AKRON AREA CHURCH LEAGUE   MEN’S SLO-PITCH BYLAWS

 

THE U.S.S.S.A. RULES WILL BE THE BASE RULES FOR THIS LEAGUE WITH THE FOLLOWING ADDITIONS AND REVISIONS.

 

  1. MINIMUM AGE: PLAYER MUST BE 16 YEARS OF AGE PRIOR TO JULY 15, HOWEVER, IF A TEAM CANNOT FIELD A TEAM, PLAYERS 14 AND 15 YEARS OF AGE (JULY 15) SHALL BE PERMITTED TO PLAY.

 

  1. CHURCH ATTENDANCE:  PLAYERS MUST ATTEND 3 “SERVICES” PER MONTH TO PLAY.  EACH CHURCH WILL BE RESPONSIBLE TO DEFINE “SERVICES”.  ANY QUESTIONS CONCERNING A PLAYER’S          ELIGIBILITY SHOULD BE DIRECTED TO A LEAGUE OFFICIAL.  

    a)  PLAYERS NEED TO PARTICIPATE IN AT LEAST ONE GAME TO BE ELIGBLE FOR PLAYOFFS

 

  1. UMPIRE DECISIONS ARE FINAL.  NO PROTESTS WILL BE ALLOWED

 

  1. SCOREBOOKS: THE GAME SCOREBOOKS ARE TO CONTAIN THE    PLAYERS FIRST AND LAST NAMES AS THE NUMBER IF AVAILABLE.  EACH TEAM WHOULD HAVE A SCOREKEEPER FOR THEIR TEAM.  IF A DISPUTE SHOULD ARISE DURING OR AFTER THE GAME THE SCOREBOOK OF THE HOME TEAM IS THE OFFICIAL RECORD OF THE GAME.

 

  1. UNIFORMS:  THE UNIFORM IS TO BE DECIDED BY EACH TEAM.  SHIRT MUST BE WORN AT ALL TIMES.  NUMBERED SHIRTS WOULD BE GREAT AND WOULD HELP THE SCOREKEEPERS.  FOR SAFETY PRECAUTIONS, NO JEWELRY SHALL BE WORN AT ANY TIME.

 

  1. STARTING TIME; GAMES SHALL START AT 6:15 & 7:15 PM.  THERE WILL BE A 5-MINUTE GRACE PERIOD FOR FIRST GAME ONLY.  NEED 8 ELIGIBLE PLAYERS TO START THE GAME.

 

  1. GAME TERMINATION: IF A TEAM IS LEADING BY MORE THAN 12 RUNS, AFTER 4-1/2 INNINGS,  15 RUNS AFTER 4 INNINGS, 20 RUNS AFTER THREE INNINGS, A RAIN OUT, OR SHORTENED GAME DUE TO DARKNESS IS AN OFFICAL GAME AFTER 4  INNINGS.

 

  1. GAME BALLS: GAME BALLS SHALL BE PROVIDED BY THE LEAGUE AND THE HOME TEAM SHALL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE GAME BALL.   THE VISITING TEAM SHALL PROVIDE A REASONABLE BACK UP BALL THAT MUST BE APPROVED BY THE UMPIRE.

 

  1. IF THE UMPIRE IS NOT THERE BY 6:05 PM, CALL THE UMPIRE ASSIGNER, DAVE THORLEY AT (330)620-2864 OR (330)688-2323.  IF THE UMPIRE STILL DOES NOT SHOW AND BOTH MANGERS AGREE TO PLAY THE GAME WITH SOMEONE FROM THE STANDS TO CALL THE GAME, BOTH MANAGERS MUST SIGN EACH OTHER’S SCOREBOOKS, AND IT WILL BE AN OFFICIAL GAME. 
  2. SHOES:  NO METAL SPIKES, NO FOOTBALL OR GOLF SHOES WITH HARD PLASTIC CLEATS.

 

  1. FOUL BALLS: U.S.S.S.A. FOUL BALL NOW IN EFFECT (1993).

 

  1. BALLS AND STRIKES: IN THIS LEAGUE, THE BATTER SHALL APPROACH THE PLATE WITH THE COUNT (1 BALL AND 1 STRIKE).

 

  1. EJECTION FROM A GAME: IF A PLAYER IS EJECTED FROM ANY GAME (REGULAR SEASON OR TOURNAMENT), THAT PLAYER WILL NOT BE PERMITTED TO PLAY THE NEXT SCHEDULED GAME.

