Current ASA softball rules will govern wiffleball play except for the following modifications.

I. GENERAL ELIGIBILITY

1. Participation is limited to currently-enrolled, fee-paying FSU students, faculty members, and full-time staff. FAMU & TCC students and members of the community are not eligible. All areas of eligibility are covered in the Intramural By-Laws which are available through the Campus Recreation Office and online at the FSU Campus Recreation web site.

2. In order to participate in an Intramural contest each player must present their validated FSUCard. Exceptions must be directed to the Intramural Sports Office for consideration by the IM staff during regular business hours (9:00am-6:00pm). Bring a photo ID and proof of payment to obtain a waiver from the IM staff. No such waiver will be granted on the field.

3. All players must sign-in at the sign-in table or with a supervisor at the game site prior to each game to be eligible to participate.

II. TEAM COMPOSITION

1. Players can compete on one team, regardless of league classification.

2. Four (4) players will play in the field. Teams must have 3 players to start a game.

3. A team's batting line-up must include all four fielders. In addition, teams have the option to bat an additional 2 players (to total 6 in the batting line-up). The decision on the number of players in a team's batting line-up must be made prior to the game. The batting order must be listed on the scoresheet prior to game time.

4. Once a game has begun, late arriving players may not be added to the batting order and will become substitutes. In the event that a team begins a game with 3 players, late arriving players may be added to the line-up in order to field 4 players. In this case, these late arrivals will be permitted to bat.

5. A team's roster may include an unlimited number of players.

III. EQUIPMENT

1. All players must wear shoes. 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. Sandals, flip-flops, and boots are not permitted.

2. Bats, balls, and bases will be provided by the Intramural Sports staff at the game site. Teams must use the equipment provided by Intramural Sports. No outside bats, balls, or bases are permitted.

3. Fielders may NOT use baseball/softball gloves or mitts or any other catching equipment. Hats may be worn but may NOT be used to catch the ball.

4. Jewelry is NOT allowed to be worn by any participant during an intramural event. This jewelry consists of any visible rings (including wedding bands), watches, necklaces, earrings, studs, bracelets, and any other such similar jewelry. Only medical alert bracelets are permitted. A player is subject to ejection for failure to remove any jewelry after first warning.

IV. GROUND RULES

1. The distance between each base will be approximately 45 feet. The pitching rubber is approximately 30 feet from home plate.

2. The home run boundary will be set at approximately 90 feet from home plate.

V. GAME TIME & LENGTH

1. Game time is forfeit time. A team needs at least 3 legal players to begin the game. Any team that forfeits a game will not be eligible for the playoffs. If the forfeiting team wishes to play the rest of its regular season games, the team captain must come into the Intramural Sports Office by noon on the next working day to present their case.

2. Each game has a 35-minute or 7-inning limit. Any inning started before the end of the 35-minute time period will be completed. No innings will begin after 35 minutes.

3. Regular season games can end in a tie. Extra innings will be played only if they start before the 35-minute time limit. All tournament games will continue until a winner is determined.

4. There is no run-limit per inning and no mercy rule.

VI. INCLEMENT WEATHER

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 3:00 pm. For information on cancellations, call the IM RainLine at 644-4483.
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, call the IM RainLine at 644-4483.
B. When games are cancelled due to the weather, the fields will not be available for practice to avoid costly damage to the fields. Please note the flag pole near the IM Sports Complex building: a red flag flying indicates that the complex is closed; a green flag flying indicates the fields are open.

3. A game stopped because of inclement weather is a regulation game if four or more innings (3 1/2 if the home team is ahead) have been played. In the event that a game is stopped in the middle of an inning, the official score will revert the the score at the end of the last complete inning.

VII. PITCHING

1. 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.

2. A legal delivery shall be a ball that is delivered underhand or overhand at a moderate speed. In the event of repeated violations by a pitcher, the IM site supervisor may intervene to rule on the situation.

3. A called strike will be determined by hitting a target located behind home plate. The ball may not contact the ground prior to being hit.

