Ladies Qualifier for Hamilton 2022

2. The Batting Line-Up can ONLY have 2 males batting in a row.

Therefore, with 4 women on a team, ONLY 8 men can be in the Batting Line-up. Additional Men MUST be announced and identified to the Umpire as Substitutes.

3. Teams MUST START a game with a MINIMUM of 4 Women. If there are 4 Women and 5 Men, the team can start with 9 and NO AUTOMATIC OUT. If during the game, a Woman gets injured, the team can play with 3 Women + an AUTOMATIC OUT provided that the team has a minimum of 6 guys playing.

4. If after 5 minutes from the scheduled start time, a team DOES NOT have 9 players (min. 4 females), this will be Called a DEFAULT and the score will be 7-0. There are 10 defensive positions. To qualify for the playoffs, a player must be on the submitted roster. No player may play on more than one (1) team without prior consent from the tournament convener due to unforeseen circumstances.

5. The Batting is a SET LINEUP. The Batting Order can be any order the team decides. (NO lineup with guys on top and girls on the bottom.) NOTING that the Walk Rule stipulates that ANY MAN that is walked with a Women Batting behind him, then that Batter will get 2nd base and the Woman MUST HIT. If a Man is walked with a Man batting behind him, then the batter ONLY receives 1st Base.

6. If a team has a player(s) show up late to the game and before the 1st pitch of the 5th inning, then the COACH MUST:

• Announce and Identifiy who that a Player(s) is/are to the UMPIRE AND

• The coach MUST also identfiy that the player(s) will EITHER be added to the bottom of the batting order OR he/she will be a substitute, AS LONG AS Rule 2 is adhered to.

7. The Re-entry Rule will be used for this tournament. A Starter can re-enter a game only once back into his/her original batting position. A substitute that comes into the game and is substituted out of the lineup is officially out of the game BUT can be used as a courtesy runner at anytime during the game.

8. When a player is ejected, that players spot will become an automatic out unless there is a substitute available. Any ejection that takes a team below 9/10 players is an automatic forfeit. The forfeit counts as a (7-0) loss.

SCORING:

9. In Round Robin play, If the home team is winning in the bottom of the last designated inning, the game is over regardless of the score. Teams do not continue to play for maximum +/-.

10. A mercy rule is in effect for all games. The mercy rule is twenty (20) or more runs after the completion of four (4) innings or twelve (12) or more runs after the completion of 5th or 6th innings. All games must be completed unless a time limit is enforced or the mercy rule is in effect. Mercy rule is in effect for all games including the Finals.

11. Round Robin games may end in a tie. In the playoffs, when tied after the last designated inning and beyond, the BATTER at the time of the last out from the previous inning will start at 2nd base and the team will begin with 1 out. All extra innings will be unlimited runs.

12. Each team is responsible for keeping their score (check with other team often to make sure you have the same score and report any discrepancies to the umpire immediately). Immediately after each game, each team must confirm the score with the UMPIRE. BOTH TEAMS are responsible for providing the score to the (CONVENOR or UIC) designated area at Headquarters. Each team is responsible for checking the master schedule for game times. Score sheets that are not handed in after the completion of each game will result in a double-forfeit.

13. When reporting scores, teams will report actual scores, however a maximum run differential of 7 (seven) will be used to determine the second tie-breaking rule. The actual scores will be used to determine the fourth tie-breaking rule.

14. Teams are being put on NOTICE – Teams are asked to be prepared to play 10 minutes before your scheduled game time. If a previous game ends early due to a mercy, Teams are to immediately begin play for their game. Teams are to warm up off the diamond to be prepared to play.

GENERAL:

15. For Round Robin Games, the home team is decided by a coin toss prior to the game. The coin toss winner has the option to choose home/away. In Playoffs, the higher ranking team will have home.

16. TIME LIMIT – All Tournament Games will have a 1 hour 15 minute time limits. No new inning may start after the 65 minute mark. The final game has no time limit. The UMPIRE must call last inning in the top half of an inning.In the event that the “last inning” is designated and called by the umpire, the last designated inning will be unlimited runs. The umpire CAN call last inning at the beginning OR during a visiting team at bat.

17. There will be a 5 Run Maximum per team per inning – unless it is the 7th inning or declared “last inning” by the umpire prior or during the designated “Last Inning” – in which case there are unlimited runs.

18. In all games, batters will begin with a count of 1 Ball and 1 Strike.

18. HR Rule – 5 HR per team (All HRs are walk-offs)

19. A Commitment line will be drawn 20 feet from home plate, once the runner has touched or passed the commitment line, the runner must continue to the safe line. Home plate

is not live as there IS a Safety line. When running home, a baserunner will be called out for running in front of, over, or touching home plate.

20. A Catcher cannot tag the runner coming home. He/she must touch the plate or the board with possession of the ball BEFORE the base runner either touches the safe line or touches past the safe line.

21. NO STEEL or DETACHABLE CLEATS are permitted – Rubber and Nylon only. Batter will be called OUT and asked to remove the cleats.

22. NO BUNTING allowed; Batter will be called out.

23. NO STEALING Allowed. A Baserunner will be called out.

24. All bases will be pegged down. A safety base will be used at first base.

PITCHING:

25. The pitcher must start with at least one foot inside the pitching zone (between 50 and 60 feet and 2 feet wide from plate)

26. The pitcher must deliver the ball to the plate with a visible arc of at least six (6) feet and not higher than twelve (12) feet. Pitches that are not thrown in this zone will be ruled as

‘Illegal’ and count as a ball for the batter. Batters are permitted to swing at “Illegal Pitches” with the outcome of the swing counting.

