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 a.m. AND 12:30 p.m. FOR GAMES BEGINNING 10:00 a.m.

Team winning 1st game of the doubleheader is responsible for submitting scores to the Commissioner, by 5pm on game day.

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 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 SAME (NO GREATER THAN 10 MINUTES.) THE UMPIRE WILL ANNOUNCE THAT THE HOME TEAM MUST TAKE THE FIELD IN TEN MINUTES.

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: (2.3) 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. SEVERITY OF THE CONDUCT WILL DICTATE. UMPIRES ABSOLUTE DISCRETION.

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

BATS
ALL PLAYERS MAY USE ANY BAT MARKED 1.20 WITH A VISIBLE USA SOFTBALL OR USSSSA SEAL WITH THE EXCEPTION OF BATS LABELED AS “SENIOR” BATS.

A PLAYER 75 YEARS OF AGE OR WILL REACH THEIR 75TH BIRTHDAY IN 2022 MAY USE ANY BAT APPROVED BY USA SOFTBALL OR USSSA.

PITCHING 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 THREE FEET AND NO MORE THAN FIVE 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 PITCHERS 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.