 

  1. LINE UP: ANY TEAM MAY HAVE UP TO 15 BATTERS IN THE LINE UP.  ANY 10 OF THESE 15 PLAYERS CAN TAKE THE FIELD DEFENSIVELY DURING THE GAME AS LONG AS HE OR SHE IS IN THE LINE UP.  IF A PLAYER IS INJURED AND NO SUBSTITUTE IS AVAILABLE, THAT SPOT IN THE LINE UP IS SKIPPED IN THE BATTING ORDER WITH NO PENALTY OUT.  HOWEVER, IF A PLAYER IS EJECTED FROM THE GAME AND NO SUBSTITUTE IS AVAILABLE FOR HIS OR HER SPOT IN THE BATTING ORDER, IT WILL THEN RESULT A PENALTY OUT EACH TIME HE OR SHE IS TO BAT.  THE DECISION TO USE MORE THAN THE REQUIRED 10 PLAYERS IS STRICTLY OPTIONAL!  IF YOU CHOOSE TO HAVE MORE THAN THE REQUIRED 10 PLAYERS IN YOUR LINE UP, YOU MUST NOTIFY THE UMPIRE AND THE OPPOSING COACH.

 

  1. SUBSTITUTIONS:  OF THE 10 TO 15 PLAYERS IN THE STARTING LINE UP, THE COACH MAY PLACE A SUBSTITUTE AT ANY POSITION IN THE LINE UP.  IF THE STARTING PLAYER RETURNS TO THE LINE UP, HE OR SHE MUST BE PLACED IN THE SAME POSITION IN THE BATTING ORDER.  ONCE A STARTER HAD RETURNED TO THE LINE UP AND IS TAKEN OUT OF THE GAME A SECOND TIME, HE OR SHE CAN NO LONGER RE-ENTER THE GAME.  ONCE A SUBSTITUTE IS TAKEN OUT OF THE GAME.  HE OR SHE CAN NOT RE-ENTER THE GAME.

 

  1. MAKE-UP GAMES: ON A RAIN OUT GAME, HOME TEAM WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR GETTING 3 DATES IN A 3 WEEK SPAN AND CALLING THE OPPOSING COACH TO AGREE ON A DATE AND TIME TO PLAY THE GAME.  SUNDAYS AND WEDNESDAYS ARE EXCLUDED.

 

  1. “NEW RULE” IF A CHURCH CANCELS A GAME DUE TO A CHURCH FUNCTION, THE CHURCH THAT CANCELLED THE GAME WILL BE RESPONSIBLE TO GET THE DATES AND TIMES AND CALLING THE OPPOSING COACH.  PLEASE CALL AS SOON AS YOU NEED TO CANCEL A GAME.  DO NOT WAIT TILL THE WEEK OF THE GAME TO CANCEL, AS IT IS DIFFICULT TO GET PLAYERS ON THE PHONE WITH A SHORT NOTICE.  IF THE COACHES CAN NOT GET A DATE TO RESCHEDULE, THE LEAGUE WILL SET A DATE FOR THE GAME TO BE MADE UP.  IF YOU GET A DATE TO MAKE UP THE GAME, YOU CAN CALL RICH MORTON AT 330-571-6555 TO GET AN UMPIRE. 

 

  1. UNRULY:  IF YOU HAVE A GAME WHERE ONE TEAM IS ABNORMALLY UNRULY OR AN UMPIRE IN YOUR OPINION DOES NOT DO AN EFFICIENT JOB, PLEASE CONTACT THE LEAGUE DIRECTOR IN WRITING.  IF 3 OR MORE LETTERS ARE RECEIVED ABOUT ONE PARTICULAR TEAM OR UMPIRE, ACTION WILL BE TAKEN.

 

  1. COURTESY RUNNER: IF A HANDICAPPED OR INJURED PLAYER GETS A HIT AND MAKES IT TO FIRST BASE, A COURTESY RUNNER MAY BE INSTALLED. THE COURTESY RUNNER WILL BE THE PLAYER THAT MADE THE LAST OUT.  IN THE EVENT THE INJURED PLAYER WOULD BE THE FIRST BATTER OF THE GAME; THE OPPOSING COACH WILL CHOOSE A RUNNER.  OPPOSING TEAM MANAGER MUST INFORM OPPOSING TEAM BEFORE GAME OF HANDICAPPED OR INJURED PLAYER UNLESS, INJURY OCCURS DURING GAME.

 

  1. TIE BREAKERS: IF TWO TEAMS ARE TIED FOR FIRST PLACE AT THE END OF THE REGULAR SEASON THEY WILL BE CONSIDERED CO-CHAMPS UNLESS ONE TEAM HOLDS THE EDGE IN HEAD TO HEAD COMPETITION.

  2. THE WINNING COACH MUST E-MAIL THE SCORE TO RICH MORTON AT NLMORTON@NEO.RR.COM, NO LATER THAN 11 PM GAME NIGHT.