Rules

KBL Men’s Softball League Rules (rev. 5/24)

Following are the KBL rules that directly affect you as a player. The games are played under ASA softball rules in general.

1. Weekly church attendance is recommended. Any Sunday or regularly scheduled midweek service qualifies.
2. Players are men who have attained the age of fifteen prior to May 1 of the current year. Players may not wear metal spikes and must wear shirts.
3. No tobacco, profanity, or swearing. The umpire and your coach have the right to automatically remove you from the game.
4. The Home team is listed first on the schedule, must have the field set up 30 minutes before the start of the game, and will lead both teams in prayer prior to the game. The Visiting team will have the field for practice for 15 minutes before the start of the game and will close the game in prayer.
5. All single games are to begin at 6:45pm. If both teams have at least eight players, then the game shall begin as scheduled. Any team not able to field eight players by 7:00pm shall forfeit the game. Coaches are responsible to inform the other team’s coach immediately of any changes to the lineup.
6. For single games, if a team has taken their at-bats in the 5th inning of any game and are behind by fifteen or more runs, or in the 6th inning and behind by ten or more runs, the game shall be called officially over. The coaches may agree to continue play for practice purposes, with no effect on the outcome and no additional scorekeeping.
7. Rain out policy: In case of inclement weather, the home field coach shall notify the League President no later than 5:00pm if the field is unfit for play. The game location may be moved if another field used by the League is available and fit for play. The League President will coordinate with both coaches in making the decision. If the League President is not reached, the home field coach shall alert the opposing coach of a postponement by 5:30pm of the game day. If contact is not made by 5:30pm, the decision will be made at the game site. Upon sighting lightning, both teams shall immediately leave the field and play is not to resume until there has been no lightning sighted for a full twenty minutes.
8. The batter shall be out upon hitting a second foul AFTER attaining two strikes.
9.  All teams have agreed to use a continuous batting order. If a player cannot continue play due to injury or having to leave (work, family emergency, etc.), the batting order “closes up” without penalty. Any player arriving after a game has started is to be placed at the bottom of the batting order.  Coaches are responsible to inform the other team’s coach immediately of any changes to the lineup.
10. Sliding Policy: As a fielder without the ball in your possession, you cannot block a base runner’s path or access to any base or home plate. A runner who has to stop, or even run around home plate or a base, to avoid colliding with a fielder who is blocking the base path without the ball shall be awarded the base. As a base runner, you cannot run into a fielder who has the ball in his possession. You must slide or take the out. If the ball becomes dislodged in the course of a legal slide, the runner is safe.
11. Base Running:  A base-runner is out if he interferes with a fielder attempting to field a batted ball or interferes with a thrown ball. If this interference, in the judgment of the umpire, is an attempt to prevent a double play, the immediate succeeding runner shall also be called out.
12. The home team will supply an umpire. The visiting team may, without obligation, supply an umpire if the home team has ten or less players.  If the home team utilizes multiple players to umpire, the visiting team may use their players to umpire when batting.  Any questions regarding rules interpretation must be addressed with the umpire and both coaches in a manner conducive to Christian character. The umpire has the right to eject anyone from the game who fails to conduct himself in this manner.  Coaches are responsible to inform the League President within 48 hours of any incident resulting in the ejection of any of their players.
13. Players may be added to the team throughout the season, but must participate in a minimum of four scheduled game dates to be eligible to participate in the playoffs. Under no circumstances will someone who has participated with one KBL team during the season be allowed to play with another team at any point in the season. The result of this action is a forfeit of all games the ineligible player participated in for the second team regardless of any game time agreements.
14. After a batter reaches base safely, a pinch runner is allowed.  The pinch runner will be the player who made the most recent out.  If a pinch runner is on base when it becomes his turn to bat, he is to be replaced by the next available player who made the most recent out.
15. If after five or more completed innings, any game called on account of darkness or inclement weather, the declared winner will be the team ahead at the end of the last completed inning. If that is a tie, continue working back to find the last inning with a score difference. The game will be considered as cancelled if there is no score difference prior to the fifth inning.
16. All extra innings will begin with one out and a runner on second base at the start of each team’s at bat. The runner will be the last out from the previous inning.
17. Any balls thrown out-of-bounds – the base runners are awarded two bases from the point of the throw (infield or outfield). Fly balls or foul balls that are caught and carried out-of-bounds – the runners are awarded one base from the point of the hit.
18. Home plate is included as part of the strike zone. Any pitched ball must go through a 6-12 foot arc from the ground and land on either the mat or the white or black sides and back (but not front) of the plate for a strike. The mat is the width of the plate and 33″ from the plate corners. The pitching distance is 50 feet and base distance is 65 feet..
19. When there is a clearly marked home run target, there will be a four (4) home run limit per team, with a one-up rule. This means that when both teams have hit four home runs, one additional home run will become available for each. One home run is added as both teams continue to attain the limit. When the limit is in effect, home runs become ground rule singles.
20. If a batter swings AND MAKES CONTACT with the ball with any part of either foot touching any part of home plate not including the mat – he is ruled to be out, the ball is dead, and any base runners do not advance.
21. All games will start with a 1-1 count.
22. A batter may reset his ball count one time rather than take a base on balls.  His strike and foul count will continue as is.

Rules Regarding Double Headers

1. Regulation games are 6 innings each.  For six inning games, if a team has taken their at-bats in the 4th inning of any game and are behind by fifteen or more runs, or in the 5th inning and behind by ten or more runs, the game shall be called officially over. The coaches may agree to continue play for practice purposes, with no effect on the outcome and no additional scorekeeping.
2. The first game is scheduled to begin promptly at 6:30 throughout the entire season. The visiting team will have the field from 6:15 until 6:25. The home team and visiting team are to remain the same for both games. The game shall start as scheduled if both teams have at least eight players.
3. Forfeit time for the first game is 6:40. If there is the potential for having enough players for the second game, both teams will wait and forfeit time for the second game will be 7:00. The second game shall start as soon as both teams have at least eight players.
4. In the first game, no new inning shall start after 7:30. If the score is tied, one extra inning will be played starting with one out and a runner on second base at the start of each team’s at-bat. The runner will be the last out from the previous inning. If the game is still tied after the extra inning, the game is declared a tie.
5. The second game is to begin within five minutes after the conclusion of the first game. If the score is tied at the end of regulation play, one extra inning will be played starting with one out and a runner on second base at the start of each team’s at-bat.  The runner will be the last out from the previous inning. If the game is still tied after the extra inning, the game is declared a tie unless both coaches agree to continue play and there is sufficient daylight to safely continue.
6. Pitchers are allowed up to five warm-ups to begin the game or as a relief pitcher. Thereafter, the pitcher is allowed up to three.
7. No team may use any form of delay tactics for any reason. The umpire will issue one warning to any team and/or player that he feels is delaying the game. Subsequently, the umpire may eject any player(s) for delaying the game.
8. All double header games will have a 1-1 count. This includes playoffs.