HAWAI’I KUPUNA SOFTBALL LEAGUE
RULES AND REGULATIONS
1. DEFINITIONS:
“Advisory Committee” shall mean the Hawaii Kupuna Softball League Advisory Committee.
“County” shall mean the County of Hawai’i and/or the County of Hawai’i Dept. of Parks and Recreation Elderly Activities Division (EAD) Special Programs Division. “
“Function” shall mean a league game, league meeting, or a tournament or event sponsored by the County related to the League.
“League” shall mean the Hawai’i Kupuna Softball League.
“League rules” shall mean Hawaii Kupuna Softball League Rules and Regulations.
“Member” shall mean a coach, player, scorekeeper and/or umpire who is actively engaged in a game.
“State rules” shall mean the Hawaii State Senior Softball Rules and Regulations.
2.ABUSIVE LANGUAGE AND PHYSICAL VIOLENCE
2.1Members are subject to the County of Hawaii Code of Ethics.
2.2ABUSIVE LANGUAGE or ACTION. A member of the League who verbally expresses profanity and/or exhibits profane or threateninggestures during the course of a function against another member or County staff shall be subject to the following disciplinary actions:
a. For the first offense, the member shall be immediately ejected from the function and suspended from participating in League and team functions for one week following the date of ejection.
b. For a second offense, the member shall be immediately ejected from thefunction and
suspended from participating in League and team functions for three consecutive weeks following the date of the ejection.
c. For the third offense, the member shall be immediately ejected from the function and shall be disqualified from being a member of the team and the League for the remainder of the season, including all tournaments associated with the League.
2.3Unsportsmanlike Conduct. For gross unsportsmanlike conduct including, but not
limited to, assault and/or battery of tournament officials, umpires, league members;
intentional destruction of public or private property or other inappropriate behavior,
before, during or after any league game or tournament by a player, manager or other
team affiliated persons, including fans, the umpire or tournament official shall be
authorized to eject said persons(s) from the game.
The umpire or tournament official shall submit a report to the Advisory Committee
who may impose sanctions to include ejection for the remainder of the season or tournament, or to impose a suspension (a) from league play for a term set by the Advisory Committee, or (b) for a lifetime suspension from the league.
2.4Except for the sanction of a lifetime suspension, any person who has been ejected or suspended pursuant to Rule 2.2(c) or Rule 2.3 shall apply in writing to, and obtain approval from, the Advisory Committee for reinstatement to the league.
3.APPEAL PROCESS
An appeal may be submitted in writing by a coach (appellant) to the County EADwithin seven (7) working days from the date of the event or issue being appealed. The appeal shall include all details related to the event or issue.
The appropriate County staff and the Advisory Committee shall determine if the appeal is valid and within the jurisdiction of the County. If the appeal is not valid, a written response shall be provided to the Appellant. If the appeal is found to be valid, a hearing shall be conducted. A written response shall be provided to the appellant within 60 days from the date of the hearing, provided that the date of response may be extended when legal issues may be attached to the appeal.
4.EQUIPMENT
During the reqular season teams shall play double headers with each team alternating being the home
team. Each home team shall provide one new ball and a good or newsecond ball to the umpire which
shall be returned to the respective teams after the games.
Each team shall provide a set of bases, pitcher’s plate (if necessary), home plate and scoring plate for home games which shall be set at the official distances described in the current State rules.
5.GAMES
5.1 League games, including tournaments, shall be in accordance with the League rules, the State rules and where necessary, the SSUSA rules. League games shall be seven innings without time limits. Tournament games shall be seven innings with time limits.
5.2 SCHEDULE
- All league games must be played as scheduled. Rain out games will be rescheduled with the
approval of the League Coordinator. The coach of the home team will inform the League Coordinator of the rainout game and the tentative date of the rescheduled game. Exception: A team may request to reschedule a game for a funeral of a team member or his/her immediate family.
- In the event a team is unable to play a scheduled league game, the coach of that team must
inform the opposing coach of their intention to forfeit the game by 7 p.m. Thursday night prior to that Saturday’s games.
- Any team that forfeits three Saturday games (6 games) will be ineligible for post season play
and will be ineligible to enter and participate in the League for the following year.
5.3Tie-breakers. If there is a two (2) team tie, head to head play will break the tie. If there is a three (3) team tie, the total difference between scores of every game played among the tied teams will be used to break the tie. A maximum difference of 12 runs for each game will be allowed. The team with the highest net run differential will be the highest seed. Once the highest seed has been determined, head to head play between the remaining two teams will decide the next highest seed.
5.4TOURNAMENT: Games will follow the current State Rules.
5.5UMPIRE: The host team shall provide umpires, the official scorekeeper and scorebook.Umpires shall be required to wear appropriate attire, including covered shoes. If only one umpire is provided, the opposing team may elect to provide a second (base) umpire. The home team shall ensure that umpires are aware of all rule changes.
6.HOME FIELD
6.1Each team must designate the location of its home field prior to the start of the season, provided that home fields are subject to availability and approval of the Parks division. The home team shall prepare the field prior to each home game in accordance with the dimensions and distances contained in the League or State rules, including foul lines, bases, home plate, scoring plate, pitcher’s box, pitcher’s plate and batter’s box.
