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Austin SSC Softball Rules

ROSTER:
There are no maximum number of players allowed on your roster. Players will not be allowed to participate without signing the Austin SSC roster/waiver form. Players may be added after the registration deadline only if the league has their t-shirt in inventory. New shirts cannot be ordered. Otherwise, the only way to add a new player to your roster after the registration deadline is by first dropping another player. Teams have up until the third week of the season to do so. After that, rosters are frozen. The additional player must obtain the t-shirt from the dropped player in order to play. If a team wishes to add a player only after the registration deadline, this can only be done if the league has the t-shirts in stock.

WAIVERS:
In order to participate in the league, each player must sign the team waiver. Waivers can be downloaded by clicking here. Captains need to print, have all players sign, and turn in the first night of play. Players not present the first week of play will still be required to sign a waiver with our staff before participating. An Austin SSC staff member will keep your team waiver at the field, or a new one can be printed out. Players who sign up as individuals, agree to the waiver electronically when they register.

PLAYER RESTRICTIONS:
All Austin SSC participants must be at least 21 years old before the season starts.

Players that have participated in Division 1 sports must be 2 years removed from Division 1 participation if they wish to play in a similar Austin SSC sport.

Austin SSC will have the right to request ID from any player. Any player in the super social league who is determined a social player by the Austin SSC will have their league fee credited towards a future season. If more than one player fits in the category, the Austin SSC has the option to move the team to the social division.

Players may only play for one team and be on one roster, regardless of if multiple divisions are offered. One can play, for example, softball on Tuesday’s & softball on Thursday’s, but not for two teams in the same day or night. Any player that break this rule will cause both of their teams to forfeit games played on that day.

GAME UNIFORMS:
Austin SSC t-shirts are your team’s uniforms. All players must wear their current Austin SSC uniform (past season’s uniforms are not permitted) to participate and any player not wearing his/her uniform will be will be sidelined for that game. If this sidelined player will cause the team to forfeit, he/she will be allowed to play in the game provided he/she is on the original roster.

UNIFORM ALTERATIONS:
Names on uniforms, numbers, cut-off sleeves, corporate logos, etc, are permitted, as long as they do not cover any logos originally printed on the shirts.

SPORTSMANSHIP:
We are all adults, and the Austin SSC expects all participants to act like it. Unsportsmanlike behavior may result in that player being ejected from the game. An ejection may result in further suspension from participation in current and / or future SSC sports. An ejected player(s) is required to leave the premises immediately – refusal to leave the premises may result in a team forfeit and / or increased length of suspension.

NUMBER OF PLAYERS ON THE FIELD:
The maximum number of players on the field is 10 (no more then six men). The minimum number of players is eight (6 men/2 women). There is no maximum number of women allowed on the field or in your line-up.

GAME EQUIPMENT:
Austin SSC will provide all bases and playable balls for each game. Bats and gloves are not supplied. All Austin SSC bats must have either the approved ASA 2000 certification mark or the ASA 2004 certification mark and must not be listed on the ASA non-approved list. If the bat has been manufactured before 2000, it will be left to the sole discretion of the umpire whether the bat may be used in the Austin SSC. You can find the complete non-approved ASA bats list at www.softball.org/about/certified_equipment.asp. Catchers are recommended to wear a mask at all times (not league provided). Teams may bring personal softballs for practice between games.

Any players using an illegal bat will be called out. The illegal bat will be removed from the game. If a batted ball has occurred, then all runners will return to their original base.

Metal cleats are not permitted. Any player wearing metal spikes will have to remove them immediately or they cannot play.

FORFEITS:
If a team is short the minimum number of players by game time, they must still start the game (they become visiting team and bat). If the minimum number of players do not show up by the completion of the first 1/2 of the first inning, the game will be considered a forfeit. If there are enough players of the forfeiting team that are able to play an officiated exhibition game, no forfeit fine will be assessed. Otherwise, if not enough show up, the team will be charged a $50 fine which will go towards your opponent’s bar tab for the following week. Teams that receive a forfeit fine must use it the following week or lose it. If notice is given to the Austin SSC by 4pm on the preceding day, your team will not be assessed a forfeit fine.

FORFEIT FINES:
All fines must be paid before your next scheduled game by either cash or check (made payable to the Austin SSC). If payment is not received by the end of this next scheduled game, your team will be assessed a loss for this game. Teams will not be allowed to play any proceeding games until the fine is paid in full. Teams that have any fines from the last regular season game will not be allowed back into the Austin SSC for any sport until these fines are paid in full.

INCLEMENT WEATHER POLICY:
In the event of inclement weather, the Austin SSC will make every attempt to make up all scheduled games. In the event of multiple cancellations, the SSC will have the option of shortening the regular season and/or the play-off schedule (and the # of teams that make the play-offs) if inclement weather dictates such action. Make-up games may be scheduled on days other than the regularly scheduled days of the week. Neither refunds nor pro-rated refunds will be given if the season is shortened due to inclement weather or by actions taken by Travis County Parks.

BEVERAGES AT FIELDS:
No visible alcoholic beverages are permitted. Any alcohol must be in a plastic cup (you can bring your own or they will be sold on site by SSC staff). This also includes carrying a 12 pack or case of beer uncovered to the field. Everything must be in a cooler or backpack at all times. No glass is ever permitted in the park. Beverages may be consumed in the dugout, common area, and coaches boxes, but not on the field of play itself. You are also responsible for removing all trash before leaving your fields. Austin SSC and it’s members have the responsibility to leave all Travis County Park venues in clean, trash-free condition.

DIVISION PREFERENCE:
Teams will continue to participate in their prior season’s league (social or super social) unless moved by the Austin SSC. Super social teams may move up to social, and social teams with a 0-6 or 1-5 record may move down to the super social league. Last year’s super social champion will automatically move up to the social league along with the teams that finish in the top 10% of the playoff seeding. This format will help balance out the caliber of teams in both leagues.

