SUMMIT COUNTY SOFTBALL LEAGUE INC PO BOX 4059 DILLON, COLORADO 80435 970-468-8527

ADULT ATHLETIC LEAGUE RULES ®ULATIONS

MEN’S & MIXED SLOW- SOFTBALL MISSION STATEMENT

The mission of the Summit County Softball League Inc shall be to foster, develop, promote and regulate amateur adult softball within the area of Summit County: to establish rules and regulations governing all teams participating; to engage in any activity that will be beneficial to the participants and the League’s well being.

GENERAL POLICY STATEMENT

Summit County Softball League Inc reserves the right to change any and all rules, regulations, and policies whenever due cause warrants a change. When a change is made, all managers of teams affected by such a change will be immediately notified.

Summit County Softball is sanctioned by USSSA & follows all its rules & regulations, with some local exceptions & clarifications listed in this document. 2018 Official USSSA Slow Pitch Playing Rules and By-Laws can be downloaded from the USSSA website at http://resources.usssa.com/usssa/usssa-general/2018SPRulebook.pdf .

The Following Regulations Will Govern Summit County Softball

1. CODE OF CONDUCT Sportsmanship and fair play is the hallmark of softball. Summit County Softball expects all Players, Managers, Coaches, Substitutes, and Spectators to abide by this code which is for the enjoyment & safety of all.

http://www.summitcountysoftball.com Page 2 of 1515 UNSPORTSMANLIKE CONDUCT The following is a non-inclusive list of possible reasons for ejection or warnings:

 Fighting on or off the field  Inciting, or trying to incite by word or sign or demonstration, any umpire, opponent or spectator  F-bombs – ZERO tolerance  Profane or abusive language  Obnoxious public intoxication  Unsportsmanlike conduct, abusive tactics, derogatory or unbecoming acts  Submitting a bad check  Arguing ball & strike calls  Carelessly throwing a bat  Knowingly using an illegal or altered bat  Fake Tag Ejections or Warnings can be applied by any umpire (working at the time) the Director of Softball or any witnessing Board Member who is unaffiliated with the game in which the incident occurred.

Any player, coach, fan, etc., who is ejected from a game, is ineligible for any participation or league play for at least the remainder of the evening and MUST leave the park immediately. Anyone who is ejected and/or given further disciplinary action by the Rules Committee is ineligible for all league activities for the designated time period, including any league play, managing or coaching either on or off the playing field for the entire disciplinary period, including any other team(s) the person may be involved with.

Additional probation or suspension may be applied by the Rules Committee, within 24 hours of the ejection depending on the severity of the incident. A second ejection during the season may incur stricter disciplinary action including suspension for the remainder of the season or possibly for a lifetime.

2. FENCE & FIELD DAMAGE -- NO PEPPER AGAINST THE FENCES Provable damage to fences, fields, scoreboards, concession stands, bleachers, trash cans, and other equipment and landscaping resulting from abuse by a specific team or player, will result in direct charges to said team or player. We are responsible for upkeep of the park and the league will pursue any and all damages occurring from individuals and teams. PLEASE DO YOUR PART TO HELP KEEP OUR PARKS IN GOOD SHAPE & PLEASE HELP PICK-UP LITTER AFTER EVERY GAME. THANK YOU!

3. DOGS -- AT NO TIME UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES WILL DOGS BE ALLOWED ON RECREATION PROPERTY supervised by Summit County Softball League Inc. This is an AUTOMATIC TEAM FORFEIT! If it is a spectator’s dog, the umpire will determine whose team and forfeit the game. Summit County & the Town of Breckenridge have a specific dog ordinance relating to the softball fields and dogs are

http://www.summitcountysoftball.com Page 3 of 1515 prohibited, subject to fines & punishment. The local authorities may be at any park, at any time and can issues tickets for violating these ordinances.

4. CHILDREN -- While we understand that softball is a family activity, safety is also a consideration. We want you to enjoy your sport and allow children to attend games with you, however, SAFETY is of primary importance, therefore CHILDREN MUST BE MONITORED AT ALL TIMES. If not, and in the opinion of the umpire, they are interfering with the progress of the game; the game will be forfeited. In the case of a spectator, the umpire will determine to whose team the fan belongs and forfeit the game to the other team. Playground facilities are available at Kingdom Park.

