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SSWC RULE CHANGES FOR 2011 SEASON
§3.8A - UNIFORM - Section amended to allow for sleeveless jerseys. This is in recognition of the trend in uniform manufacturers to offer that style of jersey.
§4.2(2) - ADDING PLAYERS - Amended to provide that tournament rosters are “frozen” as of the Manager’s Meeting the evening before play begins. NO on-site player additions allowed without Tournament Director approval before team’s first game. Managers who do not attend Manager Meeting, and do not send a representative, would be prohibited from beginning tournament play before check-in with Field Director and be prohibited from Roster additions.
§4.5 - AMERICANS WITH DISABILITy ACT RULE - Amended to require person asserting coverage under the act to provide governmental issued or medical professional issued documentation of coverage.
§5.5(1) - GAME TIMES - Subsection A amended from 60 to 65 minutes for Seeding/Pool play. Subsection B amended from 65 to 70 minutes for Bracket Play (excluding Championship games. Subsection C amends official game time start from delivery of first pitch to two (2) minutes after the umpire’s coin toss.
§5.5(3) - FLIP-FLOP RULE - Flip-Flop Rule remains unchanged at Seeding/Pool play level of the tournament and may be voluntarily invoked by BOTH managers in a game with a 10-Run differential in favor of the Visiting team at the start of the “Open Inning”. For Bracket Play, including Championship Game(s), the Flip-Flop Rule is now MANDATORY in the circumstance of a 15-Run differential in favor of the Visiting team at the start of the “Open Inning”.
§8.5 - SLIDING OPTIONAL and §8.6(5) - AVOIDING COLLISIONS - Sections merged to clarify when permissible/advisable to slide to avoid collisions at 1st Base and Scoring Plate/Line.
§13.2(4)D - AGE ELIGIBILITY AND GROUPING - Women’s Senior Division 65+ and 70+ are granted right to add underage players under the same theory as Men’s 75+ and 80+ now have. Women’s 70+ may add up to 3 underage players, with no more than one being 68 and no more than two being 69. Women’s 65+ may add one age 64 player.
§16.6 - UNSPORTSMANLIKE CONDUCT - Rule amended to include more harsh penalties for gross unsportsmanlike behavior such as assault/battery of tournament officials and umpires. Penalties strengthened to include up to lifetime ban from SSUSA events in appropriate circumstances.
2010 ISA/SSWS Women’s Rules
The following rules clarify and augment the rules provided in the Official Senior Softball-USA Rulebook. For rules not covered here, the rulebook applies. Where conflicts occur between these rules and the rulebook, these rules are official.
WOMEN'S RULES CONFORMANCE • The Men's and Women's rules were merged into a single, non-gender specific set of rules rather than as separate sections. CLARIFICATION: The Women's roster composition rules will NOT be conformed to the Men's rules. Geographic rules for the Women will remain UNCHANGED for the Senior divisions (ages 50+ and older).
• 40-MASTERS REGION RULES • The Men's and Women's 40-Masters teams are now being rated instead of being 'open' divisions.
· The ball
Women use an 11 inch slow pitch softball, .47 COR, at least 500 compression rating, optic yellow.
· The arc
The height of a legal pitch must be from six (6) feet to twelve (12) feet above the playing surface.
· Count
Each offensive player starts with a zero (0) zero (0) count.
· Foul ball rule
A fly ball caught in foul territory with less then two outs, with runners on base, is NOT a dead ball. The ball remains alive and runners may advance at the risk of being out. A foul tip is NOT a foul ball unless the ball rises to a height above the batter’s head.
· Bats
Legal bats are stamped either 1.20 bpf or ASA2000. The original Miken Ultra and the “Rip It” bats are banned. No additional bats have been banned.
· Strike zone mat
The strike mat will be used. Dimensions will be 19” wide and 34 ½ deep. The mat will be placed over Home Plate, aligned at the front edge. A defensive player making a play at Home Plate will be allowed to complete the force-out by touching any portion of the strike mat, not just home plate.
