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2016CHANGES in RED
SAN MATEO COUNTY EMPLOYEES
SOFTBALL TOURNAMENT RULES
Approved by Team Captains on 7/7/16
TEAM COMPETITION
1)ELIGIBILITY All County employees, their spouses or partners (boyfriends, girlfriends) or family members are eligible to participate. There will be no players under the age of 18 years old. Team membership will be restricted according to department.
1a)For the purposes of this tournament only, a “partner” is defined as a spouse, domestic partner, family member or friend of an employee. Only one partner may be designated per employee and that individual must be an adult.
For the purposes of this tournament only, a “County employee” is considered to be any active County employee of any type (regular, extra help, etc) or a County retiree or any County employee terminated in the current calendar year. An employee from an affiliated public agency or any individual under current contract with the County to provide goods or services can also be considered a “County employee” in this tournament if that individual possesses a County photo ID card key and submits a photocopy of it as part of the registration process. If no direct affiliation with the County can be easily determined for such an individual, then s/he will be considered a “non-employee’’ and subject to any roster limitations as written in the tournament rules.
1b)Each player is required to show a picture ID to the Tournament Coordinator or Field Umpire prior to the beginning of each tournament play-off game.
2)TEAM DETERMINATION A recommended maximum of twelve teams will be fielded ~ however any team that submits a team roster and team fee by the end of the Team Captain’s meeting will play. To assure an equal opportunity for all County employees to participate, team composition will be determined by Department or Division.
2a)Individual(s) may petition to join another team. This matter is handled solely by the departments and the teams involved. Whenever possible, individuals are encouraged to remain within their department.
3)It is the responsibility of the Department(s) to coordinate the roster. At least one person from the Department(s) should be designated as a coordinator. This person (or persons) will represent the Department in all pretournament functions. S/he will be responsible for soliciting interest within the Department by contacting all work units, determining Department representation on the team, collecting required fees and paperwork, and in some cases, coordinating with other Department coordinators of the same team.
4)TEAM COMPOSITION – The team will have a desired minimum of 15 players. At least 25% of the roster must be composed of women and at least 25% of the roster must be composed of men; five women minimum and five men minimum per team. Teams with less than fifteen players may play with a minimum of four (4) women and four (4) men. No more than 40% of the roster may be composed of non- employees (spouses or partners)
4a)Any exception to the Team Composition rule must be approved by a majority of the Team Captains present at the mandatory meeting scheduled after the registration deadline.
4b)Prior to the event, Team Captains will be issued a wristband for each player to wear during the duration of the tournament. One color will denote employee status, and a different color will denote non-employee status. Players are expected to wear the appropriate wristband during the entire weekend (not to be removed until AFTER the player’s last game). Replacement wristbands are to be considered exceptions only that will be issued upon presentation of photo ID to Tournament Coordinator. Individuals without wristbands, for whatever reason, are not eligible to play in the tournament.
5)PLAYING ON MORE THAN ONETEAM A player will be allowed to play on only one tournament team.
6)TEAM REPRESENTATIVE ("Captain") Each day, each team shall designate one player to represent the team. The Captain will act as the liaison in all matters involving the team and the other teams in the Tournament. The Captain shall be the only individual who may address the umpires in the event of a question regarding a call, or an interpretation of the rules.
7)TEAM ROSTER – On or before the Team Coordinator’s meeting, each team shall submit to the Tournament Coordinator a roster of players delineated according to the various categories (sex, employee / nonemployee, department). Each team will be given copies of the roster of the other teams at the beginning of the Tournament.
7a)Team Captains may submit changes to their team roster to the Tournament Coordinator according to posted deadlines. The Tournament Coordinator will not accept any changes to the roster after 12 noon on the Wednesday before the tournament. Final Rosters are distributed to the Team Captains on Thursday prior to the event.
7b)Team Captains may challenge the eligibility of a player on another team with due cause. Player eligibility matters should be directed to the Tournament Coordinator as soon as possible during or after the game’s conclusion.
If it’s determined that a team is fielding players who are not on the final roster, that team will automatically forfeit the game(s) in which it was determined that ineligible players were used. In addition, that team will deemed ineligible for post-tournament play-off games.
7c)Team Captains may challenge team batting and fielding discrepancies to the Field Umpire as soon as possible. If it’s determined that a team is not meeting minimum batting and/or fielding requirements for men and women and/or has more than five (5) non- County employees on the field at any time, that team will be given one warning and must immediately make the appropriate changes to comply with the batting and/or fielding requirements. If it occurs a second time during a game, the team forfeits the game.
