Rules & Documents
Rules of Play (Game Rules)
This page reflects the current version of the rules that apply to the league in the current season. A record of changes, additions and deletions from the previous year can be found in the Downloadable PDF version using the button below.
PWSA Ontario pilot rules regarding pitching, base distance and all other rules will apply to league play starting in the 2020 season.
Rules of Play of
Central East
Women’s Fastpitch League
(CEWFL)
General
1.
Season
a. Rules
of play can be added, removed or modified by a simple majority vote of the
Board of Directors, prior to the start of play each season.
b. Softball
Canada and the Provincial Women’s Softball Association game play rules will
apply, unless stated otherwise herein.
2.
Playoffs
a. Playoffs will be held following the completion of
league play and prior to August 30th each year. Each division’s
playoffs will be scheduled on weekends that do not conflict with PWSA Qualifiers
or Grand Championships.
b. All teams will be in the League play-offs. Playoffs
for all divisions will be a maximum three-game guarantee or multi-level format
tournament
c. Home team advantage to the teams that place the
highest in League season standings. Highest seed has the right to choose home
or visitor status for each game throughout the play-offs.
d. The CEWFL will reimburse the host association for park
and umpire fees for all League Play-off tournaments.
Season: Game
Play
This section contains any league specific game
play rules, which may be different than those used in PWSA game play.
1.
Players
a. Unlimited
defensive substitutions are allowed.
b.
All batters must bat.
2. Umpires
a. Home
team shall provide two umpires registered and insured with Softball Ontario.
b. Home
team to provide one new and one good used softball for games.
3. Game
Duration
a. All
games to be 7 (seven) innings or curfew, and ties to be played out if time
permits. No new inning to start after 1 hour 30 minutes’ maximum with a drop-dead
time of 1 hour 45 minutes in all Divisions. Final scores revert to last full
inning played.
i. Extending
game time is permitted if agreeable by both
parties at start of game. Otherwise rule is enforced.
ii. Coaches
are expected to use good sportsmanship.
iii. Coaches
need to avoid delay of game tactics to manipulate the final outcome.
4. Game
Format
a. U10
and U12 divisions will have a run limit of 5 runs per inning, without any open
inning.
b. U14,
U16 and U19 divisions will have a runs limit of 7 runs per inning, with an open
7th inning (not final inning by time limit). Coaches can mutually agree
pre-game on an alternate format.
5. Competing
with Another Team
a. Recognizing
the value of collaboration and sportsmanship amongst member associations, the
league permits borrowing players under certain conditions to keep players on
the field and to keep play competitive.
b. Teams
are permitted to borrow players for the game roster to substitute for players
who have been injured or who are no longer with the team, if that results in
the team being below 11 players for a game.
c. The
league complies with the PWSA rules on players competing with another team,
including sanctions for non-compliance.
i. all
players must obtain written permission from their team manager or coach prior
to competing with any other team in league play, and
ii. the
borrowing team must file the written permission with the PWSA Registrar under
the PWSA Bylaws
iii. approval
by the league will be granted when
1. In-Season
Games (auto-approved): upon filing written permission with the league’s
Secretary before each game the player is used
2. Playoff
Games (require approval): only if the written permission is approved by the
league’s Executive Committee
iv. teams
frequently borrowing players are subject to review by the league to prevent
abuse. Only the league may request the Disciplinary Committee investigate, with
sanctions to include but not limited to, withdrawing permission to borrow
players.
d. Teams
may borrow a maximum of three players, which must not cause their game roster
to exceed the 11 player minimum set by PWSA to qualify as a team.
e. Teams
may borrow positional or pitcher players who are at the same level or ONE level lower, where a level is defined as any one of Age, Division or
Tier. Teams will be defined by their Division of play, not by the age of their
players (i.e. a U14 team playing in a U16 Division is considered a U16 team).
f. Teams
playing up a division will be classified as a Tier 2 team of that division for
league games and borrowing players, regardless of their PWSA tier status.
