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SPORTSMANSHIP:
The Ontario Provincial Civil Servants Softball League
reminds everyone that this is a recreational league.
Safety comes first. If a situation occurs that is
not covered by our rules, then the executive will apply standard
softball rules. The following is taken from the Softball Canada
Official Guide and Rule Book:
'When a defensive player has the ball and is waiting for the runner and
the runner remains on his/her feet and deliberately, with great force,
crashes in to the defensive player, the runner is to be declared out.
Effect: The runner is out, the ball is dead and all other runners must
return to the last base touched at the time of the collision.
NOTE: If the act is determined to be flagrant, the offender shall be
ejected.'
Please use common sense. A recreational league has, and should have,
people who don't play very often and are here to have fun and learn a
bit about the game.
A Disciplinary Panel, comprised of team captains or their representatives,
will be called, if required, to rule on any issues / situations / grievances
that the executive is unable to resolve.
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Players:
While no official rosters are kept, to qualify for the playoff
round, a player must have played in at least 3 regular season games.
Note: Teams should keep their batting order / scoresheet from round-robin
games as they will be needed to resolve playoff eligibility challenges;
if you can not show a player is eligible, they are not eligible.
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Alcohol:
There will be NO drinking of alcoholic beverages at any games.
Save it for the bar.
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Home Team / Bases / Cones:
It is the responsibility of the home team, as designated in the schedule,
to supply the bases and cones.
Failure to do so, without prior arrangement with the other team,
will result in a default loss for the home team.
It is recommended that teams acquire 2 small cones to be placed about
100 feet behind first and third base to mark the foul line location
in the outfield to help the catcher call fair/foul balls.
There is no penalty for not supplying the cones for the 2017 season.
For playoff games, except the League and Consolation Championship games,
the team finishing higher in the regular season standings has the
choice of home or away.
The team finishing higher in the regular season standings must bring the bases
and cones.
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Pre-Game:
Prior to the game captains will decide foul-lines, ground rule
doubles, triples, etc. based on the condition or size of the park.
It is recommended that teams acquire 2 small cones to be placed about
100 feet behind first and third base to mark the foul line location
in the outfield to help the catcher call fair/foul balls.
See the
league web site for ground rule suggestions.
(To be determined by the umpires during the playoffs.)
For the round-robin, captains should meet before the
game to agree on the "time" and whether they will continue
to play past 6:30 PM if 7 innings are not complete.
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Game Ball:
The league regulation ball is the Worth Gray Dot or other .40 COR
375 Compression 12" softball;
the Worth Hot Dot or other .52 COR 250 Compression 12" softball is also
acceptable.
Yellow is preferred for better visibility.
Each team must supply one game ball. These are game balls and not
team balls. Captains should agree on the type of balls being used prior
to the game. A team captain may insist that the balls used are the type
required by the league.
Overly worn or non-spec balls can be challenged and removed from play
at any time.
Each team will supply one new regulation game ball per game during
elimination round play.
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Problem Resolution:
It is the responsibility of the team captains to resolve any problems
or disputes when they occur during a game.
Captains should remove themselves from all other players to resolve the issue.
During the playoffs umpires will be present and any problems or
disputes will be dealt with between captains and umpires - not players.
The decision of the umpires is FINAL.
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Game Time:
Diamonds are available for play under City of Toronto permits from 5:00 PM to
6:30 PM. Games shall start no later than 5:20 PM. A team that cannot field a
"legal" line-up (both in numbers of players and ratio of male to female players)
by that time shall be considered to be "late". Games may commence after that
time, once the "late" team can field a "legal" line-up or once the opposing
captains can reach agreement on alternative arrangements for the line-ups for
the game, but the "late" team shall be considered to be in forfeit of the game
unless a full seven inning game can be completed, in which case the result of
the complete game shall stand.
"Late" status must be claimed by the other captain before the game begins.
There is no rule about "no new inning after XX:XX PM", so play
should continue to 6:30 PM by the official clock (or end of the game if
that comes first obviously). If there is no team waiting to use the
diamond with a permit, the inning underway should be completed and that
score reported as the result of the game.
If there is a team waiting to use the diamond with a permit, the
game ends immediately with the result determined by these rules in
priority order (use the first one that matches the situation):
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If a team was deemed "late", that team loses the game by default.
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If the home team is batting, and the home team is winning the game
or the game is tied,
the game ends immediately with the current score.
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The score reverts to the end of the last completed inning.