5. PLAYER ELIGIBILITY -- Participants must be at least 15 years of age in order to play softball in this league. Players under 18 must have a parent/guardian liability release form on file with the softball director. These forms are in your managers meeting packet and available from the Director. In Summit County Softball, Women may play in any Men’s division team & all female teams may play in the Mixed or Men’s division, as long as the players are listed on the team roster. Only one male playing on any Men’s division team may play on a Lower Mixed division team. Some women may be told not to play on a case-by-case basis. Players must play in a minimum of four games of Summit County Softball regular season to be eligible for post-season tournament play.

6. AMENDMENT TO RULES -- Amendments can only be presented at the organizational meeting or post-season review meeting. This will cover changes in player and team eligibility, league policies, rules committee, etc. Coaches, players, and managers are encouraged to participate in discussion of rules and express their desires concerning changes or anything dealing with the league. The Rules Committee that governs softball will be composed of the Softball Director, and the Summit County Softball League Board of Directors.

7. USSSA MEMBERSHIP -- All teams will automatically join the USSSA when entering Summit County Softball League. The membership fee is built into your team fees. Accident and Liability Insurance and Tournament Eligibility are made available through this membership for a separate fee. Umpire benefits are also available.

8. INSURANCE -- Summit County Softball League Inc assumes NO Responsibility for accidents, injuries or personal property damage during league play, tournaments or practices. PLAY AT YOUR OWN RISK. Players under the age of 18 must have a signed parental permission slip on file with the Softball Director. USSSA insurance is available for teams at their own expense for both liability and medical with deductible. The medical USSSA insurance covers accidents or injuries at games, practices and tournaments. Insurance purchase is online only & information is available at http://www.usssa.com/sports/insurance.asp.

9. INJURY, BLEEDING OR OPEN WOUND RULES -- If treatment can be administered in a reasonable amount of time, as determined by the umpire, an injured or bleeding

http://www.summitcountysoftball.com Page 4 of 1515 individual would not need to leave the game. The umpire will allow sufficient time to stop the bleeding, cover the exposed wound, get rid of bloody clothing, and then continue the game. Should the wound not stop bleeding, the umpire will request a substitute enter the game. Regulations should then be followed regarding re-entry and substitution rule. Managers are requested to have available and carry with their team gear, medical supplies, Band-Aids, gauze, tape, etc. to cover wounds as well as a sweat suit or uniform change if necessary. Please follow all Communicable Disease Procedures on page 59 of 2018SPRuleBook.pdf. A player who exhibits signs, symptoms or behaviors consistent with a concussion, (such as loss of consciousness, headache, dizziness, confusion or balance problems) shall be immediately removed from the game and shall not return to play that day until cleared in writing by an appropriate health care professional.

10. GAME BALLS -- Game balls must be supplied by each team. All teams will supply game balls at the beginning of the game as well as their own balls during the game. Men will use a 12-inch ball. Women will use an 11-inch ball. Mixed games will switch balls depending on the gender of the batter. Teams are expected to chase their own foul balls and home runs or supply more for the game. Summit County Softball will play with optic yellow softballs, either “Classic M”,“Classic Plus” or “Classic W”.

11. ILLEGAL / ALTERED BATS -- Summit County Softball League as a whole will comply with the current USSSA bat rule. http://resources.usssa.com/usssa/usssa-general/USSSASoftballBatMarks7-10- 14.pdf

12. GLOVES -- Catchers & first basemen may wear a glove or mitt of any size: all other players are restricted to a finger type glove with the space between the thumb & forefinger not exceeding more than 4 ½ inches at the top. The webbing shall not be constructed to form any type net or tray. Multicolored gloves are legal.

13. FOOTWEAR -- Metal-spiked cleats are not permitted in Summit County Softball. Shoes must be closed ended, no sandals or playing barefoot permitted.

