"THE LEAGUE" RULES

 

ALL PLAYERS REGISTERED TO PLAY IN "THE LEAGUE" ON WEDNESDAY NIGHTS OUT AT MATHER SPORTS CENTER IN THE WINTER AND AT THE SACRAMENTO SPORTS COMPLEX IN THE SPRING THROUGH THE FALL ARE AGREEING TO THESE RULES BEFOTE EVEN STEPPING FOOT ONTO THE FIELDS.

 

 

PRACTICING GOOD SPORTSMANSHIP IS OUR #1 RULE!

 

NCS SOFTBALL 4 SENIORS RULES ARE MADE BY ALL THE PLAYERS WHO MAKE UP THIS AWESOME GROUP. WE WELCOME YOUR SUGGESTIONS.

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THE ONXY ENERGY BALL / BOOM WILL BE USED AS THE OFFICIAL SENIOR BALL OF NCS AND THE LEAGUE

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* NEW * PLAYER SUBSTITUTION INFO * NEW *

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IF YOU ARE SHORT PLAYERS FOR ANY REASON THROUGH THE REGULAR SEASON, YOU MAY PICK UP SUBSTITUTES UP TO HAVING A TOTAL OF 11 PLAYERS FOR THAT WEEK (WE DON'T WANT FORFEITS) IN THE WINTER LEAGUE, YOU CAN PICK UP ANY PLAYER EVEN IF THEY ARE NOT IN THE LEAGUE AS LONG AS THEY SIGN OUR PLAYER WAIVER FORM. IN THE SPRING AND SUMMER LEAGUES, SUBS MUST BE PLAYERS ALREADY REGISTERED FOR THE LEAGUE. CALL DAVID FOR WINTER LEAGUE HELP AT 916-923-8130 AND CALL MARK FOR SPRING/SUMMER LEAGUE HELP AT 916-716-9973.

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DURING THE PLAYOFFS (IN ALL LEAGUES), YOU MAY NOT HAVE A SUB UNLESS YOU HAVE LESS THAN 10 PLAYERS.  ALSO, SUBS CAN'T BE RANKED HIGHER THAN THE PLAYER THEY ARE REPLACING PER THE DISCRETION AND RANKING BY THE DIRECTOR. YOU MUST HAVE PRIOR AUTHORIZATION BEFORE THEY PLAY IN A GAME OR BE FORCED TO FORFEIT THE GAME.

 

SUBS MUST BAT LAST AND CAN’T PLAY PITCHER, SECOND BASE, 5MAN, SHORTSTOP, OR CENTER FIELD.

 

SUBS MAY NOW HIT OVER-THE-FENCE HOME RUNS AND THEY COUNT TOWARDS THE TEAMS FIVE HR TOTAL. ALL HR'S AFTER THAT ARE OUTS.

 

COURTESY RUNNERS -  3 PER INNING + PITCHER CAN HAVE CR AT ANY TIME AND WILL NOT COUNT AGAINST THE 3 ALLOWED. IT CAN BE ANYONE AT ANYTIME AS LONG AS THEY ARE ON TEAM ROSTER.

 

HOME RUN LIMITS - 5 PER GAME. EXTRA HR'S HIT ARE JUST OUTS! (SUB PLAYERS HR'S ALSO COUNT TOWARDS TEAM TOTAL ALLOWED. ONCE THE LIMIT IS REACHED, ALL SUBSEQUENT HR'S ARE OUTS (COACHES - PLEASE HAVE EH SHAG BALLS)

 

4 BASE ERRORS - THIS WILL BE AWARDED WHEN A FAIR FLY BALL IS TOUCHED BY A DEFENSIVE PLAYERS AND THEN GOES OVER THE FENCE BEFORE HITTING THE GROUND FIRST.  THIS IS NOT CONSIDERED A HOME RUN (and therefore does not go against their team's home run total) AND THE BATTER IS AWARDED 4 BASES MEANING THEY DON'T HAVE TO RUN THE BASES. ALL RUNNERS THAT WERE ON BASE SCORE, AS WELL.

