season games should start by 6:00pm in September. The official default time is 6:45pm for a game that is scheduled to start at 6:30pm (6:15pm for a 6pm scheduled start). The final score of a game that is declared a forfeit is 7-0. Captains should connect ahead of time if there is a chance that the game will either need to start late or if a team knows that they will not be able to field a legal team for that night's game.

A game consists of 7 innings. The game ends if the home team (batting second) has scored more runs in six innings or before the third out in the last half of the seventh inning than the other team has scored in seven innings. A tied game will continue with 1 extra inning if both Captains agree to play an extra inning prior to the start of the game. If a game continues to be tied after the completion of the 8th inning, each team will be awarded one point and the game will be deemed a tie. A game stopped by the Captains will be considered complete if 5 innings (4 1/2 innings if the home team is leading) have been completed. Any games that are not completed are registered as a 0-0 tie.

A game shall be declared a forfeit if a team fails to field the required number of players prior to the start of the game, refuses to continue the game after suspension of play, intentionally tried to delay or hasten the game or intentionally violates a rule of the game after being warned.

A winning team will be awarded 2 points. The losing team will receive 0 points. If a game ends in a tie, then each team will receive 1 point in the standings.

Score sheets must be retained by team Captains until end of season and must be provided to the League Director’s if requested. Final scores and home run totals must be sent next day via Lotus Note to Chris Monti (cmonti@ca.ibm.com) and Matt Horsley (mhorsley@ca.ibm.com) or updated via the league's website.

Tie-Breaker rules in the standings: Head to Head record, run differential in games between the teams that are tied in the standings, fewest total runs allowed against all teams played, run differential against the entire league during all games played, coin toss.

Everyone playing in the field must bat and everyone in the batting line up must be in the field for at least 3 innings.

A run is scored when a player safely touches in order: 1st, 2nd, 3rd and crosses the home plate line (does not touch home plate itself). A runner may not score ahead of a preceding runner who as not been retired. A run may not score if the last out of an inning is a force out or a preceding runner declared out.

If a runner has passed the commit line on their way home, an out can only be recorded if the ball is thrown home, is caught by the catcher with their foot touching home plate, prior to the runner crossing the home plate line. A runner can not be tagged out after crossing the commit line.

A BATTER IS OUT. THE BALL IS DEAD AND NO RUNNERS ADVANCE IF:
1. He has three strikes
2. She has 5 strikes
3. He/she illegally bats the ball
4. He/she bunts
5. A fielder deliberately drops an infield fly ball with at least a runner on first base and less than two out
6. The batter, before reaching first base, retreats towards home plate to avoid a tag
7. Fly ball (fair or foul) is legally caught
8. The batter is discovered to be wearing exposed jewelry

BATTING:
1. Players must bat in the order listed on the score sheet.
2. A strike is a legally pitched ball that is swung at and missed by the batter, or a batted ball that is ruled foul/out of play.
3. A batted ball may be classified as one of the following:
a) Fly ball -- a batted ball that has not yet touched the ground or any object other than a fielder.
b) Line drive -- a fly ball that is batted sharply and directly into the playing field.
c) Chopped ball -- a batted ball intentionally directed downward so that the ball bounces high into the air.
d) Ground ball -- a batted ball that touches the ground in fair territory
e) Infield fly -- a fair fly ball that can be caught by an infielder with a normal effort.
f) Foul tip -- a batted ball that goes directly into the catcher’s glove and does not go above the batter’s head.
4. Batted balls are ruled fair (batter and runners may advance) or foul (strike) by the bat catcher.
5. Bunting is not legal and is considered to be a strike: Bunt -- a tapped ball not swung at but met with the bat.

INFIELD FLY RULE: The batter is out if he/she hits an infield fly and there are less than 2 outs and runners are on first and second or on first, second and third. An infield fly is a fair ball which can be caught with ordinary effort by an infielder.

