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Lunenburg County Gentlemen’s Slow Pitch Softball League

2024 League Rules & Bylaws

League Rules:

• Playing rules to follow those set forth by Softball Canada Official Rule Book.
  WITH THE FOLLOWING BY-LAWS:
  
  LEAGUE MEETINGS
• The first meeting of the league should take place no later than the month of March each year.
  (note: field reservations are to be forwarded to the District of Lunenburg Recreation Dept., Town of Mahone Bay, the Town of Bridgewater Recreation Dept. and Michelin Social Club if required – during the month of March each year.
• The second meeting of the league should take place during the month of April or the first week of the month of May each year.
• At this meeting all League teams will be required to pay to the league a minimum of $500.00 (five
  hundred dollars) of their League registration fees.
• (note: (1) The District of Lunenburg Recreation Dept. requires that all field rental fees for The Dayspring softball fields for the regular season be paid in-full before our league teams start to play on the fields.
  (2) Mahone Bay field- if all field rental fees are paid in-full before regular season play starts, the league may receive a discount on the field rental fees.
  (3) To purchase softballs before the start of League play.
• Optional third meeting. Should take place after the End of Season Playoff Championship Tournament. To be held late September or in the month of October. (1) review regular
  season.
  (2) review playoffs.
  (3) review League Rules & By-Laws (make necessary changes as required).
  
  TEAM REGISTRATION FEES :
• ALL remaining team registration fees to be submitted to the league on Thursday June 13 th 2024 Failure to do so will result in the offending team(s) forfeiting each doubleheader games on the schedule starting on the above mentioned date and each scheduled Thursday doubleheader games on the schedule there after until submitted to the appropriate league official.
  
  TEAM PLAYER ROSTERS :
  ALL remaining team registration fees to be submitted to the league on Thursday June 13 th 2024 Failure to do so will result in the offending team(s) forfeiting each doubleheader games on the schedule starting on the above mentioned date and each scheduled Thursday doubleheader games on the schedule there after until submitted to the appropriate league official.
  
  TEAM PLAYER ROSTERS :
• ALL teams player rosters of up to a maximum of (25) twenty-five players are also to be submitted to the league on or before Thursday June 27 th 2023. This will be during week 7 on the playing schedule. This will allow teams to make a few changes during the first seven weeks of the season. Failure to do so will result in the offending team(s) forfeiting each doubleheader games on the schedule starting on the above mentioned date and each scheduled Thursday doubleheader games on the schedule there after until submitted to the appropriate league official.

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GAMES:

• League playing schedule: Starts on Thursday, May 9 th , 2024 and ends on Thursday September 5 th ,
  2024.
• All games are to begin at 6:15 p.m.
• Teams will play a doubleheader (2) two games, with each game being 7 innings.
• Games starting on Thursday August 15 th , 2024 will still begin play at 6:15 p.m. but will consist of
  two 7 inning games if possible. If the second game of the double header is not started prior to 7:15, only 6 innings will be played. The umpire also has the authority to give teams warning that they are about to play the final inning of a shortened game, or set a pre-decided number of innings in the 2 nd game if they feel that the conditions will become unsafe due to darkness.
• No extra innings will be played if a game is tied after 7 innings during the regular season.
• The home team listed on the schedule will have the first home game and supply the game balls. At least (1) one Never Used Grey Dot softball will be required to start the game and (2) two good second softballs. Additional second softballs will be supplied as required during the game.
• * The home teams listed on the playing schedule are responsible for bringing and installation of the bases and mat for behind home plate*
• The away team listed on the schedule will be the home team for the second game of the doubleheader and supply the game balls. At least (1) one Never Used Grey Dot softball will be required to start the game and (2) two good second softballs. Additional second softballs will be supplied as required during the game.
• There will be a 15 minute grace period from 6:15 pm to 6:30 p.m. if needed for teams requiring the
  additional time to field a team. At 6:30 p.m. a team not having the minimum number of 9 players to play will forfeit the first game to the opposing team.
• At this time (6:30 p.m.) a second 15 minute grace period from 6:30 pm to 6:45 p.m. will be in effect to allow the team not having the minimum number of 9 players to field a team for the second game of the doubleheader. At 6:45 p.m. the team not having the minimum number of 9 players to play will forfeit the second game.
• Players can be added at any time to the bottom of the batting order upon arriving after the start of a
  game to reach 10, 11, 12 etc. up to the maximum of each teams 25 player roster. This will be at each team’s discretion.
• If a team has greater than 9 players and a player or players become injured or has to leave suddenly etc. the team can go down to as far as 9 players and that player or players who are no longer playing in the line-up will be skipped in the batting order and will not be counted as outs or the position or positions vacated in the line-up can be filled by a substitute / spare player(s) who are on the teams 25 player roster. This will be at each team’s discretion.
• End of season Playoff Championship Tournament will take place on Saturday, September 7 th and
  Sunday September 8 th , 2024.

