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1.
These bylaws were approved by
consensus on March 27, 2010.
2.
The Lehigh Valley Coed Softball
League will play softball in accordance with the Official Rules of Softball of
the Amateur Softball Association of America (ASA, www.asasoftball.com). Each team captain
will be provided a copy of the rule book for the current year and is
responsible for having them available at every game. The captains must resolve
problems or questions arising during a game immediately. This is a no protest
league. League bylaws override any conflicting ASA rules.
3.
It is important to note that we
strictly follow rules affecting game play, but do not necessarily follow
non-playing rules, e.g. uniform requirements.
4.
This is a recreational league
whose purpose is to have fun. Fighting and arguing calls will not be
tolerated. Any other actions detracting from this purpose will not be
tolerated either.
5.
Any team not following League
bylaws and ASA rules can be subject to ejection from the league. If a
complaint is received about a team, the team will receive a warning. Any team,
which consistently does not follow the rules, will be ejected from the league.
A team can be ejected from the league by a majority vote of all other team
captains.
6.
The league website, www.lvcoedsoftball.com, is the
official reference for all documents. Email is the official means of
communication from the league to each team.
7.
Both captains are responsible for
reporting game results, including the score and number of half innings played, by
email, web, text message or phone within 24 hours, to the captain selected at
the captains’ meeting.
8.
Similarly, the home team captain
must report cancellations and postponements. The league will reschedule all cancellations
and postponements. In extreme cases it may not be possible to reschedule all
makeup games. It is also possible makeup games may be rescheduled at a
different field.
9.
Fields which do not have a game
scheduled may be used by the league for makeup games.
10.
All teams must pay their
registration fee at the annual captains’ meeting; the amount is determined
annually prior to the meeting. The non-refundable registration fees are used
to purchase trophies, tournament and playoff game balls and fields, playoff umpires,
website hosting, etc. Teams not paid in full at (or prior to) the meeting will
lose their place in the league.
11.
Please make check payable to
either the captain selected at the captains’ meeting or to Lehigh Valley Coed
Softball.
12.
Teams must acquire the use of a
home field for at least one night per week during the season, preferably
Tuesday or Thursdays. Games will not be scheduled for other days of the week unless
necessary. First-year teams may exercise a “bye” year in lieu of a field, but
will reimburse the league accordingly.
13.
Home team supplies bases, foul
line markers, home plate mat, home plate if necessary, pitching rubber, and
coed outfield line markers. Home team must also provide the game ball, which
must be a new, restricted-flight, DUDLEY SB12LRF .44 COR
375 compression softball (white leather, red stitch, cork center.) For
home teams that do not have their own field, the team “owning” the field will
supply the equipment, if necessary, but not the game ball. It is the home
team’s responsibility to repair major damage to a field prior to game time, but
both teams shall share general field prep equally. NOTE: For 2011, we
will be using the same ball but in Yellow.
14.
The league will supply game balls
for playoff games and the entire tournament.
15.
Team members must be at least 18
years of age. No one under 18 may play at any time.
16.
Teams will submit a roster by a
predetermined date. Roster will include first and last names as well as any
nickname used in a scorebook.
17.
Players MUST read and understand
the league bylaws prior to the start of the season.
18.
Players are responsible for acquiring
their own insurance coverage.
19.
To be eligible for playoffs,
tiebreakers, or league tournament, a team cannot forfeit more than 3 games in
the regular season. A team that forfeits more than 3 regular season games will
finish in last place regardless of its record and will not be entitled to a
refund of any kind.
20.
To be eligible for the playoffs
or league tournament, a player must appear on the team roster, and must have
batted in one-third of all scheduled regular season games, rounded down to the
nearest whole number. Post-season games, including tiebreaker games, do not
count. Exceptions to this eligibility rule can be made for hardship reasons
with approval of the commissioner and 3 other team captains. Challenges to
player eligibility require proof of identity and a scorebook which clearly
shows a sufficient number of games played. The burden of proof is on the
player/team being questioned. Other team captains may be consulted if
necessary, and their input may be considered in making a final decision.
21.
Players from one team may not
play for another team, except in the case where a team is short players and
both captain’s agree.
22.
Metal spikes are prohibited. If
you wear metal spikes during the game, you will be immediately ejected and
cannot play for the remainder of the game. Captains must report offenses to
the league immediately. Subsequent offenses by a single player in a season
will result in the team’s forfeiture of affected games.
23.
The only bats which may be used
are those with an ASA certification dated 2000 or 2004, and are not on the ASA Illegal
Bats list. All unmodified, solid wood bats are allowed. Bats that are not
marked or cannot be verified to comply may only be used at the discretion of
the opposing coach.
24.
Bases must be fastened securely
with equipment in reasonable working condition.
