DAVIESS COUNTY FASTPITCH SOFTBALL ASSOCIATION (DCFSA) GOVERNING RULES Updated 2/08

DAVIESS COUNTY FASTPITCH SOFTBALL ASSOCIATION (DCFSA) GOVERNING RULES Updated 2/08

INDEX ARTICLE I: Organizational Name Pg: 1 ARTICLE II: Purpose Pg: 1 ARTICLE III: Officers and Elections Pg: 1 ARTICLE IV: Officers Duties Pg: 1 ARTICLE V: Rules and Regulations Pg: 2 ARTICLE VI: Umpires Pg: 3 ARTICLE VII: Code of Conduct Pg: 3 ARTICLE VIII: Protest Pg: 3 ARTICLE IX: Membership Fees Pg: 3 ARTICLE X: Registration Pg: 3 ARTICLE XI: Amendments Pg: 3 ARTICLE XII: Development of Teams Pg: 3-4 APPENDIX A: Amended rules of Play APPENDIX B: 8u Machine Pitch Rules

ARTICLE I: NAME Section 1: This organization shall be known as the Daviess County Fastpitch Softball Association. ARTICLE II: Purpose Section 1: To encourage girls with such fundamentals of Fastpitch as fielding, batting, running and throwing, and staying in shape physically, mentally and morally, while maintaining and improving scholastic standing. ARTICLE III: Officers and Elections Section 1: Election of Officers shall be conducted once a year for the position of: a) President b) Vice- Presidents (10 & Under, 13 & Under) Section 2: All existing board members and playground representatives are eligible voters. ARTICLE IV: Officers Duties Section 1: Section 2: The President shall preside at all meetings. He or she shall perform all duties required to enforce the provision of the governing rules, general rules and regulations of the DCFSA. He or she shall appoint all committees. The Vice-Presidents shall assist the President in all capacities. They shall preside at all meetings in the absence of the President. ARTICLE V: Rules and Regulations Section 1: a) All participants shall live in Daviess County. Participants that live outside Daviess County shall be approved by the DCFSA Board before being allowed to join any team. If a player from another county has the opportunity to play fast pitch in their county of residence they will not be allowed to participate in Daviess County.

c) Participants that reside inside the city limits All players that reside inside the city limits of Owensboro may elect to sign-up at any playground in the county. d) Once they have chosen a playground they will be required to stay at that playground for the duration of their participation in DCFPA. e) If a player request a transfer from her original playground it shall be done in writing and sent to the DCFPA board. The DCFPA board will then contact the players original playground informing them of the request. The playground board and the DCFPA board will have to vote for approval of the transfer request. If one of the boards denies the request then the player will not be allowed to transfer. Section 2: Section 3: Section 4: Section 5: Section 6: Section 7: Section 8: Eligibility of 10 & under division girls To participate in the 10 & under division, a girl must experience her 8 th birthday by January 1 st and cannot experience her 11 th birthday prior to January 1 st. Eligibility of 13 & under division girls To participate in the 13 & under division, a girl must experience her 10 th birthday by January 1 st and cannot experience her 14 th birthday prior to January 1 st. Moving up The board, in its discretion, upon written request from a girl s parent or legal guardian, may decide to make a younger girl eligible for the older age group. This will be decided on a case-by-case basis and the decision of the Board is final. Further, if approval is given by the board for a girl to move up and play in an older age group, the girl cannot subsequently decide to revert back to play in the younger age group. A team can play with (8) players with the ninth position being an out. Team Rosters a) The Rosters of all qualified girls, coaches and managers must be turned in no later than prior to the first regular season game. b) The roster shall include the names, ages, birth date, addresses, school year and school attended of each player. Roster Changes Any Roster changes after 1 st game shall be made only through Board approval. Playing Rules All games will be played under ASA rules (Fastpitch). There are exceptions for both age groups. These exceptions will be update annually and are found in Appendix A.

Section 9: Section 10: Time Limit After 4 complete innings have been played, should a team have a 12 run lead over the other team, then that team will be declared the winner and the game is over. Also, no new inning shall commence after 1 hour and 30 minutes or 7 complete innings. The team ahead shall be declared the winner. Equipment Mandatory for the girl catchers to wear helmet, mask, throat protector, shin guards and chest protector. All batting helmets must be equipment with facemask. Metal Cleats will not be allowed. ASA bat list will apply. Section 11: Game Scheduling a) Game scheduling will be done by the Board of Directors and/or Daviess County Parks Department. b) Teams unable to play a scheduled game must notify the opposing coach 24 hours before game time or the game will be recorded as a forfeit (unless the opposing coach waves this in order to reschedule). This does not apply to unstable weather. Section 12: Section 13: ARTICLE VI: ARTICLE VII: Regular season Champion a) When there is a tie for league standing, the league winner will be determined by the winner of the regular season game for awarding league trophies. If the teams never meet during the regular season, there will be a one game playoff, date determined by the league President. Tournament a) Player Eligibility All girls participating in the tournament must have played in at least 60 % (1 game more than half) of the regular scheduled games prior to tournament. b) The tournament will be seeded by blind draw. c) Fees will be assessed by the host playground. Umpires Umpires will be assigned by representative of the age Divisions. Code of conduct

