Laurier Recreation - Waterloo Campus

Team Composition 

• A maximum of 4 players (3 fielders, 1 pitcher) permitted on the floor at one time.
• A game may not proceed with less than 3 players. An exception can be made if an injury occurs during a game. Exceptions will not be made if a player get ejected.

Game Procedures 

• Only official, provided, blitz ball brand balls and blitz ball brand bats will be permitted to be used during play.
• No type of glove is permitted as all balls are to be fielded with bare hands.
• Each game will consist of 5 innings or will be approximately 35 minutes long, whichever comes first.
• In the case a game gets to the 30-minute mark, no new inning will begin, however, the previous inning will be allowed to finish.
• Each inning will consist of a top and bottom where each team takes turns playing offence and defense in their respective half inning. The inning will switch between top and bottom after 3 outs have been made, or the number of runs to reach a mercy have scored.
• Captains are responsible for rock, paper, and scissors. The winner will determine which team will be home. The home team will pitch in the top of each inning.
• Captains must inform the convenor of their intended batting order before the game begins, and that order must be maintained throughout the entire game.
• Games can end in a draw if no runs are scored, or an equal number of runs are scored after 5 innings, or the time limit has been reached.
• During playoffs, if the score is tied at the end of 5 innings, an additional inning will be played.
  • If the game remains tied after this inning, a 5-pitch home run derby will determine the winner. The higher seeded team will choose who bats first.
  • If the score is tied after 5 pitches, the derby will proceed to a “sudden death” format.
• Substitutions can be made at any point during the game between at-bats. Substitutions are not allowed mid-at-bat.
• Players who are substituted out of the game are permitted to return to the game at any point
• Defaults will result is a score of 5-0
• If both teams default, it will result in a score of 0-0

Rules of Play 

• If a team bats out of order, once the first pitch is thrown to the incorrect batter, the batter will be called out.
• A DH (Designated Hitter) may bat for the pitcher.
• The mercy rule per inning on offense is 5 runs per team. However, a team down by more than 5 may reach a tying score in any inning. Any inning including or beyond the 5th inning has no mercy rule.
• Only 4 players play on defense, including the pitcher. Defenders may be organized in any formation the team wishes, however, all defenders must start in fair territory
• 3 outs per inning.
• 5 balls for a walk, 3 strikes for an out.
• A pitch is considered a strike if it hits the strike zone or its PVC border on the fly. Any pitch that hits the PVC framework that doesn’t directly surround the felt portion of the strike zone is a ball.
• A ball is considered a fair ball if it passes the middle line in the gym before hitting a wall.
• If a batter foul tips the ball into the strike zone with 2 strikes in the count, the batter will be out.
• If the ball contacts a wall before passing the center line, it is a foul ball.
• If a ball is hit between 2 lines drawn from the edges of the strike zone to where the middle line meets the side wall and is fielded before passing the middle line, the batter will be out. If it is unclear whether it's between the imaginary lines, the ball will be called foul
• If a ball hits a wall in the air closer than 26ft from the back wall or anywhere on the ground, the play is over and can no longer be fielded for an out. If the ball hits the wall further than 26ft from the back wall, it can be caught in the air for an out.
• Outs are recorded via strikeouts, a fielder catching a ball in the air, or if a fielder fields a ball cleanly with their hands before it hits a wall.
• A ball caught in the air in foul territory is scored as an out against the batter.
• Trapping the ball with legs, feet or other parts of the body is not allowed and will result in a single being awarded to the batter.
• No baserunning is permitted, and the result of a batted ball in fair territory will be determined by where it is hit.
  • A single will be any ball that takes more than one bounce to reach a wall in fair territory or is stopped before reaching any wall but is not fielded cleanly by the fielders.
  • A double will be any ball that reaches any wall on one bounce, hits a wall in the air below 10ft off the ground, hits a side wall further than 26ft from the back wall, or hits the roof anywhere beyond the white pipe running along the middle of the roof.
  •  A triple will be any ball that hits either of the side walls above 10ft off the ground
  • A home run will be any ball that hits the back wall above 10ft without bouncing off the ground first.
• If a fielder touches a ball before it bounces and it ricochets off them and hits a wall, the result will be the same as if a fielder didn’t touch the ball.
• If a ball hits the roof, it is considered in play.
  • If it is caught it will be ruled an out
  • If the ball hits the roof beyond the white pipe along the middle of the roof and lands on the ground it will be a double
  • If it hits the roof between the basketball nets on the side wall in foul territory and the white pipe and hits the ground in fair territory, it will be a single. If it lands in foul territory, it will be a foul ball.
  • If the ball hits the roof anywhere else, it will be a foul ball
• Ghost runners will be used for runners on base.
• Ghost runners will only advance the number of bases forward that the batter advances.

Pitching 

• Pitchers must begin their pitching motion from a standstill and throw with at least 1 foot starting on the middle of the center line in the gym.
• If a ball hits a batter, 2 balls will be added to the batter's count
• If a pitcher hits 6 batters during the game, they must be replaced and will not be allowed to pitch for the remainder of the season.
• The pitcher must throw from 42 feet away from the strike zone.
• If a pitcher changes position during the game, they are allowed to re-enter at any point following regular substitution rules.
  • At the beginning of every inning, the pitcher is allowed 3 warm up pitches
  • If a pitcher is entering a game for the first time, they are permitted 3 warmup pitches.
  • If a pitcher is re-entering the game they are not permitted any warmup pitches
• No sticky substances are allowed to be used to enhance grip on the ball. If a pitcher is found to have sticky substances on their body, they will be ejected from the game.