Big Island Interscholastic Federation 2023-2024
BIIF SOFTBALL, SPORTS PROCEDURES Proposed, 1/10/24
- Governing Rules
- The National Federation Baseball Rules shall prevail unless otherwise stated.
- BIIF League Play
- Regular Season
- All games will be seven (7) inning contests
- Regular Season format will consist of:
- 1 round of games for both Division I & Division II
- All participating schools will play each other once.
- Overall records will be used to determine league standings.
- If there is a tie for teams qualifying for tournament participation, the league tie breaker rule will be used to determine how the tie will be broken.
- If necessary, refer to the current BIIF Sports Procedures.
- All scheduled games will be played.
- Postponed games will be completed in the order of postponement on the first available day (usually the next day) for both teams.
- Regularly scheduled games will take priority over postponed games.
- All games should be played even if they have no bearing on the Championships, or postseason, tournament.
- The Executive Secretary will make a decision if teams cannot agree upon a make-up date.
- An Executive Secretary decision will be a final decision.
- Night Games are allowed.
- Games that are started in a daylight time slot cannot be completed under the lights.
- Night games are designated as such ahead of game start.
- Mercy Rule
- The Mercy rule will be in effect for all league contests including all tournament and Championship games.
- Games will be ended by Officials in the following manner:
- 10 run lead after 5 innings
- 15 run lead after 4 innings
- 20 run lead after 3 innings
- Rain Outs
- Regular Season Games
- Games will be replayed from the beginning if the contest does not go at least 4.5 innings with the home team having the lead.
- After 4.5 innings, if the home team has the lead, the game will be called a complete game and will not be replayed/continued.
- Play Off/Championship Games
- Games will be continued from the exact moment a rain delay is called.
- Umpires & Official Scorebook should reflect the exact details of the game at the moment of the rain suspension.
- Rosters
- Unlimited number of players and coaches can be listed.
- Uniforms
- All team members must be dressed uniformly
- Team uniforms are inclusive of the following items:
- Shirt
- Pants
- Cap
- Lettering, complying with NFHS Rules
- Coaches must be uniformly dressed in order to coach on the baseline, or to confer with players on the playing field.
- If a Coach is not uniformly dressed, he/she must be restricted to the dugout.
- Game Balls
- The home team is responsible for providing first grade game balls.
- NFHS and NOCSAE stamps are required.
- Balls need not be Baden Brand.
- Ground Rules
- Home team is responsible for notifying sport coordinator, game officials and visiting school of all venue ground rules, time changes, postponed games
- Announcers & Scorers
- Host school is responsible for finding adult announcers and scorers as required
- Foul Balls
- Both the home and visiting teams will be responsible for shagging foul balls.
- Line Up Cards
- Line Up cards must be given to the chief umpire and the opposing team.
- It is suggested that Federation lineup cards be used.
- The Umpires lineup card is the official batting order for the game.
- Clarifications:
- List the DH right under the player he is batting for.
- List players by last and first names.
- Do not use initials only.
- It is ok to list players with a first initial and last name.
- Infield Warm Ups
- The infield warm up time starts at least thirty (30) minutes prior to the start of the game.
- Home team will warm up first.
- Visiting team will warm up second.
- Both teams will be allowed fifteen (15) minutes to warm up.
- A team may waive their warm up period.
- Protests
- All protests must be filed at the exact point in the game when an incident occurs, prior to the next pitched ball.
- The protesting coach will be allowed five (5) minutes to find the rule he/she is protesting.
- The umpire will note the situation that exists with the scorers of both teams.
- If the rule he is protesting cannot be located within the allowed period of time, the protest is ignored and the game will continue.
- All protests will be filed in writing with the Executive Director within 24 hours for weekday games and by noon of the next working day for weekend games.
- Written format for protests will be as follows:
- State the rule being protested.
- State the situation and correct ruling according to the rule book.
- State the ruling made by the umpire.
- Designated Batter & Courtesy Runner
- Are allowed during league play.
- Officials
- At least two officials will be assigned to each game.
- If circumstances present themselves, and both Head Coaches agreed, a game can be played with one (1) official.
- Game Times
- Start Times
- Weekday Singles, 3:00pm start
- Weekday Double Headers, first game starts at 1:00pm
- Weekend Singles, 1:00pm start
- Weekend Double Headers, first game starts at 11:00am
- Schedule may reflect alternative start times if both schools agree upon the change.
- Time limitations
- First game of JV double headers shall be limited to two (2) hours with no new innings starting after the two (2) hours have expired.
- The second game shall be played to completion if conditions permit.
- There will be no time limitations to games when they are baseball/softball combos (regardless of the level).
- Coach Confined to Dugout
- By league adoption, the BIIF will not confine a Head Coach to the dugout in the event one of his/her Assistant Coaches is ejected, or if he/she makes an ineligible substitution.
- An official may restrict an individual coach as a form of sequential disciplinary action.
- BIIF Tournament
- Format
- Qualifying Teams:
- Top four (4) teams in Division I, and the Top four (4) teams in Division II after the regular season standings have been determined.
- The first (1st) round of playoffs will be the best of three (3) games format.
- Game 1, Higher Seed will be the host and home team.
- Game 2, Lower Seed will be the host and home team.
- Game 3, A coin flip will take place at the completion of Game 2 to determine Home Team for Game 3.
- Super series winners advance to the best of three (3) Championship games
- Championship venue will be determined by Sport Coordinator and league Athletic Directors.
- Championship schedule will look similar to:
- Semi Final’s:
Division II, Gm. #1 @ 1pm
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Division II, Gm. #2 @ 1pm
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Division II, Gm. #3 @ 1pm
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Division I, Gm. #1 @ 3pm
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Division I, Gm. #2 @ 3pm
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Division I, Gm. #3 @ 3pm
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Site: @ Higher Seed Home Site
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Site: @ Higher Seed Home Site
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(If Necessary Game) Site: Higher Seed
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Softball, Div. I & Div. II, Semi's
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Softball, Div. I & Div. II, Semi's
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Softball, Div. I & Div. II, Semi's
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- Finals:
Division II, Gm. #1 @ 1pm
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Division II, Gm. #2 @ 1pm
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Division II, Gm. #3 @ 1pm
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Division I, Gm. #1 @ 3pm
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Division I, Gm. #2 @ 3pm
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Division I, Gm. #3 @ 3pm
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Site: TBD
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Site: TBD
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(If Necessary Game) Site: TBD
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Softball, Div. I & Div. II, Finals
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Softball, Div. I & Div. II, Finals
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Softball, Div. I & Div. II, Finals
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- “If necessary games” will use a coin flip to determine the Home Team.
- Tournament Logistics
- Official Scorekeeper will be determined by the BIIF.
- All rained out or tied games that do not meet complete game status, will be suspended and will continue from the point of suspension.
- If the Tournament itself cannot take place, or is suspended prior to its completion, the regular season Champion will be declared the league Champion.
- The second place team in the BIIF standings will be the second team participating in the HHSAA State Tournament.
- Protests must be made to a designated official and/or the host school AD, and settled before the next pitch.
- HHSAA Representatives
- Outright Regular Season Champions will receive an automatic HHSAA berth
- Outright is defined as:
- Did not use a BIIF Tiebreaker to distinguish #1 Seed.
- If Regular Season Champions lose in the first round, they will be the BIIF #2 Seed and the tournament Champion will be the BIIF #1 Seed at the HHSAA Tournament.
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