2013 State Rules
March 12, 2013

Altered Bats: Ga. ISA has purchased a bat testing machine that will be on site at one tournament per weekend. National Rules will apply if a protest occurs.
Upper Class Players: Any player whose name appears on the Major players or Watch list from another association shall not be allowed to participate in the Men's D, E, Lower E, or Recreational programs.
Team Sanctioning: Georgia ISA sanctioning is $30.00 if paid with the online sanctioning; however, if you pay at your first tournament instead of online, the fee is $35.00. See our web page for instructions.
Home Team for Championship Game: The undefeated team will have their choice of being home or visitors for the first game of the Championship. If we have an if game then a coin flip will decide whose home and visitors.
Team Classification Eligible Tournaments:

Recreational:             GA -        Recreational Championship

“Lower E”                 GA -        Recreational Championship or World Series

“E- Bronze”               GA -        Men’s Bronze  Nat - ISA Bronze World Series

“D- Silver”                 GA-         Men’s Silver  Nat -  ISA Men’s Silver World Series 

“C- Gold”                  GA-        Men’s Gold Nat-  ISA Men’s Gold World Series

Team Registration: Teams must register in Georgia before going out of State to play. Teams must register for each program in which they participate. (Example, Men's Silver teams that also plays Corporate or Black American must re-register in that program to receive their proper points).
Weekend Rosters: Rosters should be submitted to the tournament director 15 minutes prior to your game time.
Rosters:If hand written rosters are brought to the park, you will be charged $10.00 for us to enter them on the National Web page.
Rosters must be entered online in order to play in the following tournament types:
All Georgia Tournaments starting February 2, 2013.
N.I.T.’s
States
Nationals
World Series
Recreational Championship
Run Rules: ISA Rule book run rule applies. These run rules will be in effect for all games including the championship game.
Scorekeepers: When no official scorekeeper is present, the umpires will be the official scorekeeper.

Frozen Rosters: Rosters will be frozen at the State Tournaments. Once the State tournament is over, you have until August 1st to add 1 player to your roster.  A team may add a play if:
The team has a roster spot remaining
and
Until a teams' roster is qualified/frozen the manager may add and release players as necessary within the same class or lower.
N.I.T. Rosters: Rosters for the N.I.T. Tournaments must be done on-line
Frozen Roster Add-On: Players must meet the following requirements:

1. Players cannot be on another team's qualified roster.
2. Players who are added may not have played for a team of a higher classification (any exceptions must have State Director approval).
3. All roster additions must be approved by the State Director.

