Quick Reference

• League Procedures
• Administration
  • Executive Board positions
• Game Play
  • Conduct
  • Members
  • Cancellations
  • Playing Rules
    • Beginning with 1-1 Count
    • Injury Substitution
    • Encroachment
    • Courtesy Runners
    • Batting Order
    • Walking men batting before women
    • Poaching
    • Scorekeeping
  • Protests
  • Game Duration
  • League Standings

League Procedures

League objectives, goals, and guides as stated below pertaining to the Three Rivers Christian Slowpitch League.

I. LEAGUE OBJECTIVES:

1. The main objective of the league is the sharing of mutual Christian love and fellowship through the merits of Jesus Christ our Lord.
2. To further develop the spirit, body and soul through physical exercise.

II. GOALS

1. To participate in a meaningful atmosphere of Christian fellowship.
2. To acquaint new members and old members within a friendly and informal framework.
3. To act as a Christian witness so that God's work may show through His people.
4. To organize and develop and perfect certain skills attributed to softball.

III. GUIDES

1. Play ball to the glory of the lord.
2. Actively engage in united prayer as Christian teams before and after each game. The home team shall lead the prayer before the game. The prayer will be held. before the umpire calls play ball. The visiting team shall lead the closing prayer.
3. Abide in Christian love the decisions made by the league officers, coaches and umpires.
4. Conduct oneself as it behooves a Christian to walk.
5. To care to participate in the decision-making process of the league.

IV. ORGANIZATION

    Per the current by-laws of the league.

V. DUTIES, RULES AND REGULATIONS

    Per the current by-laws of the league.

Bylaws

ARTICLE I-ADMINISTRATION

1. The administration of the affairs of the Three Rivers Christian Slowpitch Softball League will be by a board of interested members representing the participating churches. Eligible candidates for the offices shall be selected from the players or managers of the Three Rivers Christian Slowpitch League.
   
   
2. The Executive Board shall consist of a President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, Scheduler and Rules Advisors.
   
   
3. The League Board shall consist of one representative from each team.
   
   
4. The duties of the officers shall be as follows:
   
   
   1. PRESIDENT: The president shall preside at all general meetings of the board. He/she may designate duties to the various officers and board members in addition to those cited herein. He/she shall be authorized to appoint committees as necessary for the proper functioning of the organization.
      
      
   2. VICE PRESIDENT: The vice president shall assist the president in conducting the affairs of the league. He/she shall perform the duties of the president in the absence of that officer. He/she shall also be in charge of all extra-curricular activities of the league.
      
      
   3. SECRETARY: The secretary shall bo responsible for the game record keeping. He/she shall be responsible for the activity, publicity and supplying written reports to the league indicating league standings, playoff results, trophy holders and other pertinent information. Decisions shall be supplied to the league members in writing on a timely basis. He/she shall publish a list of all teams indicating names, phone numbers, addresses and churches. He/she shall advise all of league standings on a timely basis.
      
      
   4. TREASURER: The treasurer shall keep an accurate account of all financial transactions of the organization. He/she shall be responsible for all funds to satisfy league obligations. He she shall render a yearly financial statement for the funds with a copy sent to the league members and all participating team church sponsors. He/she shall be in charge of any other expenses which shall make the league function properly. He/she shall be responsible for the scheduling of teams and the assignments of fields.
      
      
   5. SCHEDULER: The scheduler stall be responsible for the timely publication and distribution to all teams the schedules and field assignments. He/she shall have the prime responsibility for the scheduling of teams and field assignments. The Executive Board is the responsible party for this job.
      
      
   6. RULES ADVISORS: The rules advisors shall be the contact person should any questions of rules, standards or objectives arise. They shall arbitrate any protest and judge the validity of any protest. An appeal of the rules advisors' decision may be considered by the entire Executive Board.
      
      
5. Election of officers shall be held at the spring meeting. The offices shall run from spring to spring.
   
   

1. GENERAL: The league will provide schedules and field assignments for each team and two new balls (one 11" and one 12") per game, to be brought by the home team. Teams will furnish their own gloves, catchers masks and official bats. A good clean second ball of regulation type shall be supplied by the visiting team.
   
   
2. CONDUCT GUIDES
   
   
   1. PROFANITY: A first offense will bring a warning; the second occurrence shall result in a player missing three games.
      
      
   2. CASUAL PROFANITY: (Taken from WASA Code Article 214 - Rules of Non-Championship Play - Casual Profanity Rule) Any player using casual profanity (expletives not directed at the umpire(s) or opposing player(s) and loud enough to be heard by spectators) will result in an out charged to the next batter. When casual prfanity is heard during a live ball, the out is treated as a dead ball situation. If the play results in a third out and casual profanity is used by the next offensive team, the first batter in the next inning of the offending team will be called out. If casual profanity is used by a member of the defensive team, the first batter in the next half inning will be called out.
      
