SPRING 2024 SEASON HIGHLIGHTS – SPECIAL RULES

THIS IS OUR 63rd SEASON AND OUR 32nd YEAR OF OPERATION!

OPENING DAY for SPRING 2024 Season is JULY 28, 2024.  

PLAYERS – EACH PLAYER MUST REGISTER ONLINE TO BE ELIGIBLE TO PLAY. Registration fee – $280 per player per season. Players do not need to re-register if they have done so before and their name appears on a current season roster as posted on the SFBL website.

TEAM ROSTERS – Teams must carry a minimum of 13 players on their roster and are limited to a maximum of 25 players. Certain exceptions may be granted with League approval.

AGE LIMITS 18+ DIVISION – A player must be 18 years of age or older to play in the 18+ Division.

AGE LIMITS 28+ DIVISION – A player must be 28 years of age or older, or turning 28 in the calendar year, to play in the 28+ DIVISION. However, with league approval, teams may have up to THREE age restriction exceptions, providing that the underage players are at least 24 or older. However, a player must be 28 or older (or turning 28 in the calendar year) to be eligible to pitch in the 28+ Division. Under rare circumstances, the league may permit additional exceptions to this rule.

AGE LIMITS 35+ DIVISION – A player must be 35 years of age or older, or turning 35 in the calendar year, to play in the 35+ DIVISION. However, with league approval, teams may have up to THREE age restriction exceptions, providing that the underage players are at least 28 or older. However, a player must be 35 or older (or turning 35 in the calendar year) to be eligible to pitch in the 35+ Division. Under rare circumstances, the league may permit additional exceptions to this rule.

SCHEDULE – The SFBL schedule will be published on a rolling two-week basis throughout the season. Team schedule conflicts will be accommodated with prior timely notice and League approval; however, teams are expected to play on all Sundays, excluding holidays, during the regular season. Once the league schedule is posted, teams must play as scheduled or else forfeit.

BORROWED PLAYERS – MUST BE CLEARED AND APPROVED by the League prior to any play. Teams anticipating being short nine players for any particular ball game are requested to contact the League to arrange for borrowed players if possible. Borrowed players may pitch only with prior league approval. IN ALL CASES, BORROWED PLAYERS MUST BE LISTED ON A CURRENT SEASON TEAM ROSTER AS POSTED ON THE SFBL WEBSITE.

UNIFORMS – Uniform code to be enforced after GAME 2. Players out of uniform after the second game of the season will be prohibited from participating in any official league games unless prior approval from the League is arranged.

FIELDS – NO ALCOHOL – STRICTLY ENFORCED AT EVERY FIELD. No warming up in front of the dugout. Respect the fields as though they were your own. Teams are prohibited from doing any maintenance work on any field and must contact the League Office if necessary, instead.

UMPIRES – Each team pays one umpire $100 in cash prior to the start of each game. Teams are responsible for ALL regular season umpire fees, including makeup games. All issues involving umpires should be handled using the SFBL Umpire Evaluation Form available online on the website.

DUGOUTS – Teams are required to clean up their DUGOUT after each game. VIOLATIONS WILL NOT BE TOLERATED.

NEW RULES REMINDER (INTRODUCED SPRING 2022 SEASON):

Tie-Breaker Rules for Post-Season Qualification: (1) head-to-head competition; (2) if the teams should split games against each other, then net runs scored in the games played against each other shall be used to break the tie. Net runs scored will also be used to break a tie in situations involving three or more teams; (3) the next tie breaker is net runs scored for ALL games played during the regular season. Net runs scored is measured by adding up all the runs a team has scored and subtracting all runs allowed. The team with the higher number of net runs scored wins the tie breaker; (4) the final tie breaker is a coin flip.

Time Limits for Post-Season Games. Except for the championship game, there is a 3 hour time limit for all post-season games and all games that are tied after the time limit has expired shall be completed under Post-Season Tie-breaker rules (see below). Championship games must complete 9 innings of play and the time limit must be expired prior to implementing the Playoff Tie-Breaker Rule.

Tie-Breaker Rule for Post-Season Games. Each team will play their respective half innings starting with the bases loaded and one out. The last three batters from the previously completed inning shall serve as baserunners, with the last batter being placed at first, the second to last batter being placed at second and the third to last batter being placed at third. The game ends once a team ends any inning with the lead.

REMINDERS:

  1. Line Up Card / Team Roster. Team managers must show a printed Team Roster or an i-phone display of the team’s online roster (website www.sfbl.com), in addition to providing the Line Up Card to the umpire prior to each game.  In order to play in any official league game, a player’s name MUST appear on the official LINE UP CARD submitted to umpires prior to the start of any game. Player requiring a courtesy runner must be so designated on the line up card. However, any borrowed player or rostered player that shows up to the game, but was not listed on the submitted line up card, may still play, providing they are listed on line on the team’s roster or via SFBL APPROVED PLAYERS LIST posted on the website www.sfbl.com.  Games will NOT start until both official lineups have been submitted to the plate umpire.
  2. The SFBL has eliminated the minimum 10 batter rule and teams must now bat nine or more batters in the line-up but teams cannot shrink the lineup without incurring an out first time around in the batting order.
  3. Teams showing up to play with a minimum of 8 players may play an official game by borrowing a position player from the opposing team for defensive purposes only; however, the team batting with eight batters will receive an AUTOMATIC OUT EACH TIME that slot arrives in the batting order. The opposing team MUST provide the team short players with a position player throughout the game, again, for defensive purposes only.  Should the opposing team refuse to provide the defensive player, then umpires are under instructions to suspend the game at that point.
  4. Automatic runner for the catcher each time he reaches base safely. Use last batted out in the batting order.
  5. Managers must notify the League on any injuries that occur during the game via an INJURY REPORT within 24 hours of any injury (an email with all relevant facts).