4. The pitcher has 10 seconds between pitches. If he/she exceeds this time, an automatic ball will be called.

VIII. BATTING

1. The batter must keep two hands on the bat prior to and when contacting the ball. One-handed swings that hit the ball into fair or foul territory will result in the batter being called out.

2. Batted balls must clear the 20-foot bunt line drawn in front of home plate to be considered a fair ball. Batted balls that roll dead inside this area OR are fielded by the defense within this area will be considered foul balls. The ball must roll completely over the line to be fair.

3. Batters start with the traditional 0-0 count. A batter may walk on four (4) balls or strike out on swinging or called 3rd strikes. There are no foul outs.

5. There is no bunting. The batter must take a full swing at the ball. A batter who bunts the ball is out and the ball is immediately dead.

6. In the event that a player is on base when it is his/her turn to bat, the player shall vacate the base to come to bat. The runner simply loses his/her chance to score a run. No ghostrunner will be permitted. No out will be recorded. No other runners will advance.

IX. RUNNING

1. Runners cannot lead off or steal bases. Baserunners may leave the base when the pitch is contacted by the batter. Runners who leave base prior to the ball being contacted by the batter are out.

2 . If the runner makes contact with a base and the base slides away from its original position on the field, the runner is safe (if it occurred before the tag or putout) and is not liable to be put out while base is dislodged. If the runner attempts to advance to another base, he/she is liable to be put out and must return to the position of the dislodged base (not the original position of the base).

3 . The base path for a runner is the direct line between the player and the base to which he is advancing at the time a play is being made on that specific base runner and the three feet to either side of that direct path. Note: this path may be different from the straight line connecting two bases. For example, a player who has run past 1st base a distance of about 10 feet decides to run for second. His/her base path for any tag plays is the direct line from where he/she made his turn towards 2nd base (10 feet down the line from 1st) and 2nd base. This is different from the direct line from 1st to 2nd base. For plays between home plate and 1st base, the runner shall run in the 3-foot lane of the foul side of the foul line. A player who runs outside his/her bath path (including the 3-foot lanes on either side) in an attempt to avoid a tag shall be declared out.

5. Baserunners are responsible for avoiding all collisions with fielders anytime a fielder is making a play on the ball (fielding, throwing, catching). If the baserunner does not avoid the collision, play will be ruled dead, the baserunner is called out, the batter is awarded first (unless involved in the collision), and all runners return to their original base unless forced to the next base.

6. A defensive player cannot stand in the base path or obstruct the path of a base runner unless he/she is making a play on the ball. In the event the defense obstructs a runner, the umpire shall award the runner and each other runner affected by the obstruction the bases they would have, in the umpire's opinion, reached had there been no obstruction. It is also obstruction when a fielder without the ball fakes a tag. In this case, bases are awarded as a normal obstruction AND the fielder will be ejected from the game.

7. Any runner in fair territory and not in contact with a base that is struck by a fair batted ball is out except when
(a) the ball has passed an infielder and in the judgement of the umpire, no other fielder had a chance to make an out,
(b) when a runner is hit with a fair batted ball over foul territory and no other fielder had a chance to make an out, or
(c) when a runner is touched with a fair batted ball after it is touched by any fielder, including the pitcher.
In the event of one of these 3 exceptions, all runners must return to their previously occupied base and the batter-runner is awarded first base. If the award of first to the batter-runner causes another runner to be forced, that runner will advance to the next base.

8. In case of a possible double play, the baserunner must get out of the way of the thrown ball. Baserunners who fail to get out of the way may be charged with interference resulting in both the baserunner and the batter-runner being called out on the play.

9. When a defensive player has the ball and is waiting for the runner, and the runner deliberately, with great force, crashes into the defensive player, the runner is declared out and will be ejected from the game. The ball will be declared dead and all runners must return to the last base they legally occupied. If the act is to be judged flagrant, the runner closest to home will also be called out.

10. There are no courtesy runners.

X. FIELDING

1. Each team must provide a pitcher. There are no other defensive restrictions.

2. The offensive team is responsible for retrieving pitched balls that are not hit to return to the pitcher for the next pitch. The offensive team has 10 seconds to return the ball to the pitcher or an automatic strike will be called.

