Rules of Play
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This league was created to provide men 25 years old and over an alternative to softball and to enable us to play the game we all grew up playing. This was revised in 2008 to make it an over 25 league. Adult attitudes must always prevail, no matter how competitive any league is. The responsibility that this ethic sustains will remain the responsibility of the individual league President and the board of directors, which is comprised of the managers of each team in the league. Anyone who abuses the league's code can be suspended or expelled from the league. These rules were established to serve as guidelines for our local league.
This league was created to provide men 25 years old and over an alternative to softball and to enable us to play the game we all grew up playing. This was revised in 2008 to make it an over 25 league. Adult attitudes must always prevail, no matter how competitive any league is. The responsibility that this ethic sustains will remain the responsibility of the individual league President and the board of directors, which is comprised of the managers of each team in the league. Anyone who abuses the league's code can be suspended or expelled from the league. These rules were established to serve as guidelines for our local league.
INDEX
1. Uniforms, Helmets, Baseballs, and Other Equipment
2. Game Length, Run Rule, Tiebreak Rules, and Rainouts
3. Teams, Players, and Line-Ups
4. Player Behavior and Team Responsibility
5. Courtesy Runners
6. Pitchers
7. Fielders
8. Ex-Pro Status and Regulations
9. General League Rules
10. Code of Conduct
RULES
1. Uniforms, Helmets, Baseballs And Other Equipment
a All teams should have their uniforms by their first game. A grace period of two additional games will be extended for newly activated players or for new teams to complete their uniforms.
b All batters must wear helmets while batting. The batting helmet must have an earflap covering the ear facing the pitcher. Full double earflap helmets are encouraged for all batters and are encouraged for runners on base. Catchers are also encouraged to wear a helmet underneath their mask.
c All MSBL leagues are encouraged to use official Rawlings MSBL baseballs, RO-¬MSBL, RCC-MSBL, R-100 MSBL and RCC-MABL. Each home team will supply baseballs for each game played. The home team should bring a minimum of 4 balls to each game. Only balls provided by the local league will be permitted.
d Wood and metal bats are allowed and both will be permitted. The maximum bat differential for any type of metal/aluminum bat is a -5. If a player uses a bat exceeding this differential, the opposing manger can protest before the next pitch and the offending batter will be out. All runners on base will return to the bases occupied prior to the offending batter's at bat.
e Metal cleats are permitted.
2. Game Length. Run Rule. Tiebreak Rules And Rainouts
a Game Completion
1 9-inning games- time limit –cannot start an inning 2:45 after first pitch. Once started, must complete inning.
2 Darkness - 7 innings complete - umpires' discretion
3 Rain - 5 innings complete.
4 7 inning games- time limit – cannot start an inning 2:15 after first pitch. Once started, must complete inning.
5 Darkness - 5 innings complete - umpires' discretion
6 Rain - 5 innings complete.
b Calling a game due to bad weather: a game maybe called prior to starting play by the mutual agreement of both managers. (this will result in paying umpires half fee). If mutual consent cannot be reached the decision will be turned over to the umpires. Once the game is started, the umpire may suspend, cancel or call a game if, in their opinion, the safety of the players are compromised due to rain, darkness or time limits.
c If there is a 15-run discrepancy at the end of 5 innings and the game has gone 2 hours for a 7-inning game and 2 hours and 30 minutes for a 9-inning game, the game will be ruled final at this point.
d Any games called prior to it being an official game will be restarted from the point at which it was called.
e The tie break hierarchy to determine team positions is:
1 Winning percentage
2 Head to head
3 Runs allowed
4 Runs allowed against each other
5 Vote of the board of directors, which is comprised of the manager from each team and the league president. Managers of teams who are tied will not be allowed to vote.
3. Teams, Players And Lineups
a A player is eligible to participate in an official league sanctioned game in the year in which his 25th birthday by November 1st takes place. Team rosters must be submitted to the league president prior to receiving a league schedule and at least one week prior to the start of the season. This also includes league and player fees, proof of date of birth for new players (copy of drivers license), and player waiver forms.
b All players, prior to participating in a game, must have signed waiver forms on file with the league.
