UCSSL MEETING MINUTES FOR APRIL 1, 2015

The following is a summary of our league meeting of April 1, 2015:

30 were in attendance; each team was represented with the exception of Creative Too.

Managers were reminded that a registration/waiver form must be signed prior to a player engaging in any team/league activity, and all registration materials must be received before a player participates in league games.

Managers were also reminded that "preliminary" rosters are due by league rule "before the scheduling meeting that is held in mid-April." Because our final pre-season meeting is early this year, and the season begins in less than 3 weeks, managers will have until Monday April 13 to submit their initial roster, using the NJSSA form in either WORD or Excel format. This is one week prior to our season openers.

These are needed so the commissioner can compare registrations received to preliminary rosters in order to inform team leaders as to what registration materials have not been received, and so a thorough check can be made on things such as too many OOC players on rosters.

Final rosters are due on or before May 15, following four full weeks of league play. This should be more than enough time to finalize rosters and gather all completed registration materials.

Sponsor checks are due ASAP.

Rosie's Wine Bar will no longer be a team sponsor. (It has been learned since the meeting that Riverside Inn in Cranford will be the new sponsor this season.)

Managers are encouraged to go to the ASA website's "Non-Approved Bat List" and print a copy of this document to put together with their team's UCSSL Rules and ASA Rule Book.

At the final NJSSA meeting on March 7, the following state tournament actions were taken --

60+ Tourney is August 8 and 9 in Linden

50+ Tourney is August 15 and 16 in Linden

Strike mat will be 19" by 36"

No rabbits from home plate are allowed

50 C Division and 60s will play with 11 in field

If you are unable to field a team of 12 (13 in 50 C and 60s)

from your team's roster, you may add up to 4 players from

team(s) in your division or a lower division to reach 12

(or 13) players for tourney.

Shirts will be available between 10 and 2 on Saturday, April 18, at Gary Wiese's shop, Your Tops, at 101 S. 21st St. in Kenilworth.

Managers have received recently (or will receive soon) via email: 

2015 UCSSL Rules, 2015 Managers/Officers Listing, 2015 Schedules for both 50s and 60s, 2015 Field Permits, and links to ASA Approved and Non-approved bat lists.

Game day reminders:

Speed-up rule is in effect the first two weeks on unlighted fields – no infield and only two warm-up pitches after the first inning.

Paying umpires if a delayed rainout -- pay them $10 "show up" fee if umpire must call the game before a pitch has been thrown.

Do not play games on fields that are closed. Field "hotline" numbers and county website links will be updated. The county has final word on their fields, Ed Kushner has the final word on Linden fields. Gary Moran and I will coordinate with them, and emails will be sent as soon as a determination has been made on rainouts.

If not already done, the following need to be submitted to the commissioner as soon as possible:

Team sponsor's fee, remaining player registration forms and fees (please be sure that checks are payable to UCSSL, or are endorsed to UCSSL), your preliminary 2015 roster.  (Any of these items you did not bring to the meeting will need to be delivered -- email or otherwise -- to my home prior to the start of the season.)  Players may not participate without a signed waiver form!  Rosters should be emailed as an attachment. Thank you for your cooperation!

Managers selected fields for the upcoming 2015 UCSSL season.

The following items were distributed at the meeting:

2015 ASA Rule Book

Scorebook

A check for umpire fees in the amount of $494.00 to pay for 12

regular season home games plus one playoff home game.

26 softballs, enough for 24 regular season plus two playoff games.

A diagram showing the dimensions of batters' boxes.

At our March meeting we agreed to better define the batters' box. I Managers further agreed at the April meeting to approve the following wording for UCSSL Rule 2.6. --

[If not already drawn] Before play begins the umpire will draw two batters boxes 3’x7’ at the positions laid out in the ASA rulebook.

These lines will be redrawn if they become indistinguishable during the game. Any batter completely stepping outside these lines and making contact with a pitched ball shall be called out.

The following rule clarification, tabled at our last meeting, was discussed and approved -- 

8.6. INTERFERENCE: Runner must slide or avoid contact with a

fielder attempting a double play interfering with a fielder attempting to throw to first base. Avoidance is not necessary if a throw is not attempted. If, in the umpire’s judgment, the player did NOT attempt to avoid contact interfering, he may rule a double play. IMPORTANT: THIS IS A JUDGEMENT CALL. You cannot protest the umpire’s call.

*Note – This is a clarification to the current rule. There is a misconception that runners must veer on any play at 2^nd base. There already is a rule in effect regarding collisions so this clarification eliminates the jeopardy of a runner veering out of the baseline only to be tagged (or called) out if the fielder drops the ball or if there is no clear intention to throw to first.

The following clarifications to UCSSL Rule 8.2 (specific to our 60+ Division), as discussed at the March meeting, were further discussed and approved:

No "rabbits" are allowed from home plate.

For players in possession of a valid ADA card only: A batted ball must reach the outfield grass and pass an infielder, other than the pitcher, to be considered a hit. The ball is live and putouts and force outs of other runners are permitted. The middle fielder (11^th player) is not considered an outfielder in this case regardless of his position on the field.