The 2015 UBA Softball Leagues are not sanctioned by USSSA, ASA,
or any other organization (with the exception of the Men’s Power League, which is USSSA)
UBA reserves the right to amend any rule “on the fly” based off a situation.
Seymour-Smith Complex & Kelley Complex Contact Information:
Rainout Hotline: 402-978-3346
OR YOU MAY OPT TO RECEIVE TEXT ALERTS FOR RAINOUTS VIA THE UBA WEB SITE
UBA Softball Customer Service:
Nick Schumacher – Adult Softball Coordinator
Larry Vavricek – Director of Operations
Ultimate Baseball Academy
4225 S. 121st Plaza
Omaha, NE. 68137
www.ubanebraska.com
Field Conditions/Rainout Information
WE DO NOT CANCEL GAMES BASED ON FORECASTS OR CLOUDS. Field conditions/rainout information will be updated daily as soon as possible based on playing conditions and lightning.
With playing an outside sport everyone knows the hardest thing to predict is the weather, with this in mind we will do our best to try and keep everybody safe. We realize that in the Midwest the weather can be very unpredictable and things can change in a matter of minutes. Remembering this, everybody needs to use their best judgment and we will follow these guidelines….
"Thunder always accompanies lightning, even though its audible range can be diminished because of background noise … The current recommendation of the NSSL is to consider terminating play when the lightning is six miles away ("flash-to-bang" time of 30 seconds or less). This … was developed as a practical way to make a judgment in situations where other resources … are not available."
Refund Policy
UBA will not issue any refunds once you have completed your registration unless that spot can be filled by another team. If you withdraw from the league after the schedule is complete then no refund will be issued.
*NO REFUNDS WHATSOEVER WILL BE ISSUED TO TEAMS WHO ARE SUSPENDED FROM LEAGUE PLAY. FOLLOW THE RULES.
General Rules for UBA League Play
0. Any rule or issue not specifically covered in the following “house” rules, will default to the 2015 USSSA rulebook.
The Men’s Power League is the only sanctioned USSSA league, and will follow the USSSA rulebook with the following modifications:
1. Home runs will be capped at 5 per game
2. If you are on an OPEN league roster, you may NOT sub for another OPEN league team.
3. May use a courtesy runner only in the event of a player having a night ending injury. The injured player will then be ineligible from play for the remainder of the night. The replacement runner will be the player who was last called out.
1. Softballs in 2015: The official softballs for all league play will be:
Men’s Open League – Classic M or Classic M plus only (blue stitch).
In all other leagues men will hit the Classic Plus 52-300 Core (BLUE STITCH) & women will hit the Classic W (BLUE STITCH).
*SPECIAL NOTE – Umpires must be able to read the Classic M, Classic W, or Classic Plus designation before the ball will be allowed in play.
2. Bats:
With the exception of the Men’s Power League, any ASA or USSSA bat that passes the test via the UBA bat tester will be legal in play. Bats that are on the ASA or USSSA “banned list” are not allowed to be used. Random testing will occur at the fields. In addition, a bat will be removed from play for immediate testing at the field if it generates a hit where the ball strikes a defenseless player. After the bat passes the test, it will be immediately returned. If the bat fails the test, it will be confiscated permanently and the player ejected from play for the evening. The Men’s Power League is required to have the USSSA (thumb print) stamp.
No bat will be allowed to have foreign substance above the taper of the handle. Any bat that does have foreign substance above the taper of the handle will be removed immediately.
With the addition of on-site supervisors & bat testers, when in doubt - we will test.
Penalty for using illegal bats:
First offense bat will be removed from play and the player ejected from play for the night.
Second offense the bat will be confiscated and the user of the bat will be suspended for the remainder of the season.
Third offense the bat will be confiscated and the owner and user of batter will be banned from play for the rest of the current year and the following year.
** In the event an illegal bat is suspected of having been tampered with, UBA may have the bat sent to the USSSA headquarters for testing. If the bat is then deemed illegal by means of intentional alteration (IE: shaving, rolling, etc), UBA may forfeit all remaining games on the offending team’s schedule. If you alter a bat to gain an advantage, you risk your entire team’s remaining schedule.
