Cabbageball Rules

General Information

1. Participants are subject to all of the policies and procedures in the Intramural Handbook.
2. Games will consist of 2 teams, 10 players per team.
   1. Mixed-rec teams must have no more than 7 male-identifying players on the field and in the lineup at any times.
   2. Games may start with 7 players; for mixed-Rec no more than 5 of the 7 may be male-identifying.
3. All participants who are not an active field player (defense), offensive batter, runner, on-deck batter, or base coach shall remain in the spectator area behind the line.

Equipment

1. All participants should wear proper recreational attire.  This includes t-shirts, gym shorts, wind or sweat pants, and athletic closed-toe shoes.
2. Jewelry shall not be worn.
3. Sunglasses and/or hat are permitted.
4. Rubber cleats not exceeding ½ inch may be worn.  Metal cleats are prohibited.
5. Bats and balls will be provided by the intramural sports program. Teams may not use their own bats.
6. Baseball/Softball gloves may not be worn.
7. Equipment may not be thrown, spiked, or kicked in an unsportsmanlike manner. Such actions shall result in player ejection.
8. The final determination regarding legal equipment will be made by the Intramural Supervisor present at the game.

Time Regulations

1. A game will consist of 6 innings or 50 minutes, whichever comes first.
2. The first team name listed on the schedule will be the home team; the second team name listed on the schedule will be the visiting team. Visiting team bats first.
3. If the score is tied at the end of 6 innings there will be a maximum of 2 extra innings, if time has not expired. If the score is still tied after the extra innings during regular-season play, the game ends in a tie. Playoff games will not end in a tie; extra innings will be played until a team wins.
4. A new inning will not be started after 45 minutes have elapsed from the start of the game.
5. A started inning will be finished even if time has expired.
6. The intramural sports office will determine the result of any game interrupted by inclement weather.

Field 

1. Bases are 60 ft apart.
2. Pitching mound is 40ft from home plate.
3. Strike zone is defined as: any portion of the ball passing over any part of home plate while between the batter's knees and shoulders in height.

Scoring

1. 10 Run Rule: A team may only score 10 runs an inning.  Once 10 runs are scored the inning is over and the offensive team will take the field regardless of the number of outs.
2. Mercy Rule: A 15 run mercy rule will be in effect at the end of the third complete inning, and a 10 run mercy rule will be in effect after the fourth complete inning.
3. The trailing team may elect to waive the Mercy Rule in Playoffs only.

Pitching

1. All leagues are slow-pitch.
2. A legal delivery shall be a ball that is delivered underhand and a slow to moderate speed. The ball must reach a height of at least 6 feet and no more than 12 feet at the top of its arc.
3. The pitcher must start at or up to two feet before the pitcher’s rubber. The pitcher may step off of the rubber during the follow-through of the pitch.
4. Any pitch that fails to reach an arc of 6 feet, exceeds the 12 foot limit, or is thrown with excessive speed, in the opinion of the umpire or supervisor, will be declared an illegal pitch. This will count as a ball regardless of if it crosses the strikes zone.
5. A strike will be considered any ball that the batter swings at and misses entirely as well as balls hit foul.
6. A ball that slips from a pitcher’s hand during his/her back swing, the ball will be dead and a “no pitch” will be declared. If intentional, a ball will be called.
7. All pitchers must be included in the batting lineup.
8. Pitchers receive a maximum of 5 warm-up pitches prior to the first inning and 1 pitch prior to any other inning. 2 warm-up pitches are allowed for mid-inning pitching changes. Pitchers shall wait until the fielding team is ready before delivering the pitch.

Batting

1. Each batter will begin with a count of one ball and no strikes.
2. The batter does not receive a courtesy foul, i.e. they are out if they foul a ball off with two strikes.
3. The batter has 10 seconds to enter the batter’s box. If he/she exceeds this time, an automatic strike is called.
4. There is no bunting. The batter must take a full swing at the ball. A batter who bunts or otherwise fails to make a bona fide swing at the ball (fair or foul) is out and the ball is immediately dead.
5. If a player unintentionally throws his/her bat excessively after a hit or in anger, the team will be given a warning. Each subsequent offense will result in the batter being called out and all runners returning to the base they occupied at the beginning of the at-bat. Any player who intentionally throws his/her bat will be called out and ejected from the game.

