Article 1 - Philosophy/Mission
1.1 The purpose of the Upper Township Girls Softball Association is to provide the youth of Upper Township an opportunity to take part in a quality softball experience and to provide healthy, structured, and sportsman-like recreational activity.
1.2 The objective of the Girls Softball Association is to teach safety and the skills necessary to play softball, to teach, and to maintain respect for the rules and officials, while playing a game displaying sportsman-like conduct at all time.
Article 2 - Affiliation
2.1 The following rules and regulations have been adopted by the Upper Township Girls Softball Association in an effort to conform to both our Philosophy/Mission statement and to maintain an organization best suited to meeting the needs of Upper Township Recreation Program. The association will abide by the Official ASA Rule Book. The only exceptions will be those amended or clarified within these bylaws.
2.2 The interpretation of the bylaws will be determined by the Board and notification or interpretation will be given to coordinators of the teams.
Article 3 - Organizational Structure
3.1 The enforcement of these rules and regulations is the responsibility of the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors shall be assigned by the following positions:
President
Vice-president
Treasurer
Secretary
Team Coordinators
Umpire Coordination
Snack Shack Coordinator
Upper Township Girls Softball Association
Bylaws - Revised March 2000
3.2 The President presides at Township Recreation Committee meetings and assumes full responsibility for the operation of the Upper Township Girls Softball Association. The president presents an annual report of the condition of the Association to the Board of Directors and the Township Recreation Committee. The President investigates complaints, irregularities, and conditions detrimental to the Association and reports thereon to the Board of Directors as circumstances warrant. The President is the representative of the Association to the Recreation Committee. The President shall be appointed by the Board of Directors prior to January 1st of each year. The President shall be responsible for and coordinate all necessary actions to obtain and provide proper insurance for all Association activities other than those provided by the Township Recreation Committee. The President shall have the right to vote on all matters however, his/her votes shall be last in case of a tie vote. The President shall have the right to request a paper vote on certain matters at his/her discretion.
3.3 The Vice President, in case of absence or disability of the President, shall perform the duties of the President. The Vice President shall be in charge of equipment, field maintenance, and budget allowances.
3.4 The Treasurer shall keep record of the Association’s receipts and disbursements and give a verbal report of same stating all activities that transpired since the 1st general membership meeting. The Treasurer shall turn over all books to the President before the new board convenes at the beginning of the calendar year.
3.5 The Secretary shall be responsible for recording activities of the association, records the minutes of meetings, is responsible for sending out notice of meetings, and shall maintain a current list of all coaches certified. He/she shall assume the duties of the Treasurer when he or she is absent or temporarily unable to serve.
3.6 The Team Coordinators shall conduct annual tryouts for the traveling team and be in charge of player selection, team scheduling and rosters, records all players’ transactions, and prepare and arrange for equipment release and return. The Team Coordinators shall be responsible for all coaches to be current with certification requirements.
3.7 The Umpire Coordinator shall arrange for umpires to be schedule at games, shall report any problem regarding umpiring, and make umpires aware of all rules.
3.8 The Board of Directors shall preside over general membership meetings, enforce all policies, rules, and handle all legal and financial matters concerning the Association.
Upper Township Girls Softball Association
Bylaws - Revised March 2000
3.9 The Board of Directors shall meet monthly from January to October and
thereafter as needed during the off-season. The beginning of each regular scheduled meeting is open to the regular membership for general discussion.
3.10 The Board of Directors shall have at least fifty (50) percent of members at a meeting to constitute a quorum allowed to exercise a legal vote. Majority rules.
3.11 The election process shall be as follows: All directors will be elected annually for a one-year term. Nominations will be made at a general meeting, held in September by the regular membership. Election will be by closed ballot in October by the regular membership. The elected board will then meet and determine what positions will be filled for the coming year. All elections of directors shall be by majority vote of all members present or represented by a properly executed and signed absentee ballot filed with the Secretary prior to the election meeting.
3.12 The Board of Directors shall have the power to vote at any regular or special meeting to discipline, or remove any director, coordinator, coach/assistant coach, regular member, or a player of the association. The person involved shall be notified about such meeting, informed of the general nature of the charges and given opportunity to appear at the meeting to answer such charges. In the case of a player, the coach of the team shall appear in capacity of an advisor.
3.13 If any vacancy occurs in the Board of Directors by death, resignation, or otherwise, it may be filled by a majority vote of the remaining board of directors at any regular meeting or at any special meeting called for that purpose for that purpose for the remainder of that person’s terms.