Section 1: A player or coach who physically attacks or spits on an umpire, another player or another coach during or after a game shall be suspended for the remainder of the season. Section 2: Any player or coach who verbally insults or curses an umpire after or during a game shall be suspended in the discretion of the Board, depending upon the circumstances. Such events shall be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. ARTICLE VII: ARTICLE VIII: ARTICLE IX: ARTICLE X: Protest Protest on player eligibility may be filled out at any time. Filing must be formal and in writing. Membership Fees There will be a $ 50.00 Dollar membership fee for each team too the DCFSA. Registration Players must register in the elementary school district in which they reside. Amendments Amendments and repeal of governing rules of DCFSA shall be presented and acted upon at any regular or called meeting. ARTICLE XI: Development of Teams a) Teams will be made up from each playground. In the event that a playground does not have enough players to form a team, they will be combined with another playground. These teams will be combined by geographic proximity. These combinations will be decided upon by the DCFSA Board. If a player or coach chooses not to participate at the location decided upon by the Board, then they will not be allowed to participate in the league. b) The order of the draft will be determined by the team with the least number of returning players. In the case of a newly formed team, that team will be considered to have the least number of players and will receive the first draft pick. c) Each team will receive one draft chose on the first and second rounds of the draft. d) Commencing with the third round, the team with or teams with the least number of players will draft until they become even with the number of players on the team with the most players. When all the

teams are equal in number of players, draft choices will alternate from team to team until each team reaches maximum roster size. e) Head coaches and one assistant coaches daughters will be counted as returning players and will not be used as a draft pick. f) These rules shall apply to all playgrounds with two or more teams. g) All returning players must stay on their previous years team.

Appendix A Amended Rules of Play 13 & Under Division Amendment I: There will be a (5) run per inning limit. Amendment II: Minimum playtime for each player on all teams shall consist of (3) consecutive defensive outs and at least (1) offensive at-bat. Amendment III: Offensive players must slide into home plate if a play is being made. (This rule is subject to the umpire s discretion.) Amendment IV: 12.47 core /375lb softballs will be used for 12 & under players only 10 & Under Division Amendment I: There will be a (5) run per inning limit. Amendment II: Minimum playtime for each player on all teams shall consist of (3) consecutive defensive outs and a least (1) offensive at-bat. Amendment III: Offensive players must slide into home plate if a play is being made. (This rule is subject to the umpire s discretion.) Amendment IV: 11.44 core /375lb softballs will be used for 10 & under players only. Amendment V: Base stealing will be allowed. Only one stolen base, per offensive player, will be allowed per play. Under no circumstance will an offensive player be allowed to steal home. (For simplification of this rule; stolen bases and passed balls will be considered one in the same.) Amendment VI: 3 rd strike-dropped ball rule is NOT in effect for this division.

Appendix B DAVIESS COUNTY FASTPITCH SOFTBALL ASSOCIATION (DCFSA) 8 & Under Rules 1. Each team should field ten (10) players. A game may not be started with less than nine (9) players. Every player bats in rotation. Four (4) defensive players in outfield. 2. An inning will consist of three (3) outs or five (5) runs. 3. Every player must play in each game a minimum of six (6) consecutive outs and players will bat round robin rotation. 4. Pitching machine speeds will be set at 35 M.P.H. One (1) alignment of machine per team per inning. Release point of ball from machine will be set above pitching rubber ( 40 ft ). 11.44 core /375lb softballs. Only adult coach will operate pitching machine. a. If the batted ball hits the pitching machine or coach, the ball is dead. Award one base to the batter runner. All forced base runners will advance one base. b. Pitching coach must make every reasonable effort to avoid interfering with the play once the batter hits the ball. Coach must stay behind the pitching machine. Interference may be called if, in umpire s judgment, the coach fails to make this effort. If interference is called batter runner is out and runners return to previous bases. c. Pitching coach may instruct the batter. Pitching coach may not instruct base-runners (responsibility of base coaches.) The umpire will first issue a warning, and thereafter disqualify the coach. d. Pitching coach may not shout instructions to defensive players. In this event the umpire will disqualify the coach. e. A six (6) foot radius half circle starting from the pitching rubber and proceeding back behind the pitching rubber will be drawn with chalk. Pitchplayer must be behind or to the side of the pitching machine with at least one (1) foot in the half circle, until ball has reached the plate. f. Non-digital readout pitching machines will need to be calibrated. 5. Bunting is not allowed. If in the opinion of the umpire a child did attempt to bunt, the child is called out regardless of the count on the batter. 6. Plate umpires call strikes on foul balls and missing swings only. No called strikes or walks are allowed. Players may strike out.

7. A limit of six (6) pitches will be delivered to the batter. If on the 6 th pitch the batter fouls the ball, the batter will continue hitting until the batter fails to make contact with the pitch or hits a fair ball. A caught foul tip on 6 th pitch is out. 8. Catchers must wear full gear to include long or short model chest protectors. All catchers must wear a mask with throat protector and a catcher s helmet. 9. Runners may advance only after batter hits a playable ball. No stealing. 10. Only umpire will call time. Defense may appeal for time when defense stops the advance of lead runner. a. Home team furnishes plate umpire. The plate umpire calls third and homeplate, keeps track of strikes. Visiting team furnishes field umpire (calls 1 st base and 2 nd base.) 11. Two (2) Adult coaches for both offense and defense not including pitching coach. 12. No infield fly rule. 13. Home team will furnish three (3) balls in good condition for game. Both head coaches must approve balls. 14. Pitching machine coach will use three (3) balls. Plate umpire will assist in returning balls to pitching coach. 15. Four (4) innings makes a complete game. No new inning may be started after 1 hour 15 minutes. Inning is completed immediately after the third out at the bottom of the inning. Ten (10) run rule is in effect after 4 th inning. 16. Opposing team playbook should be signed by both coaches at end of game.