Game Rules

1. All players must be 48 years of age or older; or turn 48 years of age during the calendar year.

2. All players must submit a signed registration form and registration fee prior to each season (Spring and Fall), or register for both seasons by completing registration form in the spring and paying fee for the full year.

3. Team rosters are determined by the “Annual LCSSA Player Selection Protocol”.

4. Any player resigning from the Evening and/or Morning League after team rosters are selected is not eligible: a) for a refund of their registration fee, and b) to register again until the next season.

1. The commitment line (or point of no return line), will be 20 feet from home plate on the 3rd base line. Once any part of a base runner’s body crosses this line, he must continue to the appropriate home plate. If the runner returns to 3rd base, an out will be recorded.

2. A pitching screen will be used during all games. This screen must be placed in such a position that it covers a minimum of half the pitching rubber (left half for a right-handed pitcher; right half for a left-handed pitcher) and is between 8 and 12 feet in front of the pitching rubber in the direction of home plate.

(a) The ten foot (10’) pitching box will be used for the Evening League American Division games. The pitcher has the option of pitching from the pitching rubber (50’) or anywhere behind the pitching rubber up to sixty feet (60’). This rule does not apply to the Morning League or the Evening League National Division.

(b) A ball put in play by the batter that comes in contact with any part of the screen shall be considered a foul ball except on the batter’s last strike when it will be considered a dead ball and the last strike will be replayed.

(c) A ball thrown by a defensive player that comes in contact with any part of the screen shall be considered a live ball and be in play.

(d) A pitched ball will be clearly presented by the pitcher to the batter. The pitcher will not pitch entirely from behind the screen.

3. In the Evening League National Division and the Morning League, the outfielders must take a position behind the 180 foot line until the ball is hit by the batter. There will be no outfield line for the Evening League American Division. All infielders in Morning League & Evening League National Division must be on the infield dirt portion of the field until the ball is hit by the batter. In the Evening League American Division, all fielders may play anywhere on the field.

(a) An 11th fielder will be allowed in the Evening League National Division and the Morning League. A team’s use of 11 fielders is not dependent on the number of fielders available to its’ opposing team. 10 fielders will be used in the Evening League American Division.

(b) All fielders will play infield or outfield as determined by his manager at the beginning of each inning. This rule will not apply for the Evening League American Division.

4. Pitches that hit any part of the mat will be a strike unless ruled “flat,” “no pitch,” or “illegal” by the umpire.

(a) The ball and strike count will be one (1) and one (1) when a batter steps to the plate.

(b) If the 3rd strike is hit foul, the batter will be entitled to an extra pitch. If the extra pitch is hit foul, the batter will be declared out.

5. The double base (white & orange) at 1st base is designed to reduce injuries. Batter-base runners are to touch the orange part of the base when a play is being made on them at 1st. If they do not, the umpire can call them out but that will be a judgment call by the umpire. The white part of 1st base is used for all other base running situations.

6. Runners going into 2nd and 3rd base must slide or go in standing. No run-throughs.

7. There will be a separate, adjacent home plate for base runners located approximately 10 feet from the regulation home plate.

(a) Base runners must run to and touch any portion of the adjacent home plate to score.

(b) Base runners that run to and touch the regulation home plate will be called out regardless of if a play is being made on them or not.

(c) For plays at home plate, if a defensive player touches the white portion of the regulation home plate when in possession of the ball prior to the base runner touching the adjacent home plate, the runner will be declared out.

(d) A runner cannot be tagged out between the commitment line and home plate. If a defensive player tags a runner within this area, the runner will be declared safe.

8. The distance between bases will be 70 feet.

1. (a) For Evening League games, a time limit will be in effect. After one hour and ten minutes from the game’s 1st pitch, the teams will complete the inning they are in and play one more inning (last inning, unless a tie game requires continuation). For all Evening League games, the first scheduled game will be given a ten (10) minute grace period if either, or both, teams don’t have the minimum ten (10) (National Division) or nine (9) (American Division) to start play. If a team has 10 players (National Division) or 9 players (American Division) at game time, they must start the game. Any games after the first scheduled game of the night will not have a grace period. For the first scheduled game of the night, at the end of the grace period, and for all other scheduled games for the night, if a team has less than 9 players available at game time, it will be recorded as a forfeit (loss) for that team. If neither team can muster nine (9) players, it will be recorded as a forfeit (loss) for both teams. Forfeits will be recorded with a score of 7-0 in favor of the team not responsible for the forfeit. Should a double forfeit be necessary, both teams will be awarded a loss, but the score will be recorded as 0-0.

(b) For Morning League games, a time limit will be in effect. After one hour and ten minutes from the game’s 1st pitch, the teams will complete the inning they are in and play one more inning (last inning, unless a tie game requires continuation). All morning scheduled games will be given a ten (10) minute grace period if either, or both, teams don’t have the minimum ten (10) players to start play. If a team has ten 10 players at game time, they must start the game. For the first scheduled game of the morning, at the end of the grace period, and for all other scheduled morning games, if a team has less than 9 players available at game time, it will be recorded as a forfeit (loss) for that team. If neither team can muster 9 players, it will be recorded as a forfeit (loss) for both teams. Any forfeited games will be recorded with a score of 7-0 in favor of the team not responsible for the forfeit. Should a double forfeit be necessary, both teams will be awarded a loss, but the score will be recorded as 0-0.

