2010 Code Changes

2010 ASA Code Changes

(as of 11/18/2009)

Article: 201 B 03 f B. Registration Requirements, Fees and Dues.

03. Dues. Each local association shall pay the following dues:

a. Each Adult Team $ 8.00

b. Each Junior Olympic Team $ 8.00

c. Each Adult Umpire $ 18.00

d. Each Junior Olympic Umpire $ 18.00

e. Each Scorekeeper $ 8.50

f. Individual registrations fees will be approved by the council.

NOTE: Each local association may individually register Junior Olympic and/or adult players, managers, coaches, or team officials. Every 10 persons registered individually shall be counted as one team. Each Junior Olympic team must include one adult registration. Each local association may submit their individuals, umpires, and team registrations through a compatible and ASA Board of Director approved registration system of their choice that best suits their Association needs.

Comments: Establishes an approval process for Individual Registration systems.

Article: 301 B 06 Delete last sentence of Duties of President Elect

Comments: Eliminates the duty of the President Elect taking over for the President if he/she is unable to continue.

Article: 301 C New – Re-number

Immediate Past President

Term of Office. The Immediate Past President shall serve a term of two years, beginning immediately upon the completion of Term as President.

Removal. An Immediate Past President may be removed for just cause by a sixty-six point seven percent (66.7%) vote of the Board of Directors.

Duties. If the President for any reason resigns, is unable to act, is removed from office, or dies, the Immediate Past President will assume the duties of the President.

Comments: Establishes the Duties and responsibilities of the Immediate Past President.

Article: 301 D Becomes 301 D

Territorial Vice Presidents.

03. Term of Office. Territorial Vice Presidents shall serve a term of two years that shall begin at the conclusion of the final Board of Directors Meeting which is held at the conclusion of the annual council meeting.

Comments: Establishes when the Territorial Vice Presidents take office.

Article: 306 B 01 B. Council Member Emeritus. A retired council member honored for 15 or more years of service.

Years of Service. Upon completion of 15 years of service, any council member may be recommended by their commissioner for the status of council member emeritus upon their retirement as an active council member. Recommendation must be made by August 31 and must be submitted on official nomination form in order to be a voting member for the next ASA Council meeting.

Comments: Sets a deadline for nomination forms to be submitted.

Article: 306 B 02 B. Council Member Emeritus. A retired council member honored for 15 or more years of service.

Approval. The Board of Directors shall consider all recommendations at the fall Board of Directors meeting prior to the Annual Council meeting and a two-thirds vote of approval is required to confirm a person for this position.

Comments: Sets when the Board will confirm Council Member Emeritus.

Article: 310 C 02 b C. National Championship Final Umpire-In-Chief.

02. Use of Assistant Umpires-in-Chief. The use of an Assistant Umpire-in-Chief shall be governed as follows:

a. If a championship has more than 40 teams and plays on more than one (1) complex, an assistant umpire-in-chief shall be assigned by the National Director of Umpires.

b. If a National Championship Final has more than 100 teams, two (2) assistant umpires-in chief shall be assigned by the National Director of Umpires.

c. If a National Championship final is played in more than 2 complexes, an assistant umpire-in-chief shall be assigned to each complex by the National Director of Umpires.

Comments: Establishes an additional guideline for assigning an assistant umpire-in-chief.

Article 312 B 03 b Delete May Not Compete in future ASA tournaments.

Comments: To allow members of the ASA National Softball Hall of Fame an opportunity to continue to play ASA.

Article 402 A COMMITTEES. Standing committees shall be established and organized as follows:

A. Boy’s and Men’s Fast Pitch. This committee shall promote the game of boy’s and men’s fast pitch and set tournament dates and select tournament sites.

Comments: Adds Men’s Fast Pitch to the committee and establishes their responsibilities.

Article 402 N Tournament Programs. This committee shall include a minimum of one member from each region. Its duties shall include but not be limited to:

Reviewing standards and procedures for conducting National Championships.

Reviewing and updating all National Championship evaluation forms.

Recommending potential legislation in the area of National Championships.

