The following are some highlights from the special rules:
- START TIME: Official start time of a DCTTSL game is 6:30p, unless the captains agree to start earlier. There is a 30-minute grace period if one of the teams cannot field a legal team by 6:30p. Once the grace period expires, that team must forfeit if it cannot field a legal team. If both teams cannot field legal teams, the start of the game can be delayed upon agreement by the captains.
- GENDER: The DCTTSL is a co-ed league, and each team is required to have at least three women players in the field for each defensive half-inning, and at least three women in the batting order throughout the game. Three women batters must be among the first 10 batters in the batting order.
- If a team has the requisite three women players in its lineup, the team can field 10 fielders and have a batting order of as many as 12 batters (two DHs).
- If a team has more than three women players in the lineup, the team can bat a longer batting order, following a 1:3 female-player[male+female] ratio for batters following the first 12 hitters. (The team cannot field more than 10 fielders, however.) Only three of those women need to play defensively each inning.
- If a team has only two women players in the lineup, the team can field only nine fielders, one of whom must be a catcher. The team, when batting, must also take an automatic out every 10th batter. The team cannot use any designated hitters.
- If a team has only one or no women players, the team automatically forfeits.
- OFFICIATING: The first- and third-base coaches, supplied by the team at bat, are responsible for officiating the plays during which they are coaching.
- STRIKEOUTS AND WALKS – THE 5/5/10 RULE:
- If a batter swings and misses five cumulative times during his/her at bat without making any discernable contact with the ball, the batter is out on strikes.
- Any batter who takes (does not swing at) five (5) pitches that hits any part of the ball/strike mat upon landing on the ground during his/her at bat is out. The defensive team's catcher is responsible for determining whether a ball has struck the mat and informing the batter and base coaches (i.e., umpires) of each occurrence.
- Any batter who takes (does not swing at) ten (10) pitches that do not hit any part of the ball/strike mat upon landing on the ground during his/her at bat is awarded a base on balls. The defensive team's catcher is responsible for determining whether a ball missed the mat and informing the batter and base coaches (i.e., umpires) of each occurrence.
- DEFENSIVE POSITIONING: Each team, when playing defense, must adhere to the following rules:
- No more than 10 players can play on defense at any time.
- At least three of the defensive players must be women.
- Two of the players must be a pitcher and a catcher, and those players must be positioned in their traditional spots.
- Until the batter makes contact with the ball, no more than six players can be positioned closer to the plate than the edge of the infield (as established by the team captains during the pre-game ground rules discussion).
- SUBSTITUTIONS: Substitution of players must occur at the top of the inning and new players must play an entire inning (offense and defense) before they can then be removed from the lineup. New players must bat in the lineup in the spot of the player for whom they substituted.
- If the team playing defense makes substitutions, they must retain the minimum number of women in the field at all times. If the team at bat wishes to make substitutions (i.e. pinch hit), the player taken out and the player entering the game must be of the same gender.
- A removed player can be reinserted into the game.
- No player may bat more than once in any trip through the batting order. A player that is removed and then reinserted into the lineup must be inserted in such a way as to not violate this rule.
- INFIELD FLY RULE: The infield fly rule is recognized by the DCTTSL. It must be called out loudly by the base coaches before the ball reaches its apogee, or the defensive team has the right to play it as a ground ball.
- By rule, the infield fly rule can be called only when:
- there is less than two outs,
- the ball is in the infield, in fair territory,
- the ensuing catch will be made with ease, and
- a force play can occur at third base.
- SLIDING: Sliding is allowed in the DCTTSL provided that it is not malicious and intended to interfere with a defensive player.
- If the captain of the fielding team believes a malicious slide has occurred, the captain should notify the opposing captain immediately. If the opposing captain agrees, an out is recorded against the batting team and the sliding player is removed from the game.
- If the opposing captain does not agree, the play stands as called but a slide warning is issued against both teams. Any future sliding incident that draws a complaint from a defensive captain will result in the removal of the sliding player and the recording of an out against the batting team.
- BLOCKING THE BASE: In the interest of safety, a fielder may not deliberately block a base from an opposing baserunner.
