East Lansing Recreation and Arts

Adult Softball League Rules and Regulations

General Rules and Regulations for all Leagues.

Amateur Softball Association (ASA) rules shall apply except for the modifications listed below.

 

A. ELIGIBILITY

  1. All players must be 18 years of age or older, or a high school graduate.
  2. A player may only participate on one team in each of the following leagues:

Men’s Regulation (Monday or Wednesday, not both)

Men’s Unofficiated (Tuesday)

Women’s Regulation (Thursday)

Coed Regulation (Sunday)

Coed Unofficiated (Tuesday or Thursday, not both)

Players proven to be in violation of this rule will result in forfeiture of ALL games in which the illegal player participated.

  1. All players participating in league and/or play-off games MUST have a contract card on file in the Recreation (ELRA) Office and have paid player fees for each team or they are considered illegal players participating without a signed contract. PLAYER FEES ARE NOT TRANSFERABLE.
  2. A team proven to be using illegal players shall forfeit all games in which the player participated. Team managers are subject to disciplinary action when known to be using ineligible or illegal players.
  3. DEADLINE TO ADD PLAYERS IS FRIDAY, JUNE 22

 

B. GAME

  1. GAME TIME IS FORFEIT TIME! A team may start or finish a game with nine (9) registered players. A team must have nine (9) players to begin batting or take the field. A team with less than nine players shall forfeit. If a tenth player arrives for a team starting with nine players, she/he may enter the game at any time, but must bat in the tenth spot in the batting order. A team that forfeits for the second time will not be considered for post-season awards, regardless of win-loss record.

    Coed Only- Teams must have a minimum of nine players present at game time to start, 5-male, 4-female, OR 4-male, 5-female. Failure to do so shall constitute a forfeit.
  2. Starting the Game - A team must have a minimum of nine (9) players to start a game. A team must maintain a minimum of nine (9) players throughout the game. Failure to complete a game with nine (9) players shall be forfeiture of the game. As by rule, a team must have a minimum of eleven (11) players (12 for coed) present to start the game with an “extra player”. This rule may only be utilized if you start the game with 11 or 12players. A team cannot add an eleventh or twelfth batting position to their line-up once the game has started.
  3. Player participation - MEN’S and WOMEN’S ONLY - Managers must declare to the umpire, prior to the game, whether they will use the standard player substitution, or “unlimited substitution” rule. Both teams do not need to apply the same rule, but once a team decides which rule they’ll use (unlimited or standard) and the game starts, they must play the whole game using that rule.
  4. Teams using the unlimited- substitution rule sign-up all players who will play in the order the will bat on the line-up card.
  5. Each inning, any ten players in the batting order, may play on the field. There may not be substitutions made in the middle of an inning (i.e. before the other team makes three outs, EXCEPT FOR INJURY).
  6. A defensive player may enter and re-enter the game as many times as he/she likes, as long as they play at least one inning at a time, and occupy the same spot in the batting order.
  7. If a player must leave the game for any reason (injury, class, ejection, etc., and there is no legal substitute available, each time his/her position in the batting order is reached it shall be an automatic out. If the player is able to return he/she may re-enter.
  8. If a player is removed from a base or the plate for any reason (injury, ejection, etc.), and is unable to be replaced by a legal substitute, an immediate “out” will be declared in all cases.
  9. A player who signed up on the roster, but is not present at the start of the game, may still bat in his place once he arrives provided his team had not batted past him in the order.
  10. Any player arriving after going through the line-up once may only enter the game as a regular substitute, taking the place of another player who may only re-enter in that spot in the batting order.
  11. Designated Hitters/Runners rule will not be used, but an extra player (ep) may be used with the Standard Player Substitution rule.
  12. Length of games - A regulation game will be seven innings. All games will have a time limit of one hour and ten minutes. No new inning shall begin one hour and ten minutes after the first pitch. Games called because of bad weather will be considered complete if five full innings have been played (four and one half if the home team is leading)
  13. Mercy Rule - If a team has a ten (10) run lead after the team losing has batted 5 times.
  14. HOME RUN RULE - MEN’S LEAGUE ONLY

a.                   Each team is allowed three (3) homeruns per game. Any additional homeruns, over three, will be considered an out; EXCEPT if each team has the same number of homeruns over three, the opposing team will be allowed one additional homerun with out penalty. Any difference greater than one homerun, after the 3 limit, shall be considered an out.