3. The batter is out in situations similar to softball (forceouts, flyouts, etc). Runners may NOT be hit by a thrown ball -- "pegged" -- to be put out.

4. There is no infield fly rule.

5. Near the outfield fence / home run boundary and out-of-play lines, in order for an out to be recorded, the fielder must catch a fly ball and remain in play following the catch. Balls carried over the home run boundary by a fielder will be ruled home runs. Foul balls carried over an out-of-play sideline will be ruled foul balls. Fair balls carried over an out-of-play sideline will result in the batter and all runners being awarded 2 bases.

6. Balls that bounce over or roll under the outfield fence in fair territory shall result in a ground-rule double for the batter.

7. Overthrows that land out of play will result in the following awards:
A. On an initial overthrow by an infielder, the award is 2 bases from the time of the throw; i.e., batter gets second base, any baserunners are awarded 2 bases from where they were at the time of the throw.
B. On an overthrow by the outfielder, the award is 2 bases from the time the fielder releases the ball, not when it goes out of play; i.e., if a man is one step away from second when the outfielder released the ball, the runner is awarded second and third.

8. All base awards are based on the position of the lead runner. For example, if two players are between 1st and 2nd at the time of an overthrow which lands out of play, the first runner will be awarded 2nd and 3rd (two bases) and the second runner will receive 2nd base only.

XI. OTHER RULES

1. There will be a coin-toss prior to each game to determine the home team.

2. A player who is bleeding or has blood on his/her uniform cannot participate until the bleeding is stopped or the uniform is changed.
A. If the player accomplishes this task within a reasonable time (to be determined by the supervisor), the player may remain in the game.
B. If the situation is not handled in a reasonable amount of time, the player must leave the game and be replaced. If no substitutes are available, play will continue without the player. The player, then, may re-enter the game when he/she is deemed legal for participation.

3. The pitcher may receive a maximum of 3 warm-up pitches prior to each inning. Infield practice is prohibited prior to any inning.

XII. SPORTSMANSHIP

1. Sportsmanship is an important part of intramural sports. Teams receive sportsmanship ratings at the conclusion of each game on a scale of 0 to 4 with 4 as an excellent rating. Teams must average a 3.0 during the regular season to qualify for the playoffs.

2. Teams are responsible for keeping their spectators under control. Misconduct of spectators and players may result in ejection and/or forfeiture of the game. Spectators must remain in the out-of-play areas. Only players are permitted in the playing area.

3. Any player who uses foul language, violently protests a call, or curses an official or supervisor, will be removed from the game and will automatically be suspended from his/her team's next game. In addition, he/she will have to meet with the Director of Intramural Sports during office hours (Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.) before he/she is eligible to participate again. Any player who touches an official or supervisor will be placed on suspension from all Intramural activities for a minimum period of one calendar year from the time of the incident.

4. If at any time a team has 2 players or spectators ejected from the game, the offending team will immediately forfeit the game.

5. FSU Intramural Sports does not recognize the use of coaches. Only the team captain may speak to the umpires regarding administrative matters (protests, ejections, disqualifications, etc.).

6. Teams shall assist in removing trash and equipment from their game area at the conclusion of their game.

7. Umpires and supervisors are college students employed by FSU Campus Recreation to provide a service to the participants of FSU Intramural Sports. Officials are employed regardless of experience to fulfill a need for a large number of officials to cover all the games being played. Officials undergo clinics and evaluations to help them to constantly improve in their abilities. Supervisors are trained to handle conflicts that occur during games and are there to answer questions that participants may have regarding Intramurals. The supervisors can be identified by the FSU IM shirt or sweatshirt they will be wearing. FSU IM supervisors are veteran officials or trained tournament personnel who have complete authority to make decisions regarding problems or special situations. Supervisors have been selected for their knowledge of intramural sports regulations and rules, maturity, professionalism and a sincere interest in intramural sports.

8. Additional information regarding sportsmanship may be obtained from the Intramural Sports office or online at the FSU Campus Recreation web site.

Call the IM Sports Office at 644-2430 or email us for more information.