1.   LENGTH OF GAME - A game shall be seven innings long. Before the start of each game, the teams, in consultation with the umpires, must: (a) agree upon a certain time ("Hour of Darkness") at which play shall in any event terminate because of darkness; (b) agree upon a certain time ("Last Inning Hour") after which no inning shall start; (c) select one timepiece as the sole timepiece by which the Hour of Darkness and the Last Inning Hour shall be determined; and (d) agree upon any necessary or appropriate ground rules. Any agreement concerning the termination of play shall be of no effect if, at the time of agreed termination, night game lights are on and the field is available for the teams to complete the game. In no event, however, may play continue beyond 8:30pm (7:00pm for games scheduled to begin at 5:30pm, and 10:00pm for games scheduled to begin at 8:30pm), even with the consent of the teams who are scheduled to play at that time. If an inning is in progress at the Hour of Darkness or at 8:30pm in the case of games played on a lighted field (7pm for games scheduled to begin at 5:30pm, and 10:00pm for games scheduled to begin at 8:30pm), the score will revert to the score at the end of the last completed inning. Only games in which the losing team (or each team in the case of a tie) has had at least 4 turns at bat shall qualify for the league standings.

2.   NUMBER OF PLAYERS - Not more than 10 players may be used at any one time in the field, but there shall be no limit on the number of players who may bat. Changes in the number of batters may be made up until a team has completed its first entire turn through its batting order. For example, if a player arrives late, such player may be added to the batting order unless the entire team has already batted. Once a team has completed its first turn through the batting order, the number of batters for that team may not be changed through the remainder of the game, although, as Rule 4 indicates, the specific players comprising the batting order may be substituted for. Similarly, once a team has completed its first turn through its batting rotation, any additional player(s) wishing to bat must be substituted for a player already in the lineup, with the substituted player no longer eligible for re-entry into the game.

3.   MANDATORY FEMALE PLAYER - Each team will be required to have at least one female player, of the ten fielders permitted each team, on the field and within the first 10 spots in the lineup at all times. A team that does not have at least one female player on the field and in the lineup (within the first 10 spots in the lineup) at all times will be penalized as follows: any team without a female player on the field and in the lineup may only use nine fielders and will receive an automatic out at the tenth position in the batting order through each cycle of the batting order. Before the start of each game, each team will be required to advise the umpire if a female player will not participate. In such event, the tenth spot in the batting order will be designated an automatic out and the umpire will direct the team not fielding a female player to only field nine fielders. After two (2) outs have been recorded in an inning, no team may walk (either intentionally or unintentionally) a male hitter to reach a female hitter; in such event, the female player shall have the choice of automatically walking or taking her turn at bat. In order to ensure enforcement of this rule, the player who is "on deck" preparing to follow a batter must stand in an area - the "on deck" area - designated by the umpire and visible to the umpire and the opposing pitcher while on the mound.

4.   ELIGIBILITY - The purpose of the league is to give lawyers who are on the regular payroll or members of a participating firm or organization an opportunity to play softball against lawyers from other participating firms or organizations. Accordingly, it is expected that, whenever possible, the source of players for a particular team should be limited to such lawyers. However, recognizing the limitations on lawyer availability, any participant firm or organization may, if absolutely necessary, use (a) non-legal personnel on the regular payroll of such firm or organization and (b) any lawyer who is no longer on the regular payroll or a member of such firm or organization but is an alumnus of such firm or organization; provided that lawyers from the participant firm or organization available at the field of play shall be given playing preference over non-legal personnel or lawyers not from such firm or organization, and provided further that players who fall within categories (a) or (b) above are listed on the team roster. To ensure compliance with this rule, all participating firms or organizations will be required to submit a roster of team players to the League before the start of the season. The roster must list the name, phone number and firm or organization affiliation of each team member. Such roster may be amended during the course of the season to include new hires and summer associates. Any firm or organization which, at the time that the schedule of games is distributed, intends, or reasonably should anticipate that it will be required, to use on a consistent basis (i) a player who is not a lawyer or (ii) a lawyer who is not on the regular payroll or a member of such firm or organization should so notify the Commissioner prior to the submission of the team's roster of the reasons compelling the use of such player(s) on a consistent basis.

5.   PLAYERS - A minimum of 9 eligible players for each team must be at the field at a game's starting time in order to begin a game. If a team cannot reasonably anticipate having 9 eligible players available for a particular game, such team should notify its opponent and the Commissioner to such effect by 2:30 P.M. on the day of the game. If one team has less than 9 players available for a particular game at the game's starting time, such team will forfeit the game, resulting in a loss in the League standings for such team.  The scheduled starting time for a game shall not be delayed for more than 15 minutes due to a team's lack of eligible personnel and any team causing such a delay beyond such 15-minute period shall be deemed to have forfeited. Rule 3 above shall not be affected by implementation of this Rule 5.

