League Playing Rules

Dorchester Canadians League Playing Rules

The Dorchester Canadians league is affiliated with Play Slo-Pitch (Ontario SPO and SPN) rules with the following additional league – specific rules to enhance play for all participants. Remember, this is a recreational league with players of varying ages and abilities, so knowing and abiding by the rules makes for fair play for all.

Fees

$200.00 per season (plus $85.00 for new players for uniforms and hat)

Playing Conditions

Please notify your captain whenever you will be absent from a game.
If you haven’t been contacted by email or viewed a cancellation on the website assume the game is being played.
To avoid putting our players at risk we may postpone games due to rain or unplayable field conditions. As well, we may postpone games if the temperature is above 32C, or the humidex is above 40C, or the air quality index is above 6 on the air quality scale.
Normally any postponement decision is made by the League Director and communicated to all players by email and posted on the home page of the website by 4:00PM.

Code of Conduct

We are a recreational softball league for older adults and wish to provide a safe, pleasant, and enjoyable experience for members, officials, and spectators. In line with this goal, the following are rules of conduct:

Treat your teammates, opponents, umpires and fans with respect
Refrain from aggresive and disruptive behaviour
Smoking and/or consumption of alcoholic beverages is prohibited on the diamond or in the dugout area. Smoking is permitted outside the fence
Refrain from the use of profanity. Such use may be grounds for ejection.

Failing to follow the Code of Conduct may result in disciplinary action as outlined below. Remember, this is a recreational league so relax and have fun.

Player Conduct Disciplinary Action

any contravention of the Code of Conduct is first reported to the League Director who will attempt to resolve the matter.
if not resolved to the League Director's satisfaction, a written letter of complaint will be forwarded to the Discipline Committee.
The Discipline Committee will convene a meeting to discuss the complaint and determine what action will be taken.
These actions may include:
- a letter of reprimand
- an appearance before the Discipline Committee
- a suspension of one or more games, as determined by the committee
- removal from the league

Playing Field

A defensive line with of an arc of 175 feet from home plate will be used. No outfielder (minimum of 4 unless a team is playing with 9) is allowed in front of this line until the ball is hit. Violation allows the offense the option to take the result of the play or an award of one base to the batter and all runners.
The skinned portion of the infield should have an arc of 65 ft. / 19.8 m from the centre front of the pitcher’s rubber (we will endeavor to have this marked on our diamonds, if possible, or determine how many steps into the grass are permissible). All infielders must be positioned within this arc until the ball is hit. Violation allows the offense the option to take the result of the play or an award of one base to the batter and all runners.
Other than the pitcher and the catcher, players in the field may be stationed anywhere they choose on fair ground as each pitch is delivered, remembering that all infielders must start within the infield arc and that all outfielders, minimum of 4, must start beyond the 175 foot line. No defensive player may stand closer than 50 feet as each pitch is delivered
Because we use a strike mat there is a SAFE LINE drawn, in foul territory, from the top left corner of the home plate and perpendicular to the third base line. Touching the ground on or beyond the SAFE LINE is the same as ‘touching the plate’.
Touching the strike mat results in an automatic out call except where the mat is touched in an attempt to avoid a collision.
There is a COMMITMENT LINE drawn, in foul territory, 21 feet from the back of home plate and perpendicular to the third base line. When a runner touches the ground beyond this line he must proceed home, and the play is a force play at home.
In order to avoid collisions at home plate we have added a diagonal line (CATCHER SAFETY LINE) from the third base foul line to the scoring line at home. Base runners will be out if they run inside the catcher safety line.
Belmont Diamonds only: A batted ball that goes over the outfield fence is an out.
A designated runner line will be drawn from the back corner of the strike mat to the first base side fence. Designated runners must run from the spot where this line reaches the fence.

Equipment – Bats

Remember, this is a recreational league with players of varying ages and abilities, and the use of non-approved equipment poses a potential threat to your fellow players. Please play within the spirit of the rules.
For league play we will no longer grandfather the use of players’ existing bats that do not have the thumb print.
If you are buying a new bat, ensure that it has the new USSSA ‘thumbprint’ label on the barrel taper.
Only those composite bats bearing the new USSSA ‘thumbprint’ logo on the barrel taper will be permitted, as well as wooden bats and aluminum bats with the old USSSA BPF 1.20 logo. Other governing bodies, particularly in the U.S.A., have differing standards so ensure that your bat meets those standards without compromising its compliance with current SPO standards.
A batter will be ejected from the game if found using an altered bat or a non-approved bat. The ejected player will be suspended from the league immediately, and remain suspended until the incident is reviewed by the Discipline Committee and any further sanctions applied.

Equipment -Pitching

Pitching box

per SPO rules the pitching box will be 2 feet wide, and between 50 and 60 feet from the back corner of the plate
chalk lines at the 50 foot line and at the 60 foot line will be used
the pitcher may pitch from anywhere within that box, at any time

Pitching screen

a pitching screen will be used for all games
The screen is lined up so that “at least” half of rubber is behind screen.
The screen is placed at beginning of each half inning and is not moved for the half inning unless it becomes dislodged or a new pitcher is used.
The screen may be no more than 5 feet in front of the rubber.
Right-handed pitchers will pitch from the 3^rd base side of the screen.
Left-handed pitchers will pitch from the 1^st base side of the screen.
Pitches over the screen are allowed.
for safety purposes, upon release of the ball, the pitcher MUST step completely behind the screen before he becomes a fielder
a one base hit will be awarded if the pitcher fails to follow this rule. (If the batter hits the illegally pitched ball and gets more than a one base hit, the hit is honored.)
A batted ball that makes contact with the screen counts as a foul ball strike against the batter, and if on the third strike the batter is declared out, and results in a dead ball call.
During the run of defensive play any thrown ball that contacts the screen will remain live and in play, and baserunners can advance at their peril.

