MSA League Rules

1. Official GSL Slow Pitch Rules will prevail, except where provisions have been made satisfy local conditions of play as needed.

2. Players

1. A team must have eight (8) of its own players to start and finish a game.
2. All players must be officially registered with MSA and have paid in full. A neutral catcher may be used if a team can not field more than eight (8) players.
3. This catcher may not be involved in any play and cannot make any outs.
4. No automatic out for a player who cannot continue.
5. If a player is ejected from a game for any reason, when it comes to their time to bat it will be an automatic out.
6. A courtesy runner will be the last out made. A player can only be a courtesy runner once per inning.
7. A substitute player may be used in the Adult League, ONLY if the opposing team coach Approves and the player is officially registered with MSA and have paid in full.

3. Games

1. All games will start promptly at their scheduled time.
2. Players have one (1) minute to change fields. Batters have ten (10) seconds to enter the batter's box and pitchers have fifteen (15) seconds to release the pitch.
3. Games ending in a tie will at the end of the hour and fifteen minutes of play will proceed one extra inning or until such time as the umpire has determined that the game should be called because of darkness or unsuitable field conditions.
4. If the umpire calls a game it will be counted if it makes it to the fifth inning.
5. The infield fly rule will be in effect for the Senior and Adult leagues only.

4. Uniforms

The official uniform shall consist of shirt and matching hat supplied by MSA. Both must be worn for all games with player number visible at all times and no modifications to the uniforms will be accepted.

5. Equipment

1. All game balls shall be eleven (11") inch softballs and will be provided by MSA. The umpire shall supply one new game ball and the visiting team shall supply one used ball.
2. All bats will be governed under GSL rules.
3. Rubber spikes or tennis shoes may be worn. NO METAL SPIKES.
4. All batters and base runners under 18 must wear a batting helmet. MANDATORY.
5. Catcher under 18 must wear a catcher's mask and helmet. MANDATORY.
6. Bases shall be sixty (60') feet apart. The distance from home plate to the pitching rubber shall be forty (40') feet.

6. Mercy Rule

1. The run rule is; 20 runs after the 3rd inning, 15 runs after 4th inning or 10 runs after 5 innings
2. Only 8 runs in one inning with no continuous runs to count.

7. Offense

All players on a team roster must bat in a continuous order. Coaches must submit their batting order to the score keeper on the opposing team five (5) minutes prior to the game. Late players will be permitted to play, but they must be inserted at the end of the batting order.

1. The infield fly rule will be in effect for the Senior and Adult leagues only.
2. The 2+2 rule shall be in effect: Two (2) foul balls after two (2) strikes, the batter is out.
3. Eight (8) runs shall be the maximum allowed to score per inning. EXCEPT FOR THE LAST INNING AND BOTH COACHES SHOULD KNOW IT'S THE LAST INNING.

8. Defense

Eleven (11) players shall be permitted to play defense. Defensive changes shall be unlimited. EVERY PLAYER MUST SIT OUT ONCE BEFORE ANY PLAYER MAY SIT TWICE!

9. Pitching

1. No glove shall be worn on pitching hand.
2. Only definite underhand motion is permitted in the delivery of the pitch.
3. The ball must be pitched underhand at a slow speed.
4. The pitched ball must ark at least 3 feet after leaving the pitchers hand and before it passes any part of home plate.
5. The pitched ball shall not rise higher than 10'.

10. Disputes

1. Any disputes will be handled by the League Umpire and/or the League Commissioner.
2. In the event that the League Commissioner is involved in the dispute or on the team of the dispute, the League will make final decision on disputes.
3. Anyone with a valid complaint may put it in writing and submit it to the MSA Board of Directors within 24 hours of dispute, the Board will render a decision within 48 hrs if all applicable information is available.

    Rules for the Adult League as of 7/8/09

1. All registrations and fees must be submitted by the Saturday before the season begins.
2. No substitutions or add-ons allowed. Lost players can not be replaced. No exceptions.
3. At minimum, every forth batter in your line up must be female. A team that sends male batters to the plate four consecutive times will be charged with an out.
4. Each team is allowed to use a pinch runner twice per game. If a player is on a base and unable to continue, and the team has already used their two pinch runners, the player will be called out. 
5. Teams are allowed 11 players on defense, of which no more than 8 can be male players and no fewer than 3 be female players. In the event a team cannot supply 3 females on defense they will be required to play short. A team with fewer than 3 females in the field defensively must have a male catcher.
6. The score for forfeited games will be recorded as 15 to 0.
7. No player can be on the bench for a second inning until every player has sat out once in the same game. A team caught not following this rule will be charged one out. Exception to this rule: if a team must leave female player(s) in the field defensively to adhere to rule #4.
8. The team's coach is responsible for their players, this includes ejected players. Any player ejected must leave the playing field as well as the backstop and dugout areas. Depending on the circumstances, they may be asked to leave Township Park . Failure to follow this rule will result in the ejected players team being charged one out per occurrence.
9. Any ejected player will be immediately removed from the current game and suspended the following played game by there team.
10. All players under 18 years of age must be listed in their teams line-up and highlighted. The team of a player caught playing without the required protective gear the first time will be charged one out. The player will be ejected if it happens a second time.
11. All make-up games will be scheduled on Friday of the same week.

Coach Pitch rules have been revised as of 3/18/13. Click here to read them.

New Rule for Senior League as of 2/26/09 & 5/7/09

1. Tobacco use by players or coaches on the playing field as well as the backstop and dugout areas is prohibited.
2. At minimum, every fourth batter in your line up must be female. A team that sends male batters to the plate four consecutive times will be charged with an out.
3. Three females must be in the field defensively each inning. Failure to observe this requirement will result in forfeiting the game.

MSA ADULT FALL BALL RULES as of 8/8/09

1. ALL PLAYERS HAVE TO BE 18 YEARS OLD BY THE START OF THE SEASON.

2. THE SEASON WILL START ON SEPT. 12TH AND RUN THROUGH OCT. 31ST. 

3. THE LAST SATURDAY WILL BE A TOURNAMENT FOR THE CHAMPIONSHIP.

4. EACH BATTER WILL START WITH A ONE & ONE COUNT.

5. EACH TEAM WILL BE LIMITED TO 8 RUN MAXIMUM PER INNING EXCEPT FOR THE LAST INNING. 

6. THERE WILL BE A 5 HOME RUN LIMIT PER GAME UNLESS THE OTHER TEAM HITS ONE, THEN THEY WILL BE ALLOWED ONE MORE AND SO ON. EACH HOME RUN AFTER THE FIFTH ONE WILL BE AN OUT.

7. EACH TEAM WILL ONLY FIELD TEN PLAYERS MAX BUT EVERY PLAYER WILL BAT. A MIN. OF 8 PLAYERS TO START A GAME WITH A BORROWED CATCHER.

8. ALL MSA AND GSL RULES THAT ARE NOT COVERED UNDER THE REVISION WILL APPLY.

9 .ALL GAMES WILL GO 7 INNINGS NO TIME LIMIT.

10. TEAMS WILL BE TAKEN ON A FIRST COME FIRST PAY WILL PLAY, LEAGUE WILL BE LIMITED TO 6 TEAMS