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PITCHERS/PITCHING – MUST WEAR A HELMET – PITCHERS ARE STRONGLY ENCOURAGED TO ALSO WEAR SHIN GUARDS AND CHEST/HEART PROTECTION. INFIELDERS - IT'S ALSO HIGHLY RECOMMENDED TO WEAR THE SAME GEAR AS THE PITCHER AND ENCOURAGED TO PLAY DEEP IN THE INFIELD.

PITCHING NET - USE A PITCHING SCREEN FOR EXTRA SAFETY.

 

THE FIRST BATTED BALL THAT HITS THE SCREEN WILL BE CONSIDERED THE SAME AS A FOUL BALL. THE 2ND BATTED BALL THAT HITS THE SCREEN IS AN OUT.  THROWN BALLS FROM DEFENDERS THAT HIT THE SCREEN REMAIN LIVE.
THE EDGE OF SCREEN MUST BE INSIDE OF PITCHING RUBBER ON PITCHER’S GLOVE SIDE AND CAN BE PLACED UP TO 3 FT DISTANCE IN FRONT OF THE PITCHING RUBBER IF PITCHER CHOOSES. HE MAY NOT PITCH FROM IN FRONT OF THE SCREEN. THE HOME TEAM OF OUR LATE GAMES ARE RESPONSIBLE TO TAKE THE NET TO THE UMPIRE ROOM.

 

PITCHING BOX - SHALL BEGIN 50 FEET FROM HOME AND EXTEND EIGHT FEET TOWARDS SECOND BASE THE WIDTH OF PITCHING RUBBER.

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BASE DISTANCE - SHALL BE 70’ BASES

 

HOME PLATE STRIKE ZONE MAT -  SHALL BE USED 21’ X 36’ AT A MINIMUM (PLAN ON A BIG MAT WITH NCS SENIORS)

 

SCORING LINE - SHALL BE IN LINE WITH THE FIRST BASE LINE AND SHALL BEGIN 6 INCHES FROM OUTSIDE EDGE OF HOME PLATE TOWARDS BACK STOP. A PLAYER SHALL BE OUT IF THEY CROSS THRU BATTERS BOX UNLESS AVOID A COLLISION AT HOME.

 

​BATTERS BOX - SHALL BE 3’X7’. BATTER MUST HAVE ONE FOOT IN THE BOX PRIOR TO PITCH & ONE FOOT MUST BE BEHIND THE PLATE WHEN STRIKING THE BALL OR THE PLAYER WILL BE CALLED OUT.

 

COMMITMENT LINE - SHALL BE 30 FEET FROM SCORING LINE TOWARDS THIRD BASE. PLAYERS MUST HAVE ATLEAST ONE FT BEHIND HOME PLATE ON CONTACT WITH THE BALL.

 

BASE RUNNING – TRY AVOIDING COLLISIONS AT ALL TIMES. THERE IS NO SLIDING AT HOME OR 1B.

 

GAME PLAY

ALL PLAYERS MUST BAT THE ENTIRE GAME UNLESS INJURED. PRIOR TO PLAYOFFS, COACHES, PLEASE MIX IN ALL PLAYERS AS BEST AS YOU CAN ON DEFENSE.

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TEAMS CAN PLAY WITH AS LITTLE AS 8 PLAYERS

 

BATTERS WILL START WITH A 1 & 1 COUNT. WITH NO WASTE FOUL.

 

PLAYERS ARRIVING LATE CAN STILL BE ADDED TO THE BOTTOM OF THE LINE UP AND PLAY WITH NO PENELTY.

(DO NOT HAVE TO USE AS A SUB) 

 

IF YOUR TEAM HAS AN INJURED PLAYER  IT MUST BE REPORTED TO MARK SWEENEY THE LEAGUE PRESIDENT, WELL BEFORE THE START OF ANY GAME THAT THE INJURED  PLAYER WILL NOT BE PLAYING IN. FAILURE TO REPORT = YOUR TEAM WILL TAKE AN OUT EVERY TIME PLAYER COMES UP TO BAT PLAYING OR NOT!

