PLEASE NOTE: All participants must complete a waiver of liability form upon arrival at the tournament. All participants in the tournament assume the risk of injury. Players and volunteers shall not be held liable for injury to person, loss or damage to personal property arising from or in any way resulting from participation in the tournament. Also, parking is at your own risk.
PLEASE NOTE THAT NO ALCOHOL IS PERMITTED ON THE PREMISES.
SUBMITTING A ROSTER
A team may have up to 18 players. Teams must have at least 10 players, and at least 3 must be female. No team can play unless a roster and payment have been received. No team can play until each member of the team signs a waiver. No captain may register for than 1 team. Rosters must be finalized and no changes may be made on the day of the tournament. Once the rosters are finalized, no changes may be made except by special approval of the SMT Committee. The SMT Committee may allow changes to a team roster if that team would otherwise not be able to field enough players each week due to injury, illness, players moving, or other special circumstances. The SMT Committee may also choose to deny a team's request if the addition of a replacement player would significantly improve a team's level of play. No player who is not on your roster and has not signed a waiver form may play in the tournament.
PLAYING FIELD
The bases are set 60 feet apart. The “pitcher’s mound” is the point formed if you were to draw a line from 1st base to 3rd base, and from home plate to 2nd base—approximately 45 feet from home plate. Pitchers can pitch from 45 feet to 50 feet back, as long as they are in line between the plate and 2nd base (give or take 2 feet).
The SMT uses a strike zone mat behind the home plate. The mat is simply used to provide a strike zone for the batter, pitcher and umpire to determine balls from strikes. For scoring or plays at the plate, base-runners and fielders must touch the actual home plate— not the strike zone mat!
LINEUP
1. A team consists of 10 players. At least 3 women must be on the team and field at all times, meaning that the minimum roster requirements are 7 men and 3 women. A team may start a game with a minimum of 9 players, but 3 of those players must still be women. If a team starts with less than 10 players and a player arrives late, that player may enter the game immediately, but must occupy the last spot in the batting order provided the team has not cycled through the batting order yet.
2. You cannot bat MORE THAN three males in a row. This includes wrapping around the batting order from last to leadoff!
3. Each captain will be responsible for putting together a written lineup before the start of the game. Opposing captains are encouraged to request a copy of the opposing team’s lineup before play commences. (Please see Rule 5 for subbing lineup rules).
4. Teams may pick up a maximum of 2 players from other teams in order to field a team of 9 or 10. (Example: if your team has 8 players, your team may pick up 2 more players to fulfill roster requirements. If your team only has 7 players, you are still limited to picking up a maximum of 2 more). Teams must use all of their team players first and may only pick up SMT players if they have fewer than 10 players present- pick-up players can NOT start in lieu of original roster players. If a game begins with pick-up players and the team’s eligible players arrive late, the roster players must be inserted in the line-up immediately to replace pick-up players. Teams may not pick up players for the playoffs.
5. SUBBING/LINEUPS - You can bat as many people in your batting order as you want as long as your team does not bat 4 men in a row. (You may bat as many women in a row as necessary.) For example, if you have 18 people at a game, you can conceivably have 18 people in the batting order. You can then substitute any way you'd like in the field, as long as you field at least 3 women and no more than 7 men. A woman may not bat at multiple spots in the line-up in order to allow all the men to bat. Rather, teams may substitute MALES within the lineup, but no player may bat twice within one cycle through the batting order.
Examples:
- Male Player A bats #3 and the next time through Male Player B bats #3. Players A & B continue switching at the #3 spot.
- Male Player A bats #3 for the first few innings and then Male Player B bats #3 for the remaining innings.
- Player A bats #3. He or she CANNOT bat again in that trip through the lineup as a substitution for any other batter.
- A player arriving late to the game may be added to the end of the lineup only if it doesn’t cause more than 3 men to bat in a row. If it will cause more 3 men to bat in a row, choose one of the above examples to solve the issue.
-Any player found to be batting out of order (too many men in a row, wrong person batting, etc.) will be declared out by the umpire.
GAME LENGTH
1. Games will be 5 innings or 45 minutes (whichever comes first) until 6:00 PM. After that point, all games will last 7 full innings. If conditions for continued play are made impossible (i.e. weather, lights turning off, game running over 1 hour, 15 minutes, etc.), games will be considered complete if after 4 1⁄2 innings the home team is ahead, or if after 5 full innings the visiting team is ahead.