3. Defenseless Player Rule:
Any batted ball that strikes a defenseless player, who is playing infield, will result in removal of the bat from play for on-site testing. Once the bat has been tested it will be immediately returned (if it passes). If the bat fails, it will be permanently removed and the owner will be disciplined according to the above stated rules.
Defenseless player clarification: A player that does not have time to react or defend themselves is considered defenseless.
A pitcher that moves outside the pitching box will not be protected by this rule.
* This will be up to umpire judgment, but basically you hit a softball and somebody gets hurt, your bat will be checked.
4. Adult League Age Restrictions:
All Adult Leagues – All players must be at least 16 on or before April 1, 2015 to participate in UBA softball leagues. Anybody wishing to participate under the age of 18 must have a guardian sign a waiver form to be eligible to play.
5. Equipment:
Teams are responsible for providing their own bats, softballs, and gloves. Softballs will be available for purchase at UBA, Play it Again Sports, and Scheels.
6. Uniform Requirements:
Uniforms are not required!
Pants (shorts, sweats, ball pants, etc..) are required
Shirts must be worn
Closed toe shoes are required! NO metal spikes or steel tip football cleats!
7. Protests:
Protests can be filed on any umpires' rule interpretation, but not a judgment call. Before the next pitch is made the team wanting to protest must notify the umpire that you are going to continue to play the game under protest. The umpire will gather the teams together and announce that a protest has been made. Both scorebooks must reflect the same score and, if necessary, the ball/strike count, outs and positions of the runners. The umpire will initial both books. Your protest—along with a $50 filing fee—must be turned in to UBA, in writing, within 48 hours of the games completion. Your filing fee will be returned if the protest is upheld by the UBA Protest Committee.
8. Lineups and Keeping Score:
All teams are required to have their rosters posted online to UBA’s site. Teams may bring in manual copies if they do not want to upload the rosters themselves. Teams will forfeit any games on their schedule for which rosters have not been uploaded. A player may not be on 2 rosters in the same league. Subbing to help a team play their game is allowed, but not permanently playing on multiple league teams. If an infraction is brought to our attention we will place a warning, after that anything we deem illegal participation may result in forfeits.
All teams should keep an official scorebook. In all leagues, teams should exchange lineups at the start of the game. Umpires will only become involved in lineup issues if a batting-out-of-order situation occurs & it is brought to the umpire’s attention by the opposing team.
The home team scorebook, if kept properly will be the official scorebook. Umpires will become involved in score-of-the-game issues only if there is a conflict between the scorebooks of both teams. At such time, the umpire will confer with both managers and resolve the situation before the game will continue (the clock will NOT be stopped during the discussion). If the issue cannot be resolved, then the score in the home team scorebook will be the official score. Teams should periodically check the score with each other to avoid the potential of conflicting score information.
Umpires will turn in the final scores each night! Teams will need to report final score to the umpire.
9. Batting and Batting Lineup Rules:
Adult Slow Pitch Men’s and Women’s Rules – Teams have the OPTION of placing up to 12 players in the batting order in all UBA league play. Any 10 of the 12 players in the batting order can play defense at any time. IF this option is used—and a player cannot continue due to injury or ejection—then an automatic out will be assessed in that players’ spot in the batting order when it is their turn to bat, unless you have a sub that is not in the lineup.
Adult Co-Ed Slow Pitch – The “extra hitter” rule will be used in all UBA league play. In Co-Ed leagues—teams MUST place 12 players in the batting order if they elect to use the “extra player” rule. Any 5 men and 5 women can play defense at any time. IF the “12-batter option” is used—and a player cannot continue due to injury or ejection—then that players’ spot in the batting order becomes an automatic out when it is his/her turn to bat, unless you have a sub that is not in the lineup.
1-1 Count – In Mens Open Leauge On Wed night and open coed league on Thursday night start with a 1-1 count NO COURTESY. In the rest of league play you will start with 1-1 count plus courtesy foul.
