Winfield Recreation Commission

Co-Rec Softball Rules

The official ASA softball rulebook will govern play for all situations except when in conflict with local rules as noted:

CONTINUED FOR 2016: ALL BATTERS WILL BEGIN THEIR AT-BAT WITH A 1 BALL AND 1 STRIKE COUNT.

  1. SOFTBALLS: This year men and women will hit the same ball. We will use the 12” ASA softball COR .52/300 Compression. Balls are sold in the WRC office for $8 per ball or you can buy your own.
  1. PLAYERS: Teams may play with a minimum of eight (8) players. 10 players on the field maximum including 7 men and 3 women. 8 players including 1 woman required to start a game. Game time is forfeit time.
  1. BATTING ORDER: No more than 3 men may bat in a row in the batting order. In order to encourage maximum participation, teams may bat more than ten players. Regardless of how many people you choose to bat, you must bat 3 women in the first 10 spots and no more than 3 men can bat in a row.

Men in Batting Order / Number of Women Required in the Batting order
7 / 1 (if a team is short players, they need to have the women present bat three times
7 / 2 (if a team is short players, they need to have 1 women present bat twice)
7 / 3
8 / 4 (1 women bat twice if necessary)
9 / 4 (1 women bat twice if necessary)
10 / 5 (2 women bat twice if necessary)
11 / 5 (2 women bat twice if necessary)
12 / 6 (3 women bat twice if necessary
*6 / 2 **If playing short 1 woman and man

Teams must designate which women will bat twice on their line-up card. Only those women will be allowed to bat twice or the batting out of order rule will be enforced. If a women is on base and her turn at bat comes up, she will be replaced on base by the male who made the last out and she will bat.

  1. WALKS: Any walk to a male batter will result in a two base award if that male is followed in the batting order by a female. The next batter (a female) will bat. EXCEPTION: With two outs, the female batter has the option to walk or bat. A male runner advancing to second base without touching first base shall be called out if properly appealed.
  1. DEFENSIVE POSITIONS: Maximum number of players in the field is 10, including at least 3 women. There are no position requirements of any players, (i.e. there need not be ½ females in outfield and ½ in the infield). Minimum number of players in the field/your starting line-up is 8 (at least 1 of whom must be a woman), (or if a team has nine players, two out of nine must be women). No more than 7 men are allowed on the field at one time. A player arriving late may be inserted at the bottom of the order even if you have batted around one or more times. You are allowed to place that player in the field, if your team is not batting. Make the umpire and opposing team aware of these additions.
  1. RUN RULE: There is a 10-run rule after 5 innings and 15-run rule after 3 innings. There will be a one-hour time limit on all games. If game is tied after 7 innings and the time limit has expired each batter will begin each at bat with a 3 ball 2 strike count. Each team will get chance to bat until a winner is determined.
  1. ADDING PLAYERS: Players may be added anytime during the season as long as they have not played for another team. Players must be listed on the roster before they are eligible to participate.
  1. CRASH RULE: If there is a play at the plate, it is the runner’s responsibility to avoid contact. The umpire has discretion to decide whether the runner initiated contact and should be called out. Any excessive contact or collision will result in an “out” and/or ejection. This includes contact with the catcher. Sliding is allowed but not required. Fake tags and barreling will result in immediate ejection from the game and will not be tolerated. Sliding is not required, however, a runner must be attempting to reach base and the defensive player must be attempting to catch the ball. If there is no play, the defensive player cannot block a base. Warnings will be issued, followed by ejection from the game if necessary. Collisions and injuries are to be avoided if at all possible. Fielders may not block the base paths. If obstruction occurs, the umpire can award the runner the next base.
  1. ANY ARGUING ON THE JUDGEMENT OF BALLS AND STRIKES WILL CONSTITUTE A TEAM WARNING. ANY REPEAT OFFENSES MAY RESULT IN THE EJECTION OF THAT TEAM MEMBER.
  1. 175' OUTFIELD LINE: All outfielders MUST be positioned behind a line marked at 175' from home plate until after the ball is hit, by either a female or male batter. Penalty for moving inside the 175' line prior to the ball being hit is as follows:

a. Batter may elect to allow play to stand

b. Batter may elect to replay the pitch

  1. HOME RUN LIMIT: There is a limit of 3 over-the-fence home runs per team per game for all

leagues! For any in excess of 3, the ball is dead, the batter is out, and no runners can advance. Any fair fly ball touched by a defensive player that goes over the fence in fair territory, should be declared a four-base award and shall not be included in the total of over-the-fence home runs. Both male and female home runs count towards Co-Rec limit.

UNSPORTSMANLIKE CONDUCT

Winfield Recreation Commission sponsored leagues are designed solely for the recreational values derived by the players, manager, coaches and spectators from the sport of softball.

Any player, team, manager, coach or spectator who displays any form of unsportsmanlike conduct such as flagrant rule violation, vulgar language, engaging in fighting or obviously attempting to injure anyone, threatening or purposely touching a league official before, during or after a game may be suspended form the league and/or all leagues sponsored by the WRC. In addition, the team may be placed on probation. Fees will not be refunded.

Any person ejected from the game shall leave the facility immediately, NO SIGHT/NO SOUND.

Failure to do so will warrant a forfeiture of the game by the offending team. The coach or manager shall be responsible for actions by his/her players and spectators and for informing them of all rules. Badgering or taunting the opponents, officials or spectators is strictly prohibited and is grounds for suspension.

When a player, manager or coach is ejected he/she is automatically suspended for the next game. A second ejection in the same season will result in that player being removed from the league for the remainder of the season.