Bedford Softball Association

It is the intention and goal of the Bedford Parks Department and the Bedford Softball Association to provide good and competitive recreational softball leagues for our community. We appreciate all teams and sponsors’ participation and look forward to a great year at the Murray Park Softball facility. It is the responsibility of all employees, players, spectators, and coaches to follow these rules and policies at all times. It is the responsibility of the team manager or coach to inform all players of these rules and policies.

1. Men’s and Women’s summer league will consist of a 10-game schedule, Church & Coed 8-game Schedule, all being followed by a single elimination divisional tournament.
   
   
2. Men’s, Women’s, and Coed Fall Leagues will all consist of an 8-game schedule.
   
   
3. Teams will be placed in the division that the Recreation Director and BSA Board feel that they are best suited for, based on the rosters.
   
   
4. Schedules will be dependent on team amounts. Special requests will not be granted for game times or dates. Once season schedules are made available, no changes will be made unless weather conditions warrant them.
   
   
5. Rainouts will be determined by the Bedford Parks Department and be rescheduled when time and dates permit. It is the coach’s responsibility to contact the Parks office during inclement weather to be made aware of game postponements or cancellations. Game cancellations will be posted on the Parks Department Facebook page. (If a game is rained out while being played, the game will either be called after 4.5 innings if the home team is up, or the game will be restarted. Games will not be resumed from the same spot.)

1. All rosters must have full legal name, signature, address and be submitted before the designated deadline date.
   
   
2.  All players must be at least 15 years old to play. A parent or guardian must sign the roster for any player under the age of 18. It is the coach’s responsibility to make sure all players are of legal age before they are placed on a roster or enter a game.
   
   
3. Men may only be listed on one team roster for Summer League and/or listed on one Church League team.
   
   
4. Women’s teams can utilize the multiple player rules with the following provisions:
   A. Players that utilize this rule can only be listed on 2 team’s rosters.
   
   B. No player can be listed on the rosters of 2 teams in the same division.
   
   
5. Men may only be listed on one Fall League team roster.
   
   
6. Players may only be listed on one Summer Co-Ed Roster and/or on one Co-Ed Fall Roster.
   
   
7. Church League eligibility: Teams will consist of players who attend the church they are playing for and up to 3 who attend a church that does not have a team, (with Board approval). All rosters must be approved and signed by the respective church Pastor or Minister prior to the registration deadline. Church league was developed for the area churches to be able to enter teams of church members/attendees.
   

1. All coaches and players are expected to conduct themselves in a mature manner. The use of profane, obscene, or abusive language or behavior will not be tolerated and are subject to ejection.
   
   
2. Only the team Coach is allowed to discuss disagreements with umpires. Any others shall be subject to ejection at the umpire’s discretion. Team managers are responsible for their players’ actions at all times.
   
   
3. It is the player’s responsibility to be coherent at all times while participating at Murray Park in any events. Umpires have the discretion of disqualifying any player they feel is not coherent enough to play.
   
   
4. Absolutely no alcoholic beverages will be permitted in the softball complex areas; this includes gravel area, concrete area, pavilion, between fields, dugouts, and playing field. Violation can result in player or team suspensions from league and tournaments. This will be dealt with through a Zero Tolerance Policy.
   
   
5. It is an automatic ejection and suspension for any player or coach who in any way makes a threat toward any BSA employee, on or off the field, while at the Murray Park facility.
   
   
6. Fighting is an automatic ejection and suspension from league and tournaments.
   
   
7. Any player ejected for any reason will be subject to the following conditions:
   A. First ejection - Suspended for the next 14 calendar days and pay $50.00 reinstatement fee.
   
   B. Second ejection - Suspended for the remainder of the year. The Recreation Director and BSA board will also set conditions and restrictions for the succeeding year.
   
   
8. The Recreation Director/BSA Board will be responsible for determining any additional restrictions.
   
   
9. Any misconduct by any umpire or BSA employee must be presented to the Recreation Director in writing within 48 hours.
   

1. League rules will be governed by USA/ASA rules except when superseded by local league rules.
   
   
2. It is the responsibility of the coach to turn in the lineup 10 minutes prior to game time.
   
   
3. When a Team or Player is found to be using a false or fictitious name in lineup, that game is an automatic forfeit and Team and/or player are subject to suspension from league.
   
