TSAWWASSEN MIXED SLO-PITCH LEAGUE MOTTO IS:

 

“TO PROVIDE A SOCIAL RECREATIONAL OUTLET WITHIN A SEMICOMPETITIVE TEAM SPORT FRAMEWORK”

 

Simply stated: Play the game of Slo-Pitch Softball, where the emphasis is on fun and friendship rather than winning.

 

 

SPN rules will apply except where overruled by TMSP League rules.

 

 

RULE 1 - THE PLAYING FIELD

 

1. Home team must set up the field:

 

1.1. Bases - spiked down 60' apart (measure with your rope or tape measure).

 

1.2. Pitching distance is 50-65' from home plate.

 

1.3. Home Plate - 2' x 3'4” Home Plate Mat Rubber, no home plate extrusions, must be rectangle shape (no green astro-turf mats allowed).

 

1.4. Strike Zone - Only the league provided home plate mats are allowed to be used.

 

1.5. Mark 20' point of no return between home plate and third base.

 

 

RULE 2 – SPECIAL GROUND RULES

 

1. Beach Grove- Ball hit in the air into the trees is a home run. Rolling in to the trees is a double.  Ball is live in the grass areas in center field. ** There is a max 2 home run differential, beyond this if a home run is hit, it will be counted as a strike.

 

2. Brandrith- Over the fence of left field is a home run. Ball hit in to the trees in centre field home run is a double. 

 

 

RULE 3 - EQUIPMENT

 

1. Home team to provide a new game ball and a good 2nd ball.

 

2. No metal cleats.

 

3. Bats – All bats must be pre-approved and have the required sticker on the bat. Updated 04.07.19 bats must show one of the below symbols and be listed on approved bat list.

 

4. If you get a new bat during the year it must be pre- approved by the bat committee before begin used.

 

5. Any batter that enters the batters box with a non-approved and non-stickered batter is automatically out.

 

6. No composite bats allowed, this includes full or half. Approved bats must have one of the following stickers as shown below:

 

 

 

 

 

 

7. Bats will not be approved at tournaments, make arrangements prior to playing.

 

RULE 4 - DEFINITIONS – see SPN book.

 

 

RULE 5 - TSAWWASSEN MIXED SLO-PITCH HOUSE RULES

 

1. Games will be 9 innings in duration. Five runs maximum per inning, except the 9th inning, which is an open inning (unlimited runs). First game at Winskill will be 7 innings to make time for double headers (Please note for the early games at Winskill we actually get the field at 6:45pm). The second game is up to the team Managers to decide before the game starts.

2. Games will start no later than 7:00pm, rain or shine. Any team unable to field a team by 7:00 pm will forfeit. In case of rain – Both teams will show up at the field, and decide whether they can play. If the game will be canceled, both teams are responsible to reschedule the game, check the website for available fields and dates.

 

3. Infield fly rule is applicable. An Infield fly which is a fair ball (not including a line drive) which can be caught by an infielder with ordinary effort, when first and second, or first, second and third bases are occupied, before two are out. The fly ball does not have to be caught for this rule to be invoked. Runners can advance at the risk of being put out should they be tagged before reaching their next base.

 

4. **SPN rule: No defensive player can stand closer than 50 ‘ in fair territory as each pitch is delivered, and the pitcher cannot step any closer to the batter after the first step in the delivery of the pitch (if the pitcher does move towards the batter, then the batter shall be awarded a ball count).

 

 

RULE 6 - PLAYERS, SUBSTITUTES AND RE-ENTRY

 

1. A list of your batting order is to be given to the opposing team prior to the game.

 

 

2. To be eligible for league tournaments (except for the opening tournament) a player must have played 5 games minimum.

 

3. AMENDED 04.07.19 Rosters can be up to 40 players on the SPN website with minimum age 19. Maximum 5 players 19-25 years old permitted on the field at one time. Under 25’s may not substitute for players over 25.