Team captains should agree BEFORE the game whether they will continue
to play past 6:30 PM if 7 innings are not complete (any inning underway
should be completed if possible, as above - this rule means play more
complete innings to have a full 7 inning game).
In umpired games, the umpires will make the final determination of the
game start time. In other games, team captains are requested to meet before
5:20 PM to determine "game time", and in the event of a dispute, the average of
the respective captains' timepieces shall be considered "game time". Persistent
or chronic problems with the determination of "game time" should be reported to
the League for remedial action. [NB - the current League commissioner hopes
that such contingencies will never arise during his tenure.]
NOTE: It is permissable for a team to take 'outs' without actually
sending a batter to the plate, or throwing any pitches, to end an inning
immediately.
NOTE: Flagrant delay of the game attempting to win a game via
the "late" rule (presumably by a team that is losing) can be called
at the umpire's discretion during the playoffs;
the game would be awarded to the other team regardless of their "late" status.
All games during the championship and consolation finals in both divisions will
be 9 innings.
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Standings:
A team will receive 2 points for a win (including a win by default),
1 point for a tie, 0 points for a loss or default, during the
round-robin portion of the schedule.
The team's 'winning percentage' will then be calculated as the total
number of points divided by 2 times the number of games played.
For the round-robin, there will a maximum of 12 runs for the
plus/minus per game. You must play complete innings, regardless of the score,
unless the maximum has been reached. The default score will be 7 - 0.
No games can be made up from the round-robin (there simply isn't space
or time available). In the event of a rain-out, each team will receive
1 point and no runs.
At the end of the round-robin, teams will be ranked based on the
winning percentage from the round-robin. Ties will be broken by:
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plus/minus run differential.
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head to head record (if applicable).
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runs for.
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coin toss.
All teams then begin the Elimination Round, which uses a double
knock-out format, with the top-ranked team playing the bottom-ranked
team, the second place team playing the second team for the bottom, etc.
For example, with 8 teams, the first round would be:
1 vs 8, 2 vs 7, 3 vs 6, 4 vs 5.
For an odd number of teams, the first place team would get a bye
in the first round. After that, a standard double elimination tournament
schedule will be followed, with draws for byes if necessary.
With fewer than 8 teams and given sufficient time,
an alternate playoff schedule could be used where
the top 4 teams in each division have
double knock-out in the championship bracket before falling to
the consolation bracket; the lower placing teams in each division
fall to the consolation round after their first loss.
A loss in the consolation round ends your season.
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Tie Games:
There should be no tie games unless:
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The weather has turned bad and it is unsafe to continue.
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The game started on time but a team with a permit is waiting for the
diamond.
In these 2 situations, a minimum of 4 innings will constitute a
complete game. The score will be the score at the end of the last
complete inning played. Otherwise, you must play all 7 innings, extra
innings (in the playoffs) and past 6:30 PM if necessary.
Failure to do so when weather
permits and the diamond is available will result in a default.
If player(s) must leave, they may be removed from the line up,
after 6:30 PM. There is no penalty (i.e. automatic out for that spot in
the order) but the male/female ratio for batting and fielding must be
maintained.
For playoff games, all ties must be broken.
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Batting Order:
A copy of the batting order must be exchanged between
captains/scorekeepers before the start of the game in order to cut down
discrepancies in scores.
The batting order is in the public domain - it can not be kept
secret and freedom of information act requests are not needed to get
it from the other team.
Note: The League will not prosecute failure to comply with this practice during
the regular season (but it must be supplied upon demand);
the umpires will enforce it during all playoff games.
Note: Teams should keep their batting order / scoresheet from round-robin
games as they will be needed to resolve playoff eligibility challenges;
if you can not show a player is eligible, they are not eligible.
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You must have a minimum of 7 players to start the game.
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The lineup must consist of the batting order and may be any number
of players as long as the 25% rule is maintained (see below).
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Defensive substitutions are allowed during the game if:
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substitution is made prior to the start of an inning.
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players are on the lineup and the 25% rule is maintained.
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Any player who is in the batting order for a team must play at least
one inning on the field.
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An injured player may be replaced by another member on the lineup
provided the 25% rule is maintained.
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Players arriving late may enter the game provided they are in
the starting lineup. If the late player has not arrived in time
for their first at bat then:
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substitution with an alternate player may be made
(note: the late player will no longer be eligible to play).
OR
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an automatic out will occur.
