Softball - Marshall County Fair

Co-Ed Softball Tournament

July 11, 2020 • Blue Rapids Fairgrounds 8:00 am

Questions? Contact Sam Kracht – 785-562-7990

Rules & Regulations

Teams must turn in registration line-up and $200 entry fee before the team is allowed to play. Turn money into the concession stand. Limited to first 12 Teams to enter.
A designated team captain must be responsible for all other players knowing and understanding the rules.
Teams must consist of 10-18 players with an equal amount of males and females.
Team members must be 16 years of age or older.
Home team will be determined by a flip of a coin, prior to each game during pool play. Home team during bracket play will be higher seeded team.
The line-up list must be turned in 10 min. prior to each game to the scorekeeper.

***NEW RULE*** Line up turned in prior to each game during pool play may vary as teams often will share players to complete rosters. HOWEVER, when bracket play begins rosters for each team MUST BE set for the remainder of bracket play. No sharing of players from other teams will be allowed unless agreed by the opposing team. The only exception to this rule is one male and one female player may be changed in the event of an injury to a player (or unforeseen circumstance). All other substitutes will need to be approved by opposing team. This rule is in place to avoid “stacking” of teams late in bracket play.

Each game will consist of 7 innings or 1 hour , whichever is met first — new inning begins upon completion of last out of that inning — for example — in instances of time approaching 1 hour time limit the last out of inning 5 will be noted as start of inning 6.
Run rule is 15 after 4 or 10 after 5.

All games will be called by umpires — one behind the plate and one in the field.

The losing team must provide umpires for the next game.

The count for each batter will start with one ball and one strike.

The 11 inch softball will be used when a female is batting. The 12 inch softball will be used when a male is batting.

The Marshall County Fair will provide all the softballs for the games.

The Batter is:

Awarded First Base when 3 balls are called by the Umpire. Since the count starts at 1 and 1, that equals a total of 4 balls.
Out if he/she has a second strike called by the Umpire. Since the count starts at 1 and 1, that would equal a total of 3 strikes.
Out if he/she hits a Foul Ball after 1 free foul ball. (Example—count starts 1 and 1, batter has one called strike or foul ball that gives them 2 strikes. They would then have one courtesy foul ball. The next foul ball would be an out.)
OUT if he/she hits a pop-up fly ball in the infield, if first base and second are occupied with less then two outs.
When a male batter is walked the following female has the option to walk or bat.
BASE RUNNERS must stay on the base until the ball is hit. The umpire may call a base runner out for leaving a base too soon.
On a fair fly-ball hit over the fence for a homerun the batter and all base runners are credited with a score. The batter and any runner on base do not need to advance and touch the bases, they should go directly to the dugout area, this will eliminate any base running appeals.

***NEW*** HOME RUN RULE—4 HOME RUNS PER GAME—PER TEAM—Every home run over the fence after that is an out. HOWEVER—Bracelets will be available for purchase at $10.00 per person to allow that person only unlimited home runs.

Bases cannot be stolen as a result of any pitched ball that was not hit.
Base-runners must run the base-line or will be call an automatic out.
Base runners are required to slide if the play is close.
No Stealing will be allowed. Any player who attempts it will automatically be called out.

The Lineup:

Must consist of 5 female players and 5 male players, in alternating order. Unless alternate hitters are noted on the line-up sheet, therefore teams may consist of 6 female and 6 male batters.
Alternate hitters may be allowed but must include one female and one male.
If a team has nine players—a female must be the first batter.
An automatic out must be taken at the end of the line-up, if there are only 9 players.
If a team starts with 9 or 10 players, an 11th or 12th player may not be added at anytime.
Any player that leaves the premises of the game may not return to the line-up. (Unless there was an incident of blood.)
The batting order submitted to the score keeper must be followed throughout the game unless a substitute replaces a player.
The substitute takes the turn at bat in the regular order of the player he/she replaces.
The substitute or coach must tell the umpire who he/she replaces.
The substitute must be of the same gender for the person he/she replaces.

A game that is tied at the end of 7 innings shall be continued by playing additional innings until one team has scored more runs then the other at the end of a completed inning, or the team 2nd at bat scores more runs then the opposing team.

A run should not be scored if the 3rd out of the inning is the result of:

The batter runner being tagged before touching first base.
A base runner is forced out at any base.
A base runner being called out for leaving a base too soon on a pitched ball.
A preceding base runner being called out for failure to touch a base as appealed by the opposing team.
The batter runner being called out for carrying his/her bat to first base or beyond.
A base runner shall not score ahead of a base runner preceding him or her in the teams batting order, unless the previous base runner was called out.

Forfeit games:

Games shall be forfeited if the team does not have 9 players within 10minutes after scheduled game time.
A win will be awarded to the team not at fault.

Type of pitch:

The ball must be underhand at a slow speed.
The pitched ball must arc at least 6 feet after leaving the pitchers hand and before it passes any part of home plate.
The pitched ball must not arc higher than 12 feet above the ground.
The speed and height of the pitch are left entirely to the judgment of the umpire.
The catcher must stay in the catchers’ box.

Defense — Field Positions:

Catch and Pitcher must be of opposite gender.
Infield positions (1st base, 2nd base, short stop, and 3rd base) must include two male players and two female players.

***NEW*** Outfield positions must include two male and two female players in the position of Right field, Right-Center, Left-Center and Left field.