International Stickball
League
Click on the below links to easily locate the following documents:
2009-2010
Commonly confused rules are addressed on this first page and reinforced within the rule book.
1. You cannot make a foul ball fair. You cannot make a foul ball fair. You cannot make a foul ball fair. Regardless of where the defender is standing, if he reaches out for a foul ball (ball is touched while it is clearly on the outside part of the foul-line) then the ball is foul. Even if the player has two feet in fair territory. Just as long as the ball has already crossed into foul territory when contacting the player or the ground. The key is to focus on the ball, not the player's position on the field. The umpire makes the call based on where the ball makes contact with the player or the ground.
If the fielder makes contact with the ball while it is in foul territory and it bounces onto fair territory, it is still a foul ball. REMEMBER you cannot make a foul ball fair.
If the player catches the foul ball, a runner can tag up from any base. He cannot tag up if the ball is dropped. However, on fair balls, the base runner can tag up upon the fielder's contact with the ball. Therefore, if the ball bounces out of the players hands, the base runner does not have to wait until it is caught. The base runner can proceed to tag up as soon as the ball touches the fielders hand.
2. Over thrown balls to first base will allow the runner to EARN one base. Regardless, if touched by the defense or not. However, if a ball mistakenly hits the runner during a throw to first base and it bounces out of play, it is all you can get. Overthrown balls to every other base (except 1st), is all you can get. Including overthrown balls to home plate. If a ball is clearly underneath a vehicle, it is only one base (earned). This is for the safety of our ball players.
3. Chop balls are called by the umpire if the first bounce is above 10 feet. While the 1st or 3rd base umpire should make the call if it is a chop ball, the home plate umpire has the final say if there is a debate among the 1st and 3rd base umpires. The defense does not have to call the chop ball first. It is the umpire’s call. Same above rule applies for the slow ball. Coaches should encourage the defense to play the ball while the umpire needs to decide very quickly. It is encouraged that the Umpire clearly indicates that it is a chop or slow ball. In fact, the umpire should jump on the field so the base runners are not running unecessarily.
4. If a team drops out of the league in the middle of the season, all games played against the "dropped out" team will default to a win in the stats for the opposing teams. All remaining games against this team will default to a 1-0 victory for the opponent. Same as for forfeits. The team will default to a win (earning 3 points) and will be given a 1-0 victory as far as runs scored and allowed.
5. For teams that result in a tie at the end of the season, the leading position will be awarded to the team with more wins in head to head competition. If there is a tie in head to head competition, the team with more runs scored will be given the leading position, then runs allowed. 6. Each game is being assigned umpires (see schedule). If a team fails to provide umpires as scheduled, the umpiring team will have a point reduced in the standings. A minimum of 3 umpires should be provided, while 4 is highly encouraged.
Amended Rules and Regulations
Rosters
1- Team rosters are due on April 20th. Rosters are to be handed into the league Commissioner or President. A copy of a team’s roster should be made and kept by the team and should be made available at all times. An opposing team captain may request to see the roster of a team he is playing at anytime they’re engaged in competition.
2- Cuts or additions may be made up to but not after June 6th. Rosters are then closed to any new additions. Any changes in the roster shall be written and made known to league officials.
3-
a) A player whose name appears on a team roster cannot leave that team to join another team for the remainder of the league season without approval from the board.
b) A player must play at least 8 games to qualify for post season play.
4. If a team loses players due to injury, the captain can add a player at any time ONLY if the remaining team roster does not exceed 16 players and the lost or removed player cannot return for the rest of the season to any team. The additional player must meet the 8 game playoff eligibility requirement to play in the playoffs.
5. Any team caught in violation of roster rules shall forfeit all games played on the Sunday when the violation took place and be put on league warning. Any violation of league rules while on league warning will automatically eliminate that team for future league participation. Any team eliminated from league play will forfeit all remaining games and league forfeiture fee.
6. A minimum of 7 players and a maximum of 8 players can be on the field while the team is on defense. 2 lineups of at least 7 ballplayers must be written and valid to start the game. Failure to field the proper number of players will result in forfeiture of that game. A forfeited game will be scored 7-0 in favor of the non-forfeiting team.
7. An intentional forfeit of a game will result in 2 points deducted from the team in violation. Violating team will also be placed on league warning and any future violations will terminate said team’s participation in future league play and forfeiture of fees play.
8. The Extra Hitter (EH) rule is an option a team can use to bat 9 players while fielding 8.
a) EH is optional, but if used, must be made known to the Chief umpire who will, in turn, inform the opposing team prior to the start of the game. Once an EH is used it must be used the entire game.
b) If it is not used at the beginning of the game, it cannot be used during the game at all.
c) EH may be substituted for at any time, but only by a player who has not appeared in that game yet. Once the EH has been substituted for he cannot reenter the game at any time.
d) If EH is used, 9 players will bat and 8 will play the field. The EH may not play the field while he/she is EH. EH cannot replace a fielding player and a fielding player cannot become EH
e) EH can be pinch run for and pinch-hit for. EH can also pinch run for any player on base.
f) If EH is used and during the game is ejected or injured and cannot be replaced by a substitute, that EH position in the lineup will be considered an automatic out when it comes EH turn to bat.
