CO-ED LEAGUE RULES AND BY-LAWS
REVISED May 29th, 2024
RULE 1 – NAME AND PURPOSE
This organization shall be known as the WESTERN MASSACHUETTS INTER-CHURCH SLOW PITCH SOFTBALL LEAGUE. The Inter-Church Slow Pitch Softball League shall be sanctioned with the Freedom Sports Association through its local area. All Freedom rules and regulations are in effect unless otherwise superseded by these bylaws. The object of this league is to have fun and fellowship among fellow Christians with a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ and to be used as a ministry to reach out to others. Because of this, a Christian and sober behavior will be in effect at all times. Any infractions will be brought to the Executive Board for further action, including possible expulsion from the league. A coach should keep a copy of these by-laws with them at the field.
RULE 2 – MANAGEMENT
The management of the league shall be invested in the Commissioner, the League Director and the Executive Board. The Commissioner and League Director will choose an Executive Board of four members. The League Director is an ex-officio member of the Executive Board and only votes to break a tie. The Executive Board will help assist the Commissioner and League Director in the running of the league.
RULE 3 – LEAGUE FUNDS
An account shall be opened in the name of the league, in which the forfeit fees from each team will be deposited. The forfeit fee is $40.00, the cost of one umpire. This fee will be returned if a team drops from the league and it has not been used to pay for a forfeit.
Each coach shall pay the umpires at the fields on game nights. They will pay the umpires after the conclusion of the last game. For one umpire, the cost for two games is $40 per team.
As of the 2024 season, with a passing vote from all of the league coaches, there will be a set stipend for the League Director position. Funds that were previously used to purchase All Star game t-shirts will go toward this stipend. The league executive board voted on the amount and that will be set at $540 for the 2024 season. This amount is subject to change on a yearly basis depending on varying league costs.
RULE 4 – SCHEDULE
Schedules will be sent out approximately two weeks before the start of the season. The team captains are responsible for making sure that their team is at the right diamond at the right time. All scheduled games will start promptly. There is a fifteen-minute grace period for the first game only. If you don’t have a legal line-up (at least 8 players) by the required time, you will forfeit the game. Forfeit time for the second game is the posted starting time. There is no Grace period for game two. In the event that game one is started late, the game time limit will not be extended, such that the final inning of game one may not start past the start time for game two (usually 7pm).
4.2) Team captains are responsible for checking the league website on a regular basis for any schedule changes. Fields and dates may change on a week to week basis due to field availability. Team captains may give an e-mail address to the scheduler and will receive an e-mail notification concerning any schedule changes. The scheduler’s e-mail is bonksam77@yahoo.com.
4.3) Team captains are responsible for notifying the League Director of their inability to field a legal team a minimum of 24 hours in advance of game time. The league director can be notified at bonksam77@yahoo.com. Failure to notify the league director before the 24-hour deadline will result in a forfeit of both games that Thursday.
4:4) In the case that a team is unable to field a legal game day roster on the day of the game, then that team WILL FORFEIT each game it is unable to field a legal roster for. An example of this is: Team A cannot field a legal roster for either game on that Thursday. Then Team A will be punished by forfeiting both games that Thursday. As of 05/10/2018 there will be no more splitting of doubleheader games based on a coach’s agreement. Both coaches agreeing to split doubleheaders ahead of time due to one team not being able to field a legal roster has caused logistical issues in the past when it came to playoff standings. In order to avoid this issue going forward we will not allow coaches to agree to split doubleheaders ahead of time based on one team not having the ability to field a legal roster.
In the case of a game day situation where NEITHER team can field a legal team. Then both teams will not play that week and those games will not be made up on the schedule. Both teams will be punished with a record of 0-0 for that respective week. In the case of teams having a different number of total games played at the end of the season vying for the same playoff seed. Then playoff seeding will be determined based on winning percentage.
RULE 5 – LEAGUE MEMBERSHIP
Eligible players must be going into high school this calendar year and there will be no sex restriction. Each team member must have attended the church at least twice that calendar year or be related to a church member by blood, marriage or adoption and comply with all team rules.