   
4. In Men’s and Women’s Summer League, Men’s and Women’s Church league, all players must wear shirts of the same like color with at least a 3 inch number on back.
   A. Players that do not comply with this rule will be assessed an out on their first at bat.
   
   B. There is no same color/number shirt requirement for: Men’s Fall League and Fall Co-Ed League.
   
   C. Any shirt sleeves cut to where the stitch line cannot be seen will be illegal, and players wearing them will not be allowed to participate. If a shirt is deemed illegal, a player may change to a legal shirt, or may wear an undershirt that does meet the appropriate specifications.
   
   
5. Any Association stamped bat, provided it is not on a non-approved bat list can be used for league play. No Senior Bats allowed. BSA reserves the right to ban a bat from play at any time.
   
   
6. Teams may pick up to 2 non-roster players with the following conditions:
   A. All pickup players requested must be reported by the coach to the home plate umpire prior to the coin toss and must be approved by the opposing coach. Upper division players cannot be picked up by a lower division team.
   
   B. If a pickup player is discovered after the coin flip, the pickup player will be considered an illegal
   player. Any illegal player(s) and the offending coach will be ejected, and the game forfeited.
   
   
7. Batting/game lineup requirements:
   A. Teams can start/play with 8 or 9 players with no automatic out assessed. Teams starting a game shorthanded may add players to the lineup at any time but shall not exceed 10 lineup players.
   
   B. Teams may start the game with up to a maximum of 15 players on their lineup.
   
   C. If at any time a players leaves the game for any reason and a substitute is not available, that position in the lineup will be assessed an out.
   
   D. A game cannot start or continue with a team batting/fielding less than eight players.
   Effect: A forfeit will be declared against the offending team.
   
   E. No changes in the lineup will be allowed after the coin toss, except for legal substitutions.
   
   
8. Coin Toss – Game Clock
   A. A coin toss by an Umpire with the two head coaches will determine the Home team designation.
   
   B. If a head coach does not attend home plate meeting in a timely manner or does not have their lineup turned into the official scorer by the scheduled start time, the opposing coach shall be granted their choice of the Home team designation. Further delay in turning in a lineup can result in a forfeit.
   
   C. The game clock shall start immediately after the Home team designations has been determined.
   
   
9. All league games have a one hour time limit. If the time limit expires, the inning will be finished unless the home team is ahead.
   
   
10. No smoking is allowed on the playing field, in the dugouts or in the gravel area.
    
    
11. No metal spikes or cleats will be allowed in League play.
    
    
12. No digging allowed in the batter’s boxes. Penalty is an out.
13. Stealing is not allowed in League play.
    
    
14. The Home Run Limits will be set annually and posted. Any home run hit over the limit will be an out.
    
    
15. It is the team at bat responsibility to retrieve homerun balls and foul balls. If teams do not make an effort in a timely manner an out will be assessed and game clock will continue to run.
    
    
16. All leagues will utilize a Floating Rubber, wherein there will be two pitching rubbers located approximately 6 feet apart. The pitcher’s pivot foot must be within the width; and on one or between the two rubbers.
    
    
17. If a pitcher is hit by a batted ball where the pitcher is removed and/or there are any signs of a significant injury, the Umpires shall take possession of the bat and ball immediately to be inspected by the League Director and may be subject to be sent to the National USA/ASA Office for testing.
    
    
18. Umpires have the authority to suspend games for any weather issue they feel is warranted. All fields shall follow the same protocol. When any lightning is seen, all play shall be suspended immediately and taking shelter is recommended. If play is suspended due to lightning, resumption of play shall not resume until at least 15-minutes have passed since the last flash of lightning. Officials will have the discretion to cancel the games for the remainder of the day/evening.
    
    
19. Protests:
    A. Managers protesting a game must completely fill out the Protest Form and present it to the
    Recreation Director within 48 hours of the game in question.
    
    B. A $25 protest fee must also be paid with the protest form. If upheld, the fee will be reimbursed.
    
    C. Rulings will only be made on rule violations or misinterpretations of the rules. Judgment calls cannot
    be protested and will not be considered.
    
    
20. Forfeits:
    A. A $40.00 forfeit fee may be charged to teams that forfeits.
    
    B. On forfeited games, teams may practice on the field until 15 minutes before the next scheduled game.
    
    
21. Tie Breaker Rule
    A. Season record
    Heads up play won and loss
    Total allowed runs defensively for season
    Total runs scored for season