Regular Season Rules

VMSL Regular Season Rules

 

 

RULES OF PLAY:

 

The V.M.S.L. will follow SPN (SLO-PITCH NATIONAL) official rules, with the following additions or amendments.  Rules are subject to revision.  Newly amended rules in red.

 

  1. Teams must field a minimum of four (4) females and six (6) males.  
  2. Teams may use their choice of batting order:
    1. Ten person batting order.  
    2. Full roster batting order all insured players available, up to 18.  
      1. In either batting order, the league ratio of 6 males/4 females must be maintained.  Extra players are subbed in as per regulation.
  3. A maximum of two (2) males in a row in the batting order is allowed.
  4. Intentional walks are not allowed.  
    1. 4 straight balls without a strike, on a male batter, preceding a female batter, the male batter automatically goes to 2nd base.
    2. The female batter MUST BAT - NEW FOR 2023 SEASON.
  5. A mat will be used at home plate for the strike zone.
  6. A fielder may not attempt to throw a female batter out at first base.
  7. Home Plate plays will all be force plays once the runner has touched the commitment line, which is a distance of 20 FEET from Home Plate, across the third base line.
    1. The runner must not touch the mat or plate.  
    2. The runner must run by to the right by three (3) or four (4) feet.  
    3. A line will be laid down in line with the front edge of Home Plate to the back stop.  
    4. The players foot must hit the ground on or past the line before the catcher catches the ball to be safe at home.
    5. The catcher must touch home plate to record an out.
  8. The batter is automatically out if:
  9. HITTING THE PITCHER RULE: 
    1. If the Pitcher makes a Defensive play against the ball to not be hurt, the batter is out. 
    2. If the Pitcher makes a Offensive play against the ball, the game is live and play continues.   
      1. If there is disagreement, the coaches who attend the AGM (not the umpire, unless the umpire happens to be a coach) from each team will decide the ruling for the play.
      2. The purpose of this rule is to observe courtesy, safety and respect for all players.  With this in mind, use your judgement.
      3. REMINDER: This is a recreational league. This should never be an issue. 
  10. Courtesy Runners are allowed, providing the injured player has at least reached first base safely.  The courtesy runner cannot be the same player consecutively.
  11. Bunting is allowed for female batters only.
  12. NEW - THIRD STRIKE FOUL IS AN OUT --- EFFECTIVE 2023 SEASON

EQUIPMENT & FIELD PREP:

 

  1. A new game ball (Worth HOT Dot only) will be supplied by the league for each game and becomes the property of the home team at the end of the game.
    1. Home teams are to provide one brand new, and one relatively new ball for each game.
  2. Teams are required to groom the areas around each base to ensure there is level footing.
    1. Rakes, shovels and sand will be supplied.
  3. All equipment is located at the park in locked metal storage bins.  Every coach will be supplied with an equipment bin key.
  4. The set-up of bases, mat and cones are the responsibility of the home team and are to be in place prior to game time.  
  5. Equipment must be returned to the equipment bin by the home teams after the 8:00 games, and the equipment bin locked.
  6. Any equipment missing will be the responsibility of the last home team that handled the equipment, and that team will be responsible for the replacement cost of the equipment.
  7. New keys will be issued annually.
  8. Both teams playing are responsible to put away all equipment, and lock the VMSL Bin prior to leaving the park. 
  9. If you arrive and equipment is missing from the Bin, an Executive Member must be contacted Immediatley by your team to prevent any fines. 

 

GAME SCORING:

  1. All innings except the last inning, will be five (5) run maximum or three (3) outs (whichever occurs first) to retire the side.
  2. The last inning is an open inning, requiring three (3) outs to retire the side.

 

UMPIRES:

  1. All Balls and Strikes to be called at the Umpire’s discretion using the mat as the strike zone.
  2. If a neutral umpire is not available, then the team at bat supplies the umpire(s) needed while at bat.  Any other arrangement is by mutual agreement between the two teams.
  3. The umpire will use his/her best judgment for calling balls, strikes, fouls, outs at the bases and all plays where judgment is required.  However, if the umpire is not clear on a rule, a respectful conversation between umpire and coaches will clarify the rule.  Each coach should be familiar with SPN rules and league rules, and keep a copy on hand for the game. 
  4. Should a player wish to dispute an umpire’s judgment call, that dispute must be preceded with payment, to the umpire in question, of a six-pack of beer (suitably chilled).  NOTE: If the disputer is a spectator the payment is doubled.