25.
FIGHTING IS PROHIBITED. Any player
involved in a fight will be ejected from the current game and suspended for:
·
one game for the first offense
·
remainder of the season and the
tournament for the second offense
·
permanently banned from the
league for the third offense
26.
No collisions are allowed on
the base paths. Fielders may not
make fake tags or otherwise trick the runner into thinking they have the ball.
27.
Fielders must never block bases,
including home plate. Fielders may straddle, stand aside of, or stand behind, the
bases, including home plate, but must give the runner a clear path to the base.
28.
Runners approaching bases,
including home plate, are not required to slide. If a runner chooses to slide
they must slide as safely as possible. If a runner chooses not to slide, they
must get out of the fielders’ way as soon as possible when it is clear they are
out. The intent of this rule is to prevent injury. Collisions or sliding
which in any way endangers a fielder will not be tolerated. When a runner
intentionally collides with a fielder or slides dangerously, a warning will be
issued to the team. Any subsequent offense by any player on that team will be
an out. Flagrant or intentional acts will result in ejection from the game and
may involve being suspended from future games.
29.
A “double first base” is
required. The orange portion of the base will occupy foul territory, while the
white portion of the base will occupy fair territory.
30.
Throwing the bat is prohibited. If
a player throws their bat while batting, they will receive a warning.
Subsequent offenses will cause the batter to be called out and the play ruled
dead.
31.
No smoking or alcohol shall be in
the field of play, which includes foul territory, coach’s boxes, and anywhere
else a ball would be considered “in play”.
32.
All games will start at 6:30 PM.
There is NO grace period. Both teams must share time available for batting and
fielding practice prior to the game. Playoff games begin at 6:00 PM.
33.
This is a no-protest league. All
disputes must be resolved before play continues.
34.
Game postponements must be made
prior to 3:00 p.m. on game day by the captains involved. If the weather or
field conditions are questionable, both teams must assume the game can be
played as scheduled, report to the field, and make a decision at game time.
35.
Games can only be postponed if
the field is unplayable or unusable due to weather or other uncontrollable
circumstances, including the presence of lightning. Games postponed for other
reasons will result in a forfeit loss to one or both teams depending on the
circumstances and will not be rescheduled. Games cannot be postponed because
the temperature is too hot or too cold.
36.
The league will schedule all
makeup games. The home team captain must report cancellations and
postponements. Both team captains must report final game scores and number of
innings played.
37.
Games which cannot be finished
due to weather, darkness, or other circumstances will be called complete or
replayed as per the ASA rules, but with two exceptions: continuations of
incomplete games begin immediately following the last complete inning, and the
roster can be different than the original game.
38.
The field uses 60 foot base
paths. Field setup is as follows: front edge of pitching rubber is 50 feet
from the back point of home plate; the back edges of first and third bases are
60 feet from the back point of home plate. The back corner of second base is
roughly 84 feet 11 inches from home plate. A coed line in the outfield is 150
feet from home plate. The coed line should be marked with cones, chalk, or
paint, on at least five points—one on each foul line, and at least three points
inside the foul lines.
39.
EACH TEAM MUST FIELD TEN
(10) PLAYERS, WITH AT LEAST THREE (3) WOMEN. A
minimum of eight (8) players, including two (2) women, is required to start a
game. If a team is short players, there are three options:
·
Play short, if possible, until
additional players arrive
·
Accept players from the opposing
team, at the opposing captain’s discretion
·
Forfeit the game
40.
Any team consistently not playing
three (3) women may be subject to suspension or ejection from the league. If a
team forfeits, captains can choose to scrimmage.
41.
Players arriving after a game
starts cannot begin to play until the next top of an inning.
42.
Teams starting a game with 8 or 9
players can only play 8 or 9 fielders respectively and must provide their own
catcher.
43.
A 15-run mercy rule after 5
innings (4½ if home team winning) applies to all regular season games and all
regular tournament games. The mercy rule does not apply during season playoffs
or tournament playoffs.
44.
Umpires are responsible for
making ALL calls. First base coach calls plays at first base and second base.
Third base coach calls plays at third base and second. A person supplied by
the batting team will umpire and call balls, strikes, fouls and home plate from
behind the batter. Captains can and should overrule obviously errant calls
made by their own umpires.
45.
A ball and strike will be
determined by using a regulation size mat, which will be placed behind home
plate. If the ball hits the mat or home plate it is a strike; if the ball does
not hit the mat or home plate, it is a ball. A ball that hits the black angled
edge of the home plate is a strike. The mat must be regulation size, but can
be made of variety of materials. A close call will go to the batter, but will
be determined by the umpire.
46.
There will be no arguing any
calls; a close call must go to the
batter or runner.
47.
