| MUSC Intramural Softball Rules of Play | |
-ASA Official Rules of Softball will be used with MUSC Intramural Modifications- I. Participants
A. MUSC students and their spouses, faculty and staff, and Wellness Center Members are eligible to participate in intramural softball. II. Players' Uniforms and Equipment
A. The referee shall not permit any player to wear equipment that in his or her judgment is dangerous to other players. It is strongly encouraged to not wear objects which may cause injury to a player such as jewelry. B. Equipment that could cut or cause an injury to another player shall be prohibited, without respect to whether the equipment is hard. C. Equipment used shall be appropriate for softball. Eyeglass protectors are appropriate equipment when they meet the qualifications outlined in this rule. III. The Team
A. Two leagues will be offered: competitive and co-rec. Competitive teams must have a minimum of 8 “rostered” players on the field, with a maximum of 10. B. Co-Rec teams must have at least 3 female players on the field at all times. C. Participants may play on one team in each league; however each team may only have a maximum of 2 players on the roster that are playing in both leagues. Special scheduling requests cannot be guaranteed; therefore, every team should have enough players in the event games are scheduled simultaneously. D. A team may start a game with eight players. Co-Rec teams must still have at least 3 female players to field. Teams playing with less than 10 players in the line-up will have unoccupied spots in the line-up. When these spots in the line-up are due to bat an out will be charged to the batting team for each unoccupied spot. IV. The Captain
A. The captain is the representative of the team and may address an official on matters of interpretation or to obtain essential information, when it is done in a courteous manner. B. The captain will be responsible for keeping up with the batting order as well as making sure his/her players understand the rules games and any intramural modifications. V. Lineups and Substitutions
A. Before the start of the game, each team shall supply the scorers with the line-ups for that day. B. The captain making the substitution shall immediately notify the plate umpire at the time the sub enters the field. C. Substitutions should be made at the top or bottom of an innings unless the substitute is replacing an injured player. VI. Forfeit
A. GAME TIME IS FORFEIT TIME! Any team that is not present at the game site when their game is scheduled to begin will forfeit that contest. It is strongly recommended that your team arrive 15 minutes early in order to be ready to play at your assigned time. B. Team Captains may request a bye for a particular weekend by calling Student Programs or an Intramural Coordinator no later than 3 p.m., the Tuesday before the weekend that the bye is needed. C. A team may request one bye. However, depending upon the number of teams participating; teams may receive more than one bye per season. D. If a scheduling conflict arises, the team contact or representative must contact the Intramural Coordinator before 5 p.m. on the Thursday prior to the game date. The team that is forfeiting will not receive a loss if notice is given in proper time frame. The opposing team will automatically receive a win. If forfeiting team does not contact coordinator in time, they will automatically receive a loss. Conflicts will be handled on a case by case basis. E. A team will be eliminated from competition after two forfeits. VII. The Game
A. Games will be a max of seven (6) innings in length, or sixty (60) minutes in duration. B. No inning may be started 50 minutes after the beginning of the game. C. Each team will consist of up to ten (10) players on the field at one time. To avoid a forfeit, a team may start with no less than eight (8) players. D. In the event a game ends in a tie after seven (7) innings, the game will be recorded as such. In playoffs, the games will continue until a team wins. E. A game will be termed “official” after four (4) complete innings (or 3 ½ if the home team is ahead). F. Sliding is permitted in all leagues, except for diving headfirst into home. G. Any player that slides headfirst will automatically be out. H. A coin flip will determine which team is home. I. If the home team is ahead by 10 runs after 3 ½ innings or if a visiting team is ahead after 4 innings, they will automatically win. VIII. Batting Order
A. In the Co-Rec league, team members must bat in alternating order (i.e. male, female, male, female, etc. OR female, male, female, male, etc.). B. Female players cannot be intentionally walked. IX. Extra Hitters (Co-Rec League Only)
A. Teams are permitted, but not required, to have 2 extra hitters in the line-up (meaning the team could bat 12 players). If an extra hitter is used, both a male and a female extra hitter are required (i.e. a team may have either 10 or 12 lineup spots but not 11). B. They are simply considered additional positions, but the players don't play in the field. However, the extra hitters may switch positions with a field player. The only stipulation is that the batting order may not change, and there must be 5 males and 5 females playing defense. A substitute may enter the game into the extra hitter's position. That player is now considered the extra hitter. The extra hitter may bat anywhere in the line-up. Teams are not required to use the extra hitters. X. Field Players
Players may play any position on the field. There is no stipulation as to where males and females may play. XI. Walks
A. If a male is awarded a base on balls, the woman following him in the order has the option of batting, or automatically walking to first without have to bat. This decision must be made prior to the first pitch to the woman, and must be made by the player in question (not the team captain or coach). B. If there is an extra male of female batter, when batting, the team has to take an out no matter if the prior batter walks at the end of the line-up, before it goes back to the number one (1) batter. XII. Base Running
A. No leading off or stealing is allowed. A base runner may not leave the base until the ball has been hit. B. Interference a. With batter by catcher or fielder: Batter is awarded first base and the ball is dead b. With runner by fielder: Award number of bases umpire thinks the runner is entitled to, and ball remains in play. C. A team is permitted, but not required, one (1) courtesy runner per inning. The courtesy runner will take the place of the runner in question. The only stipulation is that the courtesy runner is the last out made by a player of the same gender regardless of the inning of the out. XIII. Overthrows
A. When the ball is in play and is overthrown (beyond the boundary line), awarded bases will be determined by the last base established by the base runner at the time of the throw. Base runners will be awarded one base from their established base at the time the ball is released. On an overthrow by a fielder, the player is awarded the base that he/she was going to, plus the additional base for the overthrow. (Example: If a runner is between first and second base and the ball is overthrown, the runner is awarded second base for being on their way there, and is awarded third base for the overthrow). XIV. Batting
A. No bunting will be allowed. B. The batter is not awarded first base if hit by a pitch. IT'S SLOW PITCH!! C. Infield Fly Rule: When a batter hits a fair infield fly with base runners on first and second; or first, second and third with less than two (2) outs, the batter is automatically out. The runners may advance at their own risk on an infield fly but must return to their bases if the ball is caught (an infield fly is any fair ball that should be easily caught by an infield player). If a declared infield fly falls to the ground untouched, it will still be considered an infield fly as long as it stays in fair territory (ball does not have to be caught for this rule to apply). D. Batters will enter the box with a “1-1” count. E. There will be one (1) “free foul” with a two (2) strike count. The next foul ball will be called an out. XV. Pitching
A. The ball must be delivered with a minimum arc of six (6) feet and a maximum of 12 feet. B. One fluent motion is needed to deliver the ball (fakes will not be allowed.). C. Strikes and balls are deemed as such by the umpire and are final. XVI. Protests
A. No protest will be considered which concerns the judgment of an official. B. To be valid, a protest of a rule interpretation must be verbally registered with an official at the time the incident occurs. The game will then be stopped; the officials and team captains shall separate themselves from the other participants and determine the correct ruling.
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