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PLAYER ELIGIBILITY

• Teams must field a team that consists of players from their submitted roster. Dressing players not on your
  roster will result in a forfeit.
• All players to be (34) thirty-four years of age on or before December 31 of the current season
  year with the exception of (2) two players that will have reached the age of 33 by December 31 of the current season calendar year
• All new players entering into the League shall provide proof of age eligibility to the League before
  playing. (A copy of their drivers licence shall be forwarded to the League by each team rep. as required ).
• All new rostered player names to be: highlighted, a check marked, an X, etc. placed beside their name to identify them to the League that they are a new player entering the League for the first time.
• Each teams player roster will be reviewed by the League to identify if there are any new players on team rosters entering the league without providing proof of age eligibility. Failure to provide proof of age before playing will result in the violating team(s) forfeiting any wins with which they had obtained while the player or players were playing with the team. Therefore wins will become losses in the League standings.
• Teams are reminded to keep all their game sheets throughout the season. The league may request to review game sheets to identify if new players have played without providing proof of age eligibility.( Game sheets may also be required to provide information to break ties between teams that may end up being tied in the standings at the end of season scheduled league play.
• Upon receiving a written complaint from a league team of the possibility of an ineligible player or
  players playing on another team in the league, the league will investigate and require the named player or players to provide proof of eligibility to continue to play. (Drivers licence). Failure to provide proof will result in the named player or players immediately being unable to continue to play until proof is provided to the league.
  
  INJURED / REPLACEMENT PLAYERS:
• A team requiring a replacement player(s) do to a roster player(s) being injured during the season may pick up a replacement player(s) upon the league receiving a doctor’s note verifying the team’s roster player(s) injury.
• The injured players name will be removed from the team roster and the replacement player(s) name will be added to the roster. If an injured player is fit to return to play, the replacement player who was added to the roster to replace the injured player will be removed from the roster and the returning injured players name will be reinstated on the team roster.
• The name of the replacement player to be provided to the league. Along with proof of age eligibility.
• The deadline for replacement players to be added to team rosters to be eligible to play the remaining of the regular season scheduled games and playoff championship tournament shall be by the 2nd Thursday in the month of August of each current season year.

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ELIGIBILITY TO PLAY WITHOUT BATTING:

• If a team has exactly (9) nine players at a game to play and one of those players can only play catcher, pitcher or first base due to an injury that prohibits the player from running or batting, this player can be skipped in the batting order and will not be counted as an out.
  
  COURTESY RUNNERS:
• Teams will be permitted to have a maximum of (2) two courtesy runners per game. These player may be named at the start of the game if it is known that a runner will be needed for a player with a pre-existing injury, or named during the game if a player gets injured. If the (2) two players have already been named, and another player is injured, the newly injured player will be unable to use a courtesy runner. Normal pinch runner rules may be applied, and the player can be replaced in the line up.
• The (2) two players requiring a courtesy runner shall only be permitted to have a courtesy runner after reaching first base, unless an error had occurred / over throw / dead ball, etc. which would permit the player requiring a courtesy to be awarded to go to 2 nd or 3 rd base by the Umpire, therefore, would still be able request to have a courtesy runner.
• Players who have been permitted to have a courtesy runner, who reach either 2 nd or 3 rd base during their at bat will not be permitted to have a courtesy runner. .
• The runner(s) for the maximum of two players requiring courtesy runners will be the last out that was
  counted previous to the use of the courtesy runner excluding any player that is named to require a courtesy runner. If no outs have been recorded in the game at this point, the last player in the batting order will be used as the courtesy runner.
  
  DESIGNATED HITTER / ONE DH PER TEAM / PER GAME:
• Before the start of each game both teams will confirm who their DH ( designated hitter ) player will be during that game.
• If the DH ( designated hitter ) is walked during their at bat or told to go directly to 1 st base without
  being pitched too, the DH ( designated hitter ) player shall be awarded to go directly to 2 nd base.
• Any player(s) who are already on base will only advance if forced by the DH receiving his 2 bases.
  