Only regular season games and
regular tournament games are self-umpired. The league will supply outside umpires
for playoff games and for the tournament semi-finals and finals. 1 umpire will
be provided for semi-final rounds, and 2 umpires for finals.
48.
Required slow pitch will have a
minimum arc of six (6) feet and a maximum arc of twelve (12) feet (height above
ground at home plate). If a pitch does not meet the above height restrictions,
the umpire will call “ILLEGAL”. The pitch will count as a ball. If the batter
swings anyway, it’s a live ball, whether it is a strike, foul or fair.
49.
Pitchers must have one foot
touching the rubber when the pitch is released from the hand.
50.
Each inning is limited to two (2)
walks without regard to who is pitching. After the second walk, the umpire
will stop counting balls after ball three.
51.
If a pitcher chooses to
intentionally walk a batter, the pitcher can inform the batter to proceed to
the base. The pitcher is not required to pitch to the batter.
52.
No leaving the base before the
ball is hit. Each team will receive one warning for leaving the base early the
first time; only one warning can be given to a team on a single pitch. After
that warning, any runner leaving the base before contact will be called “Out”;
more than one player can be called out on a single pitch. Any umpire on the
field can make this call. This offense can only occur from the time the
pitcher is ready to begin the delivery of the pitch, until either the ball
touches the bat or the ball hits the ground.
53.
Same-gender pinch running is
allowed for any reason. For female runners, any female on the team can pinch
run. For male runners, the pinch runner will be the last male to have made an
out, or in the event that person cannot run, then it will be the male farthest
away in the batting lineup.
54.
Batting line-ups must contain at
least 10 players. To encourage participation, there is no maximum number for
line-ups.
55.
Free same gender substitution is
allowed, however, someone removed from the lineup cannot be reinserted into the
lineup until his/her old batting position has had at least 1 at bat. No more
than 7 men can bat in a row.
56.
Batters start with a 0-0 count in
all games except tournament.
57.
There are no foul-outs, except
for bunting a foul with two strikes already.
58.
There is no home run limit.
59.
Women are allowed to bunt. Bunting
foul with 2 strikes is a strike out. Once a batter shows a bunt during a
pitch, the batter must either bunt that pitch or take that pitch; the batter
cannot fake a bunt and then swing away during the same pitch. If a batter
fakes a bunt and then swings, regardless of whether they hit or miss the pitch,
the fielding team has the option of keeping the play as is or calling the pitch
a strike, which would cause a strikeout if two strikes already.
60.
If a bunted ball, untouched by a
fielder, hits the batter outside of the batter’s box and in fair territory,
she’s out. If a bunted ball, untouched by a fielder, hits the batter outside
of the batter’s box and in foul territory, a foul is called and, if applicable,
is counted as a third strike.
61.
The coed outfield line is placed
150’ from home plate. Three of the four outfielders must remain behind the coed
line (the side opposite home plate) until the ball is hit. If a team is
playing short and has less than four outfielders, all the outfielders must
remain behind the coed line.
62.
The batting team monitors this
line for violations. If less than three outfielders are behind the line when
the ball is hit, the batting team can choose to take the play as it ended, or
award the batter first base automatically. The one player who is allowed to be
in front of the coed line before contact does not have to reveal themselves in
advance; in other words, they can cross the line while the pitch is in the
air. If a team takes an automatic first base award following a violation, the
effect is like that of an intentional walk.
63.
A player who bats does not have
to play the field.
64.
Any player who plays at least one
pitch in the field must bat at least once, unless extenuating circumstances
prevail.
65.
Teams starting a game with 8 or 9
players can only have 8 or 9 batters respectively in the line-up.
66.
Teams starting a game with only 2
women will add an additional batting position for the third woman. Until the
third woman arrives, a team has three options:
·
one women bats twice in the
line-up
·
two women alternate in the third
spot
·
the batting team can take an
automatic out in the third spot
67.
Teams starting a game with 8 or 9
players can add players arriving late to the bottom of the batting line-up
(except in the case where a third woman arrives late and fills the additional
position already created in the batting line-up,) provided all other bylaws and
rules are followed.
68.
Teams starting a game with 10 or
more players can add players arriving late to the bottom of the batting
line-up, provided all other bylaws and rules are followed.
69.
If a team loses a player and
cannot fill the batting position, the team may shrink (contract) the batting
lineup up to the point at which a game would be forfeited.
70.
These tiebreakers apply to the standings,
playoffs, and seeding for the tournament. The tournament has its own
tiebreakers defined.
71.
When comparing records among tied
teams, the best won-lost-tied percentage is used. Tie games count as one-half
win and one-half loss.
72.
