C.S.S.A RULES OF PLAY

NSA RULES ARE IN EFFECT, EXCEPT AS NOTED

  1. TIME LIMITS: LEAGUE PLAY: No new inning after 75 (seventy five) minutes. Tie breakers will consist of no more than two innings. If a tie still exists at the end of the second tie breaker inning, NSA umpire will deem the game a tie, (subject to Division change).
  2. TOURNAMENT PLAY: No new inning after 70 (seventy) minutes. International tie breaker will be in effect until there is a winner in all games. No time limit Championship Game only.
  3. INTERNATIONAL TIE BREAKER: The runner placed on second base will be the last completed at bat from previous inning. The home team will start there at bat in the same manner. The inning will be played under all other CSSA rules.     
  4. GAME BALLS: Males will receive a 12" 44cor ball. Females will receive an 11" 47cor ball.
  5. STANDARD PITCH COUNT: Count starts with 1 ball and 1 strike, With one courtesy foul. Once a batter has acquired a two strike count any subsequent foul ball caught will be considered a third strike dead ball out. (subject to Division change).
  6. PITCHING RULE: Pitchers may pitch between 59' and 53' while staying in line with the 53' rubber. They do have the option to change distances during an at bat.  
  7. HOME RUN: Upper (C & D) 2 home runs progressive, Lower (E & Rec) 1 home run progressive. Trailing team must equal HR’s before additional HR’s are counted. Otherwise, each fence clearing HR will result in a dead ball single, runners advancing when forced.  A team may not go up in the progressive with an over the fence home run in the bottom of the seventh inning to win, (subject to Division change).
  8. ENCROACHMENT: Outfielders may not encroach the infield prior to a batted ball, (subject to Division change).
  9. OVER PLAY: No male player may take a play away from any female on thrown or batted balls, (except plays at home). Overplay will result in all players being ruled safe at the base to which they were headed, (subject to Division change).
  10. OUTFIELD PLAY: On a batted ball, no play can be made to 1st base from the outfield when the ball is fielded from a position left of 2nd base. All runners advance one additional base.
  11. COURTESY RUNNERS: A team may designate only one person of each gender as a player who needs a courtesy runner per game. The courtesy runner can be any person of same gender already in the batting order. It is not necessary to have the last out run. Once the designated player reaches base and the ball is dead, they must notify the umpire that they require a courtesy runner. If a courtesy runner is on base when his/her turn in the order is up, the runner will be recorded as an out on the base in which they stand, removed from the base, and be required to bat. If a courtesy runner is to be the on deck batter they are not considered to be on deck. (subject to Division change).
  12. WALK RULE: With less than two outs any male walked with a female behind him and the female is on deck for all pitches; then the male shall take second base and the female will hit. With two (2) outs, the female has the choice to walk or bat. If the female is not on deck for all pitches the male will be awarded first base only and the female must bat, (subject to Division change).
  13. GENDER/ORDER: Teams may bat 11 players, with a minimum of 3 females in the first 10 batting positions. All additional batting positions must alternate gender starting from the 11th position.   
  14. RUN RULE: 10 RUNS AFTER 5 INNINGS (Final games are 20 runs after 5 innings / 15 after 6):  Complete innings must be played unless home team scores winning total while at bat.
  15. SHORTHANDED: A team may play with nine players without penalty using 6 men and 3 women, OR 5 men and 4 women. Teams may play with 7 men and 2 women while taking an out in the 10th spot. If a walk is assessed immediately before the absentee player, the out created by the absentee player will be skipped, and the person next in the order will continue. (An EH is allowed when out is taken)          
  16. PLAYER DROP: If a substitute is not available when a player is dropped from the lineup, an out will be assessed in the batting order where the player was. If a walk is assessed, the out created by the dropped player will be skipped, and the person next in the order will continue.  
  17. LEAGUE PICK UP PLAYER: A team may be allowed to "PICK-UP" CSSA roster players to field a legal nine-player team to avoid a forfeit. Player must be a CSSA eligible player from their own division. This is to avoid a forfeit only, (subject to Division change).
  18. FLAGRANT CONTACT: Any player intentionally causing unnecessary or flagrant contact, as determined by the umpire, shall be ejected from the current game and suspended from the team’s next game. A review will be made by committee for possible further penalty. (ANY PLAYER EJECTED FOR ANY REASON, WILL SIT THE NEXT GAME, AND NOT ALLOWED IN THE DUGOUT FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE CURRENT GAME AND THE NEXT GAME. EJECTED PLAYER SUBJECT TO EXPULSION FROM GROUNDS and/or DIVISION/TOURNAMENT UPON COMMITTEE REVIEW)
  19. "TURN OUT or GET DOWN" Clarification": For all players safety; both base runners and fielders must make A VISIBLE ATTEMPT to avoid contact with other players. Failure to do so will result in base runners being called safe / or out (depending on the offender) and possible umpire discipline.
  20. EQUALIZER: When a team plays a game against a team that is only one classification higher, the higher classified team will spot the lower classified team 3 runs to start the game and play by the upper home run rule. In the rare case when a team plays another team and there is more than one classification separation the higher team will spot the lower team 4 runs to start the game and play by the lower home run rule,(subject to Division change).
  21. FLIP FLOP: The Flip-Flop rule will be in effect on Sundays only in all 5th inning run rule situations. The flip-flop rule is designed to prevent very large victory/loss margins and prevent long, extended games. 

RULE: If the home team is losing by 15 or more runs at the end of the 4th inning, the home team will remain in the dugout (the visiting team will remain on the field). All base runners, if any, will be removed from the bases and the team will bat again as the visiting team in the top of the 5th inning. If they score enough runs to remove the run rule, the game will continue with the new home team (previously visiting team) now at bat. If the new home team scores enough runs to once again bring a run rule, the game will be over. If they do not, the game will continue until a run rule occurs or the game ends.

  1. TOURNAMENT PLAYER PICK -UPS: Teams are allowed three CSSA rostered exemptions per tournament (not of the same gender). Teams are only allowed one casual exemption player from any classification higher. CSSA eligibility and abstinence apply at all times.
  2. SITUATIONAL TOURNAMENT PICK-UPS: Situational pick-ups are allowed in order to avoid forfeits (except in the case of ejection). A team is allowed to pick-up a maximum of two CSSA sanctioned players not to exceed a team of nine (9). Player must be on a current tournament roster in which their team has been eliminated from competition.  If three (3) or more players must be picked up to field a team, a forfeit will be granted unless waived by the opposing coach.