Toronto Arts League Self Pitch Co Ed Softball - TAL

22 Posts

Here are a few housekeeping issues that we should deal with before the season starts.

Please read and take any actions required, and provide and questions or comments as necessary.

We have some new rules in the league that require each team do some "auditing" if these new rules are to actually be enforced. The rules in question are:

1) Minimum 3 games played in the regular season to qualify for play-offs. This is not a new rule per say, but this year it is to be strictly applied and the onus is now on the teams to prove their players have played 3 games rather than on the other team to prove that a player hasn't played the minimum games, so if come play off time a team has ignored this rule and has not done the proper "paper work" and the league web site doesn't have the necessary information to show each individual member has played 3 games, that team will not be allowed to use those players (it could conceivably end up that a team that is really lax on this rule could end up with no players eligible to play in the play offs and have to forfeit the game.)

2) To qualify as having played in a game, a player must have played in the field at least 3 innings during that game (where mathematically possible.) This rule would seem to require that the opposition team be responsible for monitoring who played in the field each inning and to make sure that all players on the other team have played at least 3 innings ... also, it would make sense that the opposition team is responsible for following up and making sure that the proper stats are entered on the web site (ie: each team is responsible for entering their own stats, but the opposition team is then responsible to go check that you didn't enter any player as having played the game who didn't actually end up playing 3 innings in the field.)

So, to that end, I have created a special "score sheet" and "line up card" (PDF file available for download at the TAL website in the "forms and files" area.)

The process should go something like this:

1) Before the game download a copy of the TAL score sheet and line up card (download a few of each, just in case you lose one, or the other team forgets to download their copy.)

2) Fill out your score sheet before the game as usual ... then just before the game starts, fill out your line up card with your current line up for the game, and the two captains will then exchange their line up cards and the game will begin.

3) You will notice that on both the score sheet and line up card, there are three little boxes next to the players names ... use these to mark the innings a player plays in the field (once the 3 boxes are filled in, the player is considered as having played the game and the game will qualify them towards being able to play in the play offs)

4) On the score sheet you obviously use the 3 boxes to monitor your own players ... on the line up card (which should be the opponents line up card) you keep track of the other teams players "field status". Since it is less likely that you will know how to put "names to the faces" for the other team's players in the field, it is recommended that you have your base coach that is coaching on the base next to the opposition teams dugout be responsible for consulting with the opposition bench to see who is playing in the field that inning (or sitting on the bench, which ever is more convenient for determining who is playing in the field) and marking the line up card appropriately (or passing the information on to their bench so the score-keeper can mark the line up card.)

5) At the start of the 7th inning, in addition to confirming the game score, also confirm that the line up cards, and the "innings played boxes" are filled in properly, and that all players have played at least 3 innings, and that any player that hasn't played three innings yet will be in the field for the 7th inning

6) After the game the team captains will get together to sign the score sheets and line up cards ... Captains will keep the other teams line up card and use it to verify that the other team has entered their information properly on the league web site. If a team has had to play short handed, then that team's captain will also sign the "played short handed" line on their line up card. If a player in the line up has not been able to play 3 innings in the field, then that teams captain will also initial beside that players "innings played boxes" to confirm that the player does not qualify as having played a full game.

Please keep all score sheets and line up cards as in case of any dispute these will be the documents of record (if they are not available, then the information on the web site will be considered as official.

----------------------

If there are any issues that need to be discussed regarding this email, please go to the TAL web site forum section and make your responses there (this email is posted there ... follow this link.

Also, since the web site will be the official source of all information, please make sure that all your team members are signed up to the web site and are registered on your team ... if there are players missing on your team (whether they didn't. or can't sign up on their own, or they signed up and forgot to register with your team,) please email me a list of these players (first name, last name, email address) and I will manually add them to the site and your team.

3 Posts

All,
before everyone has a fit about this subject especially the following----
4) On the score sheet you obviously use the 3 boxes to monitor your own players ... on the line up card (which should be the opponents line up card) you keep track of the other teams players "field status". Since it is less likely that you will know how to put "names to the faces" for the other team's players in the field, it is recommended that you have your base coach that is coaching on the base next to the opposition teams dugout be responsible for consulting with the opposition bench to see who is playing in the field that inning (or sitting on the bench, which ever is more convenient for determining who is playing in the field) and marking the line up card appropriately (or passing the information on to their bench so the score-keeper can mark the line up card.

---I think, and I believe this was the feeling at the League meeting, that filling out your own teams lineup card with names and innings played and giving the card to the opposing captain at the end of the game, was sufficient to accomplish our ends. No need to track the other team. Will cross post this to Dylan's post.

22 Posts

OK, we can go with the "honesty" approach, and this will indeed address the issue of "ringers in the playoffs" .... but I still have a problem seeing the point of an unmonitored and unenforced "minimum 3 innings" rule .... we can have a player just do DH, and as long as in 3 of their games they played 3 inning, then there's no issue? We can "cheat" 12 games but as long as we play by the rules for 3 games we're ok?

I think the point here is that we have a rule that can't be enforced, and can be broken 80% of the season and not have any effect at all.

Suppose someone doesn't play 3 innings in a game but takes their regular at bats ... right now there is no penalty for this, except MAYBE at the end of the year, and only if they didn't play 3 other games in the field for the required 3 innings.

I think we either need to apply a specific penalty and provide a method of monitoring that the rule is followed, or drop the rule and the people that show up play as the captain and the team see fit ... if the Captain wants to play a player 2 innings, or the player their self feels they can only play 1 inning, then that's what happens, and we apply the same "honesty" approach and accept that if a player doesn't play in the field for 3 innings that it is for a valid reason and not just to "hide" some weakness.

I think we created this rule (minimum 3 innings) without thinking it through all the way to it's logical conclusion, so maybe we should reconsider if this rule will be used, modified, or dropped ... then we just fill out the line up card, sign it, exchange it, and that will be that.

3 Posts

Regarding DH: i think the rule says that if you play a game then you must play three innings in field. In no way is it implied that you can use a DH at any time. But regardless, to your larger point, you are right---there are loopholes in this rule. But there are loopholes in all the rules if you look hard enough. It is the spirit of the rules teams should, I hope, be willing to honor. That was the message at the Captains meeting. This is a social league and the rules should be seen less as codes needing interpretation and more as principles to follow.