Safety Equipment

pitchers may wear minimum protective safety equipment while pitching, comprized of suitable mask/head gear and shin guards.
the league will contribute $20 to pitchers purchasing an approved face mask.

Team Play

Batting

All players will be given an equal opportunity for plate appearances throughout the regular season and round-robin by using the following system:

the batting line-up is flexible for only the first 5 games, at which time it becomes frozen and remains the same from game to game
once frozen, absent players are bypassed in the order for that game only, and return to their normal position in the line-up for the next game
the on-deck batter when the last out of the game has been recorded will be the lead-off batter in the next game, and all other players will follow in their standard position in the order
the line-up remains frozen unless league rebalancing occurs, at which time it may be adjusted once and then frozen again.
players arriving late may be added to the bottom of the line-up without penalty
restrictions on the batting order are removed for the round robin and championship round
NEW: Mercy rule – a 15 run mercy rule after 5 innings for entire season.

NEW: 1/1 count – all batters begin with a 1 ball and 1 strike count for all games. on a third strike foul (includes hitting screen) one more strike is awarded.

Fielding

it is the intent to provide equal playing time in the field to all players during regular league play, as well as in the round-robin and championship games.

All players will play defense for at least 3 innings, if they wish, for all games including league, round robin and championship round.
we play with 10 defensive players, allowing unlimited defensive substitutions
the minimum number of players is 9, and the missing player will not count as an out. Fewer than 9 players results in a forfeit
NOTE: There should be an attempt to eliminate forfeits by using one of the following "pick-up" guidelines:
- If available, the captain may pick up players from the opposition to make 10.
- in extenuating circumstances, on approval of the League Director, a captain may pick up players from other teams in the league, enabling him to field a team. Picked up players should be of similar caliber to those being replaced.

Game Procedures

Home team will wear white shirts
Home team to provide 1 new ball and 1 good used ball for each home game
Game times are 6:00PM, 7:20PM, and 8:40PM with a maximum 10 minutes grace
No inning to begin after 1:15 hours from start time.
There is a mercy for all games including round robin and championship games. A 15 run mercy rule after 5 innings will apply.
Tie games will not be broken during regular season and round-robin play

Rain-outs

Regular season rain-outs will be rescheduled by the league director and replayed in full.
If the championship round is rained out in its entirety the regular season champs are the playoff champs.

Dorchester Canadians Substitute Runner Rules

DESIGNATED runner.

Players, if approved by the executive or by mutual consent of captains in case of injury, are eligible to have a designated runner and should be identified at the beginning of the game. Umpire’s discretion due to injury will always prevail.
The designated runner must be: a) the last out, or b) the most current out if the last out is also unable to run, or c) the last batter in the previous inning if you scored 5 runs and there are no outs in the current inning, d) the bottom of the order in the first inning if there are no outs yet.
The designated runners will run from a line that is drawn from the back of the strike mat to the first base side fence parallel to the third base line. The runner can leave the line as soon as contact is made by the batter. Anticipation rules apply.
The runner may only go to first base on the hit by the batter.
Upon reaching first safely the designated runner may be replaced by a courtesy runner before the next pitch unless the designated runner is stranded on base when it is their time to bat. A courtesy runner may be placed in to allow the batter to have their turn at bat.

COURTESY runners

All players are eligible to have a COURTESY runner replace them if they reach base safely.
The courtesy runner must be used before the next pitch.
We allow unlimited COURTESY runners.
A scheduled batter will be declared an out if they are on base as a courtesy runner unless they are being used as a designated runner.
You cannot replace a courtesy runner with another courtesy runner, except in the case of injury.
An individual courtesy runner may not run more than 1 time per inning.
An individual courtesy runner may not run more than 3 times per game.
If a courtesy runner becomes an out, the batter for whom he ran is the last out, not the courtesy runner.

Home Runs

Dorchester Only

Following an over-the-fence home run, all subsequent over-the-fence hits will be one- base hits until the opposition hits an over-the-fence home run. All base runners will advance one base.
The maximum over-the-fence home runs in a half-inning is 2 – a catch-up plus 1
Any ball touched by a defensive player that goes over the fence in fair territory is a four base hit, not an over-the-fence home run, and doesn’t affect the catch-up rule.

Belmont Only

NEW: Any ball hit over the outfield fence on diamonds 1 and 2 in Belmont will be an out. This rule is mandated by the Central Elgin Recreation Department.

Outfield Throws

No outfielder may, directly or indirectly, throw the ball to first base to force out any batter.
Once the batter has touched first base the normal rules of softball apply.

Ejections

A player ejected from a game will miss the remainder of that game plus the next scheduled game.
A second ejection in the year results in an automatic 3 game suspension
A third ejection requires review by the Discipline Committee
All ejections are reviewable by the Discipline Committee