Team and Player Requirements

 

A.      Team rosters and player contracts.

 

1.      All players on all teams must complete and return a player contract to the league officers before they are eligible to play in this league.  You may play for one team within the league throughout the year.

2.      New players may be added to team rosters after the league meeting in March, but only up until their team’s 5^th scheduled league game.

3.      There is a maximum of 30 players per team roster.  Non-playing mangers are not included in the 30 limit.

B.       A team will consist of 10 players or 11 players if the extra player rule is used.

 

1.      If a team is unable to field 9 players by game time, they will be allowed a 10 minute grace period to field a complete team.

2.      After the 10 minute grace period or if prearranged beforehand, a team is permitted to begin play with a minimum of 9 players.

3.      If in the judgment of the umpire, a player becomes injured and is not able to resume playing on his team, which began play with 10 or 9 men and without available substitutes, his team will be allowed to continue playing shorthanded (less than 10 players) and will not have to forfeit the game.  However, shorthanded situations caused by players being ejected for arguing, abusive language, fighting, etc., will automatically cause the shorthanded team to forfeit the game.

 

C.      Like-colored and marked shirts will be required of all team members.

 

Game and League Requirements

 

1. All games will start at precisely 6:30 P.M. (unless otherwise scheduled).  The umpires watch will be the official time.

 

2. All team captains and coaches must establish ground rules with the umpire before each and every game they play.

 

3. Once the first pitch is thrown, the umpire will be in charge.

 

4. In case of inclement weather, the League officers will be responsible to call off games prior to 5:00 P. M. (weekdays only); from 5:00 P.M. up until game time, both team managers and the umpire will decide whether or not to begin play (must be unanimous).

 

5. Players arriving after the start of the game must wait until the beginning of the next half inning before entering the game.

 

6. All substitutions must be announced to the official scorer and to the umpire by the team manager.

 

7. Any team member possessing alcoholic beverages on the field or on any part of the parkland at anytime will be ejected from the game and his team will forfeit the game.  Likewise, no intoxicated player (under the umpire’s discretion) will be allowed to take the field or enter the game.  No alcoholic beverages are permitted on any parklands or school property at any time.

 

8. In no case will verbal threats indicating intention to do bodily harm, making physical contact, continuous name calling and arguing be tolerated by the umpire or by the league officers.

 

1.      Those individuals guilty of such will face the following penalties:

a.       Verbal threats and physical contact:

 

1)      First offense- indefinite suspension

b.      Name calling and arguing:

 

1)      First offense- 3-game suspension or $10.00 fee paid by the team whose individual member was suspended paid to the Plymouth Slow-Pitch Softball League.

2)      Second offense- indefinite suspension.

 

9. No new inning shall begin after 8:30 P.M. (8:15 P.M. from May 1^st through May 31^st and from August 1^st on through the end of the season); however, any inning taking place at 8:30 P.M. will continue until it is completed and the game will stop at that point.  If overcast and threatening clouds prompt darkness, the umpire may stop the game prior to 8:30 P.M. if he determines it is too dark to play.

 

10. If a team forfeits two (2) consecutive games, or three (3) games, it will be subject to being dropped from the League, thereby forfeiting it’s entrance fee and it’s remaining opponents will be awarded wins.

 

11. This League will follow the ASA official Slow-Pitch Rules as adopted by the International Joint Rules Committee on Softball.  However, in case of conflict between our local rules and the official rules, the local rules will have priority (i.e., the minimum number of players allowed, unlimited arch on pitched balls, etc.).

 

12. The foul tip 3^rd strike rule in the ASA will be adopted in League games.

 

13. There will be no limit to the arch on a pitched ball.

 

14. A runner may leave the base he is occupying after the pitched ball reaches home plate.  However, if in the judgment of the umpire, a runner has left a base before the pitched ball reaches the plate, play is dead and the runner will be called out.

 

15. The home team will also supply the umpire with two brand new softballs for each game and install bases and a home plate before game time.

 

16. If the scheduled home team fails to provide the necessary equipment (bags, balls, home plate) for their scheduled game, they will forfeit their right to be home team and thus become the visiting team, assuming the other team provides the necessary equipment.

 

17. The League Officers will reschedule all postponed games at its own discretion and on any available date during the week or weekend.

 

18. The extra player is now considered a regular position and can play at any position on defense in any inning.  Batting order should always remain the same despite switching defensive positions.  Substitution Rule also remains the same:  If you start eleven players, you must finish with eleven players, except for injury, which is at the umpire’s discretion.  If you start with ten players, you cannot add EP later in the game.

