Windsor Locks Men’s Softball League

Rules and Regulations 2017

1. START OF GAME- The first weekday game will start at 6:00 PM, other starting times are on the printed league schedule.  A game will not start or continue if a team has less than 9 players.  If a tenth man arrives, he may be put into the game at the end of the inning being played.  If a team does not have the minimum of 9 players after a 15 minute grace period, the game will be forfeited.  The grace period is from the scheduled start of the game.

 

2. EXTRA HITTER- Each team may play 10 fielders and up to 20 batters.  Extra hitters may be added at any time during the game.  Extra hitters may not be dropped from the lineup for reasons others than injury.  Extra hitters are optional.  The extra hitter may be moved into the field and that player then becomes the extra hitter or moves to another position.  The actual batting position of all players involved cannot be changed.

3. SHOES- Rubber or plastic spikes are the only spikes permitted in the Windsor Locks Men’s Softball League.

 

4. ARGUMENTS ON THE UMPIRE’S CALL- Only the team captain may approach the umpire to argue a call.  If the umpire feels that the argument is getting out of hand, he may order the players and the captain back to the bench and continue the game.  The team that is protesting the call may file a protest.  Judgment calls cannot be protested.  All protests are to be handled by ASA.  There will be a $25 fee charged to the team filing the protest.  The fee will be returned if the protest is upheld.

 

5. UMPIRE ABUSE- Any player, manager, coach, sponsor, or any other person connected in any way with a team who pushes, shoves, bumps, or strikes an umpire shall automatically be suspended, for a minimum of one year from any softball games covered by ASA.  Any player, manager, coach, sponsor, or any other person connected with a team that swears or uses abusive language shall automatically be expelled from the game or the game will be forfeited.  If the offender harasses or uses abusive language towards an umpire after being ejected from a game or after the game is over, he shall be suspended from the next game.  If a suspended person is allowed to participate by his team in a game while he is suspended, the game will be forfeited.  Any person who is suspended indefinitely may request a hearing before a Board of Appeals consisting of one team representative and the league committee.  Teams must protect the umpire in case of an attack by a spectator.  Teams not complying with this will be suspended from the league.  The Governing Board of the ASA Umpires, in conjunction with league representatives, will render a decision on abuse to an umpire (physical or verbal) after a formal compliant has been made to an umpire.  A committee will make a decision after hearing all pertinent information.  The individual(s) involved and league representatives may be involved, if necessary, in the hearing.  The decision will be final (not subject to appeal).  While occurrences of this type are few, they are serious enough to warrant considerable attention and deliberation.

 

6. SOFTBALLS- The home team will supply a new game ball.  Game balls will be given to each team prior to the season.  The visiting team will supply a back-up ball which is subject to inspection by the umpire and the home team.   

7. PITCHING- A limited arc of 6 to 12 feet is in effect for the 2010 season and beyond.

 

8. NUMBER OF INNINGS- Games will consist of 7 innings.  If after 5 innings, a team is leading by 15 or more runs, it shall be considered a complete game.

 

9. 1-1 COUNT- Each batter will start with a 1-1 count.  A player with 2 strikes is allowed to hit 1 foul ball.  After a second foul ball, he shall be declared out.

10. RE-ENTRY RULE- A player may re-enter a game after he is replaced by another player if he enters in the same spot in the lineup as he previously occupied.  This may be done by a player only once a game.

 

11. SLIDING RULE- Any player, who in the judgment of the umpire, intentionally tries in any way to injure another player, shall be ejected from the game.  Failure to comply shall be cause for his team to forfeit the game.  If there is a play at any base other than first base, the player must slide or get out of the base path.  If he does not make an attempt to get out of the way, he will be called out.  If this involves a double play, it becomes an automatic double play.

 

12. ASA RULES- All games shall be governed by the rules and regulations contained in the ASA Official guide, except special league rules contained herein, which supersede the ASA Rules.

13. INJURIES- Neither the league or league commissioners will be responsible for injuries in any way, whether inflicted by players, weather, conditions of fields, etc, before, during, or after scheduled or make-up games.

14. FIGHTING- Physical violence will not be tolerated in the Windsor Locks Men’s Softball League.  Anyone physically abusing another player will be automatically suspended from play for 6 games.  He may be expelled from the league.

15. DRINKING- There will be no alcoholic beverages consumed by any player during the game.  No alcoholic beverages will be allowed on the bench or playing area.  If the umpire determines that a player is intoxicated and/or drinking, he will eject that player from the game.

16. SCORE BOOKS- A score book will be supplied to each team.  It is the responsibility of each team to maintain the score book, at the minimum, a record of his team’s offensive performance for each regular season and playoff game.  Each player’s full name as it appears on the submitted roster must be written in the score book for each game played.  The home team shall have the umpire sign the score book.  The home team’s book is the official book of the game.