2. In the event of a tie, whether at the end of 7 innings or at the end of allowed game time (1 hour, 15 minutes), special rules will apply. Starting with the top of the next inning, the batting team will begin with 2 outs and a runner on second (the last recorded out will be the runner on second). Play will continue in this fashion until a winning team is determined.
3. Games must start within 5 minutes of the scheduled time. If after 5 minutes of the scheduled time, a team only has 7 or 8 players AND there are players en route to the field, a team may start short (regardless of gender rules). The opposing team may supply a catcher but cannot make plays at the plate. The team that is short will take an out when a player who is running late is up in the batter order. If the team does not have the required 9 minimum players (3 of whom must be female) by the start of the 2nd inning, the team forfeits the game.
4. All teams are encouraged to hustle on and off the field between innings. Teams are prohibited from using stalling as a tactic. Umpires will first issue a warning to the offending team. If the stalling tactics persist, the umpire may eject the offending player(s) and/or declare a disqualification.
PLAYING
1. The fence is in play, like an outfield wall in baseball. Any ball hit over the fence is a homerun. This rule is subject to amendment at particular fields due to the size and shape of a field. For fields without fences, cones will be used to denote homeruns.
2. The Homerun “One Up Rule”: for all fields and for all games, the “One Up Rule” is in effect.
A. Teams may only hit a maximum of +1 homeruns relative to their opponent’s home run totals.
B. Any batter that hits a homerun for a team that is already +1 in homeruns will immediately be declared out. Runners cannot advance.
C. If a team is -1 in home runs relative to their opponent, that team may hit two consecutive home runs, moving them from -1, to even, to +1.
For example:
Team A hits a home run in the top of the first inning. If another batter from Team A hits a homerun in that inning, he or she is immediately declared out. In the bottom of the first inning, Team B hits a home run, which evens each team’s homerun total at 1. Team B can then hit another homerun in that inning (moving to +1 over Team A), but hitting another homerun (+2) would result in that batter being declared out.
In short, any team that has more homeruns than their opponents in a given game cannot be awarded a homerun until the opposing team either evens the homerun totals, or moves to +1.
D. A cone (or similar object) will be placed in the backstop behind home plate to designate which teams can and cannot hit homeruns.
3. Any ball that goes under the fence will be declared a dead ball and is a ground rule double.
4. Advancing a base or bases on a passed ball or wild pitch is not permitted.
5. Base runners are not allowed to leave the base prior to the batter making contact with a pitch. Runners may be permitted a “relaxed step” (reflexive leaving of the base on a swing and miss, for instance), but this is allowed solely at the umpire’s discretion. Abuse of the relaxed step and/or leaving the bag early will result in the base runner being called out, with the play blown dead.
7. Pitchers must use a slow-pitch arc not to exceed 12 feet from the ground and with a 6 feet minimum arc. Pitchers must pitch underhand. Pitches that meet these requirements and that land on the plate, the strike zone mat, or the area between the two will be called a strike.
8. The infield fly rule is in effect. The infield fly rule goes into effect when the batter hits a pop fly in the infield with less than 2 outs and a force to 3rd base. Once an infield fly is called by the umpire, the batter is automatically out. The runners may try to advance, but must tag up if the ball has been caught.
9. Each batter starts with a 1-1 count and gets one free foul ball when he or she has two strikes. Batters may foul off the 1-1 pitch (moving the count to 1-2), and then foul off the next pitch as well (keeping the count at 1-2). If the batter fouls off the next pitch, he or she is declared out.
Similarly, if a player takes a called second strike, the batter now only has one foul tip to spare. Foul ball strikes begin to count once the player has TWO strikes, not one.
10. If a batter throws a bat, he/she will receive a warning from the umpire. If he/she throws the bat a second time during the same game, he/she will be ejected from the game.
11. Intentional Walks: if a team chooses to intentionally walk a batter, they may waive the pitches and the batter may advance directly to first base.
12. If a female follows a male batter and the male batter is walked on 3 consecutive balls, the male runner will automatically advance to second base. This rule is to help prevent teams from pitching around male batters to get to a female. However, if the pitcher throws a strike (foul tip or called strike) and then proceeds to walk the male batter, the batter will only advance to first base.
13. Slide or Surrender: Any runner is out when the runner does not slide or avoid a fielder who has the ball and is waiting to make the tag. The runner is out, and subject to ejection, if he tries to bowl over the fielder by lowering the shoulder, raising the forearm, extending arms toward the fielder, or otherwise running over the fielder. Runners arriving at the base simultaneously with the ball or before the ball are not required to “slide or surrender.” THE INTENTION OF THIS RULE IS TO AVOID DANGEROUS CONTACT! Umpire decisions on sliding and intentional contact will be final.
