Note: All rule changes for the 2012 Season are in Bold Italics

1-1	Eligibility:
	a.	Girls must be at least six (6) and not yet eight (8) years old as of Sept. 1 of the prior year to play on an Instructional Team.
	b.	Girls must be at least eight (8) and not yet twelve (12) years old as of Sept. 1 of the prior year to play on a Junior Team.
	c.	Girls must be at least ten (10) and not yet twelve (12) years old as of Sept. 1 of the prior year to play on a Middle Team.
	d.	Girls must be at least twelve (12) years old as of Sept. 1 of the prior year and, while still enrolled in high school, not yet nineteen (19) years old as of July 1 of the new year to play on a Senior team.
	e.	Girls playing must live in Billerica.
	f.	Girls are eligible for one (1) BGSA team only.
1-2	Insurance Coverage:
		The league does not provide primary insurance coverage for players. All teams/players enter the league at their own risk and must supply their own primary health insurance.
1-3	Registration Fee:
	a.	The Registrar and Treasurer of the Association will receive all registration fees and be responsible for record control.
	b.	Registration fees must be submitted with the registration form, if done via paper form and mail. Online registration is available and the fee is automatically collected as part of the registration.
	c.	All paper registration forms must be signed by a parent or guardian. Online registration must be submitted by a parent or guardian and their submission represents this authorization.
	d.	Registrations for the following season will open on June 1. On or before October 31, there will be an early registration discount as determined by the Board of Directors.
	e.	All registrations received after November 1 will be subject to being placed on a wait list.
1-4	Rosters:
	a.	Once the rosters are finalized, changes may only be made by the League Commissioners.
	b.	The League Commissioners will be responsible for assigning players to rosters and maintaining team rosters.
	c.	Players may not request to switch to another team unless they sit out an entire season.
1-5	Start of Season:
	a.	The season will start in April. The exact start date will be determined when the schedule is published in the Team Schedule book
	b.	Any changes after the schedules are published will be coordinated and controlled by the League Commissioners.
1-6	Home team:
	a.	All home teams are responsible for field setup including bases, pitching rubber and home plate.
	b.	One (1) new softball is required at the beginning of each game, from the home team.
	c.	Home team must use the first (1st) base bench.
1-7	Smoking:
		Smoking or use of any tobacco products by any member of the BGSA is not allowed on the field.
1-8	Awards and/or Trophies:
	a.	All awards and trophies shall be determined prior to the start of the official season and such awards and trophies to be determined by the Board of Directors.
	b.	Players selected to appear in the All-Star game must be available for the entire game. Coaches must ensure compliance of their selection or make an alternate choice.
1-9	Games:
	a.	Regular Season: Senior and Middle Leagues. Subject to the provisions of rule 1-13, all games will be seven (7) innings. Four (4) complete innings constitute a game in case of rainout or time limit. If a game in progress is called off because of inclement weather, the score will revert back to the last full inning that was completed. However, during the fourth (4th) or later inning, if the home team has scored enough runs to tie or take the lead then the score will be what it was when the game was called.
	b.	Regular Season: Junior League. Subject to the provisions of rule 1-13, all games will be six (6) innings. Three (3) complete innings constitute a game in case of rainout or time limit. If a game in progress is called off because of inclement weather, the score will revert back to the last full inning that was completed. However, during the third (3rd) or later inning, if the home team has scored enough runs to tie or take the lead then the score will be what it was when the game was called.
	c.	During the regular season, games which are tied at the end of regulation play do not go into extra innings and the result will count as a tie with each team getting 1 point for the purposes of league standings.
	d.	Playoffs. During the playoffs, games will continue until a winner has been determined. However, within a given day no game shall exceed nine (9) innings. If at the end of nine (9) innings a winner has not been determined, play shall be suspended and resumed the following day with the same order of the batting lineup and with the next scheduled batter due up.
		i) If a player present for the first (1st) day is not there for the second (2nd) day, they are simply dropped from the lineup.   ii) If a player was not present for the first (1st) day is there for the second (2nd) day, they should be placed in the last position of the lineup and must immediately go into the field and play their required nine (9) consecutive outs in the field.
	e.	Playoffs: Senior and Middle Leagues: During the playoffs, all games will be played for a full seven (7) innings. If the games are not able to be finished on the same day: Games which have finished at least four (4) innings will be continued on the next day with lineups and game conditions as close as possible to what they where when the game was stopped. Same rules as section d., i. and ii.
	f.	Playoffs: Junior Leagues: During the playoffs, all games will be played for a full six (6) innings. If the games are not able to be finished on the same day: Games which have finished at least three (3) innings will be continued on the next day with lineups and game conditions as close as possible to what they where when the game was stopped. Same rules as section d., i. and ii.
	g.	All Star Games. All-Star games will be eight (8) innings with the exception of the Junior League game, which shall be seven (7) innings. All players will be played as evenly as possible with pitching distributed not to exceed two (2) innings for any player.
	h.	The decision to call off a game at the field prior to the start of the game will be made as follows:
		i) 1st - Rainout Commissioner   ii) 2nd - League Commissioners   iii) 3rd - Board Members   iv) 4th - Umpires   v) 5th - Coaches
	i.	Once the first (1st) pitch has been thrown, the umpire has complete authority to call off the game.
