2024

JOHN X. SUPINSKI JR., LEAGUE

The John X. Supinski Monday morning Super Senior League is open to men who reach their 70^th birthday in the year they participate and over women who reach their 40^th birthday in the year they participate and over. The league follows the official rules of USA Softball with the following rules modifications and policies. 
The modifications are designed to craft a purposeful experience for all participants.

JOHN SUPINSKI SUPER SENIOR LEAGUE

RULES AND PROCEDURES

The Monday Morning Super Senior League is open to men 70 and over and women 40 and over.   Although the league follows basic softball rules, the following special rules and policies are designed to provide for the safety of the players, the competitiveness of the league, and the timely completion of games.

1. In order for a game to begin, teams must have at least nine players who are present and ready to play.   Teams with less than the mandatory minimum of nine players will forfeit the game to the opponent.  If a team has only nine players available at game time, it can borrow two players from the opponent for defensive purposes only. One of those players will be a catcher (not just a retriever) and the other an outfielder. If a team has only ten players available at game time, it can borrow one player from the opponent for defensive purposes only.   That one player will be a catcher (not just a retriever).  In both situations, the manager of the lending team selects the players to be borrowed.  

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

3. All players in the lineup must bat unless a player has an injury or health issue that prevents the player from batting.

4. During the last inning of a game, both teams are permitted unlimited scoring.

5. Each batter will begin with one ball and one strike count and permitted one courtesy foul with a two-strike count.  A second foul with two strikes will result in the batter being ruled out on strikes. 

6. If the umpire, for any reason, fails to arrive, arrives late, or departs before a game is completed, the game shall start or continue with team members or spectators serving as an umpire with the consent of both managers.  
7. All games are scheduled for seven innings.   However, games are considered to be official after five innings have been played, or four and one-half innings if the home team is leading.  One inning only may begin after 12:00 noon for games beginning at 9:30 a.m. and 12:30 for games beginning at 10:00 a.m.
8. The mercy rule will be in effect when a trailing team is 12 or more runs behind after having batted in the fifth inning or a later inning.
9. Regardless of the score, with the approval of both managers, umpires may allow the trailing team to bat twice consecutively in the sixth inning to shorten the game.  In these situations, the team that was ahead did not forfeit their remaining times at bat should they lose the lead.
10. To begin game two of the doubleheader, the batting order will be continuous.  The player following the last batter in the lineup of game one will bat first in game two.
11. All postponed games will be scheduled for a later date, whenever possible.
12. The team standings will be determined by a point system with two points awarded for a win and one point for a tie.
13. There will be no playoffs at the end of the season.
14. The pitching arc is set between 6 and 12 feet.  Pitches that do not meet the legal pitch requirements will be ruled illegal by the umpire.
15. Use of the pitching screen is mandatory during batting practice and games.  A batted ball, untouched by a defensive player, contacting any part of the pitching screen is ruled a foul ball.  A live ball thrown by a fielder that strikes the pitching screen remains live and in play.
16. There is no rule or policy requiring a minimum number of female players.
17. Any male player who is 80 years of age or older and all-female player, may use any bat, including composite bats, labeled BPF (bat performance factor) 1.20 certified by ASA or USSSA. They may also use 1.21 BPF bats, bats marked senior bats, or bats certified by SSUSA or USSSA. Any male player who is 75 years or older may use any bat, including composite bats, marked BPF 1.20 certified by ASA or USSSA.  All other male players are required to use a non-composite single wall alloy bat.  Before beginning each game of a doubleheader, upon a manager’s request, the umpire will examine the bats to be used that day to identify any illegal bats.   A player found violating the bat policy during the player’s time at bat is ruled out.  Continued violation of the bat policy may result in suspension.
18. Sliding is not permitted. A player who slides, head first or using any other technique, will be ruled out, and if said action interferes with a potential play at any other base, all base runners must return to the base last touched.
19. To be age-eligible, players are required to be the minimum age by December 31st of the year in which they are participating.
20. A courtesy runner from home plate, with both feet behind the restraining line, shall not advance beyond first base on a batted ball unless the batted ball is hit over the fence and declared a home run. The courtesy runner may not advance on any play at first base in an attempt to throw the courtesy runner out. That also pertains to a ball thrown out of play as a result of a play to throw the courtesy runner out at first base.  However, if a fielder attempts to make a play on a runner advancing to another base, the courtesy runner may advance to another base(s) as there was no attempt to make a play on the courtesy runner.
21. A player can serve as a courtesy runner only once per inning.  A batter who mistakenly runs toward first base will be ruled out if the umpire determines that there was interference with the fielding team attempting to make a play on the courtesy runner.  In that case, the base runners must return to the base previously held.
22. Each player is entitled to play half the defensive innings of each game.
23. If the game is tied after seven innings in game one of a doubleheader, an additional inning will begin by putting a runner at second base.  The runner must be the batter who batted last in the previous inning.   If that batter had a courtesy runner, that runner will take the place of the batter.  However, if that courtesy runner is next to bat, the player who preceded the courtesy runner will begin the inning at second base.   If the score is still tied at the end of eight innings, the game will be ruled a tie.  If the time limit is a factor, there will be no additional innings played in game two.
24. A batter cannot be thrown out at first base, by either an infielder or outfielder, after a batted ball touches the outfield grass.   The batter can be thrown out at first base by an infielder if the batted ball s touched by an infielder before it reaches the outfield grass. In all circumstances, an outfielder may not make a play on the batter unless there is an attempt by the batter to advance to the next base.
25. The maximum number of defensive players per team is 12.   If there are 12 players in the field, a team must have five infielders positioned in the infield area (not touching the outfield grass) until the batter makes contact with the ball, and a team must have five outfielders positioned behind the outfield 160ft commitment line until the batter makes contact with the ball.
26. The distance between bases is 65 feet.
27. If it is discovered that the wrong size ball was pitched to a batter, the result of the last pitch shall be nullified and the correct ball substituted.   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 who hit the wrong size ball will have the option of letting the play stand or re-batting with the correct ball.
28. Plays at home plate.   A base runner, who touches or crosses the commitment line between third base and home plate, may not return to third base, the runner will be ruled out and the ball will remain live.  All plays at home plate will be ruled a force out. No contact whatsoever is permitted.  If a fielder, in control of the softball, touches the strike mat after a runner has passed the commitment line, and before the runner touches the runner’s home plate, the runner will be ruled out.
29. Any player using profanity or displaying unsporting behavior may be immediately ejected by the umpire and will be suspended for 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.

