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TEXAS SOFTBALL HALL OF FAME
2008 GROUND RULES AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
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| Home History Tournaments Leagues Directions Hall Century Teams Angels at the Park |
| Umpires Hall of Honor Pro Shop Home Run Hotline Links Email the Win Zone |
TEXAS SOFTBALL HALL OF FAME
2008 GROUND RULES AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
1. Rosters, waivers, and entry fees are due by the first game. Please be prompt.
2. All teams must be ASA sanctioned in the current year to be eligible to participate.
3. ASA insurance is available and recommended for teams. Players must be a minimum of 18 years old to participate. No parental waiver whether written or oral will be permitted.
4. Texas Softball Hall of Fame reserves the right to reschedule games as needed, to make all final rulings, and to remove from eligibility any player or team that demonstrates unsportsmanlike conduct while at the ballpark. Acts of violence or threats of violence will be taken seriously and will receive multiple consequences for the players, teams, or any others involved. The Director is fully empowered to make these decisions.
5. There may be a fee and additional eligibility consequences for paying late, a 10% charge on any unpaid balance due.
6. The run rules are 15 after 3 innings and 10 after 5 innings.
7. We play one pitch after 6 innings or 50 minutes, if tied at the end of an inning. The runner on 2nd base is the last batter of the last inning.
8. In 2008, only one Courtesy Runner is allowed for one person per inning. The previous out or the batter in front of the batter up who is not already on base may run.
9. No out spots are required for being shorthanded or lineup reduction except in coed. See ground rule #21. A team may begin or continue play with a minimum of 6 players.
10. Batters start with a 1 & 1 count. An extra foul is allowed on the third strike.
11. We will use a Modified One-Up Rule for homeruns. Homeruns may only be negotiated up at the coin flip. Homeruns will count if they are hit in the last half of the last inning.
12. Balls only TEXAS SOFTBALL HALL OF FAME BALLS GURU cor. 44 for men. Umpires or the pitcher will remove any and all other balls.
13. No stealing is allowed in any of these slow pitch leagues or tournaments.
14. BPF of 1.20 or less are legal for recreational level of play. Until further notice, banned bats in 2008, are the MIKEN Ultra, Ultra II, Freak, Freak Plus, Miken Orange Recoil, NOT THE MIKEN 98, Worth 510, Worth Mutant green, Silver Combat, Yellow Catalyst, ANY BAT WHICH RATTLES, Synergy SCX2, Synergy Plus, Genesis SB34 and others to be determined by the Director. Women may hit with these. The consequence of using any of these bats is ejection of the bat, the batter is out, a dead ball is declared, and all base runners return to their bases. Ejection of the batter from the game is required, if in the judgment of the umpire, he or she argues excessively or comes to the plate a second time with an illegal bat. Additional suspensions or consequences may be added by the Director. Safety is more important than winning and cheating by using illegal, altered, or banned equipment is unsportsmanlike and unacceptable. Bat rings, pre game inspections, and closer monitoring of bats will be done more this year. Any other softball bat that meets the requirements of the ASA Rulebook will be allowed. All Texas Softball Hall Of Fame events play on the Recreational level and not the Championship level of play.
15. All players may hit in the batting lineup.
16. The proper I.D. is the player's home or cellular telephone number.
17. No ALCOHOL may be consumed by players, or coaches during games except in private complexes. They may also be suspended for the game, night, season, the year, or indefinitely by the Director. Additionally, they may also have legal consequences from Public Intoxication and possibly Civil Liability consequences. Spectators are permitted to have alcoholic beverages at Cullen Park.
18. Umpire fees are $12 per game for a one umpire system. We treat each other with RESPECT at all times in Texas Softball Hall Of Fame events!
19. Round Robins may be scheduled on a few Saturdays in 2008.
20. Friday Night leagues play at Community Park in Mo. City. Tuesday night leagues are at Community Park in Mo. City.
21. COED teams can play with more women than men. Teams may play 7 men 3 women. Women will bat in the number 2,4,6, spots in the lineup. If a team only has 2 women, they will bat 2, 4, and number 6 will be an out spot. Only 9 players may play on defense, if there are only 2 women in the lineup. Less than 2 women is a forfeit of any official win. If playing with 3 women, they may bat 8 men. If the man before the out spot is walked, the out spot is waived and that batter is awarded second base.
22. Sunday Men's leagues at Cullen Park are scheduled year round.
23. Players are not allowed to hit pepper into the fence at Cullen Park or Community Park in Missouri City. The consequence may be removal of player privileges.