Umpires 1. All umpires should have knowledge of the rules before he/she is asked to umpire a game. It is the responsibility of each team captain to educate his players of the league rules and regulations. 2. The umpires shall be responsible for the conduct of the game in accordance with the official rules and for maintaining discipline and order on the playing field during games. 3. Each umpire has authority to order a player, coach or captain to do or refrain from doing anything, which affects the administering of the rules, and to enforce the prescribed penalties. 4. Each umpire has authority to disqualify any player, coach or captain for objecting to decisions, unsportsmanlike conduct or abusive language, and to eject such person(s) from the playing field. NOTE: For as long as you are representing Stickball make no mistake about it. You represent the League and in doing so you must show respect to the field, players, coaches, umpires, spectators, kids, etc. It took the Florida Stickball League a lot of hard work to get where we are today and we still have a long way to go. With your help the league will only get stronger. So, please use your best judgment and act accordingly on the stickball field. 5. Any umpire decision which involves judgment, such as but not limited to, whether a batter ball is fair or foul, whether a swing is a strike or not or whether a runner is safe or out is FINAL! 6. Players or coaches leaving their positions in the field, on base or on the bench to argue a call will not be permitted. Only team captains or designated team captains will be permitted to argue a call. 7. If there is reasonable doubt that umpire’s decision may be in conflict with the rules, the field judges will be summoned to rectify the dispute. If there is still reasonable doubt, the team captain may appeal the decision and ask that a correct ruling be made. 8. No umpire shall criticize, seek to reverse or interfere with another umpires’ decision unless asked to do so by the umpire making the call. 9. Umpire changes may be made if the Chief umpire feels an umpire does not have a full grasp of the league rules and there is an available replacement from that team. 10. Each team scheduled to umpire must provide a minimum of 3 but preferably 4 umpires for a game. Failure to provide at least 3 will result in that losing 1 point in the standings. 11. The home plate umpire shall be considered the Chief umpire and shall be responsible for the flow of the game. The umpires shall position themselves at advantageous positions to make proper calls and out of the way of batters, runners and fielders. 12. If different umpires should make different decisions on one play, the Chief umpire shall call all umpires into consultation, with NO captains or players present. The umpires will only discuss results with the team captain or designated team captain. After consultation with all umpires the Chief umpire shall determine which decision shall prevail based on which umpire was in the best position to make the proper call. 13. Concerning ejections or appeals, the Chief umpire will forward all detail to the captain’s board and League liaison IMMEDIATELY to determine a course of action. The decision will then be forwarded to the SSSL Board. 14. a) UMPIRES MUST: know the rules, be courteous and impartial, not allow criticism to keep them from making what they know to be the right decision, be patient and use good judgment, not lose their temper, be in position on every play, pay attention, discuss which bases they will be responsible for when there are multiple base runners, keep the game moving and NOT BE UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF A CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE OR ALCOHOL! b) Any umpire caught in violation, will cost his team 1 point in the standings.
Amended Rules and Regulations
Batters
1. Each player of the offensive team shall bat in the order that his/her name appears in the batting order
2. Lineup changes must be made known to the Chief umpire before the changes are made. It is the responsibility of the Chief umpire to inform the opposing captain of the change. Failure to inform the Chief umpire of the change will, ON APPEAL, penalize the offending team with an out and nullify any advantage gained by the illegal change.
3. The batter must have at least one foot behind the imaginary line from the front of home plate to the curb of both sides of the street.
4. The batter is out when:
a) While swinging passes the designated line which is 10 feet from the front of home plate.
b) A fielder legally catches a batted fair or foul ball.
c) A batted ball is hit foul.
d) A batted ball hits any object in foul territory.
e) A swing misses the ball.
f) After batting a ball in fair territory is tagged out before getting to first base.
g) Interferes with a fielder making a play on a batted ball.
h) A batted ball hits an object in fair territory (other than a fielder) and before touching the ground goes into foul territory.
i) A batted ball gets stuck in a tree, car, truck, fence, etc. and never touches the ground unless it touches players hand(s) first in fair territory. It will then be ruled a ground rule double.
j) A batted ball hits an object in fair territory and is caught before it touches the ground.
k) A batted ball is deemed
l) A batted ball is hit choppingly and the resulting first bounce is deemed too high (approximately 10 feet high) and unplayable by the umpire. Otherwise known as a “CHOP BALL” or “SLUG BALL”. The call is a judgment call just like a safe and out call by the umpire, no one can ask for help. Only the umpire can ask for help if he did not see the play. The umpire responsible for making this call will be the 1st base or 3rd base umpires. If there is a debate, the home plate umpire will make the final call.