10. Intentional Walk:
ALL adult men’s, women’s and Co-Ed slow pitch leagues AND men’s and women’s fast pitch leagues – A batter can be intentionally walked WITHOUT BEING PITCHED TO.
11. Rule for walks in Coed Leagues:
At anytime a male is walked they will automatically be given two bases. The following female will have the option to bat or walk, no matter the out situation.
12. Home Run Rules for Adult Slow Pitch League Play:
Men’s Power League – 5 max per game.
All Men’s League play and Men in Coed - Two (2) and One (1) Progressive per game
ALL Women’s leagues and Women in Coed - NO LIMIT
Excess over-the-fence home runs will be an out and a dead ball.
All fields will use the same homerun rules. FOR THE SAKE OF TIME: IF A BATTER HITS AN OVER-THE-FENCE HOME RUN, THE BATTER DOES NOT — OR ANY RUNNERS ON BASE - DO NOT NEED TO “CIRCLE” THE BASES AND TOUCH EACH ONE.
13. Illegal Pitches
There are NO illegal pitches. Pitches will be declared unfairly delivered after they have crossed the plate. It is up to the batter to swing at what pitches they like.
14. Short-handed Player Rule for ALL Adult Leagues:
Men’s Slow Pitch –
Men’s teams MUST have nine (9) players to start a game. It does not matter if your team is the home team or visiting team. The No. 10 spot in the batting order will be an automatic out – NO EXCEPTIONS. If a team drops to 8 players during the game, then the team must take 1 out for each player’s former spot in the lineup.
The most important thing is getting the game in. That’s what everyone pays for. With that in mind, you may borrow players from other teams to help fill out your team for the evening if you are short. However, you may not borrow more than two players from the same team, and you may only borrow to get to the minimum 10 players.
COED LEAGUES – Must have 10 players to start. HOWEVER, teams MAY start with less players under the following circumstances: There must be 5 or less men & at least 3 women. Then there will be one out for each missing player. If taking two outs for two missing girls, outs must be taken between 2 men at-bats.
Teams MAY play with nine (9), four (4) men and five (5) women or vice versa. If playing with 9 you must take an out in the 10th spot of the batting order.
IF you start with a full roster, you may drop to the short-handed rule, but must take an out. If your team loses do ejection, then the umpires may call the game for failure to remain control and perform in a sportsman like manner.
Fast Pitch – Teams MUST have eight (8) players to start a game. It does not matter if your team is the home team or visiting team. If a team drops to 7 players during the game, then the game is ended. If a team is forced to forfeit a game under these circumstances, it will be listed as a 7-0 win for the opposing team.
A team may add a player to bring their team to full strength ANY time during the game. THAT PLAYER MAY ENTER THE GAME AT ANY TIME AND WILL BE THE LAST BATTER IN THE BATTING ORDER.
The game will not be delayed to wait for a player to arrive from the parking lot or while the player is on the bench preparing to play.
15. Player disqualifications:
Players disqualified for fighting will be automatically suspended from further competition in all UBA leagues, until the UBA Players Board can meet and determine what happened.
Fighting can be based off of actual physical contact or appearance of malicious intent.
Players using excessive vulgar language may be disqualified.
Players arguing judgment calls with umpires may be disqualified.
Players that say anything about hitting the middle in a threatening manner will be disqualified. IE. Middles open, gear up, I am coming after you, etc…
There will be “ZERO Tolerance” for any unsportsmanlike acts.
Umpires can disqualify any player, coach or fan for anything they feel falls under this rule.
Any player that is disqualified for any other reason will be required to leave the dugout.
If a player fails to leave the dugout in a reasonable manner, the umpires have the right to ask for removal from the complex. Failure for the disqualified person(s) to leave the dugout or complex will result in a forfeit for his/her team.
Any time failure to cooperate causes an umpire to have to call in the field supervisor to assist, the clock will always continue to run. Handle yourself and your teammates properly and capitalize on the playing time you paid for.
16. Coaching Responsibilities:
The coach will be held responsible to maintain control for him/her and their team and to ensure their team continues to maintain good sportsmanship.