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In addition to the lineup, alternate players may be listed at bottom
of the batting order.
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Alternates may enter the game at any time but must play 1/2 inning
on defence before the game ends.
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Alternates must be male for male/female for female only if
necessary to maintain the 25% rule.
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Once an alternate player enters the game the player being
substituted for is out of the game.
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You may add late players as they arrive (without penalty)
to the bottom of your line-up if:
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they arrive prior to the start of the 4th inning (an inning starts
when the first pitch is thrown to a batter in the top half of an
inning).
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the male/female ratio is maintained.
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you have informed the other team captain of your intention to
add late players.
Late players must wait for a suitable break in the action to go onto
the field.
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The opposing team's captain (and, during the playoffs, the umpire(s))
must be informed of all player additions / removals / replacements.
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A team must have a player in the catcher position.
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25% Rule:
The maximum number of players on the field at one time is 12.
The minimum percentage of females on a team on both offense (batting order)
and defence (on the field) is 25% as outlined below:
| Team Size | Required Females |
|---|
| 1 - 4 | 1 |
| 5 - 8 | 2 |
| 9 - 12 | 3 |
| 13 - 16 | 4 |
| 17 - 20 | 5 |
| 21 - 24 | 6 |
| 25 - 28 | 7 |
This rule will not be strictly enforced during the regular season but
WILL be adhered to during the playoffs.
During the regular season, the opposing captain must agree to waive / alter
this rule.
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Base Path Length:
The base paths will be 60 feet in length.
The bases may either be loose or pegged down, to be decided by the captains
before the game; if agreement can not be reached,
it is the home team's decision.
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Safety Base:
All games will be played with a safety base - the extra (orange) base pad at
1st base to be situated on the foul side of the 1st base line. This
base will be used by the runner going to 1st base and should eliminate
any contact between the runner and the 1st baseperson. A batter going
to 1st base must step on the safety bag when there is a play at 1st
base. The batter is out if they step on the wrong bag (even if they
beat the throw). The only exception to this rule is if the batter
is attempting or considering going to 2nd. In this case the batter
would be rounding 1st and not overrunning 1st, trying to beat the throw
to the bag.
In the same situation as above, the batter is safe if the 1st
baseperson is touching the safety bag instead of the 'inside' bag when
receiving the throw.
Obviously, this will only work if both teams bring their base pads to
ALL games. Teams MUST have a full set of bases.
Chronic offenders of this rule will be dealt with by the League Commissioner.
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Cleats:
Absolutely NO metal cleats are allowed during play. Rubber
cleats will be allowed on running shoes as long as they are part of the
sole of the shoe. So, any rubber cleats which are attached to the sole
by means of screws or nails will NOT be allowed. The cleats must be
moulded into the sole.
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Infield Players:
A maximum of 5 infield players are permitted, including the catcher.
Infield players cannot move in past the baseline on any batter
until the ball crosses the plate.
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Infield Dead Ball Zone:
Lines should be made in the infield from a point
approximately half-way between home and 1st base to the pitcher's mound,
and approximately half-way between home and 3rd base to the pitcher's mound,
which creates a smaller diamond inside the infield - this is the infield
dead ball zone.
One of these lines should match the commitment line (see below).
A ball which stops inside this zone (including on the lines) is dead;
the pitch counts as a strike against the batter and
the batter is out if that was their last strike;
all baserunners must return to their original bases.
A ball which is touched by a fielder while the ball is still moving
inside this zone (including on the lines) is a live ball and is played as
a hit.
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Outfield Players:
All rovers / outfield players must stay at least 15 feet behind the
baseline until the ball crosses the plate.
The batter can not be forced out at first base on a direct throw from a
rover or outfielder.
Batters can still be forced at first on throws from the
infield, and rover/outfield assists can still be made at all other bases.
Further clarification:
(1) a rover/outfielder may throw to first base and have the batter put out
if the runner rounds first base towards second base - that is not a force
out, but a tag;
(2) on a fly ball, an existing runner at first may also be forced
out on a direct throw from a rover/outfielder if they don't tag up
(note: the runner at first is not the batter);
(3) a rover/outfielder may receive a throw at second or third base, or
make the play unassisted, for a force or tag out, but may NOT then make
a throw to first to force the batter out.
Balls thrown from a rover/outfielder MUST go to an infielder, who will
return the ball to the pitcher when play has ceased.
The pitcher MUST not make any play on any ball thrown from a rover/outfielder.