 

  1. Line-up cards/scorecards for listing the team’s official batting order will be provided by East Lansing Recreation and Aits.
  2. Home team will be the official scorekeeper.

 

C. EQUIPMENT

  1. All equipment must comply with ASA rules.
  2. USE OF ANY TITANIUM ALLOY OR MULTIPLE WALL BATS IS PROHIBITED!
  3. No bare feet, stocking feet, or hard soled shoes will be allowed. Metal, plastic, or rubber cleats as well as t shoes will be allowed.
  4. NO METAL SPIKES iN ANY COED LEAGUE.
  5. Teams are responsible for their own warm up balls, bats, gloves and other equipment as needed. Catchers may wear facemasks if they desire. Game balls will be provided and retained by East Lansing Recreation and Arts.

 

D. TIE BREAKERS

  1. If there is a tie at the end of the regular season for any place, the following tie- breakers will be employed:
    1. Head to head competition
    2. Most runs scored in games involving tied games
    3. Most runs scored in all games
    4. Least runs allowed in games involving tied games
    5. Least runs allowed in all games
    6. Coinflip

 

E. PROTESTS

  1. All protests must be made, in accordance with ASA rules, at the time of the incident, prior to the game continuing. The umpire will inform the opposing team that the game is being played under protest. The manager of the protesting must submit the protest, in writing, to the Recreation Office by 4:00 p.m. the next business day and must be accompanied by a $20 protest fee. It is the protesting team’s responsibility to cite the rule(s) violated. If the protest is upheld, the fee will be refunded.
  2. If a player’s eligibility is protested at the site, the player in question will be required to show identification. If no ID is available, the player must furnish the following information on the back of the score sheet or a separate sheet of paper: name, address, birth date and signature. Failure to produce ID or provide the above information shall result in immediate forfeiture of the game followed by possible suspensions.

 

F. TEAM, PLAYER, MANAGER AND SPECTATOR CONDUCT

  1. Abusive language or behavior by a player or manager will result in an automatic suspension for the game in progress at the time of the incident and the next scheduled contest. A player or manager, who make physical contact, strikes or pushes an official, spectator or player on the premises will be ejected from the game and suspended for the season, a formal report will be submitted to the Recreation office and further disciplinary action will be taken. The league supervisor or umpire has the authority to terminate any game, at any time, in which participants’ behavior is deemed unsportman-like and is not corrected.
  2. Teams and team managers will be held responsible for the conduct of their spectators. If a team is unable to control the behavior of their spectators the game may be terminated and forfeited to the opposing team.
  3. NO ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES ARE ALLOWED 1T’ THE SOFTBALL COMPLEX! Any player who is suspected to be intoxicated may be ejected and subject to further disciplinary action.
  4. There shall be no smoking on the playing field.

 

G. INCLIMENT WEATHER

  1. If there is rain or inclement weather on the day of the game, this office will make a decision BY 5:00 p.m. whether or not the games will be played. The rainout hotline number is 337-4466. After 5:00 P.M. the decision will be made by the umpire-in-chief at the field. Please do not leave a message on the weather hotline number.
  2. Make-up dates will be re-scheduled by the Recreation Coordinator and managers will be contacted. Once games are scheduled there will be absolutely no changes in the schedule. There will be no Friday make-up games in June; the season will be extended if necessary.

East Lansing Recreation and Arts reserves the right to act on any situation and interpret rules in any way that is best for the league and East Lansing Recreation and Arts.