NEW CASTLE RECREATION AND PARKS COMMISSION
ADULT SLOWPITICH SOFTBALL
RULES AND REGULATIONS
2010

 Playoff Information

• Click here to download the   Softball Playoff Rules 2010
•  A League Playoff Grid 2010
•  B League Playoff Grid 2010
•  C League Playoff Grid 2010
•  Adult Softball Playoff Seed Placement 2010- All Leagues

NEW CASTE RECREATION AND PARKS COMMISSION

ADULT SLOWPITICH SOFTBALL

RULES AND REGULATIONS

2010

I.                    ELIGIBILITY

A.   Teams shall be composed of residents of the Town of New Castle and those who reside within Chappaqua School district who are 18 years of age or older and out of High School. (“resident” is defined as someone who lives in the Town of New Castle or is a full-time employee of the Town of  New Castle or a full-time employee of the Chappaqua Central School District or is the owner of a business in the Town of New Castle or is a volunteer for the New Castle Fire Department or Ambulance Corp.) The following exceptions to this rule will be permitted.

Non-resident/employees of Town Businesses who are listed on rosters from 2007 and 2008 will be permitted to play. Once they stop playing or are no longer employed within the Town, they are no longer eligible.

B.       Players that appear on the 1986 roster regardless of where they live or work will be considered legal ball players on that team only.  If the team that they are legally on disbands, they must be added to the roster of an existing team in the season their team disbands in order to retain eligibility.  A team will be considered to have been disbanded if less than a majority of the previous year’s players are listed on the roster for the current season.

1.  Players that appear on the 2008 approved grandfathered list regardless of where    they live or work will be considered legal ball players on that team only. A player granted eligibility under this rule would no longer be able to play in the league under this rule once they stop playing for that team or the team disbands.  That player is tied to their existing team that is they cannot be eligible to play for another team under this rule in the future.

C.       A team will be considered to have been disbanded if less than a majority of the previous year’s players are listed on the roster for the current season.

D.       The entrance fee for the “Spring League” will be $600 per team made payable to the Town of New Castle and $500 per team made payable to Tony Dunham (coordinator of umpires).  Individual registrations are not accepted, only team registrations.

E.       Teams that have not handed in fees and rosters are ineligible to play.

F.       Once fees are handed in, they are not refundable.

G.      Proof of eligibility is required to accompany each name on the roster.

II.                  ROSTERS

A.      There is a limit of 25 players that can appear on a roster.

B.     If a player’s name appears on two rosters, the first team that player plays on will be the team he plays with for the season. 

C.   Rosters may be added to up until June 4th of the season.  After that time, no roster change will be permitted without a formal written request from the manager and the approval of the league director.  All changes must go through the league director.

 III.         GAME PROCEDURES

All New Castle Recreation and Parks Adult Slow-pitch Games will be governed by ASA                  except where local league rules apply.

a.       All games will be 7 innings in length.  It is the umpire’s decision to call a game because of darkness.  If a game ends in a tie, it will be replayed in its entirety only if the game has a bearing on the final standings.

b.       Games will be official after 4-1/2 innings, if the home team is winning, or 5 complete innings, regardless of who is winning.

c.      SUSPENDED PLAY

If a game is called due to the weather prior to 4 ½ innings (if the home team is winning) or 5 complete innings, the game will resume where play ended. (Only if the game has a bearing on final standings.)

d.      The home team will keep the official scorebook.

e.            All games will start at the officially scheduled game time with forfeit time being 15 minutes after game time.  If, at start time, there are at least nine (9) players present for each team, the game will begin.  Teams may start and finish with eight (8) players.  If there is a delay in the starting time due to a prior game running over the official starting of the next game will be at the conclusion of the previous game.  No new inning will start after one (1) hour and 30 minutes.  This applies to Recreation Field only.  A game called because of the time limit will be treated the same as a game called due to dark.

If there is a question concerning cancellation of a game due to weather, team managers should sign up for the Recreation and Parks alerts at www.mynewcastle.org click Recreation and Parks, or call the Recreation department Sports and Fitness hotline at 238-2540.

f.            In the event the assigned umpire does not appear, the two managers have the privilege of agreeing upon officials selected at random.  This rule will include all regular season games and must follow Rule III Section D.  These selected umpires shall, therefore, be considered official and the results of the games will stand as played.

g.            FORFEITED GAMES

Any team forfeiting two games during the season will be automatically dropped from the league, will forfeit their entry fee and may lose their right to join the league in the following year.  Forfeiting a Sunday game will not count towards beings expelled from the league IF the league director is notified one (1) week in advance.  These games will not be rescheduled and will be recorded as a win-loss.

