NYC Social Rules
Number of PlayersA team consists of a minimum of 14 and a maximum of 18 players. 10 Players will play at once (9 and a catcher), at least 3 of which must be women. A minimum of 6 players from your roster and/or pre-registered substitutes is needed to start or continue a game. If a team is short of the required number of women, they must play down one player. Teams may also invite Substitute Players to join them as per below: SubstitutionsIf a team meets the minimum requirement to start or finish a game, it may invite players from other teams within the division. Subs from within the division are subject to the Referee’s discretion. Teams can only invite enough Subs from within the division to meet the maximum number of players allowed on field (10). Substitute players from within the division should be the last one to cycle into the game (barring gender requirements). If players from a team’s roster arrive late, the Subs from within the division must rotate out. Substitutions from outside the division are allowed; for more info and to register as a Sub, CLICK HERE. Substitutions during the Playoffs are not permitted. Teams using pre-registered substitutes may not exceed the headcount of their original roster, and individuals may not serve as a pre-registered substitute player more than 3 times during a Season. Substitute players must check in with the Game Coordinator onsite to receive a league issued pinnie to wear in the Game. Substitute players must leave a form of identification with the Game Coordinator in exchange for the participation pinnie. The ID will be returned to the player when the pinnie is turned in after the Game. Game Length and StructureGames are seven Innings in length or 45 minutes in duration, whichever occurs first. Game time is kept by the Referee.
GENERAL KICKBALL RULESOutsOuts occur in situations similar to Softball and Baseball (force outs, pop outs, etc.). Additionally, any Base Runner struck below the shoulders by the Kickball, whether that ball was kicked, thrown, or deflected, shall be ruled out. Four foul balls result in an out. Also, a ball that lands over a fence in foul territory or gets stuck on a foul-line roof is considered an out. A Runner who is hit above the shoulders by the Kickball is allowed to advance to the base they were heading toward. If a Runner is hit above the shoulders by a Kickball thrown by a Fielder, the Runner is additionally awarded an extra base. If the Runner is hit on the shoulders, the Ref has full discretion whether to call it above or below. Our priority is the safety of all players. KickersThe ball is put into play when the Pitcher rolls the ball toward home plate and the Batter attempts to kick the ball. The Batter must wait for the ball to be within one foot of home plate before kicking the ball. If the Batter does not like the pitch, he/she should not attempt to kick the ball, and another pitch will be thrown. There are no strikeouts or walks. After 3 pitches, batters should politely request what they are looking for from the pitcher. Pitchers are required to comply. Please DO NOT take pitches in an attempt to slow the game. If you do not politely make a request of the pitcher, the official may begin calling fouls for each reasonable pitch taken at their discretion. Leading Off/StealingLeading off or stealing bases between pitches is not allowed. A Runner who leaves the base before the ball is kicked is out and the ball is ruled dead. Once the Pitcher has the ball in hand near the Pitcher's mound, the play is over and Base Runners may not advance. If the Pitcher leaves the vicinity of the mound in an attempt to make a defensive play, the ball is considered live. SlidingPlayers may not slide. Players must tag the base with their foot to be called safe. Any player, who in the refs judgment, intentionally slides or goes to the ground in an unsafe manner that endangers themselves or others will be called out. Charging a BaseIn order to prevent injury, any Base Runners that deliberately crash into a defensive player holding the ball and waiting to apply a tag will be called out. If the act is determined to be flagrant, the offender shall also be ejected. Defensive players should also realize the risk of blocking the base and avoid doing so as this is a Social league. We regard the base path as the runner’s right of way except when the fielder has the ball in their possession or is attempting to field the ball. Players will not be penalized for avoiding a player attempting to field the ball along the base path but not yet in possession of the ball. Players may NOT deviate from the base path to avoid a fielder in clear possession of the ball. Overthrown BallsAn overthrown ball is an intended pass to a Baseman that misses and goes beyond the Baseman into foul territory. When this happens, Runners are eligible to advance one (and only one) base. So if a Runner is on base, they may advance to the next base, but not the one after that. If a Runner is between bases, they may continue to the next base, but not the following one. If a ball is overthrown, and a Fielder recovers the ball and then attempts to make an out (rather than simply passing to the Pitcher to end the play), the play is reactivated and Runners may continue advancing. Batting LineupAll players present will bat, even if they are not playing a field position. No player may bat more than once in a designated batting order and no more than 3 male players