VERO BEACH

CODGER SOFBALL

LEAGUE RULES



2024 SEASON

Revision 1.0

Mission Statement


To provide a positive organized athletic experience with the purpose of the league to promote parity and competition. To provide the opportunity for socialization and to build new friendships.


It is imperative that all players adhere to proper and acceptable sportsmanship to ensure enjoyment for all within the league. The league isn’t about wins or losses but the enjoyment of playing and having good camaraderie. There is no acceptable situation where any player should face or endure physical or verbal abuse and if this occurs the responsible player(s) will receive appropriate discipline. All managers will also be responsible for the conduct and behavior of the players in their charge. Whereas it is rewarding to be successful, it is more important and enjoyable when all participants have a positive experience. Therefore:


Code of Conduct


  1. Abide by all current Vero Beach Codger rules.

  2. Accept the decisions of the umpires and any team manager in good sportsmanship.

  3. Neither taunt nor degrade opponents or team members.

  4. Avoid bodily contact that may cause injury to others.

  5. Never direct abusive or profane language at officials, opponents, or spectators.

  6. Not commit any act that could be considered unsportsmanlike conduct.

  7. Abide by COVID guidelines and respect the decisions of all players.


Code of Conduct Violation Rule


Any person affiliated with the Vero Beach Codger league that is found to violate any of the above rules of conduct will be subject to disciplinary action as determined appropriate by the Board of Directors up to including a life time suspension.


General Rules


  1. All games will be played under current Vero Beach Codger Rules.

  2. There are no residence requirements for players.

  3. Managers will notify their team after the draft.

  4. Individual team managers are responsible for determining if their scheduled game is canceled due to poor weather. Managers will contact their players between the hours of 7:20am and 8:00am to notify them if games have been canceled. If games have not been canceled, teams are required to show up at the fields for an on site decision by the managers.

  5. The scoreboard is the official score book. No changes to a score will be made after the start of a new half inning unless the change has been agreed to by the managers.

  6. Team managers will turn in games scores to the Commissioner at the end of that day’s play. Scores and records will then be posted on the Codger web site later in the day.

  7. League minimum age is 60 and over obtained in the current season year.

  8. Vero Beach Codgers will follow all standard SSUSA Rules EXCEPT as noted in the following sections.


Playing Field


  1. A one piece mat, wood or rubber will be used as a strike plate.

  2. There will be a safety base used at first base. See Running Rules for more details.

  3. A six foot long commitment line shall be marked in foul territory twenty feet from the home plate towards third base at a ninety degree angle to the base line. Once a runner touches the ground on or beyond the commitment line he can not return to third base. Doing so will result in the runner being called out.

  4. Two perpendicular lines will be marked on the third base side of home plate on a straight line from first base through the strike plate and a line parallel to the strike plate, the runner must keep to the right of this line. The runner must use the scoring line and is not allowed to touch home plate. Doing so will result in an out. The runner must touch the ground on or after the scoring line before the defensive player has possession of the ball and touches home plate to be called safe. The defensive player can not tag out the runner. If the runner is tagged, he is immediately declared safe.

  5. The scoreboard will be kept on the 3rd base side.









Pitching


  1. A pitching screen will be used by all league pitchers. The screen will be located 4 feet in front of the rubber. It shall cover at least half of the pitching rubber to the right or left. The screen must remain in the location placed by the pitcher for the entire inning unless there has been a change of pitcher. There will be an imaginary area behind the pitching rubber the width of the rubber extending 4 feet back. The pitcher must have one foot in this area when releasing the pitch.

  2. A Safety Screen will be provided on each field and it is each pitchers responsibility to protect themselves by keeping behind the Safety Screen.

  3. All pitchers should be fully behind the safety screen immediately after releasing the ball and remain behind the screen until the ball is hit.

  4. Failure to retreat behind the screen after the ball is pitched could result in serious injury.

  5. Managers will insure that their pitcher is getting behind the screen. If the pitcher does not get behind the screen after being warned by their manager, the pitcher can be suspended from pitching the remainder of the day. If they continue day after day not retreating behind the screen, they will be prohibited from pitching the remainder of the season.

  6. As with any other position on the field, it is the up to the player to insure their own safety by purchasing and using personal safety equipment..

  7. Every time a batted ball hits the screen, it will be considered a foul strike.

  8. If the pitcher hits the screen, frame or base when delivering the pitch, it will be considered a ball.

  9. A pitch must have a minimum arc of 6 feet to a maximum of 12 feet from the ground. If it is less than 6 feet it is declared illegal and a ball. If the pitch is greater than 12 feet, it is declared illegal and a ball. Pitching height will be called by either the first or third base coach only.



