I sleep with my bat and polish it every day...can I use it in your league?
Sure. You're welcome to bring and use your own bat assuming it is not excessively out of whack with what would be considered a "normal league bat." No triple walled bats, no wood or baseball bats, and no Bats that are currently on the ASA banned bats list no matter what silly stamp they have on them. Underdog Umps do have banned bat charts at the game.
How do co-ed/gender rules play into a USL softball game?
USL has specific rules with regards to batting line-ups and field positioning for gender players.
Other general rules like courtesy runners, catch-and-carry, and one courtesy foul ball before striking out apply. All USL batters start at a 0-0 count. Specific rules are provided upon registering a team.
I have 15 players playing in our game, do I have to be Joe Torre to manage my team and learn about double switches and stuff?
As long as you don’t have more than twice as many guys to girls, you can put everyone into the lineup and just put any 10 in the field at a time.
Do you guys have a gender encroachment Rule?
No – Not anymore. Everyone hated that rule…. everyone.
Do I have to wear any kind of gear?
Underdog provides batting helmets and catchers masks. While you don’t have to wear them we always stongly recommend that you do.
Do I have to wear cleats?
No – but you have to wear closed toe shoes – No sandals and no bare feet. Also (duh) never any metal spikes .
Do we get Uniforms?
Nope, but you are welcome to make your own.
Who keeps score?
The umpire keeps the official score of all games. You are welcome to score along in your own book, but the home plate umpire has the final say on all scoring issues.
So this is a beer league right? I run to second base and drink out of a keg and stuff?
Nope. Parks and Rec departments don’t allow drinking on their public fields. If you get caught, we may not be able to play softball at all anymore. And no, you can’t just put it in a shiny red cup. Want a beer – go to the sponsor bar after the game.
It’s Raining and I have a game today – What should I do?
Your best move is to always check the website at the correct time. The weather status will be highlighted in block red and show you if games have been canceled. In some cases some leagues are rained out and others can be played based on the characteristics of individual fields.
Ok, I'm signing up. What if I need to change my roster?
Roster changes are allowed up until the 3rd week of any USL season. Softball rosters should never be larger than 15 people. After the third week you can only modify your roster by applying for a special exemption due to injury or other weird/unfortunate occurrence. During registration, you will set up a log-in to the Player Page - a team admin panel that let's you update your roster, as well as do other cool stuff like emailing your teammates, tracking who owes you money, and signing up for future seasons.
Cool, I'm signed up. What about practices?
Some teams practice several times a week. Some don't practice at all. Unfortunately, USL does not provide practice time during the regular season on our fields. You are welcome to show up early and practice/warm-up on the side, or practice on your own.
