SOFTBALL GAMEPLAY & COVID RULES

RULES & REGULATIONS FOR 2020 SOFTBALL

Baseball and softball at its core, is a game with a lot of rules and with the challenge of COVID, there are even more rules that we will all need to abide by if we're going to play AND be safe.

Below is the complete list of rules for the 2020 season for gameplay & for COVID. Please ensure your team reviews the rules prior to playing game 1.

At the end of the day, we're all out here to have fun. Play hard, play safe, and play ball.

Softball leagues start on Saturday September 12 in all cities except Halifax and Antigonish. Halifax and Antigonish begins on Saturday September 19.

TEAMS IN VIOLATION OF THE COVID RULES WILL BE EJECTED FROM THE LEAGUE WITHOUT REFUND. LUG DOES NOT TURN A BLIND EYE WHEN IT COMES TO PEOPLE'S HEALTH.

AREA	RULES
Arrival/Departure	Arrival maximum of 15 minutes before your scheduled game time Check in with LUG staff on arrival. All players must be registered to play. Leave the facility immediately after your game. No gathering in the parking lots or after you game.
Equipment	No sharing of bats between teams. Bats, helmets, gloves, catchers equipment will NOT be provided by LUG No sharing of Gloves at all No sharing of Helmets at all Balls must be wiped down between innings Bats must be sanitized between each use with a sanitary wipe The use of personal face shields, personal batting gloves or disposable glove, personal bats, personal helmets, and any other personal protective equipment is recommended.
Catchers - COED	Catchers are not allowed to stand behind batters No catching equipment is provided.
Catchers/Batters - COMP	Catchers are NOT allowed to stand behind batters No catching equipment is provided. Catchers role will be to support ball retrieval during batting & to make plays to bases/at home. Batters must be wearing a helmet when batting. It is each persons responsibility to bring their own helmet.
Balls	Teams will be given balls at the start of the year. These should be used for all games. No sharing of balls between teams during games.
Masks PPE	Masks must be worn at all times by infielders including (batters, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, short, baserunners, on deck batters, umpires) Disposable gloves are recommended
Social Distancing	Dugouts are not in service. Players are not allowed to go into dugouts or use the dugout during games Players must use the 1st and 3rd base line as your team area. Players are expected to socially distance along these lines No warming up with your opponents. Warm up with your own team is ok.
Celebrations/Hand Shakes	No fist pumps, high fives, or hand shakes with teammates or at the conclusion of a game, along team areas etc.
Food, Dip, Seeds, Spit	No seeds (Spitz)* No Dip No peanuts* No spitting No alcoholic drinks, smoking, or drugs * We understand this rule sucks but it is absolutely unacceptable to spit seeds or anything onto the ground where teams are playing. Many teams use the diamond.

CODE OF CONDUCT

LUG enforces a strict code of conduct for all of our players. Any team caught or suspected of drinking, doing drugs, or abusing these rules in any format will be automatically ejected from the league without refund.

Absolutely no alcohol or drugs at the diamond.
Smoking is not permitted on the field or in the dugout.
Respect the Umpire at all times. The Umpires call is final.
Respect your teammates, your opponents, and the rules of the game.

EQUIPMENT

LUG Provided: Bases, softballs, sanitary wipes, jerseys
Player Provided: gloves, balls, bats, cleats/baseball shoes safety equipment, masks.
Prohibited: No spiked cleats
In competitive leagues, LUG will also provide catchers gear and a pitching mask * must be sanitizer between each use.

STATS KEEPING

LUG does NOT track stats for softball.
Teams should track their own game results in the event of any discrepancies with online reporting.

COVID Health check questionaire

Do you have a fever >38 degrees or feel feverish?

Do you have a new onset or worsening chronic cough?

Have you been in close contact (within 6 feet) with someone with a confirmed case of COVID-19?

Have you been in close contact (within 6 feet) with someone who has returned from anywhere outside Canada in the past 14 days and who has a fever higher than 38C, a new cough or a cough that’s getting worse?

Have you travelled outside Canada within the past 14 days?

Have you been in close contact (within 6 feet) with someone with a confirmed case of COVID-19?

Have you experienced any symptoms of COVID in the last 24 hours?

SEASON REGULATIONS

The following rules apply Competitive & COED Divisions.

