RULES OF PLAY - GENERAL RULES
The PlaySloPitch Rules Will Be Followed, with the Following Exceptions:
1. The base path shall be 60 feet, when the diamond will not allow 65 feet.
2. A board is to be used for home plate, the size being 2 x 3 feet, x 1/2" thick.
3. Ties will remain as a tie during the regular season games and round robin tournaments.
4. The home run rule is IN EFFECT at Marden Park and University diamonds.
It is also in effect at Guelph lake for the Sunday Tiers.
Tier 1 does NOT have a Home Run rule.
The Homerun rule will be Match +2 in any Tier at the aforementioned diamonds.
Sunday Tiers - any additional Home runs will result in a ground rule single with runners advancing one base
5. The mercy rule is to be 15 runs after seven innings, 20 runs after 6 innings, or 25 runs after 5 innings.
6. Five full innings constitute a complete game. If more than five innings are played, then the last inning completed will constitute the complete game.
7. If a male batter, followed by a female batter, is walked, on a 4 - 0 count, he proceeds to second base. The following batter, (female), must take her turn at bat.
8. Visiting team supplies a second ball of quality acceptable to the umpire.
9. A team may have a maximum of 25 players on their roster however, prizing is based on 14 players for tournament play and 20 for Regular Season League Champions.
10. All players in the starting lineup must bat unless injured, suspended or substituted during the game.
11. The batting order will be fixed for both teams after one complete turn through the batting order. However, players arriving late may be added to the bottom of the batting order, up to a maximum of ten (10) players, and the batting order follows, Section General Rules Item 15.
12. If a player leaves the game for any reason, except injury, he/she is an automatic out, unless a substitute is available. If a female batter is injured during the game, the female batters will rotate in existing order through the position of the injured player (as long as there are still 3 females playing). This will change the fixed position of the batting order for the female players.
13. Players must play in at least 1/3 of the regular season scheduled games to be eligible for playoffs.
A player must play a minimum of four (4) complete innings to qualify as a game played for playoff eligibility.
14. There will be a maximum of 6 male players on the field in ALL Tiers. (See Section FORFEITS, Item 1.)
Sunday Tiers may field a maximum of 7 male players defensively
15. For every female player, a team may have two male players in the batting order. A team may not bat more than two (2) male batters in a row at any time. This includes while using the shorthanded rule and/or the transition from bottom to top of the order.
If a team fields 6 male and 3 female players, the tenth batter is an automatic out.
These are the ONLY three (3) possible AND acceptable batting order examples.
The lineup MUST follow one of these formats.
M-F-M-M-F-M-M-F-M-OUT
OR
F-M-M-F-M-M-F-M-M-OUT
OR
M-M-F-M-M-F-M-M-F-OUT
THE FOLLOWING IS NOT ACCEPTABLE… M-F-M-M-F-M-F-M-M-(out) or M-M-F-M-F-M-F-M-M-(out).
If a team fields 5 male and 4 female players or 4 male and 5 female players, the tenth batter is not an automatic out, but the appropriate order must still be followed.
If a team fields 8 players, 3 of which are female, the ninth and tenth batters are not automatic outs.
Sunday Tiers may have a MAXIMUM of 8 male players when ONLY 3 female players are present.
The Female players will rotate through batting positions (Ghost batter) in a fixed order but the batting order MUST adhere to the rule of 'no more than 2 male batters in a row'.
THERE IS NO OPTION TO USE AN AUTOMATIC OUT IN PLACE OF THE FEMALE PLAYER
eg. (M-F1-M-M-F2-M-M-F3-M-M-F1-M) or (M-M-F1-M-M-F2-M-M-F3-M-M-F1) with the female batters following in turn as the order rolls to the top
When 4 girls are present, the team may use 9 or 10 male players maximum.
When 5 girls are present, the team may use up to 12 male players.
All of these situations allow for one ghost female (where the females rotate through the order so as to adhere to the 2 male batters for each female)
The purpose of this rule is to avoid teams loading the batting order by bringing 3 females and 9-10 or more male players and rotating the girls through 5+ positions in the batting order. This would be a clear advantage to the team as male players will bat more often.
