SYNAGOGUE SOFTBALL MARYLAND

Our league adheres to USA Softball rules. Any modification or additions to USA Softball rules are described below:
A. CONDUCT
1. Unsportsmanlike conduct will NOT be tolerated in our softball league, including abuse (verbal or physical) of other players or game umpires. Additionally:
(a) If an umpire ejects a player from the game, he MUST immediately leave the ball field and the surrounding area
(b) the tossed player must write an apology to the umpire, which will need to be approved by both the team captain and the commissioner(s)
(c) the player will be suspended at least the following week and possibly more, at the discretion of the commissioner(s)
(d) a second ejection during the season will result in a player being suspended for the remainder of the season
(e) captains shall, provide the name of the ejected player to the commissioner(s) and upon request, to the umpire and
(f) captains have a responsibility to set an example for their team and ensure that all players treat opponents and umpires with respect.
Should the need arise, captains are required to inform their players in CLEAR EXPLICIT language that unsportsmanlike behavior is unacceptable and must stop!

2. If a captain has a problem with an umpire or a specific call, the issue should be raised to the commissioner(s) via e-mail after completion of the game.

B. GAME RESULTS AND FORFEITS (AND EXCEPTIONS)
1. Teams should e-mail game results to the League Web Master by Sunday 6 pm.
2. Any team that fails to provide game results by 9:00 pm Monday evening will risk forfeiting those games.
3. A team that forfeits games due to lack of players on three Sundays will be subject to removal from the league for the following season. Such action will require a majority vote of the other captains.
4. A forfeit for any reason results in two losses for that team and two wins for the opposing team. Once the season has started, should a team fold, all remaining games scheduled for that team will count as wins for their scheduled opponents.
5. If a team can't play due to attendance of a large percentage of team members at a Bris or funeral, the game(s) will not count (i.e., treated as a rain-out rather than a forfeit).

C. SCHEDULE, STANDINGS AND TIE-BREAKERS
1. The start of season seedings will be based on the regular season results from the previous three (3) seasons. (i.e. a team that finished 1st, 5th and 6th in the prior three seasons would have a net seeding value of 12. The teams are then seeded in order from lowest seeding value to highest). If there is a tie in seeding value, the higher seeded team from the previous year will be seeded higher.
2. The schedule will be weighted, to the extent practical, such that the strength of schedule is highest for highest seeded teams and decreases in accordance with the seeding value (i.e. top teams have higher SOS).
3. Standings shall be determined by won-loss record and in the event that teams play a different number of games, we shall use winning percentage.
4. The tie-breaker(s) used at the end of the regular season to determine playoff seedings are:
a) results of head-to-head games during the regular season (total win-lose record among the tied group against one another).
b) the seed at the start of the season.

D, RAINOUTS AND CANCELLATIONS
1. DECISIONS TO CANCEL GAMES ARE MADE BY THE COMMISSIONERS in accordance with Montgomery County rules and regulations and to ensure safe playing conditions.
2. Decisions to cancel games will be made at the earliest possible time, and no later than about 7:00 a.m. on Sunday morning. Generally, announcements of game cancellations will not be sent until after Shabbat.
3. In the absence of a cancellation notice from the league, teams should report to the fields ready to play. Teams that do not report to the field where an umpire has declared the fields playable will forfeit those games.
4. In the event of numerous rainouts during the regular season, the Commissioners, in consultation with team captains, may extend the regular season and/or modify the playoff format and schedule.
5. TEAM MAY NOT PLAY OR PRACTICE ON COUNTY FIELDS THAT ARE CLOSED OR DEEMED UNSAFE BY THE UMPIRE.

D. GAME TIME LIMITS
1. During the regular season as well as the playoffs, EXCEPT for the Playoff Finals:
(a) no new inning may begin after the 65-minute time limit has been reached, UNLESS the score is tied – in this case, the game will continue with no change in the rules, until the tie is broken and
(b) there will be a 12-run mercy rule after 5 innings.
2. For the Playoff Finals:
(a) there will be no time limit provided the umpire agrees to be available prior to the start of the game and
(b) the 12-run mercy rule after 5 innings will be suspended.
3. ALL games will begin at 9:15 am. There will be a 10 minute grace period before a forfeit is declared for game 1. The game time starts at 9:15 and any grace period is deducted from the 65 minute game time. There will be a 5-minute intermission between games. A team that forfeits game 1 does not automatically forfeit game 2. If game 1 is a forfeit, then game two shall start at 10:00 a.m. and there is no grace period for game 2. Captains may agree to call the forfeit earlier than 10:00 a.m. 
4. Game time starts when the home team takes the field and the pitcher throws his first warm-up pitch.

E. COURTESY RUNNERS
1. Courtesy runners will be allowed for any injured batter who reaches base safely.
2. The opponent’s captain and the umpire must be advised during ground rules before the start of the game which players will require a courtesy runner, unless an injury takes place during the game.
3. The substitute runner must be the person who made the most recent out, either as a batter, or as a runner. If more than one courtesy runner is needed per inning, then runners are chosen in reverse order of who made the last out (i.e., most recent out, second most recent out, etc.).
4. No one may be a courtesy runner more than once per inning.
5. A courtesy runner whose turn at bat comes while he is on base will be out. He will be removed from the base to bat. A second courtesy runner cannot be substituted at this time.