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Mercy Rule:
There is a maximum of 15 at-bats per team per inning.
There is no mercy rule in the last inning of playoff games.
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Pitch Counts:
All batters are allowed 3 pitches. If the batter does
not hit a fair ball during his/her turn at bat, then the batter is
out.
Teams are allowed and in fact encouraged to allow extra pitches for
beginners or players with a disability during the regular season;
captains should identify such players before the game starts.
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Lead-offs / Stealing:
Lead-offs and stealing bases are not allowed. If you are on base,
you cannot leave the base until the ball crosses the plate OR
the ball is hit. Anyone caught leading off or stealing is
automatically out.
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Base Running:
There will be no wanton escapades dodging tags around the base
paths. There is no rule on the exact distance someone must be from the
base path to be running off it so captains, and umpires, please use
your judgement if someone is called for this infraction. Hint:
Someone running from 1st to 2nd through right field is definitely a
candidate.
There will be NO BLOCKING of the base paths. It is the
responsibility of the fielder to avoid the runner and to stay off the
basepath when there is no play at their position. Failure to do so is
interference on the part of the fielder and the runner will be safe or
awarded the base at the discretion of the umpire.
Similarly, it is the responsibility of the runner to avoid the fielder
attempting to make a play. In this case the runner will be out.
Above does not apply when there is a play at a base or a tag of a
runner.
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Fly Balls:
On a fly ball that is caught for an out, a player can advance after
he/she has tagged up (after the ball is caught, of course).
You can tag up from all bases, including
third.
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Batters:
All batters must take a FULL swing at each pitch. Any attempts at
half swings or bunts will be considered strikes.
Note: Any player abusing this rule will be photographed and made fun of.
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Hit Pitcher:
During the game, if a batted ball hits the pitcher, it is a no-pitch
and the ball is dead. It is NOT a strike on the batter.
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Hit Baserunner:
If the batted ball hits a baserunner who is off the base,
the ball is dead and the runner is out unless touched by a fielder first.
If a runner is hit by lightning, then he is dead.
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Foul Balls:
Any foul balls hit behind the plate, within the area of the cage
(if there isn't one, imagine one) and caught by the catcher count only
as strikes. Any ball hit in front of the plate and still behind the
foul lines are outs if they are caught.
Any ball caught past the out of play line (an imaginary line extending
from the back screen - if there isn't one, imagine one) count only as
strikes.
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Sliding:
If a player slides into a base and the base is dislodged from its
position then the following applies:
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if the runner remains in the vicinity of where the base was
originally and the opposing player has not yet tagged the runner out
then the runner is safe.
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if the runner decides to keep running then the runner is on their
own and can be tagged out.
There is no sliding across the safe line at home,
or into the safety bag at first base when advancing to first on a batted ball.
Sliding back into first base (e.g. when attempting to advance on a caught ball)
is permitted, as is sliding into second and third bases.
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Infield Fly:
The infield fly rule is in effect. The following, which is simpler than
the official SPN rule 3-47, has been borrowed from the Toronto Sport and
Social Club:
The infield fly rule is in effect when there are runners on first
and second, or if the bases are loaded, with less than two out. In these
situations, if a fair pop-up is hit that, in the pitcher's judgment is
catchable by an infielder with ordinary effort, the batter is out regardless
of whether the ball is actually caught in flight. To invoke the rule, the
pitcher must loudly announce, "Infield fly" when there is a pop-up in the
infield. If this occurs, the batter will automatically be out, even if the
ball is not caught. Runners can attempt to tag up on any caught ball, or
attempt to advance if the ball is dropped (note that the force play is
removed since the batter is out).
For playoff games the call will be made by the home plate umpire, but
for the regular season where teams umpire themselves, the call should
be made by an experienced player.
As above the proposal is that this would normally be the pitcher, unless
the batting team designates one of the base coaches; it can not be
someone on the bench.
A few notes:
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This is a difficult rule as it is a judgement call: for the height,
where the ball is likely to land, and what is "ordinary effort" by an
infielder. We are a recreation league, not Major League Baseball, so
our standard of "ordinary effort" is lower.
If the the fielder has time to trot to the spot or is camped out
under the ball, infield fly is the right call;
if the fielder has to run full out or dive for it, it is not an
infield fly;
however there is still a lot of grey in between.
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If the pitcher (or designate) does not announce "Infield fly",
then play is live with no infield fly rule.
