The Tehachapi Valley Recreation and Park District enriches lives and fosters harmony within the community through area-wide leisure services targeted to improve healthy lifestyles, educational and recreational opportunities, public participation, and environmental and economical stewardship.

We accomplish this through community outreach, quality programming, activities and events, and well-maintained parks and facilities, and an aesthetically pleasing environment that is provided by professional and caring employees, contractors and volunteers.

This procedure is designed to help and encourage all members of the Adult Sports Program to achieve and maintain standards of behavior as detailed in the program’s code of conduct.  The goal is to ensure consistent and fair treatment for all members. All offenses are cumulative throughout the current season. All violent offenses are cumulative throughout player’s lifetime.

The Playing Field

·                     Umpire will designate a field suitable for play in accordance with the following provisions which equal the dimensions of a softball field:

·                     The softball diamond is a square with equal sides of 60-70 feet (some variation at different fields).

·                      The pitching strip is in the center of the diamond, 46-50 feet (some variation at different fields) or just over 15 paces from home plate, and directly aligned with the first base/third base diagonal.

Equipment/Attire

·         Athletic shoes are required. Metal cleats are not allowed.

·         Players may wear protective equipment providing it does not offer the wearer an unfair performance advantage.

·         TVRPD will supply game balls-12-inch softballs

·         Bats will be checked before every game by the umpire

·         Bats that are allowed:

o   USA

o   ASA

o   NSA

Officials

·         Games must be officiated by at least one umpire. The Head Umpire governs all game play and issues all final rulings.

·         Umpires have jurisdiction over play and may call off a game due to darkness, rain or other cause at the umpire's discretion.

·         If an umpire is a no show, teams can ask the score keeper or a spectator to officiate the game. Both teams must agree. If both teams agree the game will stand. If no person can be agreed upon the game will not count and will be rescheduled.

Player Eligibility

·         All participants must have filled out the waiver.

·         All eligible participants must be listed on the team's roster.

·         All players must be 18 or over.

·         Each team member must play a minimum of 4 games in order to play playoffs and the championship game.

·         It is recommended that each team keeps track of the players who play at each game.

·         No nicknames on the roster when handing it to the scorekeeper.

·         Please include first and last name if there are any duplicates with first names.

Team Rosters

·         Each team’s roster must consist of a minimum of 8 players

·         Each team shall have one Manager who will be responsible for the team.

·         The Team Manager must ensure that:

o   All team players must bat in the same order.

o   Only the Manager may request a conference with the umpire to dispute calls.

o   The manager from each team must submit a completed roster/waiver prior to the start of the season.

o   No changes may be made after the 1st game.

LINE-UPS / GAME TIME

·         Second team listed is home team and will sit on the third base side

·         The away team will sit on the first base side

·         Line-ups: Teams must field at least eight players and no more than ten. Everyone on the roster must bat.

·         If a player starts the game and leaves for any reason, they will have an out next time they appear in the lineup for the rest of the game.

Co-Ed and Playing Rules:

Batting Order: Co-Ed

·         Batting order will be guy-girl. If there are more women than men, 2 females may bat in consecutive order. The lineups will rotate male female or female male.

·         Teams can field 10 players (6 men-4 Women) 9 players (5 men-4 women), they may not start a game with less than 8 players (5 men 3 women). More women than men are always fine.

·         If a player starts the game and leaves for any reason, they will have an out each time they appear in the lineup for the rest of the game.

·         Every player will start their at bat with a 1 ball 1 strike count

Game time Information

·         A team having eight (8) players present at game time prior to the first pitch must begin play immediately or the umpire, after a five-minute fair warning, will forfeit the game.

·         The game time is indicated on the schedule. Incomplete innings will revert to the last completed inning. No new innings shall be started after 60 minutes of playing time.

·         The Umpires watch shall be the official time. Ball will Drop Dead at 70 minutes. Teams may ask the umpire the start time.

·         Exception: If both managers agree, the game may be started before scheduled game time.

Mercy Rule

·         Mercy Rule: If five (5) innings have been played (4 ½ if the home team is ahead) and one team is leading by ten (10) runs or more, the game shall be called; also 15 runs after 4 innings and 20 runs after 3 innings.

o   Exception: The mercy rule will not be in effect during the Championship Game

Defensive Positions

·         All infielders must remain in the infield, and all outfielders must remain in the outfield until the ball is hit. Women and Men’s slow pitch softball there can be 5 players in the outfield as a defensive strategy. C0-ED: there can only be 4 players in the outfield during the game. 

