Adult Softball Fall Season 2015 The Douglasville Parks and Recreation Department will make any and all decisions deemed necessary for the benefit of the league. This league is designed for fun, recreation, safety, and skill. We reserve the right to deny participation to anyone or any team who detracts from this program. All games will be played by USSSA and Parks and Recreation Department rules. Entry fee is $395 per team for a 10 game season & single elimination tournament. Registration fee is payable to the City of Douglasville. The entry fee includes the USSSA registration fee. Men s Open will be played on Mondays. Make-up games are subject to be scheduled on any day, including Saturday and Sunday. Games will begin as early as 6:30pm and as late as 9:30pm. Men teams will use an USSSA approved 12 Classic M ball and Women will use an USSSA approved 11" Classic W ball. All balls must be Optic Yellow. Days of the week that each league plays on could change depending on participation totals, and available game dates & times. Block out dates will not be accepted. However, game time requests will be accepted and honored to the best of our ability. Each team will play in various time slots, 630 included. The Douglasville Parks & Recreation Department will not enter any team in a district or state GRPA tournament without first being paid the entry fee for both tournaments. Practices Field reservations will be handled on a first come first serve weekly basis beginning at 8:00am every Monday morning. If field lights are needed a fee of $20.00 per hour will be charged. This must be paid before the lights will be turned on. At a maximum each team can only schedule one practice during the week and one practice during the weekend. At a maximum practices will be limited to 1 ½ hours during the week and during the weekend. Please refer to www.douglasvillega.gov for information such as schedules, standings, league rules, scores and rain out information. In case of rain, check with the recreation department between the hour of 4pm and 5pm. Call 678-449-3150 for information on field conditions. Remember, games can be postponed because of wet grounds. It may stop raining at noon, but the fields may not be in playable condition. Damage to both fields and players could occur. Teams will not be allowed on fields on nights that games are postponed.
Rainouts and make up games will now be posted on the information line. Please call 678-449-3072 to find out your rescheduled game date and time. Make up games will also be posted on the web site. There will be a (1) hour-minute time limit on all games or 7 innings, unless tied. The official scorekeeper will keep time. Run Rules: There will be a 20 run mercy rule after the 3rd inning, 15 runs after the 4th, and 10 runs after the 5th. Both teams must have equal at bats for this to apply. Flip/Flop rule will be used for all leagues In the inning when the Run Rule for that particular program is exceeded (after the second inning) and the home team is losing, the home team will remain at bat and become the visiting team. If the 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. The umpires will decide whether or not to play if rain should occur before or during the game. In the event of a rain-out, it is the responsibility of the coach/manager to call the information line at 678-449-3150 or check the web site to find out about the make-up date. www.ci.douglasville.ga.us 1. Equipment The Douglasville Parks and Recreation Department will refer to the 2015 USSSA Rule Book & web site Regarding the use of legal and illegal bats/balls in softball games. The DPRD reserves the right to change or alter this, and/or any rule for the benefit of the league at any time during the season. Metal/steel spikes and metal / steel cleats are not allowed. Any player caught using an illegal or altered bat will be suspended for (2) years from DPRD and the infraction will be reported to USSSA. 2. Uniform Requirements- Each shirt is required to have a factory number printed on the back. 6 inch minimum number, Tape or altered numbers are NOT accepted. 3. There will be a ten (10) minute grace period for the first game only. The 10 minute grace period is part of the (1) hour time limit. The game clock will begin when the umpire instructs the scorekeeper to do so. There will be no grace period for all other games. No grace period if each team has the required number of players to begin (8). Teams who have eight players to start the game will automatically be the visiting team. The official start time will be announced by the home plate umpire and documented in the score book
4. There will be a (60) minute time limit on all games or 7 innings, unless tied. The official scorekeeper will keep time. No new inning will begin after 55 minutes of play. In the event of a tie: After the (60) minute time limit is completed and the current inning is complete. The game will continue one pitch style rules with a base runner on second base. The base runner shall be the last batter in the previous inning. Scorecards are to be turned in to score keeper with first name, last name and players number before or at your scheduled game time. Failure to do so will result in forfeiture of 2 outs in your first at bat with the third batter on the lineup up as the initial batter. 5. Any player or coach caught throwing a bat will be removed from the game by the umpires and suspended for the remainder of the game. All umpires and the recreation department will strictly enforce this rule 6. If two or more teams end the season with identical records, three tie breakers will be used: A. Head to head records (ex. 2 games to 1) B. In case of a split, the team with the greatest margin of victory will win the division (ex. 9-6 and 5-1, the team who won by 4 runs are the divisional champions). C. The greatest margin of run differential, Runs scored vs Runs allowed 7. Any team desiring to protest an alleged infraction must notify the home plate umpire at the time of the alleged infraction. The umpire will then notify the official scorekeeper of the team s desire to protest. The official scorekeeper will make a notation in the scorebook regarding the protest. If a team does not notify the umpire of an alleged infraction before the next pitch. In the case of alleged Infraction players notify the umpire before the game is complete, the right to protest the game is forfeited. Also, all protests must be submitted in writing no later than the following business day by 5pm of the game in question and accompanied by $50.00 cash. If the protest is upheld, the fee will be returned. If the protest is denied, the fee will be forfeited. Judgment calls by the umpires cannot be protested, only interpretations of the rules can be protested. 8. Protests of alleged illegal players. The team protesting must submit to the home plate umpire $50.00 cash at the time of the protest. The alleged illegal player(s) must immediately produce to the umpire acceptable government issued picture identification. If ID is not produced immediately, the player(s) is declared illegal. If the name on the ID does not match the name in the official scorebook and the picture ID match the player(s) in question, the player(s) is declared illegal. If the game is in progress it will be stopped and declared a forfeit in favor of the