Player Rules


  1. Eleven defensive players shall constitute a normal team. Teams may start with a minimum of nine players. .

  1. A team unable to start with a minimum number of nine players will forfeit the game.

  2. A roster player can be added once the game has started. The added player will be placed at the bottom of the batting order.

  3. If a team has more than eleven players available for the game, all players will be placed in the batting order and played in the field a minimum of 3 innings per game UNLESS the player requests to play less or is injured. If a player elects not to play any defense, they can still elect to remain in the batting order.

  4. Players leaving either game before it has ended will be called out the first time they are scheduled to hit. After that it is a non event.


Inning Rules


  1. All games are 7 innings. The team batting will be on offense for 2 innings at a time with all bases cleared at the end of the inning.

  2. Innings are limited to 5 runs except in the 7th where there is no run limit.

  3. The batting order does not reset between games. The next scheduled batter will be the lead off batter in the second game.

  4. If a game is terminated before the 7th inning, the winner will be the team leading at the last completed inning after the 4th inning. If the home team is at bt and ahead after the 4th inning, the home team is the winner.





INFIELD FLY RULE


The INFIELD FLY RULE is in effect when there is less than 2 out and runners on first and second making a force play at third.

It would be beneficial if the First Base umpire announced that the infield fly rule is in effect when this criteria is met.

Any FAIR fly ball that could be caught with ordinary effort is covered by the rule.


ORDINARY EFFORT is entirely at the judgment of the umpire, not the manager or the other team players.

The ball does not have to be caught in the infield nor does it have to be caught by an infielder but “an infielder if he attempted to catch it could have. An infielder may back up a couple of steps or an out fielder can step into the infield to still make this an infield fly rule play.

Once the infield fly rule is called, it can not be retracted unless the ball is not touched and rolls foul.

When an infield fly rule is called, the batter is out but the runners may advance at their own risk.

If the ball is caught, the runner must tag up before advancing to the next base. If the ball is not caught and lands in Fair Territory, the runner can advance without tagging up.

Since the batter is out, the force of the advancing runners is removed and they must be tagged.









Batting


  1. Batters will start with a count of 1 strike and 1 ball.

  2. Batters may be intentionally walked at any time.

  3. Any batted ball that hits the pitching screen will be called a strike and be a dead ball. If the batter has two strikes and then bats a ball into the screen he will be called out.

  4. A batter having two strikes and hitting a foul ball will be called out. Runs may advance if the foul ball is a fly ball and is caught by a defensive player, unless it is the third out.

  5. Foul tips of any height will be counted as foul balls. They will be called a strike unless caught before hitting the ground which then it will be called an out.


Out of the Park Home Runs

1. Out of the Park Home Runs will be limited using the “One up Rule”.

A team can not have more than one out of the park home run more than the other team. If team “A” hits an out of the park home run, they can not hit another until team “B” hits one out of the park.

      1. If team “A” is “One up” on team “B” and a ball is hit over the fence, it is counted as a single. Base runners will be allowed to advance 1 base only.

      2. There is no limit to the number of “Out of the Park Home Runs” or “In the Park Home Runs” that can be hit in a single game.

      3. The Home Run count is RESET at the end of the game. The next game is started with a home run count of 0 - 0.



Umpires


  1. If no umpires are assigned by the league the catcher will call balls, strikes, foul balls, and the infield fly rule.

  2. The first base coach will call plays at first base, home plate, “infield fly rule” and illegal pitches.

  3. The third base coach will call plays at second base, third base, “infield fly rule” and illegal pitches.

  4. If there is not first base coach or his view is obstructed the on deck batter will make the calls at home plate.

  5. If any umpire’s view is obstructed from his area of responsibility, he may ask the other umpire for assistance with the call.

  6. If there is no base coach, close calls will be made in favor of the Defensive Team.

  7. Umpires must be registered Codger players with current dues paid.



Tie Breaker Rule

      1. If at the end of the 7th innings the game is tied, all extra innings will begin with a courtesy runner on second base picked by the manager. The courtesy runner rules will apply to the selected runner.

      2. If the Tie is for team standings at the end of the season, the place positions will be determined first by head to head record. The number of wins against the other team with the same percentage of total wins.

        If there is still a tie, the higher standing will go to the team with the LOWEST number of runs given up to the other team. If there is still a tie, the higher standing will be determined by a coin toss.

