QUICK OVERVIEW:

• All games are 7 innings or 55 minutes (warm up time included). The last inning will start 10-15 minutes to the hour. SM Staff will enforce this rule and will make the call at the top of the final inning.
• Due to differing circumstances in each and every game, some games will finish short of the hour while others might run past the hour. Please respect the umpires call in this matter. They must keep all games on time in fairness to teams playing later hours due to facility permit restrictions.
• During regular season play after seven innings or when the last inning is completed the ITB (International Tie Breaker) Rule will be in effect. The last kicker from the previous inning will begin on second base, and the kicker will receive ONE LEGAL ROLL TO PUT INTO PLAY. An OUT WILL BE CALLED should the ball be kicked foul, or the kicker does not kick a legal roll. This will occur for a maximum of 2 extra innings, in playoffs the ITB will continue until the tie is broken.
• 9 players (at least 3 females) in the field at all times (THERE MUST BE AT LEAST 1 FEMALE IN THE OUTFIELD & 1 FEMALE IN THE INFIELD). THE CATCHER IS NOT CONSIDERED AS A FIELDER WHEN APPLYING THIS RULE.
• Teams can play with a minimum of 8 players (at least 2 females). If only 2 women are present at game time, they must kick twice within the first 10 kickers. An OUT will only be called should ALL WOMEN BE ON BASE WHEN A WOMAN SHOULD BE KICKING. If a team has less than the minimum required number of players it is up to the opponent and/or umpire or Sportsmonkey staff member as to what is allowable.
• Teams may kick more than 9 players; however, these teams must continue to kick with the same guy, girl, guy, girl rotation, unless their opponent allows otherwise (i.e. in the case of only 8 players).
• In situations where additional players wish to kick, the line-up must continue to reflect the guy, girl, guy, girl rotation, even if some women need to kick twice in the rotation.
• No leadoffs or stealing. Runners can leave the base once the ball crosses the plane of the plate or is hit kicked by the kicker. If a runner leaves early, the ball is dead and the runner is declared out. If this is the 3rd out of the inning, the kicker will be first up in the next inning.
• All kickers will get 4 legal rolls. A legal roll must be OF MODERATE SPEED (any rolled ball of excess speed will be a re-rolled) between the inside lines of the kicker box. Any roll that is not deemed legal will be re-rolled.
• No excessive bouncies (Any rolled ball that bounces from the ground between the pitching plate and home plate).
• ONLY WOMEN WILL BE ALLOWED TO BUNT, ANY MAN BUNTING THE BALL the play is dead, which will result in an out for the MALE Kicker, any base runners must return to last base occupied.
• A kicker with two strikes is allowed one foul ball (4th ball). Two fouls with two strikes, the kicker is out.
• The direction and style of running is at the discretion of the umpire and may change at any time.
• To get an out, a defensive player may attempt to throw the ball at the base runner. Should the ball make contact with the runner for any reason while the runner is not on the base the runner is out.
• Any contact above the shoulders will result in an automatic home-run.
• If the runner successfully catches the ball they may then kick the ball into any part of the playing field (no kicking the ball over the foul lines or fences should this occur the player that caught & kicked the ball is OUT). This rule does not apply to runners running from home to 1st base after the initial kick, it will only apply after they have reached 1st base safely and are in the process of running subsequent bases
• The defense must allow a free kick once it is caught and CANNOT ATTEMPT TO BLOCK THE KICK.  The penalty will be ALL runners on base (those base runners on base in front of the BLOCKED KICKER & base runners behind the BLOCKED KICKER) ALL WILL SCORE!
• THERE IS NO OUT CALLED SHOULD THE BALL BE CAUGHT BY ANY FIELDER AS A RESULT OF FREE KICK. If the base runner is hit below the shoulders and does not catch the ball, then the runner is out.
• Games start on time! Teams must be prepared to play.
• Sportsmonkey Staff will closely watch base runner to defensive player contact. Any excessive contact or collision will result in an out and/or ejection. This includes contact with the catcher.
• Sliding is allowed. Any sliding into a base to break up a double play, or any intentional (in the eyes of the umpire) interference with the defensive player, the runner and kicker/runner will be called out.
• NO METAL SPIKES ARE ALLOWED. Any equipment in question should be brought to the attention of the umpire. The umpire or Sportsmonkey Staff member will make all final decisions with regard to equipment discrepancies.
• A foul ball above the kicker's head may be caught for an out.
• All thrown balls are deemed out of play when:

The ball is thrown over the fence

The ball is thrown beyond the fence (no complete fence)

The ball is thrown beyond the imaginary line (if there is no fence) extending from the end of the backstop (*this imaginary line also applies to overthrows and caught foul balls)

• If the ball is overthrown and hits the fence behind the 1st or 3rd base lines, this is NOT considered out of play and the runner may advance, BUT at his/her own risk. On overthrows out of play, the runner is granted the base he/she is going to (at the point of the throw) plus one more.
• In cases where a base runner runs past first base, he/she must make a clearly aggressive turn towards second base to be granted 2nd and 3rd in an overthrow
• On an infield fly (any fly ball within the infield with significant arc and deemed an "easy catch") with less than 2 outs and runners on 1st and 2nd or 1st, 2nd and 3rd, the kicker is automatically out and runners can advance, BUT at their own risk.
• All outfielders must remain behind the chalked and/or coned "outfield line" (if applicable: consult with your umpire before your game to determine if this rule is enforced at your particular league) when a female is up to Kick. If the "line" is not clearly marked it is up to the umpire's discretion if an outfielder is too close to the infield.
• There cannot be more than 7 players on the infield at any one time.
• Once contact with the ball has been made the outfielders may cross the line. If an outfielder crosses the line before contact has been made then the female may be awarded 1st base.
• When a female is kicking, any infielder (including but not limited to the pitcher) MUST REMAIN BEHIND AN IMAGINARY LINE that runs (diagonally thru the infield) from 1st base to 3rd base.
• The Penalty for this rule infraction will be a dead ball and the kicker is awarded 1st base and all subsequent runners will be award the next base if forced.

