2024

CO-REC LEAGUE

The Wednesday morning CoRec League is open to women who reach their 40th birthday, and men who reach their 70th birthday in the year they participate.

The league follows the rules of ASA softball with the following modifications.

The following modifications are designed to create an enjoyable and purposeful experience for everyone, emphasizing the health and safety of all participants.

Rules herein modify and supersede the softball rules of USA Softball and the National Softball Association.

League Structure and Schedule

The Commissioner will: 

(a) determine the number of divisions and their membership, if applicable; 

(b) determine the total number of games; (c) establish schedules; 

(d) maintain league standings; and 

(e) reschedule postponed games in the order of postponement.

Postponement

• All postponed games will be rescheduled, whenever possible in the order of postponement.

1. Postponement of forfeited games will nullify the forfeit.

Reporting 

(a) The team winning the 2^nd game of a doubleheader is responsible for submitting scores by email to the Commissioner (frankcarlman@gmail.com) on the same day the games were played, but not later than 24 hours after the games.

(b) Teams facing different opponents on the same day will report both scores, win or lose. Each team manager may designate one or more team members to interact with the MCSSA website; however, managers remain responsible for such interactions.

Standings

(a)  The team standings will be determined by a point system with two points for a win and one point for a tie.

(b) If teams are tied for first place in the final standings, the league champion is the team with the better head-to-head winning percentage during the regular season.

Eligibility and Rosters

(a) The minimum playing age is 60 years old for men and 40 years old for women. Playing age is the age a player will have reached by December 31^st of the current calendar year.

• Each team roster must include a minimum of two women.
• To begin a game, each team must have at least nine players who are present and willing to play.
• Teams with less than the mandatory nine players will forfeit the game.
• If a team has only nine players available to begin a game, it can borrow one player from the opponent for defensive purposes only.   
• That one player will be a catcher (not just a retriever).
• The manager of the lending team will select the player to be borrowed. 
• A team with ten players has no entitlement to players provided by the opponent.
• All rostered players present for games must be in the team’s batting lineup and are entitled to play half of each game defensively unless prevented from playing due to injury or health issues

Position of Players

(a) The maximum number of defensive players per team is eleven.

(b) If there are eleven players in the field, a team must have five infielders positioned in the infield (that is, not touching the outfield grass) and four outfielders positioned behind the outfield restraining line until the batter contacts the ball.

(c)  If an infielder begins with one or both feet touching the outfield grass and catches the ball in the air or fields a ground ball, the ball becomes dead, the batter is awarded first base, and base runners will advance one base

Women Rules

• The spirit and intent of the Co-Rec League are for both teams to have two women in their batting order and playing in the field each and every inning.

There are circumstances, however, where a team, due to injury, health, or other unforeseen issues, may not be able to keep up with this practice.

• If team (A) has two women ready and willing to play, and team (B) has no women ready and willing to play.

1. team (B) will be charged an automatic out at the bottom of the batting order.

EXCEPTION: No penalty if health or injury prevents participation

• If team (A) has two women ready and willing to play and team (B) has one woman ready and willing to play, team (B) will take an automatic out at the bottom of the batting order only if team (B) has multiple women on their roster.

1. Exception: If team (B) has only one woman listed on the roster, there will be no penalty and the automatic out is waived

• If team A fields a single woman ready and willing to play in the line-up and team (B) has no women ready and willing to play, team (B) will take an automatic out at the bottom of the batting lineup (or at her batting position in the lineup, if a woman begins the game but does not complete it), 

AND

(d)  Play with no male substitute defensively for the missing woman; that is, play with no more than ten defensive players. This defensive penalty also applies to any period during which a team having one or two women present elects not to include any women in its defensive alignment.

(e)  No penalties will be applied if a woman in the starting lineup becomes injured during gameplay.

The Game

 Umpire

(a) If the umpire, for any reason, has not arrived by the scheduled start time of a game or departs before a game is completed, the game shall start/continue with team members or spectators serving as an umpire with the consent of both managers.

(b) An assigned umpire, arriving after the game has begun, will complete it.

Procedures & Policies

(a) The distance between bases is 65 feet.

(b) Batting ends for a team in an inning when it has three outs or has scored five runs, whichever occurs first.