 

19. The Rabbit Rule will be in effect.  The rabbit is a 12^th player added to bottom of line-up.  He can run for any player once in each inning but does not bat.  If he is inserted into the game for any starting or substitute player, the rabbit is no longer used for the remainder of the game.  There will be only one rabbit per game.

 

20. A Designated Hitter Rule has been adopted to allow a “12^th” man to participate in the line-up.  The “DH” can now hit for a designated defensive player, this allowing 12 players to participate in the game but only 11 bat.  Substitutions at this position should be reported to the umpire and opposing team.  Batting Order must remain the same.  Once “DH” is announced as discontinued, it cannot be reinstated.

 

21. The League has adopted a “Strike Mat” to aid in calling Balls and Strikes.  If a pitch hits any part of the strike mat or plate, the ball is considered a strike.  The 6ft. minimum and unlimited maximum arch will be the same.

 

Score Keeping Requirements

 

A.     Each team is responsible to supply a scorer for each and every game.  Both scorers should sit together to correlate records.

 

2. The home team scorer is the official scorer.  If there is no home team scorer, then the visiting team scorer is the official scorer.

 

3. Teams unable to furnish a scorer will forfeit their right to question or protest the score or count.

 

4. The winning team will be held responsible to turn in the completed score sheet to the police desk immediately after the game (the police are in the Plymouth Township Municipal Building).

 

1. Score sheets must have complete information (full name of players on both teams, team names and line scores, dates and locations of games, both team managers and umpires signatures, etc.) 2 copies from the scorebook are also accepted and can be faxed to league official.

 

5. In the event of tie games, both teams are required to turn in completed score sheets to verify the game and the umpire’s attendance.

 

6. If a game is not officially completed due to darkness, rain, etc., it is the responsibility of the home team manager to call the umpire-in-chief of the Plymouth Slow-Pitch Softball League the next weekday morning so the game can be immediately rescheduled.

 

Protest

 

1. In the event of disputes during the game, the umpire shall settle all disputes on the spot before the game continues.

 

2. In the event the umpire’s interpretation of a rule becomes subject to question, a team can file a protest and the said protest must honor the following conditions:  (At no time can a judgment call be protested.)

 

1. It must initially be made to the umpire on the spot or location at the exact time of the rule in question.
2. It must then be written and turned over to one of the League officers within 24 hours after the game or incident.  (No phone conversations will count.)
3. A $20.00 protest fee must accompany the written protest in order to be considered (the $20.00 protest fee will be returned if the protest is upheld).
4. The written protest must depict specifics of the incident out of which arose the protest and must include the following:

a.       Rule and section of rulebook in question.

b.      Date, time of incident and location of ball field.

c.       Umpire’s name.

d.      Player or players involved.

e.       Exact transpired conditions of the game at the time of protest.

1)      Inning-top or bottom half

2)      Runs scored-before that half inning, and also during that half inning.

3)      Men on base, if any.

4)      Number of outs, if any.

5)      Count on batter.

6)      Location of incident on playing field.

f.        Your objective description of incident.

3. The League President will choose a five (5) member protest committee made up of managers of five non-division teams who will view the protest, listen to the testimonies of all persons involved, and reach a decision.  Their decision will be final.  The League President will conduct the meeting.

 

1. Present at the protest meeting shall be the following:

a.       League President – conducting

b.      Five (5)-member committee appointed by League President.

c.       Umpire(s) present at game.

d.      Team managers of both teams.

e.       Umpire-in-chief or Umpire Association Official

f.        Player(s) involved with direct incident.

 

Playoffs

 

1. The top four teams from each division will enter into a double elimination playoff tournament at the end of the regular season.

 

2. In order to be eligible to play in his team’s playoff games, player must have played in at least seven regular season games as verified on the turned-in score sheets.

 

3. In cases where teams have identical won-lost records, the team with the better regular season results with that particular team or teams will be awarded the higher position; if this method fails to break a tie, then the team which scored the most runs against the other team will be awarded the higher position.

 

4. In all division playoff games, the home team will always be the team with the higher regular season position, irregardless of the situation of the playoff game.

 

5. The “B” Division Playoff Champion will host the “C” Division Playoff Champion in a best of three game playoff series and that winner will play the “A” Division Playoff Champion in a best of three game series for the Plymouth Softball Cup.

 

Trophies

 

1. The top three teams in each division will be awarded trophies for regular season play.

 

2. The playoff champion and runner-up in each division will be awarded trophies as will the winner and runner-up between the “A” Division Playoff Champ and either the “B” or “C” Division Playoff Champ.