14. A runner may not slide beyond the base to break up a double play. Violation of this will result in the batter (or trailing) runner being ruled out, and the offending player may be subject to ejection.
15. No fielder may block a base or baseline, including the plate, unless he/she has possession of the ball or is in the act of fielding the ball. In either case, the runner will be called safe.
16. A defender may not initiate a fake tag in an effort to cause that player to risk injury and slide. Umpires will advance ALL runners one base, and the offending player is subject to ejection.
17. Runner’s Interference:
A. If the batter-runner contacts the ball he/she has hit within the field of play before any other player touches the ball, the batter-runner is out.
B. If a base-runner interferes with a fielder attempting to field a ball, the base-runner is out.
C. If a base-runner is struck by a fair batted ball in fair territory while off his/her base and before it touches a fielder, or passes a fielder other than the catcher or pitcher, the base-runner is out.
D. In examples B and C, if the interference is declared intentional by the umpire, the batter-runner is also out (this is so base runners may not intentionally prevent an otherwise likely double play).
18. Player Injuries: If a player has a partial injury such that he/she is able to bat but unable to run, a courtesy runner may be requested. The batter must reach first base before a courtesy runner can be used. The umpire and opposing captain must both be notified prior to the start of the game or when injury occurs and there is a need for a courtesy runner. If the player requiring a courtesy runner is a female the last female to make an out must run. If not available, then any female on the bench must run. If not available, last male to make an out. If the player requiring a courtesy runner is male, the last male player to make an out must run.
No pinch runners other than courtesy runners are permitted! Umpires will reserve the right to deny a courtesy runner if the substitution is deemed both unnecessary and an attempt to circumvent the above rule for a pinch runner.
19. If a base is dislodged during the course of a play, the umpire will blow the play dead. Runners will retreat to their previous base.
20. A 10-run rule will take effect after 5 innings. If during the 7th inning, the visiting team goes up by 10 or more runs, the home team still bats in the bottom of the inning. If the home team goes up by 10 runs during the 6th or 7th inning, the game is over.
21. In the event that a player is temporarily or completely ejected from a game (ranging from 3 innings to the entire game’s duration, respectively, and at the acting umpire’s sole discretion), the ejected player’s positional spot in the field can be filled with a replacement player, but his or her batting spot will remain vacated and an automatic out will result upon his or her spot in the batting order.
PLEASE NOTE THAT NO ALCOHOL IS PERMITTED ON THE PREMISES.
SUBMITTING A ROSTER
A team may have up to 18 players. Teams must have at least 10 players, and at least 3 must be female. No team can play unless a roster and payment have been received. No team can play until each member of the team signs a waiver. No captain may register for than 1 team. Rosters must be finalized and no changes may be made on the day of the tournament. Once the rosters are finalized, no changes may be made except by special approval of the SMT Committee. The SMT Committee may allow changes to a team roster if that team would otherwise not be able to field enough players each week due to injury, illness, players moving, or other special circumstances. The SMT Committee may also choose to deny a team's request if the addition of a replacement player would significantly improve a team's level of play. No player who is not on your roster and has not signed a waiver form may play in the tournament.
PLAYING FIELD
The bases are set 60 feet apart. The “pitcher’s mound” is the point formed if you were to draw a line from 1st base to 3rd base, and from home plate to 2nd base—approximately 45 feet from home plate. Pitchers can pitch from 45 feet to 50 feet back, as long as they are in line between the plate and 2nd base (give or take 2 feet).
The SMT uses a strike zone mat behind the home plate. The mat is simply used to provide a strike zone for the batter, pitcher and umpire to determine balls from strikes. For scoring or plays at the plate, base-runners and fielders must touch the actual home plate— not the strike zone mat!
LINEUP
1. A team consists of 10 players. At least 3 women must be on the team and field at all times, meaning that the minimum roster requirements are 7 men and 3 women. A team may start a game with a minimum of 9 players, but 3 of those players must still be women. If a team starts with less than 10 players and a player arrives late, that player may enter the game immediately, but must occupy the last spot in the batting order provided the team has not cycled through the batting order yet.
2. You cannot bat MORE THAN three males in a row. This includes wrapping around the batting order from last to leadoff!
3. Each captain will be responsible for putting together a written lineup before the start of the game. Opposing captains are encouraged to request a copy of the opposing team’s lineup before play commences. (Please see Rule 5 for subbing lineup rules).
