April 2025
The Texas Hill Country Senior Softball League will use the current Official Senior Softball USA Rulebook, with the following exceptions:
PLAYING RULES
- Ball – One new 12-inch ball with a COR of .52 and a Compression Rating of no more than 300 pounds shall be furnished by the league at the start of each game.
- Bats – Bats must be marked with the SSUSA/NTS logo. Older bats must be marked SSUSA approved (or have SSUSA logo), with 1.21 BPF or less.
- Jersey – Players are encouraged to wear the numbered jersy furnished by the league, but there is no penalty for not doing so.
- Team – Ten (10) players constitute a team. However, a team may start or continue a game with no fewer than nine (9) players. No out will be declared when the tenth position comes to bat. If a team is batting more than 10 players, and a player leaves the batting order, no out will be declared when that position comes to bat.
- Substitution – Any player on the team’s roster may be substituted into the game without penalty, whether listed as a sub or not.
- Late Arriving Player – Any late arriving players must be added at the end of the batting order (unless they are replacing a Fill-in Player).
- Player Participation – All players on a team’s roster in attendance and able to play, must be in the batting order and must play at least two (2) defensive innings.
- Fill-In Player(s) – A team must have a minimum of six roster players for an official game. Teams with less than ten assigned roster players must have at least five roster players present and able to play, in order to prevent a forfeit. A team must draw players from registered league players until they reach the number of players constituting a team. Fill-in Players will be selected by a drawing and must bat in the order selected at the end of the batting order. If both teams are short, the team with the fewest players draws first, or if both teams have an equal number of players, the home team draws first. The teams alternate drawing until both have a full team. Unassigned players and registered league players will be included in the same Fill-in Player draw. If more players are needed by a team than are available to fill in, and the opposing team has more players than needed for a full team, players from the opposing team may volunteer to play with the shorthanded team. Late arriving (less than 10 minutes prior to scheduled game time) roster players will be inserted in the line-up for Fill-in players in the reverse order in which drawn, provided the Fill-in player being replaced has had at least one at-bat. If a team picked up Fill-in Player(s), any roster player arriving late must replace the last Fill-in Player selected that is still in the game and bat in that spot in the order.
- Forfeit – A forfeit will be declared if a team does not have a legal team ready to play at the scheduled game time or is unable to maintain a legal team during the game.
- Player Leaves Game – If a player leaves for any other reason than ejection, and it causes the team to drop below 10 players in the batting order, a Fill-in Player must be selected for replacement by drawing and bat in the same spot in the order
- Game Time – Official game time begins when the umpire declares “play ball” prior to the first pitch.
- Regulation Time Limit – The regulation time limit shall be 55 minutes (or 65 if there are fewer than three games per session), plus the open inning. If the time limit is reached during any inning prior to the 6th inning, the game moves immediately to the open inning. An inning is considered ended when the last out is made.
- Home Team – Home team will be designated by the schedule and take the 3rd base dugout
- Tie-Breaker Rule – Games tied after seven (7) innings or time limit will continue, with the International Tie-Breaker Rule. Each team will start each additional inning with a runner on second base and the batter having a 3-2 count. The game will continue until one team is ahead after the completion of any subsequent inning. Each batter is allowed only one pitch. The runner will be the last player that completed his turn at bat when the third out was made in the previous inning. No courtesy runner is allowed to replace the runner starting at second base until he has advanced to third base. If this runner is unable to continue play, for any reason, he will be declared out and the next previous batter will be the tie breaker runner. The runner that was unable to continue may not play for the remainder of the game.
- Home Plate – Only the image of home plate on the strike mat is in fair territory.
- Home Run Limit – There is a limit of two “over the fence” home runs for each team. Each home run over the limit is a walk and the base runners advance only if forced by the batter.
- Protests – Protests will be considered by a committee appointed by the league President.
- Strike Zone Mat – The strike zone mat shall be 21 inches by 35 inches. Any legal pitch that strikes the mat, even if only on the edge, is a strike.
- Protective Headgear – Pitchers must wear a protective facemask and helmet while pitching in accordance with the manufacturer’s intended use of the product.
- Unsportsmanlike Conduct – Texas Hill Country Senior Softball League Board of Directors will have the same authority vested in the SSUSA board to consider penalties for unsportsmanlike conduct.
- Postponements – Postponements prior to the start of an evening’s play shall be the responsibility of the league President. Once play has begun, the head umpire shall have the responsibility to suspend the game in progress and postpone any remaining game on that night’s schedule. The THCSSL BOD will determine the make-up schedule for postponed or suspended games. Any suspended game that is not considered regulation shall be replayed from the beginning.
- Encroachment Line – While anyone is batting, four fielders (three if playing with nine defensive players) must remain behind the encroachment line until the pitched ball is hit and may not make a direct throw to first base in an attempt to put out the batter-baserunner. The encroachment line is drawn as an arc 150 feet from the tip of home plate from the left field line to the right field line. Effect: The team at bat has the option of taking the results of the play, or the batter is awarded first base, and any base runners are awarded one base from their position at the start of the play.
- Distance Between Bases – The distance between bases will be 65 feet (or 70 feet if the field allows).
- No Foul Tip – There is no “Foul Tip.” Any pitched ball that contacts the bat and is caught by the catcher results in the batter being out.
- Commitment Line – A commitment line 30 feet from the scoring line will be used. Once a runner’s foot touches the ground on or past this line, the runner is committed to advance to the scoring line and may no longer be tagged out. A runner re-crossing the commitment line to return to third base will be called out and the ball remains live.
- Scoring Line – In order to score a run, a base runner’s foot must be down on the scoring line or down past the scoring line prior to the ball being received by a defensive player touching the strike mat.
- Crossing/Touching Strike Mat or Batter’s Boxes During a Live Play – The runner shall be called out if they touch or cross over any portion of the strike mat or the batter’s boxes and the ball will remain live.
- Flip-Flop Rule – The Flip-Flop rule will be invoked when there is a 10-run differential in favor of the visiting team at the start of the “open inning.” The home team will remain at bat and start a new at-bats (beginning their seventh or last inning at-bats), meaning all runners then on base will return to the dugout. If the home team fails to tie or go ahead of the visiting team, the game ends and the visiting team wins. If the home team ties or goes ahead, the visiting team takes its turn at bat.
- Interrupted Game – A game that is interrupted before time has expired shall be replayed from the beginning, unless the teams mutually agree to accept the existing score as the final score. However, an official game may be called after five (5) innings of play or 4 1/2 innings of play (if the home team is ahead.) If the game is replayed from the beginning, the original lineups will be used but if a lineup player is unavailable, substitutes can be used from the team roster or available Fill-in players.