g. Teams
may borrow players from Affiliated, League, Select or House programs.
i. the
borrowing team is responsible for confirming that borrowed player’s insurance
covers them while playing in league games
Who Can We Borrow?
|
Eligible Players:
Position and/or Pitchers |
|||
Borrowing Team’s Playing Division |
by Age (same or lower) |
by Division (same or lower) |
by Tier 1 (same or lower) |
by Tier 2 (same or lower) |
U10 |
From Any Division |
U10 |
NA |
NA |
U12 |
From Any Division |
U12 or U10 |
NA |
NA |
U14 |
From Any Division |
U14 or U12 |
Tier 1 or 2 |
Tier 2 |
U16 |
From Any Division |
U16 or U14 |
Tier 1 or 2 |
Tier 2 |
U19 |
From Any Division |
U19 or U16 |
Tier 1 or 2 |
Tier 2 |
Where Can We Borrow?
|
Eligible
Players: Position and/or Pitchers |
||||
Borrowing Team’s Playing Division |
House OASA |
Select OSSTA |
League PWSA |
Association PWSA |
Non-League Non-Association PWSA |
U10 |
Yes |
*Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
U12 |
Yes |
*Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
U14 |
No |
*Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
U16 |
No |
*Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
U19 |
No |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
*OSSTA
2019: http://www.ossta.org/eligibility “Select players
are permitted to play as a call up in 2 individual Rep Loop games. Select
players are not allowed to play in any PWSA Sanctioned Rep Tournament. Before
playing in a loop game player must check to see if they are covered by Insurance.”
*OSSTA does not allow players to be borrowed
for PWSA Sanctioned Rep Tournaments. Please check with OSSTA and PWSA for their
current rules.
6.
Awards
a. Large Banners awarded to the League Champions (highest
standing in the league rankings at the completion of the season)
Playoff:
Game Play
1.
Players
a. Unlimited
defensive substitutions are allowed.
b. All
batters must bat.
c. Only players listed on official team rosters are
eligible to play in the League playoffs. The league may verify players using league
and team rosters in TeamSnap, or seek additional verification from PWSA.
2.
Borrowing
Players
a. No borrowing call-up players allowed unless permission
is granted by the League Executive
i. If permission is granted, refer to Season Rule for
Borrowing Players for restrictions on borrowing call-up players
3. Umpires
a. No protests shall be allowed. Umpires’ decision is
final.
4. Games
a. Divisional Convener retains the right to modify
schedule if warranted due to weather or field conditions.
b. All teams must be ready to play fifteen (15) minutes
before scheduled start time.
c. All games are to be played until a winner is
determined.
d. PWSA mercy rule will apply in all games.
5. Home Team
a. Home team to occupy third base bench. (Unless playing
back-to- back games then they will retain their bench)
b. Home team will be the official scorekeeper.
6. Game Duration
a. Games
will be scheduled in 2:15 hour blocks, that includes a 15 minute umpire/player
break between games.
b. In non-medal games, in all Divisions, no new inning
shall begin after 1 hour and 45 minutes, unless game is tied.
c. In non-medal games, after 7 innings of regulation play
or time limit is reached (whichever occurs first) and score is tied, the
Softball Canada Tie Breaker rule shall be used.
i. See Softball Canada Rule 5, Sec. 7 – Tiebreaker
d. In medal games, no time limit will apply. Games shall
be minimum 7 innings
i. Extra innings will be played to break a tie game, as
required, until the tie is broken at the end of an inning.
7. Awards
a. Large Banners awarded to the Play-off Champions
b. Top three teams in play-offs to be recognized with
individual awards (i.e. medals).
i. Participation awards to all U10 participants except
top three teams.
c. The
league will award a maximum of 20 individual awards
i. 17
for players
ii. 3 for
adults
d. The
league may issue 10 printed thank you cards per team for the coach to additionally
award at their discretion
e. Teams
withdrawing from playoffs will not be eligible for any playoff related awards