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The infield fly rule does not apply to foul balls.
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The infield fly rule does not apply to line-outs or fly balls in
the outfield.
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For most diamonds, the "infield" would be the dirt area, so a
ball coming down on the grass would not qualify for the infield fly
rule even if an infielder catches/misses the ball.
The ground rules will be updated during the season to cover special cases
with either very large or very small infields (Riverdale West?, Withrow?).
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The call should be made while the ball is still travelling upwards;
if there isn't time to do so, it's probably not an infield fly.
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The ball is live and in play; only the batter is automatically out;
baserunners may attempt to advance at their peril, and can be forced /
tagged out if off the base.
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Once the call has been made, it can not be taken back.
Note also that SPN Section 7-3 H addresses an intentionally dropped ball;
the batter is out if:
H. He hits a fair fly ball or line drive that a fielder or infielder intentionally drops, with a runner on
first, first and second, first, second and third, or first and third, with less than two outs.
NOTE: A trapped ball that hits the ground is never ruled intentionally dropped.
Result of the play: the ball is dead, the batter is out and the runners
may not advance.
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Out of Play:
A ball is considered to be out of play if it
goes over the screen or past a projection of one. Once a ball goes over
a screen, or past a projection of one, the play is dead, even if
it goes off someone's glove on the way there. When a ball goes out
of play the runner is awarded the base he/she was advancing to, plus
one additional base (i.e runner going to 1st when ball goes out of
play is awarded 1st and 2nd).
If a ball hits the screen on a play at first or third and remains
within the playing area (screen or projection of screen), the ball is
live and the runners proceed at their own risk. This is not an
overthrow.
In the event that a ball going out of play at 1st base leads to a
FORCED advancement of a runner from third, then the run will count (i.e.
bases loaded when ball goes out of play at 1st).
No fielder may intentionally carry/kick/throw or allow a ball to go out
of play in an attempt to halt runners. Teams are on the honour system.
Flagrant abuse will result in the automatic award of bases at the
umpire's discretion.
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Plays At Home:
To avoid collisions and possible injuries at
home plate, all plays at the plate are force plays.
An imaginary line parallel to the first base line is drawn from the edge
of the plate nearest 3rd base to the back screen.
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A runner is safe by simply crossing that line prior to the ball
being caught at home plate by a player with one foot on the plate.
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A runner stepping on home plate is out.
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Commitment Line:
The commitment line is drawn in foul territory perpendicular to the
third base line,
near the midpoint between home plate and third base (30 feet from each),
and should match up with the infield dead ball line.
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Once a runner crosses the commitment line they must go home - they
cannot go back to 3rd base.
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Once a runner crosses the commitment line they cannot be tagged out.
NOTE: If a player tags up from 3rd and crosses the commitment line he/she
must go home. If a player at 3rd crosses the commitment line after a fly
ball has been hit, and did not tag up, the player cannot go back to 3rd
and is out on appeal by the defensive team.
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Pinch-runners:
Pinch-runners for injured or disabled players are to be the last player
called out of the same gender as the runner for whom the substitution will
be made. Unlimited number of pinch-runners may be substituted once the
original runner reaches base. 2 pinch-runners per game may start
from behind home plate (i.e. touching the screen with both feet
behind the extension of the third base line, or other mutually-agreed
location if that is not safe).
A pinch runner from home can not run until the ball is actually hit.
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Disabilities:
This rule applies only to players whose disability affects their
ability to play the game.
Any player with a disability has the right to an unlimited number of
courtesy runners per game starting from home plate. If a team feels
that a player qualifies for this rule, they must inform the other team
at the start of the game.
Note that an injury, i.e. sprained ankle, pulled hamstring, etc., does
not qualify as a disability.
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Bats:
Batters shall drop, not throw, their bat before running the bases.
Penalty: batter is out.
Only bats listed on the United States Specialty Sports Association (USSSA)
Licensed / Approved Softball Bats
list may be used in the league. See also
Licensed Equipment - New Bat Rules.
Basically this means new bats (post-2013) must have the new USSSA sticker;
older bats marked "USSSA BPF 1.20" are legal;
bats manufactured prior to 2004 and marked "BPF 1.20" are also legal.
This should mean that bats that were complaint under the "old"
ASA standard, which the league used prior to the 2013
season, should be compliant under USSSA.
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Jewellery:
All jewellery shall be removed, taped or covered for the safety of
all players.