On a field without a fence, the game is over and the score is final once the winning run has scored. On a field with a fence, if a home run is hit which leads to the winning run being scored, the batter and all runners on base when the home run is hit will be counted in the final score. If a team has passed the per inning home run limit at a fenced park at the time the winning run has scored, the game winning home run is scored as a ground rule double - the base runners advance 2 bases, all runners scoring as such count in the total score (ie. runners at 1st and 3rd base, batter hits over the limit home run, batter advances to 2nd, runner at 1st advances to 3rd, and the runner at 3rd scores the winning run.)

RUNNING:
1. When the batter runs to first, he/she may overrun first base and safely return to the base provided he/she does not try to advance to second base. Note: The Captains may agree prior to the start of the game whether a base runner may run past the first base bag instead of making contact with the safety bag when running to first base (to provide add’l safety). It is mandatory to touch a portion of first base prior to advancing to second base.
2. On the batter’s first attempt to first base and the play is made at first, he/she must use the orange portion of the double base. Once the batter has safely reached first base, he/she must now use the white portion. The defensive player always uses the white portion.
3. A runner may run the bases:
a) When a fair ball is hit
b) When a ball is overthrown and remains in play
4. A runner may NOT advance to the next base:
a) When a caught fly ball is first touched
5. A runner is advanced (only one additional base is awarded):
a) When a ball is overthrown after a caught fly ball in the outfield and goes out of play
b) When a fair batted ball goes out of play
c) When a thrown ball is contacted by a thrown glove
d) When a live ball is carried or dropped out of play
e) When a defensive player obstructs the runner as he progresses around the base paths.
6. A runner must return to the base:
a) When the pitcher is ready to pitch
b) When a foul ball is hit
c) When the batter or another runner interferes with the defensive team (unless forced by the batter being awarded first base)
d) When the ball is batted illegally
e) When a fly ball is caught
f) During a live ball, a runner may return to touch a base unless he/she has left the field of play or a succeeding runner has scored. He/she must proceed in reverse order touching all intervening bases.
7. Runners are not permitted to leave the base before a subsequent batter hits the softball.
a) Base runners are not permitted to leave the base they are on until the pitched ball makes contact with the batter’s bat.
b) If a base runner comes off their base prior to the batter making contact with the pitch, the base runner’s team will receive a warning as long as the batter did not put the ball in play at the time the runner left their base early.
c) If the team receiving a warning has a base runner leave their base a second time, then the runner who left the base early will be called out.
d) Any future base runners that leave their base early will also be called out.
e) If a base runner clearly leaves their base prior to contact being made with the bat and the ball is put in play, then play is live and will continue BAU, but the base runner who left early will be declared out upon completion of the batter’s turn at bat (ie. All other runners who did not leave early can still advance and the batter can still attempt to reach base safely unless the auto out for leaving the base early is the 3rd out of the inning).

PITCHING:
1. The offensive team supplies the pitcher who must pitch from between 40 ft and 50 ft in line with second base. The pitcher must be a legal player on your roster.
2. If a batted ball hits a pitcher, the ball is dead, and the runners return to the last base legally possessed at the time of the pitch. A Dead ball = a strike, unless it is third or fifth strike as you cannot strike out on a Dead ball.
3. The pitcher may not touch the ball while the defensive team is making a play. Balls from the outfield must go to an infielder who will return it to the pitcher when play has ceased. If the pitchers interferes with the play by the defensive team, the ball is dead and the runner nearest home plate is out.
4. Before each pitch, the pitcher must stand facing the batter with the ball held in one hand. This position must be maintained for 5-10 seconds.
5. NO PITCH is declared if the pitcher pitches:
a) During a dead ball,
b) Before the batter is ready,
c) When a runner is out for leaving the base too soon.
6. The ball is dead after a strike is called (runners cannot advance).
7. Maximum 3 pitches to men to hit a fair ball, 5 pitches to women to hit a fair ball.
8. Pitcher calls the safe/out plays at first, second, third, home and outfield.
9. A ball is considered dead if it does not pass the diagonal plane between third and first base before being touched. If touched, the ball remains live.