      
   3. TOBACCO: Use of tobacco and tobacco products is not allowed on the playing fields or on the team benches.
      
      
3. MEMBERS AND TEAM MAKE UP: An eligible team is one with a minimum of nine players in good standing. The team shall have a roster consisting of no more than 25 players. Team members should be affiliated with a church but not necessarily the church sponsoring the team. Team members policy will be the responsibility of the individual churches. Written permission must be given for players under the age of 18 years on the Official ASA Roster. The individual churches are encouraged to use this activity to develop and promote Christian outreach. For safety reasons, a minimum age of 16 years is recommended.
   
   
   1. A TRCSL team cannot loan players to another TRCSL team. Once a player is signed on a roster of one TRCSL team, he/she cannot play another league game for a different TRCSL team.
      
      
   2. A player must have played in four regular season games to be eligible to play in the Post Season Tournament.
      
      
4. ROSTERS AND FEES: Team rosters must be turned in to the secretary by the third Thursday in April, unless otherwise specified. Until a team roster is turned in to the secretary, that team shall forfeit all games. The roster of the secretary's team will be turned in to the vice president. A copy of all team rosters are to be given to each coach. Team fees are also due on the third Thursday in April. The fees cover the cost of the balls, trophies, umpires, supplies, ASA registration fees and liability insurance for the current season.
   
   
5. CANCELLATIONS AND MAKE-UP GAMES: Both teams must show up for ball games during adverse weather. The umpire shall determine whether a game shall be played when in doubt because of weather. The home team manager will be responsible for reporting an incomplete game because of a rainout. The scheduler for the league must be contacted one week in advance of a cancellation and he/she shall be the person in charge of determining a make-up date and field for rainouts and cancellations. The home team shall retain the ball assigned for the original game. The manager of any team which cannot play a scheduled game because of extreme emergencies, special church meetings or other valid reasons will notify the opposing manager and scheduler at least one week in advance of game time or forfeit such game.
   
   
6. PLAYING RULES AND SCORE KEEPING: Game rules will be governed by Official ASA Rules, as published by ASA, with the following TRCSL modifications. The limitations for slowpitch shall be a minimum of nine players, with not less than four women.
   
   
   BEGINNING WITH 1-1 COUNT
   1. To help speed games, each batter shall begin their at-bat with a count of 1 ball and 1 strike. A foul batted with two strikes will be counted as a half-strike. Another foul, when the batter has two-and-a-half strikes will result in a strikeout.
      
      INJURY SUBSTITUTION
   2. In case of an injury to a player where all other players have previously entered the game, re-entry of a player previously removed from the game will be allowed.
      
      ENCROACHMENT
   3. While a woman is batter, all outfielders (including the rover) shall remain 140 feet from home plate until the pitched ball crosses home plate.
      
      
   4. All infielders are to remain behind base lines until a pitched ball crosses home plate.
      
      COURTESY RUNNERS
   5. A courtesy runner is allowed; however, the runner must be of the same gender as the player replaced. Also, the courtesy runner must be an eligible player that is not currently in the game, or if no such players are available, the courtesy runner will be the person of the same gender most recently at bat that is not already on base.
      
      BATTING ORDER
   6. The batting order may not consist of more than two males batting in succession at any point in the lineup, including the top and bottom of the order.
      
      WALKING MEN BATTING BEFORE WOMEN
   7. When a male batter is walked and a female follows in the batting order, the male batter is awarded second base. The female following him in the batting order has the choice to bat or to be awarded first base.
      
      POACHING
   8. Poaching will be called when a male outfielder moves into a female outfielder's territory and makes a catch immediately in front of the female outfielder. The penalty shall be that the batter/runner is safe. All other runners shall advance one base.
      
      OFFICIAL GAME
   9. A game will not be considered an official game unless the game is umpired by an official ASA umpire.
      
      SCOREKEEPING
   10. The home team's score book will be considered the official score book. Game scores are to be communicated to the division representatives by the winning team following each game.
       
       DEFENSIVE ALIGNMENT
   11. No limitations are placed on the defensive placements of male vs. female players.
       
       
   STRIKE ZONE
7. A strike shall be called when a pitched ball hits the mat behind the plate. The pitch must not exceed the maximum or minimum ASA height limits as judged by the umpire. If the pitch lands outside of the mat, or if the catcher catches the pitch before the pitch lands, a ball shall be called.