March 2021                               

CCL Roster Rules

 Clinton County League Softball Roster Rules 

1. Rosters must be turned in with complete and accurate addresses to League President, Vice-President, and Treasurer prior to week one of the season. Changes may be made to the roster until July 1st. After that day rosters are then locked for the remainder of the season.

2. Each team is permitted only 3 out of Clinton County players and 1 grandfathered player. A grandfathered player is a player that has not lived in the county and never attended an in county high school but has played in the league for 5 full seasons as an out of county player. If a team has 2 or more players with grandfather status only 1 player can be considered grandfathered per team and the others will count towards out-of county spots. 

3. . A player who did not attend any of the high schools must have 4 years of residency and playing those 4 years to earn his lifetime in county membership.

 Residency in Clinton County does not constitute living in a friend's basement or spare bedroom for a couple weeks. Residency, if called upon in a protest by another team will be verified by a drivers license, state ID, Government Issued ID, or deed to property with an accurate Clinton County address. No telephone or utility bills or other materials are acceptable.

4. A player may only be on one current roster at any point during the season. If a player wishes to leave a team during the season, before July 1st, his current team must release him and contact the current League officers. After the season a player may move to any team he wishes after the season is completed.

5. Each team may have as many as 23 players on their current roster. In the situation of adding a player before July 1st, you must contact the current League President, Vice-President, and Treasurer prior to the player taking the field.

6. Any violation of any roster rules will be subject to forfeit all games up to the date of a infraction. All violations are to be reviewed by the president, vice president and treasurer of the League. 

CCL By-Laws

Febrary 2025

Article I: Membership

All teams in the league must be Clinton County based and supported by a Clinton County bar. 

Article II: Rosters

All teams may consist of 23 players maximum (other rules explained in roster rules above.

Article III: Entry Fee and Payouts

The entry fee for the league $200 per team and is a non refundable if team drops out during the season. 

Payouts for the regular season will be 1st-4th $250 and 5th-6th $100

Payouts for playoffs will be 1st Place- $500, 2nd Place- $400, 3rd Place- $300, 4th Place- $200

A $100 stipend will be given to the individual tasked with creating the regular season schedule. This may be anyone but has been the duty of the president after a motion was made at meeting with no other parties interested. This will remain protocol until brought to motion at future meeting as it has been for previous 10+ years. 

The league meeting night will be an open bar drink tab to be paid by the league for an amount up to $200.

Article IV: Umpires

No official umpires will be furnished by the league for regular season or the playoffs. The home team must furnish its own home plate umpire for all home games. The visiting team must furnish the base umpire. The minimum age for an umpire is 18, unless otherwise agreed upon. Any player on a teams roster may umpire and may play later in the game if both managers agree on this before the game. The League President will assign umpires for home plate as well as any base umpires that are not covered by the host team. 

Article V: League Playoffs 

The league tournament at the end of the season will have 12 teams participating. Top 4 teams in the standings will recieve an automatic bye into the 8 team double elemination bracket. Seeds 5-12 will play a playin game to make that bracket. 5 seed VS 12 seed  6 seed Vs 11 seed  7seed Vs 10seed and 8seed Vs 9seed. Once these 4 games have been played the winners will fall into final 4 spots  NO RESSEEDING!

The tournament will be a 5 day event on the date and place drawn at first meeting. Each year the teams that hosted the tournament in the previous 5 years will not be eligible and the site will drawn from the remaining teams. Teams not in good standing will not be eligible to host playoffs. Host team is in charge of supplying 2 new balls for each game. Softballs for the league tourney will be provided by the host team, umpires will be paid by host team also. Host team is allowed to umpire the bases as long as they are not playing in said game to keep cost down during the play in games. They may also umpire the bases of the double-elimination tournament as long as they are not in the playoffs or have been eliminated. The league President will assign the plate umpire and any other base umpires that the host team can not do. 

The tournament schedule for determining the home team in each game will be as follows: better seed is home team, except in case of championship game. Game 1 of championship game the home team is the undefeated team, if it calls for a 2nd game the better seed then takes home team.

It has been voted on by the league that any field hosting playoffs with no fence must put up a temp fence. Distances will be 285/300/285 feet from Left, Center, Right fields. 

Payouts for playoffs are $500, $400, $300, $200 for 1-4th places. 

Article VI: Ties in the standings

A. If 2 teams tie for 1st place in the league: The following tie breakers will be used to determine first place for the tournament: 1.} Head to Head 2.}runs scored 3.}runs scored head to head.

B. If 3 or more teams tie for 1st place in the league: Final place order for the tournament will be determined by a tie breaker. A. Head to Head record will consider all teams together. Use this to break it down. If two or more teams are still tied use their head to head records to sort. If still ties go to runs scored tie breaker B.  If still tied go runs scored head to head with the tied teams. 

C. All ties in the standing will be determined by tie breakers lister above (a & b). As voted on at the meeting 2023 tie breakers will be used even for last spot in the playoffs. So no play ins to the play ins any longer!

Article VII: Rainouts and Cancellations

Rained out or cancelled games should be reported to the league President, Vice-President, and Treasurer.  Each team is permitted ONE cancelations not related to weather. Any more will be charged as a forfeit. League President will enforce this rule. All teams have 24 hours before game time to use their free cancelation. So if your game is at 8:00pm on June 2nd you have till 8pm on June 1st to cancel. If not weather related or deemed an emergency a forfeit will be given. All make up games will be rescheduled by the league President. 