 

PLAYER ELIGIBILITY:

  1. Eligibility follows offical SPN rules.  All players, including pick-ups, must be registered on their team’s league insurance roster form.  
    1. If your player is not on the SPN form, they are not insured and not allowed to play in our league.  
    2. It is the coach/managers responsibility to ensure that the SPN roster is filled out correctly and that all players on the field are on the form.
    3. Rosters must be complete and submitted before teams take to the field.
      1. Offending team’s games will be cancelled and forfeit fines of $30 per game will be issued.
  2. All players in the year-end tournament must have played at least 6 games and be on the roster by June 1.  
    1. Should a team contest the eligibility of a player, score sheets must be produced to prove a players attendance at 6 games. 
    2. Concerns over eligibility of players on another team should be brought to the attention of league executive.  
    3. Ejection of players who are not eligible to play in league is at the discretion of the league executive. 
  3. NEW:​ Players may only be on one team Roster at a time
    1. ​Should a player appear on two rosters, he/she will need to decide which team he/she will play for and be deleted from one of the teams roster. 
    2. If the player appears as "Active" on two teams rosters he/she will be ineligable to play for either team
    3. All additions/removals to team rosters must be communicated to Executive to ensure Langley Township Rosters are updated

TEAM ROSTERS:

  1. Teams may have up to 30 players and 3 non-playing coaches or managers on their roster form.
  2. * This rule has been removed for the 2022 season. Each team will be allowed up to a total of six (6) players under the minimum ages on their roster, which is 30 years of age for men and 25 years of age for women.  
    1. A maximum of four (4) players under the minimum age restrictions will be permitted to play on the field at any given time, of which a maximum of three (3) can be male players.
  3. The league president must be informed of any additions or amendments to the team roster.  No new players may be added to the roster after June 1.
  4. All players must be registered active SPN members and listed on your team roster on the SPN website (www.slo-pitch.com)
  5. All players must be listed on a Township of Langley roster, and completed rosters must be submitted to league executive prior to playing.

 

FINES:

  1. Forfeiture of a game:  $30
  2. Forfeiture of a tournament game:  $60 each game
  3. SPN In-Active Player on the field during regular season: $100 per game + Immediate removal of player for the rest of the season
  4. SPN In-Active Player on the field during tournament: $200 per game + Immediate removal of team from Tournament
  5. Late fees:  $25 per week beginning immediately upon due date.
  6. Late roster:  Cancellation of games, forfeiture fee applies to each cancelled game.
  7. Having ineligible players on the field (players not on the roster, or under age 16):  $100
  8. Failure to return equipment to the jobox:  $100 or cost of replacing equipment, which ever is greater.
  9. Failure to return equipment to the jobox: $100 or cost of replacing equipment, which ever is greater which will be split by both teams who were playing when the incident occurred.

 

GAME FORMAT:

  1. All regular season games are played at Noel Booth Park.
  2. Weekday games will start at 6:30pm for the early games and 8:00pm for late games.  
    1. All early games that are followed by a late game MUST END by 8:00pm.  
    2. No new inning is to start after 7:45pm.
  3. The minimum number of players to start a game is nine (9).  A ten minute grace period will be allowed if there are insufficient players at game time.  If a team is not able to field nine (9) players after the 10 minute grace period, they may pick-up players from another team, but will forfeit the game.
  4. An official game will be seven (7) innings, except when a game must be shortened due to weather or time.  In such a situation, a minimum of five (5) innings completed shall constitute an official game.
  5. Game results are used to seed teams for the year end tournament, and to determine regular season winning team.
    1. All game results must be submitted by text or email on the link provided on the league website by 1 week after the game.
    2. Game results are to be submitted by the winning team.
    3. Results not submitted will result in teams being awarded a tie.
    4. See detailed rules regarding submission of game results on website.

 

These rules are subject to change at any time.

Last Updated: March 2023

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