POINTS AWARDED:
Win – 2 points…Tie – 1 point….Loss – 0 points.

SOFTBALL GAME RULES

START OF GAME:
The home team will take the field first and use the first base dugout. The official score is kept by the umpire and is displayed on the manual scoreboard.

LINE-UP CARDS:
Line-up cards must be provided by the teams. Please use the line up cards provided by Austin SSC before the season begins (or you can use your own paper). Cards must be filled out at the beginning of the game with the players’ first name & gender. Completed line-up cards must be handed to the umpire before the game begins. The umpire’s card will be the official card. All changes to your line-up must be reported to the umpire.

GAME CLOCK:
The umpire’s clock is the game clock and they will inform both teams when the game has started. There is no minimum # of innings for a complete game if the time limit has been satisfied. There is no warm-up pitch between innings and have your team hustle on and off the field. After your game is completed, please clear all benches ASAP. No new innings will start after 46 minutes. The last inning will always be completed.

THE COUNT:
Players will have a one-ball/one strike count on them when they come up to bat. The player is out after a third strike. With two strikes, the batter has one courtesy foul. The second foul with two strikes will be an out. Note: If a fly ball is caught in playable foul territory, the ball remains live and runners may tag-up. In 1-pitch format (certain tournaments), the count is 3-2 with a foul ball.

FIELDING TEAM:
Fielding positions can be changed between players on the field when on defense – however new players may not substitute in unless the team is short fielders or due to an injury. The batting order must always stay the same despite any changes in field position.

BATTING ORDER:
Teams shall consist of a maximum of 10 players on the field and a minimum of eight players, with no more then six guys on the field at any time. If a team does not have enough females, they must play short and will get an automatic out when that position is reached in the batting order. If you play with fewer than 10 players but have at least 4 women you do not have to take an automatic out.

For any team who began the game short the requisite number of females resulting in an out in that batting spot has a female show up after the game has started, that team may insert that female into the designated spot in the lineup at any time and will no longer receive an out in that spot.

One of the players must be catcher. All players bat but no more than two males can bat in a row. Females, can re-hit if necessary. (For example, a team has 9 guys and 4 girls. One girl would be designated in the line-up to bat twice to ensure proper ratios).

There are no substitutions in the batting line-up.

All late arriving players may be inserted at any time. Late arrivals must be inserted into the bottom of the batting order, or as close to the bottom to ensure gender rules apply.

BATTING OUT OF ORDER:
If the error is discovered while the incorrect batter is hitting, then the correct batter will assume the ball/strike count of the incorrect batter. If the incorrect batter reaches base safely and the error is discovered, the incorrect batter will be called out. All runners will return to their original base. The opposing team must make the umpire aware of “batting out of order” before a pitch is thrown to the next batter. If it is not, then the incorrect batter will stay on base.

WALKED BATTERS:
Less then two outs – All walks are one base awards.

Two outs – If there are two outs and a male batter is walked with a female batter up next, the male runner walks as normal (stops at first). The female batter will have the option to walk or bat (again, this only applies if there are two outs).

HOME RUNS:
When games are played at Southeast Metro Park = There is no limit on the number that can be hit in the social division. A home run hit in super social will result in an automatic out.

When games are played at the Del Valle Softball Complex = due to the shorter fences at Del Valle, there will be a 3 homerun rule limit for both divisions.  Every homerun after 3 will be ruled an out.

BASE RUNNERS:
There is no leading off or stealing of bases. Doing so will result in the runner being called out.

Every field has an extra first base bag, known as the “safety” base. This is the bag that the runners must touch if running through first base. The normal one is for the fielders.

Austin SSC is non-contact and all players must avoid unnecessary contact at all time. Runners must give themselves up, get out of the way, or slide. If a fielder is blocking the base/in the base path, fielders interference will be called and the runner will be safe.

If the contact was considered unsportsmanlike, that player will be ejected.

HEAD FIRST SLIDE:
Runners may not engage in a “head first” slide when approaching any base on the field. If a runner’s momentum has caused them to overrun a base, they may “dive back” in a head first manner to regain possession of that base.

INJURED RUNNER:
Injured players may receive a pinch runner once they reach a base. If a male player is injured, the last player out will become the pinch runner, regardless of gender. If a female player is injured, the last female out becomes the pinch runner.

OUTFIELDERS:
There must be four outfielders in the grass at all times, assuming 10 players are on the field. If an outfielder comes onto the infield dirt before contact is made, all runners will be called safe.

SCORING:
Nine run maximum scoring allowed per inning. After the ninth run crosses the plate, play will stop regardless of the # of outs (exception: in the last inning). The mercy rule will be put into effect if, after completing five innings, one team is ahead by 12 runs or more. In one-pitch format, the run rule is 20 runs or more after five innings.

Please note, regular season games can end in ties. There are no additional tie-breaker innings in completed games during the regular season once time has been called.

PLAYOFFS:
Playoffs will begin the week after the regular season ends and all make up games have been played. The number of teams in each division to make the playoff will be determined by the Austin SSC. Depending on the season, multiple nights may combine into one playoff.

PLAYOFF EXTRA INNINGS:
If extra innings are required in a playoff game, both teams (away, home) will have the opportunity to bat / kick. The player who was AT BAT the previous inning when the third out was recorded will start at 2nd base with no outs. The person at the plate will start with a 3-2 count (0 outs) and will not be allowed a courtesy foul (thus, it’s 1-pitch). This “extra-inning” rule will continue for all extra innings until a winning team is established.

*Any rules not mentioned follow those of the ASA (www.softball.org).

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