24. A League team may pick up 3 or less players to play a game. More than 3 picked up players may result in a forfeiture of the official win. Women may participate in a men's program.
25. All persons using or visiting these facilities does so at their own risk. Please do not bring dogs to the fields during warm ups or the games.
26. The owner, management, and umpires are not responsible for any injuries.
27. No illegal drugs shall be brought onto any of these premises and no alcohol is allowed at Community Park.
28. No glass containers are allowed at Cullen Park.
29. No weapons or firearms shall be brought onto any of these premises.
30. All children must be supervised by a parent or guardian.
31. Everyone parks in the designated parking lots. Please drive slowly and carefully.
32. Be aware of the City of Houston policy that Tournaments are allowed to finish and will take priority over League schedules. We only had to postpone 1 time in 2002 and no times in 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, or 2007. We may have to postpone some in 2008. Rescheduling games is part of the process that permits us to play on Sundays.
33. On some Sundays Cullen Park will be closed for use by other City of Houston programs.
34. Private Complexes set their own policies in regard to alcohol. We come to play ball and not to get drunk. Please work together on this very important issue.
35. Home Runs - The number of home runs per game is the only Ground Rule which is negotiable. At the coin flip teams may agree to go up, but not down in Home Runs.
Thank you players, umpires, and all participants for working with me. Ralph Hall, 281-342-0789Last Revised 11-02-2008
Altered or Illegal Bat Policy
Effective: November 2, 2008
If Texas Softball Hall of Fame, an umpire, or any player, thinks that an altered or illegal bat (as defined in accordance with the applicable softball governing body) is being used, Texas Softball Hall of Fame has the right to inspect the bat. If Texas Softball Hall of Fame feels that further inspection or testing is needed, Texas Softball Hall of Fame also has the right to confiscate the bat. The bat will be returned once such further inspection and testing has been completed. If it is determined that the bat has been altered or is illegal, Texas Softball Hall of Fame has the right, in its sole discretion, to either suspend the offending player, the bat owner, or the whole team from playing in Texas Softball Hall of Fame events, in either league play and/or tournaments, for whatever time period Texas Softball Hall of Fame deems appropriate. If a suspected offending player or bat owner does not allow Texas Softball Hall of Fame to confiscate the bat, then Texas Softball Hall of Fame will also have the right, in its sole discretion, to either suspend the offending player or the whole team from playing in Texas Softball Hall of Fame events, in either league play and/or tournaments, for whatever time period Texas Softball Hall of Fame deems appropriate.
The responsibility for knowing whether a bat is altered is that of the user and the owner of the bat. If an individual uses an altered or illegal bat in Texas Softball Hall of Fame event, the punishment/suspension will be imposed without regard to what the individual knew about the bat being altered. An individual must know that his bat is not an altered bat, if he uses it in Texas Softball Hall of Fame events. If he does not know that the bat is altered, the individual can still be suspended. The fact that the individual did not know that the bat was altered is not a factor in imposing the suspension. The question is only whether the bat is altered or not.
In addition to the rules and policies of the governing sanctioning bodies, altered bats are bats, which (1) had the surface of the barrel or the taper changed in any way such as by sandpapering or applying a solvent to the surface such as fingernail polish remover or by any other means, (2) had the plug removed/replaced or changed in any way, (3) had the knob removed/replaced or changed in any way, (4) had anything removed or added to the inside or outside of the bat other than tape at the handle or knob, (5) are subjected to pressure in any manner that exceeds that of striking the bat against an approved ball traveling at game like speeds and such excessive presume would include, but is not limited to, any compression, rolling, placing in a vice, or hitting a stationary object such as a pole.
Cracked, worn (paint/lettering wear is not a problem so long as the bat can be identified and has the appropriate BPF marking, but any wearing of the bat material or identifying paint or BPF wear will be cause for removal) or damaged bats are not altered bats, but will also be subject to removal from play by Texas Softball Hall of Fame or the umpires. Such cracked, worn or damaged bats will not result in a player suspension, unless the player or team returns the offending bat into play after it has been removed or the bat is also altered.
Texas Softball Hall of Fame is intent and serious on eliminating altered and illegal bats from its events and rental facilities. Sportsmanship, fairness, and safety are high priorities for those who choose Texas Softball Hall of Fame and remain its loyal supporters. If you do not value sportsmanship, fairness, and safety, then please make a choice to not play with those who do.
Call Ralph Hall @
281-342-0789-0- 1, 2, or 3
E-mail:
ralph@txsoftballhalloffame.com
Website:
www.txsoftballhalloffame.com