Any team is allowed to play with 8 players and the catcher will be provided by the opposing team if agreed by the opposing team manager.  If the catcher is provided he will be responsible for catching balls and strikes and the team with 8 players will be responsible for all plays at home plate.

h.            If teams made up of primarily volunteer firemen (in our case, the Chappaqua Fire Department) cannot begin or finish a particular game because of a fire, that game will not be forfeited but will be treated as a suspended game, in whole or in part, and will be resumed from the time of suspension.  This will only be done if the game has a bearing on the league champion.

i.            Movement between leagues will be at the discretion of the Recreation Department.

j.            A 13 run rule will be in effect for the League.  If a team is winning by 13 or more runs at the end of the fifth inning or at the end of any complete inning after the fifth, the game will be considered finished.  This includes playoffs.

k.            Courtesy runners will be granted upon request to the umpire at the managers meeting prior to the game.  Any additional courtesy runner not noted prior to the game, will have to be approved by the opposing team manager.  A courtesy runner is the last player to make an out.

l.         During the play-offs the Home team will be the team with the better standing.

In the final round if the “if” game is played the home team will be determined by a flip of a coin.

m.    For all three leagues: Use of a Continuous Batting order.  The manager will designate prior to the start of the game the number of batters to be used in the batting order.

A. Additions can be made to the end of the batting order until all players in the original batting order have batted once. 

B. If a player is injured and you cannot replace him you will not be assessed an out each time the spot in the batting order comes up. If a player leaves voluntarily or is ejected and a substitute is unavailable you will be given an out each time the spot comes up in the batting order.

C. Starter (including pitcher) may be substituted once and re-enter the game (one player per team per game).  The re-entered player must come to bat in the position of who replaced him.  When a player re-enters he must go back into his original batting position.  All other players used, as a sub may be withdrawn, but may not re-enter the game.

n.      Obstruction.

Obstruction is the act of a fielder:

A.    Not in possession of the ball or

B.    Not is the act of fielding a batted ball,

Which impedes the progress of a batter-runner or runner who is legally running the bases.

If a defensive person is blocking the base or base path without the ball, this is impeding the progress of the runner and this is obstruction. Prior to this year, coaches taught to block the base, catch the ball and make the tag. Now it must be catch the ball, block the base and make the tag.

Whenever obstruction occurs, whether a play is being made on a runner or not, the umpire will declare obstruction and signal a delayed dead ball. The ball will remain live. If the obstructed runner is put out prior to reaching the base he would have reached had there not been obstruction, a dead ball is called and the obstructed runner, and each other runner affected by the obstruction, will be awarded the base(s) the runner would have reached, in the umpire's judgment, had there not been obstruction. An obstructed runner could be called out between the two bases the runner was obstructed if the runner was properly appealed for missing a base or leaving a base before a fly ball was first touched. If the runner committed an act of interference after the obstruction, this too would overrule the obstruction.

o. In order to avoid excessive contact, the runner can slide, jump over the top of the defender holding the ball, go around the defender (if outside the three foot lane, the runner would be called out), or return to the previous base touched.  If the act is determined to be flagrant, the offender will be ejected.

p.  A third strike rule will be in effect.

IV.            PLAYOFF ELIGIBILITY

A.         In order to be eligible to participate in playoff games a player must have played/attended in at least 5 regular season games.

V.            CONDUCT

A.      Teams shall conduct themselves in a sportsmanlike manner at all times.  The Recreation and Parks Commission reserves the right to exclude any player or team that does not conduct itself in a manner befitting the high standards of the Recreation and Parks Commission.

B.      ZERO TOLERANCE POLICY

1.      Abusive language and/or unsportsmanlike like behavior will not be tolerated and may result in a player’s expulsion from the game.

2.   Fighting – a player engaged in a fight will automatically be ejected from that game and the next scheduled game.  If the incident occurs at the end of the season, the suspension will carry over to the next season.  A second infraction will mean automatic expulsion for the remainder of the season and tournament play.

