SBGFL By-Laws
Shooter’s Bar & Grill Fastpitch League
BY-LAWS
(If rule is not stated below, Softball Canada rulebook would apply)
1) The SBGHL shall be made up of a maximum of ten teams in any season. The current membership consists of the following teams:
- Shubie Lions (SL)
- Brookfield Elks (BE)
- Nova Scotia U23 Selects (NS23)
- Lantz Gremlins (LG)
- Prodigy Sports Red Sox (PRS)
- IB Hawkeyes (IBH)
- Canada Games Blue (CGBL)
- Canada Games Black (CGBK)
- Guysborough Transfer Fossils (GTF)
Any new teams must submit their intention to play in the SBGFL by February 28. The new team must present a roster and formal letter of request to play. The new team must be voted upon by the executive of the SBGFL. The new team shall not be formed due to the detriment of a roster to a previous team in the association.
2) The Executive Committee shall determine where all regular and playoff season games will be played.
3) When a player is drafted by a SBGFL team he remains the property of that team until such time as he is released by the team or traded.
4) When a player signs to play with a team he may be granted his release by team Management or The Executive Committee up to July 15th of each year. This player then goes on waivers and the last place team will have the option to take them or pass. If passed, it moves on to the next team and so on, until player is picked. Team that takes the pick moves to last in the quene.
5) No player will be permitted to play unless his registration has been approved by the Executive Committee of the Association. It should be noted that this means a player will require a release before joining another team.
6) Registration will be strictly enforced. The registration form must be in the hands of the secretary/treasurer before a player can participate in any game.
7) All graduating Junior’s and Players from a disbanded team will be placed in the SBGFL draft. Selection will be in reverse order from previous years finish for all regular season games played. League Champion always picks last. A player not drafted is eligible to go on waivers and be picked up by a team. Player’s entering the draft are to pay a $50.00 fee, except for players from Whiterock Rockies in 2020. Also player’s that are moving from a current team to play for the U23 team this season, will get to return to their original teams the following season and not have to enter the draft.
8) There will be one doubleheader scheduled in June, July and August to be played in St Croix. Teams will rotate.
9) Playoff format for both the Intermediate and Senior League is as follows.
Opening round is a Best of 3 series with 1st vs 4th and 2nd vs 3rd. Finals for both division is a Best of 5 series.
The 5th place team in Intermediate Division does not qualify for playoffs.
To be eligible to play in the playoffs a player has to be registered with the Association by the final registration date of August 7th of each year and have played in at least ten games with no specified plate appearances or have played in five games with ten plate appearances.
10) A playoff game that is tied and is stopped due to weather or for any other reason and five complete or more innings has been played, the game will be declared a no contest and replayed. All statistics will count. The International Tie Breaking Rule will not apply to a Game five (Best Of Five Series) or Game 7 (best of seven series) of the SBGFL Championship Series. For all other games it will.
11) The start times for all games will be 7:00 P.M. & 9:00 P.M. on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday. This includes playoff games, unless there is an agreement between opposing teams and umpires for an alternate day and time.
12) Game stats and sheets are to be sent to Randy Frame (rframe@kerrcontrols.ca) no later than 10:00am the following day.
13) Postponed games will be re-scheduled at times available. No scheduled games will be changed in order to make room for any postponements.
14) A regular season game that is tied after seven innings of play the International Tie Breaking Rule will apply. However should a game be stopped due to weather, loss of player to injury resulting in not enough players, power failure, etc. and five complete innings has been played, then the game shall be declared a tied game and each team awarded a point. All statistics will count. This rule does not apply to special playoff or championship series play.
15) The length of the league Schedule shall consist of a 24 game regular season. No regular season games will be played after August 31st, of each year. The final standings to be determined on winning percentage for all games played to August 31st.
16) In the interest of safety, the SBGFL will have a Bat Review Committee (Umpires) and bats they consider unsafe for play will be banned Association. A full-approved bat list will be provided at the start of each season.
17) A team must be dressed in full uniform including coaches. The uniform must be of the same design and color, with the type of footwear being optional. Rule 3, Section 8 of the Softball Canada Rule Book. 1st Offense will be a warning. 2nd offense is a forfeit.
18) Final registration date will be August 7th, of each year.
19) A minimum of one new softball, two umpires and a scorekeeper to be provided for all SBGFL games. Home team is to be responsible for extra game balls. The official softball is the Worth K-Master C120YCC COR. Umpires are encouraged to rotate the balls in a consistent manner.
20) The wearing of a double ear flap helmet is mandatory for a batter and a base runner. The helmet worn by a catcher may be the scull type without the ear flaps.
21) In all SBGFL regular and play-off games, an illegal pitch will result in a ball on the batter and no base runner advances.
