PARKS & RECREATION ASA COED SUMMER LEAGUES 2018 Kari Bachle, Recreation Coordinator kari.bachle@bothellwa.gov (425) 806-6755
ASA COED SUMMER LEAGUES MANAGER S MEETING May 21, 2018 6:00pm Due TONIGHT: all league fees! FIELDS Field policies Authorized vs. unauthorized field use LEAGUE RULES ASA Rule Books City of Bothell Rules Player Code of Conduct Banned bats/asa certification marks Schedules Forfeits Tiebreakers League Champions Map of North Creek Sportsfields Scorebook & softballs FYI Field issues (lights, bases, etc) Umpire issues (no shows, complaints, etc.) Poaching letter Ask the Ump! 1
Absolutely NO Alcohol Tobacco Gum Candy Sunflower seeds Metal spikes Violence Physical/verbal abuse Altered/unapproved bats Incidental/unscheduled use 2
PARKS & RECREATION LEAGUE RULES (Coed Summer)
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CITY OF BOTHELL COED SOFTBALL LEAGUE RULES Revised 5/15/2018 League Administrator: Kari Bachle (Recreation Coordinator) (425) 806-6755 kari.bachle@bothellwa.gov Bothell Parks & Recreation Softball League Rules will be consistent with current ASA rules except for the following modifications and clarifications. Any situations that arise during a game that are not covered in the League Rules are at the discretion of the game umpire. I. EQUIPMENT A. No metal spikes are allowed. B. Teams are recommended to provide players alike-colored shirts with # s on the back. C. The home team is responsible for the official scorebook and providing the umpire with a new 11 and 12 game ball. The visitors are responsible for providing 11 and 12 backup balls at the start of the game. D. Teams must list each player s first initial and last name in the official scorebook. E. Bothell Parks & Recreation s bat rule is consistent with ASA Championship play. If there is a question about a bat, the bat must be approved by the game umpire. F. If a player brings a banned bat into the batter s box during a game the umpire is required to award the defensive team an out and eject the player from the game. If a player brings a bat that is suspected of being altered into the batter s box during a game, the bat in question will be confiscated by the umpire and turned over to the League Administrator. The player is not ejected in this situation. 1. Failure to turn over the suspected bat to the game umpire will result in the game being forfeited to the opposing team. The team in possession of the suspected bat will not be allowed to continue with the season until meeting with the League Administrator and an ASA representative. 2. The League Administrator will then work with ASA to confirm whether the bat has been altered. 3. If the bat is found to have been altered, the player will be suspended from play in Bothell Adult Softball Leagues for a five-year period. Also, the game in which the bat was confiscated will be scored as a forfeit by the team in possession of the altered bat 4. If the bat is found to have been altered, it will not be returned to the player. If the bat is not found to have been altered, the bat or a replacement bat will be returned. 5. Altered bat information will be shared with the USA [ASA] Softball of Seattle Commissioner, Mike Rabin. II. LEAGUE PARTICIPATION A. Players must be at least 18 years old to participate. B. All players must sign the official team roster or add/delete form to participate. Rosters must be on file with the League Administrator prior to participation. 5
CITY OF BOTHELL COED SOFTBALL LEAGUE RULES (cont.) LEAGUE PARTICIPATION (cont.) C. Players may participate on more than one team as long as the teams are not in the same day and division of play. D. Players not on your team s official roster on file with the League Administrator are ineligible to participate. Fill-in players are not allowed. III. PARTICIPATION & SUBSTITUTIONS A. Prior to the start of the game, teams must either elect to bat 10 players OR bat through all players present. You must notify the opposing team if you will be batting through the entire roster, or if you will be using a standard 10-player batting order with substitutions. Please note, if you are batting only 10 players, you much comply with ASA substitution rules. B. Teams MUST have at least 8 players in the field (4 male & 4 female) to start and finish a game. If at any time during a game a team has fewer than 8 players present, the game will be considered a forfeit. There will be no automatic out for teams playing with 8 or 9 players. C. Teams must play with a minimum of 4 male and 4 female players, and max of 5 male or 5 female players in the field at all times (4 females & 5 males or vice versa is allowed). There are no restrictions on position of male and female players. D. If a team begins with fewer than 10 players and then the 9th, or 9th and 10th player arrive, they may be added to the bottom of the batting order. E. Courtesy runners are allowed with consent from the umpire. The courtesy runner must be requested immediately after the batter reaches base. The courtesy runner must be either 1) the last same-sex player to make an out or 2) the furthest same-sex player away from the current batter in the batting order that does not require a courtesy runner. If one of those players is not available to be a courtesy runner, then no courtesy runner may be used. PARTICIPATION & SUBSTITUTIONS (for teams batting all players present or who do not have the min. 5 women/5 men) A. Teams must alternate male/female for female/male throughout the batting order. B. Teams batting through all players present may substitute freely on defense with no re-entry restrictions. C. If a team elects to bat their entire roster but has a different amount of male and female players present, they must use a progressive batting order. This allows all players to bat and substitute freely while alternating male/female in the order. In this situation, teams MUST submit an extra list of all the male and female players present in their batting order to the official scorekeeper prior to the game. 6