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Pitchers:
Pitchers must be in their team's active batting order and must play at least
one inning of defence in the field.
The pitcher may not touch a batted ball (except to protect
themselves) or interfere with the defense making a play.
The pitcher MUST get out of the way of any/all throws (across the
infield, from the outfield towards home) - either duck down on one
knee, and/or move well away from the play.
It is strongly recommended that the pitcher be an experienced
softball player able to better protect themself from batted balls.
The pitcher must pitch from behind the pitching rubber, if present,
or the the intersection of the infield dead-ball zone lines on fields
with no rubber.
All teams must have at least one pitchers mask for the team.
It is strongly recommended that the mask be used.
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Catchers:
A team must have a player in the catcher position.
It is strongly recommended that the catcher stand well back to from
the batter to avoid being hit by foul tips, or the bat during a swing;
in addition the catcher is certainly permitted, and encouraged, to wear
a mask.
As the catcher calls the foul lines for batted balls, they should be
prepared to move up to the back of the plate after the ball is hit to be
in a better position to make this call.
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3'rd Party Interference:
Any time a third party (not a player or spectator associated with
either team) affects a live ball, the play shall be immediately ruled
dead, and the batter is awarded a ground-rule double. Team captains may
agree on another result, for example a very long ball in the outfield
that would clearly have been a home run that is picked up by a spectator.
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Fees:
All teams must pay their league fees by June 1st of each year.
After June 1, a $55/month late fee will be added.
Failure to pay these fees will result in exclusion from the
schedule (in other words, dropped from the league).
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Cancellation Of Games:
In order to comply with the City of Toronto's park permit cancellation
policy there will be NO cancellation of any game during the
season - attendance is mandatory. In the rare instance when a team
cannot play a scheduled game and has an extremely good reason for
missing the game (all players gone on vacation is not a good reason)
then that team shall:
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First contact any scheduled 'bye' team and try to arrange for that
team to play the game. If this is acceptable to both captains then the
'bye' team assumes responsibility for the permit on that date.
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If this is not possible, then the scheduled team must contact the
league president or vice-president 72 hours prior to the game to
be missed. If the president or vice-president agree that the reason for
missing the game is justifiable they may call City Hall and cancel the
permit for that day in accordance with City Hall's cancellation
policy. Only the president or
vice-president are authorized to cancel permits.
If the reason for missing the game is not
justifiable, then the game must be played.
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A team missing a regularly scheduled game without authorization
will be dropped from the league.
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Rain-outs / Permit Cancellation:
If the City cancels permits for a diamond or diamonds for whatever
reason - extreme weather, lousy conditions, informal expansion of
lease-free dog zones - play cannot proceed on that field. It doesn't
matter whether the field's actually playable or not: teams are just not
allowed on it. The City is pretty inflexible about this.
There is now a city web site showing the
Sports Fields Closures and Service Alerts.
The City will attempt to post field permit cancellations there by 3:00 PM.
Note that only closures are listed;
if the diamond that you are scheduled to play at is NOT listed,
it means it has not been officially closed by the City of Toronto.
You will need to evaluate on-field conditions against the City
of Toronto's playability guidelines.
There are also now
Sport Field Playability And Responsibility Guide (PDF document).
For your convenience when determining field playability,
the following guidelines should be followed (I have combined the sports
fields and diamond guidelines as sports fields should apply to the outfield):
Sport Fields / Ball Diamonds Playability Highlights
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Large areas of standing water on any part of the playing field are
just cause for game cancellation.
Visual ponding of water on the surface of the diamond indicates that
the field should be closed.
-
During the course of inspection, any visible water or sound
("squish") created while walking is an indication that the field is
unfit for play or practice.
-
Footprints and the collection of water around them is an indication
that the field should be closed.
-
If grass divots can easily be dislodged from the turf during play,
the field should be closed.
-
Where there are large areas of mud that are clearly visible on the
playing field, the field should be closed.
-
Frost or frozen areas are not playable until surface conditions have
thawed and drained.
Other Important Information for Players
-
Games should not be played when lightning is considered severe and
close enough to the facility that it would pose an immediate danger
to permit users.
-
Players should never attempt to remove water from playing fields by
using a broom to push the water towards a grassy area.
-
Standing water may be removed by the use of a pump, sponge or by
bailing with a container.
NOTE: The City document has priority over these rules.
