The following rules shall apply to this competition:

1. Any games which are postponed due to bad weather or other reasons will not be rescheduled, unless the teams concerned agree to make their own arrangements to do so.
   
   
2. The “WIN-LOSS %” (not the “Win-Loss Record”) shall determine the final league standings.
   
   
3. If at the end of the League schedule, teams are tied on WIN-LOSS% then their head-to-head record will be used to break the tie. If still tied, the next criteria will be the overall runs for and runs against differential. If still tied, then a toss of a coin will be used to break the tie.
   
   
4. The two teams in every league game are EACH required to submit the final scores (preferably with line scores) by email to the League Organisers by midnight on the Monday following the game.
   
   
5. No pitching restrictions apply.
   
   
6. Teams are allowed to use only bats which are legal in the league which they play in i.e. those who are not allowed to use Aluminium bats in their league must not use aluminium bats in HSL games.
   
   
7. To accommodate the preparations of teams for the upcoming season, teams will be allowed to agree on “rolling substitutions” (i.e. players allowed to go in and out of a game). It will be the responsibility of the two teams involved to reach an agreement on this rule before the start of their game, if they so wish. If one of the teams does not agree then neither team will be allowed “rolling substitutions”.
   
   
8. Designated Hitter shall be allowed.
   
   
9. At the start of every game the umpires, will inform both managers at what time the game will stop. Umpires will be the official timekeepers of all games.
   
   
10. No new innings to start 10 minutes from the predefined game finish time, if the final prescribed time is reached, the umpire tells both teams that there is just one further pitch to be taken, but only if the home team is batting. If the away team is batting then the game stops as soon as the predefined time is reached. If the home team is batting and the score is either tied or they are in front then this will be the final game score once the one further pitch is taken if required. If it is the top of the innings (i.e. the away team batting), then a count back to the last full innings will be taken as the final game score. If scores are tied on the count back then that will be the final recorded score.
    
    
11. Any game that reaches 7 complete innings within the agreed time will stop at this point and the score will be recorded.
    
    
12. Protests are not permitted.
    
    
13. Any disputes over scores will be ruled by the League Organizers, whose decision will be final.

PRE-GAME
Hosts must try to keep to the scheduled game times as much as possible. It will be up to the teams to agree among themselves how the time before and between games is to be shared between teams for pre-game drills.

Note: Most venues are expected to have available playing spaces adjacent to the diamond so teams are free to make use of such space for batting practice or other drills if they wish to do so.

GAME BALLS
Each of the 3 teams (the host and the two visiting teams) must provide 3 game balls each on every game day. Any additional balls required are to be supplied by the host team.

UMPIRES
Each team must provide a plate umpire for the game in which they are designated as the home team. The umpire can be a member of the team or alternatively that team has the option of hiring an independent umpire at that team’s expense, if they so wish. Base umpires are optional.

The HSL is in discussion with ABUA GB. Several ABUA umpires may use the HSL as preparation for the new season and details of their availability and costs, if any, will be provided to the participating teams.

SCORERS
Scorers at the games are entirely at the discretion of the respective team, although this would be preferable as the Organisers hope to publish some League stats online.