Official league games will be conducted under the United States Slo-pitch Softball Association (USSSA) rules; except for the following additional rules, which take precedence over USSSA rules:

1. Batting Order: Men and women must bat alternately. This alternation must continue even if there is an uneven amount of men and women on your team. If a team is playing with more women than men, it is the manager’s option to bat women consecutively, if he/she chooses. Men may never bat consecutively. You can bat all of the people on your team, if you wish, but they must bat alternately even though this may change your overall batting line-up. Each manager shall announce at the beginning of the game if he/she will be batting only 10 players or more than 10 players. Players arriving after the start of the game can be added to the bottom of the order through the 3rd inning. The line-up may be changed until the 3rd inning is completed. Free substitutions will be allowed defensively.



2. Home Runs: A team can hit a total of one home run in a game. This does not include inside-the-park home runs. For weekday division one only, the limit is one, progressive to two, i.e., teams are allowed a second home rune once both teams have hit a home run.



3. Lineup: Please provide the manager of the opposing team with your line-up prior to the start of the game.



4. Forfeits: A team must have at least eight (8) players to start or continue a game. If a team is unable to field eight players within 15 minutes after the scheduled start time of any game, it shall forfeit that game; if a team is unable to field eight players within 30 minutes after the scheduled start time of any doubleheader, it shall forfeit both games. If either team has less than to (10) players but at least eight (8) players (four men and four women), the coaches may agree to let one additional male play. In this case, an out must be taken in place of the missing woman in the batting order. Both coaches must agree to this option or the team must play with eight (8) players. If a team forfeits three (3) or more games during a season, a penalty clause will be invoked for that team’s participation in their next succeeding season. A non-refundable penalty of $50 per game forfeited during a single season due to lack of fielding eight players to start a game will be assessed, and the team must deposit an additional $500 as a guarantee that is will not forfeit three or more games during that succeeding season. All such penalties and deposits shall be made payable with, and in addition to, such team’s league fees for the succeeding season, and any team that fails to pay such penalties and deposits will not be eligible to participate in the league during that season. The $500 deposit will be refunded to the depositing team if, and only if, the team does not forfeit three or more games under this rule during the season for which the deposit is made. If a team forfeits three or more games under this rule during such season, it shall likewise forfeit the entire $500 deposit. Any money collected due to this rule shall be donated to the BB/SAA scholoarship fund for deserving youth programs.



5. Player Requirements: There must be at least four women on the field (defensively) at all times. There may never be more men than women on the field; however, there may be more women than men. Up to ten players will be allowed on the field (defensively). Defensive player positioning is left up to the discretion of the team manager. Exceptions are allowed if both managers agree.



6. Time: The first game of any doubleheader must end 1 hour and 15 minutes from the scheduled start time of the first game. No new inning may be started after 1 hour 5 minutes of the beginning of the first game (e.g., in a game starting at 6:00 pm, no new inning can be started after 7:05 pm.) The second game shall start five minutes after the completion of the first game. The second game of any doubleheader must end within 2 hours and 30 minutes from the scheduled start time of the first game. No new inning, during the second game, may be started within 10 minutes of this limit.



7. Pitching Arc: The Standard USSSA pitch arc rule is in effect. (i.e., pitched balls must arc a minimum of 3' from the point of release to a maximum of 10' from the ground.) NOTE: The 6'-12' (from the ground) arc previously enforced for coed in the BB/SAA league is no longer in effect.



8. Pitching Distance: In any game, the pitcher will have the option of pitching from the standard 50 foot plate, or from any point up to 10 feet behind the pitching plate that is within the width of the existing pitching plate. All pitching rules that apply to the pitcher’s actions before and during the release of the pitch (with the exception of the pivot foot being in contact with the pitching plate), along with the restrictions on height, speed, etc. shall remain in effect, including:
   
   
   1. The pitcher must present the ball in front of his/her body for at least one second with at least one foot stationary in contact with the pitching rubber (or virtual pitching rubber) before delivering, and must maintain contact during delivery. (i.e., he/she may not be walking forward, backward, etc., while releasing the pitch.) (Rule 6, sec. 4, effect F.)
   
   
   
   2. The pitcher must release the pitch within 5 seconds of receiving the ball and the batter being in position in the batter’s box. (Rule 6, sec. 4, effect F.)
   
   
   
9. 10-Run Rule: If the home team is ahead by 10 or more runs after 4.5 or 5 innings, or, if the visiting team is ahead by 10 or more runs after 5 complete innings, the game shall end and the team that is ahead shall be the winner.



10. Extra Innings: Each game will consist of seven innings. Extra innings will be played if the game is tied after regulation play, as long as it is within the time limits set forth in rule #6. Extra innings in league and playoff games will be played with international rules (i.e., the last player to bat (not necessarily the last player out) will start the inning on second base. Games tied after the time limit will be counted as a tie.



