Let the good times roll
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This event has completed. This information has been preserved for archival purposes.
Looking to sign up for an event you heard about? You may be viewing last season's page. Go back to the leagues/tournaments pages to find your event.
All Leagues All Tournaments
At League Joe, we are doing our best to bring the fun back to the game of softball. As umpires, I don't need to tell you that our game has gotten too serious and too competitive - you are often the bearers of the brunt of an overly-competitive, me-first culture. What I do need to tell you and emphasize strongly is that we support you in doing what you need to do to make sure the fields are safe and fun for new players. Rules are great and all, but we all know that sometimes you're going to screw them up, or make a bad call, or a player is going to misinterpret something and create a scene. We will relentlessly drive into our coaches and players an attitude of "Let it go, it's just a game" and want to take some pressure off of your shoulders. We don't expect you to be perfect - we expect you to be human. And if players are treating you as anything less than, then you have my full blessing to remove players from the field or the entire league if you see and know that their presence is toxic.
The vast majority of the players you are going to see on the fields are new to the game of slowpitch. For some, that means they have literally never held a bat before. For others, that means they haven't played since their high school days, and they maybe have some of those bad habits. You're going to see a field with players who are 18 years old and 68 on the same team. That's the beauty of our style of play, and we ask you to be protective of that culture since many players will look to you first on the field as the leader of that diamond. We encourage you to engage with, laugh with, and enjoy a fun evening of ball with our players. If you see a brand new player who is super nervous against a tournament player who is dropping knuckle balls, we encourage you to NOT give the pitcher that strike 3 call that caught the corner and we encourage you to tell that pitcher to serve some meatballs to the new players. And if the knuckle heads don't get it through their skulls what kind of game they are playing - that's where you let us know and we'll take care of it.
One rotten apple spoils the bunch. You have our permission and encouragement to remove those apples.
Play the Game. We will preach to the coaches that they need to work with each other to be understanding of situations with subs and odd things with their lineups. Sometimes a team is going to show up and only have one girl instead of 3 and they couldn't find a sub. The coaches will be encouraged to negotiate how to make the field of play "even" and get the game in to respect the results. We try to avoid force forfeits - just get the game in!
These are the most common and/or most unique rules being used for this event. Please see "Official Rulebook" for exhaustive list of playing rules. When in conflict, rules written here shall supercede those in the official rulebook.
As a player, you are responsible for knowing all official rules of the game. By participating in the event, you are agreeing that you are aware of all rules associated with the league and the sport, and agree to abide by them at all times.
Pitch Count: All batters start with a count of 1 ball and 1 strike.
Home Runs: Home runs are limited in this league. Each team is allotted one home run without penalty. All home runs hit over the fence that are higher than the allotted total of home runs is automatically counted as an "out". If both teams hit a home run, the home run count for each team is reset to zero and the teams may once again hit home runs
In a recreational league, the safety of the players and the enjoy-ability of the game take the utmost priority. The following are common courtesy rules that are often judgement calls and will be enforced when necessary. While not technically against the rules of the game, all players are asked to be aware of and respect common field courtesy to help ensure all participants have fun..
Try to Avoid Hitting the Ball at the Pitcher
The pitcher is the most dangerous position on the field, and a mistimed swing can result in a serious injury. Try to avoid making line-drive contact with balls up the middle. If you need help adjusting your swing, please consult your coach.
Avoid Unnecessary & Dangerous Throws
When playing outfield or fielding a ball that lands far away from the action on the field, take care and please do not force throws that are unlikely to result in an out. For example, a player receiving a ground ball in left field should NOT attempt to throw the runner out at first, even if that runner is slow or injured. The velocity required to throw from the outfield to the infield can result in a dangerous situation if your throw is inaccurate, or either the baseman or the base runner are not paying attention..
These are guidelines and rules for the event that all coaches must acknowledge and follow. Please review all rules carefully.
These are guidelines and rules for the league that all coaches must acknowledge and follow. Please review all rules carefully.
The following are the rules that coaches have all agreed to for the LeagueJoe league. These may differ slightly from USSSA rules or park rules, so umpires may not be aware. Please self-police and enforce these rules for your team!
Outfielders
The outfielders must stay behind the the white line that will be marked in the outfield till the ball is hit from a female batter. NO EXCEPTIONS!! If the outfielder is in front of the white line prior to the ball hit the hitter is safe at first no matter the outcome.
Batting
Female batters may use small ball if they request when they are up to bat.
Walking
With two outs, a male who is walked when batting in front of a female is automatically granted second base. The female may then choose to either take a free base, or hit. Hitting is always the encouraged option.
Substitute Players
Substitute players are allowed for a team ONLY when the total number of rostered players is less than 9. If you are expecting less than 9, you may use the LeagueJoe alternates list to select a player of equal or lesser value to a player you lost. It is your responsibility to inform the opposing coach who your sub is and who they are replacing. When using a sub from the LeagueJoe alternates list, you may play and bat them anywhere in the lineup you feel comfortable.
Occasionally, emergencies dictate non-LJ approved subs need to be used or a player of equivalent value is not available. In these case, the substitute players must bat at the bottom of the order and play "non-essential" positions in the field (catcher, right field, 2nd base - in that order)
If you only have 9 players, the opposing team will loan you a catcher to play defense exclusively while they are batting. Catcher will need to rotate if the catcher comes up to hit. Catcher will perform to the best of their ability if called into action, but the pitcher should attempt to cover home plate for any plays to home. The team loaning the catcher should not "force throws" or unnecessarily send runners from 3rd base simply because they know the catcher is limited.
The official rules for the sport, which may or may not be from a sanctioning body.
This league follows the USSSA rules for Slowpitch Softball. Please use the following link to download and read full rules.