14. TEAM MANAGERS -- Managers are responsible for distributing all league information to his/her respective team and insuring that all team players have signed the roster. Please contact the Softball Director if your contact person is of town or changes from the initial registration. Many communication problems result when your contact is not available. Alternates are never sent league information unless notified.

15. UMPIRES -- Umpires will be furnished by Summit County Softball League Inc, and, possibly USSSA. All Umpires have the last word on the field. If a protest is launched for eligibility or rules interpretation, & no appropriate official is present, the game will proceed at the discretion of the Umpire. Protests are NOT considered for judgment

http://www.summitcountysoftball.com Page 5 of 1515 calls.

16. TEAM FEES & ENTRY DEADLINE -- Please refer to the entry fee information in the Intent to Field letter mailed to interested persons or available for download at http://www.summitcountysoftball.com . Deposits must be mailed by the date stated and teams will not be considered a solid entry until their entry deposits and fees have been paid in full and turned in to Summit County Softball League Inc. Deposits are non-refundable, unless the League omits a division or class, fills all available slots or decides otherwise. Team Fees MUST be PAID IN FULL BEFORE a team will be allowed to play any league softball game.

17. TEAM CLASSIFICATION & DIVISIONS -- Mixed Slow Pitch softball divisions will consist of 2 classes: Upper and Lower. In placing the teams in to classes, Summit County Softball League Inc, reserves the right to place teams in divisions or classes where it deems fit, while attempting to honor the teams desired level of play. In general, all classes will be between 6 and 12 teams. Because there may be teams that are significantly better or worse than other teams within their division, the league Director or SCS Board may have a team spot 1 per for the first 4 .  Men’s Division -- Competitive team with above average offense or defense  Mixed Upper Division -- Competitive team with an above average offense or defense  Mixed Lower Division – Recreational team with average or below average offense or defense

18. SUMMIT COUNTY RULES -- (PER TEAM)  MEN - 2 HR’s then 1 up. The Home team will be able to go 1 up at any time until 50 minutes have elapsed in the game. 50 minutes can elapse at any moment including in the middle of an at-bat. If 50 minutes of game time elapse in the middle of a pitch, then the result of the hit will stand.  MIXED Upper - 2 HR’s then outs  MIXED Lower – NO Home Runs with Offensive Ejection.

These measures have been taken to ensure parity in our divisions/classes & for safety in the lower divisions. Offensive Ejection will occur when a person hits an over the fence Home Run in a Division that has Offensive Ejection rule. The offender will not be allowed to bat & that place in the order will be an automatic out for the remainder of the game.

LEAGUE ROSTERS & POST SEASON TOURNAMENT ROSTER -- All League rosters must be turned in prior to the beginning of second week of the season or the first game of the Post Season Tournament. A team can have a maximum of 20 players on any roster. All rosters must be either typed or printed legibly with all requested information filled in completely. If a roster is incomplete, a team’s entry may not be accepted. Players must play in a minimum of four games of Summit County Softball regular season to be eligible for post-season tournament play.

http://www.summitcountysoftball.com Page 6 of 1515 19. ADDING & DROPPING PLAYERS & DEADLINES -- A team may add and/or drop players during the regular season until August 1 st . Players may be added until the limit of 20 is reached. Following that limit, you may add a player for each player that is dropped from the roster. This process requires written notification to the League Director when ANY player is added or dropped. A completed Roster form for each player must be on file.

20. CHANGING TEAMS -- Any person playing on a team may not transfer to any other team, within the same division or class, without first submitting a written request for changing teams, to the Director, stating the reason for such change. After written notification, the Rules Committee must approve the transfer before the player is eligible to play on his/her new team. If changing teams mid-season, you must play 6 games with new team in Mixed, and 8 games with new team in Men’s.

21. PLAYING ON MULTIPLE TEAMS (During Regular League Play) -- A player will be allowed to participate in as many teams/divisions/classes as desired in the Mixed or Men’s divisions. A player can play on any appropriate team in a league if player has signed the roster for that team.