Running/Fielding

1. Runners must stay within the baseline when advancing to a base.
2. Fielders must stay outside the baseline when attempting a play at a base.
3. Fielders trying to make an out must have one foot on the base and must lean out of the baseline.
4. A fielder has absolute right to any position on the field to field a ball and all runners must avoid a fielder in these cases. When a fielder not in possession of the ball or not in the act of fielding a batted ball impedes the progress of a runner, obstruction will be ruled. This is a delayed dead ball; play continues as normal. Once the play has ended, the umpire shall award the runner and each other runner affected by the obstruction the bases they would have, in the umpire’s opinion, reached had there been no obstruction.
5. Neither leading off nor stealing a base is allowed.  Runner may leave the base only once the ball is hit.
   1. A runner that is off their base prior to the ball being hit is out.
6. Sliding is not allowed.  Any runner sliding into the base is out.
7. Tag-ups:  After a ball is touched or caught a runner may tag the originating base before advance to the next base.  If the runner has not moved from the base before the ball being touched or caught the runner may advance to the next base without a tag-up.
8. All ties go to the runner. Runners may overrun first base.
9. Running past another runner is not allowed.  Any runner overtaken by another runner is out.

Balls/Strikes/Fouls

1. All at-bats will begin with a count of one ball and no strikes (1-0)
2. A count of four balls advances the runner to first base.
3. A ball is awarded for:
   1. A pitch outside the strike zone not attempted to be hit.
   2. A pitch that is ruled illegal.
   3. A fielder that steps forward of the first base and third base diagonal before the ball is hit.
4. Three strikes is an out.
5. A strike is awarded for:
   1. A pitched ball in the strike zone that is not hit.
   2. An attempted hit missed by the batter inside or outside of the strike zone.
   3. A batted ball that is ruled foul.
6. A foul ball is:
   1. Any batted ball landing out of bounds.
   2. Any batted ball initially landing inbounds, but traveling out of bounds untouched by a fielder prior to crossing first or third base.
   3. A batted ball that is hit or touched more than once in foul territory or stopped by the batter in foul territory.
   4. A batted ball touched in flight by a fielder in foul territory that is not caught.

Outs

1. Three outs complete the teams’ inning.
2. An out is:
   1. Three strikes for a batter.
   2. A batted ball, fair or foul, that is caught before hitting the ground.
   3. A fielder, in possession of the ball, touching the base to which a runner is forced to run.
   4. A ball tag at the base to which the runner is not forced to run.
   5. A runner off their base prior to the ball being hit.

Dead Balls/Ground Rules:

1. Diboll Garage
   1. A ball that immediately rebounds from the walls, columns, etc. of Diboll back to the field of play is a live ball.
   2. A ball that does not immediately rebound to the field of play (i.e. rolling along the covered sidewalk, bouncing in an office entryway, etc.) is a dead ball. (Ground rule double)
   3. A ball that enters into the parking areas or stairwells of Diboll is a dead ball. (Ground rule double)
2. Residence Halls
   1. A ball that crosses the sidewalk to the grassy area, balconies, gate, etc. is a home run.
3. Sidewalks & Janet Yulman Way
   1. A ball that leaves the turf area and enters/crosses the sidewalks along the first- or third-base lines (alongside Janet Yulman Way) is immediately ruled a dead ball.
      1. If caused by a fair ball unplayed by the fielding team, the result is a ground rule double.
      2. If caused by a mis-play or overthrow by the fielding team, all runners are awarded two bases from their last-reached base at the moment of the throw.
      3. A foul ball in flight CANNOT be caught on or beyond the sidewalks to record an out.
4. Spectators & Substitutes
   1. A ball that strikes a substitute, spectator, or other nonplayer is immediately ruled a dead ball.
      1. Runners are placed at the umpire's discretion.
      2. If such contact is judged an intentional attempt to influence play (i.e.deflecting the ball away from a fielder, preventing a dead ball on an over/missed throw, etc.), the offender may be ejected, and the runners placed in a manner disfavorable to the offending team (Out(s) may also be ruled).
   2. Substitutes & spectators must yield/make way for any fielder attempting to make a play on the ball.
      1. If a spectator or substitute fails to do so, or otherwise hinders the play, a dead ball will be declared. Runners will be placed at the umpire's discretion. The batter may also be called out, if the ball would have been caught if not for the interference.
      2. If such is judged an intentional attempt to influence play,  the offender may be ejected, and the runners placed in a manner disfavorable to the offending team (Out(s) may also be ruled).