These rules are based upon the SSUSA Rule Book and are used to help guide league play, player conduct, game procedures, call-ups, equipment, standings, and overall league operations.

Current Update July 2025 Updates

Recent Change Nov. 2025 — Rule 3-c Reinstated

Reference Based upon SSUSA rules

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Dues Player Behavior Game Procedures Participation Equipment Pitching Screen Umpires Managers Eligibility Call-Ups Standings

1. Dues

A player fee is due prior to each seasonal draft as the prerequisite to participate in the draft. The fee covers the purchase of game balls, field maintenance, and other ongoing expenses. Payments may be made online via credit card or by check to any Board Member. Unpaid players may be excluded from drafts. Players assuming a full-time roster position in the first half of the season will be required to pay the season fee.

2. Player Behavior

Managers are responsible for control of players’ actions pertaining to both verbal and physical abuse. Any player ejected by a board member cannot be replaced that day, will be called “out” for each time at bat, will miss the team’s next play date, and can only be replaced with a player of at least one number higher rating. Incidents of such abuse should be immediately reported to the SSSA Board of Directors, which will take necessary action.

a. Verbal Abuse by a Player

Board members have the authority to eject a player for the remainder of the playing date on which verbal abuse occurs, including threatening behavior, sustained arguing, profanity, harassment of umpires, and similar conduct. The manager will report the incident to the Board of Directors immediately, but no later than 24 hours. The Board will review the incident and may suspend the player for the number of playing dates deemed appropriate.

b. Physical Abuse by a Player

Board members have the authority to eject a player for the remainder of the playing date on which abusive physical contact occurs, including shoving, bumping, punching, hitting, or similar conduct toward another player, umpire, or manager. The manager will report the incident immediately, but no later than 24 hours, to the Board of Directors. Suspension for this type of offense may be up to one year. The player must then petition the Board for reinstatement.

c. Other Behavioral Violations

Board members have the authority to eject a player for the remainder of the playing date if smoking products are used on the field or in the dugout. The manager will report the incident to the Board of Directors immediately, but no later than 24 hours. The review may result in suspension for the number of playing dates deemed appropriate by the Board.

Any verbal, physical contact, or other behavioral violations by a manager will be reported to the Board of Directors by the victim and/or any witness immediately, but no later than 24 hours. The Board of Directors will discipline the manager at its discretion in less than one week. At least five members of the Board must be present for this meeting. Managers also have the authority to recommend that the Board suspend a player who fails to provide timely notification of planned absences or injuries that affect playing ability.

3. Game Operational Procedures

a. All league games will start promptly. Winter season games start no later than 9:00 AM and summer season games start at 8:30 AM, although games may start earlier. A team must field a minimum of nine players or forfeit both games. Teams playing with 9 or 10 fielders may not ask the opposing team to supply a catcher. All defensive teams must supply their own catcher.

b. Players arriving after the game begins must bat last in the lineup for the remainder of the first game. The batting order may be changed for the second game.

c. Game time, based on field rental, for two games is three hours. At 2:45 after game time, a phone alarm will signal that the current inning plus one more inning, the open inning, may be completed.

d. Shortened games are official after 4 innings, or 3½ innings if the home team is ahead by more than 5 runs, or 3 innings if the visiting team is ahead by more than 5 runs. Official terminated game scores will stand if stopped in the bottom of an inning with the home team ahead or tied. Games stopped with the home team behind, or in the top of an inning, will revert to the score at the end of the previous inning. Games are completed after the 5th or 6th innings when one team is ahead by 12 or more runs.

e. If a game is tied after 7 innings, the last batter from the previous inning will be placed as a runner at second base to begin the inning. A pinch runner may not be used for this player in the A & B Leagues. A pinch runner is allowed in the C Leagues.

f. All managers are required to make a serious effort to find substitute players prior to the game in order to field 11 players.

g. A foul tip or foul ball caught by the catcher in flight will be an out regardless of the height of the ball in flight.

h. There will be a five-run maximum in each inning except the last inning. An unlimited number of runs may be scored in the last inning of a game.

i. Courtesy runners: There will be no courtesy runners from home plate. No player may be used as a courtesy runner more than once per inning. Courtesy runners may run only for the batter at the conclusion of his time at bat. If a player is removed for a courtesy runner, he may not be a courtesy runner that inning. If a courtesy runner is on base when scheduled to bat, he is automatically out and stays on base. The next batter in the lineup then bats. A batter hitting a home run is not required to round the bases. Players on base when the home run is hit are not required to round the bases and touch home plate.

