Rules – Men’s Open Section
1. EQUIPMENT:
a) Players must wear the official team sweater at all times during a game.
In case of inclement weather, the umpire may give permission to wear a jacket under the sweater.
b) Players are not allowed to use shoes with metal sole and heel plates.
2. REGULATION GAMES:
a) A regulation game consists of nine full innings or one hour and fifteen minutes of play, whichever comes first. After one hour and ten minutes of play, the game will be terminated after the inning in progress is completed.
b) Games must be started on time. Infield warm-ups are not permitted, and pitchers will be limited to 5 warm-up pitches between innings.
c) Where there is a problem with rain, poor field conditions, lights, etcetera, the section co- ordinator alone will decide whether the game is to be played or continued.
3. OFFICIAL TEAMS:
a) Team captains are responsible for relaying all rules, schedules and umpiring assignments to their respective teams.
b) A player may play for one team only, and in only one section of the the Tournament. Any player who plays for a second team will be disqualified immediately from further participation in the current Tournament and will be suspended for the following year. Any team which uses an illegal player will forfeit any and all games that the illegal player has participated in. The responsibility is on the team captain to make sure that all of his players are eligible to play in the division. (No exceptions).
c) Each player on the team roster must participate in a game. All players present must be included in the batting order and must bat in turn.
d) In each inning, the defensive team may use a maximum of eleven players in the field. No player is to sit out a second inning until each player on the team has sat out an inning. No player is to sit out a third inning until each other player on the team has sat out two innings.
e) A team must have a minimum of eight players to start a game.
A team must have sufficient players to start a game within fifteen minutes of the scheduled starting time or the game is forfeit.
f) A team must have a minimum of seven players to continue a game.
g) A player who arrives after the first pitch of the game may play, but his name must be added to the bottom of the batting order. If his team is in the field and is playing with less than 11 fielders, he may join the game immediately.
h) A batter-runner must reach first base without help or replacement. If, after reaching first base, he is replaced by a substitute runner, he must leave the game.
i) A player who misses a turn at bat because of illness or injury must leave the game.
j) A fielder who leaves the game because of illness or injury may return to the game, provided he does not miss a turn at bat. He must, however, return to the field on his next scheduled turn or leave the game.
4. STARTING COUNT:
a) The starting count on the batter shall be two balls and one strike.
5. PITCHING REGULATIONS:
a) The pitcher’s “rubber” is on the imaginary line which runs between 1st and third bases. The pitcher must have at least one foot on the line when the ball is released.
b) The pitch must be released with moderate speed.
c) The ball must be delivered with a perceptible arc of at least three feet from the point of delivery and may reach a maximum height of 10 feet above the ground.
Note: These are the complete pitching regulations. Any infraction of the above is an illegal pitch. A ball is called on the batter, the ball is dead, the runners may not advance.
i) If a pitcher throws three illegal pitches in one game, he must be assigned to another position on the field after the third such pitch.
ii) No play whatsoever can result from an illegal pitch. The batter will either take
the pitch for a called ball, or, if the batter hits the ball, whether fair or foul, he will return to the batter’s box and the count against him will be increased by one ball. Runners will return to the bases they occupied at the time of the illegal pitch.
6. BATTING REGULATIONS:
a) Bunting is not allowed. A batter who attempts to bunt is out, the ball is dead, and other runners may not advance.
b) Strike outs: A batter is considered to have struck out if the count against him reaches three strikes, including foul balls. A batter who hits a foul ball on his third strike is out, the ball is dead, and runners may not advance.
c) Foul balls to the catcher: A ball hit to foul territory is either a “foul ball” or a “foul tip”.
i) A foul tip is a batted ball which goes directly from the bat, not higher than the batter’s head, to the catcher’s hands and is legally caught, and any foul tip that is caught is a strike (not an “out” unless it is a third strike). The ball is dead.
ii) A batter is out if a fly ball, including a foul fly ball, is legally caught by any player, including the catcher.
d) Batter’s box: The batter’s box on either side of home plate begins six inches from the plate and is three feet wide. The batter’s box extends four feet in front of a line through the centre of home plate, and three feet behind this line.
i) The batter must stand with both feet inside the batter’s box when the ball is delivered by the pitcher. A batter who fails to take his position within 20 seconds of the umpire’s “play ball” will be called out.
ii) When the ball is hit, that part of the batter’s foot which is touching the ground must not be completely outside of the batter’s box, nor touching any part of home plate.
Effect: The ball is dead, the batter is out, baserunners may not advance.
7. BASE RUNNING:
a) The distance between the bases shall be 65 feet.
b) Safety bag at 1st base:The “safety bag” is attached to the regular first base, but lies completely in foul territory.
i) The batter-runner must touch only the safety bag if a play is being made on him at first base.
ii) The fielder must touch the regular 1st base if he is making a play on a batter-runner. The fielder must not risk injury to himself or another player by crossing the baseline in the path of the batter- runner.
iii) The batter-runner may touch either bag at 1st base if no play is being made on him and his intention is to carry on to 2nd base.
c) Safety line and Commit line:
Safety line:
The baserunner must cross the safety line at home plate but must not cross home plate itself. The catcher must not tag the runner at the safety line but need only touch home plate in order to put out the baserunner.
