Youngsville Sports Complex

Louisiana’s Premier Sports and Recreational Facility

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Adult Softball

Youngsville Sports Complex Rules

Adult Softball Rules

Lightning Protection System

ALL PLAYERS MUST PRESENT DRIVERS LICENSE OR ID TO SCORE KEEPER TO PLAY IN GAME BEFORE EVERY GAME

The United States Specialty Sports Association (USSSA) Slow Pitch Rule Book will govern all rules NOT covered in this document, which will be available upon request.

  • Playing Rules
    • Minimum Players:
  • In the Men’s Leagues, a minimum of 9 players is allowed to start a game. If a team starts a game with 9 players then an out will take place each time the tenth batting position is scheduled to bat. A tenth player may be added to the tenth spot in the batting order at any time during the game. Any team starting with 10, 11, or 12 players may drop to 9 to complete a game but every empty spot in batting order will be declared an out when that spot is scheduled to hit. If a team starts with 9 or 10 players they are not allowed to add an 11thor 12th player to lineup. Those players must remain on line up as substitute.   A player who leaves game under blood rule may return to game under USSSA Rule 5 Sec 4.
    • CONTINUED PARTICIPATION DUE TO INJURY, BLEEDING OR OPEN WOUND. Player/substitute, manager, coach, trainer or other team member or umpire who is bleeding or who has an open wound shall be prohibited from participating further in the game until the bleeding is stopped and the wound covered. A. If treatment can be administered in a reasonable amount of time, the individual would not have to leave the game. The amount of time is determined by the umpire’s judgment. B. If excessive time is involved, the re-entry rule would apply to players. C. If there is an excessive amount of blood on the uniform or if a bandage becomes blood soaked, in the judgment of the ump
  • In the COED League, teams will be allowed to start the game with 9 players. Teams will be allowed to start game with 6M and 3F with the fourth girl spot in batting lineup being an out. A tenth player may be added to the batting line up at any time during the game. If game is started 6M and 3F then to add the tenth player it must be a female. Teams who start with 12 may drop down to 11 or 10 but each empty batting spot will become an out and a team cannot have more than 2 guys in their line up unless they drop to 9 and have 6M and 3F. A player who leaves game under blood rule may return to game under USSSA Rule 5 Sec 4.
  • CONTINUED PARTICIPATION DUE TO INJURY, BLEEDING OR OPEN WOUND. Player/substitute, manager, coach, trainer or other team member or umpire who is bleeding or who has an open wound shall be prohibited from participating further in the game until the bleeding is stopped and the wound covered. A. If treatment can be administered in a reasonable amount of time, the individual would not have to leave the game. The amount of time is determined by the umpire’s judgment. B. If excessive time is involved, the re-entry rule would apply to players. C. If there is an excessive amount of blood on the uniform or if a bandage becomes blood soaked, in the judgment of the ump.
  • COED games start with a Female leadoff hitter. The female batting spots are 1,3,6, and 9. If you are batting 11, the 11th spot can only be a female. If you are batting 12 people the 11thspot must be a female. If a male is walked and is followed by a female, the following girl has the option of walking or hitting. THE MALE WALKED ONLY TAKES SECOND IF FOLLOWED BY A FEMALE AND SHE CHOOSES TO WALK.
  • If a male gets walked, and the female chooses to walk, THE MALE MUST TOUCH FIRST ON HIS WAY TO 2ND Failing to touch 1st base will result in an out, when play resumes.
  • Substitution Rule:

Teams may have 9, 10, 11 or 12 players in the starting lineup. Those starting players may rotate freely defensively, while remaining in the same place in the lineup. Substitutions to the starting lineup will result in the starter conceding eligibility to re-enter the game. The substitute will assume the place in the batting order of the player being substituted for and may rotate freely defensively. The score keeper should be notified of all substitutions, but not of any free defensive rotations. If play has not begun, illegal re-entries/unrecorded substitutions will be replaced with the correct player with no penalty. If play has begun, unrecorded substitutions/illegal re-entries will result in the offending player being called out. The correct player will assume the place of the illegal player and the game will resume.