6.   SUBSTITUTIONS - Except as noted in Rule 2 above, there shall be free substitution at all times. However, it is the intent of this rule to allow participation by all players and to provide for injuries; players are not to be rotated merely for tactical advantage. Courtesy runners will be permitted only for an injured base-runner, and then only by the mutual agreement of both teams. Any dispute occasioned by this rule will be resolved by the umpire on the field, whose decision is final. In no event will a batter be permitted to hit and have a substitute runner run out his/her hit.

7.   UMPIRES - An impartial umpire shall be supplied by the League. Such umpire shall be responsible for all calls, including foul balls. If an impartial umpire is not available, the team at bat shall supply an umpire to make all decisions except for foul balls which shall be the responsibility of the catcher.

8.   BASE RUNNING -

• There will be no stealing of bases.

• No base runner may take a lead until the ball has left the pitcher's hand. If the pitch is not hit and an attempt is made to pick the runner off base, he may not advance to the next base until he first tags up. An attempted pick-off is a "force" play and not a "tag" play and, in the case of a pick-off overthrow (whether into fair or foul territory), no base runner may advance more than one base.

• There shall be no advance by a runner on a passed ball or a wild pitch.

• When a ball in play is thrown in such a manner that is goes into foul territory, no base runner may, until the ball is returned to fair territory, advance beyond the base which is next after the base toward which such runner was moving at the time that the ball went into foul territory.

9.   BUNTING - Bunting is not permitted.

10.   PITCHING - The ball must be delivered underhand. During the wind-up, the pitcher's hand may not travel above the hip of the pitcher, nor may the wrist be farther from the body than the elbow. Pitching that would commonly be considered fast is prohibited. The pitching is not intended, however, to be limited to "slow-pitch", "arc-ball" or "lob-ball" pitching, so that medium speeds are permitted. The three-foot arc requirements of the Official Slow-Pitch Softball Rules shall not control. The good faith of the teams and the common sense of the umpires shall determine adherence to this rule. Any pitch determined by an umpire to be a prohibited pitch shall be considered no pitch neither a ball nor a strike unless the batter shall hit the ball so pitched, in which case the ball shall be played as though the pitch had been a permitted pitch.

11.   EQUIPMENT -

• Spikes and cleats of all kinds, other than rubber cleats, are prohibited.

• The softball known as the "Clincher F-12" (kapok center) shall be used for all League regular season and post-season games.

• Any softball bat sanctioned by the Amateur Softball Association may be used, except for the so-called "Triangular" bat and double-walled bats.

12.   HOME TEAM - The home team for each game is designated as the second team for each game indicated on the schedule, which has been arranged so that each team acts as home team in approximately half its games. Each team is to provide two new "Clincher F-12" softballs at the start of each game, the home team's softballs to be used first. The home team shall be responsible for providing bases for its game.

13.   LINEUPS - All teams will be required to exchange lineups before the start of each game.

14. STANDINGS AND CHAMPIONSHIONSHIP - The League will be divided into two conferences, with each conference divided into two divisions, and with all playoff games to be arranged by the League. In determining standings, two points are to be awarded for each victory and one point for each tie and, accordingly, as between two teams in the same division, the team with more points shall be higher in the standings. The home team shall deliver to the Commissioner the results of its game on the business day following the game. Playoffs shall consist of a quarter-final round, in which the teams in each division with the second and third best records will play one game (the top team in each division earning a bye), a semi-final round where the winners of quarter-final games in each division will play the top seed in their division, and the division playoff winners playing each other for the League championship. A championship game between conference champs will be played, to determine the overall League champion.

15.   STANDARD RULES - The Official Slow-Pitch Playing Rules as adopted by the Amateur Softball Association of America shall apply where not otherwise controverted by these rules. Copies of the Standard Rules may be obtained from the Commissioner.

16.    SPECIFIC GROUND RULES - Any ball hit over the fence on ERD 10th St Field No. 8 between the right field foul pole and the first yellow pole in right center field from the right field foul line shall be treated as a double with runners advancing 2 bases; any ball hit over the fence on ERD 10th St Field No. 7 between the right field foul pole and the first yellow pole in right center field from the right field foul line shall be treated as a double with runners advancing 2 bases.  

17.   MAKE-UP AND POST SEASON SCHEDULING - All make-up games required as a result of postponements are to be rescheduled only by the League, with the Commissioner to advise each team of the rescheduled game date as promptly after the postponement of the game as possible. In any event, all make-up games are to be completed within two weeks following the last week of the originally scheduled season. Any disputes concerning scheduling subsequent to the end of the originally scheduled game shall be resolved by the Commissioner. In the event that make-up games still must be played following such two-week period in order to determine any play-off position, the Commissioner will determine when such games shall be played. Except for the championship game, all play-off games must be played within two weeks of the determination of the play-off participants, or within two weeks following the last week of the scheduled season, whichever is later. Any dispute concerning scheduling of play-off games shall be resolved by the Commissioner.