2025 SOUTH HILLS SENIOR SOFTBALL LEAGUE RULES

One: Applicable Rules: ASA/USA softball rules apply for all situations not covered by these league rules.

Two: Profanity and Challenges to Umpires: Managers are responsible for players’ behavior on the field. Profanity is not permitted; players will be warned once and ejected if profanity continues. Only managers may protest an umpire’s call, and they are required to keep their remarks brief and civil. If any player other than the manager argues with the umpire, he will be warned once and then ejected if interference continues. Repeated violations will result in suspension from future games. The designated umpire for any game may not be recruited by either team as a substitute player for that game.

Three: Ban on Fighting: Fighting refers to any physical altercation, aggressive confrontation, or violent behavior between players. This includes, but is not limited to, actions such as throwing punches, shoving or making threats of physical harm. The commissioner will discuss any instance of fighting with umpires, onlookers and participants and propose penalties for those found to have violated the rule. The penalty is subject to a majority vote by the managers. If a player is ejected from a game, his team records an out each time his turn comes up in the lineup for the rest of that game.

Four: Pinch-Running Rule: Before each game managers must provide the umpire with a list of players who have requested pinch runners. Players who wish to run for themselves must be allowed to do so and cannot be pressured by managers to give up their running rights. If a player wants a pinch runner, there is no penalty for legging out an extra-base hit: The player is still eligible for a runner in that instance and for the rest of the game. Managers can choose any player (except those designated as needing pinch runners) to serve as a pinch runner. A player can serve as a pinch runner only one time per inning. Pinch runners must be sent to the base before the next batter steps to the plate. Any pinch runner who returns to the field for a second time as a pinch runner in the same inning will be called out as soon as he touches base. If a pinch runner is still on base when his turn to bat comes up, his team records an out, the pinch runner gives up the base and, if the inning is not over, takes his turn at bat. A pinch runner cannot be replaced by another runner except in case of injury.

Five: Substitute Player Rule: Teams must have at least seven roster players in their lineup to avoid a forfeit. (See forfeit rule.)

Any substitute must have been drafted in the same round of the player being replaced or lower. (For example, a first-round A cannot replace a second-round A.) Violations of the substitute rules will result in forfeit of the game.

Substitutes can be used only when teams are missing two or more roster players and when the lineup will include at least six C players (roster and substitute C players combined).

If six C players will be in the lineup, the lineup including substitutes can include a maximum of 12 players.

If seven C players will be in the lineup, the lineup including substitutes can include a maximum of 13 players.

Substitutes may play at any position in the field and bat anywhere in the batting order. In determining whether substitutes are needed, managers may ask team members to confirm their availability to arrive on time and play. Any team member who does not confirm to the manager his firm intention to play by noon on the day of the game may be deemed ineligible to play for that day and replaced by a substitute, subject to the rules above.

Six: Playoff Roster Rules: During playoffs, each team must have at least 13 players in the lineup. If any of those 13 players fails to show up, he must be included in the batting lineup as an automatic strikeout. A manager may not call up the same substitute player more than once during the playoffs. If any C players are missing, a C player must be called up before any A or B players are called up. Teams with 13 players, including call-ups, are not allowed to call up a 14th player.

Seven: Replacement Player Rules: If a player is injured and tells his manager he will be out for four weeks or more, the manager has two options:

Either: Seek permission from the commissioner to replace the player with one of a similar talent level for the four-week period, which may be extended if the player remains injured beyond four weeks. The replacement player must be evaluated by at least three managers to assure the talent level is equivalent or lower. The commissioner will arrange for an evaluation.

Or: Do not replace the injured player and use the substitute-player rule when applicable (see above).

If a manager chooses to replace an injured player, the injured player must sit out for at least four weeks. If the replacement player decides to quit, another replacement player may be appointed under the procedures described above.

If the injured player is placed in the lineup before the end of the four-week period, the player will be considered an illegal player and the game will be forfeited.

Managers cannot appoint replacement players on their own but may refer to the commissioner candidates to serve as replacements. There will be no replacement players added during the final four weeks of the season or during the playoffs. Replacement players are eligible for the playoffs only if they have played in five or more regular-season games.

Eight: Injury Situations: Any player who leaves the game because of an injury may return to the game if after a self-evaluation he considers himself eligible to play. Teams will not be penalized for the loss of a player during a game due to an injury.

Nine: Holding the Base: Runners must keep at least one foot on the base until a ball is hit. If a runner pulls off any base before the ball is hit, he will be called out.

Ten: Age of Eligibility: Players are eligible starting any time in the calendar year during which they will have their 55th birthdays.