  TEAM LINE-UPS:
• Each team having more than (9) nine roster players on hand / at the field ready to play are required to play and bat no less than a minimum of (10) ten roster players during a game.
• At each teams discretion, a team can play and bat up to the teams maximum roster of (20) twenty players. (Clarification: Therefore each team can play and bat between a minimum of (10) ten to maximum of (20) twenty players for each game.
  
  SUBSTITUTION OF PLAYERS:
• Any player listed on its teams starting line-up game sheet may be substituted for during a game provided the team making the substitution(s) have enough substitute / spare rostered players on their players bench to be entered into the game for the starting players.
• Substitute players can only enter the game once.
• Starting players can re-enter the game.
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PITCHING REGULATIONS / PITCHING CHUTE:

• (1) The pitcher may start anywhere within the pitching chute or touching the pitching rubber, with one foot
  or both feet in or touching.
  (2) The pivot foot must be in or touching the pitching chute or pitching rubber.
  (3) The Pitching Chute – shall be 2 feet wide (width of pitching rubber) by 10 feet long, measuring 10 feet
  back from front of pitching rubber.
  (4) The umpires will have to enforce the pitching chute rule using their discretion / judgement.
  
  STRIKE ZONE: PLATE & MAT:
• The home plate and mat will be the strike zone. The mat should be placed snug up against the back of the home plate. A pitched ball that hits either the home plate or the mat is to be called a strike.
  
  BATTERS BOX:
• The batters box is 3ft. in front of home plate and 4ft. behind home plate. Batters are now permitted to step / place back foot behind the strike mat up to 1ft. to hit the ball. (the strike mat is 3ft. long). These measurements are taken from each back, side corner of the home plate.
  
  CATCHER RULE:
• A team will no longer provide a catcher for the opposing team. A minimum number of 9 players is
  required to play. Any team that fails to field 9 players will forfeit the game(s).
  
  BALLS:
• The approved softballs to be used by the league are: Worth Super Grey Dot – COR .40 Max
  Compression 375LBS or Mizuno MS380 – COR .47 Max Compression 375LBS..
• If any ball other than the balls specified above are mistakenly used in a game, they MUST be used for one(1) complete inning by each team.
  
  SHOES:
• Shoes with metal spikes are not permitted.
  
  BASES:
• Teams are required to provide bases that are in safe condition (not badly torn), and shall include a
  double safe-base at 1 st base. Bases are to be securely pegged down.
  LEAGUE BATS:
• Wooden bats only. All wooden softball and baseball bats can be used.
• No wooden composite bats will be permitted.

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ILLEGAL BATS:

• If a player is discovered using an illegal bat during a game, the offending team will be forced to forfeit that game and the player using the illegal bat will be suspended immediately from play.
• Length of suspension to be (8) eight consecutive games.
  
  HOME RUN RULE:
• A team may only hit (3) three outside of the ball park home runs per game. Any home runs hit after the (3) three home runs outside the ball park have been used, will be counted as a single hit. Batter to advance to first base.
• Any runners already occupying a base when a ball is hit outside of the ball park after the (3) three home runs have been used, can only advance bases by force.
• An inside the ball park home run will not be considered to be (1) one of the outside of the ball park home runs.
• If a fly ball is touched by a defensive player before touching the playing surface and goes over the outfield fence, it will be counted as a home run.
  
  MERCY RULE / 1O RUN RULE:
• The (10) ten run rule will be in effect for all games after the losing team has had a minimum of (5) five at-bats.
  
  TO TAG OR NOT TO TAG / SAFETY LINES & COMMITMENT LINES:
  NOT TO TAG:
• An out at home plate must result from the softball being held by the defensive player, with the defensive player having their foot or ball glove touching the home plate while the offensive player is still between the commitment-line and safe-line, before the offensive player crosses the safe-line.
  
  SAFE-LINE:
• The offensive player must touch any part of the safe-line with either foot or be completely over the safe-line and touching the ground on the other side of the safe-line before the defensive player is holding onto the softball while still being in contact with the home plate, to be safe at home plate and score a run.
• An offensive player who crosses over the commitment-line going towards home plate with at least (1)
  one foot completely over the commitment-line (foot not touching any part of the commitment-line) and
  touching the ground must continue to proceed home and may not return to 3 rd base.
• If the offensive player touches the home plate or mat before touching or crossing the safe-line the
  offensive player will be called out.

