Article 2 - Tournament Procedures
2.1 Tournament Format
a) Qualifying Round
i) That Softball Canada will execute various formats at the Canadian Championships depending on the number of teams that are participating in a championship, the length of the event and the number of diamonds that are available. Softball Canada will maintain a minimum of 6 scheduled games in all formats.
ii) Event formats may include round robin pool play, modified pool play or multiple seeding rounds to determine Championship and other placement rounds.
b) Championship Round
i) In all championships, a modified version of the “Page System” will be used.
ii) In championships with 7, 8 or 9 teams, 6 teams will play in the championship round. The top 4 teams will have 2 “lives” and the next 2 teams will have a single “life”.
iii) In championships with 10 or more teams, the format will be determined based on number of teams, length of the event and diamond availability. If the 8 team format is used, the top 4 teams will have 2 “lives” and the next 4 teams will have a single “life”.
c) Ranking in the Qualifying Round
Final standings in the qualifying round shall be established using the following criteria:
i) Won/Lost records. If still tied, then:
ii) Winners of games between tied teams.
NOTE: In order to use this criteria, all subject tied teams must have played each other and one team must have defeated all the teams they are tied with to be ranked higher. The remaining teams then go to next criteria with no reverting back:
iii) Difference PLUS or MINUS of total runs scored, with a limit of 7 PLUS or MINUS per game allowed.
a) If teams are still tied within iii) the least (fewest) amount of runs scored against in all games will be used. If still tied, then:
b) The total runs scored in all games, with a maximum of 10 runs scored per game, will be used. If still tied then:
c) Positions will be settled by a coin toss.
d) Tie Breaking
The above criteria ranking establishes the standing in the qualifying round. However, if a tie exists for the last playoff position or where it represents the difference between 1 or 2 “lives”, the tie will be broken as follows:
a) If tied for 2 “lives” they will be ranked using the criteria in 2.1 c)
b) If tied for last playoff position, tiebreaker game(s) will be played.
e) U14 Competition Format
The Softball Canada Official Rule Book shall govern play except for the following modifications:
i) Pitchers will be limited to a maximum of 4 innings per game (one pitch is considered an inning).
ii) Each player must play a minimum of 2 innings per game. In a run ahead rule game, a team will not be penalized if not able to play all team members.
NOTE – disciplinary actions/suspensions will be applied to Coaches who do not follow the above rule modifications at the discretion of the Softball Canada Supervisor.
2.2 Model Draws
a) Qualifying Round (Two Pools)
i) Seeding of teams in each section will be determined by the Softball
Canada National Office.
ii) Where there are 2 teams from the same province/territory, they will be
in opposite sections.
2.3 Scheduling
a) In the qualifying round, the host and provincial team will be allowed a daily
prime time game.
b) Two hours will be scheduled between game starts.
c) The Softball Canada tournament supervisor is responsible for rescheduling
games, if necessary.
d) No protests may be made on the rescheduling of games.
2.4 Unfinished Championships
If for any reason, any Canadian Championship cannot be finished, the following formula shall be applied to determine final standings and medal awards:
NOTE: the team that is awarded the gold medal will be eligible to compete next year as the Defending Champion providing all criteria of a defending champion is met.
a) If the qualifying round cannot be completed, medals will be awarded on the basis of the standings at that time.
b) If the qualifying round is completed and no games played in the double life section of the championship round, the qualifying round standings shall be used to award medals.
c) If games 1 and 2 of the championship round have been played, the “A” side finalists will receive the gold and silver medals, with the gold going to the team finishing higher in the qualifying round. The bronze medal will go to whichever of the remaining “B” side teams finished highest in the qualifying round.
d) If after game 7 (game 5 in six team playoff), the “A” side final, and before game 9 (game 7 in six team playoff), the winner of game 7 (game 5 in six
team playoff) will receive the gold medal and the loser the silver medal. The bronze medal will go to whichever of the remaining “B” side teams finished higher in the qualifying round.
e) If after game 9 (game 7 in six team playoff), the gold medal will go to the winner of game 7 (game 5 in six team playoff), the silver medal to the winner of game 9 (game 7 in six team playoff), and the bronze medal to the loser of game 9 (game 7 in six team playoff).
f) The final scheduled game of the championship is complete if at least five (5) innings have been played should the game not be finished. (Note: In this situation if the home team is leading after 4½ innings of play, the game would be considered to have completed 5 innings of play.)