Eleven: Trades: Trades of players are not allowed after completion of the annual draft meeting.

Twelve: Provision of Equipment: The designated home team uses the first base bench area and provides bases. Both managers provide one new ball and one backup ball. Umpires are to start the game with a new ball provided by the home team and substitute a new ball provided by the away team if the first ball is lost. If available, new balls can be used to replace any further balls lost.

Thirteen: Starting Time and Length of Games: Umpires are required to start games promptly at the scheduled time, except in the following circumstances. If one team has 8 players or fewer and is thus below the minimum (see rule 14), the umpire will allow up to 15 minutes for a late-arriving player in an attempt to allow the game to be played rather than forfeited. Games also may be delayed by weather conditions or if the field is occupied by other teams whose games are running late. Umpires are solely responsible for deciding when a game is delayed due to weather or forfeited due to one team having 8 players or fewer. Games will be 9 innings, with extra innings in case of a tie. Double-header games will be 7 innings.

Interrupted Games: A 9-inning game is considered completed after 5 innings, or 4-1/2 innings if the home team is leading, if the game is ended due to weather or darkness. Any games ended before that point will be rescheduled as new games. For 7-inning games, the game is considered complete after 4 innings, or 3 1/2 innings if the home team is ahead. Umpires may impose a 1-1 count on all batters in cases where impending darkness threatens to make a full game impossible.

Fourteen: Number of Players: Teams may place a maximum of 11 players in the field. A team must have a minimum of 9 players to start a game. Any team with 8 players or fewer, or with 7 regular-roster players or fewer, at game time will forfeit the game. A team with only 9 players present at the start of the game may ask the opposing team to provide a catcher. The opposing team is not required to supply a catcher. If the opposing team does provide a catcher, that catcher will return balls to the pitcher but is not required to make efforts to put out members of his own team.

Fifteen: Batting Order and Late Arrivals: All players must be included in the batting order for the entire game unless injured during the game. Players arriving after the home team takes the field must be placed at the end of the batting lineup. If a player leaves a game for any reason other than an injury or family emergency, that player will be an automatic out each time his turn to bat arrives during the rest of the game.

Sixteen: Designated Hitters and Participation of Players in Field: Each team may use a maximum of one designated hitter in a game. The regular call-up rule applies. (You cannot call up an extra player as a way of making room for a DH. If you have 11 regular players present and one is a DH, you will have 10 fielders.) No player can be pressured to serve as a DH if he wants to play in the field. Managers should make sure all players understand they have the right to play in the field if they wish. All other players must play at least 4 innings in the field during a 9-inning game, or at least 3 innings in a 7-inning game. If another player is injured during a game, the DH can be used as a fielder.

Seventeen: Pitching: A pitcher may opt to pitch from up to 6 feet behind the rubber. Pitches that rise to more than 12 feet or less than 6 feet will be called illegal and counted as balls.

Eighteen: Positioning of Players: For teams fielding 11 players, each play must begin with at least four and at most five players in the outfield, all of them at least 140 feet from home plate. Teams playing 10 or fewer players can start each play with three outfielders.

Nineteen: Eligible Bats: Players are permitted to use only bats that are pre-approved by the league’s bat monitors. All Miken bats produced before 2007 are prohibited, even if they have an ASA stamp. Bats listed on the ASA revoked list are not allowed. Bat monitors will put an SHSSL sticker on every bat approved by the league. Any bats without these stickers cannot be used in a game. If the SHSSL sticker is worn and the ID numbers are unreadable, the bat cannot be used until bat monitors affix a new sticker. Bats that are painted over, dented, cracked or have audible rattles are not permitted. Any player who has used an unapproved bat will be declared out and any runners on base will be returned to the bases they reached before the infraction. Any player caught using an illegal bat will be removed from the current game and suspended for the next scheduled game. He will be an automatic out in the lineup for the remainder of the game. Any player found to have used an illegal bat for a second time will be banned from the league for a year.

Any player found to have used a doctored bat will be suspended from the league for a minimum of 5 years. If the player does not surrender the bat in question to league officials for inspection he will be suspended for 10 years.

Twenty: When Hitters Can Be Thrown Out at First: A ball hit into the outfield without having been touched by an infielder gives the batter an automatic trip to first base. Any ball initially touched in the infield by an infielder and subsequently fielded by an infielder can be thrown to first for a put out even if the ball reaches the outfield. The rover is considered an infielder if he is positioned in the infield when the ball is hit. Outfielders may not throw out batters at first base if the ball reaches the outfield, even if the ball has been touched by an infielder.

