Rules

10U-16U/HS RULES

USA Softball Rules (In Game Rules Apply except where noted).

  1. A time limit of 75 minutes per game or 7 inning games. No new inning shall start after 75 minutes.
  2. All players playing infield on the defense MUST wear a protective mask.
  3. All games must be played or have an outcome. If a game is postponed or cancelled due to weather or other issues it must be made up. If a cancelled game cannot be rescheduled both teams will take 12-0 loss. If a game is postponed or cancelled and one team cannot or is unwilling to reschedule and the other team is, it will be under the leagues discretion of which team will forfeit the game, if not both teams.
  4. All games must have a winner. No HOI game will end in a tie. If a game ends in a tie then one of the following things must happen.
    A) International tie-breaker rule goes into effect. The last out is placed on 2nd base with 0 outs. Both teams get a chance to score (No sudden death).
    B) Coin-Flip. (If there are no lights, weather, or both teams decide)
  5. Scores should be verified both teams at the end of the game. If there is a discrepancy the league will reach out to both teams.
    A. Both Teams Must score the game in Game Changer
    B. We must have the First Name, Last Initial, position played in the box score.
    C. Please have your lineups ready early, so both teams can get the lineups in their game changers in a timely matter.
  6. Teams must use patched umpires due to insurance policies for any HOI sanctioned games.
  7. (8U, 10U & 12U teams may use 1 or 2 umpires (2 is recommended for 10U & 12U). 2 umpires are required for 14U and 16U/HS. Teams must split umpire fees.
  8. Run Rule – 12 runs after 3 innings, 10 runs after 4 innings, 8 runs after 5 innings.
    A. Running up the score: Please use some integrity in HOI sanctioned games. An example of this is a score of 20-0/ 26-2. Neither team are getting any value in run-up score games. However, if there is evidence of this happening a team will be given a warning by the league. If it continues it could result in a loss of all stats and a loss for that game. (We had zero incidents in 2023 and 2024 so please do not be that coach/team who breaks this trend.)
  9. If two teams play each other in a non-league game (tournament) The league will use that game for record & stats, but BOTH teams must agree& notify their league either before the game
    or the next day.
  10. Teams must start a game with 8 players (USA Softball Rules) If a team cannot start a game with 8 players, that will be a 12-0 forfeit. If a player gets injured and cannot continue to play & a team only has 8 players, that team must take an out when that injured player’s spot comes up in the lineup.
  11. Regular Season Subs:
    A. Sub players can only sub for 1 HOI Team only. Once a player subs for that team they are considered that teams rostered sub, therefore they cannot sub for another HOI team.
    B. Any sub player must be listed on your deadline roster.
    C. Before a team does roster a sub player, they must notify the league via email, text, or phone call.
    D. Any team in violation of playing ineligible players will forfeit that game. (This includes the World Series).
  12. Ejections:
    A. If a player, Coach & or Fan is ejected from a game by the umpire, they are not allowed to return to the game. An ejected participant must leave the grounds and have no contact with the
    umpires or participants in the game and is suspended for one additional game. The ejected participant is restricted from having contact with the team and is not permitted to sit in the stands, dugout, or general locality of the next game. The ejected participant may appeal the one game suspension to the league. If the ejected participant is also involved with another age group/team these rules will also apply for the suspension.
    B. If ejected in the World Series, they must sit the following game also.
    C. Depending on the severity of any misconduct a coach/fan/player may be suspended by the league for numerous games or removed from the league with no refund. This includes the
    coaches/fans/players/teams. Any use of profanity towards players, fans & umpires will not be tolerated & violations of this policy will be subject to possible suspensions listed above.
  13. Transactions: If a player is added after the original rosters are submitted, the HOI League needs to be informed with player name & number before they are allowed to play a league
    game, this includes subs too. (Example: If you have a player who joins a team late in the season either due to injury or players leaving a team). Inform the before they play in a HOI
    league record game). The league will also have the desecration if a player is eligible to be added to a roster based on the team’s situation/circumstance. (This is after the roster deadline of April 1st, 2024).
  14. Ejections: A. If a player, Coach & or Fan is ejected from a game by the umpire, they are not allowed to return to the game. An ejected participant must leave the grounds and have, no contact with the umpires or participants in the game and is suspended for one additional game. The ejected participant is restricted from having contact with the team and is not permitted to sit in the stands, dugout, or general locality of the next game. The ejected participant may appeal the one game suspension to the league. If the ejected participant is also involved with another age group/team these rules will also apply for the suspension. B. If ejected in the World Series, they must sit the following game also.
    C. Depending on the severity of any misconduct a coach/fan/player may be suspended by the HOI Board for numerous games or removed from the league with no refund. This includes the
    coaches/fans/players/teams. Any use of profanity towards players, fans & umpires will not be tolerated & violations of this policy will be subject to possible suspensions listed above.

