Intramural Nickel Softball

1. Players can compete on only ONE team in the league

2. A team may have up to 8 players on their line up; a game may be started with no less than four (4) players per team. A team will forfeit if they do not have four (4) players at any point in the game. Clarification: a team will not receive an out for an unfilled 5th spot in the lineup.

3. A team’s roster size may include a max of 8 players.

4. There are no extra hitters or designated hitters

1. All participants who are not an active field player (defense), offensive batter, runner, on-deck batter, or basecoach) shall remain in the dugout or in the spectator area behind the metallic fencing.

2. All offensive team members outside of the dugout – at bat, on the basepaths, in the on-deck circle, or acting as a basecoach — must wear a batting helmet. Helmets are available at each field.

3. All players must wear shoes. Tennis shoes, soft-soled shoes, and one-piece softball shoes are legal. Metal spikes or cleats with metal exposed are not allowed. Any player caught wearing metal spikes will be ejected from the game.

4. Participants are encouraged to wear personal safety equipment. Protective face guards for catchers are available for checkout at the Rec SportsPlex West Field House. Participants may provide their own equipment. Or, a team may request a reschedule if such safety equipment is not available at the facility for a scheduled contest.

5. Team’s must use the ball provided by FSU Intramural Sports. All bats will be provided by FSU Intramural Sports and personal bats MAY NOT be used during play. Only FSU IM bats are legal for play in Intramural Nickel Softball.

6. Helmet and bats may not be thrown, spiked, or kicked in an unsportsmanlike manner. Such actions can result in player ejection. Note this is different from a light toss of a bat or helmet at the conclusion of an inning.

7. Use of an illegal bat results in penalties to the offending player and team.
A. Upon the first discovery of use of an illegal bat by a batter, the batter shall be ruled out. In addition, all runs scored by the batter’s team in the game, up to the point of discovery, shall be vacated. The mercy rule will apply to the new score, as appropriate, or game play will continue. No ejections shall result.
B. Any subsequent use of an illegal bat by the same team in the same game shall result in an immediate forfeiture of the game to the opposing team and ejection of the player using the illegal bat.
C. A bat is deemed used by a batter following the first legal or illegal pitch to that batter. Discovery must be made prior to the next legal or illegal pitch to the succeeding batter or prior to the recording of the third out of the inning, whichever is first. A bat initially ruled legal by umpires but later ruled illegal by other staff shall be removed from use; however, the vacation of runs will not apply. No out will be recorded and game play will continue under an equipment protest, which will be reviewed and ruled upon by the IM administrative staff

1. Any balls hit over the fence in fair territory are home runs.

2. All trees whose branches hang over the fence are in play. If the ball strikes any part of the tree, it remains in play and may be caught for an out.

3. Balls that touch or come to rest on the concrete area of any dugout or those that are blocked by equipment in the on-deck area are considered out-of-play.

4. Special ground rules may be implemented by the Intramural Supervisor if special conditions exist that would warrant an alteration of ground rules already in place.

1. Game time is forfeit time. A team needs at least 4 legal players to begin the game.

2. Each game has a 50-minute or 7-inning limit. Any inning started before the end of the 50-minute time period will be completed. No innings will begin after 50 minutes.

3. Regular season games can end in a tie. Extra innings will be played only if they start before the 50-minute time limit. All playoff games will continue until a winner is determined.

1. The FSU IM Sports Office reserves the right to postpone or reschedule a contest if circumstances warrant such action. Regular season games cancelled by rain are generally not rescheduled. Contests postponed due to other reasons may or may not be rescheduled at the discretion of the Intramural Sports staff.

2. In the case of inclement weather, the Intramural Sports staff will not make a decision regarding the playing of games until after 5:00 pm. For information on cancellations, visit @FSUIMRainLine on Twitter or the Intramural Sports web site.
A. If inclement weather occurs after the closing of the Intramural office, decisions regarding the continuing of the games will be made on the field by the IM supervisors. If you have a question regarding whether a game will be played, visit @FSUIMRainLine on Twitter or the Intramural Sports web site.
B. When games are canceled due to the weather, the fields will not be available for practice to ensure the safety of participants and to avoid costly damage to the fields.

