2010 RULES & REGULATIONS

UPDATED 5/26/10

The Chi-Town Softball Classic will follow ASA/NAGAAA 2009 ratings and rules except where superseded by the rules listed below.

RAINOUT INFORMATION

RAINOUT INFORMATION TO BE UPDATED CLOSER TO ACTUAL TOURNAMENT DATE.

CHI-TOWN SOFTBALL CLASSIC 2010

These rules will be also available in the program booklet that you receive when you register.

The Chi-Town Softball Classic will follow ASA / NAGAAA / rules except where superseded by the rules listed below:

Registration & Rosters

All players must register to play by signing the official Chi-Town Softball Classic Form in Chicago.

All Players must register by signing their team’s roster prior to bracket play beginning. Players will not be eligible to play if they have not signed in before bracket play begins. Any player found playing a bracket game without having signed the player roster is subject to suspension and the team will forfeit that game. Any previous bracket game is also subject to forfeiture. A Photo ID will be required at registration.

All teams must show proof of ASA membership by supplying their ASA rosters signed by all their players.

If a team does not have proof of ASA membership, they will pay the ASA membership fees through Chi-Town Softball Classic (In state or out of state fee, which ever applies. )

All Open Division teams must submit team roster with ratings for their players, and a registration form prior to June 26th, 2010. These ratings need to include answers to the NAGAAA Open Division 27 question rating system.

Registration will be at Halsted’s from 7pm-10pm on Friday, July 2rd, 2010 for the D Division and the Women’s Division.

Registration will be at Hydrate from 7pm-10pm on Friday, July 2nd, 2010 for the C Division.

Registration will also be available at each field complex for late registrants.  Late registrants are required to register at minimum of 1 hour prior to their team’s last/Final/Second pool play game.

There will be a managers meeting on Friday night at a location that will be posted on the Chi-Town Softball Classic Website.  Managers are required to attend or designate a representative for their team.

1. Pick Up Players

A team may pick up added players after their final roster is due if the player(s) does not adversely affect the overall team rating (meaning put the team into a higher division) If a team adds players after submitting their final roster, it will be up to the discretion of the Chi-Town Softball Classic committee to move the team to a different division of play based on overall team rating.

Pick Up players must bring proof of current rating signed by your League Commissioner. Pick Up players must register prior to playing, period. Furthermore, they must be on a team’s roster for at least one round robin game.

2. Mercy Rule

20 after 4 innings, 15 after 5 innings or more. This rule will be in effect for all games except the Championship and “If” games.

3. Home Team Rule

Home Team for each game will be determined by a flip of the coin. Teams that have traveled the furthest get to call the flip. In the case of two teams being from the same city, it is up to the teams involved to decide who calls the flip or at the discretion of the umpire.

4. Official Scorebook Rule

The official scorebook will be that of the home team. The visiting team is, therefore, highly encouraged to confirm the score with the Home Team every ½ inning.

5. Tie-Breaker Rule

Ties will stand in all Pool Play games when time has expired, During pool play, games will be only 7 innings and no extra innings will be played.  Ties can happen in pool play.   During bracket play, if the score is tied after the completion of 7 innings of play, then the International tie-breaker rule shall be in effect. When each team takes its at-bat, the last batter from the previous inning is placed on 2nd base and the teams play full innings with no outs until the tie is broken.  No courtesy runner will be allowed for the “last out” of the previous inning, a substitution may be made for the runner, however, the substitution rules apply.

6. Forfeit Rule

Forfeit time is game time. If games are behind schedule then game time will be as soon as the umpire starts the game clock. If a team is unable to field at least 9 eligible players at game time or game start time they will forfeit the game.

7. Short-Handed Rule

A team must have at least 9 players present to start or continue a game. If a team starts a game with less than 10 players, then the vacant position must be listed last in the batting order and an out will be assessed when the vacant position comes to the plate in the batting order. If playing short handed and an additional player arrives, they can enter the game immediately if they are listed in the lineup or as a substitute. When inserted into the game they must they must be inserted into the vacant position.

8. Courtesy Runner Rule

A team is allowed one courtesy runner per inning. The courtesy runner is the last out or, if it is the first inning and there are no outs it’s the last batter in the batting line-up.

9. Extra Players on Offense Rule

Teams can have up to 12 players on their batting lineup. If a team starting with 12 players loses a player during the game and has no one to substitute for that player then an out will be assessed whenever the player that left the line-up would come up to bat, unless that player was removed for an injury. If you start the game with only 10 players in the batting line-up you may not increase the number of players in the batting line-up.

9A: Ejected Players

Any player ejected from a game is ineligible to play in their next team’s game.

10. Approved Bats Rule

All ASA approved bats will be allowed for play in all divisions. The ASA approved bat list can be found at:  http://www.softball.org/about/certified_equipment.asp.

11. Uniform Rule

Teams are not required to have like-colored uniforms. However, an Arabic whole number, of contrasting color, at least 6 inches high must be worn and visible on the back of all uniform shirts. No players on the same team may wear identical numbers (Numbers 0 and 00 or 3 and 03 are examples of identical numbers.). Players without numbers will not be permitted to play.

12. Line-ups

Teams will exchange line-ups at the beginning of each game. Line-ups need to include player’s name, jersey number, position and anyone they may wish to substitute into that game. If a player was not listed on the lineup as a substitute at the beginning of the game they will not be eligible to enter that game.