Guidance to umpires (Pitcher in the regular season is responsible for safe/out calls and the catcher is responsible for fair/foul calls):
Situation:
Fly ball is caught with less than 2 outs.
A runner strays too far off the base they were on.
An attempt is made by the fielder to throw out the runner who is too far off the base

Once the ball is thrown in a clear attempt (umpires call) to catch a runner who has not returned to a base yet, the ball is live.

If the ball is overthrown and goes out of play (ie. behind the fence line), then the ball is dead, all runners who successfully returned to their previous base advance 1 base (ie. from 1st to 2nd).

If the ball is thrown in an attempt to pick off a runner who has strayed off the base and the ball gets away from the fielder receiving the throw, all runners may advance at their own risk (no limit to number of bases until the play is dead - ie. last out recorded, ball returned to pitcher, etc.).

The runner does not automatically advance on an overthrow that does not go out of play.

A RUNNER IS OUT, AND THE BALL IS DEAD IF:
1. On a pitched ball, he/she leaves the base before the ball has reached the plate, hits the ground or is swung at by the batter
2. He/she fails to return to their base following a halt in play
3. While off the base, he/she is hit by a fair batted ball before it has passed an infielder
4. He/she deliberately runs into a fielder who has the ball and is waiting to tag him/her He/she interferes with an attempt to field a ball or with a thrown ball ("A defensive player must be given the opportunity to field the ball anywhere on the playing field. The offensive player must not hinder, confuse, or impede the defensive player attempting to make a play. There is nothing in the rule book about the runner having a right to a clear path to the base.")
5. The runner is discovered wearing exposed jewelry

A RUNNER IS OUT, AND THE BALL IS ALIVE IF:
1. He/she runs more than 1m, outside the established base paths to avoid a tag
2. On a force out, the fielder, while holding the ball, touches the base before the runner
3. While off his/her base, he/she is touched with the ball by a fielder
4. He/she overtakes a preceding runner

ADDITIONAL INFIELD RULES:
1. Infielders must stay behind the baselines until the ball is hit.
2. Minimum of one women per team must play an official infield position, either first, second, short stop or third.
3. Catcher calls the fair and foul balls and cannot play any ball hit by the batter.
4. No intentional sliding or diving into any base - automatic out.

ADDITIONAL OUTFIELD RULES:
1. Outfielders must remain behind the cone line until the ball is hit. The cones will be placed down the left and right field line by the home team 20 paces behind the first and third base bags.
2. One base on an overthrow to first, third, or home if the ball goes past the screen. If the ball hits the screen it is still in play, regardless of where the ball was thrown from.

SCORING:
1. A run is scored when a player safely touches in order: first base, second base, third base and crosses the Safe Line.
2. A runner may not score ahead of a preceding runner who has not been retired.
3. A run may not score if the last out of an inning is a force out or a preceding runner declared out.
4. On a field without a fence, the game is over and the score is final once the winning run is scored. On a field with a fence, if a HR is hit which leads to the winning run being scored, the batter and all runners on base when the HR is hit will be counted in the final score. If a team has passed the inning HR limit at a fenced park, the game winning HR is scored as a groundrule double - the base runners advance 2 bases, all runners scoring as such count in the total score. Eg. runners at 3rd and 1B, batter hits over-limit HR. Result: batter advances to 2nd, 1B runner advances to third and 3rd base runner scores.

2) Field Set Up (to be performed by the home team):

Place first base and third base 20 paces down the foul lines from home (approximately 60 feet). Second base is placed equidistant between 1st and 3rd base and aligned with home plate. A line will be drawn in the dirt extending the 1st base foul line through home plate and to the backstop (This will be the line runners will run through to score since runners are not to touch home plate). An orange cone should be placed 20 paces (about 60 feet) behind each base down the left and right field foul lines to show where outfielders must stay behind prior to the batter making contact with the ball. A dead ball line/commit line shall be drawn 7 paces (approx 21 feet) from home plate extending from foul territory on the 1st and 3rd base sides meeting in fair territory (approximately where the pitchers mound is)

3) Equipment

No metal cleats allowed.
A double base shall be used at first base (ie. white bag/orange safety bag)
Bats must be ASA, ASSA, or NSA approved to be used during regular season games and in the tournament (this will be strictly enforced in the tournament on Sept. 18th).

