Recreational Sports provides a fun, fair, and safe environment for everyone
who plays. Our rules are based upon the national governing bodies for
each sport (such as NCAA, USVA, etc.) There are some university-specific
rules, so please read closely.
Players must be listed and paid for on the team roster prior to participating in a contest.
New players may be added to your roster prior to the third game of the season.
Team managers and players are responsible for checking their eligibility status.
Players/Participants must present a league card and/or a valid University of California, San Francisco Student ID, UCSF Employee ID, Fitness & Recreation Membership ID or a Drivers License with picture ID before each contest in order to participate. Picture identification checks occur before every Intramural Sports contest. Failure to provide an acceptable form of identification will result in not being allowed to participate in Intramural Sports on that day. Absolutely no exceptions will be made.
All Non-members and General Public participants must have a valid league card to participate in UCSF Recreational Sports Leagues. League Cards are obtained from the Recreational Program Supervisor during the Captains meeting. If a league card is lost or misplaced, there is a $5.00 fee to replace the card.
A team can not substitute players that are not listed and paid for on their roster. Doing so will result in a forfeit.
Gym shoes or molded rubber cleats are allowed. No metal or hard plastic cleats will be allowed. Shoes must be worn by all players.
The Recreational Sports Program will provide bases, catcher's mask, bats,
and balls for each scheduled contest.
Teams may use their own softball bats. Only officially marked softball bats will be allowed. Baseball bats are illegal.
For safety reasons, UCSF league limits the use of bats with composite exterior barrels. Titanium bats and all bats that appears on the ASA's offical list of banned bats are illegal in the league.
So-called " Half and Half" bats (composite handle , metal barrel) such as the Demarini F2 and the Easton SST3 Stealth are legal in the league, as long as they are on the ASA Certified Bats List.
Balls: The Recreational Sports subunit will provide game balls.
The restricted-flight 12-inch ball shall be used in co-ed
play.
A team may start and play a game with as few as eight (8) players.
Co-ed Modifications: A team shall consist of ten (10 players, seven (7) men and three (3) women. There may be as many women as desired. There may never be seven (7) men and two (2) women.
A game may be started and played with as few as eight (8) players : six (6) men and two (2) women.
Players must be registered and paid for prior to particpating in the game. A forfeit will result for teams playing with ineligible players.
Forfeit time is ten (10) minutes from the scheduled starting time of the contest. A team must be present and ready to play within 10 minutes to avoid a Forfeit.
A team may play with eight players: six (6) men and two (2) women.
In order to claim a forfeit, a team must have the correct number of players present and ready to play.
If, after the ten (10) minute grace period, a team has seven players (7) at gametime, the game may begin. The team with seven will bat first (giving up home team status if applicable). If players do not arrive by the time the team bats one time through the order or three outs are recorded, it is a forfeit. The clock will start and the wait time for arriving players will come out of game time. A two (2) run penalrty will be assessed against the late team.
At no time will a game starting late go over the total allotted time of 1 hour and 10 minutes including lost time starting.
If neither team is able to field a team, a double forfeit will be declared.
Teams who forfeit and fail to give 48 hours notice will be charged a Forfeit fee of $30.00. Forfeiting team will receive an automatic 4.5 SOG score.
The Forfeit Fee is $30.00 per forfeit.
Forfeit Fees must be paid before their next scheduled game, and teams must present a reciept.
A third forfeit within the same sport may result in that team being dropped from league play and an additional Forfeit Fee charged.
A regulation game consists of 5-7 innings depending on the time. No game will run over 1 hour and 10 minutes. The score will revert back to the last complete inning at the 1 hour and 10 minute mark or darkness, whichever comes first.
The team roster and batting order must be listed on the score sheet prior to game time.
In case of rain, four (4) innings will constitute a game.
Tie Games
Extra Innings are allowed as long as it is within the 1 hour and 10 minute limit. Games going beyond this time limit will result in a tie.
Games ending in ties will use the International Tie Breaking rule to determine a winner. Using the International Tie Breaking rule, extra innings are played using the following modifications:
The team at bat places a runner on 2nd base to begin the 1/2 innings. The runner on second shall be the person who made the last out of the previous inning.
The team at bat will begin the 1/2 inning with 1 out against them; therefore, the defensive team only needs to make two outs to end the inning.
Pitching
The pitcher shall take a position with both feet firmly on the ground and with at least one foot in contact with the pitchers plate. The pitcher must come to a rest holding the ball in front of the body, with a pivot foot in contact with the pitcher's plate.
The pivot foot must remain in contact with the pitcher's plate until the pitched ball leaves the hand. There is no restriction on position or movement of the free foot except that if a step is taken, the step must be toward home plate.
The ball must be delivered at a moderate speed underhand, below the hip with a perceptible arc not more than 12 feet high.
To start the game the pitcher gets 5 warm-ups. Between innings two warm-ups.
A manager may conference with a pitcher once per inning. A second conference in an inning will result in the pitcher being removed.
Any walk issued to a male batter results in two bases when a female player bats directly after that player. If there is less than 2 outs the next female batter must bat. If there is 2 outs the next female batter has the option to walk or bat. This rule is to discourage walking male batter to pitch to female batters. Managers are responsible for making this rule and other rules known to their members and will not be reminded during games.
Penalties for pitching violations:
The umpire shall warn a pitcher for excessive speed, and declare the pitch illegal. The pitch is considered a ball. After the warning if the pitcher repeats the same illegal pitch, the pitcher is removed.
