Game Day Rules - Rain(bow) City Softball

2024 Specific Game Day Rule Modifications

The official 2024 USA Softball Rule Book (pdf) will govern all games with the exception of the following modifications:

Players, Coaches, Managers

Rostered Players

All players must be 18 years old to be eligible to participate.
Only registered players are allowed on the field of play; this includes coaches, base coaches, and scorekeepers.

Pick-Up Players

A team can pick up an eligible RCS player (Paid/Rostered) from the same or a lower division.
Pick-up players must be designated on the line-up card with a “PUP” in the position column.
In order for a team to pick up players they must have at least 7 rostered players present.
When using pick-up players, the maximum roster size, including pick-up players, is 10.
Higher Division players may, with Board approval, be eligible as pick-up player(s) for lower division teams as requested and deemed appropriate based on individual player rating. A request for higher division pick-up players must be made in writing to the board at least 24 hours in advance of the game time.
Pickup players will be placed last in the batting order.
Pickup players will be placed at catcher, right field, or other fielding position that is mutually agreed upon by both coaches or managers.
Pickup players will be placed last in the batting order.
Any pick-up player who does not comply with the rules above will be considered an illegal player by USA softball rules.

Any determination during gameplay or before the start of play the following week that a team used an illegal player as a pick-up player will result in the following actions:

All USA softball rules concerning illegal players will be enforced.
First Offense: With NO WARNING given, the team will be charged a $50 fine that must be paid before the start of their next game. Failure to pay the fine will result in a forfeit.
Second Offense: The team will be charged a $100 fine that must be paid before the start of their next game. Failure to pay the fine will result in a forfeit.
Third and all following offenses: The coach will be ejected from the field and dug out for one game; the team will be charged a $100 fine, AND the game in which the illegal player participated will be considered a forfeit. Failure to pay the $100 fine will also result in a forfeit of the next game.
A protest for a pick-up player can be made verbally at the field while the game is in play or after the game in writing to the board.
A verbal protest should be made to the umpire. Game time will stop and a member of the RCS board will be notified to make a decision on the player’s eligibility.
A written protest must be sent to competition@rainbowcitysoftball.org within 48 hours of the game ending.
There is no fee for protesting a pick-up player.

Drop-In Players

Coaches may pick up a player who is not on an official RCS roster for a fee of $10 per player, per game.
Drop-in players count as a regular rostered player for that game.
Drop-in players are required to have an updated classification submitted to the Board Commissioner, Director of Competition, or other designee and a waiver must be signed prior to the start of the game.
Drop-in players must be indicated on the line-up card with a (DIP) in the position column.

A protest for a drop-in player can be made verbally at the field while the game is in play or after the game in writing to the board.

A verbal protest should be made to the umpire. Game time will stop, and a member of the RCS board will be notified to make a decision on the player’s eligibility.
A written protest must be sent to competition@rainbowcitysoftball.org within 48 hours of the game ending and must include all necessary documentation to support the protest.
There is no fee for protesting a drop-in player.

Game Rules

Game Play

All games shall consist of seven (7) full innings with the following exceptions.

No new inning shall begin after 55 minutes. All games will end at 55 minutes, drop dead.
Start time is the game time listed on the official schedule.
Games can end in a tie.
A game will be considered complete if the full 55 minutes were played regardless of the number of innings completed.
Home and Away will be determined by a coin flip.
If the home team is ahead by twenty (20) runs after 3 innings, fifteen (15) runs after 4 innings, or ten (10) runs after 5 innings the game will be stopped.
If the visiting team is ahead by twenty (20) runs after 3 innings, fifteen (15) runs after 4 innings, or ten (10) runs after 5 innings the game will be stopped.
If a game is called due to rain, darkness, or other unforeseen circumstance, it will be considered complete after four (4) innings.

Additional Rules:

A team may bat their entire line-up with unlimited defensive substitutions.
The pitch count starts at 0-Balls; 0-Strikes.
There is NO courtesy foul.
Pitching Distance is 50 feet (Last pitching rubber)
Base Paths: Field #3 (70 feet), Field #4 (65 feet), Field #5 (65 feet), Field #6 (70 feet)
USA Softball Pitching Arch: Is 6-10 feet (Use the last pitching rubber)

Courtesy Runner

Courtesy runners allowed per inning will be determined by division as follows:

(Upper) Storm Division: Two runners
(Middle) Reign Division: Two runners
(Lower) Majestics Division: Three runners
A courtesy runner is officially in the game when reported to the plate umpire.
A player may be a courtesy runner only once an inning for any player other than the pitcher, any other players can run for the pitcher anytime the pitcher is on base.
The courtesy runner can be any eligible player listed on the line-up card, including substitutes.
If a courtesy runner is on base when it is their turn in the line-up they must vacate their base and take their place in the batting line-up. This will result in an out.

Home Runs

All divisions will play with a progressive home run rule.

One (1) progressive home run applies to balls hit untouched over the fence in fair territory.
A double will be applied to each home run that places a team two (2) home runs ahead of their opponent. This rule remains in place until the opposing team hits an over the fence home run.
Teams hitting home runs/foul balls over the fence will be responsible for retrieving the ball.
Under-the-fence or out-of-play home runs will only count as a double.
A batter hitting a home run only needs to touch first base and then may go to the dugout. Base runners must each touch at least the next base.
Field 4 only: Right of pole is considered an automatice double. Left of pole is considered a home run. All home run rules still apply.

