JPL INTRA-MURAL SLOW-PITCH SOFTBALL
B LEAGUE RULES

This document describes rules often discussed over past softball seasons. The basis for JPL softball rules is the "2009 Fast and Slow Pitch Softball Rules", published by the Southern California Municipal Athletic Federation, P.O. Box 3605, South El Monte, California 91733. Telephone (626)448-0853. E-mail: SCMAFHQ@AOL.com www.scmaf.org
For JPL B League, the modifications, clarifications, and/or highlights below take precedence over SCMAF rules. Changes to the SCMAF rules (modifications and clarifications) are written in italics. The numbers for "Rule" and "Section" refer to the 2009 SCMAF rule book.

Rule 1. The Game, The Diamond, Equipment

Sec. 5. (Modification) A regulation game shall consist of seven innings.
The nominal starting times for the games are 5:30, 6:50, and 8:10. The time limit for a game is 1 hour and 10 minutes. Game time starts when umpire requests first pitch. Once an inning begins, it shall be played in its entirety regardless of time.
There shall be no more than one minute break between half innings, even if the pitcher has not had a chance to take their warm-ups UNLESS it is the pitcher’s first time pitching in the game.
Sec. 9 (Modified) IF THE GAME IS TIED at the end of seven innings or when the time limit expires, no extra innings will be played and the game will be ended and recorded as a tie. EXCEPTION: Extra innings may be played to resolve a tie during tournament.
Sec. 11.a. (Clarification) A team forfeits if it does not have sufficient players to start the game within 5 minutes of the nominal starting time.
Mercy Rule (Adapted from Men's Tournament Rule 3.d): A game will end anytime after five (5) innings, when a team is behind by fifteen (15) runs or more and has completed its turn at bat.
Sec. 17 THE LAYOUT OF THE DIAMOND (modified) is shown in the accompanying diagrams, except the coed arc is shortened to 150 feet.
Sec. 27.I. THE OFFICIAL BAT (Clarification) In addition to SCMAF Sec. 27.A-H, all bats used must also comply with the requirements of Cityof Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks NON-CONFORMING BAT LIST, current revision posted at: http://www.laparks.org/sites/default/files/sports/softball/pdf/bannedList.pdf

Rule 2. Definition of Terms

(Clarification) The Infield Fly rule shall be in effect and enforced.

Rule 3. Teams, Players and Substitutes

Sec. 1.

Only persons who have already signed a Waiver form may be a player in the JPL Softball Program, or be on the field or in the dugout during a JPL Softball Program event.

A Roster is a summary page of a team’s waivered players. Teams may list persons on their roster that have not yet signed a waiver form as a means of eligibility of becoming a player after the roster freeze date (after your team’s 5th game). However, no person is considered a formally rostered player, nor permitted on the field or in the dugout during a JPL Softball Program event, that does not have a signed waiver acknowledged on the JPL B League softball website or in the immediate possession of the team manager or alternate on the field.

If any opposing manager, umpire, League or Program official, can substantiate that a team has played a person who does not have a signed waiver posted on the JPL B League softball website or in the immediate possession of the team manager on the field before they entered the field or dugout, that player shall be considered an unrostered player, subjecting their team to the forfeiture rules below.

(Modification) A team consists of ten (10) players, of which at least two (2) are women.
A game may be played without forfeit with eight (8) rostered players of which at least one (1) is female.
At least two (2) female players shall bat in the top 10 and play defensively at any positions at all times. Penalties for not fulfilling this requirement are:

If only one female player is present, only nine (9) defensive players will be allowed during that time. Additionally, the catcher must be male. The intent of this penalty is that the defensive team plays short one player for having only one (1) female present.
Offensively, an out will be recorded in the batting order where the one (1) missing female player would have batted. In accordance with the rule above, this must occur within the first 10 batters. If a female batter leaves during the game and the team does not have two other women batting in the first 10, an out will be taken at her spot in the batting order.
The game is forfeit if no female players are present.