22) The BATTER’S BOX is the area within which the batter must take a position when taking a turn at bat.
a) Any player who removes the lines of the batters box will be issued one warning for doing so. A 2nd time he will be ejected from the game. This excludes base runners sliding at home plate.
b) When there are no lines drawn, the plate umpire shall give a warning to the batter if they judge that they are not standing in the batters box. The player must correct their stance (the batters back foot must not exceed 36 inches from the back corner of the plate).
c) The batter is OUT when his foot is completely outside the lines of the batter’s box and touching the ground, or any part of a foot is touching home plate when he hits the ball fair or foul (The ball is dead, runners must return to last base touched at the time of the pitch).
23) When a player is ejected from the game, he must leave the dugout area immediately. Failure to leave with-in a minute or reasonable amount of time will result in the team forfeiting the game. The player may remain in the park, however they are not to be involved in any way to the game. If the person continues to disrupt or become engaged in the game in a negative manner, the game will be forfeited. A player/coach ejected from a game will not be permitted to sit on their team’s bench; this also applies to suspensions.
A. Every ejection shall be reported on a Disciplinary Form
Standard Ejection Report (No appeals to be accepted)
·Swearing or Using Vulgar Language – No warning to be given
·Disputing the Umpires Judgment (warning may be given, but doesn’t need to) examples:
a) Balls/Strikes
b) Safes/Outs
c) Showing up Umpire (drawing a line in sand)
d) Kicking Dirt on Umpire
e) Throwing Equipment (inside diamond)
Consequence of Action:
1st Offence: Removed From Game, No Further Penalty
2nd Offence: Removed From Game, One Additional Game
3rd Offence: Removed From Game, Referred to Disciplinary Committee
B. Disciplinary Ejection Report (Appeals)
·Throwing Equipment – Equipment leaves the playing area (over the fence) (2 Games)
·Excessive Abusive Language towards an umpire, player, coach, or spectator (3 Games)
·Fighting with a player of the opposing team (4 Games)
·Throwing Equipment in the general direction or strikes a Player/Coach or Umpire (Indefinite), to be then reviewed by league
·Assault of an Umpire (Verbal or Physical).
All physical assaults are to be reported to police.
- May be Threatening Remarks that Warrant Assault Minimum Indefinite
- Intentionally Throwing Equipment Striking an Official Minimum Indefinite
C. Disciplinary Committee shall oversee disciplinary matters:
·Two members of the Executive
·Two members appointed by the Executive
·An Umpire appointed by the Executive (Note: If the appointed umpire filed the report on the player/coach involved, then the executive shall appoint an umpire that was not involved in the situation)
D. Discipline Committee
Meet/discuss before the player/coach plays their next scheduled game to make a ruling on the ejection. (Exception: If the individual was removed due to inappropriate language, and it is their first offence, the player shall be given a warning by the executive). The player/coach shall not play in their next game if the committee has not ruled on the ejection. If said player is awaiting an appeal, the player shall play until a final decision is made by the committee. Once the ruling is made the Discipline Committee is to notify both the player/coach involved and the president on their recommendation.
24) Appeal Process
Any player/coach may appeal the decision of the Discipline Committee. Appeals should be heard at the local level first. The individual shall present a letter to the Discipline Committee of the appeal. A hearing involving the player/coach and umpire(s) involved in the game shall be presented to the Discipline Committee. After the hearing, the decision of the committee is final.
25) Appeal Procedures
·All ejections shall be reported on a Disciplinary Form and passed to the scorekeeper after the game.
·An ejection of any player/coach (except on the first offence of inappropriate language) shall be heard before the player/coaches next scheduled game.
·A record of all ejections shall be maintained by the executive.
·When a player is ejected for the third time, the disciplinary committee shall determine that player’s status from that point forward.
·Suspensions shall carry over to all league tournaments, etc…
Example - If the player is suspended for 3 League Games, they are to miss their next 3 SBGFL games. Note: This includes SBGFL tournament play.
·No team shall select a player from the stands that is not on the team’s roster to replace a player that was ejected
·If said player is awaiting an appeal, the player shall play until a final decision is made by the committee.
A Player, Coach, or Team Official ejected from a game for the second time in a season will receive an automatic one game suspension. If further ejections are received in a season, a one game suspension will apply for each additional ejection. This rule in no way curtails the Executive Committee from taking further action for any or all ejections. A Player, Coach or Team Official ejected from a game more than three times in a season must have his case reviewed by the Executive Committee.
26) The seven run rule only to apply after five innings for all League games including playoffs.
27) The League will have its own Logo and Web Site.
28) To break a tie in the final standings the following will apply:
a) First Place Best winning record in games played between teams tied Or the best Plus Minus Percentage in these games.
b) Second or Third Place Best winning record in games played between teams tied Or the best Plus-Minus Percentage in these games.
29) For all games a Team must start and finish with a minimum of 9 players.
30) Absolutely no smoking or alcohol is permitted in the dugout at anytime.
31) All Intermediate Division games will be on a two hour time limit.
