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Lunenburg County Gentlemen’s Slow Pitch Softball League

2026 League Rules & Bylaws
League Structure: President – Troy Wentzell
Vice-President – Tim LeGay
Statistician – Troy Wentzell
Treasurer – Troy Wentzell

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 18 th 2026 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 to be submitted to the
  league on or before Wednesday May 13 th 2026. Teams are permitted to make changes to their roster up to and
  including June 25 by contacting the President and making the request, but any players on the field MUST be

listed on the roster prior to playing. Playing without rostered players will be considered a forfeit.
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GAMES:

• League playing schedule: Starts on Thursday, May 14 th , 2026 and ends on Thursday September 10 th ,

1. (Total 18 Weeks)

• 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 20 th , 2026 or after play will begin at 6:00 p.m. and will
  consist of two 7 inning games unless the first game has not completed before 7:15. In this case, the second
  game will only consist of 6 innings.
• 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 Hot Dot softball will be required to start the game and (2) two good second Hot Dot
  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. All teams are to supply an Official SPN Strike Mat that covers the entire
  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 Hot Dot softball will be required to start the game
  and (2) two good second Hot Dot 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.

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• End of season Playoff Championship Tournament will take place on Saturday, September 12 th and
  Sunday September 13 th , 2026.

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 (30) thirty years of age prior to January 1, 2026 to be eligible to play. All team
  captains are responsible to produce a copy of ALL new league players to the President of the league to
  prove eligibility. Games played with unverified player will be forfeited. No exceptions.
• 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.

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• 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.
  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:
• Each team is permitted a maximum of two (2) courtesy runners per inning.
  A player cannot serve as a courtesy runner more than one time in the same inning.
  If a player currently on base is scheduled to bat, and the team has not yet used both courtesy runners for that
  inning, a courtesy runner may be substituted for that player.
  If a player currently on base is scheduled to bat and the team has already used both courtesy runners for that
  inning, that player’s turn at bat shall be recorded as an automatic out, and the batting order will continue with
  the next batter.
  If after the 2 runners are utilized for an inning, a subsequent player is unable to run the bases, that player will
  not receive a runner and if unable to continue, will be counted as an out.
  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.

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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.
  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:
• Official SPN Strike Mat that covers the entire home plate will be used for all league play. The home
  plate and mat will be the strike zone. The mat should be covering the entire home plate. A pitched ball that hits
  any piece of 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 provide a catcher for the opposing team if the opposing team can only field 8 players. The
  catcher is only responsible to return pitches thrown, and can NOT make an out against their own team, even in
  the event of caught pop fly. Once a ball has been hit, the fielding team must use a player of their own to make
  any plays on the field. Any team that fails to field 9 players will forfeit the game(s). THIS IS NOT IN
  EFFECT ON PLAY-OFF WEEKEND.
  BALLS:
• The approved softballs to be used by the league are: Worth Hot Dot only for the 2025 season. This will
  be a one year trial to be re-evaluated at the first meeting following the 2025 season.
  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.
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LEAGUE BATS:

• Wooden bats only. All wooden softball and baseball bats can be used.
• No wooden composite bats will be permitted.
  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 an out.
• 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 with ball inside touching the home plate or the mat 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 or the mat, 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 7. The opponents for the next 4
  weeks will be filled via random draw at the April 24 meeting. Any games that are rained out from within the
  season will replace these weeks in the order they were cancelled starting with the August 14 games. If there
  are not enough weeks to complete all rained out games, the latest rained out games will be removed from the
  schedule and not played. Any games that are rained out after August 7 will not be rescheduled.
  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 / spare 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, publicly 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

• Any ties in the end of regular season standings will be decided in the following order :
• Most regular season wins.
• Head to Head game results with games between the 2 teams. (If only 2 teams tied)
• Fewest runs against in the games involving the tied teams.
• Most runs scored in the games involving the teams involved.
• Fewest runs against for the season (all games).
• Most runs for in the season (all games).
• Coin toss
• 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.
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• The league will supply the new balls for the play-off tournament. (One per game for round robin, 2 per
  game for the Semi-Final and Championship Games.) Both teams will be expected to provide to the umpire, 2
  used balls prior to the start of each of the round robin games. Any lost balls during those games are to be
  replaced by the team that “lost” them.
• There will be no double life in the Championship Game of the League Play-Offs. A single game will be
  played to determine the Champion.
• In the event of a “Rain Out” of one or both days on the tournament weekend (September 6-7, 2025), the
  following process will be followed :
• The tournament will be rescheduled as a 2 day tournament for September 20-21, 2025 on the fields
  in Dayspring. If these fields are not available for this weekend, the tournament will be played at the
  fields in Liverpool.
• In the event that the tournament is rained out again on the make up weekend, it will be rescheduled
  to the following week-end (September 27-28, 2025) for a last chance playoff weekend. The intent
  will be a full 2 day tournament if the weather permits. If the weather does not permit a 2 day
  tournament, at this point we will select the better weather day of the weekend and play a 1 day
  tournament as attached to the end of this document.
• If playing this weekend is not possible due to weather, the season will end, and no playoffs will be
  played for the current season.
• * The league will supply the bases and strike mat for the end of season tournament.*
• * The team listed as the home team in the first games of each day will be responsible for putting the bases down for play.*