      3. In the event of a 3 way tie, the above will be applied to the 3 teams against each other.



Courtesy Runners


  1. You may have a courtesy runner for any batter after the batter reaches first base or thereafter.

  2. You may replace a courtesy runner with another courtesy runner at any time while play is dead. A runner may only be a courtesy runner once an inning.

  3. When a runner is replaced with a courtesy runner, the replaced runner can not become a courtesy runner in that same inning.


COURTESY RUNNER FROM HOME PLATE (“RABBIT”)


    1. A batter needing a Courtesy Runner must be declared prior to the start of the game and must be used for every at bat, for that batter, for the entire game. A runner can be assigned to a different player for the second game.

    2. The opposing manager must be notified that this batter will be using a runner. Each team is only allowed to have one batter per game to use a courtesy runner from home plate. The batter using the courtesy can not be changed in the middle of a game but the courtesy runner can be changed.

    3. Any player on the teams roster can be a courtesy runner and they must follow the general rules for courtesy runners.

    4. Initially the courtesy runner is limited to 1st base while other base runners can advance as far as they want at their own risk. After the initial play has ended, the runner can advance as far as they can on the next play.

    5. The 3rd base foul line will be extended 8 to 10 feet past home plate with an imaginary line.

    6. A line 5 feet from the imaginary 3 base line extension toward the catchers box will be drawn. This will be the starting position for the courtesy runner. The runner must remain behind the line until the ball is hit.

    7. The runner must not interfere with the batter or the catcher.

    8. The batter must not run toward first while the Rabbit is running.



Mercy Rule

  1. If the loosing team is behind 12 runs by the bottom of of the 6th inning, the game is called.


Running Rules


  1. Batter may use either the standard first base bag or the safety base in foul territory if there is no play at first.

  2. Batter must touch the safety base if there is a play at first. If he touches part of the white base he is not out unless there is interference.

  3. Defense can only get a put out touching any part of the white base but can touch part of the safety base unless there is interference.

  4. As long as defense touches the white base before the batter gets to first, the batter is out.

  5. It is the batters responsibility to avoid a collision even if they wind up missing 1st base. If they miss 1st base to avoid a collision, they will not be called out.

  6. The batter may not slide into first base; however, a runner returning to first instead of going to second base may slide into first.

  7. Runners may slide into second and third base. Runner sliding into home plate will be ruled out.

  8. A no collision rule will be used. If the play at a base is close the runner will do everything possible to avoid contact; either slide, go to the base slowly or peal away to the side . If in the judgment of the umpires interference could have been easily been avoided, the runner will be called out and if the interference broke up a play at another base, that runner will be called out as well.

  9. At home plate, the runner must be forced out once they cross the commitment line.

  10. A base runner leaving the base before the batter swings at the ball will be called out.

  11. A batter running to first may turn left or right after touching first base as long as there is no attempt made to advance to second base. Any attempt to advance to second will place the runner in play and he may be tagged out.

  12. If a batter carries their bat to first base, they will be called out.

  13. No metal spikes are allowed.








WHEN ARE RUNNERS ARE ENTITLED TO ADVANCE ON A WILD THROW


      1. When the ball is in play and is overthrown (beyond the boundary lines or in the dugout) or is blocked. EFFECT: All runners will be awarded two bases and the award will be governed by the positions of the runners when the ball left the fielder's hands. If two runners are between the same bases, the award is based on the lead runner.

        EXCEPTION:

      2. 1. If the ball becomes blocked because of offensive equipment not involved in the game, the ball is ruled dead and runners are returned to the last base touched at the time of the blocked ball. If the blocked ball prevented the defense from making an out, the runner being played on is called out.

        2. The runner has not gained possession of a base until he reaches it. If he steps off the base, he has relinquished possession of that base. When off the base, the runner is assumed to be going to the next base and can be tagged out. If the throw as described above occurs after the runner has stepped off the base, he will be awarded 2 bases from the last base he had possession of.

        EXAMPLE #1 – Man on 1st running to 2nd but has not reached 2nd when the wild throw into the dugout occurs. He is awarded 2nd and 3rd since the last base he had possession of was 1st.

        EXAMPLE #2 – Man on 1st running to 2nd. The runner reaches 2nd and takes a turn, stops looking at 3rd at which time a fielder attempts to throw to 3rd which goes wild into the dugout. The runner is awarded 3rd and HOME since the last base he had possession of was 2nd.









Championship


All teams will participate in an end of season Single Elimination playoff games. All standard season rules will be in place.

Team seeding will be based on the season finishing position. The exact date will determined by the number of rain out dates.



NOTE: ALL RULES ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE AS DETERMINED BY THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS.