HAMMOND SLOPITCH

A.   STRUCTURE

1. The league will consist of 3 Divisions. There will be cross-over games between “A” and “B” Division for the regular season only. In the case of cross-over games, the lower division team shall always have home field advantage.

2. Teams will receive 2pts for a win, 1pt for a tie and 0pt for a lost.

3. Playoffs will consist of a round robin tournament.

 

B.   THE LEAGUE

1. Having Fun!

2. All league fees, waivers and initial team rosters including full name (first & last) of all players must be submitted to the League prior to May 15th of the calendar year. Teams that fail to submit team fees by this date will be asked to leave the League until fees, waiver & team roster is submitted.

3. All players must be registered with Hammond Slopitch, NSA Canada and have signed a waiver.

4. Players must be 18 year of age to register with the Hammond Slopitch League. (Players under the age of 18 may be accepted in the league on a case to case basis. Written request must be sent to the league executive)

5. Players must play a minimum of 5 games, with the same team, in order to be qualified to play in the playoffs.

6. Spares can be taken from teams that are registered in the Hammond Slopitch league during the regular season. Any out of league spares must be registered with the Hammond Slopitch league by signing a Hammond Slopitch waiver and handing it in before they step on the field.

   1. During the regular season players can spare in any division, no matter what division they play in.

   2. Once a player/spare has played 5 full games with 1 team, they are considered part of that teams roster. However, players can only play on 1 team during the playoffs, even if they are on 2 different team roster.

7. Absolutely NO spares allowed during the playoff games. Players must have played the minimum of 5 games, with the same team, in order to be eligible to play in the playoffs.

8. Use of ineligible players in playoff games will result in the team forfeiting the game(s) involved.

9. Captains must submit legible scoresheet after each game.

10. Teams must keep official game sheets as they could be used to verify the eligibility of players for the playoffs.

11. Teams will be awarded 2 points for a win and 1 point for a tie. No extra inning during regular season games.

12. Vulgar language will not be tolerated.

13. There is NO smoking or drinking on the field.

14. Disrespectful behavior towards our umpires, league executives and/or other players will not be tolerated. Players that express disrespectful behavior will be suspended and possibly evicted from the league without warning.

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C. GENERAL

1. A team must field a minimum of 8 players (including a minimum of 2 women) by the scheduled starting time or the game will be forfeited to the opposing team. (Note: a 5-minutes grace period may be given)

2. A maximum of 11 players will be allowed on the field at one time.

3. A maximum of 8 men is allowed on the field at once.

4. A minimum of 3 women is required on the field at all times. If a team has only 2 women they cannot replace the 3rd women with a man. Team will have to play with 10 players on the field and will have 1 automatic out when the “3rd women” is up to bat.

5. Forfeit applied if team has less than 2 women or less than 8 players.

6. A team may utilize a maximum of 5 spares, which must be registered with the league prior to stepping on the field.

7. Players can join the game, even after it has started, no matter what inning. They are to be added at the bottom of the line-up. 

8. *NEW* Some jewelry is allowed. Plain wedding bands, plain necklace free of pendants and charms worn under the uniform, medical alert ID bracelets and necklaces are legal but should be worn or taped to the body as not to present a hazard. All body piercing (permanent or otherwise) must not be looped in anyway. A body piercing that is a “post” type piercing with no dangling parts and no looping parts and no loops whatsoever are legal if judged by the umpire to not present a danger to any participant. Unexposed jewelry is legal as long as it remains unexposed. If any illegal jewelry continues to become exposed, the umpire can ask the player to remove it. The Hammond Slopitch League and NSA Canada strongly recommends that jewelry not be worn.

9. Home versus Visitors is determined on the schedule

10. Games are to be a maximum of 90 minutes or 7 innings, whichever one comes first.

11. Mercy rule applies to teams that are down by 13 points at the 5th inning.

12. Teams must play the bottom of the last inning, regardless of the score.

13. Seven (7) Inning games will be considered official after four (4) full innings; Three and one half (3.5) innings if the home team is leading.

14. Regular season games that are not considered official, will be replayed from the beginning. Original lineups may be changed when the game is replayed.

