Rochester MN Softball 2008 Rules

LEAGUE PLAYS BY THE 2008 ASA RULES INCLUDING THOSE LISTED BELOW.

NO SMOKING OR ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES ALLOWED ON THE PLAYING FIELD AT ANYTIME. NO GLASS CONTAINERS OF ANY KIND IN THE PARK.

TEAMS - A TEAM MUST HAVE A MINIMUM NUMBER OF PLAYERS TO START A GAME.

THE STRIKE MAT - 19 INCHES WIDE BY 34.5 INCHES DEEP. THE MAT WILL BE PLACED OVER THE HOME PLATE, ALIGNED AT THE FRONT EDGE. A DEFENSIVE PLAYER MAKING A PLAY AT HOME PLATE WILL BE ALLOWED TO COMPLETE THE FORCE-OUT PLAY BY TOUCHING ANY PORTION OF THE STRIKE MAT, NOT JUST THE HOME PLATE.

LATE ENTRY - A PLAYER MAY ENTER A GAME AT ANYTIME DURING THE GAME, BUT MUST BE INSERTED LAST IN THE BATING ORDER.

PITCHERS SAFETY - IF PITCHING SCREEN IS BEING USED DURING GAME, ANY BALL HITTING THE SCREEN, IS RULED A DEAD BALL AND NO STRIKE IS CALLED. "ANY BATTED BALL STRIKING THE PITCHER (EXCEPT HIS ARMS, WHILE NOT IN A PROTECTIVE OR SELF-DEFENSE POSITION) BEFORE HITTING THE GROUND SHALL BE A DEAD BALL OUT."

PINCH RUNNERS - A TEAM MAY USE AN UNLIMITED NUMBER OF PINCH RUNNERS, BUT A PLAYER MAY ONLY RUN ONCE AN INNING. RUNNERS WILL BE ALLOWED FROM BACK SCREEN, IF BOTH MANAGERS AGREE TO IT BEFORE THE START OF THE GAME. OTHERWISE THE BATTER MUST MAKE IT TO FIRST BASE BEFORE A PINCH RUNNER CAN BE USED.

FOUL BALLS - ANY BALL TIPPED BY A BATTER AND CAUGHT BY THE CATCHER IS AN OUT.

HOME RUNS 3 + 1 RULE. - FIRST TEAM TO REACH THREE HOME RUNS CANNOT HIT ANOTHER ONE UNTIL THE OPPOSING TEAM HITS THEIR THIRD, THEN THE ONE UP RULE APPLYS. EITHER TEAM CAN HIT ONE TO GO ONE UP, THIS CONTINUES FOR THE REST OF THE GAME. HOMERS ARE CONSIDERED BALLS GOING OVER THE OUTFIELD FENCE, ANY BALL THAT IS TOUCHED BY AN OUTFIELDER THEN GOES OVER IS A HOME RUN, BUT NOT COUNTED AS ONE OF THE 3 + 1 TOTAL. ANY HOME RUN HIT IN EXCESS OF THE LIMIT IS CONSIDERED AN OUT AND BALL IS DEAD, RUNNERS CAN’T ADVANCE.

OUTFIELD DEPTH RULE - A DISTANCE OF 150 FEET FROM HOME PLATE WILL BE MARKED OFF IN THE OUTFIELD AND ALL OUTFIELDERS EXCEPT THE ROVER MUST STAY BEHIND THAT LINE UNTIL THE BALL IS HIT. THIS IS TO GIVE THE OLDER SLOWER RUNNERS A CHANCE TO GET TO BASE.

FLIP-FLOP RULE - THIS RULE MAY BE APPLIED AT THE DISCRETIION OF THE MANAGERS. THE VISITING TEAM MUST BE AHEAD BY FIVE RUNS AFTER THE EIGHTH INNING. IF THE VISITORS ARE AHEAD, THE HOME TEAM WILL STAY IN AND BAT TO START THE NINTH INNING. BASES WILL BE CLEARED AND THE NINTH INNING WILL BEGIN AS AN OPEN INNING, UNLIIMITED RUNS. IF THE HOME TEAM FAILS TO SCORE ENOUGH RUNS TO TIE OF GO AHEAD, THE GAME IS OVER AND THE VISING TEAM WINS. HOME TEAM TIES OR GOES AHEAD, THE VISITING TEAM BATS.

TIE BREAKER RULE - WHEN THE TEAMS ARE TIED AT THE END OF NINE INNINGS AND GOING INTO EXTRA INNINGS, EACH TEAM STARTS THEIR HALF OF THE INNING WITH A RUNNER ON SECOND BASE. THAT RUNNER MUST BE THE BATTER-RUNNER THAT WAS UP WHEN THE LAST OUT WAS MADE IN THE PREVIOUS INNING. NO COURTEOUS RUNNER CAN REPLACE HIM UNTIL HE REACHES THIRD BASE.

***UNRESOLVED CONFLICTS WILL BE DEALT WITH BY THE LEAGUE BOARD.