Released Players: After June 1st, the player (s) can only be released from a roster by a letter from the coach. The player must have the release with him/her at all times.  If the player does not have it with him, he will be ejected from a tournament. After a team’s roster becomes qualified (frozen), released player cannot be replaced on the roster without having an open spot on the roster. Any player released may not return to that team during the year.
Player Additions: Once a roster is frozen, any player who is injured during the course of the 2013 season and who has a written doctor form stating that he can’t play for the remainder of the season due to the injury, may be replaced by another player. A copy of the doctor form must be submitted to the State Director before this addition may take place.
Ineligible Players: An ineligible player is one who has been restricted from playing in ISA tournaments. Any player participating in a tournament who is found to be ineligible may be suspended by the State Director. The manager may also be suspended if the State Director chooses. If the ineligible player is discovered during the game, the offending team loses the game, is ejected from the tournament, placed last in the standings, and forfeits all awards, sponsor travel money and berths that would have been awarded at that tournament. If the ineligible player is discovered after the completion of the game (but during the tournament), the game shall stand as played; however, the offending team is ejected from the tournament and assumes the same penalties as above.
Number of Players: In all adult programs a minimum of 9 players can start a game with no out recorded.  These players MUST be present at the field. The tenth player can be added any time before the end of the game. A team that starts with 9 or 10 players may never add the 11th player. A team that starts with 10 or 11 players may drop to a minimum of 9 players to finish a game; however, all vacant spots in the lineup will be declared an out. Note: Subs must be told to the home-plate umpire.  If the sub is not declared, the manager will be ejected from the game.
Classification Appeals: Classification appeals must be sent by email to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it   and be submitted by Monday afternoon at 6:00 to be heard by the recommendation committee. No player will be dropped for the weekend tournament after Tuesday and the player will have to wait until the next week before dropping down.
Entry Fees: Entry Fees must be paid and your online completed roster (completely filled out) turned into the director before your teams’ first game of the tournament. Due to in the increase of bad checks, entry fees must be paid in cash unless prior arrangements have been made with the tournament director.
Brackets: It is the MANAGER/COACH'S responsibility to read the bracket board and to know his/her teams next game time and location.
Alcohol: No alcoholic beverage is allowed in any County or City owned facility complex in which Georgia ISA is holding a sanctioned tournament.
Judgment Calls: There will be no protest umpire judgment calls.
Bad Checks: Any team or players from your team submitting a bad check will be suspended until the matter is taken care of. Each member of the team will be individually liable for the debt and will be suspended until the debt is paid in full. Players may pay a fee of $25.00 to be removed from the suspension list. A $50.00 bad check charge will be applied to all bad checks.
No Show Policy: Teams will be considered in a tournament once the deadline has passed to be taken out of the tournament. Teams that do not show up for a tournament once entered will be required to pay ½ the entry fee if this is the first offense. The second offense will require full entry fee for that particular tournament before the team will be allowed to play in another Georgia ISA tournament.
Dropping Out of a Tournament: The official drop out time is noon on Wednesday.
National Points: Calculation of National Points will start April 1, 2013. If your roster is not entered online, printed out, and turned in to the Director at the start of every tournament, no National Points will be given until this is done. 
For Georgia teams to become eligible or qualified for a World Tournament, teams must meet the following requirements:

Bronze or LE teams must:
Play in the Super N.I.T. June 1st weekend at Lanier Point 
Play in one Super
Play in our State tournament
Play in a Regional/National tournament August 19th weekend in Cartersville
Teams must play in three tournaments during the 2013 season along with the above tournaments. This will make a total of 7 tournaments played.
Home Team: Teams that have to use the grace period will automatically be the visiting team.Strike count: The strike count will be 3 balls and 2 with the extra foul.
Homerun Rules: (GEORGIA RULES ONLY). Homeruns will be hit and sit in all tournaments. Gold- 4 Homeruns with outs recorded after the limit is reached.
Silver- 3 homeruns- All homeruns after the 3rd homerun will be an IEO.
Bronze-2 homeruns- All homeruns after the 2nd homerun will be an IEO.
Lower E- 1 homerun and all homeruns after the first will be IOE.
Recreational- No homeruns and IEO will apply.
NOTE: The National Homerun Rule will apply for all Nit’s and National Tournaments.
Base Burglar: The base burglar may run for the same runner more than one time per inning.
Parks with Curfews: Some parks have curfews where they charge extra for games that run past this time. We all need to be aware of this so when the umpire calls for a batter you will know he/she is trying to keep the games on time. If games are running behind, the tournament director may at his/her discretion change the format to adjust for this.
Umpire or Tournament Official: Any player, coach, or spectator physically abusing an umpire or tournament official will be suspended immediately.
Youth Waiver/Release of Liability: National rule applies
2013 Protest Rule: Protest fee of $125.00 cash per protest must be given to the tournament director before a protest will be granted or denied. Any protest regarding application or interpretation of either official printed playing rules or ground rules or adopted ground rules must come from the team manager or coach. All players participating in adult ISA tournament play shall have a valid photo ID available at the tournament.  Failure to present proper identification may result in the player being suspended from further play in GA ISA. An illegal player is one who is playing in the wrong class or is not on the team’s roster. The penalty for a team playing with an illegal player is as follows:  The offending team loses the game in which the player was protested, is ejected from the tournament and forfeits all previously acquired awards and berths. Example: If you lead off and the base burglar is used and the team bats around and the original batters gets another hit, the base burglar may be used again for this player only.
How Points Are Calculated on a weekend basis: The 1^st place points will be calculated as the number of teams in the tournament times 2.