INNING RUN LIMIT RULE:

• There will be a 6-run limit per inning through innings 1-4. (Exception: Unlimited runs may be scored if one of innings 1-4 is declared the final inning of the game). Unlimited runs may be scored in innings 5-7 always. Game mercy rule: 10 runs up after 5 complete innings.

UMPS/STAFF:

• The game will be called by a Sportsmonkey Umpire. All judgment decisions are final. Any excessive disagreements will result in an ejection from the game and/or league if deemed necessary by SM staff.
• It is understood that Sportsmonkey Staff will assist in the tracking of the score (i.e. announcing it between innings) and assist in any discrepancies with regards to the coed line-up ratios. However, it is the responsibility of both teams to maintain their respective line-ups and scores each inning.
• If you have questions regarding schedules, policies, rule interpretations, directions to the bar, etc. please ask.

FORFEITS:

• Teams have until 10 minutes after past designated game time to field a full squad. If one team has less than the minimum number of players (8 total w/ 2 females) at ten past the designated start time, it is up to the Sportsmonkey Staff and opposing team as to what is allowable. The Sportsmonkey Staff member will ultimately make this decision.
• If your team forfeits a game during the season, the following rules apply:

First Offense: Loss of game and warning issued.

Second Offense: Loss of game and staff reserves the right to remove team from playoffs.

Third Offense: Removal from the league.

• If you know in advance that your team is going to forfeit a game, we encourage you to email us at INFO@SPORTSMONKEY.COM to help us schedule your opponent a game.

STANDINGS:

• The updated standings will be posted weekly, displaying each team’s rank within its skill level. Rank is based on winning percentage.

PLAYOFFS:

• All eligible teams make the playoffs (teams that have not abused any policies are eligible).
• In certain situations, teams at or near the bottom of the standings may not advance to the playoffs. Check with SM league coordinator to see if this applies to your league.
• Playoffs are single elimination.
• Teams may play more than one game per day.
• Any questions regarding rules, policies, or eligibility must be addressed before the start of the game.
• Sportsmonkey reserves the right to schedule playoff games on days other than your regularly scheduled league night.

Playoff Seeding:

• Teams are seeded according to winning percentage and strength of schedule.
• Teams may be dropped from their regular season level based on the above criteria. Teams may be moved to a higher division during the playoffs only if permission is granted.
• Skill levels may be divided into separate divisions based upon size of level.

WAIVERS:

• To participate in the league, each participant must sign the team waiver. Waivers are provided and must be completed and handed in no later than the first night of play. Players not present the first week of play will still be required to sign a waiver with our staff before participating.
• Playoff rosters must be complete by third week of regular season play. (Players will only be added after the third week for the purposes of a substitution due to an injury or other extreme circumstance as deemed acceptable by the Sportsmonkey Staff).
• Waivers and Rosters will be used as acceptable player-team identification during playoffs. All participants must present ID's during the playoff tournament in the event of a roster check. All roster check requests must be made before the first pitch.

PLAYER ELIGIBILITY:

• A formal protest may be filed before a game if an opposing player's eligibility is in question. The player in question will be required to provide his/her player information (name, address, phone #, signature) in writing to a Sportsmonkey staff member prior to the start of the game. This qualifies as an official protest. The game will then be played in its entirety as scheduled. Teams will be notified of all rulings on the identified eligibility discrepancy by the following business day: decisions will not be made on site. If the protest is proven to be legitimate, it will result in the forfeiture of the game in question. Games after the protested game may be rescheduled.
• The above procedure will also apply for any other "logged" protests.
• All rulings by Sportsmonkey staff are considered final.

SPORTSMANSHIP:

• The idea of Sportsmonkey is to have fun. We hope that all participants keep that in mind when becoming involved. Although the games may become intense, you still can be competitive while maintaining good sportsmanship. With this said, any behavior deemed unacceptable by staff may result in suspension and/or ejection from a game or the league.

LEAGUE CANCELLATION/RAINOUT:

• Leagues may be cancelled due to existing weather conditions, dangerous or unplayable field conditions, facility constraints, etc. Sportsmonkey staff makes every effort to play all scheduled games, thus we will not cancel games until absolutely necessary. Therefore, if you are calling concerning a decision on a cancellation, remember we will not have an answer until close to the start of the league.
• If the league is cancelled, Sportsmonkey staff will change the voicemail immediately. If a league is cancelled on site, Sportsmonkey will attempt to contact those teams still scheduled to play the remainder of the league day/night. Depending on the time of cancellation, some teams will have to be notified on site.
• If we do cancel, follow next week‘s schedule (ex. If April 13 is cancelled teams should follow the April 20 schedule for their next game). The games that are cancelled will be made up at the end of the season if time allows.
• In extreme circumstances, Sportsmonkey reserves the right to run a shortened season without a refund of schedule matches on days other than our regularly scheduled league day/night.

*These policies are designed to make the league run as smoothly and safely as possible, and provide continuity for its participants. Each player in the league is responsible for this information: please advise your team of these rules and thanks for playing with Sportsmonkey!*

If you have any further questions please email us at info@sportsmonkey.com