CITY OF BOTHELL COED SOFTBALL LEAGUE RULES (cont.) PARTICIPATION & SUBSTITUTIONS (CONT.) (for teams batting all players present or who do not have the min. 5 women/5 men) D. If a player gets hurt or needs to leave during the course of the game, they may be dropped from the batting order with no penalty, assuming the team still has the minimum players needed. A player cannot reenter the game if they have missed a turn at bat. E. Any combination of players is allowed as long as teams have at least 4 males and 4 females minimum in the batting order. Ex: Teams may progressively hit 10 men and 4 women or vice versa see example on p. 10. PARTICIPATION & SUBSTITUTIONS (for teams substituting players) A. Teams must alternate male/female or female/male throughout the batting order. B. If a team is only batting 10 players, any player (starting or non-starting) may substitute in and out of the game no more than twice. Players must retain their original spot in the batting order when they reenter. IV. GAME STRUCTURE A. Games are scheduled 1 hour and 15 minutes apart. No new inning may begin 1 hour and 10 minutes after the SCHEDULED start time of the game. If a game starts before its scheduled start time there will be no new inning after 1 hour and 10 minutes of the ACTUAL start time. B. There is a 10-minute grace period. Teams not ready to begin play 10 minutes after their scheduled start time will forfeit the game. C. Each game will be scheduled for 7 innings. D. Men bat straightaway (regular-handed). E. If a team is ahead by 10 or more runs at the end of 5 innings, the game is over (4 1/2 innings if the home team leads by 10 or more). F. Incomplete games of less than 4 innings will be rescheduled and must start from the beginning of the game. Games of 4 innings or more than end in a tie will not be rescheduled. G. Games will be played with a standard 4 ball/3 strike count. H. Players will NOT have a courtesy foul ball. If a foul ball is hit after having 2 strikes, the batter is out. I. It is the pitcher s responsibility to pitch the correct ball to both male and female batters. If the wrong sized ball is pitched and batted, once recognized, the batter will have the option of accepting the result of the play, or resuming their at-bat with a no pitch result from the point at which the ball was batted. J. When a male or female batter receives a 4-pitch walk, or is intentionally walked, the batter will be awarded second base. The following batter (regardless of gender) does NOT have the option of a free walk, they must bat. 7
CITY OF BOTHELL COED SOFTBALL LEAGUE RULES (cont.) GAME STRUCTURE (cont.) K. For safety purposes, a pitcher may elect to pitch from a distance up to 10 behind the standard 50 pitching rubber. The pitcher must be directly behind the pitching rubber and all regular pitching rules, including pitch height, still apply with the exception of the pitcher s foot being in contact with the rubber. The pitcher will establish the pitching distance on the first pitch of each at-bat. The pitcher must remain at that distance throughout the entire at-bat. Switching distances during an at-bat is not allowed. L. The umpire shall automatically apply a Dead Ball Out ruling when a batted ball strikes a pitcher who is in line with the pitching rubber and home plate after delivering a pitch. This rule applies to line drives and sharply hit short hops. The rule does not apply if the ball hits the pitcher s mitt first, unless it is deemed by the umpire that the pitcher only used their glove as an act of self-defense and was unable to make an actual play on the ball. This rule applies whether the pitcher elects to pitch from the pitching rubber or up to 10 feet behind the rubber. V. FORFEITS/PROTESTS A. If a team forfeits two games during the course of one season, they will automatically be dropped from the remainder of the schedule. They will also lose their returning team status for the following season and paid league fees. B. All games that are umpired by an ASA umpire will be considered official contests. If no umpire is present but the teams elect to play, the results are not official. C. Intent to protest must be made by the team manager immediately after the questioned incident. The umpire(s) and the opposing coach or manager must be formally notified, and the intent to protest must be written in the official scorebook. D. Teams may not protest judgement calls. VI. GROUND RULES A. The 50 pitching rubber is used in this league. B. There are no restrictions of home runs. C. On the three North Creek synthetic turf fields (#1, #2 & #4) the out of play area will be designated by the actual fences that surround the field. For example, a throw to first that gets by the first baseman will be live as long as it stays within the fence. D. The only area inside of the fences that will be designated as out of play will be any concrete that extends into the turf area. A good example of this is on NC #4, where there is a 4 x4 concrete extension on the end of each dugout. Any ball that goes onto the concrete is immediately out of play. E. A ball hit over the outfield fence will be considered a home run. 8
