LAWRENCE PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT Men s, Women s and Coed Softball League Constitution and By-Laws Updated 1/19/2016 I. OBJECTIVE: A. To provide an opportunity for men and women to play organized softball stressing fair play and sportsmanship. II. III. IV. MANAGEMENT AND AUTHORITY: A. The general management of this league shall be vested with the Adult Sports Supervisor and final authority with the Lawrence Parks and Recreation Department. SPORTS SUPERVISOR AND BOARD OF GOVERNORS: A. The League Supervisor shall be appointed by the Lawrence Parks and Recreation Department. B. The Board of Governors, Three (3) in number, will be appointed by the Adult Sports Supervisor to serve for the playing season as needed. C. The Board of Governors shall handle all protests that the Adult Sports Supervisor feels should be brought to their attention. RULES OF PLAY: A. Official guide of play for City League is the current A.S.A. Softball Rule book, unless superseded by the following City League Softball Rules: V. TEAM ROSTERS & ELIGIBILITY: A. Rosters must be signed by the players and turned into Lawrence Parks and Recreation by the first game prior to a team participating in the City League Softball program. B. A team shall consist of an unlimited number of players. All players must sign roster, and be on the roster before participating in a game, or game can result in a forfeit. C. A player may only sign a roster to play on one team per league. Exception: A player may participate in a women s or men s league and also in a coed league. D. If a player has not signed the roster the game can be protested. Any protested game played with the use of an ineligible player, will result in a forfeit. The offending player(s) and team will be put on probation for one year. Any reoccurrences within that period will result in a team and/or players being suspended with no refund. E. A player may be released and switch teams ONE TIME during the season F. New players (those who have not signed a City League roster) may be added to a team at any time during the Softball season. VI. PLAYER CONDUCT A. The City Softball leagues are designed solely for the recreational values derived by the players, managers, coaches and spectators from the sport of softball. Players will conduct themselves at all times according to the rules of the game. B. Any person(s) ejected from the game shall leave the facility and / or Park immediately. Failure to do so will warrant a forfeiture of the game by the umpire. The coach or manager shall be responsible for actions by his / her players and spectators and for informing them of all rules. Badgering or taunting the opponents, officials or spectators is prohibited. C. Unsportsmanlike conduct: A player who is ejected from the game for unsportsmanlike conduct will be penalized as follows:
1. The first ejection, must miss remainder of the game and leave the park grounds IMMEDIATELY. Player who is ejected may not stay in dugout, bleacher or parking lot area. a. Exception: If the misconduct ejection occurs after the game is completed, the player will be suspended for the next scheduled game. 2. The second ejection, automatic two week suspension. **So stated to mean the next (2) two scheduled league weeks 3. The third ejection automatically disqualifies the player from further competition for a minimum of one year from the time of the incident. D. Striking an official before, during or after a game will result in an indefinite exclusion from Parks and Recreation programs. E. Any player or representative of a team that verbally or physically harasses an official or opposing team players before, during, or after a game will receive a minimum of (1) one year probation and player s team same degree of penalty. F. Any player or players who strike another player (including a player who strikes back after being struck) will be penalized by the Adult Sports Supervisors and Governors discretion as the case may warrant. G. A player has a right to appeal the decision to the Board of Governors. The Board of Governors in turn will review the case. H. The Parks and Recreation Department reserves the right to disqualify any player, coach or team who does not follow the rules of the league. VII. VIII. IX. PLACEMENT OF SOFTBALL TEAMS: A. A team is considered to be the same team that participated in the previous year if at least five (5) members are on the current team roster. B. Teams in any league finishing in first place may be required to move up to the next league. Other teams may be moved up as well when grouping to form the correct competitive leagues. C. Teams which finish the season with at least a.500 record may not be allowed to drop down a league or division which the team participated in during the previous year. Please place your team in the division that your team will be most competitive. LEAGUE AWARDS A. *NEW 2016* Team t-shirts will be awarded to the tournament champion in each division. Tournament seeds will be determined by win / loss records. If two or more teams have the same record at the end of the season, the tie will be broken in the following manner: 1. Head-to-head win / loss record (winning percentage). 2. If teams split head-to-head meetings, the total score differential in the games involving the tied teams will be used to break the tie. 3. If there is still a tie, total runs given up will decide the higher seed 4. If there is still a tie, the placement will be decided by a coin toss at the league office. 5. Should three (3) or more teams be tied for a place finish, the tie will be broken by computing the win / loss record (winning percentage) in head-to-head competition with the other tied teams. Should the win / loss percentages show that the teams are still tied, then the methods mentioned above (B, C or D) will be used to break the tie(s). UNIFORMS & TEAM REGULATIONS: A. All players who play in a game MUST have a shirt or jersey B. Each team will be required to keep the official score book while at bat. The score book will change dugouts every ½ inning. Any team or player of the team that knowingly manipulates the score, batting orders, etc., will be the cause of that team being banned from the league for the remainder of the playing season.