4) Sportsmanship Related Rules

Bats are not to be thrown under any circumstances. An automatic out will be recorded against the batter if the bat is thrown before an at bat is finished. Players who throw their bat could be eligible for a suspension or league expulsion.

During the first 6 innings of a game, each team can only score a maximum of 8 runs in an inning. Once a team reaches 8 runs, the half inning is over. There is no mercy rule after the 6th inning is completed.

A team may voluntarily withdraw from a game if they are losing by 15 or more runs any time after the visiting team has had 3 full turns at bat (ie. after 2 1/2 innings complete). The final score of the game will be whatever the score is at the time the losing team withdraws.

General rules to be obeyed at each diamond:
1) A ball hit in foul territory can be caught on the fly for an out within the Home and Visitor bench fence lines (Balls hit outside of the fence line of a field are considered to be dead and count as a strike)
2) Prior to the start of a game, both captains must agree to play an 8th inning if the game is still tied after the completion of the top and bottom half of the 7th inning. If both captains do not come to an agreement to play an 8th inning prior to the start of the game, the game will be over after the 7th inning if the game is tied and each team will be rewarded a point.
3) Any diamond that has a tree in the field of play (ie. Within the foul lines):
If the batted ball makes contact with a tree on a bounce, the batter will be assigned a ground rule double and all runners on base should advance two bases from the base they started at.
If the batted ball makes contact with a tree on the fly, the batter will be assigned a Home Run

Home Run Rule (used at diamonds with fences only):
A limit of two home runs over the fence per inning per team.
If a batter hits a ball over the fence after two home runs have already been hit during the team's turn at bat, the batter will be rewarded with a double and all runners will advance two bases (Note: A player who hits a ball over the fence after the 2 home run per inning limit has been exceeded will have a home run awarded to them in the league home run standings).
In addition, a batter hitting a home run (over the fence) who does not reach home because the mercy rule is invoked (ie. 8th run in the inning scored) is credited with a home run in the league home run standings.

Courtesy Runner:
A batter that needs a courtesy runner can only have the runner take their place once they have reached base during the course of their at bat. The last out recorded by a player of the same sex as the batter that needs a courtesy runner (male for male, female for female) is permitted. If all of the female players on the roster are either at bat or on the bases (preventing a like for like substitute), then the last male out can pinch run for the female batter once she reaches base. The courtesy runner must be a player for your existing batting order. The courtesy runner must be announced to the opposing team's Captain before he/she takes his/her place on the base. If the courtesy runner is due up to bat, the team may use a second courtesy runner, following these same rules. If this cannot be implemented, the courtesy runner due up is out but remains on base and the next batter in the line up is due up.

Blood Rule:
Any participant who is bleeding may not participate until the bleeding is controlled. If the cleanup can be accomplished quickly, play would be suspended until the participant is ready to play. If this cannot be done quickly, the player is removed for the remainder of the inning in progress and the following complete inning. When the player has the bleeding controlled he/she must resume his/her place in the game. If a player is removed due to blood and the team does not have a legal substitute/replacement available when needed, his/her place in the batting order is simply missed and there is no penalty (ie. no automatic out).

Alcohol Policy:
The league has had to sign a no alcohol at the diamond agreement to receive our field permits. As such, if your team's actions leads to the league receiving a letter of warning from the Town of Markham, your team will be suspended from the league for the remainder of the season and all of your prior games will be made into 7-0 losses.

PROFANITY/INAPPROPRIATE CONDUCT:
Any team or team member openly using profanity or demonstrating inappropriate conduct (deemed as behaviour contrary to the spirit of the league - sportsmanlike manner, in the spirit of Fun, Fitness, and Fellowship - as determined by the Captains) during a game shall be reported to the activity Director who will review for possible ejection from further participation. Game forfeits may be imposed for violating teams.

