NORTH JERSEY SENIOR SOFTBALL CONFERENCE

50+ LEAGUE AND 60+ WEEK-NIGHT LEAGUES

RULES OF PLAY ADOPTED BY THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS

January 23, 2012

 

The NJSSC will follow the guidelines of the Amateur Softball Association (ASA) rule book, with the following modifications:

 

A.  PLAYER CONDUCT

 

1.  ZERO TOLERANCE FOR FIGHTING – There is a zero tolerance policy regarding fighting.  Any player(s) who put their hands on or bumps another player or an umpire will be subject to being banned or suspended from the league for the rest of the season, as determined by a review process of the incident by the Board of Commissioners and the umpire in charge of the game.  The review process will include a written statement of the incident submitted within 48 hours after the game from each team’s manager as well as from the umpire in charge.  If a player is suspended from the league he must first pay a $150 fine before being reinstated.

 

2.  PLAYER CONTROL - Team managers are responsible for the conduct of their team.  The only person allowed to talk to the umpire or opposing manager is the specified team manager.

 

3.  EJECTIONS - If a player is ejected from a game for any reason, he will not be eligible to play in the next played game (not a forfeit) and will be required to pay a $25 fine.  If there is no substitute to replace him, it will be an automatic out each time his spot in the batting order is reached.  The player will not be allowed to play until the $25 fine is paid. 

 

B.  LENGTH OF GAMES:  All games will be 7 innings except:

 

1.  Tie games after 7 innings will continue until one team is ahead after the completion of any subsequent inning.

 

2.  The 12 run mercy rule will be invoked once the losing team has batted at least 5 times, as it is then an official game.  If the home team is losing, they must bat in the bottom of the inning.  The 12 run rule will be in effect for all regular season and playoff games. 

 

3.  There will be no suspended games (games less than 5 innings), for any reason.

 

4.  For both first games at the Boro Park fields, the one and one count will be implemented in the top of the next inning that begins after 9:15 p.m.  For the second games, the one and one count will be implemented in the top of the next inning that begins after 10:30 p.m.

 

5.  Scoring will be as follows:

1st Inning – Maximum of 5 runs for each team

2nd - 6th – Innings – Even +5 runs rule in effect

7th Inning – Unlimited scoring

 

C.  PITCH ARC – The ball must be delivered with a perceptible arc and reach a height of at least 6 feet, while not exceeding a maximum height of 12 feet from the ground.

 

D.  PLAYS AT HOME PLATE:  There can be no out made at home plate on a tag play.  The defensive player must touch any part of the strike zone mat to make a put out.  The runner must use the outside home plate, or he is out.  If a runner has passed the commitment line, which is 32 ½ feet from third base, he cannot return to third base and must continue to home plate, or he will be called out.

 

 

 

 

E.  FORFEIT TIME:  Games must start at the designated time or when the field becomes available for use.  A grace period of 15 minutes from the scheduled game time will be allowed before a forfeit is called by the umpire.

 

F.  FORFEITS – If any team forfeits a game in either the 50+ League or 60+ League, that team will be required to pay the umpire fee for that game.

 

G.  NUMBER OF PLAYERS

50+ LEAGUE

1.  A team must have at least 8 players to start a game and can play with 8 or 9 players without incurring the penalty of outs for the 9th and/or 10th batting spots.

 

2.  Catcher must be supplied by the batting team, if the defensive team has only 8 players, but he will not make any defensive plays.  If a team has 9 players, no catcher will be provided.

 

3.  A team can start a game with 10 players and finish with as few as 8 players, without incurring automatic outs, if injuries occur.

 

4.  Players arriving late must be added at the bottom of the order for both the 50+ and 60+ leagues.

 

60+ LEAGUE

1.  A team must have at least 9 players to start a game and can play with 9 or 10 players without incurring the penalty of outs for the 10th and/or 11th batting spots.

 

2.  Catcher must be supplied by the batting team, if the defensive team has only 9 players, but will not make any defensive plays.  If a team has 10 players, no catcher will be provided. 

 

3.  A team can start a game with 11 players and finish with 9 players, without incurring automatic outs, if injuries occur. 

 

H.  PLAYER SUBSTITUTION

1.  Any player may be substituted for and re-entered once, provided the players occupy their same batting position in the batting order.

 

2.  The starting player and their substitute may not be in the line-up at the same time.

 

I.  COURTESY AND BASE RUNNERS

1.  Base runners may not leave a base until the ball reaches home plate.

 

2.  A player may be a courtesy runner only once per inning.

 

J.  EQUIPMENT

1.  Softballs – the Board of Commissioners shall determine the brand and type of softballs to be used.

 

2.  Bats – All legal bats must bear either the ASA 2000 or ASA 2004 certification and must not be listed on the ASA Non-Approved Bat List.  If a player uses or attempts to use an illegal bat, the batter is declared out, will be ejected, fined $25.00, and will be ineligible to participate in the next played game.  In the event of a batted ball, the action will revert back to the prior batter.

 

3.  Spikes – No metal spikes are allowed and violation will result in ejection, $25.00 fine and will be ineligible to participate in the next played game.

 

K.  FOUL TIPS – A foul tip by a batter with zero or one strike that moves sharply and directly from the bat is merely a strike.  If a ball is fouled off or foul tipped with two strikes, the batter is out.

 

L.  TEAM SHIRTS – All players on each team must wear the same color shirts.  If a player does not have the same color shirt, he will not be allowed to play.  Umpires will enforce this rule, after a team’s fourth scheduled game of the season.

 

M.  PROOF OF AGE:  All players must show proof of age upon request of a league official.  Managers are responsible for verifying proof of age for all players on their team.  If an underage player(s) is discovered on a team, both the Manager and player(s) will be banned from the league for life.   

 

N.  PLAYOFF ELIGIBILITY:  A player must play in at least 4 regular season games to be eligible to play in the playoffs.

 

O.  PLAYER MOVEMENT:  Once the season has started, a player is not allowed to move to another team.  A player can play in only one division. 


P.  HOME TEAM RESPONSIBILITIES:  The home team is responsible for providing the bases, strike zone mat and second home plate.  Home team managers are also responsible for turning on and turning off the lights at the Boro Park and Masar Fields.  The Home Team of the last game completed at the Boro Park and Masar fields, who fails to turn the lights off, will be fined $50, which will come out of their forfeit reserve.

 

Q.  FORFEIT RESERVE:  The forfeit reserve will be 3 times the current umpire fee.  If a team has 3 forfeits during the season, the Commissioner will call the team manager and request an additional payment to the reserve for the remainder of the season.

 

R.  NO SHOW UMPIRES:  If the umpire does not show up for a scheduled game, an official game shall still be played.  The catcher for each team will call balls and strikes and the first and third base coaches will call the bases.

 

S.  HOME TEAM BENCH – The Home Team will use the third base benches at all fields.

 

T.  PROTESTS:  There are no protests.  All decisions by the umpires are final.

 

U.  TELLING PLAYERS TO STAY HOME – If any Manager or team representative contacts another player(s) and tells them to stay home and a Commissioner is informed of this, that team will take a forfeit and pay the forfeit fee.

 

ALL OF THE ABOVE RULES SHALL APPLY TO PLAYOFF GAMES ALSO.