Warrior League Rules

San Diego Warriors follow the 2023-2024 Official Senior Softball USA Rulebook, unless modified by the League. The League rules take precedence in the event of a conflict.

GENERAL RULES

• Regulation game shall consist of seven (7) innings, time permitting. Games will start at either 7pm or 830pm.

• If the score is tied after seven (7) complete innings have been played, the game shall end as a tie game. In post-season play only the League will break ties using the International Tie Breaker procedure as described in the Official Rules.

• If seven (7) full innings (or 6 1/2 if the home team is ahead) have not been completed by the seventy (70) minute mark, then the umpire shall make a “no new inning” at the seventy (70) minute mark. This means the next inning will begin the unlimited runs inning.

• The League will furnish all bats. No other bats are allowed. A batter using an unauthorized bat will be called out.

  • EXCEPTION: Players who are 69 years of age or will turn 69 years of age within the calendar year, may use any bat of their choosing.

• Any player who misses three (3) consecutive weeks’ worth of games for any reason shall be removed from his team’s roster and replaced with the next player from the Free Agent list (if any). If there are no players on the Free Agent list then he will remain with his team.

  • When a new replacement player joins the Free Agent list and the current player is still “out”, then the current player will be replaced, join the Free Agent list, and wait their turn to join a new team during the course of the regular season.

  • Replacement players will be added through the penultimate game of the regular season only.

• All decisions by the umpire are final. Only the team manager (or acting manager) will ask the umpire(s) for clarification on calls on the field.

PITCHING

• The pitching distance shall be fifty (50) feet and begins at the front of the pitching rubber to the back point of home plate. Pitchers may deliver the pitch from as far back as ten (10) feet behind the “pitching rubber” if they so desire. This is in accordance with SSWC Rules.

• The pitched ball shall have an arc of at least six (6) feet and no higher than twelve (12) feet from the ground. If the pitched ball is outside the arc path, it is considered an illegal pitch and the umpire will verbally call “illegal” pitch.

  • Any illegal pitch put in play by the batter is a live ball.

• Intentional walks without delivering any pitches are permitted if the pitcher first notifies the umpire.

• The League does not use a “pitcher’s box”.

BATTING

• There shall be no intentional bunting or chop hits. The batter will declared out by the umpire. The ball is dead. No runner may advance to the next base. Umpire judgement prevails.

• Batter will start their at bat with a count of one (1) ball and one (1) strike.

• Fouled or tipped balls are considered a strike. A batter is permitted a maximum of two (2) foul balls, even with two (2) strikes.

• A pitch that is foul-tipped straight back by the batter must be higher than the batter’s head to be called “out” if caught by the catcher.

• Pinch hitters are not authorized.

• Teams are allowed one (1) designated hitter (DH). A DH must be announced to the opposing team’s manager and umpire at the time the player is made a DH.

  • A player injured during the game may continue as a DH.

  • Requests to DH must come from the player to the manager.

• Late arriving players may be immediately inserted anywhere into the batting order providing the batting order has not gone through once. Otherwise, late additions, must be added to the bottom of the batting order,

BASE RUNNING

• On a play at first base, in order to avoid contact with the first baseman, the batter/runner must run to, and cross the auxiliary first base in foul territory. If the batter/runner runs to the first base in fair territory while a play is being made at first base, the umpire shall call the batter/runner out.

• “Runners in the hole” are not allowed. All batters must make it to first base on their own.

  • Courtesy runners are allowed once the batter safely reaches any base.

• Runners must either slide or avoid the defensive player covering second or third base. Unavoidable contact during a clean slide is allowed.

• Runners advancing towards second and or third base may not block the defensive player’s throwing lane.

• “Wet Bag Condition” When invoked by the umpire, a base runners does not need to make physical contact with second or third base. However, the runner must cross a vertical plane of second or third base. The defensive player must always make contact with the base for a force out.

• Base runners on first or third base may step off the base into foul territory prior to a pitch to avoid a batted ball. Base runners must announce their intention to the umpire prior to stepping off the base. The base runner MUST retouch the base prior to advancing towards second base or home plate. I player that does not retouch the base shall be declared out by the umpire.

SUBSTITUTIONS

• If a team manager has more than ten (10) player available to play, excluding a DH, must rotate all players defensively every inning. No player shall sit out a second defensive inning until every other player present has sat out one inning.

• A team on defense shall not have more than ten (10) players on the field at any one time: one catcher, one pitcher, four infielders, and four outfielders.

  • A team with a nine (9) player roster will play with 3 outfielders.

  • A team with a eight (8) player roster will be loaned a catcher by the opposing team.

  • A team with a seven (7) player roster shall forfeit the game.

• Teams will be granted a five (5) minute grace period from the scheduled start time to gather the minimum team members required before a forfeit is declared.

• Teams may use substitute players from the league to fill a 10-man roster. Substitute players will be drawn at random by the League Commissioner from names submitted by other league team managers.

  • Changes to approved substitute players due to injury or no-shows must be approved by League Commissioner prior to game start. Any team that plays with an unapproved substitute player will forfeit the game.

  • Substitute players must bat at the bottom of the lineup.