The coach or team representative will be responsible for making sure the scores are correct.
The coach or team representative will be responsible for making the sure roster is online and correct.
*Failure to do the responsibilities could result in a suspension of the coach and forfeiture of games for his/her team.
17. Player Eligibility/Player Classification/Rosters for League Play
Every player on every team must be listed on the team roster on the UBA site. Teams without rosters on the UBA site will forfeit games for which the rosters are not uploaded.
Players may not regularly play for two teams in the same league unless they are subbing to help a team keep from forfeiting. In this case, as stated earlier, no more than 2 players from the same team may be substitutes. The OPEN leagues are the most competitive. Therefore, the OPEN leagues teams may not gain an advantage by showing up with a short team. When short, OPEN league teams may only pick up the minimum number of subs possible to get them to the amount legal to start and play a game (8). Then they must take outs for the gaps in their lineup.
All teams will be placed into divisions based on where they registered as well as roster and past performance. UBA reserves the right to move a team up or down a division at any time based upon performance & results.
If a player wishes to switch teams within the same league, UBA must be notified in advance to that we may update the online rosters.
Any player requesting a release should be granted one unless extenuating circumstances are involved. In that case, the manager should submit a written explanation to the UBA Softball Advisory Committee why the release is not being granted.
Players may be added to rosters at any time. Players must have played at least two games with a team to be eligible for the league tournament.
All players will need to carry some form of ID and may be asked to provide at any time by an umpire or field supervisor to verify their spot on the roster. Players will not be allowed to play if they cannot provide it.
All players will be eligible to play multiple nights. Notice: There will be a Player Rating System (PRS) for all Metro Power League players. These players will only be allowed to play in certain divisions, so your team will automatically placed in the appropriate division if any of these players are on your roster.
Failing to include a player that is included in the PRS on your roster will result in an automatic forfeit of all games played using the player.
*If a team has questions about the eligibility of a player on another team, then it needs to be brought to the attention of the field supervisor, who can then check ID and verify eligibility. Player eligibility refers to (A) A player NOT being listed on a team's roster or (B) a player paying in the right division. The inquiry and any other resulting activity will be handled by a panel consisting of designated members of the UBA Players Board, which—at its discretion—may call the player and coach of the team in question to attend a special hearing. In such cases, umpires and field supervisors WILL NOT become involved in handling any dispute. This is strictly an administrative matter and teams will be instructed to contact the UBA office to discuss.
18. Time Limits:
All Slow Pitch: No new inning after 58 minutes.
All Fast Pitch – No new inning after 85 minutes.
* Game time starts immediately after the coin toss
Failure to take the field in a timely manner will lead the umpire to start the clock after issuing a warning.
If the "home" team is at bat when time expires and is also ahead in the score, the game is ended.
If a game is ended by the runs-ahead rule, teams may continue to use their time on the field but umpires will NOT continue to officiate the game. When the teams scheduled to play the next game arrive, those teams on the field will be expected to leave immediately.
19. Run Rules:
Slow Pitch: 20 runs after 3 innings, 15 runs after 4 innings, 10 runs after 5 innings
Men’s and Women’s Fast Pitch:10 runs after 4 innings, 7 runs after 5 innings
* Please note: the flip-flop rule will be in effect for all leagues.
Definition of Flip Flop Rule: In an inning in which the run rule has been exceeded and the home team is losing, the home and away teams will “flip flop”. This will enable the home team to remain at bat at the top of the next inning. If they do not score enough runs to reduce the run difference below the run rule, the game ends. If they DO score enough to reduce the difference below the run rule, the game continues on in that format.
20. Tiebreaker Procedure-International Tiebreaker Rule:
If the game is tied at the end of the time limit or the end of the seventh inning, whichever comes first, the international tie breaker rule will be used for ONE EXTRA INNING. The extra inning will be played under the “international tiebreaker” rule. The offensive team will begin its turn at bat with the player scheduled to bat LAST in that half inning being placed at 2nd base. For example, if the No. 5 batter is to lead off, the No. 4 batter in the batting order should be placed at 2nd base. A substitute—referring to a player who has NOT already played in the game—may be inserted for the runner. If a team is playing shorthanded then the last live batter will be used. If the score remains tied at the end of one extra inning, the game will be recorded as a tie.