7d)TEAM NAMES - Teams are encouraged to select a unique team name and to use care and consideration in assuring that it will not be demeaning, offensive or distasteful to others. A team will be asked to change its name if the Tournament Coordinator receives a complaint.
TOURNAMENT RULES
A)HOME TEAM – During the tournament, the home team is determined by a coin toss at the beginning of the game.
A1)For the championship game(s), the home team is the highest placed team at the end of tournament play.
B)GAME LENGTH Games shall consist of seven innings or a maximum of 60 minutes, whichever is less. Games exceeding 60 minutes will extend beyond that period only to complete the inning currently in play.
B1)Teams change sides when the batting team scores at least ten (10) runs (except the last inning) or 3 outs are recorded.
B2)A game with a score of 12 or more run difference after 5 innings is called as is, and the score is final.
B3)There are no tie games. International tiebreaker rules apply. Game is played until the tie is broken and the inning is completed.
C)THREE PITCH Games are three pitch, selfpitch. Each team supplies its own pitcher for selfpitch. A maximum of three pitches is thrown to each batter. If no ball has been hit fairly after three pitches, the batter is out.
C1)The pitcher shall pitch from the rubber on the softball field or the equivalent distance on the baseball field (if a softball rubber is not in place).
C2)As reasonably possible, the Rubber shall be marked at the same distance from home plate on all fields, equivalent to that on Bechet and Griffin Fields (Red Morton Park field rules).
D)STARTING TIME Games begin promptly. A team unable to field within five minutes of the game time is required to forfeit the game.
E)DEFENSIVE FIELDING POSITIONS There is a minimum of eight and a maximum of ten fielders: catcher, field pitcher (optional), first base, second base, third base, shortstop, right field, center field, left field, roving fielder (optional).
E1)At least four of the fielding positions must be occupied by women at all times: one must be an outfielder and one a nonbattery infielder (first, second, third base or short stop).
E2)No more than 5 non-employees on the playing field at any time.
E3)During the course of an inning, the defensive team may not switch positions, except due to injury. (The intent of this rule is to avoid taking advantage of a known weak batter). Outfield alignment of the roving fielder position may vary, but shall remain the same for the full inning.
E4)A team must maintain three or four people in outfield positions at least 25 feet beyond the bath path until the ball is hit.
E5)The field pitcher shall stand no more than 5 feet (or double arms length) behind the pitcher until the ball crosses the plate.
F)LINEUP, BATTING ORDER AND SUBSTITUTION OPTIONS The batting order and lineup is determined by the team captain prior to the beginning of each game. The team captain selects all available players from the team roster who will be fielding and batting in that game and establishes a continuous batting order or a platooned batting order (10 players for 4 innings / 10 players for 3 innings).
F1)A team with a roster of less than 15 players as of one week prior to the tournament date shall use the continuous batting order only for the duration of the tournament.
F2)The lineup in each game has a minimum of 10 players. The lineup of players for each game shall be composed of at least 25% female players and a minimum four women in the line-up. Women shall be evenly distributed in the batting order. (Example: 2 – 4 – 7 – 9 – 12 -- 14). For teams with a batting lineup of less than 15 players, no more than three men and no more than two women shall bat in a row. For teams with a batting lineup of 15 or more players, no more than three men and no more than three women shall bat in a row.
F3)For teams using a continuous batting order:
Batting order cannot be changed after play has begun, except to add players(s). A player arriving or entering the game after the first inning will be added to the end of the batting order at the next available inning at bat, or have previously been placed there due to known late arrival. There is no "make-up" of missed batting appearances and no batting substitutions. Team captains are expected to put all available players in the batting order.
Players placed in the continuous batting order for a specific game remain in the line-up for the entire game and are expected to have fielding duties for that same game.
F4)Forteams using a platooned batting order (10 players maximum):
The initial batting order cannot be changed (except to substitute for player injury) after play has begun for four complete innings. The second batting order cannot be changed after play has begun (except to substitute for player injury). There is no "make-up" of missed batting appearances and no batting substitutions. Team captains are expected to put all available players in at least one platoon batting order per game.
Players placed in the platooned batting order for a specific game remain in the line-up for those specific innings and are expected to have fielding duties during those specific innings.
F5)Every player on the team roster must spend at least two innings playing in a defensive position per game and at least twelve innings during the Tournament. Free defensive substitutions are allowed only when changing sides and only with players who are listed on the current batting order.
