Illinois Amateur Softball Association Rules & Eligibility

The Amateur Softball Association of America is the governing body of softball in the United States.  The Association is directed by a Commissioner’s Council which is made up of softball leaders from all 50 states and 34 metropolitan areas.  The National Office of the Amateur Softball Association of America is headquartered in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.  In addition to housing Executive Director Ron Radigonda and his staff, the Oklahoma site also is home to the ASA National Hall of Fame.

The Amateur Softball Association of Illinois follows the Constitution and Bylaws of the Amateur Softball Association of America.  The Official Guide and Rule Book of the National ASA carry the most important rules and bylaws of softball.  If any direct conflict exists between state and national rules, the national rules have precedence.  These can be found at www.softball.org.

One of the purposes of this Brochure and Handbook is to spell out some specific rules of our Illinois ASA organization.  These are rules that seem to be of most concern to our managers and players.  We refer to the ASA Rule Book for most of your questions, but some “special rules” for Illinois classifications and competition are included herein.  Complete rules can be found at www.illinoisasa.org. Chicago Metro has their own ASA organization.

ELIGIBILITY

I.     General

A.  Authority

1.    Any National ASA rule change will take precedence over a State rule (see ASA guide).  Each State or Metro has their own classification system.

2.    ASA of Illinois Executive Committee has the authority to rule on the classifications of players and teams.  Their decision will be final.

B.   Divisions

1.    ASA of Illinois may conduct and/or sanction tournaments and/or competition in the

      following divisions:

        Division                                                                      Classifications

1.  Men’s Fast Pitch                                                      “AA”, “A”, “B”, “C”

2.  Women’s Fast Pitch                                                 “AA”, “A”, “B”, “C”

3.  Men’s Slow Pitch                                                    “B”, “C”, “D”, “E”

4.  Women’s Slow Pitch                                               “B”, “C”, “D”,

5.     Men’s Industrial                                                      “A”

6.     Men’s Church Slow Pitch                                       “A”

7.     Co-Ed                                                                      “OPEN” and “C”

8.   Youth Junior Olympic Girl’s Fast Pitch                 10-U, 12-U, 14-U, 16-U, 18-U (“A” & “B”)

C.  Eligibility

1.  In adult divisions of play, a player may play in any state or metro association during the current year.  If a player chooses to play in a state or metro outside of his/her residence, he/she is ineligible for all play in his/her state of residence.  (Exceptions:  Employment transfers, pick-up players, Men’s Masters Fast Pitch)

2.    A team MUST register with the State/Metro Association in which the greatest number of

      players reside both in youth and adult divisions.

3.    Foreign players are eligible to play in ASA Championship play but NOT in our state

invitational tournaments.  Foreign players are defined as citizens of other countries and foreign born US citizens who played for a non United States team in the past 12 months.

4.   A player may participate on only one team within a division of play during championship play.  EX:  You could play on one fast pitch and one slow pitch team, but could not play on a Class “A” slow pitch and Class “B” Slow pitch team.   *See footnote exception.  You can compete with a church, industrial and co-ed slow pitch as well as with one of the other divisions of slow pitch “A”, “B”, “C”, “D” and “E”.

5.    A player may move up to a higher classification of play prior to July 15 of the current year if they have not competed in a tournament series.    *See exception in footnote.

6.    Players returning from active military service (not National Guard) may be added to the current year’s roster provided he/she was a resident of that affiliated association area prior to his/her service and meets all other eligibility requirements.

7.    When a team member is called into the military (not National Guard unless for at least 90

      days), he/she may be replaced provided the replacement player meets all eligibility requirements.  This refers to those players leaving for service after the roster has been submitted.  No player may be added after the designated deadline.

*Footnote:  Unrestricted men’s fast pitch players can play in the men’s major national tournament and in their own state division of play within the same year.  Likewise, slow pitch men can play in the “A” National and still play in their own division that same year.

D.  Reclassifications

                    1.   A player who was not a regular on a slow pitch team the previous year and who was on the State tournament roster may apply in writing to the Executive Committee to be reclassified.  Reclassification is not automatic and must be approved by the Executive Committee. 

                    2.   Except for Men’s Fast Pitch, state tournament participants are not allowed to play in a lower classification the following year without permission of the Executive Committee.  EXCEPTIONS:  For fastpitch, see #4 below.  For slopitch, see III-A-3 on page 11.

                    3.   No more than five players who have been reclassified may join any one team in a given year.  Exception:  If any one team is reclassified after a six-month or one-year review, the players may compete on that team.  BUT no more than five players could go to another team.  Teams forced to advance and then reapply for reclassification is covered in another section.  If player was over 40, the team could appeal for up to two additional players.

                    4.  Fast Pitch Classification

                          a.  Only pitchers are classified for all Men’s Illinois ASA State Tournament games.  That

                                includes “AA” (major), “A”, “B”, and “C” with the following exceptions:

                                i.  Major (“AA”) and Class “A” players who made All-American the previous year

                  cannot play in “B” or “C”.

            ii.   Players that are on a team (except non-regulars) that win another organizations National Tournament must play Major or  “A” in Illinois ASA Championship Play the following season.

      b.   All pitchers shall retain the same classification they held at the conclusion of the 2010

            season unless they are granted reclassification by the Illinois ASA Executive Committee.

