LEAGUE RULES

Revised June 1, 2007

(To report any errors/misspellings or ask questions, contact djac@stanford.edu)

Here are the rules. They are pretty much what we've been doing. Please remember it is the ideal of this league that all people who are in the team's department or group who want to play should be given the opportunity to play regardless of talent level.

-- All games will normally start at 5:30pm. Game times can be changed if both captains agree on a new start time. If you plan on taking a full batting practice please be there enough in advance of the start time to do so. Remember there is another team there as well. If both teams are there at 5:00 then your batting practice better only last 15 minutes. Home team supplies a new Gold Dot softball for every game. Note – if there is a coin flip to determine the home team, both teams should have a new ball.

-- If there is no equipment in place already (like a backstop), use your best judgment for the orientation for the diamond.

-- 7-inning games.

-- We'll play 4 balls and 2 strikes. Unlimited foul balls.

-- 6 feet to 12 feet height limits for pitches. Let's try to keep the arc on the ball. Make sure your catchers know how to call illegal pitches (either too high or too low). On an illegal pitch, a ball is awarded to the batter, unless the batter swings and misses. If the batter swings at any pitch and misses, it is always a strike. If the batter swings at an illegal pitch and hits it (the batter's prerogative), then normal rules apply from that time forward: a hit stands, an out is an out, a foul ball or foul tip is a strike.

-- 60-foot basepaths. The "two-sticks and a string" method should be used to determine what exactly 60 feet is, since I have found empirically that most of the time we set our basepaths more in the 45-foot to 55-foot range.

-- Bases will be stored in the Roble Gym, men’s locker room. Lockers and combination info will be sent out before the beginning of the season. During the summer the gym may close early, so I will let you know in advance if/when it does.

-- Force out at home. Two additional bases will be included with each set of bases. One of these extra bases is the home plate that runners must reach. It should be placed well behind the permanent home plate on the same line from first base to home plate. Catchers make a force out by standing on the permanent home plate. Catchers cannot tag out runners at home, the only way to record an out at home is to have possession of the ball while standing on the normal permanent home plate. If a runner runs to the wrong home plate and interferes with the catcher trying to play the ball, the runner is out. If a baserunner is more than halfway between third and home, he must go home.

-- There is also an additional first base. This base should be placed three feet to the side of the normal first base. The first-basemen should stand only on the inside of the normal first base. The runner should run to the extra (right-hand side) base. This should help avoid collisions/injuries at first base.

-- Catchers should know the rules concerning foul balls and should make calls as quickly and loudly as possible. A ground ball is foul if it rolls outside the foul line before it passes a base. A ground ball is fair if it rolls outside the foul line _after_ passing a base, or bounces directly over or hits a base. A fly ball out of the infield is foul if on the first bounce, it lands outside the foul line. If a defensive player touches a ground ball before it has rolled outside the foul lines, it is a fair ball. Similarly, if a defensive player touches a fly ball in fair territory before it has landed, that is also a fair ball. If a ball hits any part of a tree in foul play, the ball is ruled foul. The catcher's ruling is final! Sometimes it is a very tough call, so let's not give the catchers a hard time on this!

-- Outfielders (EXCEPT the rover) cannot move in too far when a "weaker" batter is up. Specifically, outfielders must be at least 15 yards behind the base paths until the ball is hit. Two orange cones will be provided to be placed 15 yards behind third and first base for the purpose of (1) aiding in the calling of fair and foul balls and (2) serving as a reference point so outfielders are not too far forward.

-- The base coaches make the calls at the base they are at. The third base coach makes the call at second, the first base coach the play at home. Call plays loudly and quickly. If neither coach makes the call, the batter/runner is AUTOMATICALLY OUT, so make the call! We assume that we will all try out best to be fair with the calls.

-- One base is awarded on an overthrow that goes out of the playing field. You only get to cross two bases if you were MORE THAN HALFWAY to the next base WHEN THE OVERTHROW OCCURED. The overthrow "occurs" at the moment the ball goes out of play, not at the moment the ball was released from a fielder's hand.

-- If a pinch runner is needed in any situation, the pinch runner MUST be the last player to create an out for the batting team. If that player is unable to pinch run, then it would be the person who made an out before them.

-- There is only one way to hit a homerun and take your time going around the bases. When playing on the corner of Santa Teresa and the Roble Gym, if a ball is hit into the trees by the Roble Parking Lot, the batter is awarded a homerun.

-- No bunting. I mean a legitimate attempt to bunt. A full swing which happens to result in something that could have been a bunt is perfectly legal and in play.

-- A runner going from first to second cannot attempt to interfere with an infield throw to first. They should slide (if they are close), or run slightly out of the base path. Interfering with the throw to first will result in an automatic double play.

-- A team must field at least 7 people to play. Less than 7 is a forfeit. There is no penalty for playing with 7 or more, other than the obvious fielding difficulties for small teams. The opposing team will ALWAYS supply a backstop to the short-handed team if requested (up to the normal total of 10 players). The backstop will only catch pitches and will not be involved in any other plays.

-- Try to keep the equipment you use safe. For example, no steel spikes. Bats banned by the Amateur Softball Association, are also banned by the SRSL. Click here for a direct link to the banned bats list.

-- Team wins and losses will be kept. The winning team is responsible for reporting the score to the commish at djac@stanford.edu.

-- Try to let your team members know of the rules before the season begins!

Finally, let's all have a friendly, fun, and safe season!

Back to Top