2024 SUPINSKI LEAGUE POINTS OF EMPHASIS

OUR GOAL IS TO COMPLETE 2 SEVEN-INNING GAMES THIS SPRING. THE COOPERATION OF THE MANAGERS AND EACH PLAYER IS GREATLY APPRECIATED IN REACHING THIS OBJECTIVE. RULES MODIFICATIONS ARE ADDED TO MAKE OUR GAMES MORE ENJOYABLE AND RELEVANT FOR EVERYONE. WE TAKE OUR RULES SERIOUSLY, ESPECIALLY THOSE RULES INVOLVING RISK MANAGEMENT. SCREEN RULES MUST BE STRICTLY ADHERED TO.  

1. ONE INNING ONLY MAY BEGIN AFTER 12:00 NOON FOR GAMES BEGINNING AT 9:30 AND 12:30 FOR GAMES BEGINNING 10:00 AM 

2. EACH PLAYER SHOULD KNOW WHERE HIS GLOVE IS WHEN RETURNING TO THE FIELD. ANY DELAY FOR A MISLAID GLOVE IS UNACCEPTABLE.
3. EACH PLAYER MUST KNOW THEIR PLACE IN THE BATTING ORDER, HAVE THEIR BAT IN HAND, BATTING GLOVES ON, AND BE READY TO BAT.
4. AT THE COMPLETION OF THE FIRST GAME, AND BEFORE PLAYERS LEAVE THE CONFINES OF THE PLAYING AREA, THE MANAGERS WILL AGREE ON THE TIME THE SECOND GAME WILL BEGIN AND ADVISE THE UMPIRE OF THE SAME (NO GREATER THAN 10 MINUTES.) THE UMPIRE WILL ANNOUNCE THAT THE HOME TEAM MUST TAKE THE FIELD IN TEN
5. A 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.
6. THE BATTER WHO HAS A SUBSTITUTE RUNNER FROM HOME PLATE MUST MAKE EVERY EFFORT TO AVOID CONFUSION. IF THE BATTER MISTAKENLY RUNS TO FIRST AND INTERFERES WITH THE SUBSTITUTE RUNNER OR THE ABILITY OF THE FIELDERS TO MAKE A PLAY, IT IS IN THE UMPIRES SOLE DISCRETION TO DETERMINE WHETHER AN ADVANTAGE WAS GAINED. 