C. City codes mandate that alcoholic beverages not be brought into any sports complex. D. Any player caught drinking in any sports complex, dugout, ball diamond will be warned and told to remove all alcoholic beverages from the premises immediately. If player(s) does not comply they will be told to leave the facility for the remainder of the day. If the player continues to not cooperate police will be called to remove player. X. POSTPONEMENTS: A. Rainout Information: Information is available by calling 371-4980, or by visiting our web site at http://www.lawrenceks.org/lprd and clicking on the RainoutLine.com logo. Field condition information is not available until after 4:30 P.M. during the week and 11:00 A.M. on weekends. Umpires have been instructed to make field condition decisions if inclement weather occurs after 4:30 P.M. Umpires will then contact the Sports Office and notify as soon as possible and our office will make information available. B. The reschedule information is made available after 1:00pm the next day following any cancellation and on Monday for Friday and weekend games. Reschedule information will be added to the bottom of your online schedule. The Sports Office will make every attempt to keep rescheduled games on the same nights of the week that the various leagues and divisions normally play. However, the number of teams involved and the space available dictates to us our ability to do so. Therefore, rescheduled games may fall on any night of the week. Rescheduled games will be not rearranged or rescheduled to meet an individual s particular need. Teams that cannot make scheduled game time will be required to forfeit the game(s). C. Forfeited games rained out will NOT be rescheduled. XI. XII. STARTING TIME AND FORFEITURES: A. A team must have at least 8 players in the score book or on the field to start and continue game. 1. 8 player rule: If a 10 person team has an injury they may continue to play with 9 players and the injured player will be removed from batting order. This rule applies until the minimum number of players in reached (8). After that a team will not be able to play and will forfeit. B. Game time is starting time: Monday-Friday: 6:15 PM, 7:15 PM, 8:15 PM and 9:15 PM. Sunday: 1:00 PM-10:00 PM 1. Exception: If a team does not have 8 players, the opposing team s manager can give them a 10 minute grace period. Only 60 minutes will be allotted to complete the game (10 minute grace period included) C. Officials will use their watch or time piece as the games official timing device. D. Teams who use the (EH) or Extra Hitter will be allowed to continue a game with as few as (8) players. E. As additional players arrive teams can add to batting order up to (11) or coed (12) with no penalty. F. Forfeit Fee: If a team forfeits more than 3 games, the team will be subject to suspension from any further league competition with NO REFUND. If teams are not able to play, we encourage them to contact the Adult Sports Office by no later than noon on the day of the game or noon on Friday for weekend games so that the opposing team s manager can be contacted. If a team forfeits any games without contacting the Adult Sports office within the time mentioned above, that team will not be eligible for league championship awards. The Adult Sports office will not reschedule any games other than those cancelled by the league office. LENGTH OF GAME A. Official starting time will be designated by the plate umpire. Starting time is to be placed on the score book by the umpire. B. League Games A game shall consist of seven (7) innings or a (60) minute time limit and no new inning shall start after time limit. Five (5) innings, or 4 ½ if home team is ahead shall constitute an official game. If game is postponed before it becomes official, game will be rescheduled and will start over.
