Tournament Rulebook

CHECK BACK IN AT THE BEGINNING OF 2023 FOR MORE INFORMATION REGARDING OUR SPRING CLASSIC TOURNAMENT!

1: General

A. All teams must have between 9 and 12 members.
B. Forfeit time has been established as 10 minutes after scheduled game time. A lineup must be given to the scorekeeper prior to each game stating the batting order.
C. The Texas Iron Spikes will furnish two umpires per game. They will call safe/out and make sure all other rules are in-place. The umpires will also serve as scorekeepers for the game.
D. When not on defense, all players must remain in the dugout during live play (except for a first base coach, a third base coach, and the on-deck hitter).

2: The Playing Field

A. Bases will be 60 feet apart in all divisions.
B. Umpires will establish ground rules prior to the game regarding out of play areas, permanent obstacles in the field of play, etc.

3: Equipment

A. Shoes are required. Gym or running shoes are recommended. Rubber training shoes and single-molded plastic/rubber soccer-type cleats are permitted. Metal cleats or spikes of any type are not allowed. Shoes with screw-in cleats of any kind are illegal.
B. In order for a bat to be deemed legal, it must be an official A.S.A. approved softball bat. It must have a safety grip (no smooth tape) and must be free of rough or sharp edges. Baseball bats and fungo bats are not legal.
C. One game ball will be provided to all teams. Each team must provide a game ball for each game. If lost, official softballs for the tournament will be sold ($5). They are Worth Super Blue dot (.47 core).

4:Players and   Substitutes

A. A team must have 8 players present to start the game. Teams starting with 8 or 9 players will not be assessed outs for those spots in the batting order. Players arriving late may have their name added to the bottom of the order, but you may not add an Extra Hitter after the game has started. All substitutes must report to an umpire before batting.
B. For the Co-ed Division, the batting roster must alternate from male and female players. The first and last player on the roster must be of opposite sexes. If the first and last player on the roster is of the same sex, an out will be issued to the team every time two males/females bat consecutively.
C. A player who is bleeding, has an open wound, or has blood on the uniform shall be considered an injured player and may not return to the game until the bleeding has stopped and the wound properly covered.

5: The Game

A. The game will consist of 3 innings or 30 minutes.
B. There will be no run limit per inning.
C. During single elimination, ties will be played out using the "international tiebreak rule".
D. The choice of first or last bat in the inning shall be decided by a coin toss (home/ visitor) prior to the game.
E. Base stealing is not allowed. Runners can leave their bases when a pitched ball is hit. 
F. Bunting or chopping down on the ball is not allowed and will result in a dead ball with the batter being called out.
G. There will be a maximum of three pitches thrown to each batter, all of which are considered strikes. Players will pitch to their own team.
H. Infield practice is not allowed after the first inning. Pitcher will be allowed three warm-up pitches per inning.
I. The ball is dead and not in play:
            1. When no pitch is declared.
            2. When a foul ball is not caught.
            3. When a runner is called out for leaving a base too soon.
            4. When offensive interference occurs.
            5. When a defensive player carries the ball out of play (intentionally or unintentionally).

J. The ball is in play:
            1. When the infield fly rule is enforced.
            2. When a thrown ball remains in playable territory.
            3. When a base is dislodged while base runners are progressing around the bases.
            4. When a thrown ball strikes an offensive player.
            5. When a thrown ball or fair-batted ball strikes an umpire.
            6. When a thrown ball strikes a coach.

K. The ball remains alive until the umpire declares time, which will be done when the ball is held by a player on the infield area and all play has ceased in the opinion of the umpire.
L. A foul ball must reach a height of six feet or more to be legally caught for an out, except for a third strike, in which case any foul is an out.
M. The infield rover (defensive pitcher) must stay at least 10 feet away from the offensive pitcher.
N. Four players must be present in the outfield on defense when playing with 10 players.

6: Pitching

A. At the beginning of each half-inning or when a pitcher relieves another, not more than one minute may be used to deliver not more than three warm-up pitches to the catcher or other teammate. No infield or outfield ball is allowed after the first inning.
B. The pitcher must pause with at least one foot contacting the rubber prior to pitching the ball. The pitcher's foot must remain in contact with the rubber throughout the delivery.
C. The pitcher must deliver the ball in a continuous, underhand motion on the first forward swing of the pitching arm past the hip.
D. If a step is taken, it may be forward, backward, or to the side provided the foot stays in contact with the rubber and the step is taken simultaneously with the pitch.
E. The ball must reach a height of 6 feet and not exceed a height of 12 feet to be declared a pitch. Discretion in determining pitch height will be left to the game's umpires. 

