SOCIAL LEAGUE RULES
(Scroll to the bottom for Kickball)
Our staff are friendly & approachable so if you have any questions please ask!
GAME LENGTH
- Games are an hour, maybe a tick longer. The first new inning after 50 minutes of play is announced as the last.
TEAMS
- A team may field a maximum of 11 players on defence at one time.
- When a team has more than 11 players, everyone bats and then when fielding rotate players accordingly.
- The league is a mixed competition. Each team must have a minimum of 3 women.
- If there are not 3 women on a team, the opposing team will be given 1 bonus run per inning. This stacks up, for example if a team has no women the opposing team will receive 3 bonus runs per inning for the entire game.
- Each team must be able to field at least 7 players in order to play. If a team is lacking the required number, they may borrow players from the opposing team.
SCORING
- The winner of each game will be determined by the team who has the most total runs at the end of the game.
- A run is scored when a player on the batting team crosses home plate.
- An inning will end when three outs are made or 6 runs are scored.
- 8 runs can be scored in the last inning (the first new inning after 50 minutes of play).
- Umpires will be responsible for keeping the score of each game.
POINTS
3 points will be awarded to the winning team.
1 point will be awarded to each team if the game is draw.
Minus 1 point for a forfeit
BATTING
- All batters must hit in the batting order provided by the Team Captain.
- At the beginning of a new inning the batting order will resume from the place where the last out was recorded in the previous inning. Example: If the 5th batter in the order was the last out; the next inning will begin with the batter in the 6th spot.
- A home run will be recorded when a hit ball clears the home run cones in the air. If the ball bounces over or rolls through the cones, the batter will automatically advance to 2nd base.
- Batters cannot run triples or in the park home runs (you can hit a double and reach 3rd on an overthrow though).
- A walk is awarded if the pitcher throws 5 balls
- There is no bunting.
BASE RUNNING
- No sliding!
- A runner may not leave their base until the batter makes contact with the ball.
- Base stealing, or advancing on passed balls and wild pitches, is prohibited.
- It is the base runners duty to avoid contact with fielders on the base paths.
- If a runner does not make an attempt to avoid contact with the fielding player, the runner will be called out.
- With less than 2 out, if a fly ball is hit and caught by a fielding player all base runners must return and touch the base previously occupied before advancing.
PITCHING
- Pitchers may deliver the ball overhand/underhand and on an arced trajectory
- The pitcher must throw at a speed that is deemed hittable by the umpire. Failure to meet the umpires required speed will result in a ball.
- If a pitcher continues to disregard pitching rules he/she may be replaced at the discretion of the umpire.
- A walk is awarded if the pitcher throws 5 balls
FIELDING
An out can be made in the following ways…
The batter is struck out.
A hit ball is caught in the air.
A base runner is tagged with the ball (while in the glove) by a fielder.
A hit ball is thrown to a base before the runner reaches.
A hit ball hits a base runner.
- Tagging is allowed but we try to avoid it where possible, for example: If a base runner is in between 2nd & 3rd and no runner is forcing them along from behind, in regular baseball/softball a tag would be required upon their arrival at 3rd. Not in Social League. Once the base runner has gone over halfway they are then committed to 3rd and the fielding team is not required to tag them upon their arrival.
- Other than the pitcher, no fielder is allowed within the diamond before the pitch is thrown.
- A ball that is hit over the home run cones which is caught by the fielder is out. But the fielding player must start in the field of play when the ball is hit
- Our umpires double as catchers but when there is a play at home they are not required to catch the ball. If the incoming throw is deemed catchable (and it beats the runner home) then the player is out, no matter if the ball is dropped by the umpire.
KICKBALL
Kickball rules are almost identical, everything is the same except…
- The pitcher rolls the ball instead of throwing it
- The batter kicks the ball instead of hitting it
- You can throw the ball at base runners to get them out
- Kicking 3 fouls is the equivalent of a strike out