3.14 All amendments to the bylaws must be presented at regularly scheduled meetings, one meeting prior to voting. Draft of all approved amendments shall be submitted to the Association for acceptance. The bylaws will be reviewed each year by the new Board of Directors in the off-season.
3.15 A Parent Association will be formed to address any discrepancies not included in the bylaws or specific league rules. The association will consist of three (3) individuals who will be elected by the Board of Directors.
Article 4 - Teams
4.1 Any changes to the number of teams will be decided by the Board of Directors prior to each season and following registration.
Upper Township Girls Softball Association
Bylaws - Revised March 2000
4.2 The Team Coordinators are responsible for choosing their own coaches. After selections, coaches’ names are submitted to the Board of Directors for final approval.
4.3 All coaches must be certified. A current list will be maintained by the Secretary and Team Coordinators.
4.4 Each team will have a head coach and no more than four assistant coaches, except for practice purposes, at each level of play. Anyone interested in being a head coach or assistant coach should notify the Board of Directors.
4.5 A copy of the game roster shall be given to the official scorekeeper and to the opposing team. The roster shall include all available players, with the reason why some players may not be playing.
4.6 The number of players at all levels will be determined by the Team Coordinators.
4.7 Head coaches are responsible for all uniforms and league equipment.
4.8 It is the responsibility of the head coaches of both teams to contact their Team Coordinator and determine the fitness of the playing field before the game starts.
4.9 A head coach need not have a daughter in the softball program to be allowed to coach at any level. Any board member can be a head coach at any level. No one can be a head coach of multiple teams.
4.10 Sisters can go to their sister’s team if they so desire.
4.11 Coaches have an option to pick his or her daughter.
4.12 In the event of a draft, automatic picks will be sisters of a team’s players and daughters.
4.13 In the event of a draft, the first and second round is open with automatic picks to be taken on the third round and consecutive following rounds.
4.14 In the event of a draft, the last place team in the previous years Associations final standings will have the first pick for the current season draft. Then the other teams will pick according to the previous years final standings in the reverse order.
Upper Township Girls Softball Association
Bylaws - Revised March 2000
Article 5 - Membership and Player Eligibility
5.1 All girls who are permanent residents residing within the Associations charted boundaries of Upper Township, Cape May County, New Jersey who are in the grades first through eighth are eligible to participate in this Association.
5.2 All the girls must register and participate in a formal tryout for the Traveling
Team or be approved by the Board of Directors to be eligible for the Association.
5.3 All girls must be properly registered, and submit their registration fee and a copy of their birth certificate, if applicable, to be eligible for the Association.
5.4 Any registration will cost will be determined at the annual meeting and shall be noted at the time of registration.
5.5 Ample opportunity should be provided for children to register. Registration should remain open for several weeks and tryouts should be scheduled accordingly.
5.6 Traveling Team tryouts will be held after registration forms are handed in and a candidate must be present at, at least, one of the tryouts to be considered. Any exception must be approved by a majority vote of the Board of Directors.
Article 6 - Schedules
6.1 The Association games will begin play no later than the first Saturday in May and schedules will be determined by their respective Team Coordinators. The Board of Directors must approve the schedules.
6.2 All games will be played on designated Association fields.
6.3 If a team cannot field a team by fifteen minutes after the scheduled start of the game, they will forfeit the game. This will be declared by the umpire.
6.4 All games will begin promptly at the scheduled time and the visiting team shall have the field for pre-game warm up for 30 minutes - 15 minutes prior to game. The home team shall have the field from 15 minutes prior to the start time of the game for pre-game warm up.
6.5 Any schedule changes have to be coordinated with the Umpire Coordination and the Team Coordinator.
Upper Township Girls Softball Association
Bylaws - Revised March 2000
6.6 When a game is called because of darkness or inclement weather before the fifth inning, the trailing team has the option to concede or replay the game.
6.7 A new inning cannot start after 8:15 pm. The game will be an official game at the completion of all innings started prior to this time limit, even if the game ends in a tie. The umpire will maintain the official time clock. This rule is for the fifth through eighth grade levels. Third and fourth grade level will play for four (4) innings for two hours. First and second grade level will play four (4) innings or 1 ½ hours.
6.8 No team shall play more than two games per week with the week beginning on Monday and ending on the following Sunday, except for makeup games and play-offs.