State Point System

Super Qualifiers: Two tournaments will offer additional points because of their added magnitude:
March 23rd- Bethesda and Dellinger Park.
June 8th- George Pierce and Lost Mountain Park.
Points awarded for these tournaments will be:
1st = 50
2nd = 45
3rd = 40
4th = 35
5th & 6th = 30
7th & 8th = 25
9th and above = 20
Equalizer Rule: When classes are combined during the 2013 season an equalizer rule will be used to try to promote fair play within the classes of participation. The home run rule for your team’s classification will be used in an equalizer tournament.
Men’s Gold plays Silver: Both classifications get 3 homeruns and Silver team will be spotted 4 runs.
Men’s Silver plays Bronze: Both classifications get 2 homeruns and the Bronze team will be spotted 4 runs.
Men’s Bronze plays Lower E: Both classifications get one homerun and the Lower E teams will be spotted 4 runs.
Lower E plays Recreational: Both classifications get no homerun and the Recreational teams will be spotted 4 runs.
Softballs: Teams will hit any approved ISA ball that are stamped .44 COR/375 compression. Softballs may be changed in and out of the game when fouled out of play, or between innings, or at umpire's discretion. It will be the defensive teams’ responsibility to ensure the opponent is using the correct ball. It is up to the pitcher from the opposing team to make the plate umpire aware of an illegal ball. Once the pitch has been thrown, any ensuing action will be counted. The ball will be removed prior to the next pitch. Note: The penalties for using an illegal ball in the same game shall be as follows:
1st offense: warning to the offending team
2nd offense: Strike will be called on the batter (batter will be called out if this is the second strike).
3rd offense: Coach will be ejected from the game and possibility the tournament.
Flip/Flop Rule--All Programs: In the inning when the Run Rule for that particular program is exceeded (after the second inning) and the home team is losing, the home team will remain at bat and become the visiting team.
If this team (new visiting team) does not score enough runs to reduce the run difference below the Run Rule, the game is over. If this team reduces the run difference to below the Run Rule, then the new home team will bat. If the new home team subsequently scores enough runs to exceed the Run Rule, the game will be over; if they do not, the game will continue under that format. If the situation reverses, the teams would flip/flop again.
Leaving Bench Area: No player shall leave the bench area during an altercation and cross the foul lines of the playing field. Failure to comply with this rule will result in an immediate ejection from the game. Any player, coach or other team member physically abusing an Umpire or Tournament/League official will be suspended immediately. When a player(s) or manager is ejected from a softball game, the tournament director can eject the individual for the remainder of the tournament based on the severity of the ejection.
Profanity Rule: Any team using profanity may cause their team to receive one warning, warnings are a courtesy, and players could be ejected without a warning. The third player ejected could cause the game to be a forfeit if your team doesn’t have any replacements. Any team member, who continues to use profanity after being ejected from the game, will be ejected from the tournament. Further abusive language could lead to suspension from future ISA sanctioned events. When a player, coach, or anyone affiliated with a team is ejected, that individual has 60 seconds to be out of SIGHT and SOUND or the team risks forfeiture of the game. NOTE: Use of profane or abusive language or taunting will not be tolerated. Players ejected from the first inning until the end of the forth (4th) inning will have to sit this game only. Players ejected after the beginning of the fifth (5th) inning will sit out this game and the next game.
Inclement Weather: In the event of inclement weather during the tournament, the tournament format may be changed to eliminate the loser's bracket.  Options include:
Changing to a one pitch
Reducing the number of innings per game to 5
Flipping a coin
Offensive Blood Rule:While on offense, if a player has to leave because of the blood rule while on base, he/she must be replaced with the last batted out or, if there or no outs recorded in that inning, then the runner must be the closest batter behind him that is not on base.
Defensive Blood Rule: If a defensive player has to leave the game because of the blood rule, then he/she must be replaced with an EP until that player can become legal. If a team is playing with 10 or fewer, then sufficient time must be given to allow for the player to become legal. If decided he will not become legal in a reasonable time, then that team must play with the short handed rule.