11. Stealing, Bunting, etc: No stealing, bunting, or half-swinging will be allowed. The runner is out if any of these occur. Sliding will be allowed.



12. Cleats: Rubber cleats (soccer style shoes) will be allowed. NO metal cleats or tips will be allowed.



13. Uniforms: There will not be a mandatory uniform/hat policy, but all players must wear shirts. Teams not having matching uniforms are encouraged to wear matching shirts.



14. Protests: All protests must be in writing and mailed to BB/SAA, P.O. Box 5537, Bellevue, WA 98006 within two (2) working days after the protested game. The Protest Committee will decide all protests within ten (10) working days, and their decision will be final. The protest fee is $25 and will not be refunded unless the protest is upheld.



15. Umpires: If the umpire fails to appear, games must be played. The coaches have two options: 1) the opposing coaches may agree upon one or more persons to umpire the game, and it shall proceed as an official game, or 2) call the USSSA pager number at 206-344-9519 and request that an umpire be sent to the field immediately. Either way, the games must be started within 10 minutes of the scheduled start time. Please report the umpire’s failure to appear when reporting the scores of the game to the BB/SAA Reporting Scores and Rainout Line at 425-865-0499.



16. Measurements: The official softball of the Coed league will be the 12" and 11" DeBeer blue stitch softball. Pitching distance will be 50' from home plate. The league will use 65' base paths.



17. Game Galls: At the beginning of each doubleheader, the home team (listed first on the schedule) is responsible for supplying one 12" and one 11" game ball, to be used for both games of the doubleheader. The visiting team (listed second on the schedule) is responsible for providing back-up balls.



18. Ball and Strike Count: This league uses the standard four balls/three strikes format, and one courtesy foul will be allowed. When games are running behind, and both managers agree, teams may go to a 3-2 count (batter starts with 1 ball and 1 strike). This can be done at any time, as long as both managers agree.



19. Courtesy Runners: There is no limit on how many courtesy runners are allowed or when their need is declared, but please respect the purpose of this rule (to allow partially injured players to play, rather than to give a competitive advantage). When a player needing a courtesy runner reaches base, the player to replace him/her shall be the player of the same gender that is closest in the lineup batting previous to the current player that is not already on base. If that player needs a courtesy runner, keep going backwards in the lineup until a suitable courtesy runner is found. If a player’s turn to bat comes while he/she is on base, apply the same courtesy runner rules for him/her to allow the player to bat.



20. Rosters: Rosters may be changed (additions or deletions), prior to June 1 for summer league and August 15 for fall league, with the approval of the League Director. Team rosters are due prior to packet pick-up. Those teams which do not submit their completed rosters by their first scheduled league game will not be allowed to field a team and no refund will be given.



21. Warm-up: No infield practice will be allowed between games.



22. Tie-Breaking Policy/Procedures for Trophies or Play-off Positions:
      A) Head-to-head competition
      B) Run differential in head-to-head competition
      C) Coin toss



23. Playoff Rosters: Two pick-up players will be allowed for the playoffs. The Touranment Director must be notified in advance of any pick-up players and he/she must sign an official team roster of the team they are playing for.



24. Player Eligibility: Anyone 18 years of age or older, prior to the first league game, is eligible to participate.



25. Adding New Teams to the League: Teams not on the previous year’s schedule may be added to the next year’s roster when an open slot is available. The new team will be considered in the order that their application with registration fee is received. All teams will be treated in the same manner with no case by case basis within the constraints of BB/SAA rule #4.
    
    Team spots are held in the name of the team manager as registered at the beginning of the previous year, unless that same manager notifies BB/SAA that another situation exists. Players may not speak in the name of the old team without the previous manager’s agreement.



26. Ground Rules: Hidden Valley, Sammamish, and Marymoor fields:
      A) Everything within fences is in play.
      B) Over the fence, in the air = HR (Hidden Valley #3, over the trees = HR).
      C) The ball bounces over the fence = 2B (Hidden Vally #3, into the trees = 2B).
      D) Lodged under or rolls under the fence = 2B.



27. Coed Walk Rule: When a batter receives either (a) a pitched walk consisting of all balls and no strikes, or (b) an intentional walk (not pitched), that batter is awarded first and second base, and the following batter has the option of taking an automatic walk (awarded first base) or hitting. NOTE: be sure to touch first base on your way to second base, or risk being called out on an appeal.



28. Game Guarantee: For 1st Season, based on each league’s original schedule of games, teams will be guaranteed all but 2-4 games in the event of many rainouts.



29. Playoffs: For the 1st and 2nd Season, the top two (2) teams from each division of play will qualify for a double elimination play-off tournament scheduled sometime between September 10 and 25.
    
    
30. Awards: The top two (2) teams in each division will receive awards.