Meeting with all bidding cities at the National Council Meeting to review the rules and time limits on their bid presentation, the order in which the tournaments will be bid, and the order that the cities will present their bids to the council.

Comments: Defines the responsibilities of the Tournament Programs committee.

Article 403 A 02 Amendments to the ASA Code and Playing Rule Changes

02. Emergency Procedure. Between annual meetings of the Council, any Council member or Executive Director may submit a proposed amendment to the ASA Code to the Chair of the Legislative Committee and ask that an emergency be declared and the proposed amendment submitted for a vote of the Council in the manner outlined in this Article 403 (A)(02) of this Code. If the Chair of the Legislative Committee believes that the proposed amendment is of sufficient importance that it should be acted upon by the Council prior to their next scheduled meeting, the Chair shall forward the proposed amendment to the President. If the President agrees with the Chair of the Legislative Committee that the proposed amendment is of sufficient importance that it should be acted upon by the Council prior to their next scheduled meeting, then an emergency shall be declared and the proposed amendment shall be submitted to the members of the Council for a vote in the manner outlined in Article 403 (A)(02) of this Code. The proposed amendment shall be mailed and or electronically mailed to each member of the Council. There will be a waiting period of fifteen (15) days from the date the proposed amendment was mailed and or electronically mailed for any council member that wishes to write a rebuttal to the proposed amendment. After the waiting period the national office will send a copy of the ballot and a copy of the rebuttal to the proposed amendment to all council members asking each council member to accept or reject the proposed amendment. The deadline for returning ballots shall be not less than ten (10) nor more than thirty (30) days after the rebuttals and ballots were mailed and or electronically mailed. Each ballot must be signed and or electronically signed by a Council member and received by the ASA prior to the deadline in order to be counted. If valid ballots are received from less than or exactly fifty percent (50%) of the members of the Council by the deadline, then the proposed amendment shall be deemed rejected. If valid ballots are received from more than fifty percent (50%) of the members of the Council by the deadline, then the proposed amendment shall be deemed rejected unless sixty-six point seven percent (66.7%) of the ballots received vote to accept the proposed amendment.

Comments: Adds electronically mailed as an alternative to emergency legislation.

Article 501 A New and Re-number

ELIGIBILITY COMPLIANCE REQUIRED BY EACH PLAYER, MANAGER and TEAM

It is the duty of each player, player’s parent (if applicable), manager, coach and team to review ASA’s eligibility requirements and comply with ASA’s eligibility requirements. Each team manager/coach is responsible for complying with the eligibility requirements and other requirements set forth in the ASA Code as to his/her team. This specifically includes, without limitation, eligibility requirements pertaining to proper classification, proper divisions, eligible pick up player requirements, eligible age requirements and all other eligibility requirements.

As to eligibility matters, any assurances or statements from ASA members, ASA commissioners or ASA officials other than ASA’s Executive Director are not binding and shall not be binding upon ASA and shall not constitute a valid excuse for a team’s, manager’s or player’s failure to comply with any eligibility requirement. ASA disclaims any and all liability for any player, team, manager or coach’s reliances upon assurances of persons other than ASA’s Executive Director. ASA disclaims any and all liability for any player, team, manager or coach’s failure to comply with all eligibility requirements.

Teams, players, coaches and managers that are ineligible under the ASA Code and that incur travel and other expenses in connection with an ASA tournament do so at their own risk and peril. Teams, players, coaches and managers that are ineligible under the ASA Code are subject to disqualification or forfeiture at any time, as otherwise provided for in the ASA Code (i.e. upon the timely protest of any other team or official).

Any ASA official’s signature (i.e. Commissioner’s signature) on a roster form or any other document shall not be considered as a determination of the eligibility of a player or team. Eligibility of players or teams shall be governed as otherwise provided in the Code. Any solicitation or invitation for a team to participate in an ASA tournament by a Tournament Director or other ASA Official shall not be considered a determination of that team’s eligibility. Eligibility of players or teams shall be exclusively governed as provided in the Code.

