MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING
Inter Association Softball Competition
Central Districts Softball Association and Gawler and Districts Softball Association
This Memorandum of Understanding forms the rules and conditions for a joint competition between Gawler
and Districts Softball Association and Central Districts Softball Association. Where these rules differ from the
respective Associations Rules or Bylaws, the rules contained within this Memorandum will take precedence.
The Purpose of the Competition is to
- Foster softball development in the northern suburbs.
The Aim is to
- Offer a higher, more exciting standard of accessible softball in both Associations.
- Develop the skills of existing players.
- Increase participation of new players.
- Retain players within the Northern Suburbs.
Whilst it is important to develop a relationship between the Associations, it is acknowledged that we should
also maintain the integrity and independence of each Association
- The requirement for future competitions and this Memorandum of Understanding will be reviewed at the
conclusion of each season.
- Each Club and associated teams will be registered with the respective Associations
- Each Association will be responsible for charging their respective clubs the annual playing fees
- Each Association is responsible for the respective charges imposed by Softball SA- Representatives from each
Association will jointly administer the competition.
- Teams from the Gawler Association will be scheduled for canteen on the days where games are played at the
Gawler Association Playing Ground
- Teams from Central districts Association will be scheduled for canteen on the days where games are
scheduled to be played at Central Districts playing Grounds.
Conditions of the Competition
- All games for a given week will be played at a single venue
- Games will be rotated between each Associations playing grounds, with two consecutive weeks being played
at the Central Districts Playing Ground, with the third week being played at the Gawler Association playing
ground.
- Umpires from each Association will go into a pool of umpires, with umpires from each Association being
allocated to the scheduled games each week.
MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING
Inter Association Softball Competition
The competition will comprise of the following playing grades;
Tee ball ( under 12 mixed)
Under 13’s Mixed
Under 15’s Mixed ( with the maximum age of male players being 12 yo)
Under 17’s
C Grade
B Grade
A Grade
Match Scheduling
- Matches will primarily be held on Saturdays; however matches may be scheduled on Tuesday nights or
Sundays to allow a round to be completed.
- Junior teams shall play a minimum of 14 matches and a maximum of 20 matches.
- Senior teams shall play a minimum of 18 matches.
- Complete rounds must be played.
Competition Structure
Playing Rules
The Playing rules of the competition are set out in Schedule 1 to this Memorandum of Understanding
SunSmart Policy. – As per CDSA Hot weather policy with the following exception;
Will use weatherzone website for forecast temperature
Postcode 5116 – Evanst0n Gardens – Gawler based games
Postcode 5112 – Elizabeth - CDSA based games
Finals
At the completion of the minor round a finals series should be held for each grade.
Final Games will be played on a rotation basis between the respective Associations Playing Grounds as follows;
Year 1 –
Semi Final to be played at CDSA playing Grounds
Preliminary Final to be played at GDSA playing Grounds
Grand Final to be played at CDSA playing Grounds
Year 2 –
Semi Final to be played at GDSA playing Grounds
Preliminary Final to be played at CDSA playing Grounds
Grand Final to be played at GDSA playing Grounds
Match rules for Major round games are contained in section XX to the Playing Rules contained in Schedule 1 to
this Memorandum of Understanding.
Submission of Scorecards and Best & Fairest Votes - ( to be determined)
- The Best & Fairest Votes shall be selected by the umpire and entered on the appropriate form.
In All Matches:- Each team playing shall supply a Scorecard.
- Each team is responsible for the submission of the Scorecard to their Home Association
- Each team is responsible for the submission of the Best & Fairest Votes to their Home Association (to be
determined)
This memorandum of understanding and associated playing rules will be reviewed at the conclusion of each
season
This memorandum of understanding is effective from the Commencement of Season 2011-2012 and will be in
place for a minimum of two playing seasons.
Schedule 1
1.
TEAM NOMINATIONS & REGISTRATION
a)
Number of Teams
(i)
The Secretary of each Association must receive all team nominations no later than the
date specified annually on the affiliation form.
(ii)
Senior players cannot be registered in a team more than one division lower than the
division they were previously registered in in any South Australian competition within
the last two years.
(iii)
Where a club nominates more than one team in a grade, clubs must nominate which
team is considered the higher graded team.
(iv)
The final draft of the season competition draw is to be presented on a date as
determined by the Joint Management Committee meeting and when approved, sent
for printing.
b)
Club Uniform
(i)
Every Club shall be required to register its uniform style, colour, number placement,
etc., as stipulated on the affiliation form. Such registration will be subject to the
approval of the Management Committee.