8U MODIFIED RULES

  1. A time limit of 60 minutes per game or 5 inning games. No new inning shall start after 60 minutes.
  2. 5 run limit per inning with the exception of the 5th inning (open inning)
  3. 5 pitches per at bat. An at bat will not end on foul balls. (If a player swings & misses on a 2-strike count, that is considered an out).
  4. 10 players in the field. 4 outfielders (no “short infielder”) Left Field, Left Center, Right Center, Right Field.
  5. The pitcher will be a coach from the batting team.
  6. The pitcher remain start the pitch from inside the circle while pitching.
  7. The play is considered dead when the ball is controlled in the circle by the pitcher.
  8. Overthrows: Runners may advance one base on the first overthrow made. EXAMPLE. A ball hit to 3B, ball is overthrown 1B– runner advances to 2B. If the ball is then overthrown back to pitcher the runner may NOT advance to 3B– the play is dead. However, if another attempt at an out is made, the runner may again advance.
  9. No Leadoffs. Runners must wait until the ball crosses the plate before they can run.
  10. Runners may not advance on passed balls by the catcher.
  11. There are no dropped 3rd strikes
  12. There will be hash marks between 1st base and 2nd base, 2nd base and 3rd base, and 3rd base and home plate.  If the runner does not pass the hash marks before the pitcher has control of the ball in the circle they will need to return back to the previous base.  The hash marks should be 30 feet between the bases.  If hash marks are not on the field it is the umpires judgement to where runner was at the time the pitcher gained control of the softball inside the circle.

HOI World Series

  1. Roster Size: No more than 14 on a roster
  2. World Series will be a 2 Game Guarantee. Double Elimination.
  3. Seedings will be based in the following order:
    A) Regular season record
    B) Runs Allowed
    C) Head to Head
    D) Random Number Generator
  4. 75 minute games. Finish the inning (60 minute games for 8U).
  5. 7 inning games (5 innings for 8U)
  6. There is no time limit for championship game
  7. The Higher seed will always be the home team.
  8. Teams must start a game with 9 players (USA Softball Rules). If a team cannot start a game with 9 players, that will be a 12-0 forfeit. If a player gets injured and cannot continue to play
    and a team only has 8 players, that team must take an out when that injured player’s spot comes up in the lineup.
  9. There are no outside Subs allowed & teams cannot share players from any HOI team. This includes organizations with more than one team in that age level. Any sub player must be listed on your deadline roster. They must be from a B/C level program. No A level players are allowed to sub in the HOI as we are a B/C League. Subs need to have played at least 50% of the HOI games to participate in the HOI World Series unless granted approval from the league.
  10. Equipment checks will be one during our HOI World Series

All-Star Selection Rules

  1. 2 players from each team will be selected.
  2. Due to the T-Shirts needed to be made, the All-Star Rosters will be announced approximately two weeks prior.
  3. Due to the T-Shirts needed to be made, the All-Star Rosters will be announced approximately two weeks prior.

All-Star Game Rules

  1. The All-Star Game is designed as a fun only format. Each player must play the field and teams will bat their entire lineup.
  2. National League vs American League Format (Hosting Team will be the home team)
  3. Both teams will have 3-4 coaches, preferably not from the same league team. This can be a head coach or an assistant coach.
  4. Each girl will wear their NL or AL shirt provided by the league.
  5. The All-Star Game will be a 7-inning game. (5 innings and 5 runs/inning for 8U).

2025 HOI Stat Rules

ONLY the 1st Game of Double Header Counts for Record & Stats. (Please inform your parents
of this process).
If teams play a Round Robin Style, then all those games count for record & stats).
The HOI Website will only be updated periodically (not daily).
A. 2025 Stats for League Leaders- Hitting: Batting Avg. Hits, Runs, RBI.
B. With less games in 2025 there will be less stats, which could result in a few league leader ties. HOI Budgets at the beginning of the season for a certain number of awards, WS umpire fees,
medals, balls, WS field prep, etc. so, we cannot order extra awards based on anticipation or assuming. We want to keep the cost as low as possible for all HOI teams. So, if there is a tie in a
stat category, we have a tie-breaker process.
A. If a Player already won a League Leader in 1 category, then the player, she was tied with would win in this scenario.
B. If there are multiple ties in a category & none of the players won a League Leader: We will email each coach & have them pick a number based on a Number Generator and the closest
player to that number will win the league leader. (No one likes ties & hopefully none of these scenarios will need to be used, but we need to plan for the possibility. There is no perfect way to determine ties period.
C. Padding Stats- We will be comparing both box scores. 2023 we saw a tremendous amount of difference in box scores. The largest red flags were either not scoring errors or scoring errors
when they were really hits.

Some teams record their games & in some cases we have checked these types of scenarios by video & in some cases we may go through the video, but this is also too time-consuming to
go through numerous videos. All we ask is for the coaches & those scoring games to know how to properly score a game & to use their best judgement, but most of all integrity.
(HOI Does Not require video of games).
Intentional or blatantly padding of stats could result in a discipline action against a coach. This would be determined by the entire HOI Board at your specific age group.) (Intentionally
padding stats only weakens your players development overall.

Both Teams must score any HOI Record Game on Game Changer. (NOTE: Have your Lineup ready early to give the opposing plenty of time to enter the information.

Box Score- Must Have at least Player’s First Name and Last Initial

Players with the Same First Name & Last Initial- (Ran into the mess with a few teams in 2023) If this applies to your team, we need you to someway differentiate between the players).
Example: You have two Grace H. (Have one Grace H & the other Grace H. (just let us know who prior to the season) is. Note: 8U through 12U we can only see the First & Last Initial (NOT their
Full Last Name)

 

 

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