TOURNAMENT RULES

The DPS – USSSA will be governed by the 2014 USSSA Rule Book; however, the following exceptions will be made:

****ALL REGISTRATION FEES MUST BE Paid Prior To the  First Game****

(Proof of payment will be required).

Team Registration:

Effective March 1, 2010 ALL TEAMS are required to pay ALL entry fees before playing the first game. If a team plays a game without payment due to an umpire failure to request proof of payment , that teams game will be FORFEITED and will placed in the loser's bracket. If the team still does not pay the tournament entry fee after forfeiting the first game , the team will FORFEIT the entire tournament and will be considered a *NO-SHOW.

Registration Withdrawal:

Any team that registers online or by phone is required to show up to the tournament UNLESS the registration was withdrawn by phone call or email to the Director BEFORE the Tournament Registration Deadline. Failure to do so will result in a *NO-SHOW.

No Show fines and penalties:

A *NO-SHOW is punishable by an indefinite suspension and a $125 no show fee. The suspension can consist of the manager/coaches and or the entire roster. The suspension will be effective immediately after the No-Show is committed for ALL South Texas USSSA Play.

Start Times:

All Tournament Game Times are posted on Thursday Nights 9 pm central standard time or at the latest the Friday morning before the tournament.

Payment methods:

Cash , Cashiers Check/Money Order. Company Check only with preapproval. NO PERSONAL CHECKS. (Returned Checks is an automatic suspension)

Any questions regarding this document should be directed to: mando@dpsportsinc.com

 

New SOUTH TEXAS USSSA 2012 GUIDELINE

All rosters must be online with www.usssa.com  by February 1, 2014.

Any team whose roster is NOT online with www.usssa.com will automatically become VISITING team.

Men’s & Mixed Lower are allowed no more than 3- 2010 USSSA “C” class or higher players on their roster. (Mixed can have no more than 1 Man/1 Woman, 2 Men, or 2 Women).

*If a team enters the tournament in the wrong division, and the tournament offers multiple divisions  upon discovery the Tournament Director will reclassify the team for the remainder of the tournament.* 

Now If the tournament is 1 classification or a combined classification tournament the team playing under a falsified classification will forfeit the game and even risking forfeiture of the entire tournament .This process may still require a protest.

*Players in any division can not play on or for more than 1 Men’s or 1 Mixed team.  The penalty will be player ejection from the tournament and forfeit of the game.*

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Flip for Home Team, all games.

Homerun limits will for the Men’s & Mixed brackets will be:

3 for Upper Teams.

2 for Upper vs. Lower Teams

1 for Lower vs. Lower Teams

HR limits are the total allowed for the team no matter which gender hits the HR.

For all additional HR’s above the limits, the batter will be out.  Nothing more.

Hit and sit on all HR’s (no base-running appeals allowed).

Last Out courtesy Runner .1 per inning.

Teams will be allowed to bat 12 batters in a lineup. However if that 12^th player is ejected and no replacement is made, the 12^th batter will be an out and so forth.

For the Double Play Softball Program, teams will be classified according to the rules and guidelines set forth by South Texas USSSA . The “5-Run Equalizer Rule” will be utilized and will work as follows only separate divisons:

B teams shall spot C teams 5 runs, D teams 10 runs and E teams 15 runs (1, 2 or 3 runs per inning for the first 5 innings)

C teams shall spot D teams 5 runs and E teams 10 runs (1 or 2 per inning for the first 5 innings)

D teams shall spot E teams 5 runs (1 per inning for the first 5 innings)

If the tournament is advertised upper vs lower  or competitive vs. recreational , this will be considered as a single classification run spot .

Upper  vs. Lower 5 run spot

Game length will be 7 innings or 55 minute time limit or Run Rule  for ALL games. 

All extra innings will be played out as regular innings.

All game balls must be purchased at the park from DPS with the tournament logo.

1^st offense - warning

2^nd  offense and on - batter is out

In the case that an illegal ball is used on the first offense the team receives a warning.  If runners advance on an illegal ball being hit runners must return to their previous position. On the second offense ad on ; the batter is out and if runners advance they must return to their previous position . NO RUNS shall ever count at any point in time when an illegal ball is used .

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Run Rule is 25 after 3, 20 after 4, or 15 after 5 innings.  Flip-flop rule is in effect.

$100 cash protest fee.  It must be made in the 1^st inning or in the 1^st inning of entry for players or must be made prior to the next pitch for rules interpretations.

NOTE:  A protesting team must  have either turned a roster in or have one online in order to validate a protest . This does not mean that the roster will be checked but one must be on file in case . 

After February 1, 2011 ALL ROSTERS must be online with www.usssa.com .

All revisions are to be done prior to the first game. 

NO- Tolerance Fighting Policy

Effective immediately, for USSSA-sanctioned tournament play ONLY, anyone caught throwing the first punch in an altercation, will be suspended for a period of no less than 180 days from the date of the incident. In addition, anyone who retaliates by fighting will also be suspended for a period of 90 days, also from the date of the incident. The coach(es) of the team(s), if not involved in the fight, will also receive a 90-day suspension from the date of the incident. Any and all non-fighting players on both teams involved will be placed on probation, to last the remainder of the 2011 season. The USSSA Code of Ethics states that “each player is responsible for the actions of his or her teammates.”

For a second occurrence, all players involved will be suspended for a period of one year, from the date of the occurrence. In addition, both coaches, if not involved in the fight, will also receive a one-year suspension, also from the date of the incident. In addition to a player’s teammates being responsible, it is also a coach's responsibility to control his or her players. If a coach can't control his/her players, then perhaps that coach or those players don't need to be playing USSSA softball.

In addition to the one-year suspension, if the situation warrants, additional penalties may be sought from the USSSA National Disbarment Committee on an annual basis at the USSSA National Convention, held each November.

For those people who say that fighting is "a part of softball" then you're wrong. There is NO PLACE for fighting in softball or any other recreational sport. I'm sure that this will not be a popular decision with some, but the state of today's softball game has made this a necessity.

In addition, it will be left up to the tournament directors and umpires to step in and stop the “smack talking” when it starts and not wait until it escalates to the point of fighting. At the first incident of “smack talking” in a game, the umpire(s) will IMMEDIATELY warn both teams that ANY further instance will result in a player(s) ejection from the game. The first ejection will be for that particular game ONLY. Any additional ejections by a particular player will increase the penalties involved.

Any questions regarding the contents of this document should be addressed to the USSSA South Texas Hispanic State Director.
 

Armando De Leon Jr.
South Texas USSSA Hispanic State Director
mando@dpsportsinc.com