· Commitment line
A commitment line twenty (20) feet from the scoring plate will be used. Once a runner’s foot touches the ground on or past this line, the runner is committed to advancing to the scoring plate. NOTE: If a runner recrosses the commitment line she will be declared out and the ball remains live.
· Five (5) run limit per inning
Teams are limited to five (5) runs per inning, except for the final inning of the game in which each team can score an unlimited number. The umpire must announce the last inning unless it is the seventh (7th) inning.
· Courtesy runners
A courtesy runner may be used for a base runner at any time, but the same courtesy runner may not be used more than once per inning. Any player on the roster may be a courtesy runner. A player who has been replaced by a courtesy runner may not become a courtesy runner later in the same inning. Any courtesy runner found running in violation of this rule will be called out.
· Unrestricted batters
There is no restriction on the number of batters, but the lineup cannot be changed after the first pitch. A team dropping below the original number of batters in the lineup, and not having a substitute, will record an out when that position comes up to bat for the first time.
· Scoring plate
Whenever possible a scoring plate replaces the scoring line. A foot down on the scoring plate or down on or past the scoring line prior to the ball being received by a defensive player touching home plate is the same as a foot down on home plate for the purpose of scoring a run.
· Crossing or touching home plate/mat
The runner shall be called out if she touches or crosses over any portion of either home plate or the strike zone mat.
· Tag by defensive player not allowed
If a defensive player tags a runner who has passed the commitment line and is attempting to score, the runner will be called safe and the ball remains live.
· Sliding and over-running bases
Sliding or diving into first base or the scoring plate is not permitted, and such players will be called out. However, a player may slide or dive into second and third bases and when returning to any base. Players are not permitted to over-run second or third base without being in jeopardy of being tagged out. Sliding into home is not permitted.
· Avoiding collisions
A runner must make every effort to avoid colliding with opposing players while running the bases. If a runner misses a base to avoid a collision, in the judgment of the umpire, she will not be called out.
· Verbal protests
Only managers or acting managers can consult with the umpire over a rule interpretation.
· Re-entry
Any of the starting players, including an EP, may be substituted and re-entered once, provided players occupy the same batting positions whenever in the lineup. The starting player and the substitute(s) may not be in the lineup at the same time. A substitute may not be removed and then re-entered in the game.
· Pitcher Protection Rule
Currently being revised
· Age qualifications
The age a player attains on her birthday in any particular calendar year will be considered to be her age for that entire calendar year.
· Game times
After time has expired (65 minutes for the seeding round, 70 minutes for bracket play except for the Championship game), the current inning will be completed and one additional full inning will be played.
· Seeding
After round robin or pool play, seeding will be determined in the following manner:
Ø 1. WON/LOSS record.
Ø 2. HEAD TO HEAD competition.
Ø 3. LEAST RUNS SCORED AGAINST.**
Ø 4. RUN DIFFERENTIAL.
Ø 5. FLIP OF COIN.
v Only the scores of the teams involved in a tie will be considered in calculating 3 and 4 above.
** Equalizer runs are included. If a team has a forfeit, then the game with the least runs scored will be removed from the equation of all affected teams.
· Championship game
- Two (2) umpires will be used in championship games in all tournaments.
- There will be no time limit on championship games.
- Definition: A Championship game is a game in which the winner may be declared champion.
· Rosters
Rosters must be submitted prior to a tournament with the entry fee. No player can be added to the roster after the close of the manager's meeting the evening before. Players must be listed on the roster and on the Game Card to play in a game.
If a player cannot be present on the first day of play, the Manager/Coach must get prior approval from their Division Director. If approved, the player's name must be listed on the roster prior to the start of the tournament with an (*). This player must also sign in with the Field Director before playing their first game. This player will be deemed an "Ineligible" player if not signed in.
· Double team registration
2010 will allow players to Double Roster as long as the player is within the age eligibilty of the age division. No schedule will be rearranged to accomodate a player to play on two different teams of two different age divisions.