Ø Every ball should be played out as if it were fair. DO NOT RELY ON THE UMPIRES TO RULE ON THE PLAY IN YOUR FAVOR.
m) An accidental or check swing resulting in contact with the ball will count as a legal swing and be played accordingly.
n) Daddy Rule: The batter is out on appeal when he/she fails to swing in (3) approaches to the ball.
o) Any egg ball before first base is a foul even if it crosses the line after it bounces.
5. Cracked, cut, punctured or busted balls that occur during any part of a play is considered “DO OVERS”.
6. A batter shall be called out, ON APPEAL, when he/she fails to bat in his/her proper turn and another batter completes a time at bat in his/her place.
a) The proper batter may take his/her place in the batters box at any time before the batter batting out of turn swings.
b) When the batter batting out of turn becomes a runner or is put out and the defensive team appeals to the umpire before the next batter takes a swing, the umpire shall declare the original proper batter out and nullify any advance or score made because of a ball batted by the batter batting out of turn.
c) When the batter batting out of turn becomes a runner or is put out and the next batter of either team takes a swing at a ball BEFORE an appeal is made, the batter batting out of turn becomes legal and the results of the time at bat becomes legal. The batting order of the team will remain in its original form and the batter who missed his/her time at bat will not bat until his/her turn comes up again.
Amended Rules and Regulations
Runner
1. A batter running to first base tags first base and proceeds onto the grass cannot be tagged out. However, if runner attempts to run to second base after proceeding onto grass, runner must return to tag first base before proceeding to second base.
2. If runner touches grass while running to or from a base, other than first base, runner will be called out, ON APPEAL, if runner does not return to the previous base to retouch it.
3. Runner will be called out by an umpire if umpire feels runner has runned out of allowed baseline (approximately 5 feet each side of an imaginary straight line from one base to the next) to avoid being tagged out.
4. Two runners may not occupy a base but if while the ball is alive 2 runners are touching the same base the following runner shall be out when tagged. The leading runner is entitled to the base.
5. A runner may “tag up” as soon as a fly ball TOUCHES the hand(s) of a fielder whether is caught or not, in fair territory. However, if the ball is in foul territory, a runner may only “tag up” if the ball is CAUGHT.
6. Any runner on base may request a team mate to run for him/her provided runner calls time out and an umpires ACKNOWLEDGES the time out. As soon as an umpire calls time out all runners on base may leave the base.
7. Once an original runner has been pinch run for that original runner can only return to his/her original base, unless that runner scored was removed on an out. On appeal, illegal runner will be out after the batter concludes at bat.
8. Only those players in the game, including the EH, can be used as pinch runners unless a player off the bench is replacing a runner and will play in the replaced players position for the remainder of the game or until that player is replaced.
9. A runner cannot interfere with defensive players’ attempt to field a ball. The interfering runner will be called out. The batter, however, will not be called out or penalized for what an interfering runner has done.
10. A runner leaving a base before bat to ball contact by the batter will be called out, ON APPEAL, by a fielder to an umpire who has witnessed the offense. However, the umpire cannot call a runner out from leaving a base early if an appeal was not made.
11. To proceed to the next base while ball is in play, time out may not be called if runner(s) on base are making aggressive attempts.
Amended Rules and Regulations
Fielders
1. Fielders may not use gloves while playing defense.
2. Deliberate use of caps, shirts, gloves or anything other than a fielders’ bare hands or body parts to stop the progress of a ball in play will reward all runners on base with 2 bases in addition to the bases already made. The batter batting the ball will be awarded 2 bases as well.
3. A fielder touching a fly ball caught or not, on or before the white line between 1st and 3rd base will deem that ball fair and playable. This is the ONLY time you can make a foul ball fair. This is regarding the small fly ball or egg balls that do not pass the line but the field touches it.
Amended Rules and Regulations
Catcher
1. If a defensive team chooses to use a fielder in the catching position, the catcher must remain behind the rear of home plate and not interfere with the batters’ path of batting regardless of where the batter starts from.
a) Interference by the catcher will result in the batter being given the option to bat over or accept the at bat.
2. Catcher may talk to batter to distract batter but it must be done with RESPECT and without the use of profanity or the use of visual aids (i.e., stick dropping, hat waving, etc.)
Amended Rules and Regulations
Ground Rules and Wild Throws
1. A batted ball hits a fielder and bounces into a fenced area, is an automatic double.
2. A batted ground ball bounces in fair territory and proceeds into a fenced area, is an automatic double.
3. A batted ball getting stuck underneath a car on the playing field will award the batter with a double. However, if the ball is retrievable it is in play.