  • Uniforms:
    • Players should have on same colors shirts for league games but are suggested to wear shirts with different numbers.
  • Equipment
    • Bats: Bats must have the USSSA THUMB PRINTstamp and stamped with a BPF of 1.20 or less. PLAYERS CAUGHT USING ILLEGAL BATS WILL BE SUSPENDED REMAINDER OF SEASON AND NEXT SEASON.  
    • Balls: The ball will be a Dudley Thunder SY Classic M (12”), Worth Super Gold Dot Extreme Classic M (12”), and Dudley Thunder SY Classic W (11”). Balls will be provided by the Youngsville Sports Complex. Additional balls can be purchased in the umpire’s room.
    • Cleats: Cleats are allowed on fields but NO METAL SPIKES ALLOWED.
  • Forfeited Games
    • If a team does not have the minimum requirement of 9 players for their league game by game time, then the game is a forfeit. Forfeited game will go on the record as a 7-0 game. If a team forfeits three games in one season or back to back games, that team will be removed from league.   If a team starts a game and drops below the minimum requirement of 9 players then they will forfeit that game but that game will not count as one of their three forfeits. If team that has to forfeit is losing then the score at that time will be final score but it forfeited team is winning then it will go in books as a 7-0 win for the other team.
    • **ANY TEAM FORFEITING THAT DOES NOT GIVE THE YSC NOTICE THAT DAY BY 5:00PM, WILL BE CHARGED A ($65.00) OFFICIALS/SCOREKEEPER FEE.
  • FOR THE TEAM TO BE REINSTATED BACK IN THE LEAGUE, THE FORFEIT FEE WILL HAVE TO BE PAID BEFORE THE TEAM’S NEXT GAME OR THEY WILL BE REMOVED FROM THE LEAGUE.

Courtesy Runners

  • 1 courtesy runner per inning. Anybody in the starting lineup may be a courtesy runner. No substitute players are allowed to be runners.
  • In COED, Females must run for Females and Males for Males.
  • Home Run Limits *A homerun is any untouched ball that clears the fence. *
    • Men’ Open                                     4
    • Men’s Recreational                     0
    • Coed 4                                             2m & 2F
  • Once a team has hits its allotted home runs, every home run after that will be declared an out and the ball will be dead and runners will have to return to original occupied base.
  • IF the defensive team does touch the ball and it goes over the fence this is a deemed a 4-base error. It counts as a homerun but DOES NOT count to your home run total. Hitter must touch all 4 bases.
  • Any person that hits a home run that clears the fence is not required to run the bases. The “Hit and Sit” term can be used.
  • Protest
    • No Protest will be allowed on rules or judgment calls. Umpires decision will be final.
    • The umpire will have the right to check a player’s identification if a player is suspected of playing under a different name. If a player is caught playing illegally than that playerwill be suspended for remained of season and the following season. The manager of the team allowing illegal player to player will also be suspended for the remainder of the season and next season.
    • If a team’s coach/manager suspects a player playing under a different name, they should approach the umpire and request that the suspected player’s identification be checked.
  • Run Rule
    • If a team is leading by ten or more runs at the completion of the 5thinning or 4 ½ innings if the home team is ahead, or leading by fifteen or more runs at the completion of the 3rdinning or 2 ½ innings if the home team is ahead.

Flip/Flop Rule

  • In the inning when the run rule is exceeded and the home team is losing, the home team will remain at bat and become the visiting team. If the new visiting team does not score enough runs to reduce the run difference below the run rule the game is over. If they reduce the run difference below the run rule then the new home team will bat. If they subsequently score enough runs to exceed the run rule then the game will be over, if not then the game will continue as is. If the situation reverses then teams would swap again.
  • Batting
    • All counts will start with 1 ball and 1 strike. Each batter will be allowed 1 free foul ball with 2 strikes then the next foul ball will be considered an out.
  • General Rules
    • 6:30 game times will be graced 15 minutes in order to start with a 9-player minimum due to traffic, etc.   7:30, 8:30, and 9:30 games will be graced 5 minutes. Once these grace periods have passed and the 9-player minimum is not met, this will result in a forfeit.
    • Line Ups must be turned into score keeper 15 minutes before scheduled start time and line ups must have first and last names on them. NO NICKNAMES.
    • No one who is not listed on the team roster is allowed in dugout or on playing field.
    • NO TOBACCO PRODUCTS ALLOWED IN SPORTS COMPLEX
    • NO ALCOHOL ALLOWED IN DUGOUTS OR PLAYING FIELD
    • ID is required to purchase alcohol no matter what age
    • In the event of a Rain Out, games will be attempted to be rescheduled but due to 10 game season and end of season playoffs, games may have to be on other nights than originally scheduled.
    • Games will only be postponed due to weather, unsuitable playing conditions, or light failure.
    • Once a game starts the umpire has the authority to suspend any game due to weather. Any game suspended, if resumed, will begin where it was suspended from. A game is deemed complete if 4 innings have been completed.
    • A male player may be allowed to play on any night in either league. Male players can also play on a COED and Men’s team on same night. (not 2 men’s teams in the same night) COED players are allowed to play on different COED teams as long as they are on different nights. Players who are caught playing on multiple teams in the same league will be suspended from league and each game he/she played in for second team will be ruled a forfeit. Team captain of second team will also be suspended from league.
    • Any team that removes itself from the league or is ruled out due to numbered of forfeited games, players will not be allowed to join another team in the same league until next season. (No Refunds will be given for teams who drop out or get removed from league)
  • ALL INDIVIDUAL PLAYER REGISTRATION FORMS MUST BE REGISTERED ONLINE BY 4:00pm ON GAME DAY ARE THAT PLAYER WILL NOT BE ALLOWED TO PLAY THAT NIGHT.
  • NO PLAYERS WILL BE ADDED TO A ROSTER AFTER THE END OF THE REGULAR SEASON AND ALL ADDED PLAYERS MUST BE ON THE ONLINE ROSTER AND ADDED TO ROSTER BY 4:00pm ON SCHEDULED GAME DAY.
  • PLAYERS MUST PLAY IN A REGULAR SEASON GAME TO PLAY IN THE PLAYOFFS.

