MORRIS/ESSEX TUESDAY MORNING LEAGUE
RULES SEASON 2020
This
official document is intended to serve as a guideline pertaining to rules of
the Morris/Essex Tuesday Morning Senior Softball
League. Any needed references not specifically
stated here are to be found in the Official Senior Softball – USA Rulebook
which can be found online (http://seniorsoftball.com). Rules applying to tournaments are not
intended to be considered here.
I. ZERO TOLERANCE:
A. There is a zero tolerance policy regarding
physical altercations. A player who puts a hand on or bumps another
player in an attempt to injure shall be ejected from the game, suspended
from play and must leave the field immediately. A player may be banned from
continued play in the League for a period of time to be determined by the Board
of Directors and Commissioners upon notification by Managers of any
incidents within 24 hours.
B. All in-game disputes directly related to
rules shall be discussed between and resolved by Managers only with no player
interference.
II. START AND LENGTH OF GAMES:
A. Two
official games shall be played on each scheduled date unless prevented by
weather or other conditions. Postponement or cancelation of games at one
field shall not cause postponement or cancelation of games at any other field.
B. The first game shall begin promptly at 10:00
or a forfeit shall be called.
C.
Managers shall mutually agree which team is ‘home’ team in the first
game, and the opponent shall be ‘home’ team in the second game.
D.
Games are seven inning contests unless tied, and shall continue until
one team has scored at least one run more than the opponent in any
further full inning of play.
E. All
extra-inning games continue as an extension of the game in progress. Each-half
inning begins with a runner on second base, and that runner must be the last
batter who was up the previous inning when the last out was made. If that batter had a courtesy runner, then
that courtesy runner shall assume second base.
F. There shall be at least a 5 minute break
between the end of the first game and start of a second game for hydration and
rest, but no more than 10 minutes.
G. To shorten the 2nd game, a
starting count of one ball and one strike may be agreed upon by both team managers,
or may be played as a 5-inning contest without using a one and one count. (See
also XI)
There is no courtesy foul
for a batter when using the one and one start count or a full 3 and 2 count. A foul on a third strike rules the batter out.
H. In case of inclement weather
all rescheduled games will be played on the Thursday following the
postponement, if field conditions are playable.
If not, they will be played on the following Thursday. For example, if games are postponed on
Tuesday May 5th, the games will be played on Thursday May 7th. If
they cannot be played on the 7th, they will be played on the 14th. Teams not able to play these re-scheduled
games on a Thursday will be charged with a forfeit.
III. NUMBER OF PLAYERS/PLAYER USE:
A.
Each team may field a maximum of 11 positions throughout a game.
B. Each team must have at least 9 rostered
players on the field to start a game. Less than 9 players shall
constitute an official forfeit, and shall be entered as a loss in the league
standings.
C. Any team starting an official game with 9 rostered players may ask
to have one additional player provided by the opponent. The 10th player added is ‘live’
for that team, may only play defensively at the catcher’s position and
must bat with his own team. Teams with 10 players may not officially
request any additional player to be provided by the opposing team.
D. A player who desires to play
the field must play defense a minimum of 2 innings during one game and a minimum of 4 innings during
the double header. Players may be freely
substituted throughout a game in the field.
E.
Each team must bat all rostered players who attend games, unless
injured. A player who does not bat may not play in the field. There are no
pinch hitters.
F.
Any player participating in a game may be a courtesy runner for another
player on his team no more than once per inning. This includes being a courtesy runner from
Home Plate. A player attempting to be a
courtesy runner a second time in the same inning shall be called out. A
courtesy runner replacing a batter who reaches a base safely must do so
immediately after the batter reaches that base.
When running from home plate for a
batter, the courtesy runner must position himself directly behind the catcher
at home plate in line with the strike mat, and cannot run until ball contact is
made by the batter.
G.
A courtesy runner, unless injured, may not be replaced by another
courtesy runner.
H.
A courtesy runner on base when it is his turn to bat
shall be called out, and must
vacate the occupied base. However, if
there are less than three outs in the inning, may take his spot in the batting order.
I. Any
players who arrive after their team has taken the
field,
or after the first pitch of a game, may only be inserted in the last spot of
the official batting order.
IV.
RUNS/SCORING:
A. Five-runs maximum for each team in the
first inning.
B.
Second through sixth inning is five run maximum or
five
runs more than the opponent if tied or losing.
C. Seventh inning and beyond is unlimited
scoring.
D.
When a visiting team is leading by at least twelve runs after five or
more fully completed innings of play, or the home team is leading by at least
12 or more runs after 4 ½ innings a ‘Mercy’ rule automatically applies, and the
game is officially ended.
V.
FIELD/BASE SPECIFICATIONS AND DIMENSIONS:
A.
The distance between bases at all fields shall be 65 feet unless
prevented by fixed field markings, but then no less than 60 feet.
B.
First base shall have either two separate bases or a double-base. The inside base is for throw-out plays at
first base where the fielder receives the ball; the outside base shall be the
runner’s base when running to first base from home plate on a throw-out
play.