7: Batting

A. The batter is out:
            1. When a batter appears in the batter's box with, or is discovered using, an altered or illegal bat. Baseball and fungo bats are illegal.
            2. Immediately when the umpire declares a fair infield fly with base runners on first and second or on first, second, and third with less than two outs.                         This is called the infield fly rule. The ball remains alive, and runners may advance at their own risk.
            3. If a fielder intentionally drops a fair fly ball that can be caught by an infielder, with ordinary effort, with first and second or first, second, and third                         bases occupied with less than two outs. The ball is dead and all runners must return to the base they occupied at the time the ball was pitched.
            4. When the batter bunts or chops the ball downward. The ball is dead, and all runners return to the base they occupied when the ball was pitched. 
            5. When any foot touches the ground completely outside the batter's box, or if any part of the foot touches the plate and the ball is hit fair or foul.

B. There will be a 3-homerun limit per team per game.

8: Runner and Batter-Runner

A. When a base runner must return while the ball is in play, he/she must touch the bases in reverse order.
B. No runner may return to touch a missed base or one he/she had left illegally after a following runner has scored. The defense must appeal for the out to be granted.
C. Base runners must slide or run around a fielder making a defensive play on the ball when trying to reach a base. The runner is responsible for avoiding contact in these situations. When sliding, runners must always slide for the base and will be ejected for purposely sliding into a fielder or physically running into a fielder.
D. Base runners are entitled to advance but accept the liability to be put out under the following circumstances:
            1. When the ball is overthrown into fair or foul territory and remains in play.
            2. When the ball is batted into fair territory.
            3. When a legally caught fly ball is first touched.

E. Base runners are entitled to advance without liability to be put out:
            1. When a fielder obstructs the base runner from making a base unless the fielder is trying to field the batted ball or has the ball ready to touch the                         base runner.
            2. When the ball is in play and is overthrown and goes out of play, all runners advance two bases from where they were when the ball left the                                     thrower's hand.

F. Obstruction is the act of:
            1. A defensive player or team member that hinders or prevents a batter from striking or hitting a pitched ball.
            2. A fielder, while not in possession of the ball, in the act of fielding a batted ball, or about to receive a thrown ball, which impedes the progress of a                         base runner who is legally running the bases.

G. Interference is the act of an offensive player or team member, which impedes or confuses a defensive player attempting to execute a play.
H. Base Stealing - Base stealing is not allowed. Each base runner may leave his/her base when a pitched ball is batted.
I. The base runner is out:
            1. When in running to any base he/she runs more than three feet from a direct line between a base and the next base when a defensive player is                         attempting to tag the runner.
            2. When the base runner passes a preceding base runner before that runner is out.
            3. When the base runner legally overruns first base and makes an attempt to advance to second base and is legally touched while off base.
            4. When the base runner interferes with a fielder attempting to field a batted ball or intentionally interferes with a thrown ball. If this interference, in                         the umpire's judgment, is an obvious attempt to prevent a double play (including shouting or waving the arms to distract the defense), the                         immediate succeeding runner shall also be called out.
            5. When a base runner is struck with a fair-batted ball while off base and before it passes an infielder that could have otherwise made a play.
            6. When, with a base runner on third, the batter or any offensive player interferes with a play being made at home base.
            7. When, in the umpire's judgment, the base coach at first or third base touches or holds the runner physically to assist a runner in returning to or                         advancing from the base when a play is being made on him/her.
            8. When a runner, after being declared out or after scoring, interferes with a defensive player's opportunity to make a play on another runner, the                         runner closest to home plate at the time of the interference shall be declared out.

J. Base runners are not out under the following circumstances:
            1. When a base runner runs around the fielder and outside the baseline in order to avoid interfering with a fielder attempting to field the ball in the                         base path.
            2. When a base runner is hit with a fair-batted ball that has passed through an infielder, excluding the pitcher, and, in the umpire's judgment, no other                         infielder had a chance to play the ball. The ball remains "alive" under this condition.
            3. When a base runner is hit by a fair-batted ball after it is touched or touches any fielder.
            4. When a base runner is hit by a fair-batted ball while in contact with a base.

K. Injured Runner: If an accident to a batter-runner or base runner prevents him/her from proceeding in the game, a substitute runner will be permitted.

9: Ejection Policy