We know this is an adult social sports league. However, no alcohol is permitted on Johnson City parks, school, and church grounds. Help us in protecting access to these facilities by waiting until to you get the sponsor bar after the game.

Behavior

Each player is required to display good sportsmanship, and respect to the Game Officials, league staff and other players at all times. Rude/aggressive/vulgar language, fighting, or other negative behavior will result in points taken away, ejection from the game, team forfeit, or by being banned from the league and/or Tri-Cities Social Sports (TCSS) all together based on the severity of the incident. Issues with play or calls by the referee can be addressed to the referee by the captains of the teams and the captains only. ‘Replays/re-serves’ can be issued at the referee’s discretion for close/unsure calls situations.

Roster

Team rosters shall include a minimum of 13 players, including at least 5 of each gender.

The maximum number of players on the field is 10, with at least 4 of each gender.

The minimum number of players on the field is 6, with no gender minimum.

All players must be registered with the League to play with the team. Unregistered substitutes are not permitted. Any team found to be playing with an unregistered player will receive a 3 run penalty and the unregistered player will be removed.

Team captains have the right to question an opposing team’s roster and verify that each player is a registered player on the roster or a registered sub. A player in question must present a photo ID. Game will continue. Verification will occur later that day. If that player in question turns out to not be a registered player, then that team will receive a forfeit regardless of the outcome of the game.

When a team has fewer than the required number of players of a specified gender available, players of one gender may not be substituted for members of another gender. For example, if a team has 10 total players available at game time, but only 3 are female, the team must play short in the field with 9 players.

Fielding teams are required to play catcher and pitcher.

No substitutes for the catcher are permitted during the inning; catchers may only be changed between innings.

Teams may use a substitute player as long as they are registered as a substitute or are a registered player on a different team in the league. No substitutes are allowed in the end-of-season tournament.

If a player begins the game, becomes injured and has to skip any phase of the inning (kicking or fielding) due to the injury, that player must sit out the remainder of the game.

Officials

Each game shall be officiated by a League-assigned referee.

Referees are responsible for:
-Keeping game time.
-Keeping score.
-Enforcing all game rules.
-Tracking all counts and outs.

The referee shall eject a player from the game if that player engages in unsportsmanlike conduct.

An ejected player must leave the field and facility immediately; failure to do so may result in removal from the league.

Team Captains are responsible for reporting final game score.

Field

Games may be played on any flat grassy area with sufficient space for an infield and outfield.

The distance between bases shall be 60 feet.

First base shall include a safety base placed to the right; overruns must be made on the safety base.  Failure to do so could result in runner being called out.

The field shall be bounded by a sideline measuring 10 feet from the foul line. No player or spectator shall reside within the sidelines except for those actively playing, the game officials, and a 1st and 3rd base coach.

Equipment

All game equipment shall be provided by the League.

Players must wear their League-Provided T-Shirts of the appropriate color for their team (exception being substitute players).  Beginning the fourth week, any team that has more than 1 player, that intends on playing in the game, that is not physically wearing their League T-Shirt will receive a 1 run penalty for each ascending player beyond that 1. This can be waived by the league on special occasion nights, such as Halloween or theme nights. League T-shirts are mandatory for end-of-season tournament.

Steel cleats are prohibited. Plastic and rubber cleats are allowed unless league notes otherwise.

Game Clock

Each game shall be completed in no more than 7 innings or 50 minutes, whichever comes first.

No new inning may begin after 40 minutes; any inning being played after 40 minutes shall be the last inning of the game.

Any inning in progress shall end immediately, and both teams shall vacate the field when:
-The clock has passed 40 minutes with the home team leading in the bottom of the inning (home team wins), or
-The clock has passed 50 minutes; the score shall revert to the score at the previous full inning, with the team leading at the end of the previous full inning declared the winner.

In the event of a tied score after the final inning, the game shall be recorded as a tie (exception is end-of-season tournament, there will be no tied games).

Game Start

Home team be determined by “rock, paper, scissors” prior to the game. The Away team will kick first, the Home team will take the field first.

Kicking

Each team may exchange kicking orders prior to the start of the game.  If the Captain of one team asks for the line-up, opposing team must give one to them.

There must be at least 4 players of each gender in the kicking order. If there are fewer than the required number of players of a particular gender, the kicking team will receive 1 out at the end of their line-up in the place of their missing player(s).

Each team must have 2 females within the first six people in the batting order.

All players who have fielded or will field must be included in the kicking lineup, except for injured players who have been withdrawn from the game.

Pinch kickers are not allowed.

Once the game has begun, the kicking order cannot be altered. Only exception is if an injury takes place, the injured player may be removed from the line up and the rest of the lineup is to not be altered.

Bunting is permitted for males and females (rules on this in Fielding section).

For games being played on baseball fields, limit is 3 over-the-fence home runs per game. Every over-the-fence homerun after 3 will be counted as a single.

3 strikes is an out and is called when:
-The ball crosses the strike zone without being kicked.
-The kicker swings at but misses the ball.
-The ball is kicked foul.
-A player kicks the ball in front of home plate (fielding team will have the option to take the result of the play or a re-kick with a strike given).