·         CO-ED:

·         At least 1 female must play on the infield, the catcher is not considered an infielder.

·         No male outfielder can pass the mid-line (marked 180 ft from home plate) until the ball is hit. Infielders may be in the dirt until the ball is hit.

Substitutions

·         Teams may substitute freely on defense each inning.

·         A substitute may only play if on the correct roster

·         Other players can’t substitute for a different team

Regulation Games

·         Regulation games last 7 full innings or 70 minutes whichever comes first. No new inning after 60 minutes.

·         A game that is called off by the umpire for safety reasons after 4 full innings of play shall be considered a regulation game. The game score at end of the last full inning shall determine the winner.

·         Games can end in a tie.

Running

·         Runners must stay within the base line. Fielders must stay out of the base line.

·         Fielders trying to make an out on base may have their foot on base but must lean out of the baseline. Runners hindered by any fielder within the base line shall be safe at the base to which they were running (exception is unless the fielder is making a play on the ball)

·         Leading off base and stealing are not allowed. A runner off his/her base when the ball is pitched is out.

·         After a batted ball is caught, runners must tag their originating base before running to the next base. Runners may overrun first base only.

·         In the case of a batter hitting an over-the-fence home run, drawing a walk, or advancing freely on a Teams over-the-fence home run or walk, all bases must be touched in order. If not, the opposing team may appeal to the umpire that the player missed a base, and the player will be declared out. If that player scored on the play, that players run will not count. If that is the third out of the inning, all other runs scored by the players touching all bases in order will still count.

·         No blocking the plate (runner gets priority)

Walks

·         If 3 balls are thrown the batter will be given 1st base.

·         If a male batter is walked with 3 balls, he will go to 2nd base. The female following will have the option of walking to first or batting

Fouls

·         A foul ball will count as a strike.

·         A foul on the third strike is an out. No courtesy foul.

Outs

o   A count of three outs by a team completes the team's half of the inning.

o   An out is:

o   A runner tagged by the ball in fielder's hand or glove at ANY time while not on base.

o   Any batted ball (fair or foul) that is caught.

o   A fielder catching the ball with their foot on the base to which a runner is forced to run.

o   A runner off his/her base when the ball is pitched.

o   A ball hit when the batter steps out of the batter's box.

o   An intentionally bunted ball.

Ball in Play

·         The ball is in play until the umpire declares the play is dead and will call a time out.

·         Hits “up the middle” will no longer be an automatic out.

·         Face masks are mandatory. 

Home Runs

·         No more than 2 over the fence home runs per inning per team. If an over the fence home run is hit after the 2nd it will be an out and players on base cannot advance.

·         After hitting a home run the player has the option to either A) run all the bases or B) touch first base only.

Designated Runners/Player Positions

·         In cases of injury or illness, a time-out may be requested for participant removal and replacement. If the participant later returns to play, the participant must be

·         inserted in the same batting order position previously held.

·         If a player is ejected, injured, or becomes ill and cannot continue, and a substitute is not available, the lineup will continue in the same formation

·         Only 3 people per game can have a curtesy runner. Those players can have one each time they bat. The runners must be identified before they take their first at bat. The courtesy runner will be the last out.

League Standings

·         League standings shall be the basis of tournament seeds. Ties for 1st & 2nd place in the league standings shall be broken by 1) games won in head-to-head, 2) run differential in head-to-head, 3) run differential in overall games.

Forfeits

·         Using illegal players and or not enough players. Participants are only allowed to play and appear on one team roster per season.

·         A team failing to place at least eight (8) eligible players on the field at game time will forfeit the game. Late players may enter the game at the bottom of the line-up as long as batting order rules are still followed.

·         Teams that have underage players will forfeit any games played with that team member.

·         Managers must inform the league manager of forfeit before 4pm to allow time for notice for the other team

Alcohol

·         There will be no Alcohol allowed on the field before, during or after games. Players will be warned one time to throw out any alcohol and then ejected if alcohol remains.

·         Any player that is noticeably intoxicated will be automatically ejected from the field with no warning.

Protests

·         Only the manager can speak with the umpire about a call/decision made.

