Rules - Mixed Section

1.

EQUIPMENT:

a)

Players must wear the official team sweater at all times during a game.
 

b)

Players are not allowed to use shoes with metal sole and heel plates.

2.

REGULATION GAMES:

a)

All regulation & quarter final games consists of seven full innings or sixty five minutes of play, whichever comes first. As there may be ties in the standings, both halves of the inning must be played, regardless of the score. An inning may not be started after 65 minutes of play. An inning started before the 65 minutes mark has to be completed.

Note:  this time limit does not apply to semi finals or finals.

b)

Games must be started on time. Infield warm-ups are not permitted, and pitchers will be limited to 3 warm-up pitches between innings

c)

Where there is a problem with rain, poor field conditions, lights, etcetera, the section co-ordinator or his/her assistant will decide whether the game is to be played or continued.

d)

MERCY RULE:  Once a team is leading by 20 runs after a complete inning, the game is over.  If time permits, and the teams chose to continue to play past this point, only a 20 run differential will count in the standings.

3.

OFFICIAL TEAMS:

a)

The minimum age for participation as a player in the Tournament is 18 years of age

b)

Ten defensive players are allowed on the field, a minimum five of which must be female, a maximum of 5 may be male, the pitcher is supplied by the offensive team. In the batting order, teams must alternate male and female batters throughout the batting order (including bottom to top of the order).  Consecutive male batters is not allowed, thus if the number of males outnumbers the females on a team, the team will have to use separate male and female batting orders and alternate. All players present, including the pitcher, must be included in the batting order.

c)

In each inning, the defensive team may use a maximum of ten players in the field. The pitcher is supplied by the offensive team (pitches to his/her own team) and may pitch the entire game (does not have to sit an inning). No player is to sit out a second defensive inning until each player on the team has sat out one defensive inning.

d)

A team must have a minimum of eight players to start a game, 5 of which must be female. A team must have sufficient players to start a game at the scheduled starting time, else the game is forfeit.

e)

A team must have a minimum of seven players to continue a game.  A team may continue a game with less than 5 female players but the maximum number of defensive male players remains at 5.

f)

A player who arrives after the first pitch of the game may play, but his/her name must be added to the bottom of the batting order, last or second to last to respect rule 3C . If his/her team is in the field and is playing with less than 10 fielders, he/she may join the game immediately.

g)

If a batter is unable to run for himself / herself, a pinch runner is allowed from home plate (The pinch runner shall start from a line, behind home plate, parallel to, and 3 feet to the foul side of, the third base line.).

h)

A player who misses a turn at bat because of illness or injury must leave the game.

i)

A fielder who leaves the game because of illness or injury may return to the game, provided he/she does not miss a turn at bat. He/she must, however, return to the field on his/her next scheduled turn or leave the game.

4.

PITCHING REGULATIONS:

a)

The pitcher's "rubber" is the imaginary line which runs between 1st and third bases. The pitcher must have at least one foot on the line when the ball is released.

b)

The pitcher is a member of the offensive team (pitches to his / her own team).  The batter has 4 pitches to “put the ball in play” or is OUT.  A batter cannot be “walked”.

5.

BATTING REGULATIONS:

a)

In the batting order, consecutive males are not allowed. (including bottom to top of the order).  Male and female batters must alternate (see rule 3c).

b)

Bunting is not allowed. A bunt is a batted ball that does not reach the  half way points between home plate and first and third bases. A bunt is considered the loss of a pitch.

c)

Strike outs: Each batter may receive a maximum of 4 pitches and is considered to have struck out if he/she has not “put the ball in play” after having received 4 pitches. To be “in play” the ball must be batted in fair territory past the imaginary line that joins the half way points between home plate and first and third bases.

If a fielder chooses to make a play on a  batted ball before it reaches the imaginary line that joins the half way points between home plate and first and third bases the ball will be considered to be “In Play” as soon as the fielder touches the ball.

d)

Foul balls to the catcher: A ball hit to foul territory is either a "foul ball" or a "foul tip".

i) A foul tip is a batted ball which goes directly from the bat, not higher than the batter's head, to the catcher's hands and is legally caught, and any foul tip that is caught is a strike. The ball is dead.

ii) A batter is out if a fly ball, including a foul fly ball, is legally caught by any player, including the catcher

e)

Batter's box: The batter's box on either side of home plate begins six inches from the plate and is three feet wide. The batter's box extends four feet in front of a line through the centre of home plate, and three feet behind this line.

i) The batter must stand with both feet inside the batter's box when the ball is delivered by the pitcher. A batter who fails to take his/her position within 20 seconds of the umpire's "play ball" will be called out.

ii) When the ball is hit, that part of the batter's foot which is touching the ground must not be completely outside of the batter's box, nor touching any part of home plate.

Effect: The ball is dead, the batter is out, base runners may not advance.

f)

Ball touching the Pitcher: A batted ball that touches the pitcher is a dead ball and the batter is out, base runners may not advance.

6.