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RAIN OUT RULE:

• If games are cancelled due to inclement weather and or poor field conditions, team reps. will be
  contacted between 4:30 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. of the cancellation. And the team reps are to notify players on their team. Otherwise teams are to go to the field that they are scheduled to play on and at that time a decision will be made between the teams that are playing each other whether to play or not to play based on the condition of the field. Decision to play must be unanimous between both teams. Due to contractual changes, games will only be cancelled if the fields are deemed unfit to play by the field monitors/owners.
  
  MAKE UP GAMES:
• *** All regular season league games are scheduled to finish on August 8. The next 4 weeks will be used to make up games that are rained out from within the season in the order they were cancelled. If there are not enough weeks to complete all rained out games, the latest rained out games will be removed from the schedule.
  
  If all weeks are not needed, the remaining weeks will be used to play added regular season games that will count toward the standings starting with week 1 of the regular season schedule being played again, followed by week 2, up to possibly week 4 if no rain outs have occurred.
  
  GAMES RAINED OUT DURING PLAY:
• A regulation game will be 4.5 innings if the home team is leading or 5 innings if tied or the home team is behind. If a game is called by the umpire because of weather before becoming a regulation game, it will be declared a tie.
  ( ie: If the first game of the double header is called before becoming a regulation game and the second game of the double header can not be played, both games will be declared a tie.)
  
  ALCOHOL RULE:
• There is to be no alcohol on or near the playing field. This will include player in dugouts, player on
  benches along with players in the parking lots prior to and following games. This can not be monitored by the league, therefore each team captain/representative will be deemed responsible for the players on their roster and any fans permitted in the dugout areas.

UMPIRES:

• Registered umpires will be used for all regular season scheduled games if available.
  
  PLAYER EJECTED FROM A GAME
• When a player is ejected from a game, the ejected players vacant spot in the batting order is to be filled by a substitute / spare roster player if available.
• If the vacant spot in the batting order can not be filled by a substitute / spar roster player it will be counted as an out each time that the ejected players spot in the batting order is reached during the remainder of the game.
• If a player is ejected while at bat. A substitute / spare roster player if available must take the remainder of the ejected players at bat and inherit the count ( balls and strikes ) if applicable at the time of the ejection. And remain in the remainder of the game after the at bat or be replaced by another substitute / spare player who has not already played in the game.

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Disciplinary Policy – Abuse of an Umpire

• Verbal or physical Abuse of Umpires will NOT be tolerated in any form and is not limited to the items
  below.
• Umpire abuse – is defined as any deliberate action that makes an umpire feel physically threatened,
  verbally intimidated or emotionally humiliated. Disrespectfully objecting to calls, yelling at, publically calling, constantly disagreeing with an umpire by action or verbally can be deemed umpire abuse.
• Immediate ejection of a player from a game may be applied without a verbal warning from the Umpire when:
  (1) a player questions an Umpires honesty and integrity.
  (2) a player uses profane language that is directed at the Umpire personally, opposing player(s) or fan(s).
  (3) a player directs an obscene gesture towards an Umpire, opposing player(s) or fan(s).
  (4) a player flagrantly throws equipment or part of a uniform in obvious protest of a call.
  (5) a player leaves their position on the field or dugout to argue balls and strikes.
  (6) a player commits any of the items listed under excessive abuse.
• Any player that is ejected from a game by an umpire must immediately retreat to their team bench or leave the playing area for the remainder of the game.
• If the player continues to disrupt the game/umpire/opposing players from the bench position or fails to leave the playing field when commanded, they will be ejected from the field area and reported to the league. The player will subsequently be suspended for the teams next 2 games. (Next 1 game in Play-offs). Suspension length will double for each subsequent violation.
• If the player continues or refuses to leave the playing field, the game will be forfeited. The player involved will meet with the disciplinary committee for further discipline. If the umpire deems that the team captain failed to do everything in his power to remove the player, the acting captain of the game will be suspended for the next 2 games.
• Any player that commits one of the offences listed under the “Excessive Abuse” section will serve an
  automatic (but not limited to) 4 game suspension for each offence committed. An additional disciplinary review will be performed by the disciplinary committee to review the severity of the situation and deem if the suspension is sufficient.
• A player that commits a second “Excessive Abuse” case within a 3 year period will serve an automatic
  suspension for the remainder of the season plus the entire following year’s season.
  Excessive Abuse of an Umpire
  (1) a player makes intentional physical contact with the Umpire.
  (2) a player kicks or throws dirt on or at an Umpire.
  (3) a player spits on or at an Umpire or opposing player(s).
  (4) a player flagrantly throws equipment or part of a uniform in obvious protest of a call in a manner that is dangerous to other players, the umpire or fans.
  
