OSSO Social Softball Rules

  1. A designated Teammate will pitch to the rest of their teammates.
    1. The ball must be pitched underhand in a slow pitch softball type manner with appropriate 6′-12′ arc
  2. Batters can have UP to 4 pitches to get a ball in play.
    1. Any legitimate attempt to get a ball across the plate counts as a pitch
    2. There are no balls, strikes or foul counts
    3. After 4 pitches, if the hitter has not put a ball in play, the batter is out
  3. Homeruns hit over the outfield fence count as outs
  4. All games are seven innings or 50 minutes (warm up time included); the last inning will start 10 – 15 minutes to the hour. The ump will enforce this rule and will make the call at the top of the final inning.
    1. If a game is tied at the end of seven innings, the game ends in a tie.
    2. Extra innings will be played only in the playoffs.
  5. 10 players (at least 4 females) in the field at all time. (THERE ARE NO POSITION REQUIREMENTS of any players, i.e. there need not be 2 females in outfield and 2 in the infield) OSSO rules will allow a team to play with a minimum of 8 players (at least 4 females). If only 4 men & 4 women are present at game time, that team will only be able to have eight defenders.
    1. If a team has less than the minimum required number of players it is up to the opponent’s captain as to what is allowable during the regular season.
  6. Everyone bats; however, 3 players of the same sex cannot kick consecutively until all other players of the sex in the minority have had an at bat. (ex: M,M,F,M,M,F… until all Females have batted). Once everyone has batted through the order, there may be cases where multiple members of the same sex will bat consecutively because of the end of the lineup starting again at the top of the order.
    I.E.  M, M, F, M, M, F or M, F, M, M, F, M, Etc., etc., etc.
  7. All players in the field must be listed in the batting order. There are no designated hitters allowed. Any attempt at doing so must be brought to the attention of the REF prior to game time and can only be deemed allowable by the opposing captain.
  8. Game mercy rule: 10 runs up after five complete innings at the discretion of the losing team captain and/or the Head Ref.
  9. Base runner to defensive player contact will be closely watched by the REF.
    1. Any excessive contact or collision will result in an “out” and/or ejection. This includes contact with the catcher.
    2. Sliding is allowed.
      1. Any sliding into a base to break up a double play, or any intentional (in the eyes of the monitor) interference with the defensive player, the runner and the batter will be called out.
      2. Defensive players may not impede the progress of the runner and a base runner might be awarded a base instead of an out at the discretion of the REF.
  10. NO METAL SPIKES ARE ALLOWED.
  11. A foul ball above the batter’s head may be caught for an out.
    1. Runners may attempt to advance bases on a caught fly ball if they have tagged up.
  12. All thrown balls are deemed out of play when:
    · The ball is thrown over the fence
    · If the ball is overthrown and hits the fence behind the 1st or 3rd base lines but does not travel out of play, this is NOT considered out of play and the runner may advance, BUT at his/her own risk.
    · On overthrows out of play, the runner is granted the base he/she is going to (at the point of the throw) plus one more base.
  1. In cases where a base runner runs past first base, he/she must make a clearly aggressive turn towards second base to be granted 2nd and 3rd in overthrow situations.
  • On an infield fly (any fly ball within the infield with significant arc and deemed an “easy catch”) with less than 2 outs and runners on 1st and 2nd or 1st, 2nd and 3rd, the batter is automatically out and runners can advance, BUT at their own risk.
  • Bats & Balls will be provided by OSSO for Softball Leagues. NO OTHER BATS OR BALLS may be used during gameplay.
  • 5 innings will be considered a complete game for weather.
  • If a game is called due to weather, and less than 5 innings have been played, the game will be restarted from the beginning.
  • OSSO Sports & Social reserves the right to change or modify these procedures on a case by case basis, if necessary.
  • Agreements prior to game time between the captain and OSSO staff are allowed to modify a regular season game to allow for more social play. (Slap the bag, Slosh-ball, etc). Both team captains must agree on these rules and any player may opt out of participation if alcohol consumption is involved.
  • All teams will make the playoffs and it will be a single elimination tournament that may or may not include BYEs awarded to the top seeded teams based on the number of teams in the league.