PARK DISTRICT STATEMENT
The Homewood-Flossmoor Park District has developed the following set of rules and regulations to govern Softball Leagues organized or controlled by the Park District. Rules not covered herein will be determined by the A.S.A. "Official Rules of Softball".
These rules have been developed as a guide to enjoyable participation. The spirit of the rules is extremely important. To apply a positive approach it is essential that each participant abides by these rules and enlists the support of all other members of the team.

LEAGUE ORGANIZATION
The Recreation Supervisor will oversee the league and has final power in decision making in all matters pertaining to the league. The League Supervisor will oversee the league onsite and will assist in the day of running of the league. A captains meeting will be held 60 minutes before the start of the first game of the season. The Recreation Supervisor or League Supervisor will call all additional meetings of team captains. Any special meetings desired by teams should be requested through their team captain who will contact the League Supervisor.
The Park District shall determine placement of teams in leagues and the number of teams in leagues.
Won and lost records will be kept and posted weekly on this website: www.hfparks.com.

TEAM CAPTAINS’ RESPONSIBILITIES
Each team shall designate a captain who will be the sole liaison between that team and the Park District. Since there are approximately 1,000 participants in the Adult Leagues, only the designated captain should communicate concerns with the Park District. To avoid confusion players should speak with their team captain on all inquiries and not contact the Park District directly. The team captain may be either a player or a non-player.

Each team captain will receive digital copies of the documents below
- League Rules
- League Schedule
- Roster/Waiver

Team captains are expected to distribute the documents above, inform their players of all rules & regulations prior to the first game, and as often thereafter as necessary to ensure no violations occur. Also, captains are expected to inform players of the game schedule, make up dates, etc. and pass along any other information from the Park District.

Team Captains cell phone numbers will be added to our Remind.com roster. They will then receive text messages about rain outs, forfeits or field changes. Once the remind.com roster is set up any player may add themselves to the roster.

The captain will receive a score sheet for each Home game. The Home team is responsible for supplying the score sheet. At the end of each game both captains should sign off that the score sheet is accurate.

ROSTER/WAIVERS
1. No player should participate in league warm up or play until he or she has signed the Roster/Waiver, even if it is prior to the rosters being due.
2. Team Roster/Waivers are due by the 2nd week of the season. A one week extension will be granted to any team with a bye the first or second week of the season.
3. No additions to the rosters may be made after the second week of play unless it is due to a medical issue and / or approved by the Recreation Supervisor. A medical note may be required.
4. All players must be at least 18 years old.
5. To be eligible for playoff competition, a player must participate in at least one (1) regular season game.
6. It is the responsibility of the challenging team to question an opposing team’s individual player. The umpire will immediately stop the game and ask to see the ID card of the player in question and will write down his/her name and ask the player to submit a signature. If the player does not have an ID he/she will be considered a non-rostered player and will not be allowed to play. The umpire will then continue playing the game and submit the results to the Park District where a final decision will be made.
7. Roster checks can be administrated during any scheduled game. Bring a valid ID to all scheduled games for possible roster checks.
8. Playing a non-rostered player will result in the forfeit of the game and possible suspension from the league with loss of all fees.

INCLEMENT WEATHER
1. Cancelations due to weather will be communicated through remind.com texts.
2. Rain outs will be decided by 4:30pm for weeknight games and 7:45am for Sunday games, whenever possible.
3. If unexpected heavy rains or thunder occur during the game the Umpire will determine if the game is canceled or delayed.
4. In the case of thunder or lightning teams must take shelter for 30 minutes after the last thunder or lightning is seen or heard.
5. Games will only be canceled for heat if the national weather service issues a heat warning recommending limiting physical activity during the actual game time.
6. Games will be canceled due to cold if the predicted temperature is 40 or less during the actual game time.

FORFEITS
It is suggested that you notify your captain if you are unable to play so that a substitute can be found.
1. Every effort to notify the Recreation Supervisor of a forfeit prior to noon on weeknight game days or noon on Saturday for Sunday games, should be made. Teams forfeiting more than three (3) games unannounced during a season may be removed from the league without reimbursement.
2. If one team has fewer than the minimum number of players (9) at fifteen past the designated start time, it will be considered a forfeit. This can be overturned if requested by the opposing team and approved by the umpire.
3. The team captain must report the forfeit to the League Supervisor and write it down on the score sheet.

THE GAME
1. All games are seven innings or one hour. A complete game will be four innings or one hour. The clock starts at game time. If the game clock ends, you are allowed to finish the inning. Ties are permissible.
2. Games will be played on a regulation softball diamond. Bases will be set at 70’ and the pitcher’s mound will be at 50’.
3. One umpire will be assigned to all games. If no umpire reports, teams can agree to play the game or it will be rescheduled, if possible. If managers agree the game is played, the final score will be considered official.
4. Teams listed second on the schedule are the home team and occupy the first base bench area, furnish the game ball and scores sheet.
5. Bats MUST be marked "official softball". If a bat is not marked "official softball” or is on the illegal bat list it may NOT be used in the game.
6. Any equipment in question should be brought to the attention of the umpire or League Supervisor. They will make all final decisions with regard to equipment discrepancies.
7. Uniforms are not required, but all players must wear a shirt and shoes.
8. No metal spikes are allowed.
9. The winning team is responsible for turning in the score card to the League or Recreation Supervisor, by the next business day. Score cards can be submitted in person to the league supervisor, through the mail slot at Goldberg Administration Center 3301 Flossmoor Road or electronically to cbecker@hfparks.com or turn it in to the League Supervisor.