15. Infield fly rule applies.

16. Infield players MUST NOT pass the base line until the batter has played the ball.

17. Outfield players CANNOT be on the gravel until the batter has played the ball.

18. Only one rover is considered an infield player. The 2nd one is considered an outfield player; therefore you cannot have both rovers on the gravel until the batter has played the ball.

19. Only regulation bats shall be used. Approval is to be given by the game umpire.

20. No metal cleats shall be permitted at any time.

21. Any ball glove may be used in any position at any time.

22. The winning team Captain must email the score to hammondslopitch@gmail.com within 48hrs. Any game played including rainouts not reported within 48hrs of game completion will be deemed a 1-1 tie game. In the event of a tie game, both captains must report their final score.

23. All league rules may be modified at any time by a majority decision of the Hammond Slopitch Committee.

24. HAVE FUN!!!

25. RESPECT THE UMPIRE’S DECISIONS, OR HE CAN KICK YOU OUT OF THE GAME!!!!!! 

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D.   BATTING

1. All players must be included in the batting order and must bat in the same rotation throughout the game. The batting order will consist of no more then 2 men followed by 1 woman. If the team has an equal amount of men/women, then you can play 1/1.

2. A team is allowed 3 outs or a maximum of 5 runs per inning, whichever comes first. Unlimited runs are allowed during the last inning of the game.

3. The batter's box extends one foot behind the plate and three feet in front of the plate. Both feet of the batter must be inside the batter's box before the pitcher can deliver a pitch. If a batter makes contact with a pitched ball while he is out of the batter’s box, he will be called out. A batter is considered out of the batter’s box if he or she steps in front of the plate when intending to make contact with the pitched ball.

4. A batter will be called out if, while in his swing, he steps on the plate and his bat makes contact with the ball. Stepping on the plate while running to first base is not considered an out.

5. A foul tip on any strike, if caught, regardless of height, is an automatic out.

6. A batted ball which hits the plate is considered a foul ball.

7. No bunting.

8. One for one home run rule. Teams are only allowed one homerun (fair balls hit over the fence) until the opposing team matches that home run. Any substantial home runs hit by the same team will be considered a strike until the opposing team hits a home run (fair balls hit over the fence).

9. Inside the park home runs do not take effect in the one for one rule.

10. Any ball touched by a defensive player, which then goes over the fence in fair territory, shall not be included in the total of over the fence home runs. The batter is awarded 4-bases.

11. *NEW* Dangerous line drives to the pitcher is an automatic out. Note: this is an umpire judgement call.

 

E.   PITCHING AND BASE RUNNING

1. Pitcher must wear a protective pitching mask.

2. The pitcher must be on or behind the pitching plate once he/she starts the pitch and must release the ball before passing stepping on the pitchers plate.

3. The arc of the ball pitched must be between 6 feet and 12 feet from the ground. If a pitch has an arc of less than 6 feet or more than 12 feet it will be called an illegal pitch and deemed a ball. If the batter elects to swing, the ball will be in play. Therefore if the batter misses the ball it will be called a strike.

4. A strike shall be called if the ball strikes any part of the plate with the proper arc or if the batter swings.

5. A ball shall be called if the pitch misses the plate without the batter swinging or if the arc of the ball is not within 6-12 feet from the ground.

6. No stealing. This will be deemed an out

7. No leading. A base runner that leaves the base before the batter makes contact with the ball shall be called out.

8. No sliding at ANY bases, including home. This will be deemed an out.

9. Diving back to a base is permitted, ONLY in the event that a base has been overran.

   1. You cannot dive back to your base if you are stuck in a run-down. This will be deemed an out.

10. *NEW* Runners can tag up (on a fly ball) from any bases, including 3rd base.

11. If any part of the runner's body crosses the marked commitment line, he must proceed to home plate and a force play automatically comes into effect (no tag).

12. The use of courtesy runners is designed to allow players who have been injured either prior to or during the game to be replaced by the last same sex player that was out. Use of a courtesy runner to replace a slow runner will not be permitted. Prior to the game, Team Captains must declare players for whom a runner is required. The two options for courtesy runners replacing batters are:

    1. A base runner may be replaced by a courtesy runner after the previous play has completed and before the next play begins.

