RULES 
  
Draw determined at meeting Sunday 6/12/11  

Rules that apply to all ages:
 

2) Age limits will be defined by the ASA rules. ASA rules will apply  unless changed below.    

2) No varsity players will be allowed to participate. 

3) Players must have participated in at least 50% of the House league season. The season consists of games played within the same league and games played between different leagues. Regular season and post season. Leagues with only one team in an age group must play other house teams during their regular season to qualify.

4) Roster must have at least 11 players or the 11th position in the batting order is an out. (This rule is waived for Sunday)

5) Every player must bat in the order.

6) Unlimited substitutions - defensively.

7) Tournament will be 3 or 4 games. Each team will pay 2 games on Saturday.

8) Pitchers are limited to 3 innings until the 7th inning. One pitch counts as an inning.

9) Only 9 players play defense at one time.

10) Seeding for Sunday will be determined by the won and loss record after 2 games on Saturday. The tie breaker will be  head to head, runs against, run differential, runs scored,  and coin toss. If there are more than 2 teams with the same record head to head is not used.

11) Tie breaker Sunday. International tie breaker per ASA rules. Ties are allowed during  Sat.  pool play.  If there is a tie of the first game of a Saturday 4 team bracket, the winner of the coin flip will play on the winner field.

12) Max 5 runs allowed for 1st 4 innings OR no run limit after 1 hour, whichever happens first. Please check the time before you start an inning. 15 run slaughter rule after 4.

13) No new inning after 1:30. 

14) 1st place of championship bracket will receive 18 individual  trophies.  Second place of championship bracket will receive 18 individual  trophies. 1st place of 1st consolation bracket will receive 18 individual  trophies.  If Saturday games are rained out each Sunday bracket winner will receive 18 individual  trophies. 

15) Home team is determined by a coin flip. The first team that shows up gets their choice of the dugout.

16) Teams will be placed in brackets by blind draw. Leagues with multiple teams entered will be drawn first to ensure that they are entered in different Brackets.

17) T-shirts  will be available.

18) The Ball will be supplied by the tournament.

19) No travel teams. Teams must be formed from within a house league with all players that are eligible (rule 1,2,3) invited. 

20) Port A Jons are available at Falls Church. Wakefield Park has real restrooms.  

21)To be eligible for the House All Star Tournament, A player may not play in any other girls fastpitch softball tournament during the weekend of the House All Star Tournament.

22) Teams may use a courtesy runner for the pitcher or catcher of the previous inning. The courtesy runner will be the last out of the previous inning.

23) Teams should to the extent possible try and take their trash with them when they leave, especially on Saturday.

24) The pitching rubber is measured from the back of home plate to the front of the pitching rubber. 35' 10u, 40' 12u, 43' 18u Softball Field Layout.jpg

25) Virginia teams only.

26) Teams that are playing the first game of the day must supply a person to help line the fields 1/2 hour before the game.

Rules that apply to12U:

1) 12U will use 40' as the pitching distance.

Rules that apply to10U:
1) Stealing of home allowed. 
 
2) 10U will use 35' pitching distance.

3) No dropped 3rd strike.

4) Runner may not take second on a walk.

5) Only one base is allowed on a steal per pitch. 
Runner is at risk to be put out if she attempts to advance to another base. The runner must be tagged out while off a base. Crossing home plate is considered being on a base. If runner advances two bases on a steal attempt the umpire will send the runner back to the original base she was attempting to steal during the next dead ball.

6) Game is 6 innings. Ties are allowed during  Sat.  pool play.  If there is a tie of the first game of a Saturday 4 team bracket, the winner of the coin flip will play on the winner field Games will be played out on Sun to determine a winner. Each extra inning will be a full inning.

7) Base runner can leave the base when the ball leaves the pitchers hand.

8) No infield fly rule.

2012 rule discussion:
1) Pitching rubber moved to 43' for 18u, same as high school. Passed.

2) Varsity players allowed to play. Based on the decline of the JV High School teams there has been a request to revisit this issue. Did not pass.