27. On a walk, the play is dead until the next pitch is thrown. (Intentional walks are permitted without any pitches thrown)

28. Teams are allowed to have a women pitch and a women catch

BATS:

29. Men swing NSA bats from the “NSA Approved Softball Bat List.” The Jacked Nemesis is an Illegal Bat for this tournament.

30. Women swing NSA bats from the “NSA Approved Softball Bat List.” The Jacked Nemesis is an Illegal Bat for this tournament.

BATTING:

31. A strike is considered when a legally pitched ball contacts the board. Third Strike Foul the batter is out.

32. A batted ball that strikes the board is immediately dead and a foul ball is called by the Umpire.

33. A batter must not touch 1st base with the bat in hand (even on a walk). The batter/baserunner will be called out.

34. A batter must ask the umpire for time at home plate before the pitcher throws his pitch.

WALK RULE:

35. Coed Walk Rule – Any walk to a MAN with a MAN following in the batting order, has the Batter ONLY being awarded 1st base. Any walk to a MAN with a WOMAN following in the batting order, has the Batter being awarded 2nd base and WOMAN MUST HIT. Teams MUST always have the on-deck batter clearly identified as waiting to bat. When there is a Man that is awarded a Walk with a Woman behind, the Man can go directly to 2nd base without touching 1st base.

FIELDING:

36. The Infield Fly Rule is in effect — If you do not know what this rule means please speak with the umpire prior to the start of the game.

37. Fielding substitutions may be made at any time during a stoppage of play.

38. Any foul ball, regardless of heigth, that is caught by the catcher is considered a fly ball OUT.

39. Trappers can only be used at the following positions: 1st Base, Catcher and Pitcher.

40. No OUTFIELDER can throw a Woman out at 1st base. A 5th infielder MUST play on the grass and is considered an Outfielder; therefore, they CANNOT throw a Woman out at

1st base as well.

BASERUNNING:

41. Four Courtesy Runners Per game are allowed. The SAME RUNNER can be used multiple times as a Courtesy runner. **NOTE** ONLY a player that is an ACTIVE player that is actually a STARTER or SUBSTITUTE that has been officially entered into the game, within the batting line-up, can be a courtesy runner. If a courtesy runner is on base when it is their turn to bat, an automatic out will be called unless the offensive team has an available Courtesy runner. Courtesy runners can be: Male for Male, Female for Female, Female for Male.

42. “Pitcher – Courtesy Runner” rule – If a pitcher is batting and he/she safely reaches base and there are 2 outs at any time while on base, a coach can ask for a “Free” courtesy runner. (WILL NOT count as one of the 4 courtesy runners) This will be allowed so that the pitcher can have time to put on gear to be ready for the next defensive inning, REGARDLESS of whether the pitcher is putting on gear OR not. This rule will be enforced for all pitchers. **IMPORTANT** FOR THE PURPOSE OF THIS RULE, ONLY THE PITCHER OF RECORD FROM THE PREVIOUS DEFENSIVE INNING CAN HAVE A “FREE PITCHING COURTESY RUNNER.

43. Sliding will be permitted at all bases. Any baserunner sliding across the Safe Line will be called OUT for sliding.

44. If the ball is thrown out of play, (boundaries determined by the ground rules of each diamond) the advance will be two bases from the time of the throw from the last safe base touched.

45. Base runners can only advance when the ball is legally hit or on a forced walk. If a ball is legally caught (fair or foul) any base runner may tag up and advance at his/her own risk.

46. Baserunners are ALLOWED an Anticipation Step on a Lead-off. Therefore, when a batter swings at a pitch, a baserunner is allowed to take an anticipation step.

47. Umpires decisions are final. They will rule on any situation that may arise during the game. Unsportsmanlike conduct by any player will result in the disqualification from the game and possibly the tournament. If it continues, the team will be ejected. If a player is ejected with the line-up above 10 players, then that person’s spot in the line-up will be an automatic out unless there is a substitution available that was identified as a substitute at the beginning of the game. If an ejection takes a team below 9 or 10 players, the game is automaticly over and a forfeit (7-0) is awarded to the non-offending team.

48. Any team that wishes to protest a game must submit an official protest in writing within 30 minutes of the game finishing. The protest must be submitted to the tournament director at Headquarters with a $500.00 Cash deposit. If the PROTEST is valid, the TEAM Captain, will receive the PROTEST funds back. If unsuccessful, the team will forfeit PROTEST fee.

49. Rules are subject to change – the rules handed out day of tournament will be the official rules

Name		Paid
Eric		PAID
Alex		refunded
Marie Eve		refunded
Josh		PAID
Rich		PAID
Chad		PAID
Marty		PAID
Erin		refund required
Paul		PAID
Crystal		PAID
Dylan		PAID
Tracy		PAID
Simon		PAID CASH
Jacob		PAID
Shawn		PAID
Noelle		PAID CASH
Anne		Refunded
Erin		PAID
Kelly A		PAID
Isabelle		PAID
Krystle		PAID
Tiana		PAID
Daryl		PAID
Aimee		PAID
Chris		PAID