(ii)
New or existing clubs wishing to register/ alter their uniform shall submit their
preferred design and colours to the Management Committee for approval.
(iii)
Where a club has a number of items of uniform that are interchangeable, each player
will have the right to choose which item of clothing he/she wears, so long as the items
are of the same style and colour.
c)
Non-playing Members
All non-playing members must be registered with their respective Association.
d)
Withdrawal of Teams
Should a Club withdraw a team or teams after nominations have been accepted, it shall incur
a fine as set annually by the Joint Management Committee
e)
Registration
All players and officials with the Association shall be required to be registered with the Association and shall
pay a registration fee, fixed annually by the Management Committee.
(i)
Applications for registration of players and officials must be made on the prescribed
forms and lodged prior to the end of matches on the day the member participates in a
game. All fields of the prescribed form must be completed.
(ii)
For members playing in an age dependant grade (i.e. U19), proof of date of birth must
be supplied within 2 weeks of the first game the member participated to the
respective Association Secretary.
Proof of birth shall be a copy of the members:
b)
c)
 Birth Certificate
 Student Identification Card
 Passport
 Letter from the members school
 Blue Book
Clearances
 Once a player has registered and played with a Club in any one season, he/she must
remain with that Club for the remainder of that season. Only one clearance per player
per season will be allowed. Such clearance to be endorsed by the Club for which the
player had been playing. The clearance request must state clearly the reason why such
clearance is required.
 For any given season and for the term that the Memorandum of Understanding between
CDSA and GDSA, no clearances will be granted for registered player between the
respective Associations.
Permits

2.
Players may be permitted to compete in competition matches for other Associations not
party to the Memorandum of Understanding upon obtaining a permit from the Club,
endorsed by the Management Committee.
 All applications for permits must be lodged with the respective Records & Clearance
Officer by the Thursday prior to the match.
 Permits granted as per subsection (i) and (iii) are valid for the current season only.
 The Records and Clearance Officer will issue permits to players awaiting replies to
clearance applications from other Associations.
PLAYING QUALIFICATIONS
a)
b)
c)
Eligibility for Senior Players
(i)
To compete in a major round a player must play a minimum of 6 minor round games
for the team the player is intending to represent in the major round.
(ii)
Where a player plays more than one game for any given minor round, the game
played in the highest grade for that round will be counted in determining if 5a)(i) has
been met.
(iii)
Upon completion of Round 1 for major round qualification clubs are required to
allocate all currently registered players to a team and submit the list to the Records &
Clearance Officer before the next game. All team lists are to be reviewed by the
Match Director and endorsed by the Management Committee.
(iv)
Subject to 5a)(iii) a player can only play down one grade lower for a further 3 games
per season but not including the last 4 minor round games.
(v)
A player who has played down in the last 4 minor round games becomes ineligible to
compete in any major round game.
(vi)
Where a player competes in an equal number of qualifying games for two or more
grades the player is deemed to have qualified in the highest grade for major round
games.
(vii) Once a player has qualified for a lower grade, they are eligible to compete in a major
round game for a higher grade.
(viii) Where a player competes in a grade higher than initially registered under clause
5a)(iii) and, subject to clause 5a)(i), that player is deemed to have qualified to
compete in major round games in the grade where majority of qualifying games have
been played.
(ix)
If any player is unable to obtain qualification in 6 minor round games that player may
apply for a permit.
Eligibility for Junior Players
(i)
Only players under the specified age as at 31 December in the season of competition
may play in under-age grades.
(ii)
The age the junior is at 31 December is the grade they will qualify for the entire
season.
(iii)
For a junior player to become eligible to compete in Junior Grade major round
matches, the player must have competed in at least 6 of that clubs junior minor round
matches that season.
(iv)
Subject to 5b)(iii) junior players qualified in a lower junior grade are eligible to
compete in major round games in both the lower and higher junior grade.
Eligibility for Junior Players competing in Senior Competition
(i)
Where a junior player regularly competes (8 games or more) in the senior
competition, the junior player will be deemed to have qualified for senior competition
major round games in the grade where they have played the majority of senior games.
(ii)
Subject to 5c)(i) junior players are ineligible to compete in a major round game for
grades lower then the qualifying grade.
(iii)
Subject to 5c)(i) where a junior player competes in a equal number of qualifying
games for two or more senior grades, the player is deemed to have qualified in the
highest grade for major round games.