Comments: Establishes compliances for Player’s, Managers, and Teams

Article: 501 B 02 Exception

New a. and Re-number

a. All Divisions of Play. In National Championship Finals, teams can play in a higher classification than their current classification. Participation in a higher classification could affect the team classification in their next ASA playing season. Teams may play in only one Championship finals per division of play per year.

Comments: Allows all teams to participate in a higher classification of play.

Article 501 B 03 a New and Re-number

03.

a. Any Junior Olympic team participating in championship play must have at least one ACE certified coach (current year) on the field/dugout during championship play games.

b. All JO team personnel assisting in the dugout must have an ASA background check (current year).

Comments: Mandates that one Junior Olympic Coach be ACE Certified with a background check and all team personnel in the dugout be background checked.

Article 501 C 05 a 07 New and Re-number

07. Once a player participates in an intercollegiate softball program for a university, college, or junior/community college, she is ineligible to play in the Junior Olympic Class "B" and "Gold" classifications.

Comments: Eliminates college players from the JO Class B and Gold classifications.

Article 501 C 06 a Eligible Teams. All players must be full-time employees of one company or of one city or county government or of one military installation, or of one fraternal organization (same Lodge) and must have competed together during the current season of play. Industrial teams that have players from company branches in more than one (1) state must play major. Military Teams: Base/Post level teams (active duty military only) may participate in this division. U.S. Armed Forces All Star Teams may not enter National Championship Finals unless they have played through local association or regional play leading to the nationals.

Comments: Adds fraternal organizations to the Industrial Division

Article 505 D 03 Suspension Procedures (Tournament Play).

03. Suspension. A team that is in violation of this rule shall forfeit the game being played or the game last played. The ineligible player shall be suspended from further play in the tournament and in any subsequent tournament for which he/she may have qualified by virtue of their play in the tournament in which they were suspended. The team may be subject to further penalties.

Comments: Establishes additional suspension procedures.

Article 506 A 01 Men’s Fast Pitch Major

Open

Comments: Effective 2011 Changes the Men’s Fast Pitch Open Division.

Article 506 A 12 Retain Co-ed Open Slow Pitch

Comments: Co-ed Open Slow Pitch will continue to be a National Championship.

Article 506 A 14 Delete Men’s Masters 45-over Fast Pitch

Comments: Effective 2011 Eliminates the Men’s Masters 45-over Fast Pitch and creates Men’s Masters 50-over and Men’s Senior 60-over Fast Pitch.

Article 507 G 01 Men’s Class A Slow Pitch Five (5) players from

the ASA Restricted Player’s List.

Comments: Increases the number of Restricted Players that Men’s A can have on their roster.

Article 508 A LEVELS OF CHAMPIONSHIP PLAY. The following are levels of championship play:

A. Local Association Championships. Local associations may conduct sub district, district or county championships for the purpose of qualifying teams for local association championships. These tournaments are open to registered member teams in accordance with the rules and regulations of the local association, provided such rules and regulations are not in conflict or inconsistent with this Code or the established policies of the ASA. Local associations may not conduct championship play tournaments in locations outside of their association's boundaries without permission from that local association's commissioner. Local associations Class A Championships must be scheduled to be completed at least twelve (12) days prior to the start on the first game of their prospective Junior Olympic National Championship final.

Comments: Establishes when Local Association Championships must be completed if advancing on to JO National Championship Finals.

Article 508 A 01 LEVELS OF CHAMPIONSHIP PLAY. The following are levels of championship play:

Local Association Championships. Local associations may conduct sub district, district or county championships for the purpose of qualifying teams for local association championships. These tournaments are open to registered member teams in accordance with the rules and regulations of the local association, provided such rules and regulations are not in conflict or inconsistent with this Code or the established policies of the ASA. Local associations may not conduct championship play tournaments in locations outside of their association's boundaries without permission from that local association's commissioner.

Associations may also conduct JO qualifying tournaments for the following years championship play. Teams that participate in these tournaments must use age eligible players for the year the championship play will be played and must meet the returning team requirement to maintain their berth.

Comments: Allows Associations to have Championship play in the fall season of the previous year the championship is scheduled.