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IF A PLAYER IN YOUR BATTING ORDER LEAVES THE GAME DUE TO INJURY AND THERE IS NO REPLACEMENT, HIS NEXT AT BAT WILL BE AN OUT IN HIS NEXT AT BAT ONLY. (IF THE PLAYER WAS EJECTED, AN OUT WILL BE CALLED FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE GAME.

 

CAUGHT FOUL BALLS IN THE FIELD OF PLAY SHALL BE CONSIDERED LIVE AND PLAYERS MAY ADVANCE AFTER CATCH.

 

PLAYERS MAY ONLY RETREAT TO A BASE ON A CAUGHT BALL OR IN A RUN DOWN. PLAYERS RETREATING IN A FORCE OUT SITUATION WILL BE CALLED OUT.

 

INFIELD FLY RULE. CATCHABLE BALL AT UMPIRE’S DISCRETION.

 

SUN IN PITCHER’S EYE, UMPIRE’S DISCRETION. PITCHERS MAY MOVE UP TO 3 FEET WITH THE SIDE OF THE BOX. MUST PITCH THE ENTIRE INNING FROM THAT POSITION ONLY.

 

ALL PLAYS AT THE PLATE WILL BE FORCE OUTS ONLY. (NO TAG PLAYS)

 

SENIOR BATS CAN BE USED

 

TEAMS MUST HELP WITH SHAGGING BALLS (HR & FOUL BALLS)

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NO METAL CLEATS ALLOWED!

 

PITCHERS/BATTER RULES

NO INTENTIONAL INFIELD HITS/POOPIES/BUNTS. THEY WILL ALL RESULT IN A CALLED OUT!

 

PITCHING ARCH WILL BE A MINIMUM OF SIX FEET AND A MAXIMUM OF TWELVE FEET FROM THE GROUND.

 

PITCHERS MUST PRESENT THE BALL THEN IN ONE UNDERHAND CONTINUOUS MOTION DELIVER THE BALL TO THE PLATE.

 

PITCHERS CAN PITCH FROM NO MORE THAN 8 FT BEHIND THE RUBBER.

 

ONCE A BATTER IS SET IN THE BOX AND THE PITCHER IS SET, THE PITCHER HAS 5 SECONDS TO DELIVER. BATTER HAS 5 SECONDS TO GET SET IN THE BOX! PITCHER/BATTER WILL HAVE A BALL/STRIKE CALLED IF EXCEEDING RULE ABOVE.

 

EACH TEAM WILL GET A MAXIMUM OF 2 OFFENSIVE AND 2 DEFENSIVE TIMEOUTS PER GAME OF UP TO THIRTY SECONDS.

 

PITCHERS MUST FACE FORWARD WHILE DELIVERING PITCH.

 

BATTERS WILL START WITH A 1 & 1. NO FOUL TO WASTE ON THIRD STRIKE

 

CATCHERS MUST HAVE AT LEAST ONE FOOT WITHIN THE WIDTH OF THE PLATE AND STAND NO CLOSER THAN ONE FOOT BEHIND THE BATTER’S BOX.

 

WALK RULE - IF A BATTER WALKS AT ANY TIME DURING THE GAME, ANY SUBSEQUENT WALKS TAKEN WILL ALLOW THE PLAYER TO GO TO SECOND BASE (INTENTIONALLY OR NOT). 

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DEFENSIVE PLAYERS – UP TO 10 PLAYERS.

 

BATTING OUT OF ORDER - MUST BE CHALLENGED PRIOR TO THE FIRST PITCH OF THE NEXT BATTER. PENALTY BATTER WILL BE CALLED OUT.

 

SAFETY BAG AT FIRST BASE MUST BE USED TO AVOID COLLISION. UMPIRES DISCRETION. PLAYER OUT.

 

REENTRY RULE – A STARTING PLAYER REMOVED FROM THE LINEUP MAY REENTER THE GAME ONE TIME. A SUBSTITUTE MAY NOT REENTER THE GAME AFTER BEING REMOVED.