2.5 Awards
a) A team trophy will be awarded to the winning team of any Canadian Championship tournament.
b) A team trophy will be awarded to the runner–up in all Canadian Championships.
c) When medals are awarded (for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners), no more than 22 will be provided.
d) Except for the “Top Player of the Championship Round”, all individual awards are based on the qualifying round(s).
i) Recipients of these awards can be announced prior to the start of the championship round.
ii) These awards should be presented between games C1 and C2 of the Championship Round as time permits.
e) In order for players to qualify for the final standings at bat or on the mound, the following will apply:
At bat: A player must have gone to bat at least 2.5 times the number of games the team has played, rounded to the highest whole number (with any activity at bat counting for a “time at bat”).
On the mound: A pitcher must have pitched in more than 15 innings (15 1/3 innings is sufficient to qualify).
2.6 Official Softball
a) The official softball to be used at all Canadian Championships will be determined by the Directors of Softball Canada.
b) The official and exclusive softball for the Fast Pitch Canadian Championships will be as follows:
i) All male Canadian Fast Pitch Championships will use the Rawlings K-Master Y120YCC (COR 47).
ii) All female Canadian Fast Pitch Championships will use the Rawlings Red Dot PX2RYLC (COR 47).
2.7 Dress and Equipment
a) Uniforms
i) All players participating in a Canadian Championship must play in identical uniforms.
The Softball Canada representative in consultation with the tournament Umpire–in–Chief shall judge the acceptability of uniforms. Players unacceptably uniformed will be dealt with as follows:
a) If possible, a player will be warned before a game appearance.
b) A player participating in a game will be instructed to immediately correct the uniform deficiency.
c) A player failing to correct the deficiency will be ejected from the game.
ii) Coaches appearing on the field must wear uniforms identical (similar) to the players or any combination of dress shorts, slacks or track pants and shirts as near to the team colours as possible in all categories and Coaches’ footwear must be completely closed in (no sandals, crocs or similar footwear permitted). Both coaches are required to be dressed in similar fashion.
If, in the judgement of the Softball Canada official representative, the coach or manager’s uniform is not to the representative’s satisfaction, this coach or manager shall not be permitted to coach.
iii) All players appearing on a game sheet must wear a uniform number on the back of their uniform shirt/sweater. NO number may be repeated.
iv) At all Fast Pitch Canadian Championships, each team must have at least two sets of uniform tops (one dark coloured and one light coloured). The home team will wear their dark coloured uniform. The away team will wear their light coloured uniform. If a team fails to wear the proper uniform colour, they will lose the game.
b) Masks, Throat Protector and Helmet
At ALL Fast Pitch Canadian Championships, the catcher while receiving warm–up pitches prior to and during a game, must wear their mask, throat protector and helmet.
c) Double Base
The Double Base (Safe–base TM system) will be used at first base for all Canadian Championships.
2.8 Mixed Orthodox Rules
a) There shall be no more than six players of either gender on the field and in the batting order at any time, nor no fewer than three. The offensive and defensive components when using a DP shall count as one player and shall be of the same gender. They may play in any position including pitching.
b) Substitutions must be male for male and female for female unless substituting to replace a gender in excess of the minimum three.
c) Metal cleats are not allowed.
d) Absolutely no slingshot, sidearm or submarine pitching is to be allowed. Legal pitches will be either a figure eight or bowling ball style.