Article 508 B 01 New and Re-number

Local association berths may be given as additional berths in these Junior Olympic National Qualifiers.

Comments: Allows local associations to give away its berths at National Qualifiers.

Article 509 A Regional Tournaments. The dates for regional tournaments shall be established by the commissioners within the respective region. Junior Olympic Gold and Class A Regional Tournaments must be scheduled to be completed a minimum of twelve (12) days prior to the start of the first game in the Junior Olympic National Championship Final.

Comments: Establishes when Regional tournaments must be completed if advancing on to JO National Championship Finals.

Article 509 B 02 b Delete Current and Replace with

Men’s Open Fast Pitch shall be scheduled on Labor Day weekend commencing no earlier than 6:00 p.m. Thursday and concluding no later than Labor Day.

Comments: Effective 2011 Sets the Dates of the Men’s Open Fast Pitch.

Article 509 B 04 f Girls’ USA/ASA Gold 18-Under Fast Pitch. This National Championship Final shall be scheduled to conclude on the first Saturday in August and not be scheduled more than seven (7) days. This event will not have and opening ceremonies event and the managers meeting cannot be scheduled prior to 6:00 PM on the prior Sunday.

Comments: Changes the dates of the Girl’s ASA Gold 18-Under Fast Pitch National Championship is scheduled.

Article 510 M New and Re-number

09. The use of artificial noise-makers during championship play is prohibited.

Comments: Eliminates artificial noise-makers from Championship play.

Article 510 N Tie Breaker Rule. A region may, by majority vote, establish procedures for a tiebreaker in qualifiers and regional tournaments. In all Junior Olympic Girls’ Fast Pitch National Qualifiers and National Championship Finals; Women’s Fast Pitch National Championship Finals; Men's Masters Fast Pitch National Championship Finals; and Men’s Seniors Fast Pitch National Championship Finals the tiebreaker shall be in effect.

Comments: Adds Men’s Seniors Fast Pitch to the Tie Breaker Rule.

Article 511 A 01 b In Girls’ Fast Pitch 18-Under Gold pool play (providing each team with two games) shall not be used for seeding purposes.

Comments: Establishes Gold Pool play guidelines.

Article 511 B 02 NOTE: The double elimination bracket draw shall be done at the completion of the team’s pool play games, with each team drawing their position onto the double elimination seeded bracket.

Comments: Allows tournaments to draw teams onto the Double Elimination bracket at the completion of their pool play.

Article 511 B 02 d New and Re-number

d. Any of the top four (4) teams from the previous year’s Gold National Championship will be placed into the double elimination bracket in opposite quads, if they qualify.

Comments: Allows for the top four Gold teams to be placed onto the National Championship Bracket if they qualify for the National Championship Final.

Article 511 B 03 New and Re-number

Territorial Tournaments. The association with the most teams will draw first, the association with the second most teams shall draw second, etc. In case of ties between associations, the draw positions will be determined alphabetically. When more than one team within and association must draw, positions to draw shall be determined based on alphabetical order according to the team name listed on the roster.

Comments: Establishes draw procedures for the Territorial Tournaments.

Article 511 C National Championship Final Draw. Each team properly entered in a National Championship Final must be notified of the time and location of the draw. The draw can be held up to seven (7) days prior to the start of the tournament so teams can be notified of their start time. Teams from local associations must be protected from playing each other for the first two rounds if at all possible.

EXCEPTION: The Men’s Major Fast Pitch, Women’s Major Fast Pitch, Men’s Class A Fast Pitch, Men’s Class B Fast Pitch, Men’s Masters 40-Over Fast Pitch, Men’s Masters 45-Over Fast Pitch, Men’s Seniors 50-Over Fast Pitch, Men’s Major Modified, Men’s Nine (9) Modified, Men’s Class A Modified, Men’s Ten (10) Modified draws may be done not more than twenty (20) days prior to the start of the tournament.

Comments: Establishes when the Men’s Modified National Championship final will be drawn.