GENERAL GAME PLAY
1. Play consists of 9-10 players per side in the field. You can bat up to 12 players.
- In Co-Rec the breakdown is 5 men and 5 women (or 5/4 or 4/4) in the field at one time. Teams may play a legal game with 8 players (4 men/4 women).
2. If a player is injured while a team is playing with nine players and the injured player is removed from the game, the team may continue with less than nine players. The ninth spot becomes an automatic out. If a team playing with only 9 players has a player ejected from the game, that team will forfeit the game.
3. Re-Entry: A starting player may be withdrawn and re-enter once, provided such player occupies the same batting position. A substitute who is withdrawn may not re-enter. In Co-Rec the substituting players must be the same sex.
4. Extra Player(s) will be allowed as an option for each game.
- A team may bat twelve players in their batting order. The Extra Player(s) does not play the field on defense. However, the Extra Player(s) can go into the field in a defensive position. The player formerly playing the field now becomes the Extra Player and both players continue to bat in the same position of the batting order. The Extra Player can also replace a fielder removed from game, and a substitute Extra Player may be employed.
- The rule is an option and must be announced to the opposing team and the umpire to the start of the game.
- A team must bat extra players throughout the entire game and cannot at any point bat fewer than the starting number of players, unless one player is injured during the course of the game.
5. Courtesy Runners are allowed, one per inning. The courtesy runner will be the last man or woman to record an out.
6. All players in the field must be listed in the batting order.
7. Game Mercy Rule: 20 runs after three complete innings, 15 runs after four innings and 10 runs after five innings.

DEFENSE
1. Pitcher must present the ball for one second before starting the pitching motion.
2. Arc limitations are a maximum of 10’ and a minimum arc limit of 6’ from the ground.
Co-Rec
3. Males and females must be evenly distributed through the infield and outfield. 2 males and 2 females must play the infield. 2 males and 2 females must play the outfield. Pitcher and catcher must be of opposite sex. If you begin with 9 players and the 10th player arrives late, you must then go back to even playing positions.

OFFENSE
1. Batter is out on the first foul ball after two strikes. If the ball is caught in foul territory, it is a live ball.
2. Runners cannot leave the base until the batter makes contact. After the ball crosses the plate and is not hit, the ball becomes dead immediately. 3. Apollo East: If a ball goes into the bushes in left field it will be ruled a double.
4. Homewood Estates #3: If a ball goes into the parking lot/street is will be ruled a home run.
Co-Rec
5. CoRec batting order will alternate male, female, male, female, etc. or female, male, female, male, etc. The choice is up to each individual team. In the case where there are uneven men and women, a non-alternating order can be used at the end of the lineup.
6. A walk to a male batter will result in a two base award. The next batter (a female) will bat, unless there are 2 outs. In this case, the female has the choice to either walk or take her turn and bat.

PLAYOFFS
1. In certain situations, teams at or near the bottom of the standings may not advance to the playoffs.
2. Playoffs are single elimination.
3. Teams are seeded according to league play winning percentage. In the case of a tie league games played against the tide teams will be assessed.
4. Championship games going into extra innings will be capped at 8 innings. If still tied after 8 innings, both teams will be deemed co-champions.

SPORTSMANSHIP
1. Participants and spectators are expected to exhibit appropriate behavior at all times. The following guidelines have been developed to make Park District programs safe and enjoyable for all participants. Participants shall:
- Show respect to all participants, staff and spectators.
- Refrain from using foul language.
- Refrain from threatening or causing bodily harm to self, other participants, staff and spectators.
- Show respect for equipment, supplies and facilities.
- Not possess any weapons. (Example: guns, knives, explosives, projectiles, etc.)

2. Fighting or physical violence toward officials, other players, or staff, will not be tolerated. The offending player may be suspended for the remainder of the current season, the entire following season and or a ban from all park district leagues.
3. A team brawl or fight will result in the suspension of the teams, forfeiture of league fee, and/or suspension of players. Length of the suspension will be determined by the Recreation Supervisor, League Supervisor, and official’s coordinator. There will be NO appeals.
4. Participants should follow program rules and take direction from Park District staff members.
5. Any player, captain or coach ejected from a game is automatically suspended from the next game his/her team plays.
- This person will not be allowed at the park until the suspension is over.
- If any player is ejected from a game twice in a season, that player is automatically suspended for the remainder of the season.
6. It is the captain's responsibility to enact this suspension and upon proven violation, both captain and player are subject to further action and suspension.
7. Any action, which results in the suspension of individual players or teams shall be final and the entry fee shall be forfeited.
- Umpires do not have the authority to waive this suspension in any case.
8. This league is designed for FUN and exercise. Winning and losing is secondary to having fun.

OTHER
1. Teams withdrawing from the league after league schedules have been finalized shall forfeit the entry fee.
2. Park District Staff are allowed to take photographs and videos (per Photo/Video Policy). Participants may only take photographs and videos after approval from any and all teams included in the photograph or video.
3. No alcohol or illegal drugs are allowed on park property. Any use of alcohol or illegal drugs will be prosecuted by appropriate laws and will result in a suspension from participation in any Homewood-Flossmoor Park District sponsored leagues, tournaments or programs.
4. The umpires have the final say on all calls. If a team feels there was an error in a call that team captain may document the protest by e-mailing the Recreation Supervisor with the details of the play. No calls will be overturned, but will be acknowledge and followed through with the perspective umpire.
GOOD LUCK & ENJOY THE SEASON!