4. Teams may pick up a maximum of 2 players from other teams in order to field a team of 9 or 10. (Example: if your team has 8 players, your team may pick up 2 more players to fulfill roster requirements. If your team only has 7 players, you are still limited to picking up a maximum of 2 more). Teams must use all of their team players first and may only pick up SMT players if they have fewer than 10 players present- pick-up players can NOT start in lieu of original roster players. If a game begins with pick-up players and the team’s eligible players arrive late, the roster players must be inserted in the line-up immediately to replace pick-up players. Teams may not pick up players for the playoffs.
5. SUBBING/LINEUPS - You can bat as many people in your batting order as you want as long as your team does not bat 4 men in a row. (You may bat as many women in a row as necessary.) For example, if you have 18 people at a game, you can conceivably have 18 people in the batting order. You can then substitute any way you'd like in the field, as long as you field at least 3 women and no more than 7 men. A woman may not bat at multiple spots in the line-up in order to allow all the men to bat. Rather, teams may substitute MALES within the lineup, but no player may bat twice within one cycle through the batting order.
Examples:
- Male Player A bats #3 and the next time through Male Player B bats #3. Players A & B continue switching at the #3 spot.
- Male Player A bats #3 for the first few innings and then Male Player B bats #3 for the remaining innings.
- Player A bats #3. He or she CANNOT bat again in that trip through the lineup as a substitution for any other batter.
- A player arriving late to the game may be added to the end of the lineup only if it doesn’t cause more than 3 men to bat in a row. If it will cause more 3 men to bat in a row, choose one of the above examples to solve the issue.
-Any player found to be batting out of order (too many men in a row, wrong person batting, etc.) will be declared out by the umpire.
GAME LENGTH
1. Games will be 5 innings or 45 minutes (whichever comes first) until 6:00 PM. After that point, all games will last 7 full innings. If conditions for continued play are made impossible (i.e. weather, lights turning off, game running over 1 hour, 15 minutes, etc.), games will be considered complete if after 4 1⁄2 innings the home team is ahead, or if after 5 full innings the visiting team is ahead.
2. In the event of a tie, whether at the end of 7 innings or at the end of allowed game time (1 hour, 15 minutes), special rules will apply. Starting with the top of the next inning, the batting team will begin with 2 outs and a runner on second (the last recorded out will be the runner on second). Play will continue in this fashion until a winning team is determined.
3. Games must start within 5 minutes of the scheduled time. If after 5 minutes of the scheduled time, a team only has 7 or 8 players AND there are players en route to the field, a team may start short (regardless of gender rules). The opposing team may supply a catcher but cannot make plays at the plate. The team that is short will take an out when a player who is running late is up in the batter order. If the team does not have the required 9 minimum players (3 of whom must be female) by the start of the 2nd inning, the team forfeits the game.
4. All teams are encouraged to hustle on and off the field between innings. Teams are prohibited from using stalling as a tactic. Umpires will first issue a warning to the offending team. If the stalling tactics persist, the umpire may eject the offending player(s) and/or declare a disqualification.
PLAYING
1. The fence is in play, like an outfield wall in baseball. Any ball hit over the fence is a homerun. This rule is subject to amendment at particular fields due to the size and shape of a field. For fields without fences, cones will be used to denote homeruns.
2. The Homerun “One Up Rule”: for all fields and for all games, the “One Up Rule” is in effect.
A. Teams may only hit a maximum of +1 homeruns relative to their opponent’s home run totals.
B. Any batter that hits a homerun for a team that is already +1 in homeruns will immediately be declared out. Runners cannot advance.
C. If a team is -1 in home runs relative to their opponent, that team may hit two consecutive home runs, moving them from -1, to even, to +1.
For example:
Team A hits a home run in the top of the first inning. If another batter from Team A hits a homerun in that inning, he or she is immediately declared out. In the bottom of the first inning, Team B hits a home run, which evens each team’s homerun total at 1. Team B can then hit another homerun in that inning (moving to +1 over Team A), but hitting another homerun (+2) would result in that batter being declared out.
In short, any team that has more homeruns than their opponents in a given game cannot be awarded a homerun until the opposing team either evens the homerun totals, or moves to +1.
D. A cone (or similar object) will be placed in the backstop behind home plate to designate which teams can and cannot hit homeruns.
3. Any ball that goes under the fence will be declared a dead ball and is a ground rule double.
4. Advancing a base or bases on a passed ball or wild pitch is not permitted.
5. Base runners are not allowed to leave the base prior to the batter making contact with a pitch. Runners may be permitted a “relaxed step” (reflexive leaving of the base on a swing and miss, for instance), but this is allowed solely at the umpire’s discretion. Abuse of the relaxed step and/or leaving the bag early will result in the base runner being called out, with the play blown dead.