F. MINIMUM NUMBER OF PLAYERS
1. A team may play with a minimum of 8 players. They bat 1 through 8 and then start with number 1 again. There is not an automatic out in the 9th and 10th position.
2. A team must provide a catcher if the opposing team only has 8 players. The catcher does not participate in defense other than to return pitched balls to the pitcher.
3. Teams will not provide a 10th player to the opponent if said opponent only has 9 players. For 2021 only, teams will provide a 10th player to the opponent, if available.
4. If a player leaves during a game and is not replaced by another player, there is no automatic out. The umpire and opposing coach must be informed when a player leaves early. If the early departure results in a team fielding less than eight players, the game is forfeited.

G. PLAYER ELIGIBILITY
1. All players must either:
(a): Be part of a family which is currently financially affiliated, through dues, nursery school fees and/or Hebrew school fees, with the team’s synagogue Or
(b): Be a current member of the Norbeck Meadows Community Association to play on their community team.
2. For synagogues that have more than one team, a player may NOT switch between teams once the season has begun. The Commissioner may make an exception, on a case-by-case basis, upon request (e.g. injuries to players on Team A result in not enough players on the roster so they borrow from Team B).
3. The minimum age for any player is 18 on game day. Women are NOT allowed to play
4. To be eligible for the playoffs, a ball player must have played in approximately half of the team’s regular season games.
5. Adult sons, not living at home (and therefore no longer eligible under their parent's synagogue membership) are eligible to play on the team with their father. There is no upper age limit as long as their parent is a member of the team and member of the synagogue. All players will be subject to the same rule for the playoffs and that is they have to play in at least ½ the regular season games.
6. Team captains will submit a playoff player roster to the commissioner not later than June 1. On the roster, the captain must certify that all players are current members of their synagogue. (For combined teams, a representative from each temple must also certify.)
a. During the playoffs, a team captain may ask the opposing captain to verify the identity of any player on the opposing team. The opposing captain, and player, must provide verification of identity matching the playoff roster upon request.
b. A team found to have a non-roster, or otherwise non-eligible player participating in a playoff game shall forfeit that game, all future playoff games in the current season, and the first playoff game of the following season. In addition, the offending coach may face a one-year coaching suspension.

H. GAME PLAY
1. Pitch arc limit is set at 6 to 12 feet.
2. When a batter enters the batter’s box, he will have the count of one ball and one strike. On the second foul ball after reaching two strikes, the batter shall be declared out.
3. The home team shall furnish softball bases for each home game not played at a Regional Park. Arrangements may be made with the visiting team to supply bases. There should be at least one strap and one spike per base.
4. The bases shall be placed 70 feet apart, with the pitching mound 50 feet from the rearmost corner of home plate.
5. For fields with fences only there shall be a three home-run (over the fence only) limit per team during each game. Any ball batted over the fence after the limit is reached shall be an automatic out.
6. A pitch, judged by umpire to be of proper height, is a strike if it lands on any part of the mat or home plate. A pitched that does not land on the mat, or any portion of home plate, is a ball.
Per Rule I.6 - The defensive team must touch the actual home plate to record an out - the strike-zone mat is NOT considered part of the plate for this purpose.

I. BASE RUNNING
1. A runner may not leave a base until a pitched ball has crossed the plate.
2. Runners should take care to avoid unnecessary contact. Stand-up collisions MUST be avoided. Feet-first OR head first sliding is permitted. A runner who has been forced out should either slide or vacate the base line so as not to obstruct an ensuing throw. Failure to do so can result in an out call, at the judgment of the umpire.
3. A two-color "double-bag" (for example, orange & white) will be used at 1st base. On a ball hit to an infielder, the runner MUST run to the OUTSIDE bag or will be automatically out. The defensive player covering first base must touch the INSIDE bag on a force play (batter running to first after hitting the ball) to avoid a collision.
4. A second “scoring” home plate shall be located with its right corner eight (8) feet from the back of the “actual” home plate. The scoring plate shall be situated on an imaginary extension of the first base foul line. The offensive team must always touch the scoring plate when scoring a run. If the runner touches the actual home plate, that runner is automatically out.
5. The defensive team must always touch the actual home plate to record an out. Tagging the runner is NOT allowed. If the defensive team attempts to tag the runner, the runner is automatically safe.
6. A three (3) foot long commitment line shall be marked across and perpendicular to the foul line and placed ½-way between third base and home plate. Once a runner’s foot touches the ground on or past this line, the runner is committed to advancing to the scoring plate.
7. If a runner retreats back across the commitment line toward third base, he will be declared out and the ball will remain alive.
8. There will be no running out a HR (batted ball over a fence or hit in location determined to be an automatic HR by the umprire during the ground rules). The batter is not required to touch 1B and all runners are awarded home plate and not required to run the bases.

J. EQUIPMENT
1. BALLS: The official game balls are a 52-core 275/300 softball. The Home team will furnish 2 new balls to start each game. If additional back-up balls are needed, the team that loses the ball shall furnish ball(s) as needed.
2. BATS: The league will use USA Softball rules. Bats must have a USA Softball marking (or an ASA marking) to be used in this league. USSA and other marked bats are not permitted (unless they are also marked for USA or ASA). Older bats without markings may not be used. Bat with marking that are on the USA Softball list of banned bats are not permitted. See image of bat certifications below. Equipment Bats (teamusa.org)

K. GROUND RULES
1. The umpire and team captains will review and agree upon ground rules prior to the start of the games. For safety reasons, balls that go down a drop-off (e.g. at Darnestown) should be ruled out of play and a specific number of bases awarded, as determined by the umpire and team captains prior to the games.