13. Base Stealing and Bases:

Base stealing and lead offs are not allowed. The ASA double bag rule is in effect: defensive players must use the inside bag at 1st base, offensive players must use the outer bag if not continuing to second base. In the event of a wild throw to 1st, both bags are open to both players.  It is the offensive player’s responsibility to avoid contact with the defensive player at all times.  The umpire on the field will use their discretion to make a call on contact issues.

14. Eligible Players

A player is eligible to play in the Chi-Town Softball Classic Open Division if they have signed their team’s roster and have yes’s and no’s assigned to each rating question. Their placement on a team’s roster must comply with the Division Determination rules indicated below. No player is allowed to be on more than one team’s roster that is playing in the Chi-Town Classic.

15. Strike Count

Round Robin Games will begin with a 1/1 count. All bracketed games will begin with a 1/1 count.

16. Game Time Limits

Round Robin: 55 minutes; No new inning will begin after 50 minutes. No tiebreakers.

Bracket Play: 55 minutes; No new inning will begin after 50 minutes. International tiebreaker.

Trophy Games: No time limit.  Completion of all 7 innings.

17. Tournament Divisions

Open Division

Calculating Open Division Team Designation: All Open Division players must be rated. Teams or players that do not have established 2009 NAGAAA ratings must be rated and those ratings by question submitted on the established Cascade Cup roster. Players that have established 2009 NAGAAA ratings must use that rating except when their rating was increased for their Leagues 2009 season they must use the higher 2009 rating. If a players rating was decreased from 2008 to 2009 the lower rating can be used as long as team submits written confirmation on the rating change from their League Commissioner. All ratings are subject to protest. The ten (10) top rated players will be added together to give the team rating for all Open Division Teams.

D Division All teams rated 0-100. No players rated over 10 allowed on a D division team.

C2 Division Teams rated between 100-130.  Division split will be determined by tournament committee.   No players rated over 14 allowed on a C division team.

C1 Division Teams rated between 100-130.  Division split will be determined by tournament committee.  No players rated over 14 allowed on a C division team.

18. Protests

There are two kinds of protests that will be allowed:

The first is for a Player’s Eligibility or Rating. Only opposing teams can file a protest for a Player’s Eligibility or Rating and must do so prior to the end of the game. The protest must be filed with the game umpire and needs to include the specific player (or players) being protested and for rating protests it needs to include the specific questions being protested. The cost to file a protest is $100 and $40 per question during Pool Games and $200 and $50 per question during Double Elimination games.  This fee must be paid in CASH only.  No protests will be accepted during trophy games. If any aspect of the protest is upheld the total fees will be returned to the protesting team. All Protests will be heard by the established Tournament Protest Committee and that Committees decision will be final. If the protest is upheld and the team’s rating exceeds the limit for the Division they are playing in or if a players rating exceeds the limit for a player in that division the protested game will be forfeited. The team can continue to play in the tournament as long as it wasn’t their 2nd loss in Double Elimination play and if they drop the appropriate protested players that would allow their team rating to be within the limit for their division or drop any players that exceed the player rating limit for their division.

The second is for Rule Interpretation: Rule interpretation protests need to be filed with the umpire at the time the ruling comes into question. There is a $50 fee for a rules interpretation protest. The Umpire in Chief will resolve all rule interpretation protests. The Umpire in Chief’s decision is final. Judgment calls cannot be protested.  Protests during round robin play will be heard at the designated complex for the Open Division immediately after Round Robin play and before Bracket Play begins. Results of the

protest (if any) will be applied to the protested team prior to Bracket Play.

Protests during Bracket Play will be heard immediately (on site) after the game in question and will be decided before either team continues on in the tournament. Results of the protest (if any) will be immediately applied in bracket play. No Player Eligibility or Ratings protests will be allowed in trophy games.

19. Tournament Format

All divisions will play 2 pool games that will seed them for double elimination play.. This format guarantees every team 4 games. Seeding for Double Elimination Play will be determined by:

•Win/Loss Record

•Radom Draw for those with the same Win/Loss Record

Round Robin:

Pools will be selected by distributing participating cities teams across all pools in the Division.

Round Robin games will have a 55 minute time limit with no new innings after 50 minutes.

Each batter will begin with a 1/1 count with NO foul to give.

Double Elimination Bracket Play

All double elimination games except championship games will have a 55 minute time limit with no new inning starting after 50 minutes.

Ties will be played out using the International Tie-Breaker Rule. The last out of the previous inning will go to second base. Play will resume with each team getting three outs, playing complete innings until the tie is broken.

All championship games will be a full seven innings, with no time limit.

Each batter will start with a 1-1 count and NO foul to give.

20. Awards

1st through 3rd place awards will be given in Open C1, Open C2, Open D and Women’s Division.

All Champions will receive a Team Championship Trophy. 

21. Code of Conduct

All teams will be required to adhere to a Code of Conduct while participating in Chi-Town Softball Classic.

22. Special Situations

The Tournament Director will resolve and have the final say on any situation that may emerge during the tournament that is not covered by these or ASA rules.  The first person that teams should contact, however, is the appropriate field director, who will alert the Tournament Director.