A. The objective of this Association shall be the promotion of slowpitch softball in Sioux Falls, SD. This Association will also aid in developing slowpitch softball in accordance with the spirit of sportsmanship, honesty, and fair play.
	B. In addition, this Association shall be a branch of the South Dakota Amateur Softball Association, Inc. and shall abide by their rules and by-laws as well as the rules and By-laws of the Amateur Softball Association of America.

A. Membership in this organization is open to all managers, coaches, sponsors and players of registered teams in Minnehaha County and surrounding areas.

	A. Teams may add new team members to their rosters (at no cost) up to the cut-off date set by the Board. (Father’s Day) New members must be added PRIOR to playing in any league/tournament game.
	B. After the date established by the Board, a Player Addition Form and a $25 player fee must be given to a Board member before any new player can participate.
	C. Failure to comply will include automatic forfeiture of any games said player has participated in plus an additional fine of $25.  Said player may not compete until all provisions are met.

	A. The officers of the Association shall consist of President, Vice-President, Secretary, and Treasurer.
	B. An Area Commissioner will be assigned by the State Board.
	C. Each member of the Board of Officers shall have full voting rights in the transaction
	of matters before the Board.
	D. Terms of office will be two (2) years with yearly elections of President and Treasurer alternating with Vice-President and Secretary. Number of terms will be limited to two consecutive two (2) year terms in the same office.
	E. Officers shall be elected prior to the close of the calendar year.
	F. Officers must be members of registered teams.

	1. To preside over the Women’s Slowpitch Association at all meetings.
	2. To enforce the observance of the Association’s Constitution.
	3. To enforce the observance of the Association’s League rules.
	4. To oversee all members of the Board, Umpire Crew and Assistants.
	5. To perform all duties that commonly fall upon a presiding officer.

	To assist the President with all duties
	To preside over the Women’s Slowpitch Association in the absence of the President.
	To perform all duties that commonly fall upon a presiding officer.

	To accurately record the proceedings of each Association meeting.
	To accurately record and post current league standings on a weekly basis.
	To report all scores/standings to the Argus Leader on a weekly basis.
	To notify teams in a timely manner of upcoming league meetings.
	To perform all duties that commonly fall upon a presiding officer.

	1. To collect dues and other income while keeping an accurate account of all receipts and disbursements.
	2. To have a current and accurate account balance statement available at all Association meetings.
	3. To handle all disbursements by check if possible. (A 2nd signature of any other authorized Board member will be required on all checks issued.
	To perform all duties that commonly fall upon a presiding officer.

1. To act as a liaison between the Women’s Association and the State Association to promote softball to the public. This position is appointed by the state.

	1. Representatives from each division may be nominated or appointed by the Board to assist the Board whenever it is deemed necessary.
	2. This position is activated by Board decision.

	A. The Board shall have the responsibility and authority to determine the salaries of all Board members, the umpires/Umpire-In-Chief & any Assistants.
	B. The salary of the Board may be reviewed by the membership on a yearly basis.

	A. Players can and are encouraged to participate in any league discussions and also bring any matters of importance to the Association for review
	B. Voting shall be done by a Manager/Coach or Team Representative (1 vote per team).
	C. A quorum shall be declared to be those present.

	A. The Association will hold organizational meetings throughout the year. A calendar of events will be distributed annually at the March/April meeting listing important league dates or events.
	B. Teams should be notified in writing or by phone 7 days prior to each league meeting.
	C. It is the responsibility of each team to be sure the league Secretary has the correct name and address of their designated contact person.
	D. Board members will hold Board meetings at their discretion.

A. Rosters and league fees must be submitted to the Board by the scheduled due date to avoid a $50 late fee. Fees not paid prior to game play, (including late fees) will result in said team's ineligibility to play and forfeit shall be declared.

	B. Rosters must be completely filled out and signed by either the Coach or a Manager.
	C. Players are required under Association guidelines to individually fill out and sign their names on said roster. Any rosters with names found to be fraudulently signed will be deemed illegal. Violations will result in a fine and disciplinary action will be taken. (Player and manager/coach)
	D. Release forms/parental signatures are required for players under 18 years of age.

	The number of divisions and names of these divisions will be decided on a yearly basis with a minimum of three (3) divisions and eight (8) teams per division recommended. (Unless circumstances warrant otherwise)
	Categorization of teams into divisions is made at the discretion of the Board
	The Board may assign a Classification Committee for assistance.

	A. Players who have willingly signed a team roster are bound to their respective teams and may only transfer to another team after the necessary parties approve a request. (Player, Coaches/Managers involved & the Board should work together to resolve any issues regarding player transfer.
	B. Players whose name appears on more than one roster will be prohibited from league play. (Unless a player release form has been issued) Penalty assessed for the said infraction will be determined by the board.

A. All rules and regulations mandated by the SDASA will be enforced during league play unless league rules dictate otherwise.