Team Size	Max. 12 players
Season Length	6-8 games (weather dependent)
COED Lineup Rules	Max 6 players of a single sex at one time Min 4 girls must be rostered per COED team Min 3 girls must be present to play a game. In the event that only 2 women show up, captains can agree to waive the default and play the game. If this occurs, there is still a maximum of 6 men permitted on the field at one time.
COMP Lineup Rules	Minimum 7 players are required to be eligible to play. Max number of players on the field = 9 (excluding pitchers, if applicable)
Official Game	7 innings or 50 minutes (whichever comes first). No new innings can start with fewer than 10 minutes remaining in game.
Playoffs	All rules apply to playoffs. No ties in playoffs. Winner must be determined in extra innings. Absolutely no unrostered players permitted. If team does not have minimum of 7 players the game is considered defaulted.
Extra Innings (Playoffs)	If a game is tied at the end of regulation innings or the game is tied at the 50 minute mark. Each team will have a chance to hit. The inning will start with 1 person on second and one out (the last person out from previous innings). If one team scores and the other doesn't the game is over. If both teams score the same in the extra inning then continue the process until the game is over.
Substitutes	No substitutes or ringers during playoffs. Every player during playoffs must be rostered and registered through BaseballShift.
Scores	A team can only score a maximum of 7 runs per inning. Each team is responsible to email or message the commissioner with the final score and stats within 24 hours of the game.
Plays at Home	To avoid collisions, runners must tag the safety base at first base, and cannot touch the home plate (runners must run past home plate). If the runner steps on the white side of the safety base (infield side) or home plate, they are out. To get a runner out at home plate, the catcher must have the ball and one foot on home plate before the runner crosses the extended line passing from the 1st base line past home plate.Tagging the runner once they have crossed the commitment line at home is not permitted and the runner will be deemed automatically safe.
Sliding	No sliding at all.
Stealing	No stealing. Will be counted as an out.
Lead offs	No lead offs. Will be counted as an out.
First at-bats	Team captains will rock, paper, scissors (or coin flip) to determine who bats first.
Base Coaches	The team at bat should provide a first base and third base coach to call outs. The Umpire will call fair/foul balls as they have the best view. Any calls being disputed must be discussed by the 2 captains and if a final decision cannot be made, re-play the ball! Remember this is a fun league.
Pitching (COED)	Each team pitch to their own batters. A maximum of 3 pitches per batter, unless a batted ball hits the pitcher. In this case, the play is called dead and a re-pitch is allotted to the batter. It is not considered a strike.
Pitching (competitive divisions)	Teams pitch to opposing teams. Umpires will call balls & strikes. Pitchers are encouraged to wear a pitching mask while pitching. 35 ft from home plate to front rubber of pitching mound is regulation length. Pitchers must have back foot on the mound while pitching. Steps behind the rubber mound are permitted. If the pitcher is hit by a batted ball the hitter is out and the ball is considered dead, runners cannot advance. No windups. Pitchers cannot use more than 180 degrees of arm motion. (From release point)
Batting Order (COMP)	Batting orders must be written out by each team prior to the start of the game and cannot be changed. It must include all players who play in the field. Players arriving late can be added to the end of the order.
Batting Order (COED)	There must be a minimum of 1 woman at bat for every 2 consecutive men at bat (even if a woman bats twice in the same order). If all women are on bases and a women is up-to-bat, a man may pinch run for the woman on base. The man should replace the woman farthest from home.
Strike Zone	The strike zone is determined by the umpire. The range for strike zone takes place from the knee to the letters on the jersey + the width of the home plate.
Bunts	Not permitted.
Fair Balls	All fair balls are playable. Balls do not need to pass the pitcher to be in play.
Rovers	Not permitted in the in-field. Any rover must be in the outfield.
Commitment Lines	Marked half-way between 3rd and home. Any time a player passes the commitment line, the play is a forced play.
Bat Throwing	No bat throwing. It is considered an out and the play dead.
Discrepancies of Rules	Softball is a game with lots of rules and some discrepancies may arise during the course of a game. Any disagreement should be discussed by the captains in the spirit of good sportsmanship.
Rain Outs	If 3 full innings of a game have been played and the game gets rained out, the game is considered played. LUG will book Rain Out Days in advance. All rain outs or cancelled games will be rescheduled to these days.
Altercations	There is a zero tolerance policy for any fighting or rough play. Players will be suspended for the entire season.
Final Thoughts	LUG reserves the rights to have final judgement on all scores and dispute settlement in the event of special circumstances.

*Due to COVID, if leagues are forced to shut down after Sept 21, there will be ZERO refunds provided regardless of games remaining.