Division C Rules

ASSL C-Division Objectives, Policies & Rules 2023

Objectives

The C-Division is for Men 65 years or older (turns 65 in calendar year). SSUSA rules are used unless the board feels that a safety issue is involved or would just fit our needs better. This is a recreational league.

Procedures/Policies

BOARD: The C-Division Board shall consist of 5 men registered to play in the Division. Terms are for 3 years with staggering roll off years. Two will roll off 2 of the 3 years and 1 will roll off the 3rd . Currently the board consist of Paul Rubin (Treasury), Ken Brown (President), Greg Tolander (Secretary), Roger Geras (Vice President), and Adam Gordon (Game Scheduler). Roger Geras, along with Greg Tolander, will function as Roster Coordinators.

REGISTRATIONS: Registration starts 1/25/24 this year. There will be two practice sessions before the season starts 3/4/24.

NOTE: again this year the board is asking, if you are a returning player assigned to the same team as last year, to please reuse your current jersey and hat. New players or players assigned to different teams from last year will be issued new jerseys and hats.

GAMES: Game locations are contracted through PARD, and they have final say as to where and when we can play. Both B and C Divisions currently have Krieg Fields 3 from 8:00-4:00. We will schedule our games before the B-division games. Currently our C-Division games are played at 8:30AM (Draw time of 8:15AM for first game) and 9:30AM (draw time of 9:15AM). We will be using a 50-minute clock with a 3 minute warning to indicate that the next inning will be the open inning.

All pertinent information on teams, players, schedule, rules, etc. can be found at the ASSL Website located at: website www.austinseniorsoftball.com.

LOTTERY DRAW: For teams that have less than 10 players or wish to play 11 on defense, we will have a draw fifteen minutes before game time. Every player in the league will be issued a poker chip (white for position players and blue for pitchers) to put their names on. Players who wish to have a chance to play in a game their team in not involved in may do so by placing their chip in the can. An umpire will conduct the draw by first identifying if both teams have pitchers. If not, pitchers not scheduled for that game will have their blue chips in the bucket. The umpire will remove all the white chips and then manager or representative of the team with the worst record of the two teams in current session will draw for their pitcher for that game. After the pitchers have been determined the white chips are placed back in the bucket with the remaining blue ones. The umpire will start the draw procedure for position players. Again the manager or representative of the team with worst record in the current session have first draw privileges. The umpire will determine how many players each team need; he will draw the number of chips needed to equal that number. The chips are then laid out with the names up. If the team with the worst record of the two teams in the current session needed to draw for a pitcher, that draw does count as their first pick. If the team with the worst record does not need a pitcher but the other team does then the team with the worst record will pass his first draw to the opposing team that does which will count as the first draw for that game. So the first position player drawn should now go back to the team with the worst record. Teams will draw alternately. If both teams have equal records in the current session, the home team will have first draw privileges. The first pick will choose any one of the names-up chips for their player for that game and the other manager will do the same until both teams have been filled. All chips not used will be given back to the players by the umpire. The managers will return the chips to the players they have drawn.

If there are not enough players to fill both teams, the batting team will provide a catcher for their opponents and will play as if they were part of that team. They will get relief to prepare for their own batting spot. There may be the need to make other adjustments like shutting down the opposite field side of the batter.

If your team is assigned to umpire and your manager has determined that you should umpire, you should not participate in the player draw.

NEW PLAYERS: Board Policy on assigning players has the following components:

1. The primary goal is to balance the ability of teams as much as feasible.

2. If players have a reasonable request to be on a specific team, the Board will consider it in the context of item  1, above.

The managers are responsible for the initial draft. The roster coordinator(s) are responsible for assignments of new players who appear in-season, and rebalancing of teams as per the supplemental draft policy. They should do this in consultation with the managers.

If there is an unforeseen problem with no readily apparent solution, the roster coordinator(s) should ask for help from the Board.

When someone new comes to the league, he will be issued a chip for his use starting in his 2nd game day. On his first game day he is assigned to both home teams so his playing abilities can be seen by all managers. If the home team has enough players (NOT DRAWS) but the visitors are short players, then the new player will be assigned to the visitors. After his initial day of games, the roster coordinators (this year Roger Geras & Greg Tolander) will make his roster assignment.