BASE RUNNING:

a)

The distance between the bases shall be 60 feet.

b)

Safety bag at 1st base: The "safety bag" is attached to the regular first base, but lies completely in foul territory.

i) The batter-runner must touch only the safety bag if a play is being made on him/her at first base – Otherwise the batter-runner will be called out.

ii) The fielder must touch the regular 1st base if he/she is making a play on a batter-runner. The fielder must not risk injury to himself or another player by crossing the baseline in the path of the batter-runner – Otherwise the batter-runner will called safe.

iii) The batter-runner may touch either bag at 1st base if no play is being made on him/her and his/her intention is to carry on to 2nd base.

c)

Base stealing is NOT allowed.

d)

Two base runners may not occupy the same base simultaneously. The runner who first occupied the base is entitled to it.

e)

The batter-runner is not liable to be put out after overrunning 1st base, provided he/she returns directly to 1st base. If, after overrunning 1st base, the runner attempts to continue to 2nd base, he/she is liable to be put out.

f)

The base runner must cross the safety line at home plate but must not touch home plate itself. The catcher must not tag the runner at the safety line but need only touch home plate in order to put out the base runner.

g)

Sliding is permitted on each base but not at home plate.

h)

Once a player has passed the "commit" line, he/she may not return to third base.

7.

BALL IN PLAY:

a)

Infield fly rule applies

b)

The ball is not playable outside the established limits of the playing field.

i) If a batted ball is hit or rolls into any other recreational field - soccer field, football field, etc. it is ruled a 'double'.  See Ground Rules (section 10)

ii) If a batted ball hits a pole, within the established limits of the playing field – the ball is in play.

c)

The ball is put into play when the pitcher has the ball and is within 8 feet of the pitcher's plate, and the umpire calls "Play Ball".

d)

Calling time between pitches:

The ball remains in play until the umpire calls "Time", which should be done when the ball is held by a player in the infield area and, in the opinion of the umpire, all play has ceased.

e)

Bases awarded when the ball leaves the playing area:

i) When the ball is overthrown out of the playing area, each base runner is awarded 2 bases as follows:

1) If a first throw by an infielder, 2 bases from their position at the time of the pitch.

2) If a throw by an outfielder or the result of any succeeding play or attempted play, 2 bases from the last base touched when the throw left the thrower's hand.

ii) When a fielder loses possession of the ball (such as on an attempted tag play or the catcher fails to hold on to a pitched ball) and the ball then enters the dead ball area, all runners are awarded one base from the last base touched at the time the ball entered the dead ball area.

iii) When a legally hit fair ball bounces out of the playing area the ball is dead and all base runners are awarded 2 bases from the base they occupied at the time of the pitch. This includes a ball which bounds out of play after contacting a fielder attempting to make a play.

iv) When a fielder intentionally causes a legally batted ball to leave the playing area, the umpire shall award all runners a minimum of three bases.

v) When a legally played ball is carried by the fielder out of the playing area, the ball is live and play should continue.

8.

PLAYER CONDUCT:

a)

A maximum of one person per team, including the coach, may be designated to speak with the umpires in case of a disputed call. This person must be identified to the umpire before the start of the game.

b)

The following are grounds for ejection from a game:

i) Profane or abusive language.

ii) Visible displays of temper (throwing objects).

iii) Intentional and violent collision with an opposing player.

iv) Fighting.

c)

All ejections will result in the player being barred from further play in the tournament.

d)

Continued harassment of umpires, opposing players or bystanders after an ejection will result in additional disciplinary action against the team.

9.

STANDINGS

a)

Standings will be decided based on 2 points for a win, and 1 point for a tie (teams will play extra innings only if time permits).

Eight teams qualify for the playoffs. The four divisional 1st place and 2nd place team.

If there is a tie in the standings between two or more teams, the final standing will be decided on the basis of:

1) most wins

2) record in games played between the teams tied (only if all teams tied are in the same division)

3) Best run differential (runs 'for' minus runs 'against').

4) Coin toss

A full inning must therefore be played even if the home team is ahead in the final inning.

All teams playing 4 games, will by draw out of a hat, have 1 game removed from their standings.  The draw will be done after they have played their 4^th game.

Home field advantage for the playoffs, will be given by order of standings.

b)

If a team defaults a game, their opponents will be awarded the 2 points and a default score of 10 - 0.

c)

If inclement weather necessitates postponing a game, or several games, play will resume according to the games scheduled, and postponed games will be re-scheduled according to park availability.

10.

Ground Rules 

For Ecclestone Park:   Any batted ball hit in the air or on the ground outside the established limits of the playing field is ruled to be a DOUBLE.  For this park the established limit in Left field is a line of sight, at the base of trees, parallel to the First Base line.  The established limit in Right field is a line of sight, from the pole closest to the right field foul line, parallel to the Third Base line.  The point where these 2 lines of sight intersect establishes the limits for Centre field.

Any ball hit into or past the trees in Left field is a DOUBLE.
Any ball hit past the Poles in Right field is a DOUBLE.

Any ball hit past the limits of Centre field is a DOUBLE.

For Parc Des Benevoles:

This is a fully fenced ball park.  No special Ground Rules.