Article 511 E 05 05. The ASA Official Seeded Double Elimination Bracket Book shall be used. Teams in the same qualifying pool who have played each other shall be protected from playing each other in the first round of the double elimination bracket.

Comments: Clarifies the draw from Pool Play to the Double Elimination bracket.

Article 513 A National Qualifier Tournaments. These tournaments are to be coordinated through the regional directors. Junior Olympic National Qualifier Tournaments must be scheduled to be completed at least twelve (12) days prior to the first game of their prospective Junior Olympic National Championship Final.

Comments: Establishes when National Qualifiers Tournaments must be completed if advancing on to JO National Championship Finals.

Article 515 F 01 Gold Territory Qualifying Tournament Procedures.

01. Territory Qualifying Tournaments. Each Territory shall hold two (2) Territory Qualifying Tournaments (TQT) and may hold four (4). Berths would be divided equally amongst all of the Territory Qualifiers. Each Region within the Territory could only host one of two Territory Qualifiers in the same year unless no other Region in that Territory wished to host. By mutual agreement, regions within a territory may set the date for Territory Qualifiers in any order they desire. If no agreement can be reached, then the Region with the most Gold participation in the previous year would host the first Territory Qualifier in that Territory and the Region with the second most participation in the previous year in that Territory would host the second Territory Qualifier in that Territory. If a particular Region did not wish to host a Territory Qualifier, the Region with the next highest Gold participation would be offered the Territory Qualifier. That process would go on until all Regions had declined and would revert back to the Region with the most Gold participation in the previous year.

Comments: Gives the Territories the ability to have 4 Territorial Gold Qualifiers.

Article 516 A 06 Direct to National Championship Finals. In the following Divisions and Classifications, any team playing in the local championship tournaments (if scheduled) may advance to the National Championship Final:

01. Men’s Major Fast Pitch

02. Men’s Class A Fast Pitch

03. Men’s Class B Fast Pitch

04. Men’s Class C Fast Pitch

05. Men’s 23-Under Fast Pitch

06. Men’s Masters 40-Over Fast Pitch

07. Men’s Masters 45-Over Fast Pitch

08. Men’s Masters 50-Over Fast Pitch

09. Men’s Seniors 60-Over Fast Pitch

Comments: Effective 2011 Establishes Masters 50-Over and Seniors 60-Over National Championship Final.

Article 516 C Delete Men’s Senior Slow Pitch 50, 55, 60 and 65 Major Plus being held as one tournament in Oklahoma City and places them back in the East/West Senior National Championships.

Comments: Removes the Men’s Senior Major Plus National Championship from Oklahoma City.

Article 516 C New and Re-number

C. Men’s Class B Slow Pitch will conduct one (1) National Championship Final. The tournament will be held in Oklahoma City on Labor Day weekend.

Comments: Establishes the Men’s Class B National Championship as one tournament in Oklahoma City.

Article 516 D 04 ASA East / West National Championship Finals. The ASA will conduct two (2) National Championship Tournaments in following divisions and classifications:

04. Women’s 23-Under Fast Pitch

Comments: Effective 2011 Establishes how berths will be awarded.

Article 516 F 04 ASA Eastern / Southern / Northern / Western National Championship Finals. The ASA will conduct four (4) National Championships in following divisions and classifications:

Men’s Class C Slow Pitch.

Men’s Class D Slow Pitch.

Men’s Class E/Rec Slow Pitch

Women’s C Slow Pitch

Women’s D Slow Pitch

Co-ed C Slow Pitch

Co-ed D Slow Pitch

Comments: Establishes the four corners concept for Women’s C, Women’s D, Co-ed C and Co-ed D Slow Pitch National Championship Finals.

Article 516 K New and Re-number

Girls’ Class Gold ASA Fast Pitch National Championship Finals.

The ASA shall conduct one National Championship Finals Tournament in each age classification of Junior Olympic Girls’ Class A Fast Pitch in each of the following territories, In accordance with Article 203, Territories of this Code.