Article VIII: Forfeits

We have had way to many teams in the past not playing out all their games starting in 2019 there will be said punishments....

Forfeiting a regular season game: $100 fine paid to the League President before your next game or you will forfeit that game as well and the fines will stack. the $100 dollars will then be given along with a win in the books to the opposing teams bar.

Forfeiting playoffs: $400 fine paid to a league President. That money will then be given to the team that was hosting the playoffs to make up for their lost profits. This is to include teams not wanting their spot in the playoffs and passing it down or not having enough guys and giving a win away during the playoffs. YOU PLAYED ALL SEASON WHATS THE POINT OF PLAYING IF YOU DON'T WANT TO BE IN THE PLAYOFFS

ALL FINES MUST BE PAYED BEFORE THE START OF PLAYOFFS

Article IX: Protests

Teams may protest games, but they must notify the home plate umpire and the opposing manager before the next pitch. All protests must be called into the league president within 48 hours of the protested game. A sum of $20.00 is charged for each protest and must be paid before a hearing can take place. The money is not reimbursed if the protest is lost, and is placed in the League account, but is refunded if the protest is won. A hearing will be held with a protest committee of the league officers {unless officers team is involved } and representatives of all the leagues teams except the 2 teams involved. They may state their case, but may not vote. The league officers will cast the deciding vote if necessary.

Article X: Results of the games

Both teams are responsible for reporting the games results. The results should be texted in to league President, Vice-President, and Treasurer. We will try to enter them online in a timely manner and usually no later than the following Monday. Both teams should check website to be sure of accurate score. 

                                        www.leaguelineup.com/cclms

Article XI: Rules of the game

The official rulebook will be the USA slow-pitch softball book. The rulebook will apply in all situations not covered by the following amended rules:

 A.} The game will consist of 9 innings with an 0-0 count. 

B.} A base runner is not allowed to leave the base until the ball is touched by the bat. If the runner leaves the base and the batter misses, the runner is out and a no pitch is called on the batter. This isn't an appeal call; If the umpire sees it he calls it.  

C.} The bases are 70 feet apart, pitchers mound is 50ft from back of plate

 D.}The arch of a legal pitch shall be between 6 and 12 feet from the ground. A rubber mat which was provided by the league will used to call balls and strikes for legal pitches. The home plate umpire must either point or call that the pitch is high before it enters the strike zone. 

E.} Re-entry is allowed for ONLY starters. 

F.} 3rd strike foul is an out. 

G.} A team can bat 11 players ( Extra hitter). Any 10 of the 11 players in the game can play the field. If a team starts with 11 players it must finish with 11 players. An empty space in the batting order is an out. 

H.} Each team will only be allowed 1 homerun over the fence an inning. Any additional homeruns over the fence are outs. 

I.} There is no 4 base error if you think you can catch it go for it. It is the umpires discretion if you knocked a ball over the fence on purpose to cost the team their home run. ). IF THE UMPIRE CALLS THAT IT WAS DONE ON PURPOSE TO USE A TEAMS HOMERUN THEY WILL BE GIVEN ANOTHER THAT INNING TO USE.

J.} 2021 ASA BAT LIST ONLY. NO EXCEPTIONS. IF CAUGHT USING THE BAT IT IS A FOREIT. MUST BE CALLED OUT DURING THE GAME. CHECK THE BATS BEFORE THE GAME STARTS!!!!!!!

K.}All games that are delayed due to rain or other unforeseen circumstances after 4.5 innings is a complete game. Unless discussed and agreed upon before game starts and the league President is notified. Games that are cancelled due to weather that have not completed this standard will be started over in the first inning when the game is rescheduled. 

L.} Playoff games will be played out no matter what. no rain shortened game. If a game gets rained out in the 3rd inning it will begin again from the spot the game was stopped  

M.} Homeruns over Fence do not need to be run out, Hit and Sit!

N.} Courtesy runner. Any person on the roster can be used as a courtesy runner one time an inning. They can be on your bench, it will not count as an entry into the game unless they stay in the game to bat or play defense. If it is a player that is in the game and they are on base when it is their turn to bat they are out at the plate. If it is a long inning the courtesy runner can be used twice but only for the same hitter with the same runner as was already used.

O.} The mat is  an extension of the plate on a scoring play at the plate  this is to allow more room to avoid a collision at the plate.  There isn’t a must slide rule, but there is an avoid contact rule. So no charging the catcher. 

Article XII: Special Rules

League games start at 8:00p.m, unless otherwise noted on current seasons schedule. The official ball is Dudley Thunder 52/300. The home team must furnish two new balls for each game. A league game may begin with 9 players from one team on the field. 

Run Rule 

A 20 Run rule is in effect after 6 innings and a 15 run rule after 7 innings. All run rules are mandatory in regular season and playoff games.

Article XII: Amending rules and meeting rules

Rules of the official rulebook or of our own by-laws may be amended at any league meeting by a majority vote of the teams in good standing, or by a majority of teams in good standing from the present year if one meeting has already been held. Each team casts one vote. League officers break all ties. 

Article XIII: Disbandment

If the league disbands, the treasurer will divide the money in the treasury evenly between teams that played the previous year and were in good standing. If additional money is needed during the year, each team will be assessed evenly.

Officers:  President - Cole Schrage.  Vice President - Jon Trampe    Treasurer - Jared Kues