·         If another teammate harasses the umpire, they will get a warning and then an ejection.

·         If a team protests a decision or call made by the umpire, the score keeper will note the score and time of the game. The game will then continue with the call of the umpire.

·         The manager of the protesting team will have 24 hours to submit their complaint in writing to the league manager. If the decision of the umpire is upheld the game will stand as it had ended. If the decision is overturned the game will be rescheduled.

Physical Attack

o   No player, coach, or spectator shall at any time lay a hand upon, shove, strike, threaten or intimidate an official, District or school representative, opposing player, coach or spectator. Officials are required to immediately suspend such player from further play and report such player to the Recreation Supervisor. Said player shall remain suspended until the case has been considered by the District Staff

MINIMUM PENALTY

MAXIMUM PENALTY

Suspension for the remainder of the season.

Suspension from all Youth and/or Adult Sports Leagues for life and felony assault charges filed if applicable.

Abusive Verbal Attack

o   No player, coach or spectator shall be guilty of abusive verbal attack upon any player, District or school representative, player, coach, official or spectator. Officials are required to immediately suspend such individual from further play and report such
individual to the Recreation Supervisor. Should the verbal attack occur either before or after the player’s game is completed, or from within the spectator’s area, said individual will still be reported to Recreation Supervisor

MINIMUM PENALTY

MAXIMUM PENALTY

Suspension of one league game and placed on probation for the remainder of the season.

Permanent suspension from all Sports Leagues.

Rough Tactics

o   No player or coach shall be guilty of using unnecessarily rough tactics during play of the game against any player. Officials are required to immediately suspend said player and/or coach from further play and report such individual to the Recreation Supervisor.

MINIMUM PENALTY

MAXIMUM PENALTY

Placed on probation for the remainder of the season.

Permanent suspension from all Youth and/or Adult Sports Leagues.

Trash Talking

o   No player or coach shall be guilty of “trash talking.”

MINIMUM PENALTY

MAXIMUM PENALTY

Warning from the official.

Permanent suspension from all Youth and/or Adult Sports Leagues.

Harassment of Scorekeeper

o   No player, coach or spectator shall be guilty of harassing the scorekeeper(s), official(s) or other District representative or attempt to intimidate any District representative.

MINIMUM PENALTY

MAXIMUM PENALTY

Warning from official and/or Gym/Field Supervisor (scorekeeper).

Permanent suspension from all Youth and/or Adult Sports Leagues.

Abusing Public Property

o   No player, coach or spectator shall be guilty of abusing public or private property.

o   Players shall not throw equipment or any other items in a dangerous manner, regardless of whether someone was or could have been struck.
 

MINIMUM PENALTY

MAXIMUM PENALTY

Warning from the official.

Permanent suspension from all Youth and/or Adult Sports Leagues, criminal charges filed and/or retribution of damage

Intoxication

o   No player, coach or spectator shall appear intoxicated or indulge in alcoholic beverages during the course of game. No alcohol shall be allowed on district or school grounds. Officials are required to immediately suspend such player from play and report said individual to Recreation Supervisor.

o    

MINIMUM PENALTY

MAXIMUM PENALTY

Suspension of two (2) weeks from all Youth and/or Adult Sports Leagues and said team’s next two games. Player shall also be placed on probation for the remainder of the season.

Permanent suspension from all Youth and/or Adult Sports Leagues.

Refusal to Abide by an Official’s Decision

o   No player, coach or spectator shall refuse to abide by the official(s) decision. Officials are required to immediately suspend such individual, from further play and report said individual to the Recreation Supervisor.

MINIMUM PENALTY

MAXIMUM PENALTY

Suspension of one (1) league game and placed on probation for the remainder of the season.

Suspension for life from all Youth and/or Adult Sports Leagues.

o   No player, coach or spectator shall be guilty of objectionable demonstrations or disagreements at the official(s) decision.

MINIMUM PENALTY

MAXIMUM PENALTY

Suspension of one (1) league game and placed on probation for the remainder of the season.

Permanent suspension from all Youth and/or Adult Sports Leagues.

o   No player, coach or spectator shall discuss with the official in any manner the decision reached by such official, except the manager/coach or designate representative.

MINIMUM PENALTY

MAXIMUM PENALTY

Warning by official.

Removal from the game.