4. A batted ball hitting the tree branches in fair territory of tree whose trunk may be in foul territory will be considered playable and will be fair or foul depending on where it hits the ground. However, hitting any part of the tree in foul territory will deem that ball out. CANNOT MAKE A FOUL BALL FAIR.
5. If a batted ball should hit the guide wire on field # 2 between 1st and 3rd base, it will be considered playable if it lands in the field of play only. If it lands on foul ground, it will be considered a dead ball and will result in an automatic out.
6. Overthrows to 1st base, regardless if touched or not, will award runner(s) one base in addition to the base already made. The ball is considered “dead”.
7. Overthrows to 2nd base are all you can get and the ball is “live” and in play. Balls overthrown to 3rd base and home plate is all you can get as well.
8. Overthrows proceeding into fenced areas will award runner(s) one base in addition to the base already made. The ball is “dead”.
a) Any ball that goes through the
b) If a batted ball hits a car, dumpster and the ball is caught by the fielder on the fly, the batter will be called out.
c) If batted ball hits the base of the fence (concrete curb) on any field, the ball is considered fair. This ball should be treated as if it hit the ground and will not be ruled an out if caught after the bounce off the base of the fence (concrete curb).
9. Spectators picking up “live” balls or “live” balls hitting spectators will be considered “dead” balls and award runner(s) one base in addition to the base already made.
10. Umpire(s) will determine where runner(s) were at the time of the infraction and award the proper bases accordingly.
v A SPECTATOR IS ANYONE NOT PLAYING THE FIELD OR
11. Changing of balls may be requested by batter during his/her at bat, but the ball must be damaged or deflated and the final decision of the Chief umpire.
Amended Rules and Regulations
Regulation Games Award Points & Starting Times
1. Regulation games will consist of 7 innings unless extended because of a tie score or is shortened due to darkness or weather. (Extending ties only applies to playoff games)
2. Shortened games will be considered regulation after 4 full innings have been completed.
3. Scores ending in a tie after 7 innings in a regulation game or 4 innings in a shortened game will be considered a tie and award both teams with 1 point.
4. Games suspended before 4 full innings are completed are considered “NO GAME” and all statistics invalid. Suspended games will be rescheduled, if necessary.
5.
a) Wins – 3 points
b) Ties – 1 point
c) Highest point total determines leading teams
6. Tie Breakers
a) Head to Head competition
b) Runs Differential
7. Scoring (Player Statistics)
a) At Bats
b) Runs Scored (Awarded to batter who reaches base safely even if pinch run for)
c) Hits
d) Doubles
e) Triples
f) Homeruns
g) RBI’s
h) Strikeouts
8. “Live” ball must be infield for time to be called.
9. Any umpire of game may acknowledge time-outs in question.
10. The terms “Time out” or “Hold it” cannot be used to distract or confuse players of opposing teams. It will be considered interference and offer offended players an opportunity to replay the play in question.
11. Game Times
a) First game……………………………..10:00 AM (15 min forfeit rule)
b) Second game…………………………..11:00 AM (or 10 minutes after first game)
c) Third game…………………………….12:00 PM (or 10 minutes after second game)
d) Fourth game…………………………..1:00 PM (or 10 minutes after third game)
e) There is a 15 minutes grace period after the scheduled start of each game to field the appropriate amount of players to avoid forfeit. The Chief umpire of that game will use his/her watch as the official timepiece.
f) Each player is allowed up to 2 swings as warm-ups before a game. Not hits swings.
12.
a) Do not forfeit games. Abuse of the forfeit rule will result in disqualification of the team and any future league play will be voted on by both the captains committee and the SSSL Board.
b) During bad weather mornings all teams must have one team representative at the field, unless the games were cancelled by a phone call(s) from an official SSSL Board Member.
13. Stickball Blvd. is a kids, drug-free zero tolerance zone. Any person caught doing illegal activities (selling or using drugs) on
UN-SPORTMAN LIKE CONDUCT
a) The umpires determine if the player has violated this rule. If an infraction has been committed, the player is thrown out of the current game and the board is notified for further enforcement.
b) If a player is found to have violated this rule, the team is fined $50.00 for each occurrence and the player is subject to the following:
Ø 1st Offense: Suspended 2 games not counting the current game and is applied starting the very next game.
Ø 2nd Offense: Suspended 4 games not counting the current game and is applied starting the very next game.
Ø 3rd Offense: Out for the season.
c) Player is not allowed to show up during the weeks he is suspended. If the player does show up, that game does not count as a suspended game. If he does not leave after 5 minutes, the team forfeits the current game or the next game if not currently playing.
*******Important Playoff Note*******
In the event of a game with the score tied, a runner will be placed on second base starting the top of the 10th inning. This runner will be chosen by the opposing team’s captain.