Adult Softball League Rules

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The Collierville Parks and Recreation Department shall determine the number, variety and type of leagues; but teams may request league preference registering.

 

ASA Official Softball Rules

Govern play unless other wised noted in these rules.

 

TEAM & PLAYER ELIGIBILITY

All teams are required to turn in a roster before they play the second game of the regular season.No team will be allowed to participate until roster is filled out correctly and turned in to the Athletic Office.Teams may add or delete players to the roster until the sixth game of the season is complete.No player may be added at this point.No player under the age of 18 will be allowed to participate without written permission from that player�s parents.No player under the age of 16 will be allowed to participate.

 

A maximum of 20 players, including pickups, a manager, and a coach shall be permitted on a team�s roster.A manager or coach shall not count as a player unless he is an active player.

 

No player may participate with two different teams in a league.All players must be on a roster and participate with that team.Teams using illegal players (players not on roster) will forfeit all games played with illegal players.

 

LEAGUES

Men�s Open (Class B):Six (6) home-run limit per team; per game.After 6 is an out.Stealing will be allowed.

 

Co-Ed (Major):Six (6) home-run limit per team; per game.After 6 is an out.No stealing.

 

Men�s Church (Church):Four (4) home-run limit per team; per game.After 4 is an out.No stealing.

 

Men�s Rec, Women�s Open & Co-ed Rec (All Class D)

No homeruns allowed.No stealing.

 

NO METAL CLEATS ALLOWED IN ANY LEAGUE.

 

All games are played with 10 players (with an possible EH � Extra Hitter or two EH for Coed, must be one male and one female).Teams may not start a game with less than 9 players.Teams that begin a game with 9 players do not have to �take an out� for missing players in batting position.Any team with less than 9 roster players will forfeit game.*NOTE:Coed teams may start game with 8 players (4 men and 4 women) and not be penalized in batting order.Teams cannot continue a game with less than eight (8) players, no matter how players are lost.Teams must �take an out� for any batting position for which a player is lost and they have no substitute.This includes teams using EH.

 

Players may be added to the line up, at the end, until the batting order has been completed one time.Once batting order has been completed.No new player may be added to the end of lineup once a rotation of starting lineup has been completed.

 

EQUIPMENT

Teams must hit own softballs.The Parks and Recreation Department WILL NOT provide softballs.Balls must be ASAcore 44 12� balls for men and 11� for women.

 

Refer to ASA Rulebook for list of illegal/legal balls and bats.A team using an illegal bat or ball must remove and replace the bat or ball at the request of the umpire.Failure to do so in a time manner set by the umpire will result in a forfeit.

�� Parks & Recreation Department

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�� Phone���������� 901-853-3225

���� Fax�������������� 901-853-3239

 

WEATHER

Games called due to weather or other uncontrolled circumstances deemed by the umpires or CPARD staff before four (4) complete innings and after one (1) complete inning will begin where game was suspended.Coaches for both teams are responsible for signing the scorebook before leaving the field to assure accuracy of player�s positions.(Another roster player may be substituted without penalty in rescheduled games).

 

Any team forfeiting four games will be removed from remaining game schedule.

 

RAINOUT INFO

Call Rec-Check at 853-1212 for daily updated Field Conditions.Rec-Check is updated by 3:00 pm, Monday � Friday; 8:00 am on Saturday and 11:00 am on Sunday.You may also check field conditions at www.midsouthsports.com.Email [email protected] if you are interested in being placed on Field Conditions email list.

 

LEAGUE PLAYOFF PROCEDURES

League (or division) winner will receive a team trophy.The tournament champions and tournament runner-up will receive team trophies.End of Season tournament is determined by number of teams in league.

 

The tiebreakers for teams with identical season records will be as follows:

          1st tie break � won/loss record in head to head games

          2nd tie break � won/loss record with next place team and proceeding downward.If a tiebreaker is not for first place, procedure will start with first place team and proceed downward.

          3rd tie break � fewest runs given up in head to head play

          4th tie break � fewest runs given up for the entire season

Exception � If teams play in divisions, the division record will decide champion with overall record deciding tiebreaker, if tie still exist, proceed with tiebreaker format above.

 

UNIFORM REQUIREMENTS

Uniforms or matching shirts are highly recommended.

 

Pants must be either baseball shorts or baseball pants. Blue jeans are not allowed.However, sweat pants will be allowed.Caps are optional.

 

MANAGERS & COACHES

All managers and coaches are responsible for familiarizing their players with the rules and regulations governing the program.CPARD expects all coaches to exercise complete control of players at all times.

 

Any manager or coach that directs their team to stop the contest or any team that assumes this action before the final out, immediately forfeits that particular game regardless of the score and the coach is automatically suspended for a length of time determined by CPARD.

 

The team manager or coach must make all roster changes and decisions unless another player is granted direct permission by the coach to CPARD.