5.2) A roster will be submitted approximately two weeks before the start of the season each year, signed by the Pastor. There is no limit to the number of players you can have on your roster. No player’s name will be on more than one roster in the co-ed league. Additions throughout the season will be put on the supplement roster and signed by the pastor also. Supplements e-mailed from the pastor are acceptable.
5.3) Rosters for the co-ed league must have a minimum of 3 female players. Teams may have more than 3 female players on the roster and in the field. If a team has less than 3 female players, then that team shall take an OUT every time the female spots come through the batting lineup.
For example: If a team has only 2 females in their lineup, it would look like this with an out in place of the 3rd female.
Male
Female
Male
Female
Male
OUT
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
If a team has only one female then another OUT will go in the 2nd female spot.
RULE 6 – THE GAME
A) A team defense will consist of a maximum of ten fielders.
B) Male and female players may play any position in the field.
C) The batting line-up MUST alternate male and female players. If there are more female players than male players, the batting line-up must alternate until the male players are used up and then the remaining female players will be placed at the end of the line-up. Age is no factor in the alternating rule. The line-up must alternate strictly based on sex. For Example, since the minimum female requirement is three, a typical lineup would look like this:
Male
Female
Male
Female
Male
Female
Male
Male
Male
Male
If your team has more females, then they will alternate in the lineup as well. As stated above, if a team has LESS than 3 females, they will take an out in those female spots in the batting lineup.
6.2) The winning team has the responsibility of notifying the Commissioner and/or Director of their win by 10 P.M. of the date the game is played. Failure to do so will result in one official warning being given. Failure to do so on a second occasion will result in a forfeiture of the games won. Both teams will call in case of a tie.
6.3) A game will consist of seven innings. Five innings constitutes a legal game unless one hour has been played at which point the game is legal. Also, a mercy rule is in effect after four innings of play. The Mercy Rule will be 15 Runs after 4 innings and 12 Runs after 5 innings. In the event of a shortened game (weather, time limit, etc.), then 5 innings or 60 minutes will constitute a legal game.
6.4) “Game Play Regulations”
The home team will provide a new regulation League Softball stamped 52 cor – 300 comp slow pitch softball and the visitors will provide a good clean usable ball. The pitcher will use a six to ten-foot arc from the ground. The NSA substitution rule will be used.
6.5) Starting Count on the batters will be 1-1. Batters will begin their turn at bat with 1 strike and 1 ball automatically. The purpose of this is to speed up play and allow for more innings to be played within the time limit.
6.6) A foul ball hit with a two-strike count will NOT result in an out. A second foul ball on a two-strike count results in an out.
6.7) If you have to start the game with nine players and the tenth player shows up late, that player can go into the game even if you have gone through the lineup, but he or she must go into the ninth or tenth spot in the order (3rd female spot in the order or 7th male spot in the order).
6.8) In each game you are only allowed two intentional walks per player and four intentional walks per team. In the event of an injury, the last out will be the courtesy runner.
6.9) Protests must be made in writing and E-Mailed to the League Director within two days of the game.
6.10) An orange/white 1B bag shall be required for all games. It is only for the original hitter running through first base to beat out a play at the bag. If the runner touches the white part of the bag in such a play, then the runner is called out. If the fielder catches a throw and touches the orange bag instead of the white part, then the hitter will be called safe. On any secondary play, only the white bag is in play. If a hitter attempts to advance past first base, he/she may touch either bag.
6.11) Any player who is visibly bleeding or showing blood must leave the game immediately. They may enter back when the blood is covered and not showing or exposed to other players.
6.12) All four outfielder position players must stand a minimum of 100 feet behind the bases until the batter makes contact with the ball. It is the responsibility of the home team to provide three small cones or markers in the outfield to designate the distance needed. Two markers will be on the foul lines behind first and third base and the third marker will be placed in center field collinear with 2nd base, home plate and the pitcher’s mound. If a fielder is inside the 100-ft. boundary before the ball is hit, then the batter will be awarded first base and any runners on base will advance one base. It is the responsibility of the home field coach to place the cones out in the field before the start of the first inning. If the home team fails to put out the cones, then one official warning will be issued. If the coach at that point does not agree to put cones out, then that team will forfeit the home field advantage.