6.9 Rain outs will be scheduled for the next available day, except for holidays. The Team Coordinator may award a forfeit to one or both teams if they do not cooperate in making up the game. Unique situations may be addressed by the Team Coordinator.
6.10 The Supervisor of Recreation Maintenance or designee is exclusively responsible for canceling and rescheduling games due to playing or field conditions. Ocean City Recreation will be responsible for canceling games on their fields due to playing or field conditions.
Article 7 - Game Rules and Conduct
7.1 The home team is responsible for putting out and returning bases, helmets, and equipment. Home team brings fuel for sets up the pitching machine. Visiting team puts the pitching machine, bases, helmets, and other equipment away. Both teams are responsible for reconditioning the field after each game/practice and securing the complex.
7.2 The Recreation Department is responsible for having the fields lined before the next game is played.
7.3 If any team is ahead by 15 runs after 5 full innings, the game will be called, provided each team has had equal at bats or the home team is leading.
7.4 Runs allowed per inning will be determined according to grade level by the Team Coordinators and coaches will be notified.
Upper Township Girls Softball Association
Bylaws - Revised March 2000
7.5 Coaches of the team in the field will feed their pitching machine or pitch the balls. This will allow the team at bat to have their coaches work with the batters and control the players on the bench.
7.6 All persons, excluding players, must be certified to be in the dugouts or on the playing field. If an uncertified person is asked to leave the field and does not, the team associated with that person will forfeit the game.
7.7 No team may intentionally forfeit a game; however, any team fielding less than approved amount of players must forfeit that game. Fifth-Eighth grade league must have eighth (8) players and the Third & Fourth grade league must have seven (7) players.
7.8 Any team using an ineligible player will forfeit every game which she participated in.
7.9 Every girl must play two (2) full innings. Any violation of this rule will result in have the girl start the next game and remain in the game for three (3) full innings. Further violations of this rule will be brought to the Board of Directors.
7.10 Only the batter and the on-deck batter should be out of the dugout. All others should be on the bench.
7.11 Any player or coach guilty of using physical violence against any official, coach or other players will be permanently expelled from the Association.
7.12 Any coach waiting to drop a girl from the team roster must bring his or her case up to the Board of Directors for a vote, in order to officially drop a player from that team’s roster.
7.13 There will be no smoking in the dugouts during the games.
7.14 Coaches will be warned in writing two times from the Board of Directors for any misconduct and will be dismissed from the Association if misconduct persists, unless superseded by item 7.11.
7.15 All complaints by coaches must be submitted in writing to the Board of Directors.
7.16 Any player who wishes to change their team assignment/coach must submit their request in writing to the Parent Association for consideration.
Upper Township Girls Softball Association
Bylaws - Revised March 2000
7.17 Any player or coach ejected from a game must sit out the next game. The player must sit out the next game she is present. The coach cannot coach the next scheduled game for that team that the infraction occurred.
7.18 All games in the third & fourth and fifth through eighth grade levels will be scored.
Article 8 - Pitcher
8.1 A pitcher may not pitch more than 6 innings per week (Monday to Sunday). Extra innings do not count against her.
8.2 Innings pitched in a rescheduled game will count toward the total innings
pitched for the week that game was originally scheduled.
8.3 After the completion of each game, the coaches shall initial the official score sheet that will be kept in the Snack Shack, after agreeing on the number of innings pitched by each player over one (1) week period. If a player is found to have not pitched her limit, that game will be forfeited.
8.4 In the third & fourth grade levels, the coach will pitch after 3 balls have been thrown by the pitcher. When the coach is pitching and the player swings without a hit, it will be considered an out. After five (5) good pitches by a coach, the player will be out.
8.5 All pitches must be thrown from pitching mound.
Article 9 - Special Playing Rules
9.1 Unlimited steals are permitted in the fifth through eighth grade level. Two (2) steals are permitted in the third & fourth grade level. Cannot steal home. In any steal attempt where an overthrow occurs, there will be no advancement. Only one (1) base per play.
9.2 Four (4) balls will walk player in the fifth through eighth grade level.
9.3 The infield fly rule will apply to third & fourth and fifth through eighth grade levels.
9.4 In the third & fourth grade level an inning may be considered over when there are three (3) outs or the team has batted around, whichever comes first.
This area also includes specific rules by grade levels that will be determined at Board meetings and distributed by the coordinators.