HALO RULE (MEN’S OPEN, MEN’S RECREATIONAL, AND COED)

                  Any line drive ball hit back through the pitcher’s box will be deemed an out and a dead ball with players returning to original base they were occupying. The rule will be enforced on balls that DO NOT make contact with the ground before pitching box and pass no greater than 1’ over the pitcher’s head. This decision will solely be based on umpire’s judgment and no protest will be allowed. The Halo rule is only in effect if the pitcher is in the pitching box. As an added safety precaution, we encourage that all pitchers wear a protective helmet.

  • Pitcher’s box

There will be a 3-foot-wide by 6-foot-long pitcher’s box starting at 50’, ending at 56’. The pitcher may pitch from anywhere in the box, as long as ONE foot is in the box at the time of pitch. Pitcher may leave the box once the ball is pitched, but WILL NOT BE PROTECTED BY THE HALO RULE.

  • Sportsmanship
    • Code of Conduct: No Player, Coach, or Manager Shall:
    • Not at any time, lay a hand upon, push, shove, strike, threaten to strike, or verbally threaten an umpire.
    • Refuse to abide by an umpire’s decision.
    • Be guilty of objectionable demonstrations of dissent at an umpire’s decision by throwing of gloves, bats, balls, or any other forceful action.
    • Discuss with the official in an aggressive manner. The only person that should discuss situations with the umpire is the coach/manager.
    • Be guilty of using unnecessary rough tactics in play of the game, against the body and person of an opposing player.
    • Be guilty of physical attack as an aggressor on a player, umpire, spectator, or a member of the YSC staff.
    • Use profane language in any manner or at any time.
    • Be guilty if discussion publicly with spectators, in a derogatory manner, any play, decision, or his/her own personal opinion of other players or officials during the game.
    • Any player ejected from game will be suspended from all games for 1 week and a second ejection will result in the removal from the league.  
  • Team-Player Sportsmanship
    • Any participant who participates in a fight or altercation or in any way cause harm to any other program participants wither on the playing field or park property before, during, or after a game will be suspended remainder of season and following season.
    • No cursing, throwing equipment, arguing with officials, deliberate rough play or other types of unsportsmanlike conduct will be tolerated and will result in an ejection.
    • If a player/coach/manager is ejected, he/she must exit the park. If person refuses to leave then player’s suspension will be increased and team will forfeit the game.
  • Standings and Post Season Play
    • All leagues will play single elimination tournament starting on scheduled playing day one week after completion of regular season.
  • Standings are based on:

overall record ->head to head ->runs allowed ->runs scored.

  • Awards
    • Awards will be given to both first and second place teams in league and tournaments.

All games will be 55 minutes or 7 innings. If a game is tied in the 7th inning and there is time left on the clock, a game can go into extra innings. No inning will start with less than 60 seconds on timer.  During league play, A GAME CAN END in a tie. In playoff games, games will play extra innings until a game is won, if necessary.

BAT TESTING

                  Any player refusing to allow Youngsville sports Complex to test a bat will be subject to USSSA rule 2, sec. 2.