PENALTY:

IF AN ADVANTAGE IS GAINED, THE SUBSTITUTE RUNNER WILL BE RULED OUT, UNSPORTING BEHAVIOR                                                        

A PLAYER EXHIBITING UNSPORTING BEHAVIOR CAN BE EJECTED WITHOUT WARNING. ALTHOUGH A WARNING IS PREFERRED, IT IS NOT REQUIRED. THE SEVERITY OF THE CONDUCT WILL DICTATE. UMPIRES ABSOLUTE DISCRETION.  IF, IN THE JUDGMENT OF THE UMPIRE, ADDITIONAL ACTIONS ARE WARRANTED, A  DISCIPLINARY COMMITTEE WILL MEET TO DETERMINE IF OTHER PENALTIES ARE NEEDED.

TIE GAME

IF THE GAME IS TIED AFTER 7 INNINGS, ONE ADDITIONAL INNING WILL BE PLAYED WITH A RUNNER  (LAST BATTED OUT) AT SECOND BASE. IF THE GAME    REMAINS TIED AFTER THE EXTRA INNING, EACH TEAM WILL BE AWARDED ONE POINT. THIS RULE APPLIES TO GAME 1 ONLY

PITCHER’S SCREEN

1. The screen was introduced to reduce the risk of injury to our players. THE ROSS EMERSON LEAGUE IS RESOLUTE IN ITS ADHERENCE TO ITS APPLICATION.
2. THE RULES GOVERNING THE PLACEMENT AND USAGE OF THE SCREEN BY THE PITCHER WILL BE STRICTLY ENFORCED ** FAILURE TO STRICTLY FOLLOW PITCHING GUIDELINES AND PROCEDURES WILL RESULT IN PLAYER RESTRICTED AS A POSITION PLAYER ONLY. THIS IS A LIABILITY ISSUE.
3. THE USE OF THE PITCHER’S SCREEN IS MANDATORY FOR ALL GAMES.
4. THE PITCHER’S SCREEN MUST BE PLACED SO THAT ONE EDGE OF THE SCREEN’S BOX IS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE RUBBER (12 INCHES). THE PITCHER’S SCREEN MUST BE PLACED SO THAT IT IS NO LESS THAN THREE FEET AND NO MORE THAN SIX FEET IN FRONT OF THE RUBBER. THE SCREEN WILL BE LOCATED ON EITHER THE PITCHER’S THROWING HAND OR NON-THROWING HAND SIDE.
5. IF BROUGHT TO THE ATTENTION OF THE UMPIRE BY THE MANAGER, THE PITCHER’S SCREEN IS NOT IN A POSITION AS NOTED ABOVE, THE UMPIRE, SHALL RULE AN ILLEGAL PITCH AND AWARD THE BATTER FIRST BASE WITH RUNNERS ADVANCING ONE BASE. IF THE BATTER SWINGS AT THE PITCH AND REACHES BASE, ALL BASE RUNNERS WILL BE GRANTED ONE ADDITIONAL BASE. IF AN OUT OCCURS ON THE PLAY, THE BATTER IS AWARDED FIRST BASE, AND ALL RUNNERS ADVANCE ONE BASE.

FALL 2024 JOHN X SUPINSKI, JR. SOFTBALL LEAGUE SCHEDULE

MONTGOMERY COUNTY SENIOR SPORTS ASSOCIATION

OLNEY MANOR REGIONAL PARK

HAL REUBEN, COMMISSIONER 301-762-8726; 301-503-0143 (CELL)

JIM EHRENFRIED, DEPUTY COMMISSIONER 410-409-0078

DON JURAN, SCHEDULE COORDINATOR 301-602-9904

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

 thereafter 10:00 A.M. beginning 10/7

OLNEY WEATHER LINE:

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

Field 3 ext. 354

Field 4 ext. 355 

Field 5 ext. 356

See Schedule

ALL ABOARD READY!!!!!

John X. Supenski, Jr. Highlights

MCSSA DO NOT OWN THE RIGHTS TO THIS MUSIC