 

17. ROSTERS- Each team will submit an initial roster of not more than 20 players to the designated league official before the start of that team’s first game.  Final rosters are due no later than June 1, 2010.  If rosters are not turned in by the designated deadlines, all games played by that team will be a forfeit until rosters are submitted in writing.  Any team that allows a person to play in a game for them who is not on the roster must get the opposing team’s approval.  If you do not get the opposing team’s approval, the game will be forfeited.  If a person plays in a game for two teams, he must play for the second team for the remainder of the season.  No player is eligible to play in the Windsor Locks Men’s Softball League if he is currently listed as a U.S.S.S.A. Major Player or equivalent.  Exempt are those who have playing in the Windsor Locks Men’s Softball League for 2 or more consecutive seasons.

 

18. FORFEITS- If a team fails to appear for a scheduled game, they shall forfeit the game.  Two such violations may be grounds for their dismissal from the league.  Games will not be rescheduled except due to inclement weather or extreme reasons.  Games will not be rescheduled on the mutual consent of the two teams.  League officials are the only ones able to reschedule a game.  Teams that do not finish the season and do not contact the league committee informing them of this prior to dropping out will not be allowed to play as a team the following year.

19. GAME RESULTS- Results of games must be reported by the winning team within 7 calendar days by one of the following methods: e-mailed to Ben Romeo at romeob@windsorlockssoftball.com who will be maintaining the softball website, e-mailed to David Wrabel at WhalersBB316@gmail.com or by phone (860) 655-0537, or call Dennis Gragnolati at (860) 623-6127.  This includes wins by forfeit.  Failure to do some will result in a forfeiture of the win.  The game will remain a loss for the team that lost the game.  When calling or writing, the minimum information needed is the date played and the score for both teams.

 

20. WEATHER PROBLEMS- In case of doubt that a game is to be played due to rain, wind, etc., the team captain shall call David Wrabel (860)655-0537 prior to the start of a game to see if the game as been postponed.  Games postponed due to weather conditions will be rescheduled at a later date.

 

21. COURTESY RUNNER- A courtesy runner may be used if before the game the captains agree to a courtesy runner for a certain player or if a player is injured and the opposing team agrees to allow a courtesy runner.  The runner will be the last out in the line up.

22. PLAYOFFS- All teams that finish the season will qualify.  The best 4 records (based on win/loss percentage) will play for the A Division championship.  The others (based upon win/loss percentage) will play for the B Division championship. The A Division championship will be two rounds of Best of 3 series.  The B Division championship will be determined in a double elimination tournament. The bracket for this tournament will be released towards the end of the season.

 

23. MINIMUM GAME REQUIREMENT- There will be a minimum of 8 games played to qualify to play in the playoffs.  If there are any questions on eligibility, the committee will examine the score books to determine whether a player has met the eligibility requirements.

24. VETERAN’S MEMORIAL PARK SPECIAL RULES- If 3 games are scheduled; a time limit will be placed on all but the last game of the evening.  No inning shall be started later than 9:50 PM (or 1 hour and 50 minutes from the scheduled start of the game in games other than the last scheduled game.  In the event that the lights go out during a game due to the curfew, the game will revert back to the last complete inning unless the home team is at bat and is winning.  No inning will start after 10:00 PM.  In order for a game to be considered a complete game under this section, a minimum of five innings must be played unless the home team is ahead after four and a half innings.

 

25. BATS- No bats with B.P.F. of more than 1.20 is allowed in any league game. Any bat banned by ASA or any other Softball Association is also banned in Windsor Locks Men’s Softball League.

26. HOME RUN MAXIMUM- In all games, there shall be a maximum of seven home runs over the fence per team allowed.  A home run for this rule is a ball hit over the fence without touching the ground, a player, or a player’s glove.  The eighth and subsequent home runs will be declared an out.

27. PITCHING MAT- A pitching mat will be used for the 2013 season.  A pitched ball, which is a legal pitch, is a strike if it strikes any part of the mat, including the home plate.  Balls not striking the mat are balls.

 

28. SCHEDULE CHANGES - This must be done only with League Officials approval and under extraordinary circumstances.  Changes that do not meet specific criteria of the North Central CT Board of ASA Umpires cause the league to incur a $5 fee for each change.

29. UP THE MIDDLE RULE- There is a protective zone for the pitcher of approximately a foot to either side of the mound upward to anything close to the pitcher’s head at the discretion of the umpire.  Upon first occurrence, the offending team will be issued a warning and any further occurrence will result in a dead ball out.  If a pitcher leaves this imaginary zone and the ball is hit in his direction, this rule will not apply.  It is also at the umpire’s discretion of how hard the ball must be hit (a weakly hit ground ball would not warrant a warning).