No pitch is declared when the pitcher makes a quick return pitch or the ball slips from pitcher's hand. The ball is dead and all action on that pitch is canceled.
Home Plate & Strike Zone
Home plate will consist of a regulation plate and a 17" x 32" rubber mat extension which is part of the strike zone. Any legal pitch that hits any part of either home plate or the mat will be called a strike.
A runner trying to score must cross the safety line which is between home plate and the safety bag. The mat is
not considered part of the plate on a scoring play. A runner
touching home plate or the mat is automatically out.
Batting
Each batter will begin an at bat with a 1-ball and 1-strike count. Four (4) balls shall constitute a walk. Three (3) strikes is an out. There is not an unlimited number of foul balls. Foul Out Rule: Once a batter reaches a two (2) strike count, two (2 foul balls will equal the third strike.)
All officially rostered players present must be included in the official batting order. All team members present must bat even though only ten players may take the field on defense.
Two female batter must be included in the first 7 spots of the batting order. One of the two females must bat within the top 5 spots in the batting order.
The batter is out and base runners may not advance if:
The batter steps across or on home plate.
The batter bunts, chops or attempts to bunt the ball. (It is considered a bunt any time the batter holds the bat over the plate and allows the ball to hit the bat, no matter how the bat was put into the position).
If there is a play at 1st base and the batter touches the white base instead of the safety base.
The infield fly rule will apply. This rule states that the batter is immediately out when an infield fly ball is hit with base runners on first and second, or first, second, and third bases, with less than two outs.
Players batting out of the proper sequence listed on the official line-up are subject to being out if an appeal is made by the defensive team. If the error is reported while the incorrect batter is at bat, the correct batter may take his/her place and legally assume any balls and strikes. If the error is reported after the incorrect batter has completed his/her turn at bat and before a legal or illegal pitch has been delivered to the following batter or before the pitcher and all infielders clearly have vacated thier normal fielding positions:
The player who should have batted is out.
Any advance or score made because of a ball batted by the improper batter or because of the improper batter's advance to first base as a result of a walk or a base hit shall be nullified.
The next batter is the player whose name follows that of the player called out for failing to bat.
If the third out is made on a player before the report of the infraction, an appeal may still be made in order to reinstate the correct batting order.
If the error is reported after the first illegal or illegal pitch to the next batter or after the pitcher and all infielders clearly have vacated thier normal fielding positions and have left fair territory:
The turn at bat of the incorrect batter is legal
All runs scored and bases run are legal.
The next batter is the player whose name follows that of the player who batted out of order.
Base Running
Baserunners may leave the base after the pitched ball is contacted by the batter. No runner shall leave his/her base before the batter makes contact with the pitch. If a runner is off the base illegally, he/she shall be declared out.
A runner is out when he/she is struck with a ball off their teammmates bat in fair territory while off base and before it passes an infielder, excluding the pitcher.
Sliding is legal but not mandatory. Baserunners will be called out if they do not slide to avoid a collision at a base.
Base runners are responsible for avoiding all collisions with fielders anytime the fielder is making a play on the ball (fielding the ball, throwing or catching a thrown ball).
A base runner may not charge with great force into the defensive player hoping to dislodge the ball. The base runner will be called out, and if the action is flagrant, may be ejected from the game.
Pinch runners - Pinch runners must be of the same gender of the injured player. The pinch runner must also be the last recorded out of the same gender of the injured player. Teams are allowed 1 male and 1 female pinch runner per inning.
Any fielder not making a play on the ball (hit or throw) is liable to ejection from the game if they interfere with a base runner or cause a collision with a base runner (This includes "run down" situations).
Catch and Carry. If a fielder catches the ball and momentum carries him/her into dead ball territory, each runner shall be awarded one base from the last legally obtained base. The award shall be governed by the position of the runners when the fielder entered dead ball territory, each runner shall be awarded two bases from the last base touched at the time the fielder entered dead ball territory.
5 foot home plate rule: A base runner who is coming home and is within 5 feet of home plate shall be declared out if the catcher is holding the ball and is touching the plate. No tag need be made by the catcher under these circumstances. A player cannot be tagged out at home plate after crossing the commitment line. A player is only out if the opposing team touches home plate before the runner crosses the designated home plate line.
20' Commitment Line: A runner who passes the committment line and turns to return to 3rd will be called out by the umpire.
Overthrows
Each base runner shall be awarded two bases (the attempted base plus 1) when a ball is thrown out of play. The award shall be governed by the position of the runners when the ball left the fielder's hand.
Substitutions
during the game
From your roster, free substitutions may occur except for the pitcher. The pitcher may not return to the mound after being removed, but may play elsewhere.
Courtesy runners are allowed. The courtesy runner is the last batter to make an out and must be the same gender. Teams are allowed 1 male and 1 female courtesy (pinch) runner per inning.
In case of injury, the injured player may be dropped from the lineup. No out will be declared.
Appeals
An appeal play is a play on which the umpire cannot make a decision until requested by the offended team.
The appeal must be made before the next legal or illegal pitch.
Must be made before the pitcher and all infielders have clearly vacated their normal fielding positions and have left fair territory.
If a team leads after the 5th inning by 15 runs or more the game is over.
Fake tags are illegal. This can promote the chance for injury to the runner as they may catch a cleat, etc. The penalty gives the lead runner an extra base.
Coaches are not allowed to touch runners as they round bases - ie. helping them up if they fall etc.
If the base is kicked away, the runner should go to the spot where the base should be.
Throwing the bat after hitting the ball may result in an out.
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