· Number of players on team
Ten (10) players constitute a team for the master’s division (age groups 40+ and 45+). A team may start a game with no fewer than nine (9) players. A tenth (10th) player on the roster may be added any time during the game, batting in the last (10th) position. Unless the tenth (10th) position is filled, an out will be declared the first time that position comes to bat.
Eleven (11) players constitute a team for the senior division (all age groups 50+ and above). A team may start a game with no fewer than ten (10) players. An eleventh (11th) player on the roster may be added any time during the game, batting in the last (11th) position. Unless the eleventh (11th) position is filled, an out will be declared the first time that position comes to bat.
· Tie games
Tie games after seven (7) innings or time limit will continue until one team is ahead after the completion of any subsequent inning. The international tie breaker rule will be in effect when a game is tied after the seventh (7th) inning is completed.
· International tie breaker rule
When the teams are tied and going into extra innings, each team starts each inning with a runner on second base. That base runner is the batter-runner (player at bat) when the last out was made in the previous inning, and no substitute or courtesy runner may replace her until she has reached third base. If the last batter out cannot continue to play because of injury, illness, etc., she will be declared out and the next previous batter out will be the tie-breaker runner.
· Flip-flop rule
Flip-Flop Rule remains unchanged at Seeding/Pool play level of the tournament and may be voluntarily invoked by BOTH managers in a game with a 10-Run differential in favor of the Visiting team at the start of the “Open Inning”. For Bracket Play, including Championship Game(s), the Flip-Flop Rule is now MANDATORY in the circumstance of a 15-Run differential in favor of the Visiting team at the start of the “Open Inning”.
· Team rosters and competition
There are no geographic restrictions for team makeup. A team roster for the World Championships is frozen at the manager's meeting the evening before the competition play.
TOC ROSTERS: Teams must use the rosters with which they won the Championships. Teams may addplayers in the same skill level and in the next older age group up to a maximum of 15 players (16 players for age groups that normally play with 11 defensive players.) If teams wish to add players the same age group and same skill level, they must to submit a written request that states the player's name and the previous team the player was on. Those exceptions are evaluated and granted or denied on an individual player-by-player basis. There are NO automatic invitations to the TOC. All single-division teams need to win in whatever division they are placed into in order to be invited.
· Format modification
SSWC qualifier tournaments and the Championships will use the same format when possible. However, qualifier tournaments may have valid reasons for modifying their format. In such a case, the tournament director may change the format with the concurrence of SSWC.
· Scheduling modifications
SSWC reserves the right to place any team in any division for the purpose of competitive equality.
· Age Divisions
Women have as many age groups as possible, starting with the “Masters Division 40+. Senior age groups will start with 50+ and go up in increments of 5 years (e.g., 55+, 60+, 65+, etc.).
Only players that reach the age defined by the age group before December 31st will be allowed on the roster (for example, all players in the 60+ age group must be at least 60 before Dec 31st).
· Equalizers
When two teams from different age divisions are playing, the team in the younger age division will give the team in the older age division 5 runs for one incremental difference in age. For ecah incremental difference in age thereafter the number of runs will increase by 2. For example, a 60+ team will give a 65+ team 5 runs because the 65+ is the next age division up from the 60+ division. A 55+ teams will give the 65+ team 7 runs because the 65+ is two age division up from the 55+. The 5-run equalizer is granted at one run per inning, from innings 2 through 6, inclusive. The 7-run equalizer is granted at one run per inning in each of the first seven innings played.
Teams playing in different age divisions will be avoided if at all possible. A three team makeup will be considered a division and qualify for the awards. If there are not three teams in a particular age division, SSWC will give the option to the short division of playing or not.
· UNSPORTSMANLIKE CONDUCT
New provisions to be added to SSUSA Rule Book to impose penalties for Unsportsmanlike Conduct ejections from Game(s) and/or Tournament(s). Variable penalties based upon severity of the incident, empowering Field Directors, Tournament Directors and the SSUSA Executive Board to impose additional sanctions when warranted.
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