 

 

 

GENERAL RULES

Games will be seven (7) innings or one (1) hour time limit.

 

Ten (10) run rule after five (5) innings, fourteen (14) after four (4) innings and eighteen (18) after three will constitute a game.A game is complete after four (4) complete innings if stopped due to weather or uncontrolled circumstances.Games called before one complete inning will be rescheduled as a new game.

 

Game time is game time.Due to the rule change of allowing a team to play with 9 players without penalty, absolutely no grace period will be given.No questions.

 

A Courtesy Runner can be used at any time during the game for any player.The player making the last out must be used as a courtesy runner.A team must discover misuse of a courtesy before the next pitch is thrown.Once next pitch has been thrown, play goes on.Once this is discovered the proper courtesy runner will replace that runner.

 

Stealing � Stealing will allowed in Men�s Open League only.A runner may advance to the next base on the ball reached the front edge of home plate.Runners advancing prior to ball reaching front edge of home plate will be OUT when properly appealed.

 

No player shall intentionally run over an opposing player who already has a ball in his/her possession.Penalty for such an infraction will be automatic ejection from the game.

 

Teams may us an Extra Hitter (EH).An extra hitter may be used at any position of the batting order.Coed teams must use two extra hitters.The EH may be substituted into the game at any time on defense as long as batting order is not changed.

 

The score of a forfeited game shall be ten (10) to zero (0) in favor of the team not at fault.

 

PROTESTS

Protests shall be based on interpretation of rules only.Decisions involving the judgment of umpires will not be received or considered.

 

A written protest must be submitted to the Parks and Recreation Department no later than 7:00 p.m. the first working day following the protested game.The protest will affect only the game that is protested.Not more than one game will be penalized by a protest.Protests must be stated at the point of contention (before the ball is put into play) and the umpires and scorekeeper must make note of protest on Official Score sheet.Protesting Manager must then file the official protest in writing to the Parks and Recreation Department before the protest deadline.

BLOOD RULE

A player, coach or umpire who is bleeding or who has blood on his/her uniform shall be prohibited from participating further in the game until appropriate treatment can be administered in a reasonable length of time.The length of time that is considered reasonable is the judgment of the umpire and/or CPARD staff member.Uniform rule violations will not be enforced if a uniform change is required.

 

CONDUCT

Absolutely no profanity or misconduct toward staff, other players, umpires and spectators is tolerated.That person will be dealt with appropriately.Remember that there are children and other people around that do not want to hear your aggressive feelings and profanity.Anyone expressing him or herself in this manor will be subject to ejection and disqualification from league and facilities for a time deemed by the Collierville Parks, Recreation and Cultural Arts Department.

 

All coaches are responsible for making his/her team aware of all rules, regulations, policies and procedures of this department and league.No player is exempt from punishment explained in these rules.

 

No questioning of balls or strikes called by the umpire will be tolerated.One warning will be given per team.On the second offense, the offending player or member of the team will be ejected.

 

A coach or player must be granted permission to enter the playing area to discuss (in a calm manner) any rule violation.Any judgment call will not be disputed and can cause immediate ejection by the umpire and/or CPARD staff.

 

All players and coaches must remain in the dugouts at all times.Only players batting, participating on defense, players on deck or coaching first and third are allowed out of the dugout.Players may stand outside playing fence if there is no room in dugout.

 

Any spectator, fan, coach, etc. standing at a teams dugout displaying abusive and/or obscene behavior will be expected by the umpires and CPARD staff to be controlled by the team who occupies that dugout.That team may request assistance from CPARD in controlling that person to avoid any penalty.

 

Alcoholic beverages are not allowed on park property.This means parking lots, open grass areas and inside complex.Anyone who consumes or has consumed alcohol prior to arriving to complex will be asked to leave park property.CPARD and Town of Collierville Police Department will deal with violators who resist accordingly.

 

In the umpire�s judgment any player who appears to be under the influence of alcohol will be ejected from the game.

 

Please refer to the Parks and Recreation Department Participant Behavior Policy.

 

GENERAL POLICIES and PROCEDURES

Schedule changes are not allowed.If a team has a special problem in regards to game time, the manager should note the problem at registration.

 

Normally, two umpires will officiate each game.If one umpire is present, the game shall be played.If no umpires show up, games will be postponed and made up at a later date.

 

Line up cards (supplied in the press box) must be turned into the scorekeeper 10 minutes before game time.Be sure lineups contain:

Players Full Name � First name and last name

Players Number

Any substitutions

 

No coaches, players, assistant coaches, team scorekeepers or spectators are allowed in press box during game.Only coaches are allowed in press box to deliver lineups prior

 

Any team wishing to warm up before games should do so in non-congested areas away from spectators and other teams.No team is allowed to warm-up on infield prior to start of game.No batting practice is allowed

 

No refund will be given to any team once placed on the schedule.