16. Base runners coming home MUST touch ground ON or ACROSS the scoring line at Home Plate to score a run. A commitment line is drawn across the base path 20 feet from Home plate(scoring line). Runners who touch ANY part of or completely cross the commitment line must continue to the scoring line. If, in the Umpires judgement, a runner returns to 3rd base after touching or crossing the commitment line, the runner will be declared out. There is no sliding at home. The runner is automatically out if he/she touches home plate. The catcher must have control of the ball and contact with the board to constitute an out. Base runners may be tagged out prior to crossing the commitment line but not between the commitment line and Home plate (scoring line).
17. If a player is injured during the game, an injury runner shall be allowed (if both teams agree). The injury runner (must be the last out of the same gender), will run from the screen and can try to obtain any base.
This rule was put in place to accommodate a team from forfeiting an ongoing game due to a shortage of players because of said injury. It is not to be used as an every game situation in order to give the team an advantage of a faster runner.
Sunday Tiers - batter must obtain first base prior to receiving injury runner.
- Injury runners will not be allowed at the start of a game UNLESS it means a forfeit by the team (only 9 or less players available). If the team has 10 or more players available, the injured player should not be included in the lineup
18. 3 courtesy runners per game. Must be male for male and female for female. Runner must be listed on the score sheet as player or sub. Sunday Tiers are allowed 3 Male and 3 Female Courtesy runners per game. The pinch runner MUST be an eligible player and must be of same gender as player they are replacing.
19. A player may only play in one Tier for one team. With the exception of a short handed call up who may be used to avoid a disadvantage or forfeit (ie. only 8 or 9 players present). THE NUMBER OF CALLUPS MUST ADHERE TO THE BATTING ORDER HAVING A MAXIMUM OF 10 PLAYERS. If the team has 10 players present from the existing roster then additional callups are not allowed. The team Captain should make the umpire and opposing team Captain aware of ALL callups. Callup player MUST play in their same Tier ONLY. Replacement players may not be used during Playoffs or Tournaments and teams are subject to forfeit if protest is filed.
20. Pregnant players are NOT insured and are NOT allowed to play.
21. If a player becomes injured during the season but is healthy to return on or before the closing tourney, the number of games required for Playoffs MAY be waived by the Executive if justified. Submission of information to the Executive will be required and the player must have been listed on the roster from the beginning of the season. (Cannot be a late season addition)
22. Any team not attending the opening or closing tournament after schedules are released will be subject to forfeit fines (with League Executive discretion)
23. HIT & SIT Home Run - After the umpire has declared a ball hit over the fence a HOMERUN, the batter may then exit the field along with any other players who were on base at the time of the homerun. They do not need to round the bases and do not need to cross the scoring/safety line.
24. The RUN per Inning Limit for ALL Tiers will be 6 runs per inning. When 6 runs have been scored, the Umpire will declare the end of the inning. This applies to the first 6 innings. Innings 7 through 9 are open innings.
25. No intentional bunting, there must be a full swing. Intentional bunts will result in the batter being declared an out.
26. There will be a 175' line drawn in the outfield. All 4 outfielders must remain behind the line prior to the batter making contact with the ball.
NO outfielder may make an out at first base on ANY BATTER at any time.
An infielder may move to an area between the line and the infield for defensive positioning.
Once the batter has attained first base and become a runner, they can be thrown out at first base (eg. fly ball caught, runner didn't tag situation)
UPDATED 2023 - Tier 1 will NOT use the 175 line.
Tier 2 & Sunday will use the line.
Make sure you confirm correct rule with umpires prior to the game.
27. Sunday Tier Pitchers MUST wear an approved protective mask. There are no exceptions.
If you don't have a mask, then you can't pitch and the team will forfeit the game.
The pitch shall have a minimum of a 6-foot arc. There is no maximum pitch height on MALE batters.
For FEMALE batters, the pitch is restricted to a 6 to 12-foot arc
Sunday Tiers - pitch limit is 6 to 12 foot arc for ALL players
INTENTIONAL WALKS
The pitcher may indicate to the home plate umpire their intent to walk a batter and the umpire will instruct the batter to advance to first base. An intentional walk on a male batter is a 4-0 count and will result in the action as outlined in Section GENERAL RULES, Item 7.