Guess who's back! Back again!

Mood: exausted
Listening to: the fan blowing at my aunt

this weekend me and my family are going to watch my uncle play over the line. over the line is like baseball but you only have 3 players on a team.(sometimes 4 b/c one has to carry the wagon with the bats and the rope for the field). it is a lot of fun . my cousins and i like to keep score for other teams that dont have a score keeper. over the line has lots of food and stuff. i love going coming here to california to watch my family members play. this is the rules and what the court looks like.

 

Rules
(from the OMBAC program, rules at other tournaments may vary)

The ball is a standard 12" softball with an orange rubber cover.  Some tournaments use the 16" 'Big Ball.' 

 

The Over-The-Line court looks something like this:

1. PLAYERS - Three players per team, substitutes allowed if player has not played for any other team. A replaced player may not re-enter the same game.

2. AT BAT POSITIONS - Bat from home (marked). Teammate pitches from anywhere in front of "The Line."

3. FIELDING POSITIONS - Fielders may play anywhere past "The Line" or its extensions.

4. HITS - (A) Ball hit into fair territory on the fly without being caught by fielders. (B) Any ball touched and dropped by fielders. (C) Fielder crossing "The Line" or its extensions when attempting to catch the ball (see Rule 12).

5. HOME RUNS - Any ball hit PAST the last player in fair territory, on the fly without being touched (not necessarily over his head, just past him).

6. OUTS - (A) Two foul balls (see Rule 7). (B) One strike. (C) Fly ball caught by fielder. (D) Ball hitting any of the lines on the triangle. (E) Ball touched or dropped by the batter or pitcher (see Rule 13a). Foul tips that hit the batter and land in foul territory are foul. (F) Batting out of turn. (G) Pitcher crossing "The Line" after hit ball (see Rule 12).

7. FOULS - (A) Any ball landing outside the triangle or the "fair" area on the fly. Balls hitting the foul lines past "The Line" are foul. (B) Any taken pitch. (C) Any false pitch or balk.

8. SCORING - (A) Three hits in an inning scores one run. Each additional hit in the same inning scores one more run. Home runs "clear the bases." (B) Intentionally throwing the bat is a three-run penalty (Official's Decision).

9. LENGTH OF GAME - (A) Games will be five innings. (B) If tied at the end of five, play an additional inning to break the tie. If tied after six, play one more. (C) If still tied after seven innings, the team with the most hits is the winner. If a tie still exists in hits, play additional innings until tie is broken, either by hits or runs. Runs take preference over hits in this situation. (D) If at the end of any inning a team has an eleven or more run lead, the game is over.

10. UMPIRING - (A) Winning team (all three members) will be the officials for the next game on the same court, Captain of the winning team will be responsible for keeping track of the game ball. (B) Start the game within five minutes after completion of the previous game. Any team not ready to play will forfeit; any exceptions will be at the discretion of the rules committee. (C) Turn in scorecards to the officials' stand.

11. EQUIPMENT - (A) No gloves to be used for fielding except in women's divisions. Taping of hands and fingers permissible if no padding is used. (B) Golf gloves may be used for batting. (C)Softball and little league bats only. Furnish your own bats.

12. CROSSING OVER ("THE LINE") - (A) At no time may players cross from one side of "The Line" or its extensions, to the other when catching, or attempting to catch a hit ball. (B) To avoid penalty, you must make a definite stop before crossing "The Line." If you catch the ball and your momentum carries you into or across "The Line," it is a hit.

13. GENERAL - (A) A ball caught on the fly by either batter or pitcher counts as no pitch. (B) You must have a full team (three players) to start a game. (C) No warming up on playing courts. Begin games immediately. (D) Decisions of the rules committee are final.