START OF THE GAME:
Home team is listed on the schedule first. They will take the field first and use the first base benches. Home team will also have the official scorebook. Both teams are responsible for keeping the score and having your scorebook in proper order. Before the start of the game, both coaches will meet at home plate to discuss the ground rules with the umpire.
CLOCK:
All games will have a 50-minute time limit and no inning limit. All play will stop 50 minutes from the time your game begins. The site Official will keep the official game clock for wiffleball. The score will revert to the last full inning played if the time expires in the middle of an inning. Exception: If the home team has taken the lead or ties the game when time expires, the score will not revert back to the beginning of the inning. No minimum # of innings for a complete game if the time limit has been satisfied. There is only one warm-up pitch between innings and have your team hustle on and off the field. After your game is completed, please clear all benches ASAP.
ROSTER:
There is no maximum number of players allowed on your roster. Players will not be allowed to participate without signing the OCSSC waiver/roster. After the final tee shirt order date, there is only one way to add to your roster. Teams must DROP a player(s) before they can add a player(s), up to the 3rd week. The additional player must obtain the tee shirt from the dropped player in order to play. Rosters are frozen after last game of the 3rd week. Additional roster sheets will be available for adding players that were not at the first game.
PLAYER RESTRICTIONS:
All players in the OCSSC must be 21 years old when the season starts. Teams will forfeit all games if either one of these rules have been broken. OCSSC will have the right to request ID from any player throughout the regular and/or play-off season.
PLAYER PARTICIPATION:
Players can only play on one team. Player(s) that break this rule will cause their team(s) to forfeit all games that were participated in. (Forfeit fine will also be assessed).
GAME TIME:
All games must start on time, no exceptions.
FORFEITS:
If a team does not have the minimum number of players by game time, they must still start the game. If the minimum number of players does not show up 10 minutes after game time, a forfeit will be called.
FORFEIT FINES:
If a team does not have the minimum number of players by game time, a $50 forfeit fine will be assessed. $50 will go towards your opponents bar tab the following week. Teams that receive a forfeit fine must use it the following week or lose it. (No, carry over). If a team e-mails the OCSSC by 5pm of the preceding day, no fine will be assessed. This will allow the opposing coach to inform his team of the impending forfeit. All fines must be paid before your next scheduled game. After the 2nd week the fine doubles, 3rd week the team can be removed from the league.
GAME UNIFORMS:
OCSSC reversible shirts are your team’s wiffleball uniforms. All players must wear their current OCSSC shirt to participate and any player not wearing their shirt will be will be sidelined for that game, no exceptions. If players are caught, swapping shirts, both players will be sidelined that game. Names will be taken and if players are not on your roster a forfeit fine will be assessed for that game.
WIFFLEBALL EQUIPMENT:
The OCSSC will supply all field equipment including bat and balls.
SPORTSMANSHIP:
Sportsmanship: “Conduct and attitude considered as befitting participants in sports, especially fair play, courtesy, striving spirit, and grace in losing.” Any OCSSC members that do not conduct themselves (on or off the field) in a manner other then described above can/will be removed from the league. If a staff member believes a player should be removed, a meeting between me, the coaches involved & the staff member will occur to discuss removal. If player(s) or team(s) are involved in a fight, they will be banned from the OCSSC for life.
COACH RESPONSIBILITIES:
Please take your team back to our sponsor bar for the SOCIAL part of the OCSSC. Keep reminding your players that this is a very SOCIAL league and unsportsmanlike conduct will ensure them a seat on the bench or a view from the outside looking in.
DEAD BALL (FIELDING):
The pitcher’s mound will be considered “dead ball territory”, providing the pitcher is on the mound. The umpire will automatically call a “dead ball “when the ball reaches the pitcher inside the circle and all play will stop. All runners that are LESS than 1⁄2 way between bases will return to their previous base when a dead ball is called. All runners who are MORE than 1⁄2 way between bases will proceed to the next base.
