ineligible player

[Tru_in_Blu]

Does USA sanction have a penalty for a team that uses an ineligible (not illegal) player?

I worked a game last night where one team wanted to play the game under protest because they believed their opponents were using an ineligible player.

I told them that that was not under our purview, and would have to be addressed to the league's officers. Also, that this was the only protest that did not need to be made before the next pitch. I was actually notified as teams were changing up after 1.5 innings.

If USA doesn't have anything specific, which I haven't been able to find so far, I'd guess it would have to be under league rules and/or bylaws.

Thanx.

[CecilOne]

In local play, usually league rule.

In championship, I suspect it would be a forfeit processed by the UIC and above. More likely in the code rather than the rule book.


Note: Participation by DQ or ejected member is a forfeit.

[IRISHMAFIA]

Without going through the entire USA code:

Suspension. A team that is determined to be in violation of USA Softball’s
rules and requirements shall forfeit the game being played or the game last
played. An ineligible player shall be suspended from further play in the
tournament and in any subsequent tournament for which he/she may have
qualified by virtue of their play in the tournament in which they were
suspended. A team, team member, manager or team official may be subject
to further penalties

However, this is not an umpire issue. If a team is protesting a player's eligibility in a tournament, the TD should be notified immediately. It is their responsibility to take any necessary action. Otherwise, the umpire should have the team specifically identify the player in question; ask that player for identification (driver license or some other picture ID), note the player's information in the scorebook of the protesting team and for yourself. Inform the protesting team to inform the league coordinator (or whomever) as soon as possible. The umpire should inform his/her assigner, rules interpreter, uic or whomever is the authority for the association

[Tru_in_Blu]

Thanx, Irish,

This league is pretty flexible in who can play in the game. Umpires do not get line up cards and teams are allowed to bat up to 16 players in a game. There is a lot of in/out substitution defensively. If late arriving players want to play, they're added to the bottom of the lineup. Substitutions are on the honor system between the teams and are rarely intentionally subverted.

But when playoffs start, teams are concerned about the ringers that seem to show up just for the playoffs. Either they're claimed to not be on the roster or haven't attended enough games during the regular season to be eligible for playoffs. Clearly, that is not (and cannot be) umpires' purview.

[Insane Blue]

Local league that I work does ID and Roster checks for every playoff game they are given a paper id bracelet to wear ( actually put on wrist by Park employee after verification) no bracelet no play. each level has its own color and they change for every night during playoffs.

If it a regular league night Irish hit the nail on the head.

[Tru_in_Blu]

Originally Posted by Insane Blue

Local league that I work does ID and Roster checks for every playoff game they are given a paper id bracelet to wear ( actually put on wrist by Park employee after verification) no bracelet no play. each level has its own color and they change for every night during playoffs.

That must be a high stakes league. What's the expense of paying a park employee and the cost of the equipment and materials to make bracelets?

What happens to late arriving players? Does the park employee have to hang around some complex all night?

[EricH]

Originally Posted by Tru_in_Blu

Thanx, Irish,

This league is pretty flexible in who can play in the game. Umpires do not get line up cards and teams are allowed to bat up to 16 players in a game. There is a lot of in/out substitution defensively. If late arriving players want to play, they're added to the bottom of the lineup. Substitutions are on the honor system between the teams and are rarely intentionally subverted.

LOL. How do you even determine eligibility after-the-fact if you do not receive a lineup card?

[IRISHMAFIA]

Originally Posted by EricH

LOL. How do you even determine eligibility after-the-fact if you do not receive a lineup card?

Again, eligibility is not an umpire issue.

[Tru_in_Blu]

Originally Posted by EricH

LOL. How do you even determine eligibility after-the-fact if you do not receive a lineup card?

[Sigh...] I/we do not determine eligibility. The leagues maintain rosters of their players from the start of the season and/or if additions are allowed during the season. If additions are allowed, there may be a cutoff for playoff eligibility, or a player must have appeared in "X" amount of games to be playoff eligible.

A player's name on a lineup card does not mean s/he's eligible per the leagues rules/bylaws.

In fact, the five recreational leagues I work don't have lineup cards. When we get to USA invitational tournaments or state tournaments, lineup cards are required.

[chapmaja]

The leagues I work have a similar process. We don't use lineup cards during league play. If a team wants to protest the eligibility of a player they need to notify the umpire at any point prior to the last pitch of the game. The umpires are then to determine which player is being protested and get the name an identification from that player. One of the leagues asks us to ask the player in question some of the information from the id, normally birthdate and street address. We have caught players using incorrect id's in the past by asking these questions. If the player doesn't have ID on them, we are required to collected their name, address and birthdate. At that point they have until the end of the next business day to take their ID to the league office to verify the information. Failure to do so results in the game being declared a forfeit. In the rare occurrence the tourney will have multiple rounds on the same date, an official from the league office is present at the event site with team rosters and registration forms which have the required information such as name, address and birthdate.