Full League Rules:

GAME FORMAT

• Length: Regulation games are 6 innings. No new inning may start after 50 minutes of play.
• Extra Innings may be played if necessary and if time permits. Regular season games may end in a tie if time is a limiting factor.
• Official Game: A game is considered official after 3 1/2 innings (if the home team is leading) or 4 innings (if the away team is ahead).
• Mercy Rule: If a team is leading by 15 or more runs after the 4th inning, or 10 or more runs after the 5th inning, the game will end.

TEAM UNIFORMS & EQUIPMENT

• Uniforms: The league will issue uniforms to all teams. Teams may, if they choose, purchase their own custom uniforms provided that the commissioner is notified in advance.
• • Additional matching equipment like hoodies, hats, and sweatpants is available for an additional cost upon request.
• Shoes: Sneakers or rubber cleats are required. No metal cleats are permitted. On certain fields, the NYC Parks department may issue fines for any player found to be using them and Gotham City Softball will pass any incurred fines on to the offending team.
• Game Balls:
  • The F12 Clincher will be used for all games.
  • Home Teams must provide a new game ball. If they do not bring one, they will forfeit their home status and become the away team. This does not apply to Free Agent teams.
  • Batting teams are responsible for providing a replacement ball in acceptable condition when the previous game ball is hit out of play and cannot quickly be retrieved.
  • • Both teams should have a stock of used F12 Clinchers accessible for this purpose.
• Bats:
  • Only USA/ASA-approved bats are allowed.
  • No wooden bats.
  • Umpires will issue warnings for the first offense, and subsequent offenses may result in automatic outs or ejections.

PLAYER ELIGIBILITY & ROSTER

• All players must be added to the SportNinja roster prior to the roster lock date (typically week 3 of the season) and must accept the league waiver prior to participating in their first game.
• A team fee covers up to 16 players. Teams may add additional players to their roster at a cost of $35/per person, but we generally recommend not exceeding 16 players in order to ensure playing time.

LINEUP & PLAYER RULES

• Fielding: You may field up to 10 players, and players can be substituted in and out without leaving the game or lineup.
• • You may opt to play either with 7 infielders (including pitcher and catcher) or with 4 outfielders, but you must change on an inning by inning basis and may not switch a fielder from infield to outfield or vice-versa based on the batter at the plate.
  • Co-Ed Only: There must be at least 3 women in the field at all times and outfielders may not stand within 10 feet of the infield dirt when a female player is at bat.
• Lineup: All players present must be in the batting order and play at least 2 innings in the field.
• • Co-ed Only: There must be at least one woman in the first four batters of the lineup. Less than 3 women total in the lineup will result in automatic outs, empty field spots may not be filled by additional men on the roster, and a male player must play catcher.
  • • 2 women = 1 auto out at the end of the lineup. Only 9 players allowed in the field.
    • 1 woman = 2 auto outs (one at the end of the lineup, and one somewhere else in the lineup). Only 8 players allowed in the field.
• Injury Rule: If a player is injured and cannot continue, the team may proceed without them. They will not be declared out in subsequent at-bats, but cannot return to the game.
• Late Arrivals: Any player arriving after the game has started may be inserted at any point in the lineup that has not already batted. If no players have batted yet, they go at the end of the order.
• The umpire will convene the captains from both teams to confirm rosters and determine any specific ground rules at the start of the game.
• • Various parks or field conditions may require specific rules like home run limits, dead ball zones/objects, and rule adaptations.

PITCHING & STRIKE ZONE

• Pitching Regulations:
  • Pitches may be thrown with an underhanded motion and may not perform a "windmill" windup. The pitcher must start with one or both of his/her feet in contact with the rubber and come set before delivering to the plate.
  •  The pitch must be have a visible arc rising to between 4-10 feet off the ground.
  • If the pitch is too flat or fast, the umpire will verbally clarify that it is a ball.
  • The batter’s strike zone extends from their front shoulder to their back knee, and includes one softball’s width on either side of home plate.
  • Any pitch that hits the plate is ruled a ball.

