Game Setup

1.00 THE PLAYING FIELD
1.01 The FIELD shall be laid out using the instructions below, supplemented by Diagram 1. The playing surface may be dirt, grass, artificial grass, concrete, or asphalt. FOUL LINES shall extend from the back of home plate to the base of the foul poles, in left and right fields, clearly defining the limits of"fair" territory of the playing field.

1.03 the INFIELD shall be marked with a 40 ft. double's line, extending from Foul line to Foul line, and a 60 ft. Triples line also extending from Foul line to Foul line.
1.04 the PITCHER’S MOUND should be 35ft. from the batter.
 

2.00 EQUIPMENT
2.01 The BALL - The official Wiffle Ball (baseball size) shall be the official ball of Delaware Sports League.
a) Balls may be lightly scuffed, in order to remove their slick finish at any time throughout the game.
b) Any ball with greater than a 1/4" crack will be thrown out of the game.
2.02 No gloves are to be worn.
2.03 The BAT- All Equipment will be provided by Delaware Sports League.
a) Bats may not be modified
3.00 UMPIRING
Umpiring will be by volunteer. Each team will be asked to provide one person from each team that is not playing in the current game to help judge the match. Mainly we are calling foul/fair balls and line calls (doubles and triples). A DSL Representative will always be available for questions.

4.00 STARTING/ENDING THE GAME
4.01 A regulation game consists of 5 innings, unless extended because of a tie score or shortened because (i) the home team needs none of it's half of the 5th inning, or (ii) either team holds a 15 run or greater lead at the end of the fourth inning.
4.02 GAME DELAYS - The DSL Staff shall halt play if field or weather conditions are deemed too severe for play. Play shall not resume until a DSL Staff member determines that field and weather conditions allow play. If the DSL Staff Member judges that field and weather conditions render the game unplayable, the game shall be called.
4.03 REGULATION GAME - If the game is called it is a REGULATION GAME if 4 innings have been completed and either team has the lead.
4.04 SUSPENDED GAME - If the game is called, it is a SUSPENDED GAME if four innings have not been completed and neither team has the lead.
NOTE: A SUSPENDED GAME shall be continued from the point at which it was called until it's conclusion or it meets the REGULATION GAME parameters and is called for again.
4.06 EXTRA INNINGS - If the score is tied after 5 complete innings, play shall continue until (i) the visiting team has scored more runs than the home team at the end of a completed inning, or (ii) the home team scores the winning run in an uncompleted inning. PLEASE NOTE: In extra innings, both teams begin with the bases loaded.
4.07 PROTESTING GAMES – There will be no Protested Games…we are just not that competitive.

5.00 GENERAL GAME RULES
(a) ROSTER - Teams shall carry a minimum of 10 and no more than 15 players on their roster.
(b) Teams shall employ a minimum of four players (pitcher, three fielders) in the field. NOTE: There is a minimum requirement of two women and two men per team. If these requirements are not met an automatic out shall be recorded each time the absent female/male is due to bat. If a player leaves the game and the team has no other available roster players to take his/her spot in the line-up, his/her team may continue play with three players. An out will be recorded when the absent player is due to bat. This rule is in place to foster the coed social element of our league. It is more fun for everyone when there is a good mix of men and women.
(c) BATTING ORDER - A team's batting order shall be presented to the opposing team at the beginning of each game. This order will consist of every player regardless of whether or not they are playing the field.
(e) BENCH PLAYERS - All roster players not appearing in the batting order at the start of the game shall be considered bench players.

5.02 SUBSTITUTION
(a) PITCHER(i) A pitcher may be substituted for at any time after he has faced a minimum of one batter. (ii) A pitcher being replaced maintains his spot in the batting order, unless the relief pitcher is a bench player, or he is pinch hit for by a bench player.
(b) FIELDERS (i) Free substitution of fielders is permitted among all players in the starting line-up. Fielders being replaced in the field by starting players shall maintain their spot in the batting order.
(ii) Teams may have no more than four players protecting the singles line.
(iii) Teams my borrow players from other teams ONLY when they are short players. If a player(s) arrives and the team has enough players on their team the substitute must sit out. Teams may bring a non DSL Substitute to play for FREE only once. After that there is a $10 fee per game substituted after the substitutes first time. Substitutes also have the right to join the league in the event that a player is no longer able to participate in the rest of the season. The substitute may permanently take their place by paying the full registration.
(iv) Substitutions in the Playoffs MUST BE PRE-APPROVED and must have played at least one week prior to the playoffs either as a member or a substitute.