CITY OF BOTHELL COED SOFTBALL LEAGUE RULES (cont.) GROUND RULES (cont.) F. On North Creek #3, the out of play area will remain the interior dugout fences extended. A call that goes into the trees, wetlands or parking lot on the fly is a home run. If a ball bounces or rolls into these areas it is a ground rule double. The game umpire will use their judgement to award bases. VII. PARK CONDUCT & RULES A. Physical or verbal abuse of umpires will not be tolerated. Physical abuse will result in the offending player and/or coach being suspended from the league pending a hearing. SEE PARTICIPANT CODE OF CON- DUCT (p. 9) B. An ejection will result in a player being ineligible for the remainder of the current game, as well as the next scheduled game. The offending player must be out of sight and sound of the field. C. There are NO ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES ALLOWED ON PARK PREMISES. D. Sunflower seeds, tobacco and gum and not allowed on the turf fields. Teams and players that violate this rule will be subject to fines, ejection or removal from the league as decided by the league administrator. E. Rainout information will be available after 3pm (weekdays) and 12pm (weekends) at. F. The winning team is responsible for reporting the scores to the League Administrator by email at kari.bachle@bothellwa.gov. The report must include: The night played League division Both team names The score will be recorded as a tie if the winning team does not report the score within 24 hours of the completed game. A. All game results and league standings will be available at. B. Managers/Coaches are responsible for communicating the league rules code of conduct to their players and spectators please take a copy of both with you to your games. 9
PROGRESSIVE BATTING ORDER EXAMPLE This batting order example will be for a team with 4 female players and 10 male players. Man #1 Woman #1 Man #2 Woman #2 Man #3 Woman #3 Man #4 Woman #4 Man #5 Woman #1 Man #6 Woman #2 Man #7 Woman #3 Man #8 Woman #4 Man #8 Woman #1 Man #10 Woman #2 Woman #1 could have come to the plate first and the progressive style would have been reversed. A progressive batting order allows for a coed league to keep a coed feel even when teams are short men or women for games. Teams must still have at least 4 women and 4 men to start and finish a game. Remember, when using a progressive batting order you must submit an additional lineup to the official scorer. 10
PARKS & RECREATION CODE OF CONDUCT
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PARTICIPANT CODE OF CONDUCT I. CONDITIONS 1. The Code of Conduct applies to all participants including players, coaches, managers and sponsors involved in Bothell Parks & Recreation-sponsored or co-sponsored adult leagues and tournaments. The Code will be strictly enforced. 2. The Code applies to participant conduct before, during and after all league and/or tournament games. 3. Participants will be held liable for damages caused by willful, destructive conduct. 4. It is the responsibility of each team manager to ensure that all participants know and adhere to the rules and regulartions II. ENFORCEMENT 1. The League Administrator has the power to impose penalties as prescribed within the Code. 2. The League Administrator will collect all necessary documentation. In cases where penalties are specific, the League Administrator will impose said penalty. In cases where the penalty may be imposed in degrees, a group consisting of the League Administrator and a representative of the Umpire Association will meet within 10 days to rule on the violation and impose the penalty III. VIOLATIONS & PENALTIES 1. STRIKING OR THREATENING AN UMPIRE OR PARTICIPANT No participant shall bump, shove, strike, touch in a threatening manner, or verbally threaten bodily hard towards any umpire, participant or City staff. The game umpire is required to immediately suspend said participant from further play, and notify the League Administrator. Said individual will remain suspended until the League Administrator reinstates him or her. The minimum penalty for any act or threat of violent conduct is a 30-day suspension. The maximum penalty is suspension from all Bothell Parks & Recreation sports leagues for life. A second incident involving the same participant will automatically invoke a minimum penalty of suspension for five calendar years and may result in a lifetime ban from all Bothell Parks & Recreation leagues. 2. UN-SPORTSMANLIKE CONDUCT Any verbal abuse directed at an umpire or participant, or any other objectionable behavior (including demonstrations of disagreement with an umpire s decision) shall be defined as un-sportsmanlike conduct. Un-sportsmanlike conduct will be punishable by immediate ejection from the game and suspension for the next scheduled and contested league game. The umpire is required to immediately notify the League Administrator. A subsequent ejection of the same participant shall result in said participant s suspension from all Bothell Parks & Recreation-sponsored leagues for at least one calendar year. 13