	A. Line-up cards will be used in league and league tournament play.
	B. Coaches are required to submit cards to the plate umpire prior to the coin flip.
	C. Cards must include all players, including all possible substitutes.

	A. Cancellations and postponements of games will be handled by the Board. The Board may cancel or postpone games prior to the start of the game or prior to the first pitch.
	B. After the first pitch the Umpire-in-Chief and the Board will work together to make any decisions involving cancellation or postponement of games.
	C. The Board will notify radio stations as soon as a decision to cancel/postpone is made.

	A. Teams must be on time for their respective games as there is no grace period
	B. Coaches and teams are encouraged to be ready for play 15 minutes prior to their scheduled game time.
	C. All games are played on a 55-minute time limit.

A. Teams may start a game with 9 players with no penalty assessed.

	If a team starts with 9 players and a 10th player shows up PRIOR to the completion of the 3rd inning she may be put in the official scorebook at the end of the line-up with no penalty assessed.
	Arrival after the 3rd inning prohibits that player from participating in that game
	unless the player is listed as an eligible substitute on the line-up card.
	All players entering the game after the start of the game MUST report to the plate official before they begin play.

B. Teams may start with 10/11 players. If a team starts with 10/11 players and loses a player due to injury, they may finish the game with 9/10 players respectively. The injured player may not reenter that game. A team may at no time play with fewer than 9 players.

A. Run Rule - 15 run rule applies after 3 complete innings, 10 run rule applies after 5 complete innings.

A. All league rules apply for playoff and make-up games.

	A. The Board will reschedule postponed games as soon as possible.
	B. Postponed games may be rescheduled on any available league night.

A. Batters will start with a 1-and-1 count with no courtesy 3rd strike foul.

A. Miscellaneous Rules:

	The “Slide Rule” is mandatory---at the discretion of the umpire.
	For the safety of all involved it is required that players slide or clearly attempt to get out of the way of the defensive player in any close/dangerous defensive play.

(All bases apply)

	Alcohol is prohibited in dugouts at any time. (Violation results in forfeit)
	Smoking is prohibited on the field of play.
	A minimum number of league games to be played will be determined on a yearly
	basis by the Board. The league will do whatever is can to ensure that all divisions play an equal number of games.

	A. Shirts matching in color and similar in style with six (6) inch numbers on the back of the uniform are mandatory after June 1st. All playing team members must wear the same colored shirt during play. Any team having a player without a matching shirt must not allow that player to start or enter the game. A team/player playing out of uniform will be forced to forfeit any game or games the said player(s) participated in.
	B. A team who has a player(s) without a matching uniform top may request a Uniform Waiver from the Board. This waiver will allow the player to play for a predetermined period of time without a team shirt. Coaches are asked to request waivers before their game night. **Waivers will be issued at the discretion of the Board.**
	C. In regard to the Blood Rule--if a player’s uniform is soiled and needs to be changed to continue play, a shirt similar in color should be used when possible.
	D. No metal cleats are allowed.

ARTICLE X: UMPIRES

A. The Umpire-in-Chief is appointed by the Board and/or an assigned umpire selection committee. The Board also will have the option to appoint an assistant UIC if deemed necessary. The Board will be responsible to bring any issues of importance to the attention of the UIC and any assistants when warranted. Coaches/Managers have the option to submit umpire evaluation forms to the Board at their discretion. Any issues regarding umpires should be brought to the attention of the Board for further discussion.

ARTICLE XI: AMENDMENTS

A. The Constitution may be amended at any meeting, provided the amendment has been submitted at a previous meeting.

ARTICLE XII: AWARDS RECOGNITION

	A. League awards presentation/picnic will be held at the end of scheduled league play.
	B. Every attempt will me made to hold this presentation/picnic in conjunction with the final nights of league play. The final date will be determined by the Board.

ARTICLE XIII: DIVISION CHAMPIONS

	A. Division champions are determined at season’s end by each team’s win-loss record.
	B. In the event that total games played is not equal, a Win-Loss percentage may be used to determine the division champions.
	C. In the event of a tie in any division, a playoff game can be played to determine the champion. If a playoff game is not possible, (several teams tied for a place), the Board will administer a predetermined tie breaker system to determine the final division standings. (Tie breakers could include: head-to-head/coin flip)

ARTICLE XIV: FORFEITS

A. Teams are required to give the Board a minimum 24-hour notice to forfeit a game. Any team forfeiting without this notice will be required to pay a per game penalty fee of $25.00. Payment must be made prior to said teams next scheduled game.

ARTICLE XV: MISCONDUCT

A. A reminder to all teams: Any player, manager/coach, or fan who is determined to be displaying inappropriate behavior and/or presents a danger to themselves or other players, managers/coaches, or umpires due to the use of alcohol or drugs will be removed from the game or complex by the game umpire or a Board member. In the event that a player or a manager/coach is involved in the inappropriate or dangerous behavior, the game may be stopped until said parties have been removed. Failure to comply will result in immediate forfeiture of that game and the Board will determine if any further action is necessary.

Revised March of 2001