C. In the event of a tie at the end of regulation play and/or time limit the tie will be broken based on the International Tiebreaker Rule. Starting with the top of the eighth inning, and each half inning thereafter, the offensive team shall begin its turn at bat with the player who is scheduled to bat last in that respective half inning being placed on second base (e.g., if the number five batter is the lead off/scheduled batter, the number four batter in the batting order will be placed on second base as a runner. A substitute may be inserted for the runner using the normal substitution rule). This is not sudden death and both teams are allowed to bat. The batter will come to the plate with a 3-2 count and will NOT have a courtesy foul ball. D. Maximum Run Rule and Flip/Flop Rule All Leagues: In the inning when the run rule for that particular league is exceeded and the home team is losing, the home team will remain at bat and become the visiting team. If the team (new visiting team) does not score enough runs to reduce the run difference below the run rule, the game is over. If they reduce the run difference to below the run rule then the new home team will bat. If they subsequently score enough runs to exceed the run rule, the game will be over; if they do not, the game will continue under that format. If the situation reverses, the teams would flip/flop again. Note: The following table shows the run rule and when the flip/flop rule takes effect. Run Rule and when to Flip/Flop: All Leagues: 15 after 3 After 2 nd inning 10 after 5 After 4 th inning XIII. XIV. PROTESTS A. The only legal protest is one which involves an interpretation of playing rules or a team s use of an ineligible player to participate in a game who is not on the team roster. B. A protest based on an official s judgment is not valid and officials shall not accept protests of this nature, nor shall our office. C. The protesting manager shall immediately notify the officials that he or she is protesting. This must be done before the next pitch is made to the batter. Exception: player eligibility, must notify official before completion of game.) D. A protest form is available at the Sports Office (115 West 11 th Street). This shall be filled out and returned to the Sports Supervisor within forty-eight (48) hours of the protested incident. Accompanied with the protest must be a $25.00 security fee. If the protest is upheld, the security fee will be returned and the game replayed from the point of protest. If the protest is not upheld, the fee will be forfeited to league funds. (A team must have been represented at the league rules meeting in order to protest a game). Team using an ineligible player will automatically forfeit the game in which the ineligible player participated. ADDITIONAL GAME RULES AND SPECIAL RULES FOR SLOW PITCH: A. Tennis shoes or rubber cleated softball shoes must be worn; no metal spikes by any player will be allowed. B. The official bat must bear an ASA or USSSA certified stamp on it. C. Pitching distance will be 50 feet and base paths are 70 feet for all leagues. D. A pitchers ball can have a 6-foot minimum arc and no more than a 10-foot arc from the ground. E. Each batter will begin with a 1 ball and 1 strike count. A courtesy foul ball will be given to the batter after two strikes. F. No defensive player may play in front of the pitcher until the ball is struck by the batter. G. The official LPRD league ball for the men s league must be a 12 inch core 52/300 compression with an A.S.A. certification stamp or a core 40/325 compression with a USSSA certification stamp on the ball. The official LPRD league ball for the women s league must be an 11 inch core 44/375 compression with
an A.S.A. certification stamp or a core 44/400 compression with a USSSA certification stamp on the ball. Men must use a 12 inch ball and women must use an 11 inch ball. In Coed leagues men will hit 12 inch ball, women will hit at 11 inch ball when batting. H. Each team will hit their own ball. Home team is designated by the first team listed for each game on the schedule. *NEW 2016* Exception: During the post season tournament the home team is designated by the higher seed. I. EXTRA HITTER (EH): The EH can be used for the entire game. The EH may rotate into and out of a defensive fielding position during the game. The original EH may also re-enter the game under the standard re-entry rule. J. PLAY: During the ball game, the ball must be returned to the pitcher, it may not be thrown around the field after each out. K. *NEW 2016* All leagues are structured with over-the-fence Home Run limits per team which are as follows: (All home runs hit excess of these limits, batter is ruled out.) Upper Three homeruns are allowed plus 1 up Lower One homerun is allowed plus 1 up L. NOTE: The one-up home run rule is in effect, once both teams have reached their respective home run limits, either team may hit an additional home run; however, no team may ever go more than one home run up on the other team. Any additional home runs above the (1 up) will be scored as an out. The home team cannot go 1-up after the 6 th inning or after time limit has been reached M. All player substitution rules are in accordance to the ASA rules. The use of a courtesy runner is not allowed in the LPRD adult slow pitch leagues. XV. SPECIAL RULES FOR COED PLAY: A. Team on the field must consist of equal men and women for 8, 10, and 12 players. B. If a team has 9 players (4 women 5 men or 5 women 4 men), the vacant spot in the alternating batting order will be an automatic out. If a team starts a game with 9 players but finishes with 8 players, the automatic out will be removed and team will be able to finish with 8 (four men & four women) and the lineup will not maintain the male/female alternating batting order. If a Coed team begins with 12 players (male & female EH) but finishes with 11, the vacant spot will become an automatic out or the corresponding player in the batting order can be removed to maintain the male/female alternating batting order and finish with 10 players and no automatic out. An inning or the game can end with an automatic out. C. Men and women must alternate in the batting order. D. Any walk to a male batter (intentional or not) will result in a two base award. The next batter, a female will bat. Exception: With two outs the female batter has the option to walk or bat. E. In Coed, teams may only have 6 players (including pitcher and catcher) play in front of the 200 ft line prior to the ball being hit. F. Penalty for violating this rule is as follows: Batter may elect to allow play to stand or batter may elect to replay the pitch. G. COED Lower League Rule: An inning will be ended by three (3) outs or when 5 runs have been reached by one team in a half inning through the first four (4) innings. Once a team scores 5 runs the half inning will be complete regardless of outs. After the 4 th inning is complete either team will be able to score as many runs possible. H. Women s Lower League Rule: An inning will be ended by three (3) outs or when 5 runs have been reached by one team in a half inning through the first four (4) innings. Once a team scores 5 runs the half inning will be complete regardless of outs. After the 4 th inning is complete either team will be able to score as many runs possible.