(iv)
Subject to 5b)(iii) junior players who have competed in less than 8 senior competition
games are eligible to compete in any senior major round game.
d)
e)
3.
In the event of the eligibility of a player to take part in the major round with any team being
affected by matches being abandoned by adverse weather, injury, failure to qualify under Rule
5a)(iii) or Rule 5b)(iii) or extraordinary circumstances, such player shall have the right of appeal
to the Joint Management Committee. The Secretary must receive all written applications by
the Monday following the last minor round match. The Management Committee will consider
applications. Such player must be shown to have been a regular member of that team by the
club. Failure to show that, does not exclude the Management Committee from placing that
player in a grade appropriate to the skill of the player.
In the event of any Club fielding two or more teams in the one grade of a competition, players
may be permitted to transfer from one team to another, provided that the number one team is
regarded as the higher team, thereby being subject to the usual playing qualifications. Clubs
must indicate which team is to be regarded as the higher team.
(a)
PLAYING RULES
ASF rules apply unless modified by the playing rules detailed below
a) Grades
(i) There will be no mixed competition except in specific mixed gender grades.
(a) In all mixed gender grade games (excepting tee ball) a boy will only be allowed to pitch a maximum of 2
innings or part there of. A boy must pitch to a girl catcher.
To participate in mixed gender grades, boys must be 12 or under as at the 31 December.
(ii) Senior Grades are Division 1, 2 and 3 and any additional grades as determined by the Joint Management
Committee.
Junior Grades are tee ball, Under 13, Under 15 and Under 17 and any additional grades as determined by the
Joint Management Committee.
Proof of age will be required for all junior players
Junior players (12 years and older and ineligible to play tee ball) are entitled to play in any grade, subject to (ii)
above, but must have consent of the parent or guardian.
(v) Junior players playing first or third base in senior grades may wear a safety helmet.
(vi) A club may request a permit for a player to play in a match they would otherwise be ineligible to play. The
player must be appropriately assessed and may play in any matches subject to conditions imposed by the
Assessment Panel. The assessment panel must make the assessment in accordance with the ASF Junior Sports
Policy. The Assessment Panel will be made up at least one (1) representative from each association.
b) Match Times
(i) All scheduled Association matches to be played on a day and time as set by the Joint Management
Committee.
(ii) All junior matches to be played at the earliest timeslot, to enable juniors to play in the Senior Grades if
required.
c) Number of Players
(i) Teams in other than Division 1 may compete with a minimum of seven players.
(ii) Not withstanding playing rules and qualifications 6d) a player cannot be listed on more than one scorecard
for any one timeslot.
d) Substitution of Players
(i) If a player is classified unfit to continue, substitute players shall be permitted to enter the game. A time limit
of ten (10) minutes will be allowed for a substitute to be found. This time allowance to commence from the
time that the player is deemed unfit to continue.
(ii) In the event of an injury a game other than Division 1 may continue with no substitute provided there are a
minimum of 7 players.
e) Junior Divisions
The pitching distance, diamond and ball size varies between the Junior Divisions, which are specified by age.
The following shall apply in relation to pitching distance, diamond and ball size.
(i) U13 Grades & Below – the softballs used shall be 11” and pitched over a distance of 40’. A full size diamond
shall be used for these games.
(ii) U15 Grades & Above – the softballs used shall be 12” and pitched over a distance of 40”. A full size
diamond shall be used for these games.
For all junior games, each innings shall cease after seven (7) runs have passed home plate and any subsequent
play has been completed. A maximum of seven (7) runs will be recorded per inning.
f) Balls
Two identical brand and condition optic yellow ASF approved leather match balls are to be supplied by the first
named team.
g) Uniforms
All players must be in full Club uniform by the commencement of the fourth week of games. Permits will only
be issued by the respective Management Committee when there is supporting evidence from the supplier.
New players registered during the season, must be in full Club uniform by their commencement of the fourth
week of games after registration. Numbers of uniforms shall be within the range 1 – 99 inclusive. All players in
under aged teams shall wear a cap throughout the duration of a game.
h) Games
A regulation game in the minor round shall consist of 7 even innings or 75 minutes (Div 1 & Div 2 ), 5 even
innings or 75 minutes (Div 3, U17, U15 & U13), from the scheduled start time.