A batting order will be given to the umpire prior to the start of the game

1. Each batter will begin each at-bat with a count of 1 ball and 1 strike.

2. If the third strike is fouled off, the batter is out. If the foul is caught, the ball remains alive, and runners may try to advance. FSU Intramural Sports does not follow the NIRSA extra foul ball rule.

3. The batter has 10 seconds to enter the batter’s box. If he/she exceeds this time, an automatic strike is called.

4. There is no bunting. The batter must take a full swing at the ball. A batter who bunts or chops the ball (fair or foul) is out. A bunted ball that strikes the ground is immediately dead and runners must return to their original base. Bunted balls that are pop-ups may be caught and any runners may by doubled off (put out); runners, however, may not tag up and advance. Bunt pop-ups not caught still result in an out and an immediate dead ball.

5. If a player unintentionally throws his/her bat, the team will be given a warning. Each subsequent offense will result in the batter being called out and all runners returning to the base they occupied at the beginning of the at-bat. Any player who intentionally throws his/her bat will be called out and ejected from the game.

1. Prior to pitching, the pitcher shall come to a full and complete stop with both feet firmly on the ground and with one or both feet in contact with the pitching rubber. The ball must be held in the pitching hand or with both hands in front of the body. This position must be maintained for at least 1 second and not more than 10 seconds.

2. In the act of delivering the ball to the batter, the pivot foot must remain in contact with the pitcher’s rubber until the ball leaves the pitcher’s hand.

3. A legal delivery shall be a ball that is delivered underhand and a slow to moderate speed. The ball must reach a height of at least 6 feet and no more than 12 feet at the top of its arc.

4. Any pitch that fails to reach an arc of six feet, exceeds the 12 foot limit, or is thrown with excessive speed in the opinion of the home plate umpire, will be declared an illegal pitch. This will count as a “ball” unless the batter chooses to swing, in which case the ball is live. Once an illegal pitch is swung at, all action following the swing will be legal (a strike, out, hit, etc.) and the “illegal pitch” will be disregarded.

5. Definition of a strike is “a legally delivered ball passing completely over home plate before touching the ground. The ball must not be lower than the batter’s knees nor higher than the batter’s back shoulder while passing over any portion of homeplate”.

6. The pitcher has 20 seconds between pitches. If he/she exceeds this time, an automatic ball is called.

7. A ball that slips from a pitcher’s hand during his/her back swing, the ball will be dead and a “no pitch” will be declared. If intentional, a ball will be called.

1. The mission of Intramural Sports is to provide a recreational environment for the University community which is safe and enjoyable. While the game atmosphere is often competitive, ensuring participant safety, providing a fun, social atmosphere, and promoting sportsmanlike behavior among participants, spectators, and team followers are our primary concerns. The game atmosphere should remain good-natured at all times. Participants shall maintain good sportsmanship throughout their participation in all facets of the intramural program.

2. The Sportsmanship Rating System is intended to be an objective scale by which teams’ attitude and behavior can be assessed throughout the intramural sports league and playoff seasons. Behavior before, during, and after an intramural sports contest is included in the rating. The team captain is responsible for educating and informing all players and spectators affiliated with his/her team about the system.

3. A team is responsible for the actions of the individual team members and spectators related to it. Additionally, FSU Intramural Sports does not recognize the use of coaches. Only the team captain shall speak to the officials regarding administrative matters (protests, ejections, disqualifications, etc). Furthermore, the team captain’s efforts in assisting officials/staff to calm difficult situations and to restrain troubled teammates are key to controlling team conduct.

4. Sportsmanship is vital to the conduct of every Intramural contest. In order to encourage proper conduct during games, officials, administrative personnel, and supervisors shall make decisions on whether to warn, penalize or eject players or teams for poor sportsmanship. These decisions are final. The Intramural Sports administrative staff will rule on further penalties as a result of unsportsmanlike conduct.

5. Each participant should choose his or her team members carefully, as all team members will suffer the consequences of any disciplinary action taken by the Intramural Sports staff against that team for violation of the intramural rules and sportsmanship guidelines. Protests or appeals of sportsmanship ratings will not be recognized. The Intramural Sports administrative staff reserves the right to review any rating given to a team.

6. Additional information regarding team and participant sportsmanship including the rating method, factors, and scale is available in the Sportsmanship principle of the Seven Principles of Intramural Sports, available online at the FSU Campus Recreation web site.