Fouls are always counted as strikes, including on a 2 strike count, and are called when:
-The ball lands or is touched in foul territory.
-The ball lands inside the foul line but rolls outside the foul line before reaching the 1st or 3rd bases. A ball that lands past the 1st or 3rd base but rolls into foul territory shall be considered fair.
-Contacts the ball behind home plate with any part of the body above the knee.
-The kicker makes a “double-kick”, i.e. kicks or contacts the ball after the initial kick while still behind home plate.

4 balls allows the kicker to advance to first base as is called when:
-Ball fails to pass through the 1-foot strike zone around home plate.
-Ball bounces more than 1-foot above strike zone.
-If a male is walked, he shall advance to 2^nd base. With 2 outs, if a female is kicking after the male that got walked, the female advances straight to first base.

The kicking team must coach first and third base. The base coaches are responsible for retrieving foul balls and may switch with other team members to remain in the proper batting order.

Pitching & Fielding

The Roller/Pitcher must release the ball BEHIND the roller’s mound and within one foot on either side of the roller’s mound (mirroring the 1 foot strike zone on either side of the plate).  At the end of the release, the pitcher CAN NOT at any time cross the roller’s mound.  Doing so will result in an illegal pitch which can be called a ball by the umpire, but it can still be kicked by the kicker.

The pitch must pass within the 1-foot strike zone around the home plate.  The ball cannot be in the air higher than 6 inches when it crosses the plate. The ball must be rolled flat and bouncing no more than 6 inches high when crossing the plate. No side arm or pitches with spin allowed. Excessive Speed or Spin pitches will lead to warnings and automatic walks. Overhanded pitching is not permitted.

While a female is kicking no defensive player, including the pitcher, may cross the invisible line between 1st and 3rd base prior to the ball being kicked.

While a male is kicking, any infielder can cross the invisible line between 1^st and 3^rd base as soon as the pitch is released. However, fielders cannot move up farther than the halfway point between the line from 3^rd to 1^st base and home plate.

Violation of encroachment of the invisible line will result in the kicking team being given the option of the result of the play or a re-kick with a ball given.

The catcher must remain 3 ft behind the kicker until the kicker makes contact with the ball. The catcher may NOT stand to the side of the kicker or so closely to the kicker as to interfere with his or her ability to kick, until contact is made with the ball.

An outfielder cannot enter the infield until the ball has been kicked.

Running

Stealing bases and leading off bases is illegal. A player who was leading the base prior to the hit shall be called out.

There is no infield fly rule.

Play shall end when the pitcher has control of the ball within 10 feet of the pitcher’s mound. Any runners more than halfway to the next base can continue and runners less than halfway must return to the previous base, up to the Referee’s discretion.

A runner is out when:
-Fielder catches a fly ball.
-Gets 3 strikes.
-Base is tagged on a forced run.
-Runner is tagged by a fielder in possession of the ball.
-Comes in contact with the ball, except when thrown by a fielder at the head (unless sliding).
-Runner is off base when the ball is kicked (including turning into the field after reach 1^st base, turning toward foul territory will be safe).

If a fly ball is caught or dropped, the runner may advance. If the runner has already left the base and the fly ball was then caught, the runner must return to the base and ‘tag up’ before advancing bases.

In the event of an overthrow into foul territory in an attempt to make a play, the runner may advance only as far as the base they are running toward plus the next base. This is a restriction on the advance of the runner; runners are NOT automatically awarded the base unless ref deems ball unplayable (over the fence, in the woods, etc.).

Pinch running due to injury is permitted at 1st, 2nd and 3rd base provided the pinch runner is of the same gender. Pinch running at kick is not permitted. (1 pinch runner per gender per inning is allowed)

Any runner who punches or kicks a ball while running the bases, or attempts to punch or kick a ball from a defender, is immediately out; the play is called dead, and all runners currently on base must go back to their last touched base.

Runners cannot intentionally touch, yell at, or severely interfere with a fielder making a catch.  Referees can immediately call any runner out if they deem this rule to have been violated.

Mercy Rule

The inning shall advance when a team scores 7 runs in the inning.

The game will end with a team leading:

-15 runs after 3 innings

-12 runs after 4 innings

-10 runs after 5 innings

Teams in games that end by mercy rule are welcomed to continue to play after their official game as ended until 5 minutes before the next scheduled game time ; i.e. the 6:00 game can play until 6:45 if the next game is scheduled at 6:50. Exception is the end-of-season tournament, teams in games that end by mercy rule can continue to play until both teams in the next scheduled game are present and ready or until 5 minutes before the next scheduled game time, whichever comes first.

Runs scored during the extra game time will not be added to the official game that ended by mercy rule.

Extra Innings

No extra innings in regular season games. If needed, up to 2 extra innings will be played with a runner starting on 2nd and 3^rd base in the end-of-season tournament.  If still tied after the second extra inning, we will have sudden death. Sudden death is where each team will select a kicker and a pitcher from their team. That kicker will get only 1 pitch from their team’s chosen pitcher (does not matter if the pitch is a ball or a strike). Just like regular gameplay, the kicker cannot kick the ball in front of home plate. If they do, this will count as a strike and their 1 and only pitch. The team with the furthest kicked ball will win.

Late Arrival Penalties & Forfeits

Teams must be ready to play and meet game start requirements within 5 minutes after the posted game time.

If a team is not ready to play at 5 minutes past the posted game time, it shall incur an immediate 2 run penalty, awarded to the opposing team.

If a team is not ready to play after 10 minutes, it shall forfeit the game, with the opposing team receiving a total of 6 runs, for a final score of 6 – 0.