SNECAA League Rules:

(UNDER CONSTRUCTION - more information to come - 4/26/22)

SNECAA Purpose:

The purpose of SNECAA is to provide the opportunity for Bible believing churches to engage and fellowship with one another in various athletic competitions. This should be conducted in a way that brings glory to God, promotes Christian fellowship and facilitates evangelistic work among athletic minded true Christian believers. The ultimate goal is to develop a statewide Christian athletic organization in a variety of sports.

2022 League Rules:

Please review the rules outlined below carefully prior to submitting your team roster and payment for the season. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Steve at (401) 419-4392 cell. There will be no exceptions allowed to the rules listed below. SNECAA is designed to protect the testimony of each Church being represented and to bring glory to God in what we do.

I. Team Rosters and Eligibility:

a. Each team must submit a roster of no more than twenty (20) men.

b. All players must be 18 years or older. Any players not 18 must have approval from the Board of Directors. 

c. Each team can have outreach players but it does not limit them. It is up to the coach to manage his squad, encourage them to be involved in a Church and act in a manner that os God-pleasing and pleasant. An outreach player is one who is not a saved believer and is on the team for evangelistic purposes.

d. The Pastors of each respective church will be required to validate and sign off on the roster by June 30, 2022. 

e. Christian men from other Bible believing churches may be added to fill out a team’s roster. These men must attend a church that does not have a team in the SNECAA league.

f. If a man begins attending a church after the rosters have been submitted, that man may be added to the roster if it does not exceed the twenty (20) man limit. He also cannot play until the League Office is notified.

g. Players will be ineligible for the playoffs if they have not played in a League suggested minimum of 5 games unless their absence is a result of missionary work or military service. Notification must be provided when rosters are submitted.

II. Game:

a. Each team will be supplied a Scorebook, Lineup Cards and Rule Book.

b. It will be the manager’s responsibility to field a team for each scheduled game.

c. Lineups are to be provided to the opposing team ten (10) minutes prior to the start time.

d. Lineups must contain player’s first initial, last name and jersey number. No nicknames shall be accepted.

e. Once nine (9) players are present, the game can begin. A ten (10) minute grace period will be allowed. However, the visiting team may start to bat with eight (8) players but if the 9th player has not arrived by his turn at bat or the visiting team takes the field, the game will be forfeited.

f. The home team shall supply the home plate and the bases including the orange first base safety bag and orange mat behind the plate for balls and strikes.

g. Umpires will meet with the managers of each team prior to the start of the game to cover ground rules specific to the field being played at.

h. For fields with fences that are less than 280 feet from home plate, any ball over that portion of the fence will be ruled a ground rule double. Home runs hit at Tucker will not be ground rule doubles. 

i. Each team must provide the umpires with one new game ball along with the fee for the game prior to the start of the game. The fee is $20 per team if there is one umpire.

j. Only bats listed on the “Approved Bats List” may be used. This list will be provided to each team’s manager prior to the start of the 2019 season. As agreed by all, there will be no exceptions allowed. Please see www.usasoftball.com

k. Teams may field up to ten (10) defensive players plus unlimited extra hitters (EH) on offense. Once a team starts with an EH, it must finish the game with one; unless someone is injured. The EH may switch to other defensive positions. DURING THE REGULAR SEASON ONLY, 

l. A player may be added to the lineup at any time during the first batting rotation. After the first batter has had the first pitch of his second time at bat, no players can be added.

m. If a team is playing with more than 9 players and one gets ejected and cannot be replaced, an automatic out will take place in that slot. If the ejection brings the team to 9 players, the game will continue. If it brings it to 8 players, the game will be stopped, and the opposing team will be awarded a forfeit.

n. Each player, including all outreach players, must conduct themselves in a gentlemanly fashion.

o. Drinking alcohol before or after a game in the parking lot will not be allowed. Any violation of this rule will result in a Board of Directors ruling on possible suspensions. 

p. Profanity must be dealt with by each team’s manager with the understanding that we are playing to bring glory to God. The manager can verbally reprimand the individual up to benching them. Depending on the severity of the situation and profanity used, the umpire has the authority to eject that person from the game. It is NOT up to the opposing coach to reprimand a player who has not done something that isn't within the league rules. Simply advise the opposing coach in a gentlemanly fashion and allow him to correct the problem. 