6.13) A runner who fails to make a reasonable attempt to avoid a collision with a defensive player shall be called out. Any other runner advancing on the play shall be required to return to the last base visited. In the event that an umpire determines that a collision was flagrant (i.e., attempting to bowl over the catcher when he has the ball and is waiting to apply the tag), he has the authority to eject the offending player from the game.
6.14) A baserunner must avoid contact with a fielder making a play on the ball, even if the fielder is improperly blocking the base path. Because the runner can see the path in front of him and the fielder must concentrate on the ball, the runner bears greater responsibility to avoid contact. A runner who fails to make a reasonable attempt to avoid a collision with a defensive player shall be called out and a dead ball is in effect. Any other runner advancing on the play shall be required to return to the last base visited. In the event that an umpire determines that a collision was flagrant (I.E. attempting to bowl over the catcher when he has the ball and is waiting to apply the tag), he has the authority to eject the offending player from the game. The player’s name must then be reported to the league executive board and if future similar events reoccur then the executive board has the authority to expel that player from the league.
6.15) Inversely fielders may not block a base unless they are immediately making a play on a batted or thrown ball in that area. Catchers should station themselves in the cutout in front of the plate, not down the third base line. The runner has the right to the base path, unless a fielder is in the process of making a play. A runner whose path to the base is illegally blocked, shall be awarded that base. A fielder who initiates contact by illegally blocking the base path or applies an excessively violent tag, may be ejected, and reported to the league executive committee. Recurrent events will result in player expulsion from the league.
6.16) If a male batter is walked with three straight pitched balls (not strikes) or a no pitch intentional walk, he shall advance to 2nd base. The next batter in the line-up (female) comes up to bat. The male batter must touch 1st base and then advance to 2nd base. However, if the male batter receives a called strike, a swinging strike, a foul ball(s) or foul tip(s) and then receives a walk, he shall only be awarded 1st base considering the fact that he received at least one hittable pitch. When a male batter who walks advances to second with people on base, everyone on base will move up a base as well depending on the situation. Example: if bases were loaded then the male who walked would go to 2nd and the players on 2nd and 3rd would score then the person on 1st would move to 3rd. If a runner is only on second they would move to 3rd. If only one runner is on 3rd then they would stay put. If there’s a runner on 1st then they would advance to 3rd. Etc. This rule only applies when a female batter is batting behind a male batter in the lineup.
6.17) Middle rule: Any ball that is hit as a line drive up the middle that is within a foot of the pitching rubber will result in an automatic dead ball and out. A ball that hits the ground before the pitcher’s mound is not an out. A ball that is more than 1 foot above the head of the pitcher shall not be an out. The umpire will judge the middle rule based upon the pitching rubber, not where the pitcher stands. (i.e. If the pitcher moves 4 feet to the right after the pitch and the ball strikes him dead on…it is not an out…he moved out of the middle. However, if the pitcher moved 4 feet to the right but the line drive went directly over the pitcher’s mound and missed the pitcher, the middle rule is in effect if the ball went over the mound up the middle).
6:18) Starting in 2015, there will be a 5 inning COED All-Star game that will be played on the same night as the Tuesday night league. Each team will send the appropriate number of female and male players from their respective church so that all teams are equally represented. The numbers will fluctuate year to year depending on the number of coed teams in the league at that time. The league director will discuss this with coaches early in the year.
6:19) All Pitchers MUST wear a protective face mask while pitching.
6:20) Beginning in 2022, Freedom Courtesy Runners will NOT be allowed. A courtesy runner may be used for injured or limited players. The courtesy runner MUST be the player on the bench who was most recently recorded as an out. If no out has been recorded in that inning, then the courtesy runner is the last out of the previous inning. If the courtesy runner is still on base when it is the runner’s turn to bat, they shall be replaced on the base path by the player on bench who was most recently recorded as an out. Courtesy runners shall only be allowed for batters who make it to first base. Once a batter has made it to second base, then they may not receive a courtesy runner (exception on an overthrown dead ball from first base). In the event of an obvious NEW injury on the base path at second or third base, then the batter may have a courtesy runner at second or third base for that play only. For subsequent at-bats, the batter will only receive a courtesy runner from first base. If the player who needs a courtesy runner is a female, then the courtesy runner must be a female. If the player who needs a courtesy runner is a male, then the courtesy runner must be a male.