RUNNERS:
Runners must stay within the base line and fielders must stay out of the base line. Fielders trying to make an out on the base may have their foot on base, but must lean out of the baseline to avoid contact with the runner. Runners hindered by any fielder within the base line shall be safe at the base to which they were running. Neither leading off base, nor stealing a base is allowed. A runner off of his/her base when the ball is hit will be called out.
ADDITIONAL HOME PLATE:
A “scoring plate” will be located behind the batters box and must be used by the incoming base runner. ALL plays at the plate will be considered “forced”. The catcher will stand on “home plate” to receive the ball and will NOT have to tag the base runner using the “scoring plate”. Base runner who use “home plate” will be called out if the catcher is standing on the base
PLAYOFFS:
Play-offs will immediately start after the regular season ends and all make up games have been played. The # of teams in each division to make the play-off will be determined by the OCSSC. If the season has been shorten because of inclement weather the number of teams making the play-offs may be reduced at the discretion of the OCSSC also.
PLAYOFF TIE BREAKER:
If the time limit has expired and the game is tied, a tiebreaker inning(s) will occur. All players will clear the field and the home team will take the field w/ the visiting team at bat. The batting order will continue from the previous inning. A runner, (player to make the last out in the previous inning) will be placed on second base. The batter will now have 2 strikes count on them (foul is an out). After 3 outs, the home team will start their inning with the same format. The tiebreaker will continue until a complete inning has resulted in one team scoring more runs than the other. Home team will always have the last opportunity to win the game
WIFFLEBALL RULES:
PLAYERS ON THE FIELD:
Maximum # of 7 players (at least 3 women) on the field at one time. Women must make up 2 infield/outfield players. No maximum # of players on your roster. Minimum number of players in the field/your starting line up is 4 (2 men/2 women). There is no maximum # of women allowed on the field/in your line-up. No more than 4 men are allowed on the field at on time. If a player arrives late, they will be inserted into the bottom of the order. You are allowed to place that player in the field, if your team is not batting.
FIELD PLAYERS:
Field Players will be described as:, 1-Catcher, 2-First basemen, 3-Second baseman, 4-Shortstop ,5-Left-center fielder, 6- Right center fielder, 7-Short fielder. .
OUTFIELD:
Outfielders must play 5 yards past the “infield grass” line at all times. If the outfielder is closer then 5 yards, (and makes a play) all runners will be safe. Starting players may move freely from one field position to another, but the batting order must stay the same.
PITCHER:
The Pitcher will be provided by the Batting team. Upon the pitchers turn to bat, another player from the batting team will pitch and is allowed 1 warm-up pitch.
BATTING:
Everyone on your team may bat, but you will need 2 men to 1 woman-batting ratio. If a team has less women to accommodate this, than they will bat twice in the order to obtain the 2 to 1 ratio. (3 women in the starting line up - 1 will bat twice/ 2 women in the starting line up-2 will bat twice)..
OUTS:
Each batter will start with a one strike count on them. The batter is out after a third strike, including a foul ball that is hit after two strikes. NOTE: If a fly ball is caught in playable foul territory after the third strike, the ball remains live. .
STRIKES:
Each Batter receives a maximum of 4 pitches. A missed swing counts as a strike, as does a ball hit into foul territory. A Batter is Out either after 3 strikes or 4 pitches. There are No walks.
BUNTING:
The batted ball must travel 12 feet past home plate or it will be called a strike. NO bunting.
MERCY:
9 runs maximum scoring allowed per inning. After ninth run crosses the plate, play will stop regardless of the # of outs. .
INJURIES:
Injured players may receive a pinch runner once they reach first base. If the injury occurs after the runner reaches a bag safely, the pinch runner can be used. The last player out of the preceding inning will become the pinch runner. No leading off or stealing. Runners can leave base once the ball is hit.
SLIDING:
NO SLIDING IS ALLOWED. (Sliding will result in that player suspended for that game)
BASERUNNING: (Player will be declared out)
Runners must give themselves up and avoid contact at all cost. (Contact will result in that player ejected from that game and suspended for the next game).