                          c.   Request for pitcher reclassification will be acted upon by the Executive Committee in

                                December or the Commissioner’s Council Meeting in March or no later than June 15, 2011.

                          d.   Pitchers are allowed to drop only one level of classification each year.  Example:  With approval from Executive Committee, pitchers can drop from “AA” to “A” in 2010, then with approval can drop to “B” in 2011.

                    5.   A former professional athlete or suspended athlete may apply for reclassification at any time. However, if approved, he would not be eligible if the application was received after the roster deadline of the current year for any of the various divisions.

                    6.   Illinois ASA will not consider any reclassifications after June 15 for the current year.

E.  Rosters

            1.     Only rosters submitted on an official ASA national roster form will be recognized.  State

                    Commissioners or area commissioners may make common sense rulings in case of mailing

                    problems in regard to roster deadlines.

            2.     All player memberships will be void after December 31 of each year.  They may sign with

                    any eligible team the following year.

3.     Players may sign only one ASA roster for each division of play.  Signature on roster

constitutes playing.  If a name inadvertently gets on two rosters, the situation must be resolved prior to tournament play.  The first signing is recognized by the ASA.                        

II.  FAST PITCH DIVISION RULES                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          

A.      Men

              1.   Rosters

                    a.   Fast Pitch rosters are limited to 20 players.                         

                    b.   Fast Pitch teams may pick up a maximum of three players (not to exceed the 20-player maximum).  These players may be added after State Tournaments from Registered ASA team rosters.  See National ASA Guidelines for Major Divisions.

                    c.   Pick-up players that advance from State Tournaments with the team that qualifies for National Tournaments will be allowed to return to their own team or another team for the next season and remain the same Class unless his/her whole team that they played with the previous year is reclassified by the Commissioners’ Council.  The same applies to all divisions.

              2.   Team/Player Eligibility

                    a.   Teams may compete in another organization’s state tournaments leading to a National Championship as long as they fulfill all their obligations in the ASA tournament.  Teams will not be forced up in classification because of their participation.  Exceptions:  See number 4, page 10.                    

                    b.   Pitchers may drop only one class per calendar year with or without proper roster notation.

                    c.   All other players are non-restricted in classification.                                                         

B.      Women (Major, “A”, “B”)

1.  Women’s Fast Pitch State Tournament will be an Open Tournament with all teams regardless of classification being allowed to participate.

III.  SLOPITCH DIVISION RULES  (both men and women, except as noted)

      A.    Rosters

              1.   Slopitch rosters are limited to 20 players, including pick-ups.

              2.   Slopitch teams may pick up three additional players to advance to the next tournament.  Pick-ups must come from own local association.  Same rule applies to pick-up players allowed to return to own team the next year.

              3.   Teams may also roster up to 3 “add-on” players from the next highest classification.  For example, C teams can utilize 3 B players, etc.  However, “add-on” players can play ONLY in that one class during the season.

              4.   To monitor downward movement of players via the “add-on” rule, slopitch players can now be designated with a “Plus”.  For example, B Plus players cannot be used as “add-ons” in C, C Plus players cannot be used as “add-ons” in D and D Plus players cannot be utilized as “add-ons” in the E state tournament.

              5.   Illinois ASA has compiled a Directory of all slopitch players.  We have listings of B, C, D, and E players.  The Directories will be used to monitor player rosters at the various slopitch state tournaments.

      B.    Classification of Teams

        1.  Teams posting 0-2 or 1-2 record in stat tournament play, may request reclassification one class for the next season.  The final decision will be made by the Executive Committee.

        2.   Concerning reclassification requests, the area Vice President can appoint a local committee to help him/her make a recommendation to the Executive Committee.

TOURNAMENT RULES AND CODE

I.       TOURNAMENT PROTESTS

1.       NO PROTEST is allowed on an umpire’s decision.  All disputes as to interpretation of rules must be settled on the playing field at once during tournaments by the umpires.  If deemed necessary, the umpire-in-chief will call a conference of all umpires and the results of this conference will be the final decision.  (If necessary, the rulebook can be consulted.)  Tournament Protest Committee decision is final.

 2.    Protest of player eligibility must be given to the supervising commissioner or tournament director together with proof of the claim, before any action all be given the protest.  The commissioner will act on any known violation at once.  He will assist in conducting an investigation, but will not rule a forfeit if proof is not available.  (In many cases if proven at a later date, that an ineligible player was used with knowledge of the manager, the team or manager or both may be suspended for one year or more.)  It is necessary that proof be given immediately—the tournament must go on.

II.      TOURNAMENTS

1.       All Fast Pitch State Tournaments are a 3 game guarantee.  For Men’s Fast Pitch State Tournaments, the top 1/2 of the total number of teams will be seeded, and the remainder of teams placed in blind draw.  The process will be adjudicated and compiled by ASA Tournament Directors in a timely fashion.

          2.     All Slopitch State Tournaments will be double-elimination with State Commissioner and Executive Committee designating the number of teams each year.  There will be state tournaments in the Men’s “B”, Industrial, Church, all Women’s tournaments and in the Co-Ed Slopitch divisions.  There will be North and South State Tournaments in the Men’s “C” division.  The dividing line for the tournament will be Route 36 with counties touching 36 going south (also Adams County) and other areas going north.  North/South borderline cases will be approved by the State Commissioner.