3.   Any Player ejected from a game will not be permitted to play in the next scheduled game.  A written appeal by the player ejected must be filed within 24 hours to the league director for final decision.   If this is not done, the player will not play in the next scheduled game.

4.   An individual in any way touching an umpire will result in automatic ejection from the game, the remainder of the season and the playoffs as well.

5.      Any umpire initiating physical contact will forfeit that night’s pay as a minimum penalty.

C.            Absolutely no alcoholic beverages allowed before, during or after softball games.  NO       EXCEPTIONS.

                        D.             Enforcement of the alcohol rule will be handled as follows:

1. The first violation of the alcohol rule by “any” individual or team will result in a written warning being issued to “all” teams.  This will constitute the final warning to all participants.

2. A second violation by any individual or team will result in the expulsion of that individual or team from the league and forfeiture of the entry fee.  If the player is a grand fathered player, he will not be allowed back into the league.

VI.            EQUIPMENT

A.         No metal spikes of any type may be worn.  Either sneakers or single-molded rubber soles will be permitted as approved footwear.

B.         No work boots, bare feet, rugby shoes, hiking boots or detachable cleats may be worn.

C.         Wood bats must clearly show it is an official softball bat; the diameter of the barrel cannot be larger than 2 ¼ inches.

D.         Any Aluminum bat or a wood bat altered in any way are considered illegal and may not be used during the regular season or tournament play.

E.            Any bat deemed unsafe by the Recreation Department.   

VII.            MANAGERS

All managers will be given game balls and softball scorebooks.  Managers will email scores to the league director so that up-to-date standings may be kept.

A.         Any team that permits an illegal ballplayer to play, the manager of that team will be ejected from the league for one calendar year. The game will be forfeited and any games the illegal player played will be forfeited.

B.         Any second infraction, the team will be ejected from the league and also for the following season.

C.            The manager must be a designated player.

VIII.            PROTESTS

A.         Protests of any game on rule interpretation or a player’s eligibility must be made to the umpires at the time of the infraction of play.  The umpire will then inform the other team of the situation.  A written account of the game situation (how many outs, who is on base, who is up, etc.) is to go in the book and signed by both managers and the umpire.  Teams will have 24 hours to submit a written protest to the League Director.  If the protested game occurs on a Friday, Saturday or Sunday, then the protest must be filed by Monday, at 4:30 pm.  There will be no protests on judgment calls made by an umpire.

No protest will be considered without a written submission.  The team protested against then has 24 hours to present their version of what took place (if necessary).

B.         In the event that a player’s eligibility is questioned, that player will be required to provide proof of eligibility to the satisfaction of the Recreation and Parks Department.  The Recreation and Parks Department may ask to see all of the following:

1.       current driver’s license.

2.       voter’s registration card

3.       original telephone, Con Edison or tax bill

4.       other evidence the department feels is necessary to establish a ruling

If the player is employed in town, then an original current payroll stub and/or paycheck must be provided.

ADULT SOFTBALL GROUND RULES

RECREATION FIELD

Any hit over the fence is a home run.

Left Field Out of Play: The corner of the backstop to the near end of the players’ bench fence.  From the far end of the players bench fence to the chain link fence along the brook.

Right Field Out of Play:  The corner of the backstop to the near end of the player’s bench fence.  From the far end of the players bench fence to the right field light pole to the fence along Greeley Avenue.  The exception is the blacktop driveway – this is considered dead ball territory.

MILLWOOD FIELD

A, B & C League

Any ball hit over the right and right center field fence (the start of the double fence to the foul pole) will be declared an “out” rather than a home run.

Left Field Out of Play:

The corner of the backstop to the near end of the players’ bench to the fence along the hill.

Right Field Out of Play:

The corner of the backstop to the near end of the players’ bench then parallel to the first base line.  Tree branches are out of play.

HORACE GREELEY HIGH SCHOOL LOWER B

Any ball hit over the fence in right field is a home run.

Any ball hit to the left of the fence is all you can get.

Left Field Out of Play:

The backstop to the near end of the players’ bench along the fence to the outfield extended.

Right Field out of Play:

The backstop to the near end of players bench fence to silver fence and follow the fence all the way.

GEDNEY 1

Left Field:

The backstop to the near end of the players bench fence to the base of the hill – parallel to the third base line.

Right Field:

The backstop to the near end of the player’s bench fence.