Twenty-one: First-Base Rules: A fielder may not use the outside (orange) part of 1ST base at any time to record an out. If the fielder touches the orange base while making the play, the batter/runner will be called safe. The batter/runner may use the inside (white) base only when the ball reaches the outfield and there is no play at first base. The batter/runner must touch the outside (orange) base when the ball is hit in the infield; in that circumstance, if a batter-runner touches the white base and the opposing team appeals to the umpire, the batter will be called out.

Twenty-two: Home Plate Rules: Runners must use the plastic orange home plate to score. A runner who touches the white or wooden home plate will be called out. Catchers or any other fielders covering home must have a foot on the white part of the home plate to make an out and must not block the runner’s path to the plastic orange plate. Runners may not be tagged out after they cross the no-return line (30 feet from home plate). After they have crossed the no-return line, runners can be put out only by a fielder holding the ball while putting a foot on the white home plate. Any attempt to tag out a runner who has passed the no-return line will result in the runner being declared safe at home.

Twenty-three: Advancing on Foul Balls: If a fielder catches a fly ball and his momentum carries him into out-of-play territory, the catch is legal, the batter is out, the ball is dead and, if there are fewer than two outs, base runners are advanced one base. Runners cannot advance on a third-strike foul ball. Runners may advance at their own risk on a first- or second-strike foul ball out.

Twenty-four: Cancellation of Games: In case of bad weather, home-team managers or their designated alternates should visit the field to decide whether it is playable. No game should be canceled before 3 p.m. if there is a chance that the weather will permit playing. The visiting manager, umpire coordinator and umpire must be notified no later than one hour before game time. Every effort should be made to play any game. No manager may cancel a game other than for rainouts or other circumstances approved in advance by the commissioner. If a game is called off by managers without a reason approved by the commissioner and then cannot be rescheduled before the playoffs, that game will count as a loss for both teams.

Twenty-five: Forfeit Rules: To play an official league game, a team must show up at the appointed time and place with at least 7 players from its official team roster. If a team does not have at least 7 regular team members present, the game will be forfeited. If a manager declares in advance of a game that his team will not show up, the result is a forfeit. Violation of the substitute rules also results in a forfeit. If a game is forfeited, it will be declared a loss for the forfeiting team and a win for the team that was ready to play. This result will be final and not subject to any rescheduling of the game. Scheduled games may not be canceled or rescheduled for any reason other than weather, unless the commissioner grants an exemption owing to other circumstances. If there are two games scheduled and only one is played, through an agreement of the managers, both teams will receive a forfeit. Any team that asks a roster player not to show up for a game will forfeit that game.

Twenty-six: Mercy Rule: A 9-inning game will be ended if there is a 15 (or more) run differential after the trailing team bats in the 7th or 8th inning. In either game of a double header, the game will be called if there is a 12-run differential after the trailing team bats in the 5th or 6th inning.

Twenty-seven: Sliding: Sliding is permitted only into second and third base. Any player sliding into first base or home plate will be called out.

Twenty-eight: Bodily Contact: Any bodily contact, including sliding or running into a player to break up a double play, if deemed by the umpire to be intentional interference with a fielder, will result in an out and immediate ejection of the offending player. Players running toward second or third base must either slide or veer off their path to allow the fielding team to make a throw. Failure to do so will result in an out for the runner who otherwise could have been thrown out.

Twenty-nine: Metal Spikes: Metal spikes are not permitted. Players wearing metal spikes will not be allowed to play.

Thirty: Application and Payments: All players must have turned in their application and money before they can be drafted. New player’s checks will not be cashed until they are drafted and will be returned to them if they fail to be picked during the draft. Any new players being added to a team before July 1st must pay the full league fee. After June 30th and before August 1st a new player added to the roster must pay one-half of the fee. After July 31st, a new player must pay $20 to play. Any player who plays in at least one game and quits will not receive any refund of fees paid. If an injury prevents a player from continuing to participate in the league, refunds will be considered depending on circumstances.

Thirty-one: Disputes: Disputes are to be referred to the commissioner for arbitration by the commissioner in consultation with the managers or by a committee appointed by the commissioner and managers.

Thirty-two: Safety recommendation: The league recommends that pitchers and infielders wear masks and/or other protective gear to reduce the risks of severe injuries.

Thirty-three: Determination of Standings: The final regular-season standings are ranked in terms of the number of games won, rather than win-loss percentage. If two or more teams finish the season with identical win-loss records, the final standing will be determined based on head-to-head competitions between those teams. If head-to-head results are tied, the team that scored the most runs against the other team will be given the higher place in the standings. If there is a tie in runs scored, a coin flip can be used to decide the standings or a tie can be declared, subject to a vote by managers.