c A team manager may bat as many players as he desires, with a minimum of 9. If a game is played with 8 players, the 9th spot in the batting order will be an automatic out each time that position comes around in the order. Batters cannot be deleted or skipped over, regardless of their batting position or when they were added during the game. The manager may designate 2 players to occupy the same position in the batting order as batter "a" and "b". The first time that the position gets an at bat, player "a" would bat and the next time around "b" would hit, and so on. Once a team declares the use of this A/B system, it must continue using it for the remainder of the game. An A/B hitting position vacancy will be handled in the same manor as stated in 3f, with the exception of player injury. If "a" or "b" are injured and no reserve player is available, then the remaining player in the position (either "a" or "b") would get the remaining at bats at that position in the batting order. Hitters in the A/B positions in the order may be pinch ¬hit for, just as any other player.
d A manager may add batters to the bottom of the lineup at any time. If a batter is pinch hit or run for (except under courtesy runners as outlined in section 5), the player may not re-enter the game as a hitter, with the exception of starting players. Starting players may re-enter once during a game, and can only return to the position in the offensive line-up that they were removed from. Any player, once removed from the offensive lineup, may remain in the game as a fielder or pitcher. Each team has an offensive and a defensive lineup that are independent of each other. Players may play in either lineup or both.
e If a player is forced to leave a game due to a commitment or if a player is ejected from a game, a reserve player, not previously entered into the game as a hitter, must hit in the batter's place. If no reserve is present, that spot becomes an automatic out each time that spot comes around in the batting order. If a player forced to leave a game due to injury and no reserve is available that spot is skipped and all batters move up accordingly, with no penalty to the affected team. (for "a" and "b" batting order positions see 3.d)
f A team must have 8 players for a game to be official, and may borrow a player from the opposing team with the opposing manager's consent or may borrow a player from another team, also with the opposing manager's consent. If the team's 9th player arrives after the start of the game, a player borrowed from the opposing team reverts back to his team, a player borrowed from another team (not the opposing team) must be removed or the arriving player must sit out. The arriving player cannot be added to the lineup as a 10th man. If the borrowed player allows the team to play with an 8-man line-up and a 9th player shows, the 9th player can be added to the line-up and the borrowed player can remain in the game. If at anytime a team has 7 remaining players, without the ability to get an 8th player; they then forfeit the game even if the game was started.
g All players maybe substituted for defensively, at any time, without affecting the player’s offensive status in the line-up. If the pitcher is removed, he may re¬enter to pitch only one time during the course of the game, but not in the same inning. The removed pitcher may play any other position after being removed or no position at all.
h No player may switch teams during the season without the consent of both managers and the league president. If the switch is not approved, the player must sit out the remainder of the season or play with his original team.
i Final team rosters must have no less than 14 players.
4. Player Behavior And Team Responsibility
a There will be no beer or alcoholic beverages permitted at the field before or during the game. The field refers to the general playing area.
b The league has the right to suspend or expel any team member who abuses league rules or who does not exhibit a sense of sportsmanship or who plays without regard to the safety of the umpires or other players.
c An umpire has sole discretion to expel any player or manager from the game.
d Fighting among players or aggressive physical contact with an umpire will not be tolerated and players expelled from the game for either violation will be subject to suspension or expulsion from the league.
e Players shall not intentionally collide with any other players. In the case of a runner intentionally colliding with a fielder, the runner will be called out and may, at the umpires' discretion, be expelled from the game. All base runners must either slide or give up their right to a base if the defensive player (e.g. Catcher) has possession of the ball. If a defensive player is not in possession of the ball or is not in the act of receiving the ball so that he is able to record an out, he cannot block the base (e.g. Home plate) or be in the base path so as to intentionally impede or obstruct the base runner's right to that base. Under such circumstances, the defensive player shall be responsible to avoid collision. If a collision does occur under these circumstances, the runner will always be considered safe and the obstruction rule shall be enforced. The defensive player may be ejected from the game if the action is intentional, and he will be suspended from league play if the obstruction is judged to be flagrant.
f Each league must set its own standards for player/team sportsmanship, but must encourage suspensions for infractions unbefitting to the image and policies of the league.
g Failure to abide by age regulations - the managers must all recognize their responsibility to the league and the perpetuity of it as to not cross the line where winning is more important than playing. An opposing manager may at anytime have the right to question a player's age. If a manager wants to lodge a protest, proof of age must be provided to the manager who lodged his protest by Friday of the following week. If an under age player is detected, penal ties whether to the individual or team will be decided by the league president and board of directors. As a national precedent, the penalties will be forfeiture of all games in which the under-age player participated in and a minimum two-year suspension. If the manager had prior knowledge, he is subject to similar suspension.