C. There
are two home plates: the Scoring Plate
for the runner and the other is the Strike Mat which also serves as the
catcher’s home plate. (See Rule lX, Game
Equipment, for dimensions of the scoring Plate and Strike Mat).
D.
The pitcher’s box is an area 50 feet from the back of the home plate
portion of the strike mat to the pitching rubber and extending six feet back
with a width of twenty-four inches.
E.
A “commitment line” between third base and home plate shall be indicated
on the ground at the mid-way mark with a perpendicular line that crosses the
foul line.
VI. BASE RUNNING:
A.
Sliding is permitted at first, second and third bases. Sliding is not permitted at the scoring home
plate. Collisions with fielders are to be avoided at all times. (see
also Para. XI)
B.
A runner must avoid blocking a throw from a fielder on a force-out play,
especially where a double or triple play from base to base is continuous, and
the runner must either slide or give himself up. Obvious failure to do this may result in a possible
double or triple play being called in an umpire’s judgment.
C.
A runner who avoids first base to prevent
an obvious collision may be called safe in the umpire’s judgment.
D.
Tag plays can be made at any base except home plate. A runner must touch
the outside home plate before the player at the strike mat catches and holds
the ball with at least one foot on the mat on plays at home plate. Once a runner passes the ‘commitment line’ he
may no longer return toward third base or he will be called out.
E.
At first base the runner must touch the outside base on a play when a
throw is made in an attempt to get the runner out who has just batted a ball,
and is attempting to reach the base safely.
A runner touching the wrong base shall be declared out. A fielder
touching the wrong base shall cause the runner to be called safe.
F.
There is no leading when on base. Runners cannot attempt to advance
until a batter swings at a pitched ball.
Doing so shall result in the runner being called out, and the pitch
shall be called a dead ball.
VII. PITCHING REGULATIONS:
A. The
slow pitch arc is between six and twelve feet in height. Pitches lower or higher than those dimensions
shall be declared illegal by the home plate umpire and counted as a ball unless
the batter swings at it.
B. The pitcher must release the ball with at
least one foot
in the pitcher’s box. Non-compliance shall
result in the pitch being called a ball by the home plate umpire.
C. Any
pitched ball that is foul-tipped by a batter, but not above his head, directly back to the catcher,
and is caught cleanly in the hand(s) or glove without touching the catcher’s
body is an out.
D. All pitchers must wear a safety mask while
pitching during a game and/or in practice. It is suggested that pitchers
wear shinguards.
VIII. Defensive Positions
No
fielder position, other than the Short Fielder position, may radically change a
defensive field location for any opposing batter at the plate.
lX. GAME EQUIPMENT:
A. Softballs shall be provided by the League
according to current ASA regulations each season. In each game a new or ‘game
‘ball is provided by the home team. A backup ball does not have to be new, but
must be in good condition and consistent with ASA regulations.
B. Current ASA regulations state that a bat
cannot exceed 1.21 bpf (Bat Performance Factor) and stamped with the official
ASA certification for 2000, 2004 or 2013.
A complete list of non-approved ASA bats shall be provided by the Commissioner
prior to the start of the current season.
A player found to be using non-approved or altered bats in League play
shall be automatically ejected from the game, not allowed to return and
referred to the Commissioner for determination of penalty.
C. A Strike Mat constructed of wood, thirty-six
inches in length and twenty-two inches
wide, shall be the official mat.
D. A Scoring Plate for runners, about the size of
Home Plate, shall be placed approximately 9’5” from the third base corner of
Home Plate (which would place it about 1’2” to the third base side of the Batter’s
Box).
E. Players shall wear rubber-soled
athletic shoes when participating in League games. No metal spikes, metal cleats or other
non-rubber material shall be worn. Any
player found to be in violation shall be ejected from the game, not allowed to
return and referred to the Commissioner for determination of any penalty.
F. The League supplied
every team with a safety mask for pitchers.
X. ROSTERS:
A.
All Managers must submit a team roster no later than
the set date for the official March meeting
of the League Commissioner and Board of Directors for the upcoming scheduled
season. A roster should have a 15 man
minimum, and there is no maximum number.
B.
The Commissioner must be notified of and approve any requested additions
to rosters after the season begins, and before June 1st. Any roster addition after June 1st
must be submitted to the Commissioner for approval, and the Board of Directors
must be notified.
C.
The League Commissioner shall provide complete League rosters before the
start of the season, and any additions to rosters immediately after deadline
dates, to all team Managers.
Xl. SLOCUM
DIVISION: The following rules apply only to this division.
1. No sliding is allowed at
any base, and the player who slides shall be automatically called out. This applies when going to or going back to a
base, once you are on the ground it is considered a slide.
2. To shorten the 2nd game, a
count of one ball and one strike will be
played unless a full count is agreed upon by both managers, or may be
played as a 5-inning contest without using a one and one count.
Common sense must prevail when participating in League play. Questions
or suggestions relating to league operations, league game rules or anything
pertinent to successful and continued League existence should follow the common
protocol of addressing the team Manager who shall bring such valid questions or suggestions to the
League Commissioners.
March 28, 2019
January 29, 2020