Softball

YPLS Rules and Regulations

Sign-Ups:

  1. Players will sign-up at www.yplswichita.com 
  2. Players will be able to sign-up with one friend and cannot be paired with any additional players beyond their sign-up partner.
  3. In order to protect the integrity of the league and its draft format, players must provide accurate personal data during the sign-up process including but not limited to: name, age and contact information. Any player found to use pseudonyms during the sign-up will have their playing fee refunded and will be banned from YPL Sports for (1) calendar year.

YPLS will play under USSSA rules except where noted below.

1. Batter begins with a 1-1 count.  Second foul ball after two strikes is an out.

2. If a male batter is walked and is followed by a female batter, the male batter takes second base and the female batter has the option of batting or taking first base.

3. Both men’s and women’s softballs will be used.

4. Game time is forfeit time.  There will be a 55 minute time limit.  The umpire’s watch will be the official timepiece.

5. NO grace period will be allowed for starting games.  The umpire will declare a forfeit, if a team cannot fill the required number of legal players at the designated time.  It is your responsibility to have the team there on time.

6. Game times will be 6:10 pm or 7:10 pm, on Wednesdays.

7. A team will consist of 10 players on the playing field with the following exceptions:

  • Each team must have at least 8 players present to start.
  • Anyone showing up late would go to the bottom of the batting order.
  • Any void in the batting order created by a player leaving the game due to injury wouldn’t constitute an out and that player can not return during the game.
  • The batting line-up will consist of all players present.  No substitution is allowed in the line-up.
  • Please make sure that line-ups are to scorekeeper before game time.
  • A minimum of three females are required on the field.  If one team does not have enough females present to fill the requirement, then an out will be taken in the batting order and a fielding position will be vacated for each female that is below the minimum.
  • As long as the minimum number of females is satisfied, no auto out shall be taken for having less than 10 players.

Team Rosters

  1. A player will be drafted to a designated team prior to league season. A player may not play for more than one team in a league and may not transfer to another team in that league.
  2. A maximum of 15 players may on the roster at any time.
  3. No one under the age of 21 years of age may play in the softball league.
  4. Scorekeepers will be in charge of the score but it is encouraged to keep your own score in the dugout as well.
  5. Four innings will constitute a game called due to weather and three and a half innings will constitute a game called due to weather if the home team is ahead.
  6. Team players and coaches are to be in matching colored shirts.
  7. No metal cleats/No illegal or altered bats.
  1. A player may opt for a courtesy runner at any point upon reaching base. Any male player in the lineup may run for any male, and any female player in the lineup may run for any female. Only one courtesy runner per gender per inning. The courtesy runner is not required to be the last out, but if the courtesy runner’s position in the batter order is up to bat and they are on base, the batter is out.
  1. Runners must use the orange safety bag when running through first base. Fielders making a play at first base must use the white fielding bag.

Dug-Out

  1. All players and coaches must remain in the dugout except the batter, the on deck batter, and one coach each at first and third base coach’s box.

Umpires:

  1. UMPIRES ARE IN COMPLETE CONTROL OF THE GAME.
  2. Umpires will not take abuse from players or coaches.  Excessive use of profane language by a team or player could result in an automatic ejection, and/or forfeit of the game being played.  If an ejection occurs, that individual/team is ejected from present and next game.  Any player or coach touching, bumping, or striking an official will be suspended from future league play and barred from the premises.
  3. All home runs in excess of three are an out for men.  Women get unlimited.

Protests:

  1. Protest should be made by the coach to the umpire and opposing team coach immediately once the protesting event has occurred.  A formal protest must be sent to the yplsinc@gmail.com by noon the next day.

Post-Season:

  1. The Tie Breaker structure:
  2. Should any ties exist, head to head records is the first tie-breaker.
  3. Defensive runs allowed will be used if a tie still exists.
  4. If a tie can not be broken by the above tie breaker rules, it will be broken by random draw or coin flip.
  5. The tie breaker rules determine the higher seed.

The Playoff tournament structure:

  1. Top 4 teams get a bye into the single elimination tournament.
  2. Seeds 5 through 12 will play in the first round.
  3. The higher seed (lower number) will be the home team throughout the playoffs.
  4. Championship game is not time bound.  7 innings or normal run rule will constitute a complete game.
  5. Seeds 13 and 14 will play in a consolation game at 6:10 on the second week.

Pre-Scheduled Absences

– If a player is pre-scheduled for an extended absence that will remove them from playing opportunity longer than 1/3 of the regular season (4 games) then it is highly recommended that the player take a position on your team as an honorary Superfan and may sub as needed throughout the season.

– If a player reaches chronic absenteeism during the season they will be replaced.