5.03 BATTING OUT OF ORDER
(a) 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.
NOTE: The proper batter may take his/her place in the batter's box at any time before the improper batter completes a time at bat, and any balls or strikes shall be counted in the proper batter's turn at bat.
(b) If an improper batter becomes a runner or is put out, the defensive team must appeal the legality of his at bat before the first pitch to the next batter. If this is done, the umpire shall (i) declare the proper batter
out, (ii) nullify any advance or score made because of a ball batted by the improper batter or because of the improper batter's advance to first base on a walk.
(c) If an improper batter becomes a runner or is put out, and a pitch is made to the next batter before an
appeal is made, the improper batter becomes the proper batter and the results of his time at bat
becomes legal and shall stand.
(d) If the proper batter is called out because he failed to bat in turn, the next batter shall be the batter whose name follows that of the proper batter in the batting order.
(e) If an improper batter becomes a proper batter because no appear is made before the first pitch to the next batter, the next batter shall be the batter whose name follows that of the now legalized improper batter.
5.04 BUNTING - Bunting is illegal. If a batter attempts to bunt, he shall be ruled out by the crew chief and the put out shall be recorded as a strikeout.

SECTION II
GAME PLAY

6.00 PITCHING
6.01 THE COUNT - The official count shall be 4 balls and 3 strikes. A strike shall be called if a pitched ball (i) goes through the target strike zone in the air, (ii) is swung at and missed by the batter, or (iii) is fouled by the batter. NOTE: The hands of the batter shall be ruled as an extension of the bat. If a batter swings at the pitch and hits a fair ball off of his hand(s), the ball shall be ruled a fair ball.
6.02 The pitcher shall be allowed 15 warm-up pitches before his first inning or work. Each succeeding inning, the pitcher shall be allowed 5 warm-up pitches.
6.03 HIT BY PITCH - Any pitched ball which hits the batter legally positioned within the batter's box and not in the act of swinging shall be called a ball. No base awarded.
6.04 BATTER INTERFERENCE - Once the batter has legally positioned himself within the batter's box, he is not required to move out of the path of the pitch. However, if the batter is ruled by the pitcher to have intentionally moved into the path of the pitch in an attempt to block the pitch, he shall be called for batter interference, and the pitch shall be called a strike.
NOTE: The issue of Rule 6.04 is not whether the pitch would have hit the target strike zone, but did Me batter intentionally move into the path of Me pinch in question.
 

7.00 OFFENSE
7.01 Each offensive player shall bat in the order that his name appears in the batting order.
7.02 The batter shall take his position in the batter's box promptly when it is his turn to bat. The batter's legal position shall be with both feet completely within the batter's box.
7.03 The batter has legally completed his time at bat when his is either put out or becomes a runner.

8.00 HITS
8.01 Any fair ball that touches on, or beyond the pitching line is a single.
8.02 Any fair ball that touches on, or goes beyond the double line on a fly is a double.
8.03 Any. fair ball that hits the fence on the fly is a triple. On the V.I.P. Field, if the ball hits the Green Monster" on a fly, and is caught by the outfielder before it touches the ground, the batter is held to a single.
8.04 Any fair ball that goes over the fence is a home run. If an outfielder touches the ball, it is still considered a home run.
8.05 Any fly ball that is dropped by a fielder - fair or foul, is considered a single, even if he is beyond the double line.
8.06 Any fair ground ball misplayed by the fielder is a single. A ground ball may be bobbled, but if it retouches the ground, it is considered a single.
8.07 Base runners advance same amount of bases as batter.
8.08 SACRIFICE FLY - (only pertains to runner on 3rd base) batter has option of tagging - must say "sacrifice fly" while ball is in air. The defender who catches the ball must throw it through the hole in backstop on the fly from where he caught it. If he does, it's a double play, if not, then the run scores.
8.09 Any ball that touches beyond the single line in foul territory is a foul ball, even if it bounces back into fair territory.
 

9.00 DEFENSE
9.01 POSITIONING
(a) A defensive fielder shall not position himself behind the pitcher within the batter's hitting background. If a fielder does position himself in this fashion, the batter must appeal to the pitcher to have the offending fielder reposition himself out of the batter's hitting background before the pitch is delivered.
(b) A defensive player shall not engage in any action or movement with the intent to distract the batter.
 

10.00 BASE RUNNING/RUNNER ADVANCEMENT
Physical running of the bases shall not be employed. Instead, "ghost" or imaginary runners shall be used. All runners automatically advance the same number of bases as the batter.
10.01 AUTOMATIC RUNNER ADVANCEMENT
(a) The batter earns a walk - all runners that are forced to advance by the advancement of the batter to first base advance one base.
(b) The batter hits a ground rule single, double, triple, home run, or reaches on an error, all runners advance the same number of bases as the batter.
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