(c)  During the last inning of a game, both teams will have unlimited scoring.

(d) No sliding or diving at the scoring plate or any base; the penalty for a violation is: the runner is ruled “out.”

(e) All games are scheduled for 7 innings; a game is “official” after 5 innings, or 4½ innings if the home team is leading.

(f)  Mercy Rule. A game ends when a team trails by 12 or more runs after batting in the 5^th or later inning.

(g) The batting order will be continuous in game two of a doubleheader against the same team; that is, the player following the last batted out of game one will bat first in game two.    

(h) Extra Innings. If a game is tied after 7 completed innings, and time permits, an extra 8^th inning will be played with a runner (the last batter in the previous inning) placed on second base. 

1. if necessary, and time permits, a 9^th and subsequent innings will be played using a one-pitch format with a runner on second base.
2. A courtesy runner may be substituted for the runner at second base in extra innings.

(i)  Each batter will begin with a one-ball and one-strike count and allowed one courtesy foul with a two-strike count. A second foul with two strikes and the batter is ruled out on strikes.

(j)  Women have an option of hitting either a men’s softball (12”) or a women’s softball (11”) and must indicate a preference before each at-bat.

1. If the wrong size ball was pitched to any batter and discovered before the batter hits the ball, the result of the last pitch is nullified, and the correct ball is substituted.
2. If an at-bat was completed with the wrong size ball and the error is discovered before the first pitch to the next batter, the batter has the option of letting the play stand or re-batting with the correct ball.

Plays At Home Plate:

(a) All plays at home plate must be played as a force-out, and a no-tag will be enforced.  

(b) A commitment line will be marked, halfway between third base and home plate, and perpendicular to the foul line.

1. A base runner, advancing toward home plate and crossing the commitment line Is ruled:

• “safe” (that is, awarded home) if he/she is tagged by a defensive

player or touches the scoring plate before a defensive player with control of the ball tags the hitter’s home plate (or the strike zone mat).

• “out” if a defensive player with control of the softball tags the hitter’s home plate (or the strike zone mat) before the runner touches the scoring plate.
• A base runner advancing beyond the commitment line, who crosses the line to return to third base (including re-crossing on a fly-ball out) is ruled “out,” and the ball will remain live.

Infielder-Outfielder Assists

(a) No outfielder can throw out a batter at first base if a batted ball (whether touched or not by an infielder) touches the outfield grass.

(b) A batter can be thrown out at first base by an infielder if the ball is touched by an infielder before it touches the outfield grass.

Courtesy Runners

(a) Any player is allowed a courtesy runner for any reason (that is, because of injury/health issues; for strategic purposes; etc.).                                                        

1. Unlimited courtesy runners are permitted each inning.
2. A courtesy runner may replace any base runner or any batter from home plate only when the ball is dead and before the current batter has received his/her first pitch. 
3. A courtesy runner becomes official when he/she touches the appropriate base.
4. Any player who becomes a courtesy runner more than once in the same inning is ruled “out.”.
5. A courtesy runner on base when it is his/her time to bat will be ruled “out” and removed from the base, but he/she is allowed to bat.
6. A courtesy runner cannot replace another courtesy runner except in case of injury in which case the original courtesy runner shall be removed from the game. 

Courtesy Runner for the Batter
(a)   Any player is allowed a courtesy runner for any reason (that is, because of injury/health issues, or for strategic purposes; etc.).                                                        

1. A courtesy runner from home plate must have both feet behind the marked line until the pitched ball is struck by the batter or crosses home plate.

If a courtesy runner from home plate leaves before the ball is hit, the batter is “out,” the ball is dead, and base runners must return to their previously-held bases. 

3. A batter, who has a courtesy runner from home plate, must not cause confusion after hitting the ball. 
4. If the batter mistakenly runs toward first base, it is in the umpire’s sole discretion to determine whether it caused a disadvantage to the fielding team, and if so, the courtesy runner is ruled “out,” and base runners must return to their previously-held bases.
5. A courtesy runner from a home plate may not advance beyond first base on a batted ball unless it is an over-the-fence home run. 
6. A courtesy runner from a home plate may not advance on any play that attempted to throw out the courtesy runner while heading toward the first base from home plate, including a ball thrown away or out of play.
7. If a fielder attempts to make a play on any other base runner, the courtesy runner may advance as there was no initial attempt to make a play on the courtesy runner.
8. A courtesy runner making a wide turn at first base can be thrown out if he/she retreats back to first base, or alternatively, he/she can advance on a ball thrown away, out of play, or behind him/her to first base.