 

FLIP FLOP RULE -  WILL BE INVOKED IN GAME WHEN THERE IS A 10-RUN DIFFERENTIAL IN FAVOR OF THE VISITING TEAM AT THE START OF THE “OPEN INNING.” IF THE VISITING TEAM IS AHEAD BY TEN OR MORE RUNS, THE HOME TEAM WILL REMAIN AT BAT. IT WILL BE AN OPEN INNING. IF THE HOME TEAM FAILS TO TIE OR GO AHEAD OF THE VISITING TEAM, THE GAME ENDS AND THE VISITING TEAM WINS. IF THE HOME TEAM TIES OR GOES AHEAD, THE VISITING TEAM TAKES ITS TURN AT BAT. 

 

RUN RULE -  15 AFTER 5 – DOES NOT NEED TO REACH OPEN INNING

 

TIE GAME -  TIE GAME = TIE GAME  – EXCEPT FOR PLAYOFFS & CHAMPIONSHIP GAMES

 

UNIFORMS - PLAYERS AND COACHES MUST WEAR THE SUPPLIED LEAGUE JERSEY SO THEY ARE EASILY IDENTIFIED AS A TEAM/OFFICIAL PLAYER OF THE LEAGUE . IN THE COLD SEASON THIS RULE MAY NOT BE MANDATORY. SPONSOR JERSEYS MUST BE WORN THE ENTIRE GAME OR TEAM WILL LOSE A RUN.

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LINE-UPS - SPRING - FALL: TEAMS MUST TURN INTO SCORE KEEPER AT LEAST 10 MINUTES PRIOR TO GAME START TIME.THEY MUST BE TYPED OR WRITTEN NEATLY - YOU MUST INCLUDE FIRST AND LAST NAME ALONG WITH JERSEY #

 

DUGOUT RULES - PLAYERS & COACHES ARE THE ONLY INDIVIDUALS ALLOWED IN THE BENCH AREA.

ALL PLAYERS MUST STAY IN DUGOUT OR OUT OF PLAY AREA - 1 ON DECK HITTER

NO ALCOHOL, SUNFLOWER SEEDS OR SMOKING OF ANY KIND IN THE DUGOUT OR FIELD OF PLAY

NO DISRUPTIVE MUSIC: LOUD, VULGAR, ETC. DEFINITION, ONE PERSON OR STAFF MEMBER COMPLAINS.

IF DEFENSIVE TEAM HAS A PLAYER OR BAT OUTSIDE DUGOUT AND GETS HIT BY THROWN BALL THE BALL IS DEAD AND ALL RUNNERS ADVANCE ONE BASE

IF OFFENSIVE TEAMS PLAYERS OR EQUIPMENT GETS HIT BY A THROWN BALL THE CLOSEST RUNNER TO HOMEPLATE IS OUT

 

TEAMS MUST CLEAN UP THE DUGOUT AFTER EACH GAME (REMOVE GARBAGE ETC.)

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POOR SPORTSMANSHIP WILL NOT BE ALLOWED! NO F BOMBS, NO THROWING THE BAT, NO TAUNTING, NO BS! 

 

TEAMS SHOULD BE PREPARED TO START A GAME ON TIME!. TEAMS ARE REQUIRED TO BE READY TO PLAY UP TO 15 MINUTES EARLY.

 

GAME LENGTH -

60 MINUTES +  OPEN INNING

PLAYOFFS 65 MINUTES + OPEN INNING

CHAMPIONSHIP 75 MINUTES + OPEN INNING

EXCEPTIONS ON LEAGUE FORMAT, GUARANTEED GAMES AND GAME TIMES MAY BE ALTERED DUE TO UNFORESEEN CIRCUMSTANCES (IE WEATHER, FIELD RESTRICTIONS,TIME CONSTRAINTS, EMERGENCIES, CITY ISSUES ETC).