2. A team can score no more than five (5) runs per inning until the last inning of play. There will be no limit on the number of runs scored during the last inning of play and any extra innings.

3. Games will be declared complete if the home team is ahead by 15 runs or more after 4 ½ innings of play, if the visiting team is ahead by 15 runs or more after 5 complete innings of play, or if either team is ahead by 12 or more runs after 6 innings of play.

4. In the event of inclement weather, a game will be considered complete if five innings have been played.

(a) If the home team is leading after the top of the 5th inning has been completed, they will be declared the winner.

(b) If the visiting team is leading after the bottom of the 5th inning has been completed, they will be declared the winner.

(c) If the game cannot be completed as outlined above, it will be rescheduled and played from the beginning.

5. If the score is tied at the end of a regulation game, the “international tie-breaker rule” will be used. Under this rule, each team begins the additional innings with the player who completed his last official at bat on second (2nd) base, as a base runner. A courtesy runner can be used for this player at any time. Each subsequent inning will start in the same manner until a winner has been determined.

6. Courtesy runners are allowed.

(a) In all Leagues, there will be no limit to the number of courtesy runners per inning in any inning.

(b) No player can be a courtesy runner twice in the same inning during the entire game in all Leagues.

(1) Violations of this rule will result in an out being recorded for the courtesy runner.

(c) A courtesy runner cannot be replaced by another courtesy runner except for an injury.

(1) The injured courtesy runner must be removed from the game.

(d) Any courtesy runner on base when his position in the batting order comes up will remain in the game as a courtesy runner but will be recorded as an out at the plate.

(e) A player who has had a courtesy runner is not eligible to be a courtesy runner in that same inning.

7. For the Evening League National Division and the Morning League, an outfielder cannot throw a batter/runner out at 1st base on a batted ball that reaches the outfield grass. This rule will not apply for the Evening League American Division.

8. Teams must bat all players available at the game. Each player, unless unable due to injury shall play a minimum of 3 innings in the field.

(a) Teams can play with a minimum of nine (9) players {See Game Rule 1}.

(b) Any player(s) arriving after the game begins must be added to the bottom (batting last) of the batting order.

9. Teams will not have to take an out for any player who leaves the game for any reason. The only exception is if a player is ejected. In that case, the ejected player’s spot in the batting order will be an out.

(a) The team losing a player under these circumstances must inform the umpire and the opposing manager.

10. A player that comes to the game but informs his manager that he is too ill or injured to play cannot come into the game at any time.

11. Each player is expected to act as a gentleman at the field and the field grounds. If a player is ejected, his place in the batting order will be recorded as an out each time it comes up in the order. Ejected players must leave the ball field area and may be suspended for a minimum of one (1) additional game pending review of the ejection by President and/or Vice President.

12. If a manager contacts the President or the Vice President and reports that he will not have enough players for a scheduled game, that game will be recorded as a forfeit for his team. Forfeits will be recorded with a score of 7-0 in favor of the team not responsible for the forfeit. Should a double forfeit be necessary, both teams will be awarded a loss, but the score will be recorded as 0-0. However, if the game is canceled prior to game time due to inclement weather, it will be rescheduled, and not recorded as a forfeit.

13. Tie breaking rules for teams finishing a season with the same win/loss record will be as follows:

(a) Record against each other (head-to-head).

(b) Number of runs scored against each other.

(c) Run differential for the season.

14. To protest a game the following procedures must be followed:

(a) The protesting manager must stop the game at that point, inform the umpire and the opposing coach of the protest.

(b) Each team will make a notation in their score book of the nature of the protest, and at what point during the game the protest was made.

(c) The game will continue until completion after (a) and (b) have been completed.

(d) The manager protesting the game must contact the President or Vice President within 24 hours of completion of the game and advise him of the protest.

(e) A written protest, accompanied by a payment of $25.00, must follow within 24 hours of (d).

(f) The Executive and Selection Committee will review within 24 hours of the written protest being received to render a decision.

(g) Members of either committee involved in the protest will be excused from the decision-making process.

(h) A simple majority vote will determine the results of the protest. The President or Vice President will update the protesting coach.

(i) If the protest is upheld, the results of the game will be invalidated, and the game will be replayed from the point of the protest. The $25.00 protest payment will be returned to the coach that filed the written protest.

(j) If the protest is not upheld, the results of the game will be declared official, and the $25.00 protest fee will be deposited into the LCSSA checking account.

15. There is a limit of four (4) home runs per team, per game for all leagues. Any home run hit above the limit will be a single. All runners must be forced to the next base.

1. No metal cleats.

2. ASA, NSA, or SPA approved bats only, with the exception that a bat with “Senior Softball” stamped on the barrel may be used.

(a) No wood bats may be used.

(b) Violation of this rule will result in an out being recorded for the batter.

3. All players should wear their LCSSA team shirts during games. Team managers will encourage compliance.

USA Softball rules apply to all other situations.