Senior 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. Senior 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 facemask 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 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 Senior 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, but games must be held within the time allowed. Seniors games will be 1¾ hours. No new inning may be started with less than ten minutes remaining. Games may end in a tie.
18. In instances of inclement weather or unacceptable field conditions, games may be cancelled 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 resumed or suspended by home-plate umpires. If 4 or more innings have been completed, and if in any partial inning the lead has not changed hands, the game is complete. But if fewer than 4 innings have been played, or if the lead has changed hands in a partial inning, the game is suspended. Games suspended or cancelled will be resumed or 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 Senior 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. Senior division players may bunt.
22. Once a pitched ball leaves the pitchers hand, base runners are allowed to 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 may attempt to take first base on a dropped 3rd strike. However, the batter will be out if she leaves the batter’s box and leaves the field of play (out of the baseline) to return to her bench.
24. Practices must take place on designated fields, which are the Dyer School and Bushnell Park softball diamonds.
25. All adults, nonplayers, coaches and umpires must sign a waiver before participating in league activities.
26. 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.
27. Pitchers may pitch a maximum of 4 innings.
28. Rules may be added, deleted, or revised at the discretion of the BGSL Board.
