San Gabriel Valley Senior Softball Association

Rules and Regulations - 2024

 

CODE OF CONDUCT

  • As a participant of the San Gabriel Valley Softball Association, I agree to conduct myself with decorum, honor, fairness, respectfulness, and good sportsmanship both on and off the field, and when playing I will:

  • Abide by the current San Gabriel Valley Senior Softball Association rules

  • Accept the decision of the umpire and my team manager in good sportsmanship

  • Neither taunt nor degrade my opponent or teammate

  • Never direct abusive or profane language at officials, opponents or teammates

  • Exercise control over my family or friends

  • Not commit any act, on or off the field, that could be considered unsportsmanlike conduct

l. Program Directions

1.     Games will be governed by the San Gabriel Valley Senior Softball Executive Board (EB), which will incorporate the rules and regulations for play. The EB reserves the right to change, interpret, modify, add, or delete any rule or requirement it deems necessary for the welfare of the players or program. Participants will be given an opportunity to review major policy changes prior to implementation.

2.    This program exists for the recreational enjoyment of the participants.

3.    The EB reserves the right to suspend any player for just cause based on majority vote of the EB.

4.    The EB will have regular meetings with minutes available for review by all participants.

ll. Player Qualifications

1.     All players must be 55 years or older.

2.    All players must sign a waiver of liability to be eligible to participate.

3.    Dues will be required as determined by the EB.

lll. Game Rules

1.     Contact between defensive players and runners is prohibited.

2.    There is no tagging for an out at any time. Any runner tagged by a defensive player, instead of touching the base or home plate, shall be considered safe.  All runners shall be forced out at the base they are attempting to advance or return to (e.g.  play at first base). 

3.    A player may over run any base without being in jeopardy of being called out. However, if the runner, in the umpire’s judgement, attempts to advance to the next base or home plate, he is liable to be put out. The defensive player must have possession of the ball while touching any portion of the base. (Force out only.  No tagging.)

4.    Commitment Line: A commitment line shall be placed 20’ from home plate, perpendicular to the foul line between home plate and 3rd base. Commitment lines between 1st/2nd bases, and 2nd/3rdbases will be 30’ from 2nd or 3rd base and will be enforced except for caught fly balls. Once a runner has touched or crossed the commitment line, he cannot re-cross the line and return to the previous base.

5.    Sliding or diving to a base or home plate is prohibited. The runner shall be called out.

6.    A runner may not leave the base until the pitched ball crosses home plate, touches the ground, or is hit. A runner will be called out for leaving the base too soon.

·      Exception: For runner’s safety, runners on 1st or 3rd base may “lead off” prior to the ball being pitched. Runners must “lead off” in foul territory and must re-touch the base prior to attempting to advance.

7.    A team must bat its entire lineup. If a player has to leave the game, it will not be an automatic out when his turn comes up.

8.    A pitched ball must be a minimum of 6 feet and not exceed 12 feet.

9.    Strike Zone- Mat and plate

10. Balls and Strikes: All batters start with a one ball and one strike count. There will be one “waste foul” available to a batter after there are two strikes in the count.

·      Exception: If a batted ball hits the pitcher’s screen after two strikes, the batter is out. There will be no “waste foul” in this scenario.

lV. Play Inside Baselines

1.     (11) defensive players. The “rover” may not be positioned in the infield prior to the ball being hit.

2.    Infielders must start on the infield dirt until the ball is pitched.

3.    No batter can be thrown out at 1st base by any outfielder or rover, or by a relay from an outfielder or rover through an infielder.

o   Exception: In an attempt to complete a double play a batter can be thrown out at 1st base, if a legal attempt was made at 2nd or 3rd base first.

V. Home Run Limit

1.     Three over the fence home runs maximum per team, per game.  Subsequent over the fence home runs will be deemed an out.

Vl. 1st Base Safety

1.     To avoid collisions at 1st base, the batter/runner must touch the orange “Safety Base” and defense must use the white base.

2.    The batter/runner may be called out if he collides with the 1st baseman.

VII. 2nd and 3rd Bases

1.     The base runner must run to either side of the base to avoid colliding with the defensive players.

VIII. Overrunning 2nd or 3rd Base

1.     Base runners may overrun 2nd and 3rd base without penalty of being declared out, providing there is no motion to advance. A runner making an attempt to advance then returning to their base can be forced out.

2.    In order to avoid a collision with a defensive player, a runner does not have to touch the base in order to be ruled safe. The runner who overruns a base must tag or re-tag the base before advancing.

lX. Collisions

1.     A collision at 2nd or 3rd base is not an automatic out as long as the runner, in the umpire’s judgment, makes a reasonable effort to avoid the defensive player.

2.    To avoid interfering with a throw, base runners running past a base must run to the side opposite from the direction from which a thrown ball is coming, with the exception of when the runner is clearly making an attempt to avoid a fielder who has moved to that side.

X. Scoring

1.     Teams are limited to five runs per innings, except for the final “Open Inning” of the game, in which each team may score an unlimited number of runs.

2.    The “Flip-Flop Rule” will be invoked when there is a 10-run differential in favor of the visiting team at the start of the “Open Inning.”

3.    A scoring line will be drawn extending from home plate. Runners must cross the line and not touch home plate or run thru the batter’s box. Runners touching home plate or running thru the batter’s box will called out.

Xl. Courtesy Runners

1.     A courtesy runner may be used for a base runner at any time.

2.    The same courtesy runner may be used more than once per inning.

3.    A courtesy runner on base when it is his turn to bat will be declared out.

4.    Teams may have unlimited courtesy runners.

5.    Any batter 70 years or older may have a runner from home plate.

o   The courtesy runner shall start at the back of the backstop, in-line with the pitcher, and may not start toward 1st base until the batter makes contact with the pitch.

XII. Pitching Net

1.     If the ball hits the pitching net, or any part of the net, it will be called a strike.

o   Exception: If the batter already has two strikes when hitting the net, the batter will be called out.

2.    If the ball hits the pitcher’s glove before hitting the net, it is a live ball.

 

XIIl. Bats

1.     Only players 70 years or older may use a “Senior” bat (1.21 BPF).

2.    If a batter under the age of 70 hits a fair ball while using a “Senior” bat (“1.21 BPF), he will be out. Any runners on base will return to their respective bases.

o   The offense must be discovered prior to the first pitch to the next batter.

3.     A second illegal bat offense, by the same team, will constitute the batter being out. It will be considered a violation if the batter is standing in the batter’s box.

4.    It is the responsibility of each team’s manager to enforce the bat rules.

 

XIV. Altered or Illegal Bats

The EB does not have the legal right to confiscate property from a player. However, it DOES have the right to make rules and penalties to be imposed upon anyone that does not surrender a suspected altered or illegal bat.

1.     If a bat is suspected of being altered to enhance performance, an EB member shall request the bat be voluntarily surrendered for inspection.

2.    If the player refuses to immediately surrender the bat to an EB member, the player shall be suspended from the association for ten years.

3.    If the player voluntarily surrenders the bat and it is found to be altered to enhance performance, the player shall be suspended for five years.

XV. Additional Rules

1.     Current official “Senior Softball USA” (“SSUSA”) softball ules will be used to govern play not covered here within.