UCSSL MEETING MINUTES FOR MARCH 14, 2018

 

The following is a summary of our league meeting of March 14, 2018.

 

34 were in attendance, with 22 of our 23 teams represented (Liberty Lighting Group was not).

 

Additional registration materials and team sponsor fees were submitted to the league treasurer;managers were again reminded that the remainder of these materials, as well as initial team rosters, are due before the season begins.

 

Teams received 2 dozen softballs. (Each team will receive two more balls at the April league meeting.)

 

Shirt order forms are due to Gary Wiese to ensure that shirts will be available by Opening Night in less than 5 weeks.

 

A date and time for testing new bats (only) will be held in early April before the season begins.

 

As usual, the March meeting consisted of discussion and votes on rule change proposals.

 

Rules changed since 2017 season --

 

Revision to 4.4.  ALL registration materials MUST be in the hands of the commissioner by the usual May 15 deadline.  Final rosters will be disseminated to team leaders via email immediately after the May 15 deadline.  NO player will appear on a team's official roster unless his completed registration form and full league payment have been received by that date.

 

Add-on to 4.4.  Each team will be required to put up $45 in addition to their sponsor's fee.  This will be kept by the league only if the team forfeits a game at any time after 3 PM on game day, but will be returned at the end of the season to those teams that have no such forfeits.

 

Add-on to 5.7.  No regular season games will be scheduled or played any later than the second Thursday in August (Thursday August 9 in 2018).

 

4.11.  Players must submit a valid ADA card or a copy of their driver's license indicating "Person With Disability" to qualify for ADA accommodations.  Any such players will be identified to team leaders, just as 70+ players are currently identified as eligible "senior bat" users.

 

2018 Rule change proposals acted on at meeting --

 

The following changes in wording were approved:

 

Addition to 3.5.  The league will reimburse one pitcher per team for the cost of a suitable protective mask up to a specified maximum price (currently $45).  The mask will be retained by that player's team but is the property of the league.

 

Additional wording in 4.10.2. (in italics at end of the current sentence)  A player wishing to transfer to another team must give written notice to his manager, as well as the League Commissioner, OR to the league commissioner who will provide written notification to the previous team manager.

 

3.3.  Proposal to remove the sentence "No two players may have the same shirt number" passed 11-4.   [this aligns more with USA Rulebook which does not allow duplicates but has no penalty when this occurs]

 

Rule change proposals specific only to 50+ or to 60+ that were approved:

 

Specific to 50+ only:

 

7.4.  MAXIMUM HOMERUNS PER GAME [‘50s Division]:  Home runs over the fence are limited to three per game on fenced fields.  Any batted ball over the fence above the limit of three will be called an out, with no advancement of runners.  If teams each have the same number of HRs (3 or more), a team is allowed to go "one up" with an additional HR.

 

11.1. [‘50s Division] Replaced "and" with "or," and added "additional" to read as follows --

            All C division teams, when playing an A division team, will

            be allowed to use an additional (11th) defensive player OR

            will get 1 additional run in all but the first and “open”

            inning(s).

 

Specific to 60+ only:

 

One season experimental change to 8.2 [‘60s Division] -- 

There will be an accommodation for players who have difficulty running and will be called “Green Grass Designees” (GGD).

◦   Before each game the manager can designate up to 2 players who will be GGDs - for that game.

◦   A GGD cannot be thrown out at 1st base by an outfielder if a batted ball passes an infielder untouched and reaches the outfield grass.

◦   The ball is alive and all other baserunners may advance and are liable to be put out.

◦   A GGD cannot advance beyond 1st base except for 2 situations:

▪   A batted ball clears an outfield fence and is a home run. The batter does not have to circle the bases.

▪   If a play is being made on another baserunner and the ball goes out of play. The GGD may advance to any awarded base(s).

 

11.2 [‘60s Division] When the 5 A Division teams (Teams 15-19) play the 4 B Division teams (Teams (20-23), the following will apply:

            1. Neither team can score more than 6 runs in the first inning.

            2. [A team] In all but the open inning(s) can score a     maximum of 6 runs.

              If the A team is behind by more than 6 runs they may

              score enough runs to equal the score of the B team.

            3. [B team only] The "catch-up + 6" rule is in effect.

            4. The B team has the option at the start of the game to

            get 1 additional run in all but the first and ‘open’

            inning(s) or add a 12th defensive player.

            5. The B team has the option of being the visitors in all games regardless of schedule.

 

Changes will be made and an updated set of 2018 UCSSL Rules will be emailed to managers soon.  Please be sure to read the rules carefully and always carry a copy of both the USA/ASA rules -- and our UCSSL modifications to those rules -- to all games.

 

The next meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, April 4, at 7:30 pm.  This meeting will include the distribution of checks for umpire fees, USA/ASA Rulebooks and scorebooks, and 2 more softballs per team.