7) Bat Policy
As of April 1, 2015, ALL bats used in this league MUST have an official NSA/USSSA logo stamp and comply with all Freedom Sports Association rules and regulations. No ASA or USA bats will be allowed. The umpire has the discretion to disqualify any bat that they are concerned about. If a player is caught in the batter’s box with a bat that does not comply with Freedom Rules, then this shall be an automatic out. If that bat is caught being used again then the player shall be ejected from the game and it will be an automatic end of the inning.
8) POSITION STANDINGS
Wins and losses will determine position. In the event of a tie, the wins and losses among the teams involved will determine the positions. If a tie still exists,the League Director will look at records against playoff eligible teams. If a tie still exists, then run differential against playoff eligible teams will be the determining factor. In the case that the tie determines playoff eligibility, then a tie breaker game will be played among the two involved teams. Tied games will count as a half point in the standings.
9) PLAY-OFFS
Each team will keep a scorebook and retain each game’s line-up and score sheets for the entire year in the event that the League Director requires them. At the end of the year these weekly submissions will be cross referenced to come up with the team’s eligible playoff rosters. Only players that have played in 1/3 of the team’s regular season games are eligible for playoffs. The playoff rosters will be handed to all opposing playoff coaches before the start of playoff games. In the case of an odd number of games played during the regular season, the League Director will notify coaches of the required minimum number of games required for playoff eligibility.
9.2) A playoff game shall not end on account of darkness or weather. The game will continue where it left off if it is called for darkness or rain. However, a 15-run mercy rule shall be in effect after 5 innings. This mercy rule is for playoffs only.
9.3) The number of playoff teams will fluctuate yearly based upon the number of coed teams in the coed divisions. The playoff teams by record will be in the play-offs. There will be a two to three week playoff series as described below:
The playoff format will be determined on a year to year basis dependent upon the number of playoff seeds.
The semifinals and Championship will be a best of three series under the lights. The higher seeded team has the home advantage for games 1 and 3 if needed. Time limit is waived. All games will be played until completion with standard league rules, including the 15 run Mercy rule after 5 innings in effect. Home run rule will be in effect for fenced fields
10) BEHAVIOR
Good sportsmanship will be in practice at all times.
Teams should pray with each other at the plate before the start of play.
There will be no swearing on or around the ball field. Anyone caught doing so will be ejected from the game. There will be no warnings. Coaches are expected to set a clear example for their teams in this regard. If a coach is found to be insubordinate or disorderly then the coach will meet with the executive board and will face disciplinary action.
There is no drinking of alcohol, smoking of tobacco products, or use of marijuana products on or near the fields.
10.2) Only a TEAM COACH will bring up any disagreements to the umpire. All other players are expected to accept the umpires’ call as is. A team coach should only question a call for clarity purposes.
10.3) All infractions must be brought to the League Director and League Commissioner’s attention within forty-eight hours of the infraction. The Executive Board will then meet (possibly by e-mail) to take immediate action if necessary.
For example, but not limited to:
POOR SPORTSMANSHIP – suspension for at least the next two weeks (4games) for the offending player. Penalty may be longer depending on the infraction.
ILLEGAL PLAYER – forfeiture of any and all games in which the illegal player played.
FLAGRANT COLLISIONS – ejection from game and possible further suspension.
USE OF ILLEGAL BATS – offending player and/or offending teams may be suspended or expelled from the league at the discretion of the executive board.
OTHER FAILURES TO FOLLOW THESE BYLAWS OR FREEDOM RULES – penalties to be decided by executive board.
OTHER FAILURES TO FOLLOW THESE BYLAWS OR FREEDOM RULES – penalties to be decided by executive board.