All senior games will be played to the even innings. A new innings is not to start if 70 minutes of the game has
expired. The final innings does not to be completed if the following applies


The team second at bat has scored more runs than the team first at bat
The run ahead rule applies
The following run limits, per team per innings will apply to Senior Minor Round Games
RUN LIMIT FOR SENIOR GRADES - MINOR ROUND GAMES
Grade
Minor Round
Division 1
No run limit
Division 2
10 runs
Division 3
7 runs
(iv) A game called by the Umpire shall be regulation if 1 or more complete innings have been played or if the
team second at bat has scored more runs than the other team has scored in 1 or more innings. The umpire is
empowered to call a game at any time because of darkness, rain, fire, panic or other causes, which puts the
patrons or players in peril.
(v) Both teams must be on the diamond and in their allocated bench areas fifteen minutes before the game is
scheduled to start.
In Minor Round Matches the first named team will bat first.
Each team will be allowed 1 declaration during the game whilst batting. This declaration can only be made by
the team ahead on runs at the time. The player at bat is not required to finish their turn at bat but all
subsequent plays must have ceased.
Major Round Games
(vii) All major round matches shall be played in accordance with the ASF Rule Book.
In Major Round Matches the Plate Umpire will toss a coin with the captain of each team to determine who will
bat first.
LENGTH OF GAMES - MAJOR ROUNDS
Grade
Major Round
Div 1
7 innings - no time limit
Div 2
6 innings - no time limit
Div 3 & U17’s
5 innings - no time limit
U15s
4 innings - no time limit
U13s
3 innings - no time limit
In the event of a tied score, a tiebreak conditions apply until a result is achieved. (refer POE 42 Softball Playing
Rules 2006-2009).
i) Throwing the Bat
Any batter who throws a bat that endangers a player, spectator or official
shall be called out by the Plate Umpire.
j) Scorecards
(i) The first named team shall supply the scorecard.
(ii) Scorecard to be printed in biro, not pencil.
(iii) Substitutions are not to be entered on the scorecard unless they take part in the game. To be considered
to have taken part in the game, the player must face at least one pitched ball or been on the diamond for one
(1) regulation pitch if part of the fielding team.
The innings must be shown when a substitute enters the game.
(iv) Scorecards are to be held by the Plate Umpire whilst each match is in progress. The Plate Umpire must be
notified of all substitutions and fielding changes. All substitutions and pitching changes must be entered on the
scorecard before play recommences.
(v) At the conclusion of the match both scorers must approach the Plate Umpire, who will check both
scorebooks before entering the final score on the scorecard and then completing all details on the scorecard.
In the event of a scorecard handed in with no score there on, the first base bench scoresheet shall be classified
as official.
(vi) It is the winning team’s obligation, and in the event of a tied game, the first-named teams obligation to
ensure that the scorecard is correctly completed and placed in the score box within 20 minutes of the
completion of the final game on the day of the match. Failure to do so will incur a penalty out in the Schedule
of Fines and Penalties’.
Forfeit
No Club may forfeit a higher senior grade game while fielding a team in a
lower senior grade, not including junior grades. If a higher senior grade team
forfeits, the lower grade senior game(s) for that round will also forfeit for that
day. If the forfeit occurs as a result of an injury during the game, lower grade
teams are not required to forfeit.
(vii) In the event of a forfeit the scorecard must be completed and submitted by the team receiving the forfeit
within 20 minutes of the completion of the final game on the day of the forfeit, to enable all eligible players to
be credited with a match. Failure to do so will mean no premiership points will be awarded for that match.
The allotted time before a forfeit is called shall be ten minutes from the scheduled starting time. Any team
forfeiting any match shall incur a penalty as set out in the Schedule of Fines and Penalties’.
Any team forfeiting three consecutive matches will be automatically withdrawn from the competition for the
remainder of that season and will incur a monetary penalty as set out in the Schedule of Fines and Penalties’.
k) Catchers Speed-up Rule
Any catcher, who is/becomes a runner on base when the second out for the innings is given /has previously
been given, will be substituted by a designated runner. The designated runner can be any player, with the
exception of the next four (4) batters due in the line up.
l) Ground Rule when ball blocked
When a non-player blocks a fair-batted ball, the effect will be an award of two bases from the last legally held
base at the time of the ball being blocked.
Ground Rules – Games played at GDSA Grounds
In the event of a fair batted ball entering the ditch, or striking any object deemed as a field obstruction by the
plate umpire the following shall apply:
Ball will be declared dead by plate umpire.
If ball is deemed by umpires to have entered or crossed ditch on the full - Batter shall advance to home plate
rounding all bases in normal order.
If ball is deemed to have bounced into ditch or deflected off fielder or any other object into ditch - batter shall
advance a minimum of three (3) bases or the base the batter is running to plus one from time of batted ball.