Softball League Information

The AABA Softball League gives members a chance to get to know other members in a relaxed setting. Softball games take place every Thursday evening beginning in April and continue through the league tournament in August. If you are interested in joining or starting a team, contact one of the Softball League Committee Chairs.

Softball League Committee
John Doud               (410) 268-6600
Kemp Hammond      (410) 260-1360
Jonathan Pasterick  (410) 263-3131
 

Game Fields

Griscom Fields (#1 and #2) and Collison Field
273 Hilltop Lane, Annapolis, MD 21403
(410) 263-7958

Information on the fields and cancellations can be found at www.annapolis.gov/recreation. No alcoholic beverages are allowed on City property. Failure to comply will result in dismissal from the league.

Team Dues
The dues for this year are payable to the AABA by the start of the season. The fee covers field rentals, umpires and softballs, as well as money for various other league activities and trophies.

League Rules

1. Line-up: The minimum number of players required to start a game is eight.  At least two must be women and at least two women must be in the field at all times.  Teams may have two designated hitters as long as one is a woman (a 12-person line-up).  With permission from the opposing team, a team may bat more than 12 players.

 

2. Ringer Rule: Each team must have 7 “Legitimate Players” in the line-up and on the field at all times.  A “Legitimate Player” is defined as any attorney, support staff employed by an attorney in a legal related business on a regular basis, any paralegal, any employee of any of the County Courthouses or their agencies, such as the Clerk of the Court and Sheriff’s Office, State’s Attorney’s Office, Office of the Public Defender, any employee of the Department of Legislative Services, any employee of the Governor’s Office or the Office of Budget Management.  A spouse or child of a “Legitimate Player”  is deemed a “Legitimate Player.”  Also, any person who has played in the league prior to the 2006 season is a “Legitimate Player.”    

 

3. Forfeits: Teams play Thursday evenings at Truxton Park in the City of Annapolis (the “City”).  If a team cannot field the minimum number of players (Rule No. 1) within five minutes of the start time, that team forfeits that game.  If a team has a doubleheader scheduled cannot field the minimum number of players (Rule No. 1) within 15 minutes of the start time for the first game, then that team forfeits the second game of the doubleheader as well. 

 

4. Playoff Eligibility: For a player to be eligible for the playoffs, the player must have played in at least one regular season game, except an AABA member can play in the playoffs without having played in at least one regular season game. 

 

5. Playoff Seeding: Seeding for playoffs is based on each team’s record.  When there’s a tie between two ore more teams, head-to-head records are the tie-breaker followed by a coin flip.

 

6. Counts: Each batter begins with a one strike and one ball count.  A batter is out after three strikes.  A batter walks after four balls. 

 

7. Foul Strikeouts: Once a batter has two strikes, the batter is only allowed to have one foul before a strikeout.  If the batter fouls two pitches after reaching two strikes, then that batter is called out. 

 

8. Equipment: Men shall use a 12” softball and women shall use an 11” softball.  Men must use an Easton Hammer softball bat, e.g. Easton Hammer SK4.  Women may use any softball bat. 

 

9. Cheating Outfielders: Outfielders shall not play closer than 150’ from home plate when a woman is at-bat.  The 150’ is judged by the umpire. 

 

10. Time Limits: Teams are scheduled to play seven innings.  No new inning shall start after one hour from the start time of the game as long as a minimum of five innings are completed.  If the game ends by operation of this time limit rule, the final game score reverts to the last official inning.  Games may end in a tie, except in a playoff game.  If a game is tied after regulation in a playoff game, then the game will go into an extra inning(s) until there is a winner.    

 

11. Weather: The umpire is empowered to call a game at any time because of darkness, rain, lightning, thunder, fire, panic or any other cause that places the patrons or players in peril. Umpires will follow the “USA Softball Guidelines for Lightning Safety.” 

 

12. Resuming Suspended Game (Playoffs Only): A playoff game that has not completed five innings shall be resumed at the exact point where the game stopped and will be played the following week subject to field availability by the City.  The City has the right to declare a stopped game complete if no date/time is available to resume the game.  If a game is stopped short for any reason (e.g. weather, lightning, or darkness) and is declared complete, the final score will revert back to the last completed inning.  For example, if the visiting team leads in the top of the sixth inning, but the bottom of the sixth cannot be completed because of darkness or a weather delay and the time limit has been reached, the game will be considered complete at the bottom of the fifth inning.

 

13. Slaughter Rule: The teams play no new inning after five innings if a team is ahead by ten or more runs at the end of the fifth inning or four and one-half innings if the “home team” is leading.

 

14. Substitutions: A player may substitute for another player in the field before any inning.  A player may substitute for another player in the batting line-up.  Courtesy runners are only allowed in the event of a physical injury or handicap and the courtesy runner is the player who made the last out.

 

15. All of the above rules supersede the USA Softball Official Rules of Softball (Coed), as modified year-to-year, published by USA Softball.  These Rules apply with the exception of the above listed Rules.