F6)The team captain will inform the umpire of the intent to use a continuous batting order or a platooned batting order prior to each game. The team captain will submit one continuous batting order OR two platooned batting orders to the umpire prior to the start of the game. The team captain shall review the other team's batting order prior to the first pitch of the game. Any additions to a continuous batting order will be indicated to the umpire by the team captain prior to the team batting in each inning.
G)GHOST PLAYER option - In the event that a team has only 8 or 9 players at the start of a game, that team is permitted to use a Ghost Player option. At least 3 of the players must be women, or the team must forfeit.
G1)Until additional players arrive, the team shall play with 8 or 9 fielders / batters only. The platooned batting order tournament rule (F4) shall apply for fielder/batter substitution for the entire game. All other tournament rules relating to line-up, batting order and substitution options apply.
G2)The line-up will consist of 8 or 9 players plus one or two ghost player(s) to fill 10 slots in the line-up. The ghost player(s) at bat will constitute an automatic out.
G3)The designated defensive position for the ghost player(s) shall be the field pitcher and/or rover fielder position. The women players must occupy one non-battery infielder position and one outfield position (except RF).
G4)The player(s) who arrive late shall fill the ghost player slot(s) in the batting order, and field in the open defensive position(s). The umpire is to be notified at the change of sides that the player(s) has been added to the lineup and is filling the open field position(s). No mid-inning adjustments to line-up or fielding are permitted.
H)PINCH RUNNERS Pinch runners are allowed when there is a valid reason, but must be the last person out of the same sex in the line up. (A valid reason applies only to physical restrictions related to an injury or other limitation. It is not to be used to substitute a slow runner, or to substitute the field pitcher so that s/he can return to field pitching). A pinch runner may be brought in for a player after the player hits the ball, reaches a base, and the ball ruled dead. The team captain of the opposing team should be notified of the use of a pinch runner. Teams are limited to one pinch runner per inning.
I)LEADING OFF A base runner may leave the base only after a pitched ball has reached the plate. A base runner shall be called out for leaving a base prior to this occurring and a dead ball will be called.
J)STEALING No stealing of bases is allowed.
K)SLIDING OR DIVING Sliding (not to include slipping or falling while running) at any base or home plate will constitute an automatic out. No "leaving one's feet" will be allowed.
L)FORCE OUTS, OVERRUNS, AND ADVANCES A base runner is automatically out if
a)the defensive player has possession of the ball and is in contact with the base prior to the arrival of the runner. The runner does not have to be tagged; OR
b)the runner is tagged while running on the base path, except between third and home plate where a) above will apply exclusively.
If the defensive player is standing on or blocking the base, the runner does not have to touch the base or can advance without touching the base. The call will go to the runner if the defensive player is blocking the base and the runner is forced to slow down to avoid a collision. (This is not be confused with getting in the way of the runner in an attempt to catch or throw to the base).
L1)The runner must touch first base.
L2)The runner may overrun any base. If the runner runs through the base then wants to advance, he must retouch the base before advancing. A violation results in an out.
L3)To avoid collision at home plate, a runner needs only to cross a home plate line to score a run. Touching home plate is not allowed.
L4)There shall be no rundowns.
L5)While the ball is in play, the runner may advance to the next base at his/her own risk. If the runner advances more than halfway down the base path, s/he is committed to advance to the next base and cannot turn back. (Turning back will result in an automatic out). If the runner advances less than halfway down the base path, the runner may turn back and overrun the base if necessary. Force out rule applies for both.
L6)It is the runner's responsibility to avoid collision. The umpire shall eject from the game any player who, in the judgment of the umpire, collides with a defensive player in a manner determined to be malicious and/or intentional. This rule does not apply to incidental or inadvertent contact made by a runner, in which case an out may be called. A tag out is considered NOT to be a collision and is not subject to this rule.
M)LIVE BALL The ball is live while in play.
M1)HOME RUN RULE –
A fly ball counts as a double if hit over the chain link fence on Bechet or Griffin field.
A fly ball counts as a double if it is hit beyond the home run line on McGarvey Field.
M2)HOME RUNLINE(McGarvey Field)
On McGarvey Field, a home run line will be delineated using portable fences. Thehome run line will be approximately 250 feet from home plate.
N)OFFENSIVE INTERFERENCE The runner(s) shall not obstruct the fielding or playing of a live ball by the defensive team. The runner will be called out. If a double play attempt is obstructed, a double play out could be called.
O)PITCHER INTERFERENCE If a ball touches the pitcher after it has been hit, the ball is dead and one pitch is counted against the batter (The batter is out only if that was the 3rd pitch). The runners will hold at the bases. The pitcher shall not obstruct the fielding or playing of a live ball by the defensive team.