22. PITCHING -- The pitcher may pitch from the Pitching Plate or from the Pitching Area, an area the width of the Plate and up to six (6) feet behind the Pitcher’s Plate.  Preliminary to Pitching, the Pitcher shall take a position with his/her pivot foot firmly on the ground and in contact with the Pitching Plate or Pitching Area. The pivot foot must be in contact with the Pitcher’s Plate or Pitching Area when the pitched ball is released.  The other foot (free foot) has no restriction on position and may be placed on, in front of, to the rear of, or to the side of the Pitcher’s Plate or Pitching Area After taking the initial position, the Pitcher may take more than one step with the free foot, in any direction of his choice, provided that it is taken prior to, simultaneously with or during the actions of delivering the pitched ball.  After the release of the Pitch, there are no restrictions on Pitcher’s subsequent movements, or the fielding positions he may assume as a Defensive Player.  The front of the pitching rubber is 50 ft from the rear of Home Plate.  The ball must be pitched underhanded at slow speed.  The pitched ball must arc at least 3 feet after leaving the Pitcher’s hand and before it passes any part of Home Plate.  The pitched ball shall not rise higher than 10 feet above the ground.

23. GAME SCHEDULES & LEAGUE PLAY -- League play will begin May 28th , weather permitting. Fields scheduled for use include Blue River Park (Silverthorne), Kingdom Park (Breckenridge).  All schedules for divisions and classes will be generated by the Board of Directors and the Softball Director. The schedules will be posted on the Summit County Softball website. Please contact the Director as soon as possible if there are any errors or discrepancies in scheduling.

http://www.summitcountysoftball.com Page 7 of 1515 24. & TIES -- In an effort to keep games on time and allow all teams sufficient time to play, the following rules will apply when dealing with ties:  No game will go past the 8th inning. Games tied after the 8th inning will end in a tie.  No game will go more than one inning after the umpire has declared the time limit being up. Games tied after the extra inning will end in a tie.

25. GAME TIME -- GAME TIME IS FORFEIT TIME!! -- No new inning may begin after 55 minutes of play except for tiebreaker flip/flop innings. In cases where the first game interferes with the starting time of the next game and the next game cannot be started or completed, it will be made up at a later date and scheduled by the Director. If the game starts, it can be considered a complete game at the end of 3 1/2 innings if, in the opinion (judgment) of the umpire, the game cannot be completed safely. Whenever possible the umpire will give a one-inning warning for calling games. Kingdom Park, Breckenridge: 1 st Game – 5:45 pm, 2 nd – 6:45, 3 rd – 7:45, 4 th – 8:45 Blue River Fields, Silverthorne: 1st Game – 6:00 pm, 2 nd 7:00 May 28 th – July 30th Blue River Fields, Silverthorne: 1 st Game – 5:50 pm, 2 nd 6:50 August 1st – Post Season

26. FORFEITS -- A team with two forfeits during a season maybe dropped from the league without refund of fees or deposits, at the discretion of the Director. There is NO protest to this ruling.

27. RUN RULES -- In Summit County Softball, the Run Rule to award a win to a team is 10 EARNED runs after 5 innings. (or 4 ½ innings if the Home team is ahead) If a team has been spotted runs (1 run per inning for the first 4 innings) for the game, then they must be ahead by 10 runs PLUS the number of runs spotted.

28. FLIP/FLOP RULE -- In the inning when the Run Rule is exceeded, after the 4 th inning, and the Home Team is losing; the Home Team will remain 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.  For example, if the Visiting Team is ahead by 10 or more runs (plus the spot if in effect) at the end of 4 1/2 innings, the original Home Team becomes the new Visiting Team & will be at bat twice in a row.

29. PLAYER AT BAT/COURTESY FOUL -- Players will now walk with 3 balls and with 2 strikes. A on strike 2 is an out, a & no runners may advance. The “courtesy foul” has been deleted from the USSSA rulebook.