 

4. Each player will become a batter in the order they appear on the score sheet.

 

5. Any substitutions must take place of the player removed in the batting order. Players must play in the field before being placed in the batting order (unless batting the whole team).

 

6. Defensive positions will be played with a ratio or 6 males to 4 female players, this may be shifted if there are not enough male players (to 5:5, 4:6, etc) but a maximum of 6 male players are allowed on the field at one time. 

 

7. Positions played during an inning must not be changed during that inning, except a change involving the pitcher.

 

    8.1. Bat all players (max 18) with no more than 2 men batting consecutively. If a team chooses to bat more than 10 players, all must bat in the batting order, but any 10 can play defense. Defensive positions can change but the batting order must remain the same

    8.2. Bat 10 players with no more than 2 men batting consecutively. Players must play in the field before substituting into the batting order.

 

9. Substitution will be as per SPN rules: The players in the starting line-up may be substituted for and may subsequently be re-entered once. A Substitution is when a player takes another players place in the batting order and defensively on the field. A starting player, if re-entered, must occupy the same position in the batting order. The starting player and the substitute cannot be in the line-up at the same time.  

 

10. Teams must have a minimum of 9 players. Should a team have enough players to field a team (9 players min.) then no substitute players can be added, play at 9 pull in at 8 (tournaments are exempted- APPENDIX B - Closing Tourney). If a team is short a female player they may borrow a catcher from the other team, and must take an automatic out for the missing female Runner substitutions are only allowed once a runner has reached first base, if the runner continues onto and safely reaches second base then they are no longer allowed to have a runner unless they are injured in the play.

 

11. Last available runner furthest from batting will be used for the courtesy runner. Unlimited courtesy runners.

 

 

RULE INFRACTIONS

 

For rule infractions, in particular ineligible players, illegal bats and league misconduct the League President will call a meeting of the Executive and Team Reps from any of the remaining teams representing at least 51% of the number of teams in the TMSP. The attendees of this meeting will determine if an infraction did occur and, if so, what penalty should be incurred by the offending player or team.

 

 

RULE 7 - PITCHING

 

1. The pitch must arc 6ft from the ground with a maximum height of 12ft and land in or on the strike zone (any part of the home plate mat counts).

 

2. If a male is walked (any combination, does not have to be straight balls), with a female following in the order, the male advances automatically to 2nd base and the female then takes her turn up at bat.

 

3. No intentional walks allowed.

 

RULE 8 - BATTING

 

1. Women are permitted to bunt. No six-foot rule. (Ball does not have to travel six feet. Batter / runner must use outside baseline so they don't interfere with throw.

 

RULE 9 - BASERUNNING

 

1. No lead-offs, No warnings, No stealing. Players cannot leave the base until the ball is hit, if there is a lead off player is out. Please remember this is to be a FUN league, be honest if you lead off take yourself out!

 

2. Sliding is permitted except at home plate. No body contact. Please use your own discretion. Base person should know where to be standing. (Don’t stand on the bag if there is no play). Runner should be sliding or must get out of the way of the throw if they impede the throw they are out.

 

3. All home plate plays are considered to be force plays. A point of no return 20' from home plate is established, and crossing that line towards home is a force out, at which time the runner will be declared out if the opposition has the ball and home plate is tagged prior to base runner crossing the 1st base line.

 

4. Safety Base - The runner going to first base must use only the orange part of the bag, to overrun the base or just take 1st base. If the hit is long enough for more than one base, then the runner rounding first and going to 2nd may use either bag.

    4.1. The first base person can only touch the white part of the base. If the 1st base person tags only the orange part of the base, the runner will be called safe. It is the responsibility of the first base person to stay clear of the runner’s way if it look like they will be rounding first to go to second. REMEMBER THIS IS TO ALLEVIATE INJURY

 

5. Please have catchers up at the front of the home plate and runners are to run past the back of the home plate. Any runner who touches home plate will be automatically called out.