TEAM REVAMP: At the end of each session, a team, or teams with a winning percentage below 400 may be eligible for a player draft. Their eligibility will be determined by the roster coordinators. However, the decision to do the draft is up to the eligible team manager to initiate. The draft is implemented by the manager, not the board. If they wish, they can stand pat with their current players. The results of this process do not need board approval. The board must, however, be notified so the rosters can be made current. Each team may protect up to 3 players in addition to their manager and pitcher (both are protected) that cannot be traded. After the draft, the player changing teams becomes one of the 3 protected players and cannot be drafted again in the same year. The drafting team manager can pick one unprotected player. The team providing the player is NOT compensated. The drafting team manager can also engineer up to 2 mutually agreed trades with any manager(s). A traded player can ONLY BE MOVED or TRADED once per season (year), he then becomes a protected player on his current team.

Teams will be recognized only by the jersey color; no team names will be used.

BEHAVIOR: Please restrain for foul language and arguments with umpires, opponents or teammates. Violators may be ejected from the game and subject to dismissal from the league by the board.

C-Division Rules

(will use the latest SSUSA rules (2019-2020, 2022 Summary) unless otherwise noted.)

1. PITCHING • All pitchers must wear a face mask (Mandatory). Pitch must be delivered with arc of 6 feet to 12 feet above the ground. Pitcher’s box (setup by PARD) is 2 feet wide by 10 feet deep. Pitcher must have some portion of one foot inside box when beginning delivery. Any part of foot touching the chalk line is considered “in” the box. No “walking the box.” Pitcher must come set and pause facing batter with ball in front of body. Pitcher may take one step while keeping pivot foot in contact with pitcher’s box. Illegal pitches are signaled (left arm extended from side with hand forming fist) and verbalized (say “illegal”) in flight when ball reaches top of arc.

2. BATTING • Batter’s box (setup by PARD) is 3 feet wide by 7 feet deep. Batter must have at least part of each foot inside batter’s box before the pitcher begins delivery. Any portion of the foot touching the chalk line is considered “in” the box. On the swing, the batter is considered out of the box when he has one foot on the ground completely outside the box when contact is made (fair or foul ball). This is a dead ball out. (C-Division: We have not enforced this in the last 7 years except for some stepping on Homeplate as part of their swing. Bats with a BPF of 1.20 or 1.21 are legal. If a batter has any health issue such as going to the restroom and misses his turn at bat, he will not be called out and may return to his regular turn next time around.)

3. A BATTED BALL: A batted ball is any ball that hits the bat or is hit by the bat and lands either in fair or foul territory. No intent to hit the ball is necessary. (Bunting or Chopping is illegal)

4. BALL/STRIKE COUNT • Batter starts with 1-1 count. The batter is allowed one foul ball; a courtesy foul is  not allowed.

5. STRIKE ZONE MAT A strike zone mat will be used. The rectangular mat will be 19″ (48.26 cm) wide and 341⁄2” (87.63 cm) in length. The mat shall be made of rubber or other suitable material. The mat is placed over home plate and be aligned with the front edge of home plate. A defensive player making a play at home plate will be considered to have completed a play by touching any portion of the strike mat. If, during the play, the mat is dislodged, the defensive player shall touch home plate, rather than the strike zone mat.

6. BASE ON BALLS: An intentional Base-on-balls is not allowed in C-Division. If the umpire believes a pitcher is intentionally throwing Balls, he may judge it as an intentional walk and is not allowed, he may call “No Pitch) instead of ball or strike.

7. DOUBLE FIRST BASE • Safety base for use by the batter runner only on initial play. Batter-runner must use the safety base if there is a play being made at the base unless he is trying to avoid a collision with the defender (a runner touching both bases simultaneously is not out). To avoid collision, the batter runner can use either bag. The defensive player must touch white bag to record an out on initial play. Calls involving the double base/ safety base are live calls by the umpire (not appeal plays). After the initial play, the double base/safety base become one base.

8. BASE RUNNING •C-Division is using the run-through lines at 2nd and 3rd bases. A runner may run across the line to the opposite side of where the ball is coming from. If he runs to the wrong side and causes and interference by the umpire’s judgement, he should be called out. He must touch the base to advance to another base. If the base is not touched before advancing, it is the same as any runner not touching a base and the runner should be called out on an appeal from the defense if seen by the umpire. If a runner runs through touching the base, he can be tagged out if he does not get back to the bag in time. A runner must make every effort to avoid collisions if this involves sliding (Not Recommended). If in umpire’s judgment the runner misses base to avoid a collision, he may be called safe. If in umpire’s judgment he fails to avoid a collision, he
may be declared out. A base runner may tag and advance on any fly ball caught in the field of play, fair or foul.

