Junior Girls League
1. All participants and spectators are to show good sportsmanship.
2. Decisions and judgments of the umpires are final.
There are no protests.
3. Applications must be signed and submitted, and registration fee paid, before any girl may play in a league game or practice.
Practices are to be held no sooner than May 1st -- no exceptions.
4. Rubber-cleated shoes are allowed.
Athletic shoes are required.
5. Each player must have her own glove.
Players in the field must wear a fielder’s glove, but first base and catcher may wear a mitt.
Junior division uses a 12-inch ball.
6. Hair must be secured out of the eyes; no metal bands or fasteners are allowed.
No jewelry will be worn during practices or games.
7. The batter, base runners and all players on the batting team must wear a helmet with a face mask when on the playing field, both at practice and during games.
This includes players coaching at first or third base.
8. The catcher must wear the mask, helmet, shin guards and chest and throat protectors provided by the league for that position.
She is to wear them whenever catching, both at practice and during games.
9. All players must wear black softball pants or black shorts with sliders.
If a player comes to a game with shorts but not regulation sliders, that player will be ineligible to play in that game.
10. Umpires are to wear the protective gear assigned to them.
Umpires are to switch to another field before any game in which there may be a conflict of interest arising between them and any participant (e.g. relatives, friends or persons with whom there has been personal discord).
11. The Junior division will play with 10 players, 4 of which must be in the outfield.
A team may start a game with only 8 players. If playing with only 8 players, the 9th player’s position in the batting order will be recorded as an out.
If an 8th player is removed (due to injury or departure), the game will be forfeited.
12. When a game is forfeited, a practice game may be played.
Only players from the opposing team may join the forfeiting team for the practice game.
This game will be played in accordance with all official rules.
13. During the course of the game, players may be added to the bottom of the batting order, or subtracted without penalty while adhering to rule #11.
14. There will be free substitution in the field.
15. Lineups will be set and exchanged at the beginning of the game.
Players arriving late will be added at the bottom of the batting order.
16. Warm-ups before games must be held in an isolated area, away from spectators and neighboring lawns.
17. Games will be 7 innings, however, no new inning may be started after 1 hour and 20 minutes have elapsed.
If, during the course of the game, the noon siren is activated, the game will be
stopped. This stoppage of play will not be included in the 1 hour and 20
minutes of playing time. Games may end in a tie.
18. In instances of inclement weather or unacceptable field conditions, games may be canceled prior to their start by the respective division commissioners, who will promptly notify a coach from each team of that decision.
Games in progress may be stopped, and either determined to be completed or suspended by home-plate
umpire. If 4 or more innings have been completed, the game is considered
complete. If after 4 innings a game is stopped by the umpire in the middle of an
inning, the outcome will be determined from the score of the last completed
inning. But if fewer than 4 innings have been played, the game is suspended. Games suspended will be resumed
at the point the game was suspended, with the same players playing in the same
position. Suspended or canceled games will be made up on dates designated
in the schedule, but with no more than two such games per team.
19. Standings will be kept for the Junior division. For the purpose of keeping the standings, 2 points will be awarded for a win and 1 point for a tie.
20. Each team will be limited to 6 runs per inning.
21. Junior division players may bunt.
22. Once a pitched ball crosses the plate, base runners are allowed to lead off or steal.
If the player does not steal, or the ball is not hit, the runner must return to their base once the pitcher has the ball in the pitching circle, or they may be called out by the umpire.
23. A batter is awarded first base if hit by a pitched ball that
bounces before it crosses the plate, provided the batter makes an attempt to
avoid the ball. If the batter does not attempt to avoid the ball, the
batter can not advance to first and a "ball" will be added to the
count.
24. A base runner may not advance home after attempting to steal 3rd if there is an overthrow by the catcher after a pitched ball.
If an attempt is made by a position player to throw out a runner advancing to 3rd base and the ball is overthrown, the runner may advance home. Base runners may steal home on a passed ball or wild pitch.
25. A runner advancing to home plate must avoid contact with the
catcher by sliding if there is a play at home. If the runner does not
slide and contact is made with the catcher, the base runner will be called out
by the umpire.
26. A batter may attempt to take first base on a dropped 3rd strike.
However, the batter will be out if she leaves the batters box and leaves the field of play (past the foul lines) to return to her bench.
27. Practices must take place on designated fields, which are the Dyer School and Bushnell Park softball diamonds.
28. All adults, non players, coaches and umpires must sign a waiver before participating in league activities.
29. For the safety of all players, when there is a play at first base the orange safety base may be used by either the runner or the fielder so as to avoid a collision.
30. All players may only play a maximum of two innings per position per game, with the exception of the
pitcher and catcher, who may play a maximum of three innings in those positions per game.
31. The Junior division may not use intentional walks and there is no infield fly rule.
32. Rules may be added, deleted, or revised at the discretion of the BGSL Board.