Forfeits

Teams that forfeit a game without notifying the league with at least 24-hour notice will have a $100 fine imposed.
Teams must start a game with 9 players.
There is a 5-minute late player grace period if a team does not have 9 players at the start of a game, but game start time will remain the scheduled time. No umpire or coach can make an exception to this rule.
If after 5 minutes a team still does not have 9 players that team takes a forfeit.
Teams can drop down to 8 players due to an injury.
An RCS Board member has the discretion to extend the grace period without penalty of forfeit, as they deem appropriate.

Line-Up Cards

A team coach or representative must have a batting line-up. One copy will be given to the umpire and another copy will be exchanged with the other coach.
Full names are required on the rosters. No nicknames.
Pick-up (PUP) and Drop-in (DIP) players must have first and last names listed and be designated in the position column on the card.

Reporting the Score

The Home team will be the official score book.
The official score should be reported on the Home team’s line-up card.
Scorekeepers should verify scores at the end of each inning.
A representative from each team will be responsible for signing off on the score at the end of the game. (On the Home team’s line-up card.)
All score discrepancies should be addressed and resolved during the game.
RCS will provide an online webpage for teams to report all scores.
Game scores may be reported by both teams but must be reported by 5pm on Tuesday following game day.

At the END of the GAME, if a team does not agree with the Official Home Book score and wants to protest the score the following steps must be followed:

Both score books must be presented to the umpire for review.
All parties must verify and sign each score book ensuring no further changes or edits will be allowed.
Protesting Coach/Manager must officially request a Score Review in person or via email AND pay the $25 protest fee before it will be considered.
If the protest is upheld a refund will be issued.
Both team’s score books must be made available upon request from the Board for review.

Both teams may report the score via the RCS website on the Score Reporting webpage.

Equipment

Game Balls

RCS follows the USA-approved softball rules. The softball core should be .520 max or under, and compression should be 300lb max or under.

RCS will provide one (1) new game ball and each team will provide two (2) playable game balls.
After the game has concluded, any used RCS balls will be returned to a designated bucket.
Balls provided by RCS should not leave the complex.

Bats

RCS follows the USA-banned/approved bat rules. Download a copy of the USA List of Banned Softball Bats (pdf) current as of February 23, 2024.

Stepping into the batters’ box with an illegal bat will be an out. The player is not ejected.
All bats must be approved and stickered with the correct sticker for the season.
The umpire should stop a batter from using an obviously illegal or altered bat if noticed; the ball is dead and the batter is out.
If an illegal bat is used, the defensive team, upon proper appeal, may take the result of play or the penalty which is the batter is out and any runners return to their previous position.

Uniforms

Catcher masks are required.
No metal cleats shall be worn by any player, manager, coach, or umpire.

Protests

Coaches should at all times have a copy of the RCS play rules and a USA Official Rule Book in their possession. Protests may only involve the interpretation of a rule and can only be made by the coach or manager.

Types of Protests

1. Misinterpretation of a playing rule.

The protest must be made with the Umpire:

Before the next pitch legal or illegal
Before the next play
Before all infielders have left fair territory
On the last play of the game, before the umpires leave live ball territory
There is no fee for an Umpire resolution.

Protest process:
The best way to resolve a rule’s interpretation is to present the rule as written in the USA rule book.

If there is still a misinterpretation of the rule after using this method, a coach or manager may request a Board review to make a final decision on the rules interpretation protest.

To initiate a Board review a $50 Protest fee is due before the Board will consider the matter.
To protest during a game, the game will be stopped at the point of the protest and will not continue until a ruling on the protest has been made.

When an RCS Board Member is not available at the time of the protest:

The protest should be noted by both teams (both coaches should sign the other team’s score book to indicate agreement on the game situation at the time of the protest) and the game will be allowed to proceed.
After the game has been completed, and the protest fee paid, an RCS Board member will make a decision on the protest.
If the protest is approved, the game will be rescheduled and replayed from the point where the protest was filed.
Fees for Board participation in this protest are not refundable.

2. Illegal player/substitutions

Protest must be made while the player in question is in the game and before the umpires leave the playing field.
There is no fee for Umpire resolution.
If board involvement is requested or required a $25 protest fee will be applied and due before the protest will be considered.
Illegal drop-in and pick-up player protests follow the process listed in their respective sections and are listed in the sections for those rules.
An Umpire cannot reverse a decision after a pitch; legal or illegal.

3. Ineligible player

This protest can be made at any time based upon the following and requires a $25 protest fee:

The player has not completed online registration
The player has not signed the electronic waiver and/or is not listed on the official team roster
The RCS player fee of $70/player has not been paid.

Protest Process

The Coach/Manager of record for the protesting team shall immediately notify the plate umpire that the game is being played under protest.
The plate umpire shall in turn notify the opposing coach/manager and official scorekeeper.
To aid in the correct determination of the issue, all interested parties shall take notice of the information, details, and conditions surrounding the decision to protest.
The ineligible player in question must produce a valid ID upon request.
If the protest is upheld all games that included the ineligible player will be forfeited and the protest fee returned.
If the protest is not upheld the protest fee is retained by the league.