    2. A courtesy runner may be used for the batter, starting at home plate. The courtesy runner starts from the fence behind home plate where the base line from 3rd base continues on to intersect the backstop. The courtesy runner must maintain contact with the fence until the batter makes contact with the ball (in a similar fashion as the base runner must remain in contact with the base until the ball is hit).

       1. Upon the ball being hit the courtesy runner at the plate may only advance to first base and no further.

       2. If the hit would normally be considered an automatic multiple base hit (i.e.: ground rule double or in-the-park home run), the hit will be considered a single and the courtesy runner may only proceed to first base

       3. If the injured player hits an over the fence home run, it will count towards the number of home runs allowed by the batting team in that half inning and all players, including the courtesy runner, makes it home.

       4. *NEW* If the ball is thrown out of play following the hit, all runners (including courtesy runner) advance as per regular rules.

       5. Upon the conclusion of the “at bat” (e.g. the next batter is at the plate), no further restrictions are placed upon that courtesy runner while running the bases.

13. Player cannot be called out on a foul ball. If batter has 2 strikes and hits a foul ball, it is not considered a strike.

14. When a male batter followed by a woman is “intentionally or un-intentionally” walked (4 consecutive balls without a strike), the male batter is awarded 1st & 2nd base. The female batter must bat.

15. Runners must respect the safety line at home plate and run away from the plate or you will be called out.

16. Runners that touch home plate when attempting to score will be called out and point will not count.

17. Any ball hit under the fence is considered a ground rule double from where the batter was at time the ball rolled out.

18. Any ball thrown outside the field will allow for 1 base to the runner from where they were at the time the ball was thrown.

 

  

F.   PLAYOFF

1. Playoff format is a Round Robin tournament. Each team plays each other in their division, Wins = 2pts & Ties = 1pt.

2. All playoff games will be 1hr15mins or 7 innings (whichever one comes first)

3. Round robin tournament games can end in a tie game. Semi-finals & finals will go to extra innings to determine a winner.

4. NO Spares allowed during playoffs.

5. Players must have played the minimum 5 games, with the same team, in order to be eligible to play in the playoffs.

6. In the event of rain or any other causes which interrupts a playoff game, the rescheduled game will resume at the exact point where it was stopped, unless both teams mutually agree to accept the existing score as the final score. Note: Players listed in the lineups and not available at game time may be substituted by legal players.

7. All league rules may be modified at any time by a majority decision of the Hammond Slopitch Committee.

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G.   OFTEN REFERRED TO "BALL PLAYING" RULES

1. FAIR BALL is a batted ball that settles, or is touched on fair territory between Home and First, Second or Third Base; or that while in FAIR territory touches an Umpire or player; or that first falls on fair territory beyond First or Third.

2. INFIELD FLY IS A FAIR BALL which can be caught by an infielder with ordinary effort when First and Second or First, Second and Third are occupied, before two are out. The Umpire shall immediately declare "Infield Fly - batter is out" if fair. The ball is alive and runners may advance after the ball is touched.

3. Batter is out if a fielder intentionally drops a fair fly ball including a line drive, which can be caught by an infielder with ordinary effort, with First, First and Second, First and Third, or First, Second and Third base occupied and with less than two outs. Ball is dead and runners must hold to their bases at the time of the pitch.

4. Two base runners may not occupy the same base simultaneously. I.E. the runner who first legally occupied the base is entitled to it; the other base runner may be put out by being touched with the ball. (Exception: on a force play, the forced runner loses his right of occupancy and may be tagged out.)

5. A player is liable to be tagged out if after overrunning First base he attempts to continue to Second base.

6. The base runner is out if struck by a fair batted ball while off base and before it passes an infielder, excluding the pitcher.  

7. Field players must be behind the base line until a ball is hit. The infield players cannot be on the baseline to interfere with a runner.

8. Runners must use the ORANGE portion of the 1st base when running to 1st. Failing to do so will result in runner being deemed OUT.

9. First basemen must use the white portion of the base when catching a throw to first. If the orange portion is used by the first basement, the runner will be called safe even if the ball was caught before the runner stepped on the orange portion.