01. Eligible Teams. All teams within an ASA National Championship Finals Territory that have not qualified for an USA / ASA Junior Olympic Girls’ GOLD Fast Pitch National Championship are eligible to qualify for the ASA National Championship Finals Tournament through their local association. Teams may play in their closest National Championship.

[ Ineligible. Any team that has qualified for an USA / ASA Junior Olympic Girls’ GOLD Fast Pitch National Championship is not eligible to participate in an ASA National Championship Finals Tournament. ]

02. Format. Each ASA Girls’ Fast Pitch National Tournament shall be structured so that each team is scheduled to play a minimum of four (4) games – two games of pool play and double elimination bracket.

Comments: Establishes four tournaments for Gold teams who do not make the Gold National Championship Finals.

Article 517 A Delete Women’s C and D Slow Pitch from the National Championship Series.

Comments: Eliminates the Women’s C and D from the National Championship Series and creates a cash award for the winners.

Article 601 A New

Exception: The ASA Annual meeting will be in Oklahoma City every 5 years beginning in the year 2013 to celebrate ASA’s 80th year anniversary.

Comments: Establishes a rotation of the ASA National Convention into Oklahoma City.

Article 602 H 09 The Junior Olympic Girls 18 and Under Gold Fast Pitch will be rotated to Oklahoma City every third year and in the off years will be placed in other parts of the country by the Executive Director.

Comments: Establishes that the Gold National Championship will be rotated out of Oklahoma City twice every three years.

Article 602 H 11 New and Re-number

Co-ed C and D Slow Pitch National Championship finals shall be bid together and conducted at the same site.

Comments: Effective 2011 Establishes procedures for bidding the Co-ed National Championship Finals.

Article 602 I 01 Bid is Awarded. If the bid is awarded, the successful bidder must:

Remit one thousand ($1,000.00) to ASA before December 31 as the tournament deposit. Deposit applies to total amount due per team entered in the tournament.

Comments: Establishes a tournament deposit.

Article 602 K 02 At their fall meeting, the Board of Directors shall review tournament host that received a rating less than 70 percent (70 %) from the teams, the umpire-in-chief, the tournament representative or the National Office. This review shall take place at the Board of Directors (BOD) fall meeting, which the host or their designee shall be permitted to attend in order to speak on their behalf. After review the BOD may suspend a host’s bidding privilege. Once bidding privileges have been suspended, a host must demonstrate to the BOD that all the necessary improvements or corrections have been made before they will be permitted to place another bid.

Comments: Establishes procedures for reviewing

Article 606 C Delete Travel Fund all Adult National Championship Finals

Comments: Eliminates the travel award fund in all National Championship Finals. Also eliminates 603 C 11 and 604 C 11.

Article 607 B 03 Add New

Exception: No Home Run Champion for Men’s Class D Slow Pitch.

Comments: Eliminates Home Run Champion from the Men’s D Slow Pitch.

Article 607 B 03 Deletes MVP Awards and changes the All-American / Tournament Awards to

a and b Certificates for tournaments with 16 or less teams.

Comments: Establishes certificates as the Award for All-American and All Tournament Teams

Article 607 B 06 All-American Team Selection. All-American Team Selection (The top level in all divisions of adult play).

Comments: Establishes divisions of play All American teams are selected.

Article 607 B Slow Pitch. Five infielders, four outfielders, five utility players, and one pitcher.

06 b 2

Comments: Establishes guidelines for selecting All American Teams for Slow Pitch.

Article 607 B 07 Add New

Exception: A Men’s E/Rec Slow Pitch All Tournament team will not be selected.

Comments: Eliminates All Tournament team for E/Rec.

Article 701 A Committee Members. The Men’s National Team Selection Committee and the Women’s National Team Selection Committee shall each be comprised of five (5) members consisting of at least one (1) athlete representatives who meet the requirements of the United States Olympic Committee, the head coach of the National Team to be selected and three (3) members who are either members of the ASA or allied members of the ASA. The chair person of each National Team Selection Committee shall be elected by the members of such committee. Each member shall have one vote at all meetings. The committee shall act by majority vote.

Comments: Establishes the number of Committee Members.

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Page last updated: Tuesday March 23, 2010