may bat in a row (ex: 1 male, 2 male, 3 male, 4 female, 5 male…). If a team does not have enough women for a 3:1 lineup, that team will take an automatic out in place of the absent women (ex: 1 female, 2 male, 3 male, 4 male, 5 out, 6 male). An asterisk will be placed in the spot where the missing female player should go. They may fill in to that spot upon arrival. If they arrive at the exact time they are supposed to bat, they will be allowed if they are dressed to play AND the ref has not already called the out. Games will not be held for players needing to change for games already in progress. FootwearClose-toed shoes must be worn by all players. NO metal, hard plastic, polyurethane spikes, detachable cleats, or flip-flops are allowed. Batting OrderThe Captain must determine the batting order prior to the start of the Game and turn it in to the Referee. You cannot switch your batting order once you have turned it in, but you may add on late arriving players to the end of the batting order. Infield Fly RuleThere is no infield fly rule. Players abusing this may be deducted sportsmanship points at the officials discretion. BuntingBunting is not permitted, and is called at the Ref's discretion. Bunting is the act of the kicker tapping the ball once with the initial striking leg between any part of the foot and knee without a complete kicking motion and follow through. If the Ref discerns that the intent of the kicker was to intentionally kick the ball short in order to prevent the defense from making a play, a bunt will be called and counted as a foul ball. If players do not follow through/complete the kick, they will be given three (3) steps for the ball to reach the line intersecting 1st & 3rd base. Players who play questionable kicks before a bunt is called forfeit the opportunity for a bunt call. Pinch-Running & -BattingIf an accident to a Batter/Base Runner prevents him/her from proceeding in the Game, the player of the same gender who made the last out for the offensive team will bat/run. Mercy RuleIf a team is behind by more than 20 runs after the 4th Inning of play, then the Game will be called off by the officials and the team ahead will be granted the win. Play can continue, but the score will not change. Scoring LimitThere is a seven-run limit to each Inning. First Base Overrun RuleA player may safely overrun 1st base after kicking, but must proceed straight towards right field. If the Runner turns towards 2nd base, the Runner can be tagged out. Wet Field Conditions - Second and Third Base Overrun RuleDuring rainy or wet field conditions players may safely overrun 2nd and 3rd bases, but must proceed straight towards left field when overrunning 2nd base or foul territory when overrunning 3rd base. If the Runner turns towards 3rd base or home plate, the Runner can be tagged out. Runners must make an attempt to stop. Foul BallA ball is considered foul once it lands or contacts an inanimate object (eg. wall, light, tree) outside of the 1 st and 3rd base lines. Catching a ball in these designated foul areas results in an out, but players may not tag up and advance. The ball is fair if it lands on the ground anywhere within the 1st and 3rd base lines. Double contact with the ball while kicking is also considered a foul ball. Players making contact with the ball more than one foot in front of home plate will be charged with a foul. If a fielder catches a fly ball prior to the ball contacting the ground or other inanimate object, regardless of whether the official has called the kick a foul or not, the catch will result in an out. PitchingWhen pitching, the ball must not be spun or bounced. The Pitcher must make an effort to roll the ball smoothly towards the center of home plate. Pitchers must comply with requests from batters and officials regarding pitch speed, location, and other reasonable requests. Failure to do so may result in sportsmanship deductions or forced pitcher changes at official’s discretion. Tagging upIf a kicked ball is caught by a defensive Fielder before hitting the ground, offensive Runners must "tag-up", or retouch, their time-of-pitch base before advancing to the next base. If the Fielders bring the ball to the time-of-pitch base before the Runner tags-up, the Runner is out. Runners may not advance more than one base on a tag up and there are no tag ups on foul balls. Players may tag up on the fielders first contact with the ball. With the exceptions listed on this rule sheet, ASA Softball rules will apply. Kickballs & bases will be provided on site. Defensive RotationThere must be a fair rotation of all players through fielding positions. This means both men and women get time both on the bench and on the field. Referees may require Substitutions to ensure this. ForfeitsTeams should report to the fields at least 15 minutes before their scheduled starting time of the Game. A Game will be ruled a Forfeit if any of the following occur:
Teams will receive a forfeit loss of 12-0 in the official standings, if they have not shown up by the scheduled game time. teams will Forfeit if they have not shown up by the scheduled Game time. Exceptions can be made if a team is waiting on a couple of players (e.g. transit issues) with the understanding that the delay will cut time from the end of their Game, and that the final decision is Subject to the Referee’s discretion. Sportsmanship points will be deducted from teams that Forfeit a Game due to a 'no-show' or a 'low-show.' teams can minimize the deduction by Contacting Us ahead of time. teams will receive:
Inclement WeatherIn the event of heavy rain or snow that results in the conditions of a Game being unsafe or travel being unsafe, NYC Social will update the Weather Line (347.491.7001) with any postponements 90 minutes before Game time. Games that completed 4 innings when stopped due to weather, field conditions, injuries, or other force majeure will be considered official. The final score will revert to the score at the end of the last completed inning. Games that have not completed the 4th inning will be played from the top of the current inning and the score will revert to the score at the end of the last completed inning. Season AbandonmentRegistered teams that miss two weeks of play will be considered to have abandoned their place in the league. teams in this category will be contacted by an NYC Social Staff Member to confirm their status. teams failing to respond within two business days will be removed from the season schedule and will Forfeit their registration fees. teams that do respond will be required to supply reasoning for lack of attendance and petition the league for reinstatement. Season abandonment and reactivation decisions will be made on a case-by-case basis at the sole discretion of the league management and must be resolved before returning to play in the current season or in Subsequent seasons. Team T-ShirtsEach player on an official team roster will receive a league-issued shirt at the start of the season. The shirt must be worn and visible during each and every Game of the season. players who forget their league shirt will cause their team a 0.5 point deduction (each) from that week's Sportsmanship Rating. players who forget their league shirt or wear an illegally altered shirt (see below) to the Game will be made to wear a pinnie in order to participate in the Game. Players must leave a form of identification with the Game Coordinator to receive the participation pinnie. The ID will be returned to the player when the pinnie is turned in after the Game. League shirts are also used by Staff at the sponsor bar to determine whether a player is eligible to receive league discounts. While shirt customization is allowed, teams/players must abide by the following rules when personalizing shirts:
Names, nicknames, numbers, and team logos are all welcome additions to the team T-Shirts. Please also feel free to bedazzle, tie-dye, or apply patches to them, if you are so inclined. If a player's shirt no longer fits into the guidelines above, the player will be charged $10 and issued a replacement shirt. Alcohol, Controlled Substance, and Safety PolicyIndividuals (players, fans, or friends of players) will, at the discretion of NYC Social, be ejected immediately if any of the following are true:
Anyone who is ejected from one of our venues or sponsor bars will be required to petition the Club for reinstatement before participating in or attending any Subsequent NYC Social event. Team(s) associated with the offending player, friend, or fan will lose 2 Sportsmanship points from its Sportsmanship Rating. These policies are in place for the safety, enjoyment, and continued camaraderie of all players, the sponsoring venues, sponsor bars, and the entire Club. Sportsmanship ScoreA Sportsmanship score (SP) is given to every team after every Game, and is factored into overall league ranking. Teams (and their fans) begin with a ‘4.5’ and can gain an extra .5 point for displaying exceptional sportsmanship and spirit. Conversely, points are deducted for policy infractions, poor attitudes, low attendance, or absence as described below. Any team receiving a score below 3.5 must email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it to explain their actions and receive official approval prior to participating in future Club Games, leagues, or hosted events.
Note: Players must wear appropriate colored, league-issued Team T-Shirts during Games. Half a point (.5) will be deducted from a team’s Sportsmanship Rating for each missing shirt. Ejected ParticipantsAny ejected individual must get approval by NYC Social prior to attending or participating in future games, leagues, or hosted events, including Post-Game Socials. Attempted participation without approval is subject to further penalties. Rulings may include, but are not limited to, probation, Game/league suspension, or permanent expulsion. PlayoffsRegular season team standings are determined by 1) number of wins, 2) Sportsmanship, and 3) point differential. Teams not advancing to the Playoffs will be awarded a Consolation Game. Top teams will advance to the Playoffs – typically a Single Elimination Tournament – where they will compete for Gold and Silver Medals and Prizes. Please note: Spirit and Bar Awards are given to deserving teams, regardless of ranking. To be eligible for Playoffs, teams must have an average Sportsmanship rating of at least ‘4.0’ and cannot have Forfeited more than one Game during the regular season. Sorry, no Substitute players are allowed in the Playoffs. Any team receiving less than ‘3.5’ Sportsmanship in a Playoff Game Forfeits its spot in the bracket, plus they must receive approval from NYC Social prior to participating in future games, leagues, or hosted events. MOST IMPORTANTLY!THIS IS A SOCIAL league: Have fun and make new friends. The Game may or may not go your way, but the beer is still cold and cheap afterwards! |