6.2The commitment line between 3rd base and the scoring plate shall be drawn at a distance 20 feet from the tip of home plate toward 3rd base.
6.3Installation of temporary fences shall be at a distance of no less than250 feetand shall only be installed if it is an open field. A team who elects to install a temporary fence shall do it for the entire home season.
6.4If a team’s home field is not available, a suitable alternative site will be announced by the League Coordinator prior to that Saturday’s game.
6.5The scoring plate shall be placed and anchored with the back tip of the plate 8 feet from the forward left corner of the home plate. A foot down on the scoring plate prior to the ball being received by a defensive player touching home plate is the same as a foot down on home plate for the purpose of scoring a run.
7.LEAGUEFORMAT
The League reserves the rights to limit the number of teams in the league. New teams joining the league may be placed in either the East or West section to achieve equity in the number of teams per section.
8.PLAYER ELIGIBILITY
8.1Female players 55 years of older are eligible to play in the League and shall be treated as a player 60 years of age. Substitutions and courtesy runners for these female players shall be by a female 55 years or older or by a male player 60 years or older.
8.2Male players 55- 59 years of age may be on a team’s roster, provided that teams are allowed to use only one under 60 male player at a time.
8.3A player under 55 years of age shall not be added to a team’s roster until that player has made 55 years of age and whose birthdate is no later than May 31 of that year.
9.PLAYING RULES
9.1Around the Horn. Throwing the ball around the horn is only permitted prior to the start of an inning.
9,2First Base. If there is a play on a batter-runner going to first base, the batter-runner shall only touch the outer base which extends outside the foul line. He/she will be called out if he/she fails to do so, except, if in the Umpire’s judgement the batter-runner is avoiding a collision.
Once a batter/runner reaches first base, the double base shall be treated as one base and the fielder or runner may use either portion.
9.3Base running. Except for first base, a base runner who intends to advance to the next base must touch and round the base. Except for first base, if a runner runs through the base, an attempt or act to advance to the next base shall require the player to retouch the base and if not, the player may be called out.
9.4A base runner shall be called out if he/she does not remain on the base until the ball is hit, whether fair or foul. However, a base runner shall not be called out if he/she leaves the base after the batter swings and misses.
9.5Ineligible player. Any player not on a line-up sheet shall be ineligible to play in that game.
9.6Interference shall be the act by an offensive player that impedes or confuses a defensive player attempting to execute a play. A base runner must avoid a fielder making a play. The ball is dead and the offensive player shall be called out.
9.7Obstruction shall be called if a fielder who is not in possession of the ball and is not in the act of fielding a batted or thrown ball impedes the progress of a runner who is legally running to a base. The ball is dead and all runners are awarded the base they would have reached.
9.8Pitching. The distance from the forward edge of home plate to the forward edge of the pitching plate shall be 46 feet. Pitchers may pitch, with one foot or both feet within a 2 foot wide pitchers box, from a distance from 46 feet to 52 feet from home plate.
9.9Courtesy runners. Courtesy runners shall not enter a game unless authorized by the Umpire.
9.10Tagging.
a. At Base. A runner shall be called out when a defensive player, who has possession of the ball, breaks the plane of the base on the side the runner is running immediately prior to the runner breaking the plane of the base.
b. Between Bases. Defensive players shall physically tag the runner.
9.11Time outs shall be valid only when declared by the Umpire.
9.12Uniforms. Caps, visors and shirts shall be alike in color and logo, provided that use of caps or visors is optional. Pants or shorts shall be alike in color (i.e. various shades of the primary color), excluding trim.
10.ROSTER
10.1A minimum of fourteen (14) players is necessary to enter a team in the League, with a minimum of thirteen players age 60 or older.
10.2A player who signs on to a team’s roster must remain with that team for the entire season. The player will be ineligible to play for any other team during that season except as follows:
- If a player withdraws from a team prior to the team’s first scheduled game the player may be added on to another team’s roster; or
- If a team is dissolved, prior to May 31, players are eligible to join other teams.
10.3Team rosters with all required information, signature and individual waiver forms will be due two weeks prior to the start of the season.
10.4Teams may add players until May 31 of each year. Any player added to a roster after league play has begunmust have submitted all necessary forms and must have approval of the County prior to playing in the league. To be eligible for post-season play, an added player must play five (5) games.
10.5Players can only be added after May 31 of each year if a team declares “hardship” due to injury or illness. “Hardship” means that a team does not have enough players (8 or less players) to continue the seasonincluding post season play. The Coach of that team shall submit a written notice of hardship declaring names of player(s) affected and the County EAD shall make a determination if a team can add eligible player(s) to their roster.
10.6During the regular season but no later than the third (3rd) week of February, a player who resigns from a team is allowed a one time privilege to join another team with the consent of the new coach provided that a team can only accept one player who has resignedper season.
11.TOURNAMENT ELIGIBILITY
A team must participate in the League in order to qualify for participation in the County and State Senior Softball Tournaments.
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2018 Hawai’i Kupuna League Softball Rules