9. COURTESY RUNNERS • (Managers should not put a courtesy runner in for offensive advantage, e.g., faster runner.) Any player listed on the lineup card may be used as a courtesy runner. A courtesy runner is in game when he steps on base or behind the drawn line if coming in for the batter. If running for a batter at home , he can still take as many bases and he thinks he can. This is not limited in the C-Division. The batter cannot pass the commit line which is marked halfway to 1st base. He must notify the umpire he is entering, and be acknowledged by umpire, before pitcher is ready to deliver first pitch. A courtesy runner may enter only between at-bats (not during an at-bat). Umpire shall prohibit request for courtesy runner to enter during at-bat. A batter/runner lifted for a courtesy runner may not, themselves, become a courtesy runner in the same inning. A courtesy runner may be used for a runner who is already on any base. A courtesy runner may be used only once each inning unless the batter he was running for strikes out or fouls out. In that instance, he may, again, in the same inning be a courtesy runner. An illegal courtesy runner can be called out any time on base or after scoring and before first pitch to next batter. Should a courtesy runner be on base when his turn at bat arrives, the courtesy runner is declared out on the base then takes his turn at bat.

10. COMMITMENT LINE • Placed 30 feet up the third base line from the front edge of home plate. Once a runner touches or crosses the commitment line, he cannot retreat toward third base for any reason. A retreating runner is declared out the moment he re-crosses the commitment line. Runners tagged after touching or crossing the commitment line are declared “safe” and are not required to continue to the scoring line/plate. These are live ball calls. Umpires should make the appropriate call then focus on any remaining runners.

11. SCORING LINE/PLATE • All plays at home are treated like force outs for the out/safe call. Runners must have a foot on the ground touching the scoring line / scoring plate or have a foot down past the line) before a defender possessing the ball touches the strike mat. Runners are out at home if they cross through any of the batter’s box.

12. DEFENSE– C-Division: Defensive team outfielders must stay behind the outfield line of 180 feet from Homeplate until the batter makes contact with the ball. If a manager chooses to play an 11th defensive player, he may do so if the other team has enough (by either having enough of his own player or drawing for that purpose) to do so as well. If one team does not have enough for an 11th defensive player then the other team MAY NOT use one either. The 11th player cannot be used anywhere other than the outfield. Outfielders cannot record an out on the batter at 1st base unless relayed by an infielder. Outfielders can record outs by force outs at 2nd and 3rd bases without a relay.)

Practice/Warm up throws to 1st base are only allowed in the first inning. Please return your practice balls to the dug out of the batting team, the balls are not team possessions but belong to the division.

13. FLIP-FLOP RULE • Mandatory when home team trails by 10 or more runs entering the open inning. In this case, home team bats first in open inning. If home team still trails after three outs, game is over. If game is tied or home team takes lead, the visiting team gets its at-bat.

14. MERCY RULES • Not used in C league

15. HOME RUNS • There are no home run limits in C league.

16. OPEN INNINGS • Umpire must announce time has expired at the moment it occurs. Once time expires, finish the inning in progress. The next inning (or the seventh inning if already in play) is the open inning. Failure to make the “time has expired” announcement may result in an additional inning being played. Managers should watch the clock closely.

17. TIE-BREAKER • If the open inning ends tied, each team begins the extra inning by placing the last batter out from the previous inning at second base. Teams cannot use a courtesy runner or substitute until that player has advanced at least one base. Should the proper runner be unable to continue due to injury, an out is recorded, and the next previous batter becomes the proper runner. Tie-breaker innings are open innings.

18. GAME CARDS • Game cards are not used in the C-Division

19. PRE-GAME PREP • Pre-game prep will include the draw for short, sided teams 15 minutes before game time, home team drawing first. Any new player will be first drawn in each of his first game appearances before being placed on a team roster. PARD will drag and line the field prior to game time. Currently Greg Lloyd takes our equipment out of storage and to the field as well as the score board remote.

20. START OF GAME TIME •Game one starts at 8:30 Game two at completion of game one. C-Division
game is 50 minutes. The clock will run the entire 50 minutes before time will be called for open inning, there will be a warning 3 minutes before the 50 minutes have ended to signal the open inning.

21. KEY GAME DUTIES • The umpire will keep a record of the score and the assigned umpiring team is to furnish a score board operator.

22. PROTESTS • C-Division – protests are not allowed

23. POST-GAME DUTIES •C-Division: will have no post-game duties, we will leave everything for the B-Division’s use, they will take everything to back to the shed and clean up the dugouts .

24. SLIDING: C-Division does allow sliding although it is highly frowned on.

25. BALLS: Balls are to be COR .44 with 375 a compression.

26. BATS: Bats are to be any SSUSA/USA Senior approved bat (BPF 1.19 or higher)