- If the captain of the batting team believes a fielder deliberately blocked a base, the captain should notify the opposing captain immediately. If the opposing captain agrees, the runner is awarded the base.
- If the opposing captain does not agree, the play stands as called but a base-blocking warning is issued against both teams. Any future blocking incident that draws a complaint from a batting team’s captain will result in the awarding of the base to the baserunner.
- OVERTHROW: On a ball thrown out of play, baserunners are awarded one base beyond the base that the runner was legitimately trying for when the ball went out-of-play.
- For instance, if a runner is trying to go from 2nd to 3rd and the ball is thrown out of play, the runner receives 3rd and continues on to home. HOWEVER, if the runner was not making a legitimate attempt at 3rd — that is, the runner had simply overrun 2nd, or had made a bluff toward 3rd, or had turned back toward 2nd and given up the attempt at 3rd — the runner is awarded only 3rd base.
- Further, if a runner had left base early on a ball caught in the air, and the runner is trying to return to the original base when the overthrow occurs, the runner must officially tag up and then can advance only one base on the overthrow.
- It is to the discretions of the captains to determine, before the game, whether to use established bounds to determine when the ball has left the field of play, or for the defensive team to simply call out-of-play.
- FOULS: Any foul ball or tip that is caught is an out. A foul ball does NOT need to show any change of direction and does NOT need to travel above the batters head. In short, if the batter swings and makes contact with the ball and it is caught prior to touching the ground, then the batter is out.
- CAPTAINS’ DISCRETION: Prior to the start of any game, the captains of the two involved teams can agree to implement special rules for that game. Also, during a game, if an incident or circumstance occurs that the captains agree require a special rule, they may implement the rule.
- GAME LENGTH: A complete DCTTSL game will be seven innings (unless extra innings are necessary to settle a tie).
- If a game does not run the full seven innings, the game will still be considered official if the trailing team has come to bat at least four times (that is, the game has gone four innings).
- In all cases, the trailing team must have come to bat at least as many times as the leading team in order for the game to be considered official. If this condition is not met, the score reverts to what it was at the beginning of the last full inning and, if the game at that earlier point met the four-inning requirement, the game is considered official.
In addition, here are some notes from the DCTTSL Rules Committee regarding the 2010 season:
POINTS OF EMPHASIS FOR THE 2010 SEASON
Please also remember that there are ASA guidelines to pitching and batting, and although this is not in our rules, please remember that we shall all play in the spirit of the game with the intent to have fun. Five (5) points of emphasis this season that, although not in the rules, should be followed:- Please do not intentionally walk batters!
- Pitching in the DCTTSL is regulated by ASA rules, but without umpires calling balls and strikes. All pitchers must deliver the ball with one foot on, or touching against, a designated rubber or mound marker that is at least 46 feet, but recommended to be 50 feet for our league’s .44 polycore balls, away from the front of home plate (as designated by ASA). Please pitch from the mound at a safe distance!
- Pitchers may hold or grip the ball in any manner. The pitch must be delivered in a definite underhanded motion. The pitcher may not attempt to put a sideways spin on the ball so as to try to create a curving effect. All DCTTSL pitchers will do their best to deliver the ball between the shoulders and knees of batters with a 6’ to 10’ arc. ALL DCTTSL Captains will also do their very best to play pitchers capable of delivering the ball between the shoulders and knees of batters with a 6’ to 10’ arc.
- Batting in the DCTTSL should be conducted by players with the best intention of hitting the ball, without intent to delay the game or draw a walk, and in the spirit of the game. Batters will do their best to hit pitches delivered to them between the shoulders and knees that have an arc of 6’ to 10’.
- As the 5/5/10 Rules has been adopted, the rules state that it is the defensive team's catcher is responsible for determining if pitches hit or miss the strike mat. This may not be feasible in certain situations, team captains are encouraged to use the “Captain’s Discretion” clause of our League Rules at Section XIV to allow someone on the batting team to stand at a safe distance from home plate to count out the provisions of the 5/5/10 rule.