q. The home team will be responsible for deciding if weather necessitates a cancellation. If a decision to cancel is made, the home team must notify the umpires by 4:00 PM by calling the Head Umpire at 401-419-4392 cell.

r. In the event that no umpires show up for the game, the two managers must arrive at a best solution possible so that the game can be played. Some possible recommendations would be appointing someone from each team to umpire or if a fan is capable. PLAY the game....do not reschedule the game. Regular season games are for FELLOWSHIP, not bragging rights. 

s. Each team must make every effort to make up missed games due to rainouts or church schedule cancellations. Games not made up will be recorded as a “no game”. Doubleheaders can be played during certain mid-Summer Monday nights with the batter starting with a one ball and one strike count.

III. Playing Rules:

a. Each team is allowed ONE courtesy runner per inning. Those needing courtesy runners do not need to be declared before the game. If the courtesy runner is on base when it is his turn to bat, by rule, that batter will be declared out. Any player on the roster may be used as the courtesy runner.

b. If another player SUSTAINS AN INJURY during the game a third courtesy runner can be declared prior to his at bat. This will NOT be allowed in the playoffs!

c. The limited arc is a minimum of six (6) feet to a maximum of twelve (12) feet from the ground shall be used.

d. Balls and strikes will be called by the umpire. The count begin with a one ball and one strike count with an extra foul ball allowed on third strike.

e. To ensure safety for all players, whenever there is a play at 2nd, 3rd or home plate, the runner must slide or concede the tag without contact. Sliding into a base is safer than running into the defensive player to try and jar the ball loose. Two things must be kept in mind: first, sliding is potentially injurious to both the runner and defensive player, second, there are situations when the runner is unaware that a play may be made until the last moment and becomes too late to slide. In these situations, the umpire will use his discretion as to whether a slide was deliberately injurious or if accidental and unavoidable. A runner going into a defensive player with the intention to reach the base safely by causing the ball to be jarred loose is a violation and will result in the runner being called out. Also, as a corollary, at no time is a fielder allowed to fake a play at his base which could cause a player to slide unnecessarily.

f. A game will be considered official when five (5) innings are completed (unless the home team is ahead if the game is called in the bottom of the 5th). If a game is called prior to five (5) innings being completed, the entire game will be rescheduled.

g. The “Mercy Rule” will be in effect when a team is ahead by fifteen (15) runs or more and the losing team has batted at least 5 times. When these criteria have been met, the game will be declared over. No exceptions will be allowed. Once 15 runs is obtained, the game is over - you do not allow the opposing home team to bat again. 

IV. Ejections / Suspensions:

a. A player or manager ejected from a game for taunting or any other unsportsmanlike behavior and/or rule violation is automatically suspended from the next game. Unsportsmanlike conduct includes any excessive chattering from the bench (i.e. swearing, arguing balls and strikes, harassing the call beyond a reasonable amount of time, etc.) If the umpire is unable to identify the player violating these rules, the on-deck batter will be one the ejected from the game. Play is suspended until the player leaves the facility. Failure to leave will result in a forfeit of the game. Any flagrant violation can result in suspension for two games or to permanent suspension.

b. Ejection will result in a one game suspension and a second ejection by a player will result in permanent suspension for the remainder of the 2022 season including playoffs.

c. Any team that has two or more players that have been permanently suspended per the rule stated above will forfeit their remaining games and not be eligible for the playoffs.

d. Team players and managers are responsible for their fans, Unsportsmanlike behavior from fans may result in ejection of the manager or based on the severity of the situation determined by the umpire result in forfeiture of the game.

e. All ejections will be reviewd by the Board of Directors and a ruling will be handed down. 

V. Playoffs:

a. In determining placement for post-season play, the winning percentage will be used first. Head to head wins will be the first tie breaker. The 2nd tie breaker will be total runs allowed during the season and the 3rd tie breaker will be total runs scored during the season.

b. The same 15 run “Mercy Rule” is in effect throughout the playoffs with the exception to the championship game(s). 

c. To be eligible for post-season play, please see league rules listed above. 

d. If a team forfeits 3 or more games due to not having enough players to field a team, they will not be eligible for post-season play.