PARTICIPANT CODE OF CONDUCT (cont.) VIOLATIONS & PENALTIES (cont.) 3. DISCUSSION OF AN OFFICIAL S DECISION No participant other than the team manager or the designated team captain shall discuss, in any manner, an official s decision. Offenders will be given one warning by the umpire. Continued discussion shall be judged as un-sportsmanlike conduct and the offender will be subject to the penalties prescribed in section III-2. 4. UNNECESSARY ROUGHNESS Intentional rough tactics in the play of the game directed toward another participant shall be defined as unnecessary roughness. Unnecessary roughness shall be judged to be un -sportsmanlike conduct and will be subject to the penalties prescribed in section III-2. 5. ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES No participant shall be in possession of, or consume an alcoholic beverage or appear in an intoxicated condition in a City Park. The umpire will immediately eject said participant and notify the League Administrator. Said participant shall be suspended for the next two scheduled and contested league games. The decision to eject a participant because of intoxication will be a judgement decision and will not be challengeable. A subsequent second ejection of the same participant shall result in said participant s suspension from all Bothell Parks & Recreation-sponsored leagues for one calendar year. 6. TOBACCO Smoking is not allowed at the North Creek Sportsfields, or tobacco use of any kind including but not limited to cigarettes, cigars, pipes, and chewing tobacco. Offenders will be given one warning by the game umpire. Continued offense shall be judged as un-sportsmanlike conduct, and the offender will be subject to the penalties prescribed in section III-2. 7. EJECTION: FAILURE TO LEAVE Any participant ejected from a game by an official must immediately leave the facility or field area, out of sight and sound. Failure to do so will carry a penalty of forfeiture of the game for said participant s team, and said participant will be suspended from all Bothell Parks & Recreation-sponsored league games for one calendar year. 8. REPEATED EJECTION A player that is ejected two times due to un-sportsmanlike conduct in one season will be suspended for the remainder of the current season. Said player may or may not be allowed to play the following year, this decision will be made by the League Administrator. Offending players will cause their team to forfeit the game in which said player appeared. 14
FORFEITS FORFEITS & TIE BREAKER SYSTEM There is a 10-minute grace period for the first game of each scheduled doubleheader. Teams not ready to begin play 10-minutes after the scheduled start time will forfeit their first game. The second game of a double-header will be forfeited if a team is not ready to play 30 minutes after the scheduled start time of their first game. Teams must have at least 8 players present to start and finish a game. There will be no automatic out for teams with fewer than 10 players present. If a team has fewer than 8 players present, the game will be considered a forfeit. If a team forfeits two double-headers during the course of one season, they will automatically be dropped from the remainder of the schedule. They will also lose their returning team status for the following season and paid league fees. TIE BREAKERS The following steps will be taken in such cases where two teams are tied at the end of a softball season. This tie breaker system may be applied to decide the division winner as well as the 2nd and 3rd place teams. If after step one there is still a tie, step two will be looked at and so on, until the tie is resolved. 1. Overall record 2. Team with the fewest forfeits 3. Conference/Division Record (only applies when interdivision games are played) 4. Head-to-Head Competition (W/L) 5. Head-to-Head Runs Against (Team that gives up the fewest runs) 6. Runs scored against each team when playing common opponents (runs given up) 7. Coin flip 15
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FIELD ISSUES *** FYI *** LIGHTS: If field lights do not come on, call the following people: 1. Kari Bachle (Recreation Coordinator): (425) 471-4698 2. Scott Purdy (Park Operations Manager): (425) 471-4698 3. Tracey Perkosky (Parks & Recreation Director): (425) 471-8499 Be sure to have the following info ready Your name & team name Your field # Your game s scheduled start time POACHING: In the event that there are unscheduled users on your field at game time 1. Have the umpire walk out and give group a warning to vacate the field 2. Call 911 and let them know you are participating in a City of Bothell softball league, and your game field is being taken by a non-city group. Be sure to tell them your field #. UMPIRE ISSUES If an umpire does not show at game time, call the umpire assignor: Charles Coburn: (253) 486-2742 Be sure to have the following information ready Your softball league Your field # Your game s scheduled start time 20