UMPIRE GUIDELINES and Rules for
the 2011 FAST Junior High and Minor Division are:
1. Due to liability reasons, only ASA sanctioned umpires can be use in
games. Sanctioning can be done by District 1 ASA Commissioner Martin
Drain, 419-343-4716. OHSAA umpires cannot be used unless they are
sanctioned ASA. Anyone scheduling of non-sanction umpires will result
in a forfeit for the games. Each team pays 1/2 of the umpire
fees.
2. Helmets with face guards are required. Face guards nocsa labeling is
not required but the manufacturer of the helmet must make the face
guard. Home made face guards are not allowed.
3. Team players should wear uniforms but umpires should NOT enforce
uniform rules except for safety reasons.
4. Rules are ASA rules except for the following. Teams must bat the
entire lineup in regular season play without a penalty for a player not
being able to take her time at bat due to sickness or injury. If a
player cannot take her time at bat, she is ineligible to play the rest
of the day. This is subject to the team with the least number of
players. For example one team has 14 players and the second team has
11, the team with 14 players only has to bat 11 players. There is a
freedom of defensive substitution for players that are in the batting
line-up. Temperature reading must be a chill factor of 45 degrees or
above. Teams do not need to report line-ups or substitutions to the
umpires.
5. Time limits for Friday games are 1 hour 45 minutes; for Saturday or
Sunday doubleheaders the time limit is 1 hour and 30 minutes. No new
inning may start after the time limit. Teams will use the international
tiebreaker after the time limit if the game is not
decided.
6. Courtesy runners may be used for the pitcher and catcher only.
Since teams bat the entire line-up, only the last out can be the
courtesy runner.
7. For the Minor division, there is no “dropped third strike rule” or
“infield fly rule”. Stealing is permitted but only one base is
permitted per pitch in the regular season. The one base per pitch
stealing rule may be waived if coaches agree to allow the catcher to
throw to the base and if both coaches agree to the waiver. The stealing
of home is permitted.
8. For the Minor division , pitching distance is 35’. Ball size is
11”. There is a 6 run rule limit per inning. If a team is losing, they
may tie the score and score 6 more runs. Rules 7 & 8 are only for the
Minor divisions.
9. Cancellation not due to weather conditions MUST be reported to
Martin Drain, the home team coach and your opponent coach. Every effort
will be made by the league to find a replacement team. Call home team
coach for rain-out
information.
10. Home field coaches must remember to cancel umpires
immediately.
11. Home field coaches are responsible for scheduling umpires on all of
the fields. Please contact Martin if you have any problems. An umpire
assigner can be used. Call John Matthews at 419-386-9092 or email at
brigjohnmatt@yahoo.com
12. Rosters must be with the team at all games. Any player from
outside your school district must have written approval from the league
and this approval must be kept with the roster. Violation may result in
forfeits and/or expulsion from the
league.
13. All coaches must email game scores with team names, division and
scores by Tuesday of each week. Failure to do
so could result in expulsion from the league. League standings will be
kept on the FAST Wizard website… www.fastsoftball.org
14. Varsity players cannot play in the JV or minor division. JV
players cannot play in the minor division but can be pulled up to the
varsity team. Minor division players can play in the JV or Varsity
division. The opposing coach must be notified before the game of the
player's name and what team she is from. Ineligible players will result
in a forfeit and/or expulsion from the
league.
Rules are subject to change with short notice by League
Director.
Martin Drain,
Fast2Home@yahoo.com.
Cell phone
419-343-4716
3-20-11