Jewelry:
A batter or runner is expected to remove exposed jewelry (watches, bracelets, necklace, rings) to prevent the risk of injury. Medical alert jewelery is the only exception.

5) Roster Related Rules

The batting order shall consist of a minimum of 8 players and a minimum of 1 female in the regular season to have a legal team. If the minimum is not maintained once the game has started, the missing player's name is kept on the score sheet and an automatic out is given when that person's turn at bat is reached.

During the regular season:
If 0 females are in the line-up, a team must forfeit the game. A 7-0 loss will be entered in the standings. Play may or may not continue at the discretion of the Captain's of each team.

If only 1 female is in the line-up, a team is only allowed a maximum of 9 male players in the field at any time, the lone female player must play either 1st, 2nd, 3rd, or shortstop, and the team must take an automatic out at the top of their batting order throughout the game.

If a team starts a game with 1 female, but will add a female after the game has started to move to 2 females, the missing female shall be placed at the top of the order and be considered the automatic out until she arrives.

If only 2 female players are in the line-up, a team is allowed a maximum of 12 players in the field, one of the two female players must play either 1st, 2nd, 3rd, or shortstop and neither female player can play catcher.

If 3 or more female players are in the line-up, a team is allowed a maximum of 13 players in the field and one of the two female players must play either 1st, 2nd, 3rd, or shortstop.

Each player in your batting order should take a turn in the field during a minimum of 3 innings (ie. no player can take a regular turn at bat and be in the field during 0, 1, or 2 innings

The number of players in the field (infield and outfield combined)cannot exceed 13. Additional players are permitted on the roster. If more than 13 players from your roster attend a game, each player should take a turn in the field in at least 3 innings.
If 13 or less players from your roster attend a game, all of them must take a regular turn in the batting order and play in the field.
If a player is unable to continue in the game and no legal substitution is available when he/she is due up, he/she is declared out and play continues with the next batter in the batting order. The team Captain is responsible for notifying the opposing team.
Captains should advise the opposing Captain if another player or players will be arriving after the game has started. Any players that arrive late must be added to the bottom of the batting order. Players not at the field by the end of the 3rd inning may not enter the game.

Rain Out/Rain Delay Guidelines:

Game status information will be posted via Twitter (ie. rain out confirmation):
www.twitter.com/coedrecslopitch

Q: What if both Captains declare that the field is unplayable or the weather conditions are not safe to play the game before the game even starts?
A: The game will be canceled, each team will be awarded a 0-0 tie, and each team will receive 1 point each in the standings (note: you must have a legal roster at the field in order to earn 1 point, if you do not have a legal team at the field by 6:45pm and the other team does at the time the mutual decision is made to cancel the game, then the team with the legal roster present will be awarded a 7-0 win).

Q: What if the game starts and one of the Captains decides that the game should be stopped due to poor field conditions/bad weather?
A: Once a team Captain declares they want a stoppage in play due to poor weather, the two Captains will agree to wait 10 minutes to see if the field/weather conditions improve.

If both Captains agree not to restart the game before or after the 10 minute waiting period is up, then one of 3 situations would apply:
a) The visiting team will be declared the winner if 5 full innings have been completed prior to the stoppage of play and the visiting team has the lead
b) The home team will be declared the winner if the visiting team completed a minimum of 5 turns at bat and the home team has the lead
c) If the game is tied or option a) and b) do not apply, the game will be declared a 0-0 tie and each team will get 1 point in the standings [all HR's hit in this scenario will not count in the standings]
Note: If both teams have not completed their at bats during the 6th or 7th inning when the mutual agreement to cancel the game is made, the final score will default to the score at the end of the last completed inning.

DISCLAIMER:
All decisions made by the team Captain's during the game will remain final.

If a game situation cannot be resolved satisfactorily by the Captain's during the game, both teams will receive a score of zero for that game regardless of the result.

Captains must find a compromise to continue the game, and will also notify the league’s Directors the next day.

The Directors will review the situation and provide direction within two business days.