When a woman is batting, only 6 defenders may start play in front of the cones.
Penalty: The batter will be awarded first base unless she has already reached base safely.
All players belong to one of the following categories:

Category J (JPL): JPL or CalTech employees and contractors
Category F (family): immediate family members of individuals in category J. Immediate family members are defined to be spouses, parents, children, and siblings.
Category N (non-affiliates): those not in category J or F.
Category G (grandfathered non-affiliates): those not in categories J or F who have played in the league as of the summer 2014 season.*

At most 20% of a team's roster or 4 players, whichever is less, may be in category N or G.

At most 2 N's are permitted on the offense and defense lineup in any given game, except:

3 Category G’s count the same as 2 Category N’s; and
1 extra N is permitted in a batting order of at least 15 players (but not on defense)

All players must have a picture ID available at all games. If a manager feels a team or player is not legally rostered, the following steps must be followed:

Request that the opposing manager provide proof of the eligibility of the player(s) in question. This request must be made before the last out of the game is made.
The opposing manager will secure reasonable proof of that player's eligibility, within five (5) minutes of the last out of the game. Examples of such proof include a current picture ID (e.g., driver's license) or a JPL badge. Refusal to provide such proof will cause the offending team to forfeit the game in question.
If both managers cannot agree on the legality of the roster or lineup in question, the offended manager must notify the umpire and opposing manager that the game is under protest. APPENDIX A, Sec 1. In regard to roster or lineup protest, this notification must occur before the end of game.
Regardless of the outcome of the protest, the game will be played to completion. If the team in question is found to have a legally rostered lineup at game time, no action will be taken. If the team in question is found to not have a legally rostered lineup at game time, the offending team shall forfeit the game in question. .

Penalty: Once the team manager has been notified of an illegal roster or lineup the team will:

Forfeit the game in question if the team had an illegal roster or lineup at that game time.
Forfeit all games played thereafter while the team is not in compliance with this rule.

Sec. 3a. (Modification) Any additional runners after the first may run for a base runner with the consent of the opposing manager each time a runner is to be replaced and both shall be eligible for further participation in the game. The player making the last official out shall be the designated runner regardless of gender.
NOTE: The last official out is not always the person who batted the out. In the case of a Fielder's Choice, it would be the runner who was last forced or tagged out.

Rule 4. Pitching Regulations

Sec. 4. (Modification) The ball must arc higher than the batter's head but must not exceed a height of sixteen (16) feet. However, if both managers agree before the game, pitches may have unlimited height.
Sec. 7. (Modification) Any pitcher shall be allowed five (5) warm-up pitches when pitching for the first time in the game. No warm-up guaranteed at the beginning of subsequent innings for a pitcher who has already pitched in the game.
Sec.13. (Modification) For scoring purposes, the official home plate and/or the extension mat may be touched.

Rule 5. Ball Dead - Ball Alive and in Play

Sec. 1.k.2. (Highlight) If a batter swings at any illegal pitch, the results shall be governed by the outcome (without consideration for the illegal pitch).

Rule 6. Batting

General. (Modification) The batter starts with a count of 1 ball and 1 strike.
Sec. 2. (Modification) All rostered players in attendance who wish to play, shall play, subject to the female, Cat N, & Cat G player restrictions defined above. If a rostered player does not wish to play, that player shall not be forced to play. A player not included in the batting order when they are available to participate will not be allowed to play in any capacity for the remainder of that game. The batting order, which includes at least two (2) of the female batters in the top ten (10) positions, must be followed, but defensive changes may be made at any time. Players arriving after the first pitch of the game may be added anywhere in the batting order behind all players who have already taken a turn at bat. If all players have taken a turn at bat, new players shall be added to the end of the batting order. At the beginning of the game, if only one (1) female player is available to bat in the top ten (10) positions, an out will be recorded in the position in the batting order the one (1) missing female player would have batted.
Sec. 2.g. (Modification) Any batter failing to bat for any reason shall be removed from the batting order and the game with no automatic out or any other penalty. The intent of this rule is to allow a player to leave the game early without penalty, not to allow a team to intentionally skip over batters in the batting order, subject to the female player restrictions defined above.
Sec. 9.c. (Highlight) [The batter is out...] when after having two strikes, the batter hits a second foul ball. (Four Strikes Rule)
Sec. 9.q. (Highlight) No bunting or deliberate chop hits are allowed. Penalty: the batter is declared out, the ball is dead and all runners must return to the base occupied prior to the pitch.
Sec. 10.e. (Highlight) [The batter ... is entitled to first base] when the umpire awards an intentional walk to the batter upon the request of the opposing manager.