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• continued disciplinary policy – abuse of an umpire.
• Physical Abuse of an Umpire – any incident that involves physical abuse by bodily threatening,
  shoving, bumping, kicking, punching or harming an Umpire in any other way will result in an immediate indefinite suspension of the player from the league.
• The suspensions will carry over from one season to the next season until served.
• A player wishing to be reinstated must appear before the Disciplinary Committee for a hearing.
• Disciplinary Committee: The Disciplinary Committee shall consist of one member from each team who were not involved in the game that the altercation occurred, plus the League President. ( The President will only vote to break ties ).
  The team or teams and umpire involved in the altercation will meet with the Disciplinary Committee
  individually to present their side of the information on the altercation before a decision is made by the Disciplinary Committee.
  
  MEASUREMENTS FOR PUTTING DOWN BASES, SAFE-LINE AND COMMITMENT LINE:
  1 st and 3 rd bases:
• measure by starting from the back corner of home plate, measure 65 ft. each way towards both the 1 st and 3 rd base markings.
  2 nd base:
• measure by starting from the back corner of home plate, measure 92 ft. straight out over the centre of both the home plate and the pitching rubber to the 2 nd base marking.
  Commitment line:
• measure by starting from the back corner of home plate, measure 21 ft. towards 3 rd base and at this measured location draw the commitment line parallel to 1 st base.
  Pitching rubber:
• measure by starting from the back corner of the home plate, measure 50 ft. straight out over the centre of home plate. This is where the pitching rubber should be placed.
  Safe-line:
• the safe-line is drawn from the front corner of the home plate closest to 3 rd base and is drawn parallel to 1 st base.
  
  LEAGUE WEBSITE AND STANDINGS:
  Weekly Standings:
• All team captains are required to submit their game scores via text or e-mail to the 902-527-6475 or
  troywentzell@hotmail.com directly following the second game each night. A reminder email/text will be subsequently be sent to any teams that fail to do so. If the scores are not submitted prior to game time the following week, the game/games un-accounted for will be deemed cancelled games and no points awarded for either team in the standings. Any ties in the weekly standings are broken by head to head (if possible), runs for, then fewest runs against.
  Website:
• All league information (standings, rules/regulations, and rosters (once available), can be found at
  http://www.mixedsoftball.com.
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End of Season Playoff Championship Tournament Rules

• Playing rules to follow those set forth by Softball Canada. With the following League rules.
• All home games to higher seeded teams based on end of regular season standings throughout the “seeding day” of the closing tournament (Saturday).
• The home team will be determined by the placement from the Seeding day for all games played in the Championship and Consolation brackets. The higher ranked team will be the home team. If in the final game, both teams are seeded equally, home team will be determined by a coin toss.
• All Playoff games will be on played in Dayspring on Fields 1 & 3.
• The League Championship Game will be played on field – Dayspring # 3
• If (2) two teams are tied after round robin play, whoever defeated the other in head to head play will get the higher position (seed).
• If (3) three teams are tied after round robin play:
  (1) the best plus / minus of games played between the tied teams will be used, if still tied:
  (2) the best plus / minus of all round robin games played will be used, if still tied:
  (3) the least amount of runs allowed in all round robin games played will be used, if still tied:
  (4) a coin toss. All (3) teams will have one team representative flip a coin at the same time. The winning team is the one whose coin differentiates itself from the other two. Example – if the result of the three flipped coins is heads-heads-tails, the team that flipped tails wins. If all three coins land on the same side, re-flip the coins. The (2) teams remaining tied, whoever defeated the other in head to head play will get the next highest seeded position. For plus / minus purposes, all scores will revert back to the last completed inning.
• Home teams do not bat in the bottom of an inning if the visiting team does not catch up in the top part of the inning, and a maximum of plus / minus 7 will be used for tie breaking purposes.
• If teams are tied after 7 innings, extra innings will be played until a winner is decided and the international rule will not be in effect for each extra inning required.
• Registered umpires will be used for all games.
• The (10) ten run rule will be in effect.
• If ONLY 1 team enters the Championship Game with “Double Life” remaining, it will remain intact, and if they are defeated in the first game, a second game would be played to determine the League Champion.
  If both teams enter the Championship Game with double life, only 1 game will be played to determine the champion.
• Teams are reminded to help each other out during the games retrieving out of play balls.
• * The league will supply the bases and strike mat for the end of season tournament.*