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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.
This event is intended to be FUN first. We welcome players of ALL SKILL LEVELS to our fields, and therefore set rules that ensure the safety and enjoyment of our skilled players and our novices equally. If you do not find a rule below, then the rule will default to the ruleset of the sanctioning body for the event.
Be supportive of one another. Fighting, excessive verbal abuse, and poor sportsmanship will not be tolerated. Event organizers reserve the rights to dismiss any player from the event without refund.
Fighting / Arguing / Poor Sportsmanship
If teams are beginning to get chippy and tempers are flaring, the umpires will issue a full warning to both dugouts - regardless of "who started it". After that point, there is no negative verbal communication that may occur from one team directed at the other team or any specific members of the other team. Any such communication will result in an immediate ejection from the game from the offending party. For purposes of clarification, players on opposing teams can continue to and are encouraged to chat with each other on an individual basis (i.e. congratulating a nice play/hit, having a polite convo while standing on 1st base, complimenting a nice pitch, etc) but no "Smack talk", rules disagreements, or yelling will be permitted. Coaches of both teams may continue speaking with one another as needed, but must do so with a tone of civility in the presence of the umpire. Any player removed for disciplinary reasons shall have their place in the lineup treated as an automatic "out".
Home Runs: Each team is allowed to hit 5 Home Runs over the fence, and any subsequent home runs hit over the fence will be counted as outs.
Pitching: Pitching screens are available and optional for this event. All pitchers will be required to use a safety helmet with fask protection. Shin guards are highly recommended, but not required.
Unsafe Throws: Outfielders are not allowed to complete force out throws to first base. Any throw from outfield to first base for the intention of a force out will be ruled a dead ball and the runner will be awarded 2nd base. Infielders brought into the outfield grass through defensive actions are allowed to complete the throw for a force out at first base.
Hitting Middle: It's not illegal, but it is dangerous and some of our novice players may not be able to control it. But for those of you that can - please don't intentionally hit towards the pitcher. If you feel the other team is hitting middle a lot, don't take revenge and escalate... it's not that kind of event.
Injury Exceptions: In the cases of significant injury, some rules may be bent to avoid placing players in harm's way. Coaches facing a situation that they believe requires an adjustment must discuss with the opposing coach a recommended solution. Opposing coach must approve the solution, and such approval should not be unreasonably withheld.
Injured Player / Can Not Continue: If a player is significantly injured in the course of play and cannot continue, they shall be removed from the lineup. When their batting position comes up, it shall be skipped and not counted as an automatic out. Player is unable to return to play for that game and, at a minimum, the game following. Exceptions for this rule may be made for extended breaks between games (i.e. a player injured Saturday night can play their first game Sunday if they can safely do so).
Metal Cleats: Metal cleats are prohibited. Please use soft or hard rubber cleats, or turf shoes only.
Equipment (Bats): Any USSSA 240-certified bat and above may be used in this event. Random spot testing will be used to ensure bats pass the compression test required by its certification. Tourney directors and umpires reserve the right to test and disqualify any bat that doesn't pass the standard. Tourney directors will hold the DQ-ed bat until the end of the tournament and it is the player's responsibility to retrieve it. During the Championship Game, all players will be permitted one tested bat each for the duration of the game. Even bats that were previously tested will be re-tested, and all bats that pass will be placed in a designated area. Bats swung during the game must be returned to this area. Bats cannot be put into or brought out of the dugout during the Championship game and any bat placed in the dugout (intentionally or accidentally) will be considered out of play. Any ball that is in play that strikes a bat in the designated bat area will be called a dead ball.
Equipment (Balls): All balls will be supplied for this event, external balls are not allowed. If teams run out of balls, they may purchase additional from the tournament director. Each team is responsible for providing the opponent with 1 12" ball for male batters and 1 11" ball for female batters. Non-binary players will play under the rules of the gender found on their official state ID.
Legal Rosters: All teams have been drafted with a near-even number of women on their team, and rules are set based on this expectation. Should injuries or missing players create a roster imbalance, the tourney director shall be consulted on an appropriate course of balancing to allow teams to continue play.
Healthy Sits: Each player drafted to a team has had their relative skill level used to balance the team. A healthy player should never volunteer to or be coerced to sit in order to provide a competitive advantage on the field.
Pinch Runners: The pitcher may have an unrestricted courtesy runner each inning, but may not themselves be a courtesy runner. In addition to the courtesy runner for the pitcher there is one unrestricted runner, per gender each inning. Any additional runners required over the allotted one due to injury or runner request must be supplied as the last out who matches the gender of the runner being substituted, and opposing coach must be informed of this necessity. Runners have the right to reject a coaches' suggestion for a runner. A Pinch Runner is only allowed to pinch run for one player per inning. If the batting player comes up to bat multiple times in an inning, the runner may continue to run for them each time.
9-Players: Teams with fewer than 10 players due to injuries, quits, and/or other unforeseen events can continue to play with nine players. In these cases, the opposing team must provide a "Ball Returner" while they are at bat. The Ball Returner is only there to throw the ball back to the pitcher and is otherwise not obligated to play defense or assist in getting "Outs" in any way, shape or form (i.e. they are not obligated to catch a pop up foul ball). Once the ball is in play, the Ball Returner should step away from the field towards the fence to not give any impression of being involved in the play.
Emergency Subs: In cases of catastrophic injury that results in a team having an illegal lineup to continue play, the coaches may consult with one another and agree upon a reasonable sub from the spectating audience in order to complete the game. The selected sub should not be perceived to give the team any advantage and opposing coach has the full right to approve or deny a specific sub. Whatever the coaches agree to must be declared in front of the umpire as a witness, and play will resume.
Players Removed for Ejections: Players who are removed for ejection are not given the same leniency as situations involving injury. A player spot in the lineup shall count as an "out" for each subsequent at-ball following the ejection, and the opposing coach has no obligation to provide a Ball Returner or Emergency Sub to replace an ejected player.
Defense: A minimum of 1 female players must be on the defense at all times. If only one female is present on the field, she may not play catcher.
Walks: If a male batter is walked with a female batter coming up to bat, the male batter is awarded second base and the female batter is given the option to choose an automatic walk or to hit as normal. The decision to walk is up to the sole discretion of the batter and coaches shall not force a walk on any player who wishes to hit.
Minimum Innings on Defense: During Pool Play, each rostered player must complete a minimum of three defensive innings in the field. During the final tournament, the minimum innings played requirement is reduced to two. Each player on the roster must play at least one defensive inning prior to the 5th inning. If a pitch is thrown in the 7th inning and a player on defense has not reached their minimum inning requirement and is on the bench and has not been previously declared out/injured, the team batting will be awarded an extra "out" for the inning, thus allowing for four total outs. The player must immediately be installed on the defense prior to the continuation of play.
These are guidelines and rules for the event that all coaches must acknowledge and follow. Please review all rules carefully.
The official rules for the sport, which may or may not be from a sanctioning body.
Rules have not been posted yet. Please check back later.