j. The pitcher must release the ball while contacting the pitching rubber. There will be no running starts allowed. A pitch is illegal and called a ball if the arc is not between 6 and 12 feet above the ground. This call must be made prior to the ball striking the plate or ground, or it is simply a missed call.

k. During league games, should the first game run long, or during the summer season, both managers may agree to play the second game consisting of 5 or 6 innings, with the last inning being the open inning.

l. No individual player shall be walked more than one time per game. If the same player walks more than once in the same game, the second and every subsequent walk gives the batter the option to go to first base or remain at home plate with a new count. If the batter walks again during the same at bat, the manager can place a runner on first base and the hitter remains at the plate with a new count. This continues until the hitter reaches base via a struck ball, accepts the walk, or makes an out.

m. A batter who is walked and who would ordinarily request a courtesy runner when reaching first base is not required to physically walk to first base. He may return to the dugout while his courtesy runner proceeds to first base.

n. Runners attempting to score must run to and touch the secondary rubber plate, situated 8 feet from the wooden home plate. Failure to touch the runner’s plate prior to the defender touching the catcher’s plate with the ball in his possession is an out. The defender may touch any part of the catcher’s plate. The defender can make no play on a runner other than touching the catcher’s plate once the runner touches or passes the commit line. Recrossing the line back toward third base is an out. Runners touching any part of the catcher’s plate, black or white, will be called out. If the catcher’s wooden plate is out of position, the defender can also touch the permanent home plate.

o. The team listed first in the schedule shall be designated the home team and use the first base dugout. The home team is responsible for bringing the screen and home plates to the assigned field. The visiting team is responsible for returning the gear to the shed at the conclusion of play.

p. SSUSA Senior Rules 1.45 and 8.7(4) are restated and enforced as follows: Interference is the act of an offensive player or team member that impedes or confuses a defensive player attempting to execute a play. A base runner must avoid a fielder attempting to execute a play. A runner must make every effort to avoid colliding with opposing players while running the bases. If, in the umpire’s judgment, a runner misses a base to avoid a collision with a defensive player, the runner will not be called out.

q. First Base Interference: When any part of the defensive player at first base, other than his glove, crosses the foul line while catching a thrown ball, it is considered interference if the runner adjusts his stride or direction. In this case, the runner will be declared safe based upon a judgment call by the umpire.

4. Player Participation in Games

All players present must be in the batting order and play a minimum of two innings in the field per game. The requirement for playing in the field may be waived if a player is the Designated Hitter. If a player is the DH, the opposing manager must be notified before the start of play. A player so designated must agree to be the DH or else the two innings of play in the field will be required. No more than one player may be the DH in any game. The DH may enter the game as a player in the field at any time. The manager or co-manager assigns players to positions and establishes the batting order. If a player refuses to play an assigned position, the manager has the authority to suspend the player for that day. A player may be removed due to injury or other extenuating circumstances without penalty. Leaving to gain a competitive advantage will result in an out each time that player is scheduled to bat. A player leaving during a game may be replaced with a call-up player at the field subject to the conditions in Rule 12-d.

5. Equipment

The SSSA Board of Directors has the authority to select the specifications for all equipment used in play, including bats, balls, and shoes. After one year of participation in the league, a player must provide his own bat. If a player has not provided his own bat after one year, he may not play in the league until he satisfies this requirement.

6. Pitching Screen

Teams are required to employ a pitching screen provided by SSSA during games for pitcher safety. The screen must be positioned so that it is between part of the pitching rubber and home plate and must be placed no nearer home plate than 6 feet in front of the rubber. The screen must cover at least half of the rubber, with right-handed pitchers covering the left half and left-handed pitchers covering the right half. The screen support legs must be inside the screen width. For the pitcher’s safety, he is expected to move behind the screen after throwing a pitch. If a batted ball strikes any part of the screen, it is a dead ball in the C leagues and counts as no pitch. It is always a strike in the A & B leagues. If a thrown ball strikes the screen, the ball is in play. If a pitch hits the screen after it leaves the pitcher’s hand, it is a dead ball and counts as no pitch. The Board may suspend the pitching privilege for any pitcher not getting behind the screen for his safety.

7. Umpires

Two umpires are required: a home plate umpire and a base umpire. The base umpire is responsible for calls at first and second base. The home plate umpire is responsible for calls at home and third base. With agreement of both managers, an umpire may be removed from umpiring for the remainder of that day’s games. Board members may break the tie if managers cannot agree. Removal may only be done between innings. When it is discovered there is no umpire at home or in the field, the manager of the team in the field will make the call the missing umpire should have made. All plays that occurred before the missing umpire is discovered will stand.