30. SCORE REPORTING & SCOREKEEPING -- The official scorebook is the responsibility of the HOME team. The home team is always determined with a coin flip by the

http://www.summitcountysoftball.com Page 8 of 1515 umpire at the beginning of each game. Scorekeeping includes keeping a complete scorebook for both teams & controlling the electronic scoreboard, if requested by the umpire. During the game, the umpire may ask for the score & at the end of the game, the scorekeeper will submit the final score to the home plate umpire. Scorebooks will be received by the Manager/Coach at the Manager’s Meeting or the first scheduled game & must be brought to each game.

31. COURTESY RUNNER -- A courtesy runner may be used for any reason ONCE per inning. If a Mixed team, the runner must be of the same gender. Any player in the can run, but if they are stuck on a base when they should be batting, it will be an out, unless the team brings in a substitute to hit for that batter. The substitute/re-entry rules would then apply in that case.

32. RULE -- Clarification for all leagues. USSSA has re-visited the slide rule and made some clarifications. See page 44 of the online USSSA rulebook. Rule 8 Sec 5-V.

V. Whenever the catcher or any fielder clearly has the ball and is waiting to tag the runner, the runner must slide or attempt to avoid contact. If, in the umpire's judgment, the runner deliberately and forcefully runs into the defensive player, the runner is declared out and shall be ejected from the game. The ball is declared dead and all other runners must return to the last base touched at the time of the collision. NOTE: The catcher or any fielder may not block the pathway of the runner unless he has possession of the ball or is in the act of fielding a or taking a proper position to receive a thrown ball (thrown ball must already be )

Adding to the new slide rule SCS will be saying that if the runner is avoiding contact and subsequently is tagged out for not touching home plate by either the catcher or back up player retrieving the ball, the base runner could be awarded home plate at the umpire’s judgment.

33. STARTING LINE-UP -- Teams may begin any game with 2 or more players at game time, regardless whether they are the home team or the away team. When in the field, any team MUST have BOTH a pitcher & a catcher. No longer will there be as severe a penalty for batting with less than 10 players. With Mixed teams there will only be an out penalized when 2 guys bat back to back or if there are less than 8 players. In Men’s division there will only be a penalty with less than 7 batters. In either division an out will be penalized when a team cannot physically send up another batter.

Team Manager/Coach may add players during the game up to 10 players. The added players must be inserted at the bottom of the line-up. In Summit County Softball a team may bat up to the entire 20 player roster if desired. You may not add any Extra Players/Hitters after the game has started. If a team starts with 10 or more players & a player must leave the game due to injury or emergency & cannot

http://www.summitcountysoftball.com Page 9 of 1515 be replaced in the batting line-up, there is no penalty for loss of players as long as 10 players are maintained. If a player is ejected or leaves due to injury & no substitute is available, there shall be an out when that player would come up to bat. The batting order must remain constant; however, any 10 of the batting lineup can take a defensive position throughout the game.

Mixed Clarifications -- A Mixed team may also bat up to the entire 20 player roster if desired. Mixed divisions must alternate genders in the batting order. There is no penalty for 2 or more female batters in a row, but if there are 2 male batters in a row, (more males than females in the batting order) the team will be penalized an out when 2 males bat in a row. A team may NOT just rotate male/female to avoid this penalty, as then there is not a fixed batting order. At no time will the batting order of the current players have anything more than 1 male more than females in the field or in the batting order. The batting order must remain constant; however, any 10 of the batting lineup can take a defensive position throughout the game as long as the gender mix is maintained.  In Mixed when a male player is walked, the female player MUST hit if there is less than 2 outs. If there are 2 outs she has the OPTION to walk. The male player will always go to 2 nd base in a walk in Mixed.  In the Mixed Lower Division, you will be allowed to have 1 Men’s League player on your team.

34. PROTESTS -- A protest will be ruled upon by the Director, Assistant Director and/or the Rules Committee when it concerns player eligibility or rules interpretation. Protests involving umpire’s decisions (judgment calls) will not be considered.