INFIELD PRACTICE: NO INFIELD PRACTICE WILL BE PERMITTED ONCE THE GAME STARTS. WARM-UP IS ALLOWED IN DESIGNATED AREAS ONLY. TEAMS MAY WARM-UP IN THE OUTFIELD GRASS IF TIME PERMITS.

SEEDING FOR PLAYOFFS/1ST HALF CHAMPIONS

BEST RECORD

HEAD-TO-HEAD

RUN DIFFERENTIAL

RUNS ALLOWED

RUNS SCORED

COIN FLIP

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TRAVEL BUDDY - PLAYERS CAN CHOOSE ONE FRIEND TO PLAY ON THE SAME TEAM WITH. WE ARE NO LONGER LETTING MANAGERS GRAB AN ASSISTANT COACH.

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PROTESTS - THE LEAGUE COMMITTEE WILL DECIDE ALL PROTESTS. AS MANAGER, PLEASE BE FAMILIAR WITH THE RULES OF THE GAME INCLUDING PROPER PROTEST PROCEDURE.  ANY PROTEST OF AN UMPIRE’S RULE INTERPRETATION MUST BE MADE BEFORE THE NEXT PITCH IN THE GAME. ONLY MANAGERS MAY ADDRESS UMPIRES OR DIRECTORS, ALL OTHERS WILL BE REQUIRED TO STAY IN DUGOUT OR DEFENSIVE POSITION.

 

EJECTION RULE -  MANAGERS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR TEAM CONDUCT. PLAYERS, MANAGERS AND SPECTATORS MAY RECEIVE ONE WARNING TO STOP UNSPORTSMANLIKE BEHAVIOR (IE QUESTIONING CALLS, PITCH, LANGUAGE, ETC.). SECOND OCCURRENCE OF UNSPORTSMANLIKE BEHAVIOR WILL RESULT IN THE OFFENDING PARTY BEING EJECTED FROM THE GAME. THIRD OCCURRENCE WILL RESULT IN MANAGER AND OFFENDING PARTY BEING REMOVED FROM THE GAME AND TEAM WILL BE ACCESSED AN OUT FOR OFFENSIVE TEAM, DEFENSIVE TEAM WILL BE ACCESSED AN OUT AT NEXT AT BAT.​

 

GAME DELAY / MAKE UP -  WE WILL DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO COMPLETE EACH GAME INCLUDING MODIFYING GAME TIME LENGTH, PITCH COUNT, FORMAT,  FINISH GAME ON A FUTURE WEDNESDAY.

 

STALLING -  IF DIRECTOR OR UMPIRE FEELS YOUR TEAM IS INTENTIONALLY STALLING THEY CAN MINUS RUNS FROM YOUR TEAM OR CALL BALL GAME IF EXCESSIVE! (SPORTSMANSHIP IS KEY WITH NCS) LATE WITHDRAWS WILL NOT GET ANY SORT OF REFUND!

 

UNSPORTSMANLIKE CONDUCT - NCS/ THE LEAGUE  HAS THE RIGHT TO SUSPEND OR EJECT ANY PLAYERS AT ANYTIME FOR ABUSE OR ANY UNSPORTSMANLIKE CONDUCT! LOUD CURSING, ARGING, DEMEANING COMMENTS, ETC. WE ALSO HAVE THE RIGHT TO SWITCH A PLAYER OR 2 FROM ANY TEAM TO ANOTHER TO BALANCE OUT TEAM NUMBERS AND OR STRENGTH.

 

ACCUSATIONS AGAINST STAFF OR OFFICIALS - ANY COACH OR PLAYER WHO MAKES ACCUSATIONS AGAINST THE NCS UMPIRES OR STAFF - WHETHER IT BE IN PERSON, VIA EMAIL, TEXT, SOCIAL MEDIA OR ANY PUBLIC FORUM - QUESTIONING OUR INTEGRITY OR ALLEGING CHEATING MAY BE SUBJECT TO IMMEDIATE EJECTION FROM "THE LEAGUE" AND PLACED ON SUSPENSION AT THE DISCRETION OF NCS.