8. Managers

SSSA Board of Directors must approve all managers. The Board may replace any manager at its discretion. The Board may also appoint former players as non-playing managers. They will perform all duties of a player/manager, except that under no circumstances may they enter the game in any active player capacity such as batting, pinch running, or fielding.

9. Player Eligibility

Players must be at least 55 years old by December 31 of the year that the season ends and be on the current call-up list. B League players must be rated #3 or higher and C League players must be rated #5 or higher. The drafting manager may draft a player who will be in town only part of the season. If this occurs and the player leaves, the manager may call up or pick up a replacement player under Rule 12-f. Players arriving after team rosters have been established will be placed on the appropriate call-up list. Call-up eligibility begins at the first call-up meeting following registration.

10. Selection of Players to Leagues

The A & B Leagues will hold drafts prior to the beginning of the season. In the A & B leagues, the number of players to be selected by each team manager/co-manager will be left to the discretion of the Board. All remaining players may play in the C leagues. These will consist of teams of at least 13 players, with the number decided by the Board of Directors. Players to the C League teams will be selected in a manner prescribed by the SSSA Board of Directors following the respective A & B League drafts. Trading players between teams is not allowed.

11. Player Ratings

Each player will be assigned a rating by the Board of Directors from 1 to 10, with 1 being the highest experience and skill level and 10 being the lowest. The Board will maintain the rating system during each season, adjusting individual ratings up and down if necessary based on player performance.

12. Player Call-Ups — All Leagues

A pool of players will be established by the SSSA Board of Directors, based on player preference for days of the week from his data sheet. This call-up player list is used when a team needs players to fill its roster. The additional player’s rating must be no better than a rating equal to that of the missing player. Managers who opt to field only 11 players and then suffer injuries and are left with only 9 or 10 players on the field may not ask the opposing team for a catcher.

Before play begins, managers will inform opposing managers of any players called up and the players they are replacing. This may be done orally or in writing.

a. A League call-ups: If the manager does not play with the minimum number of players, he must take an out every time the 11th player comes to bat in the batting order. The manager may not always find an equal player in rating, but he must find players to avoid an out. If multiple players are out, the manager must still pick up players to get to the 11-player minimum. The opposing manager must be informed of missing players and replacements prior to game time. Exceptions to the out rule are if a player is injured during a game or a player does not show up to a game in which he was expected to play.

b. Call-up process: Immediately following that day’s games, managers will meet to make call-ups for the following week’s scheduled games. If a manager or representative chooses not to attend, that team cannot call up a player until the following day. The team with the worst record after that day’s play receives the first selection, with subsequent selections following according to the standings, last to first. Ties are broken by a game of chance. Players may be called up for consecutive weeks when using this rule.

c. Use of an ineligible player, such as a player with a better rating than the roster position player being replaced or an unrated player, could result in a forfeited game. To be considered, the protest must be filed with a Board member on the day of the game or games in question.

d. When a player is forced to leave a game once it has started, the manager may replace that exiting player with any other player as long as the replacement player is rated the same or lower than the exiting player, regardless of whether the team has a higher-rated player not playing or not replaced.

e. During the winter session, the Board may allow Tuesday and/or Thursday managers to call up replacement players with a rating up to one better than the player being replaced. However, the maximum rating of a call-up player may be no better than 5.

f. When a player is unable to play for more than a month, the manager must notify the League Coordinator responsible for roster management. After discussion with the manager about the missing player and proposed replacement, the Board will determine if the manager may use the replacement player or a week-to-week call-up. The Coordinator must encourage the missing player to return to play as soon as possible regardless of skill level.

g-h. Once a manager calls up a player, that player must play for the selecting team. A called-up player will continue to play with his regular team as applicable.

13. Spring, Summer and Fall Leagues

Spring, summer, and fall leagues may have special rules as determined by the Board of Directors.

14. League Standings

Regular season winning percentage will determine team rankings and league champion. Any playoffs will be determined by the Board of Directors. Split season winners will be determined by winning percentage, head-to-head, then runs scored head-to-head.

15. Refusal by a Player to Play

Any drafted or assigned player who chooses not to play for a team that drafts him, or quits a league or team, unless the action is due to injury or compelling personal reason, such as family issues requiring his presence outside the Sarasota area, will be suspended by majority vote of the Board from playing in any and all SSSA games for a period of one year. A player may request reinstatement at the conclusion of the one-year suspension by registering for the upcoming season along with dues, which will be nonrefundable should the player again choose not to play with no mitigating circumstances.

Sarasota Senior Softball Association

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Sarasota Senior Softball Association General Rules and Procedures