Commit line:
Once a player has passed the “commit” line, he may not return to third base.
d) Base stealing:
i) Base stealing is allowed with the exception of stealing on a swinging strike. The
runner must keep contact with his base until a legally pitched ball passes home plate or has been struck by the bat.
Effect: The ball is dead, “no pitch” is declared, and the baserunner is called out.
THIS IS A PLAY WHICH MAY NOT BE APPEALED.
ii) A player who steals a base may, with liability to be put out attempt to advance another base or two on the same play.
iii) A runner who occupies 3rd base may advance to home plate only as the result of a ball being hit by the batter. (He may not steal home.)
iv) A base runner who legally leads off 3rd base is liable to be put out. He must return to 3rd base if a play is made on him or be declared out when a player with the ball touches 3rd base. This is a force play. If this runner advances as far as home plate and touches it, he will be declared out.
e) Two baserunners may not occupy the same base simultaneously. The runner who first occupied the base is entitled to it.
f) The batter-runner is not liable to be put out after overrunning 1st base, provided he returns directly to 1st base. If, after overrunning 1st base, the runner attempts to continue to 2nd base, he is liable to be put out.
8. BALL IN PLAY:
a) The ball is not playable outside the established limits of the playing field.
b) The ball is put into play when the pitcher has the ball and is within 8 feet of the pitcher’s plate, and the umpire calls “Play Ball”.
c) The ball is in play after a ball or a strike (including a 4th ball or a 3rd strike) is called except in the following cases:
i) The ball touches the batter or the bat.
ii) “Illegal pitch” is declared.
iii) “No pitch” is declared.
iv) A “fake swing” (including a fake bunt) is declared.
Effect: The batter is out. Runners must return to their bases of origin.
d) Calling time between pitches:
i) The ball remains in play until the umpire calls “Time”, which should be done when the ball is held by a player in the infield area and, in the opinion of the umpire, all play has ceased.
ii) When a baserunner legally leads off after a pitch passes home plate and while the pitcher has possession of the ball within eight feet of the pitcher’s plate, the runner must immediately attempt to steal the next base or return to his base. Otherwise, if no play is made, the umpire should call and signal “Time”. If no runner is leading off, the umpire need only signal “Time”. In either case, “Time” is only called if in the opinion of the umpire, all play has ceased.
e) Bases awarded when the ball leaves the playing area:
i) When the ball is overthrown out of the playing area, each baserunner is awarded 2 bases as follows:
1) If a first throw by an infielder, 2 bases from their position at the time of the pitch.
2) If a throw by an outfielder or the result of any succeeding play or attempted play, 2 bases from the last base touched when the throw left the thrower’s hand.
ii) When a fielder loses possession of the ball (such as on an attempted tag play or the catcher fails to hold on to a pitched ball) and the ball then enters the dead ball area, all runners are awarded one base from the last base touched at the time the ball entered the dead ball area.
iii) When a legally hit fair ball bounds out of the playing area the ball is dead and all baserunners are awarded 2 bases from the base they occupied at the time of the pitch. This includes a ball which bounds out of play after contacting a fielder attempting to make a play.
iv) When a fielder intentionally causes a legally batted ball to leave the playing area, the umpire shall award all runners a minimum of three bases.
v) When a legally played ball is carried by the fielder out of the playing area, the ball is live and play should continue.
9. PLAYER CONDUCT:
a) A maximum of one person per team, including the coach, may be designated to speak with the umpires in case of a disputed call. This person must be identified to the umpire before the start of the game.
b) The following are grounds for ejection from a game:
i) Profane or abusive language.
ii) Visible displays of temper (throwing objects).
iii) Intentional and violent collision with an opposing player.
iv) Fighting.
c) All ejections will result in the player being barred from further play in the tournament.
d) Continued harassment of umpires, opposing players or bystanders after an ejection will result in additional disciplinary action against the team.
10. STANDINGS
a) Standings will be decided based on 2 points for a win, and 1 point for a tie. If there is a tie in the standings after scheduled games, standings will be decided on the basis of:
1) number of wins
2) record between the teams
3) run difference (runs ‘for’ minus runs ‘against’).
A full inning must therefore be played even if the home team is ahead in the final inning.
b) If a team defaults a game, their opponents will be awarded the 2 points and a default score of 10 – 0.
c) If inclement weather necessitates postponing a game, or several games, play will resume according to the games scheduled, and postponed games will be re-scheduled according to park availability.
d) If games must be cancelled, and all teams have played an equal number of games, medals will be awarded on the basis of run difference; otherwise runs will be pro-rated and medals awarded accordingly.