Obviously, it is more considerate to our permit officer down at City Hall
if only one person from the League calls to ask about cancellations. On
lousy days, Tri Luu will try to call City Hall around 2:30 or so to
check on the situation, and advise captains of any cancellations by
e-mail thereafter. However, if it's pouring rain at
3:30 on gameday, you haven't heard anything and you can't get hold of
Tri Luu or Daniel Kishimoto do call our permit officer down at City
Hall at 416-392-0361 if you're wondering whether to head out to the
field. And, please don't hesitate to let your fellow captains know if
you do find out about a cancellation!
If 3 games on a day are declared rain-outs by the team captains,
neither team in the 4'th game may claim a default win;
the game will either be scored as a rain-out,
or the game could be played and count if both captains agree.
If 3 team captains at a park agree to a rain-out (in advance or at the park),
both games will be scored as rain-outs
(the 4'th team can not claim a default win).
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Umpires:
During the round-robin, teams are on the honour system to umpire themselves.
Catchers will call the foul lines for batted balls
(make sure your catcher knows how to do this).
Base coaches will make the calls at the bases (normally the first base
coach calls plays at first and at home, the third base coach calls plays at
second and third base).
No base coach means close calls go to the fielding team.
No calls will be made by the pitcher or from the benches.
Umpires will be provided by the League for the Championship bracket of
the playoffs, and for all games on the Championship Saturday.
Teams will self-umpire the Consolation bracket of the playoffs.
-
Insurance:
The league does not directly have any insurance for bodily harm or third
party liability, but the City of Toronto has a
User Group Policy AL2531 Summary
(PDF document) that contains a summary of their insurance coverage and
exclusions. It is not clear whether this applies to the participants,
3'rd parties, or both. There is a $500 deductible and a $25000 cap per
person / occurence.
-
Permits and Rules:
A copy of the park permits and the rules must be brought to all games.
-
Defaults:
Any team that defaults five games in a season for whatever reason will
be suspended from League play for the rest of that season, including
playoff games, and their League dues will be forfeited.
All past game scores will be removed from the standings.
Such teams will be required to reapply to play in any subsequent
season, with their applications to be considered on an equal basis with
any applications from new teams.
The League will attempt to contact any team which has forfeited three
games to warn them of possible suspension.
-
COVID-19 Protocols:
For the purposes of O. Reg. 263/20: Rules for Areas in Step 2, the below
protocols shall constitute the safety plan required under in accordance
with Section 3.3 of Schedule 1 of O.Reg 262/20.
General
-
Precedence. The laws, regulations and ordinances of the federal,
provincial or municipal governments in relation to COVID-19, as amended
from time to time, take precedence over these OPCSSL rules. Similarly,
if there is a conflict between this Section 47 and other aspects of
the OPCSSL rules, this Section 47 shall take precedence.
-
Commitment to safe play. The OPCSSL is committed to ensuring a safe
playing experience for our community of players. The guidance under
this Section 47 may be amended from time to time based upon public
health guidance and feedback from teams and players.
-
Symptoms of COVID-19. Players should not attend any OPCSSL activity if
they are exhibiting symptoms of or similar to COVID-19 or have come
in contact with someone who is exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19. It
is recommended that they get tested and self-isolate.
-
Hygiene. Players must practice good hygiene. Wash your hands with soap
& water and/or hand sanitizer before, during and after game play. Avoid
touching your eyes, nose or mouth with unwashed hands. Players should
bring sanitizer and any additional PPE they deem appropriate for
personal use.
-
COVID Alert App. It is recommended that all players have the COVID
Alert App installed.
-
Vaccination. It is highly recommended that all players be vaccinated
against COVID-19 when they are eligible.
-
Weekly rosters and contact information. Team captains / representatives
are responsible for ensuring that records are kept of weekly rosters
including current contact information for all players.
-
Captains' agreement. Upon mutual agreement between the captains of
two teams playing each other, such teams may propose, modify and
enforce more stringent rules in relation to COVID-19 protocols for
their game than outlined in this Section 47.
-
Sportsmanship. The OPCSSL reminds everyone that this is a recreational
league. As an example, all teams are encouraged to use their best
judgement and accommodate, to the extent practicable, the opposing team
in the event of delayed players etc. given the unique circumstances
of this season.
The captains list, rules, schedule, score submission and standings
are available from
"/~mikep/OPCSSL/".
Report round-robin and playoff game scores on the web site,
or to Mike Peterson at
"mikep9x@gmail.com",
416-978-5230.