protesting team. If the game has not begun the player will not be allowed to play and the team may insert a substitute if one is available. If the protest is in regards to a particular person being listed on the official roster, the recreation department the following business day will decide the matter and the game will proceed. All protests must meet the requirements in the preceding paragraph. (Acceptable Identification is listed under Article III Official Rosters and Acceptable Birth Records in the 2011 GRPA Athletic Manual) Any player caught on multiple teams in the same league will be ejected from the current game and serve an additional 2 game suspension from his/her official team. (on official roster) 9. A team that cannot conduct itself properly will be dropped from further league competition. NO REFUNDS, for any reason, will be made to a team once the registration deadline has passed. 10. Any player or coach ejected from a game will be suspended for one (1) game. The suspension will take place for the player s or coach s next game following the ejection. If a team is scheduled for a double header that day that player must sit out the second game that day. If a player or coach is ejected for a second time during the season, the player or coach will be suspended for the remainder of the season and be placed on probation for one year when allowed to return. Any player, coach or team involved in a fight will be ejected from the game and dismissed from the league immediately. Any player using profanity will be ejected from the game. The Parks and Recreation Department will suspend anyone or any team dismissed from the league for no less than one year upon review. If ejected, the player or coach will immediately leave the area of the playing field. 11. ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES WILL NOT BE ALLOWED ANYWHERE ON PARK GROUNDS! Anyone caught will leave the Park and will not play the rest of the day. If anyone is caught one time they will be suspended for the remainder of the season and be placed on probation for one year when allowed to return. Anyone or any team dismissed from the league will be suspended for no less than one year upon review by the Parks and Recreation Department. 12. Tobacco use of any kind on the field or in the dugouts by players, coaches or umpires is prohibited. As of July 1, 2005 smoking is not allowed on Park property. 13. A player may resign and transfer to another team one time per season Provided: A. The player obtains a written statement from the manager of The first team. If demanded, the manager must sign a release. Deadline for transfer is before the fourth week of the season. B. The release must be signed by the releasing manager and Player. This release must be brought to the recreation department before the player is eligible to play with another team.
Transaction must be completed before the 5 th scheduled game. 14. Twenty (20) player roster limit. Players must be legal age prior to competition. Church 16, Co-ed church 16, Open & Recreation 18 Must be 18 to be eligible for GRPA tournament competition. Any team caught using a player not on their roster will be suspended from further league play immediately. Roster changes can be made through the recreation department up until the third scheduled game. To be eligible to play in the church league, the player must be a minister-approved member and/or a minister-approved regular attendee of the sponsoring church. 15. Each team must call in the result of their games to the Athletic Director the morning following the game between 8am and 9am if an official scorekeeper is not present at the game. 16. Two forfeits in a row or three total forfeits will result in dismissal from further league play. NO REFUNDS! If a team that meets their limit of forfeits can still field a team for the remainder of the season, they will remain on the schedule. 17. A protective net will be placed in front of the pitcher. If a batted ball hits the net the batter will be out and no runners should advance. 18. One leg of the protective net must be touching the pitching rubber 19. A ball thrown into the net on a defensive play or batted ball that touches a player prior to touching the net will be considered a live ball. A thrown ball that hits the net will be considered a live ball. The only time a ball hitting the net is dead is when a batter hits the net prior to being touched by a defensive player. 20. All batters will begin their at bat with a 1-1 count 21. Homerun Rule Each Team will be allowed five (5) over the fence homeruns per game. (Rec A) & Rec B will have a three (3) home run limit. Each additional homerun will be recorded as an out. 22. Stealing will not be allowed in any division during the 2015 Fall Season. 23. Courtesy Runner Courtesy runners can be used for any player. 24. There will be only one courtesy runner once per inning per sex. The courtesy runner shall be a sub, if there is no substitute; the last out will be the courtesy runner. (same sex)
25. The score keeper will be responsible for notating any vacant spots in the lineup. 26. Players: A minimum of Eight (8) players can start a game. However, an out shall be declared when the 9th & 10th position in the lineup is scheduled to bat. The ninth player can be added at any point of the game in the ninth position. If the position is vacant it will be recorded as an out. Once the 10 th player has been recorded as an out,(no show) that position will be eliminated and the team will play with a max of nine players. 27. SHORT HANDED RULE CO-ED A minimum of Eight (8) players can start a game. An out shall be declared in the 9 th & 10th position of the lineup when that position is scheduled to bat. A 9th player can be added in the 9th position of the lineup at any time before the end of the game. You may begin a game with 4 males and 4 females. Males cannot out number females. 28. You cannot substitute for the opposite sex. 29. Teams starting with 12 players may drop down to 11 or 10 players but cannot have more males than females in the lineup. All vacant spots in the lineup will be recorded as an out. 30. No warm-up pitches or infield balls after the first inning. 31. Co-ed leagues: when a female is up to bat all infielders must remain in the dirt until the ball is batted and all outfielders must remain behind the 200 foot co-ed line until the ball is batted. 32. Males and females can play any position. Pitcher and catcher MUST be opposite sex. 33. When a male batter is awarded a walk, the batter will be awarded 2nd base with the female having the option to take first base or hit. The number of outs does not affect the rule. 34. Loud music and portable speakers will not be allowed. 35. All rosters will be submitted prior to the start of your first scheduled game. Team Rosters will be present at all games to verify legal players There is a max of 3 competitive players on a Rec A Roster There is a max of 2 competitive players on a Rec B Roster Only females can play on both Rec A & B Rosters, no males