21. Games in progress called due to inclement weather or darkness:
Any game that is called due to threatening weather and/or rain will be considered a complete game and the umpires will keep the game fees if ANY of the following conditions are met:
1) 4 complete innings were played
2) More than half the game time has expired
3) 3 and ½ complete innings were played and the home team is ahead
If the game does not meet any of these conditions, UBA will attempt to re-schedule the game from the point that the game was suspended. In this case, teams MUST record the number of outs remaining, pitch count and identify the batter so the game can continue correctly.
If a game is called in the top of inning 6 or 7, then the score will revert back to the last complete inning played for the purpose of determining a win/loss.
22. Rainout Dates – All Adult Leagues:
There will be two (2) rainout make-up dates included at the end of the season to make up games canceled due to wet playing fields. If more rainouts occur than our allotted time permits, then UBA will make every attempt to make up the games throughout the season with double-headers, but we cannot guarantee all games will necessarily be made up. Rainouts cost more money, not less. Therefore, there will be NO REFUNDS for games not played due to weather.
23. Forfeited games & fees:
Monday-Friday Games Starting at 6:30 p.m. – If a team does not have the required number of players to start the game under the short-handed rule, the umpires will start the game clock at the proper time and allow 10 minutes to elapse before calling the game a forfeit. If a player arrives during the 10-minute "waiting period," then the clock will continue to run and the game will start from that point. For Sunday games, game time IS forfeit time.
24. Unable to Play Scheduled Game:
If you MUST forfeit a game, please have the courtesy to let us know more than 48 hours ahead of time to let the other team and umpires know. This will allow us to adjust the schedule accordingly and notify all teams. Failure to give proper notification will result in a forfeit as well as cost your team the entire umpire fee for the game. You will have 72 hours to get the umpire fee in to UBA so that we may pay the umpire before your next game is forfeited.
25. Umpire Fees for League Play (ALL UMP FEES MUST BE PAID CASH AT THE FIELDS BEFORE GAME PLAY BEGINS):
- OPEN "Power" League = Top tier umpires ($15 per team per game at the field).
- Competitive "D" Leagues = Top tier umpires assigned to them first ($15 per team per game at the field).
- Competitive/Rec "E-Comp" Leagues = Middle tier umpires or better ($12 per team per game at the field).
- Recreational "E-Rec" Leagues = Lower tier umpires & up ($10 per team per game at the field).
- Men's Fast Pitch $30 per umpire.
26. Courtesy Runner
· Fast Pitch: A courtesy runner can be used for the pitcher and catcher at any time.
· Slow pitch leagues may use a courtesy runner only in the event of a player having a night ending injury. The injured player will then be ineligible from play for the remainder of the night. The replacement runner will be the player who was last called out. In a coed league, a man may never replace a woman base runner, however a woman will be allowed to replace a man.
27. Batting Lineup – All players may be included in the batting order. Re-entry rule remains in effect. Lineup must remain the same for the entire game. If a player starts in the batting order, he/she must finish the game or an automatic out will be called when it is his/her time at bat, UNLESS there is an eligible substitute available that was not already in the batting order.
27. Safety Bases:
* All fields will use the orange safety bag.
* Defense must use the white and Offense must use the orange.
* Exception: players may go to the opposite bags to avoid collisions.
29. Special Playing Rule for Kelley #5:
* Any fair ball that hits the power lines will automatically be ruled a ground rule double.
FIELD NAMES AND LOCATIONS
Kelley Complex (8 fields) – 124th & Fort Streets
Seymour Smith Softball Complex (4 fields) – 69th & Harrison Streets
Reporting Scores/League Standings
* It will be the umpires responsible to turn the scores in each night.
* It will be the team’s responsibility to make sure they give the umpire the right scores.
* Teams will be able to check the standings on the uba website www.ubanebraska.com