7. Pitchers must use a slow-pitch arc not to exceed 12 feet from the ground and with a 6 feet minimum arc. Pitchers must pitch underhand. Pitches that meet these requirements and that land on the plate, the strike zone mat, or the area between the two will be called a strike.
8. The infield fly rule is in effect. The infield fly rule goes into effect when the batter hits a pop fly in the infield with less than 2 outs and a force to 3rd base. Once an infield fly is called by the umpire, the batter is automatically out. The runners may try to advance, but must tag up if the ball has been caught.
9. Each batter starts with a 1-1 count and gets one free foul ball when he or she has two strikes. Batters may foul off the 1-1 pitch (moving the count to 1-2), and then foul off the next pitch as well (keeping the count at 1-2). If the batter fouls off the next pitch, he or she is declared out.
Similarly, if a player takes a called second strike, the batter now only has one foul tip to spare. Foul ball strikes begin to count once the player has TWO strikes, not one.
10. If a batter throws a bat, he/she will receive a warning from the umpire. If he/she throws the bat a second time during the same game, he/she will be ejected from the game.
11. Intentional Walks: if a team chooses to intentionally walk a batter, they may waive the pitches and the batter may advance directly to first base.
12. If a female follows a male batter and the male batter is walked on 3 consecutive balls, the male runner will automatically advance to second base. This rule is to help prevent teams from pitching around male batters to get to a female. However, if the pitcher throws a strike (foul tip or called strike) and then proceeds to walk the male batter, the batter will only advance to first base.
13. Slide or Surrender: Any runner is out when the runner does not slide or avoid a fielder who has the ball and is waiting to make the tag. The runner is out, and subject to ejection, if he tries to bowl over the fielder by lowering the shoulder, raising the forearm, extending arms toward the fielder, or otherwise running over the fielder. Runners arriving at the base simultaneously with the ball or before the ball are not required to “slide or surrender.” THE INTENTION OF THIS RULE IS TO AVOID DANGEROUS CONTACT! Umpire decisions on sliding and intentional contact will be final.
14. A runner may not slide beyond the base to break up a double play. Violation of this will result in the batter (or trailing) runner being ruled out, and the offending player may be subject to ejection.
15. No fielder may block a base or baseline, including the plate, unless he/she has possession of the ball or is in the act of fielding the ball. In either case, the runner will be called safe.
16. A defender may not initiate a fake tag in an effort to cause that player to risk injury and slide. Umpires will advance ALL runners one base, and the offending player is subject to ejection.
17. Runner’s Interference:
A. If the batter-runner contacts the ball he/she has hit within the field of play before any other player touches the ball, the batter-runner is out.
B. If a base-runner interferes with a fielder attempting to field a ball, the base-runner is out.
C. If a base-runner is struck by a fair batted ball in fair territory while off his/her base and before it touches a fielder, or passes a fielder other than the catcher or pitcher, the base-runner is out.
D. In examples B and C, if the interference is declared intentional by the umpire, the batter-runner is also out (this is so base runners may not intentionally prevent an otherwise likely double play).
18. Player Injuries: If a player has a partial injury such that he/she is able to bat but unable to run, a courtesy runner may be requested. The batter must reach first base before a courtesy runner can be used. The umpire and opposing captain must both be notified prior to the start of the game or when injury occurs and there is a need for a courtesy runner. If the player requiring a courtesy runner is a female the last female to make an out must run. If not available, then any female on the bench must run. If not available, last male to make an out. If the player requiring a courtesy runner is male, the last male player to make an out must run.
No pinch runners other than courtesy runners are permitted! Umpires will reserve the right to deny a courtesy runner if the substitution is deemed both unnecessary and an attempt to circumvent the above rule for a pinch runner.
19. If a base is dislodged during the course of a play, the umpire will blow the play dead. Runners will retreat to their previous base.
20. A 10-run rule will take effect after 5 innings. If during the 7th inning, the visiting team goes up by 10 or more runs, the home team still bats in the bottom of the inning. If the home team goes up by 10 runs during the 6th or 7th inning, the game is over.
21. In the event that a player is temporarily or completely ejected from a game (ranging from 3 innings to the entire game’s duration, respectively, and at the acting umpire’s sole discretion), the ejected player’s positional spot in the field can be filled with a replacement player, but his or her batting spot will remain vacated and an automatic out will result upon his or her spot in the batting order.
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