Rule 7. Base Running

Sec. 2.i. (Highlight) [Baserunners are entitled to advance...] two bases when an overthrown ball goes into dead territory. When such a wild throw is the first play by an infielder, the umpire (in awarding such bases) shall be governed by the position of the runners at the time the ball was pitched. In all other cases the umpire shall be governed by the position of the runners at the time the wild throw left the fielder's hand.
Sec. 7.s. (Highlight) [The base runner is out...] when the baserunner fails to keep contact with the base to which he/she is entitled until a legally pitched ball has been released.
Sec. 7.t. (Highlight) No base stealing. If a runner advances illegally to the next base, he/she is declared out. If the runner does not touch the next base and is returning to his/her legal base, he/she can be forced out if the throw reaches the base first.
Sec. 7.u.2. (Modification) After a legal pitch which is not hit, the ball is thrown to any fielder other than the pitcher and a dropped ball or an overthrow of the intended fielder results, the force is removed, and the runner must be tagged. All runners must retouch before advancing at their own risk.
Sec. 7.w. (Clarification) Bodily collisions are to be avoided at all times. If, in the judgement of the umpire, a base runner willfully and deliberately interferes with a batted ball or a fielder in the act of fielding a batted ball with the obvious intent to break up a double play, the ball is dead. The umpire shall call the runner out for interference and shall also call out the batter-runner because of the action of his/her teammate. In no event may bases be run or runs scored because of such action by a runner.

Protests

SCMAF Appendix A shall apply.
The B League managers shall make up the body to rule on the protest.
To make a ruling, a majority of the managers voting must agree.
A quorum to rule on a protest shall be more than half of the B League managers.
The protest ruling may be appealed to the JPL softball program executive committee.

Loma Alta Ground Rules

The first ball hit over the fence (in fair territory) shall count as a home run. Subsequent balls hit over the fence by male batters (female batters are exempt from this rule) shall count as a single until the opposing team matches or exceeds (by one) your home run total. All runners advance one base from where they started at the beginning of the at bat even if not forced.
If a batted ball hits the tree in fair territory and the ball does not clear the fence, the play is ruled a ground-rule double. It is the umpire's responsibility to determine whether and where a batted ball hits the tree. If the ball hits the tree AND subsequently clears the fence in fair territory, the play shall be ruled a homerun.

Update: 24FEB2011
General clean-up of outdated SCMAF references and ground rules.
Update: 21APR2011

Rule 1, Sec. 17 (modified), except the coed arc is shortened to 150 feet.

Ground Rules (1-up HR rule modified) female batters are exempt.

Update: 10AUG2012

Updated pitching arc height from 12’ to 16’.
Updated ground rules about hit balls contacting the tree in left field. Now ground rule double.
Updated ground rules about 1-up-homerun rule. All runners advance 1 base with batter.

Update: 31MAR2014

Added waivers priority over roster rules as preamble of Rule 3. Teams, Players and Substitutes.
Updated laparks banned bats URL

Update: 06JUN2014

Changed Rule 4, Sec 7 from…8 warm-up pitches …first inning and 3…thereafter; to 5 pitches…when first in the game, and no warm-up guaranteed … subsequent innings.
Added to Rule 1 Sec 5: There shall be no more than one minute break between half innings.

Update: 18AUG2014

Changed Rule 3, Sec 1 Added player Category G and description.*
Changed Rule 3, Sec 1 Added player Cat N & G limits on lineups.
Changed Rule 3, Sec 1 Rostering & lineup challenge/ protest guidelines cleanup and shortening.
* Category G to remain in effect until the beginning of the spring 2016 season.

Last update: 18AUG2014

JPL INTRA-MURAL SLOW-PITCH SOFTBALL B LEAGUE RULES