 

6. If a female batter hits a fair ball through the infield into the outfield where an outfielder plays the ball, the runner will automatically gain first base. There is still a forced play at second base if first base is occupied at the time of the hit. If a fly ball is caught by an outfielder, the batter is out. Note: This rule is put into place to help prevent runners to first base from getting hit by a thrown ball.

 

RULE 10 - BALL IN PLAY (ALIVE) & DEAD BALL – see SPN book.

 

RULE 11 - UMPIRES

 

1. Balls & strikes to be called by the team at bat. 

 

2. The 1st and 3rd base coaches will call the bases (safe/out) and height of the pitch.

 

3. 3rd strike foul rule constitutes an out.

 

4. On a fly ball, foul or fair, any player on base may advance at his or her own risk after tagging up.

 

5. Overthrow – runner gets base of destination plus 1 base.

 

RULE 11 - SCORING

 

1. Submitting Scores is the responsibility of the winning team, and the losing team is to check the web site for any discrepancies. Please use the form from our website to report scores.

 

2. For Rainout games, slot another game time using the free field space on the website schedule and inform the league scheduler.

 

3. For any rainout games that will not be made up then submit a 1-1 draw for that game.

 

4. For any team that cancels a game (other than a rain out), it is up to the affected team that got cancelled to provide 2 dates to the cancelling team to make. If cancelling team cannot make any of those 2 opportunities then the they forfeit the game 1-0.

 

5. Cancelling team has 24 hours to give notice of the cancellation.

 

6. If no 24 hour notice then they forfeit 1-0

 

7. Affected team has 48 hours to provide 2 dates

 

8. If no notice within 48 hours then affected team forfeit1-0

 

9. Cancelling team now has 24 hours to respond

 

10. If no response within 24hours then cancelling team forfeit 1-0

 

 

The Executive has the authority to withdraw any league playing privileges for Unsportsmanlike conduct, for any player or team.

 

PLEASE REMEMBER that the emphasis of the league is to foster good sportsmanship and clean play. Any player who does not agree with this league's philosophy is urged to find another league in which they would feel more suited.

 

APPENDIX A –  Opening Tourney – Cancelled 2019

 

1. All games are skins double knock-out format.

 

2. Tournament Skins Games: Time limit: The air horn will start each game. The air horn will sound again 45 minutes later signalling teams to finish the inning they are currently playing. No innings are to begin after the horn. An inning is considered started when the first pitch has been thrown.

 

3. Each batter will start with one ball and one strike against them in order to speed the game up as there is a limited amount of time.

 

4. Tie breaker

4.1. Tournament Games – If a game ends up with each team winning the same number of skins, the game will be awarded to the team that won the last awarded skin of the game. In the unlikely event that no skins were awarded during the game, the game will be determined by coin toss.

4.2. Final Tournament Game – In the event of a tie for the final tournament game it will be decided by using the international tie-breaker rule.

 

APPENDIX B - Closing Tourney – Subject to change

 

1. Games will be 70 minutes in duration with no new inning to start after 65 minutes.

 

2. Maximum 5 runs per inning with the 7th inning open. Final games in each division will be played to 7 innings (no time limit).

 

3. In the event of tie, teams will refer back to the last completed inning where there was a leader. If no inning has a leader (ie: tied all the way through from the beginning) then the international tie-breaker rule will apply. If the game is still tied after two innings a base race will follow. (one male and one female from each team) placed on home plate and second base. A ball must be passed and a winner will determine the games outcome. Umpire to oversee this race.

 

4. Maximum of 10 fielders with a minimum of 9 fielders. Teams must have a minimum of 4 players of each gender in the field.

In the event your team is non-qualifying:

    4.1. (ie: not enough females or males/injuries/less than 10 players) you may pick up a spare from within your division or lower. You may not pick up spares to enhance/extend your batting order. No spares are allowed if you can field a team of 10 players from your team. No one is allowed to play for any team unless they are insured and registered in our league. To be eligible for our league tournament players must have played 5 games during the season.

 

**Do not bring any bats to a tournament that needs to be stickered; all bats must be approved prior to any Tournament games.