Stealing Home Slo pitch softball Tournament

Intro

Suds, Buds & Windmills is entering a woman’s slo pitch softball team into this tournament. The softball tournament is located outside the Ottawa region.

Games

9:00 – Peaches vs SBW D4

1:00 – Team Halo vs  SBW D2

6:00 – Fully Loaded vs SBW  D4

Top 7 womens teams after Round Robin Make Playoffs

Rules:

Stealing HOME – OPEN NSA Canada Slo pitch Softball Tournament Rules

(First Event in the Adrenaline Sports Triple Threat Slo pitch softball Series – Mens and Ladies OPEN Division)

**** Score sheets from both teams must be turned into the Tournament Director at Headquarters ****
**** Tournament Directors have the right to modify the tournament format due to unforeseeable circumstances (i.e. inclement weather, no-shows/teams dropping out) ****

The Stealing HOME Tournament will follow the NSA rule book as well as their bat rule with the exception of the following rules which take precedent over the rule book:

RANKINGS:

Teams will be awarded 2 points for a WIN, 1 point for a tie, and 0 points for a loss.
TIE-BREAKERS

Overall Points

1.  Best +/-
   Less “Actual Runs Against”
   More “Actual Runs For”
   Head to Head (if played against each other)
   Coin Toss

PLAYERS and GAMES:

1. A team roster consisting of nineteen (19 players) maximum must be submitted immediately after the first game. The batting order cannot exceed 13. Teams need a minimum of nine (9) players to start the game. Teams can play with 9 players with no auto-out. If after five (5) minutes following the scheduled start time teams do not have nine (9) players this will be considered a forfeit and the score will be 10-0. If teams start with 9 players, only one may be added to your game roster for a total of ten players (all others must be substitutes). 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.

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

3. All round robin games have a 1 hour time limit. No new inning may start after the 50 minute mark. The final game has no time limit. In the event that the “last inning” is designated and called by the umpire, the last designated inning will be unlimited runs. The umpire must call last inning at the beginning of an inning. Once started the inning must be played out.

4. 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 second base and there will be 1 out. All extra innings will be unlimited runs.

More rules

5. Courtesy Runners: 4 per game. Any person in the line-up can run and runners can be used multiple times. If a courtesy runner is on base when it is his turn to bat and there are no courtesy runners left, the batting position of that person will be considered an out.

6. HR Rule – 4 per team per game – To speed up games all home runs are a walk off. All additional home runs will be an out. If a four base award is called by the umpire, this will also be considered walk off and the batter does not have to touch 1st base.

More rules

7. 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 five (5) innings or the completion of six (6) 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.

8. There will be no warm-up time (infield or outfield) allowed after the official game start time.

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

10. Steel or detachable cleats are not permitted – Rubber and Nylon only.

11. All games batters will start with a 1 and 1 count (1 strike and 1 ball).

SCORING:

12. There will be a maximum of 5 runs per team per inning – unless it is the 7th inning or declared “last inning” by the umpire prior to the beginning of the inning – in which case there are unlimited runs.

13. When reporting scores, teams will report actual scores, however a maximum run differential of 10 (ten) will be used to determine the second tie-breaking rule. The actual scores will be used to determine the fourth tie-breaking rule.

14. If the home team is winning in the bottom of the “Last Designated Inning” regardless of the score. The game is over.

15. 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 so that the same score is reported to the Convenor. Each team is responsible for checking the master schedule for game times and possible changes.

PITCHING:

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

17. 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.

18. A pitched ball that makes contact with the board will be called a strike. If a pitched ball hits only the white plate, the pitch is called a ball. If a pitched ball strikes both the board and plate simultaneously, the pitch is called a strike.

19. On a walk, the play is dead until the next pitch is thrown. (Intentional walks are permitted)

BATTING:

20. Batters will be allowed a maximum of 4 balls and 3 strikes. A strike is considered when a legally pitched ball contacts the board or a batter swings at a pitched ball. Third Strike Foul the batter is out.

21. The Re-entry Rule will be used for this tournament. A starter can re-enter only once in 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.

22. Bunting or stealing is an automatic out.

23. If a batter is injured while batting and is removed from the game, the next batter will continue with the previous count.

24. Any batter touching home plate (ONLY – not on the board) while making contact with the ball will be automatically out.

More rules

25. A batter is encouraged to drop their bat near the batter’s box. A batter carrying the bat and touching first base with the bat in hand will be called out and runners will be sent back to their starting bag(s).

26. Any ball struck by the batter and then striking the board will be a dead ball and “Time” is called and the batter is given a foul ball call. If the batter strikes the ball down and it hits the white plate and goes forward without hitting the board, the ball is live and fair.

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

BATS:

Mens Division:
28. Men will swing wood bats that are provided by convener. ONLY THE BATS PROVIDED ARE ALLOWED TO BE USED. (Men use 12” hot dots)

Ladies Division:
29. ONLY bats from the “NSA Approved Softball Bat List” are allowed. The Jacked Nemesis is an Illegal Bat for this tournament. (Team packages contain the NSA Approved bat list – if you are unsure about a bat please ask the ump prior to game) (Women use 11″ hot dots)

FIELDING:

30. There will be an infield fly rule — If you do not know what this rule means please speak with the umpire prior to the start of the game.

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

32. Any foul ball caught by the catcher is an out. No height restriction.

33. Trappers can only be used at first base, Pitcher and catcher.

BASERUNNING:

34. Sliding will be permitted only 2nd and 3rd base. Any baserunner sliding into first base or coming home will be called out for sliding. The other runners must remain at the last base they were at.

35. If the ball is thrown out of bounds (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.

36. 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 their own risk.

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37. There is an Anticipation Step on a Lead-off. Therefore, when a batter swings at a pitch, a baserunner is allowed to take an anticipation step.

38. A commit line is marked out on the third base line, 20 feet from home plate. Once any part of a base runner crosses this line it, he/she must advance home. This play becomes a force play at home plate. Absolutely No Tagging of the baserunner can occur at the plate. The catcher must touch the plate and or board with possession of the ball before the runner touches the safe line or touches the ground past the safe line for the umpire to call an out.

39. Base runners are out for running on, over or in front of the plate.

Umpires decisions are final

40. Umpires decisions are final. They will rule on any situation that may arise during the game. Unsportsmanlike conduct by any player will result in 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. The result of an ejection could take take a team below 10 players, if so, the game is an automatic over and forfeit (10-0) is awarded to the non-offending team.

41. Any team that wishes to protest a game must submit an official protest in writing within thirty (30) minutes of the game finishing. The protest must be submitted to the tournament director at Headquarters with a $500.00 Cash deposit. If you win the protest you will get your deposit back and if unsuccessful a team will forfeit their deposit.

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