GENERAL GAME RULES

• Batting:
  • Each batter starts with a 1-1 count.
  • Courtesy Foul Rule: A batter with 2 strikes may foul off one pitch; the next foul will be an out. 
    
• Base Running:
  • Runners may not attempt to steal bases.
  • Runners may lead off once the pitch is released.
  • A runner leaving early will receive a warning; repeated offenses result in being called out.
  • The play ends when the ball is in the possession of a defensive player in the infield, unless baserunners are already in motion.
• Infield Fly Rule applies when there are runners on 1st and 2nd with less than 2 outs.
• Pickoff Attempts: Only the catcher may attempt a pickoff and it will be considered a force play (i.e. the defender need not tag the runner). If there is an overthrow, the runner may advance at their own risk, but must re-tag the original base before doing so. 
  
• Dead Balls: Balls hit or thrown out of play according to ground rules are dead balls. On dead balls runners will advance one additional base past the last base possessed.
• Bunting: Batters are not permitted to bunt, chop, or half-swing. The batter will be ruled out if deemed intentional by the umpire. 
  
• Dropped Third Strike: Batters cannot attempt to reach first base on a dropped third strike.
• Pinch Runners: If a batter is injured, he/she may request a pinch runner once they reach base. The pinch runner will be the player who recorded the team's last out.

RAINOUT POLICIES

• Game Cancellations/Delays: In the event that designated fields are unplayable, Gotham City Softball will attempt to notify teams via SportNinja with as much notice as possible of cancellations, schedule changes, or adjusted field assignments.
• • In many cases, we are subject to the field closure decisions of the NYC Parks Department, so it may take longer to communicate changes than we would like. 
    
• Schedule Changes: We will make every attempt to play games that are rained out and that may include any combination of the following options:
• • 1. moving games to a more playable or turf field.
    2. scheduling teams for double (or potentially triple) headers for later in the season.
    3. extending the season length by a week or two.
  •  In extreme cases (unusually rainy seasons typically causing 3+ cancelled games) we may be forced to reduce the amount of games that teams play in a given season. Gotham City Softball is not responsible for weather-related schedule changes and will not issue refund or credits for missed games.

FORFEITS

• Ready for Play: A team must have at least 8 players ready to play at the scheduled start time.
• Forfeits: A game will be forfeited if a team is not ready for play within 5 minutes of the scheduled start time. 
• Substitute Players: If teams know they will be unable to field a team, they should email the commissioner in advance to secure official substitute players. Only substitute players officially approved in advance by the league may be used in on official league games. Repeated failure to field a team without communication may result in fines or removal from the league. Unauthorized substitute players may result in forfeits or removal from the league.
• Pickup Players: If a team is unexpected short of the "Ready for Play" 8 person threshold, they may pick up players from other teams to meet that criteria. Only active Gotham City Softball players who have signed a liability waiver are able to do this. If teams pick up players above the 8 person threshold, the game may be played, but the official score will be reported as a forfeit.

UMPIRE AUTHORITY

• Gotham City Softball umpires are vested with all authority from the league over the interpretation and implementation of game and field rules. Friendly and polite clarification of rules is welcome, arguing with umpires is not. Failure to accept the authority of an umpire is grounds for ejection from the game or a ban from the league.
• Any concerns about any umpires or league rules should be brought to the attention of the commissioner. Please email brent@gothamcitysoftball.nyc to address any issues.

PLAYER CONDUCT

• It is expected that all players will behave in a courteous, friendly, and sportsmanlike manner toward all players and officials at all times.
• Any verbal, physical, or intimidating behavior towards opposing players, umpires, or league staff will not be tolerated.
• • Serious violations may result in ejection from the game, suspension from the season, or permanent bans from the league.
• Alcohol and drugs are not allowed on the field or in NYC Parks. Players caught using drugs or alcohol are subject to ejection from the game and/or fines from NYC Parks staff or law enforcement.
• Players ejected from the game must leave the field immediately. Failure to do so could result in further suspension and a potential forfeit for their team.