1-10	Uniforms:
	a.	Girls without full uniforms will not be allowed to play without a valid excuse.
	b.	Girls without a team jersey will also not be allowed to coach.
	c.	No type of clothing will be allowed to be worn over any portion of the uniform. All sweatshirts, sweaters, sweat pants, etc. may only be worn under the uniform.
1-11	Lineups:
		The starting line-ups and substitutions (names, numbers and position) will be exchanged by the coaches prior to game time. Also included must be the names of the girls who will not be participating in the game but will be on the bench and why they are not playing. If League assigned, the umpire will call both coaches together at home plate to exchange lineups.
1-12	Starting Time for Games:
	a.	Starting time will be the times published in the Team Schedule Book – Monday-Friday at 6:00pm or 8:00pm (night games) and Saturday at 9:30am, 11:30am, 1:30pm, or 3:30pm. Starting time for make-up & re-scheduled games will be published on the BGSA website.
	b.	A game will be forfeited if either team does not have a playing complement of at least eight (8) players as of fifteen (15) minutes after game time. Coaches are first to call a forfeit. If the coaches fail to call a forfeit, the assigned umpire will call the forfeit. If the coaches and umpire fail to call a forfeit, it will be called by a Board member and both teams will realize the forfeit loss.
	c.	Any decision to cancel a game in advance due to weather and/or field conditions will be made and announced no later than one and one-half (1.5) hours prior to the start of a game. This announcement shall be posted on the BGSA website(s) and on the call-in number available to coaches. Each game time shall be considered a separate event and handled individually.
	d.	If a scheduled game is not officially canceled in advance per 1-12 c above, the decision to cancel the game due to weather and/or field conditions will be made at the field per Rule 1-9 h
	e.	If a team knows in advance that they will not be able to field a team for a scheduled game and notifies the league commissioner that they will not show up for the game, they will be given a forfeit for that game. The commissioner will then notify the opposing team coach to let them know of the situation, and that team will get a win by forfeit for that game. Their team does not need to show up at the field. The same would apply if the team did not notify the commissioner in advance, but then did not have the coaches or players show up at the field.
	f.	All postponed games will be rescheduled within two (2) weeks by the League Commissioner.
	g.	All players must be personally notified by the coach, assistant coach or team parent about any re-scheduled games or playoff games. Coaches should personally notify their respective players when selected to participate in the league All-Star games
	h.	If a coach has prior commitments and cannot make a game, the coach must make every effort to enlist the aid of another existing BGSA-assigned and BGSA-CORI’d coach or a BGSA Board Member to complete the game as scheduled. Each team will be allowed to postpone one (1) and only one (1) game during the season. The League Commissioner and opposing coach must be notified at least ninety-six (96) hours prior to the start time of the game in question except in cases of extreme emergency which will be at the discretion of the League Commissioner.  Once a postponement option is used a coach is not allowed to ask for any other postponements.  There will be no bye requests honored after the date which is 7 days prior to the last regular scheduled game for that league. For example, if the last game for Junior League is scheduled for 6/8, there will be no request for byes after 6/1.
1-13	Time Limit for Games:
		During the season games are subject to a one (1) hour and forty (40) minute rule from the scheduled start time. An inning underway at that point will be completed as the final inning of the game. If the home team is winning, the game will end without the home team coming to bat. If the game is tied, the home team will be allowed to bat. No new inning will start after the one (1) hour and forty (40) minute time limit has been reached.
1-14	Game Balls:
		No game balls are to be given out by the coaches.
1-15	Score Books:
		Coaches will maintain their score books. The head coach must bring the score book with them to the coaches meeting for possible inspection by the Commissioner or Board.
1-16	Inspection of Score Books:
	a.	Score books may be inspected by Board Members at any time.
	b.	Score sheets for each game in the score book MUST include the names of all girls that played in the game, as well as all girls that did not play. If a girl did not play or was absent, that must be stated and a reason supplied such as absent, injured, etc.
	c.	During the playoffs, the head coach must have their full score book with all game score sheets included per above to be available to be checked for eligibility per rule 1-17b.
	d.	If an opposing coach wants to question the eligibility of a player, that request must be made to the League Commissioner at least two (2) hours prior to game time, and must be resolved with both coaches and the Commissioner or Board Member thirty (30) minutes before game time. The issue should be raised as early as possible, even going into the playoffs if possible to avoid an issue at game time.
1-17	Chronic Absence:
	a.	Any player who has missed the first (1st) four (4) practices and the first (1st) two (2) games, or the first (1st) four (4) games will be removed from the roster unless the absence was due to exceptional circumstances.
	b.	Any player who has missed more than fifty percent (50%) of the games without a valid reason is ineligible for any play-off games.
	c.	Any games in which an ineligible player participates will be forfeited.
	d.	Coaches must inform their League Commissioner of any player who is to be removed from the roster for any reason including as a result of rules 1-17a and 1-17b.