If regular season games that would
be counted in a head-to-head tiebreaker have not been played, then the
tiebreaker is applied only if the results of such games would not change the
outcome of the tiebreaker. If, however, the results of such games could change
the outcome of a head-to-head tiebreaker, then skip the tiebreaker step and
proceed to the next step.
73.
Runs Allowed per Defensive Inning
Ratio defined:
(a) the total number of runs given up by that team in applicable games, divided
by the number of half-innings played on defense by that team in applicable
games.
(b) any part of a half-inning played on defense counts as a complete
half-inning for the purposes of this tiebreaker.
(c) games which are forfeit at any time before a game can be considered
complete do not count in this tiebreaker.
(d) games which are forfeit but are complete by regulation will count in this
tiebreaker.
74.
Tiebreaker 1. TIEBREAKER FOR 2
TEAMS
1a: The team with the best head-to-head record advances.
1b: The team with the lowest Runs Allowed per Inning Ratio for the entire
season advances.
1c: Flip a coin.
75.
Tiebreaker 2. TIEBREAKER FOR 3 OR
MORE TEAMS
2a: The team with the best combined head-to-head record among tied teams
advances. If 2 teams have the same best combined head-to-head record, they
advance and start at 1a. If 3+ teams have the same best combined head-to-head
record, eliminate all others and repeat 2a. If you have 3+ and can no longer
eliminate teams, advance to 2b.
2b: The team with the lowest Runs Allowed per Inning Ratio for the entire
season advances; remaining teams start over. If 2 teams have the same best ratio,
they advance and start at 1a; remaining teams start over. If 3+ teams have the
same best ratio, eliminate all others and repeat
2a. If you have 3+ and can no longer eliminate teams, advance to 2c.
2c: Draw straws for one winner. Remaining tied teams start tiebreakers over.
76.
The playoffs are a seeded,
single-elimination event. Seeding rules only apply to the playoffs, not the
annual tournament. Playoff seeding is applied only after the playoff teams are
conclusively determined.
77.
When comparing records among
teams, the best won-lost-tied percentage is used. Tie games count as one-half
win and one-half loss.
78.
The semi-final playoff games will
be setup as follows:
The first (highest) seed plays the fourth seed.
The second seed plays the third seed.
Highest seeds are home teams.
79.
The league championship game will
be setup as follows:
The higher seed team is the home team.
80.
The format and rules for the League’s
Annual Tournament are published on the League’s website, www.lvcoedsoftball.com, as soon as
the logistics are confirmed. Approval of these bylaws indicates general,
advance acceptance of the tournament format and rules as discussed during the
captain’s meeting. In the event of conflicts between other versions of the
tournament rules, the version on the league website shall be the sole authority.
81.
The tournament is a two-division,
round-robin with a single-elimination, four-team playoff.
82.
All batter’s begin with a 1-and-1
count.
83.
The tournament is a rain or shine
event. All teams must be prepared to play at all times.
84.
Games start immediately upon
field availability. There is no grace period.
85.
Coin toss determines home and
away for all games, except semi-finals and finals.
86.
Seeding is based on the standings
as of a predetermined date 2 weeks before the tournament.
87.
Bracket one consists of seeds 1,
4, 6, 7, 9, 12. Bracket two consists of seeds 2, 3, 5, 8, 10, 11.
88.
The top two teams from each
division advance to a single-elimination semi-final where, for example, Red
seed #1 plays Blue seed #2. Red seed #2 plays Blue seed #1.
89.
The league provides one ASA umpire
for each semi-final game, and two ASA umpires for the championship game.
90.
The higher seed teams are the
home teams in the semi-final games. In the championship game, a 1 seed is
always home against a 2 seed; but if the seeds are equal, a coin toss
determines the home team.
91.
Tournament Tiebreakers: any time
a team or teams are advanced or eliminated by tiebreaker, the remaining tied
teams start again from the first applicable tiebreaker rule.
92.
1st tiebreaker: combined
head-to-head tourney (CHTH) record among tied teams
(1a) if 2 teams tie for first place, the winner of head-to-head game advances
as the first seed, the loser as second seed
(1b) if 2 teams tie for second place, the winner of head-to-head game advances
as second seed
(1c) if 3 teams tie for first, a team that beat both others advances as the first
seed, then (1b)
(1d) if 3 teams tie for second, a team that has beat both others advances
93.
2nd tiebreaker: rank tied teams
by runs allowed per inning for combined head-to-head tournament games among
tied teams -- the one team with lowest ratio advances and remaining tied teams
start over
94.
3rd tiebreaker: rank tied teams
by runs allowed per inning for all tournament games -- the one team with the
lowest ratio advances and remaining tied teams start over
95.
4th tiebreaker: chance
(4a) if 2 teams remain tied, flip a coin
(4b) if 3 or more teams remain tied, draw straws