All protests involving rules interpretation must be submitted, in writing to the League within 48 hours of the game in question. If the Director or Assistant Director is present at the time of the protest, the matter may be settled immediately, if not the umpire will notify the League about the protest at the end of the night. The protesting team must have an up-to-date scorebook in which the umpire will mark the point of the protest & the facts of the protest before the start of the next pitch. The umpire must sign the scorebook. All protests must be accompanied by a $20 Official Protest Fee. If the protest is upheld, the $20 protest fee will be refunded & the game will be picked up from the point of protest. If the protest is denied, the $20 protest fee will not be refunded. Games will be replayed from the point of the protest, if upheld, & scheduled at the convenience of the League.

Protests for illegal players must be made before the first pitch the first time the subject player comes up to bat. If no protest is made, prior to that first pitch, the opposing team loses any forfeited their right to protest & if still pursued there is little chance that the protest will be upheld. Illegal players during the Post-Season Tournament will be dealt with differently. See Rule 39.

35. RAINOUT / WEATHER RULES -- Due to locally sporadic bad weather & rain, differing in geographical location throughout the county, GO TO YOUR GAMES ANYWAY!! DO

http://www.summitcountysoftball.com Page 10 of 1515 NOT FORFEIT! Any team that forfeits twice may be dropped from the league. The umpire in charge of each field will be the sole determinant of the suitability of the field for play. Please “Like” Summit County Softball on Facebook or follow SummitSoftball on Twitter for up to date weather information. On last resort call 970-468- 8527

36. MAKE-UP GAMES -- Team managers will be contacted as soon as rainout games have been rescheduled & the games will be posted on the League website. There will be no post-season make-up games. Teams are scheduled for 12 or 16 games throughout the season depending on division. IF the weather is unusually poor during the season, only 12 games are guaranteed with the existing league structure.

37. TIES IN THE STANDINGS -- At the end of the regular season ties in the standings shall be broken by applying the following criteria in the order they appear below until application of any one breaks the tie.  1st -- Won/Loss record in Head-to-Head competition  2nd -- Total runs scored by each team in head-to-head competition  3rd -- Total runs scored in league play  4th -- Coin Flip

38. POST-SEASON PLAY -- Each team desiring to play in the Summit County Softball End of Season (POST SEASON) Tournaments will be required to pay a $75 fee by the Wednesday before the tournament begins. These tournaments dates are:

 Mens August 24th (Saturday)-Mixed Division -- August 25th – (Sunday) – All tournaments will run concurrently with each other. Players can play on multiple teams if they meet roster requirements, but no schedule requests will be made for conflicts.

Only players listed on the roster for a team may play with that team in the POST SEASON Tournament. Players must have played in a minimum of four games of Summit County Softball regular season to be eligible for post-season tournament play. Each class within each division will vie for a championship trophy. Classes playing on different nights during the season within a division will combine & compete for the championship for their respective class for the league.

A newly signed roster for the End of Season Tournament MUST is submitted BEFORE the first game of the Tournament & it WILL be checked against the latest roster available for that team.

Tournament seeds will depend on the team’s record. The Director and/or Tournament Director have full discretion to move teams up or down from their stated class based on team record & the needs of the tournament structure. All teams are eligible to participate in the post-season tournament & there are no additional fees. Please contact the Director at least 1 week prior to the tournament

http://www.summitcountysoftball.com Page 11 of 1515 start to confirm participation. Any teams not confirmed, will not be allowed to play in the tournament

Players may play on only ONE (1) tournament team of the same class/division throughout the tournament. All efforts will be made to separate playing times for the various divisions to prevent overlapping schedules. At NO time will games be delayed to wait for players playing in a game from another class/division. Game time is forfeit time.

At ANY time during the End of Season Tournament, if an illegal player is brought to the attention of the Director of Softball, Tournament Director or any Board Member not involved with the game in which the illegal player is playing, the illegal player can choose to no longer play OR the team the illegal player is playing with WILL forfeit that game.

LEAGUE ADMINISTRATION PERSONNEL President Mike Conneighton Vice President Becky Burroughs Secretary Open Treasurer Kim Nix Board Members Stephen Wilkins – Softball Director Stephen Mase

Rules Committee Summit County Softball League Board of Directors and Softball Director

USSSA UMPIRE IN CHIEF Billy Harper – State Director

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