Time Limit

• Each doubleheader has a time allocation assigned it. For doubleheaders beginning at 10 am, one final inning can begin after 12:30 pm. For doubleheaders beginning at 9:30 am, one final inning can begin after 12:00 noon.

Speeding Up Play

• A batter awarded first (or another) base on a dead ball (usually a base-on-balls)

need not advance to the awarded base is replaced by a courtesy runner.

Before players leave the confines of the playing area at the completion of the first game, the managers and umpire will agree on the start time for the second game, but greater than ten minutes from the conclusion of the first game.

(b) A team trailing by six or more runs after the 5^th or 6^th inning can bat first for the remainder of the game with the approval of both managers.

(c) Regardless of the score, and with the approval of both managers, umpires may  allow the trailing team to bat twice consecutively in the 6^th inning to shorten the game. In such cases, the team that was ahead does not forfeit either of their remaining times at bat should they lose the lead.

Bats

(a) Men whose playing age is 60 – 79 years old may use any bat marked BPF (bat performance factor) 1.20 with a visible ASA/USA or USSSA Certification Mark, except all models of Miken Ultra & Ultra II.

(b) Men whose playing age is 80 years or older may use any bat marked BPF 1.20 with a visible ASA/USA or USSSA Certification Mark, all models of Miken Ultra & Ultra II, and senior bats (that is, bats marked BPF 1.21, labeled “Senior Softball,” and/or with a visible SSUSA certification mark):

(c) Women may use any bat marked BPF 1.20 or BPF 1.21 with a visible ASA/USA, USSSA, or SSUSA certification mark, all models of Miken Ultra & Ultra II, and other senior bats.

(d)  A team manager may call attention to an alleged bat infraction that will be presented to the League Commissioner

Pitching and Pitching Screen.

(a) The pitching arc is set between 6 and 12 feet. Pitches outside the range of this arc should be ruled an illegal pitch by the umpire.

(b) The pitching lane is defined as two chalk (or imaginary) parallel lines 24 inches apart, (the length of the pitching rubber), and 6 feet long, running directly back from the front edge of the rubber toward second base.

(c) One foot must be in contact with the pitcher’s plate when the pitched ball leaves the hand. A step forward by the pitcher must be simultaneous with the release of the ball.

(d) A pitchers’ screen is mandatory during batting practice and games. 

Placement of Pitching Screen:

(a) The screen must be no less than three feet and no more than six feet in front of the rubber. One edge of the screen’s box must be aligned with the middle of the pitching rubber.

(b) The screen must be located on the pitcher’s non-throwing-hand/glove side to facilitate player safety.

(c) If, in the umpire’s sole discretion, the screen is moved to a position inconsistent with any of the above rules, the umpire may declare an illegal pitch and award the batter first base.

(d) A batted ball, untouched by a defensive player, contacting any part of the pitching screen is a foul ball.  Any other live ball that touches the screen will remain live and in play.

Unsporting Behavior

Any player using profanity or displaying unsporting behavior may be immediately ejected by the umpire and may be suspended from the next game. If requested by a manager or an umpire that a more severe penalty be imposed, the MCSSA President will appoint a committee to immediately address the circumstances of the appeal.

Co-Rec Point of Emphasis Coming Soon!

SPRING 2024 CO – REC SOFTBALL LEAGUE SCHEDULE

MONTGOMERY COUNTY SENIOR SPORTS ASSOCIATION

OLNEY MANOR REGIONAL PARK

Frank Carlman, Commissioner: 202-509-4697 / frankcarlman@gmail.com

STARTING 9:30 A.M. UNTIL AND INCLUDING 9/27

 thereafter 10:00 A.M. beginning 10/4

OLNEY WEATHER LINE:

Call after 7:00 a.m. (301)579-5610

Field 4 ext. 355 

Field 5 ext. 356

Download the Free Rainout Line App (Click Here)

See Schedule

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