BWSSA Bylaws

BISMARCK WOMEN’S SLOWPITCH SOFTBALL ASSOCIATION, INC

ARTICLE I

Section 1
The name of the corporation will be the Bismarck Women’s Slowpitch Softball Association, Inc.

Section 2
The principal place of business of the corporation will be in or near the City of Bismarck, County of Burleigh, and State of North Dakota.

ARTICLE II

Section 1
The governing body of the Association will be a seven (7) member advisory board consisting of seven (7) elected members with an eighth member being the elected Tournament Manager, if necessary.

Section 2
The Advisory Board will consist of any woman who is qualified to be a member of a women’s softball team which is participating in a league sponsored by BWSSA and/or an ex-officio member of the Parks & Recreation Department of the City of Bismarck.

Section 3
Advisory Board members will be selected by the following method: election by member managers or representatives.

Section 4
Duties: The advisory board will set the Association Budget, salaries, team and player fess, tournament policies, eligibility, and rule on all members pertinent to the Association. Board members, the league commissioners and the tournament manager will be paid for their services.

Section 5
Board members and the tournament manager will be paid the current IRS rate per mile for out of town meetings. (revision February 2006)

Section 6
Any board member who misses two unexcused meetings will be taken off the board. When possible, the replacement will be chosen from the league the board member represented.

Section 7
The Advisory Board will meet at least once a month. (revision February 2006)

Section 8
The Advisory Board will consist of the following positions:

  1. Chairperson
  2. Vice Chairperson
  3. Secretary
  4. Treasurer
  5. Tournament Manager
  6. Tournament Sales
  7. Member at Large

Note: League representative from Parks & Recreation and the league commissioners may or may not be a member of the advisory board and in
either capacity will not have a board vote.

Section 9
Board member elections will be held at the fall general meeting. The exception to this rule will be if any unforeseen circumstances arise- i.e. resignation. Length of office will be a three (3) year term subject to re-election every three (3) years.
Board Eligibility will be limited to no more than two (2) members from the same team. Evaluation of board positions will be reviewed every two (2) years if warranted.

ARTICLE III

Section 1
Membership: The membership of this organization will consist of an unlimited number of teams sponsored by business firms, individuals, or organizations; depending on diamond availability. If the number of teams must be limited; teams and/or players will be selected in the following manner:

  1. Former sponsors
  2. Former teams-new sponsors
  3. (Roster must have over ½ of previous years players to constitute a former team)
  4. Former association members from different teams forming new team
  5. (100% previous year’s players)
  6. New teams
  7. Mandan teams

Section 2
The number of players on each roster must coincide with the State By-laws.
The BWSSA Official team roster must be presented to the Treasurer on or
before the date set at the Spring Organizational meeting, usually the Rules
Clinic Meeting. The NDASA official team roster must be received by the
League representative before your first night of league play. Penalty for non-
compliance : forfeit of game or games played while roster is delinquent.
(revision February 2006)

Section 3
Voting: At each BWSSA general or special meeting each team is entitled to one vote. The team vote will be cast by the team manager or their designated representative.

Section 4
Any woman shall qualify as a player provided:

  1. She meets the age requirement of 15 years of age anytime during the current year.
  2. She is not currently under suspension by the BWSSA, NDASA or USASA.
  3. She is a resident of the City of Bismarck or lives outside the city limits (non-resident).
  4. No player is eligible to play league games on any team other than the team(s) with which she is officially rostered.
  5. Violation of any part of Section 5 will result in player(s) ejection from the game. Any games played with an ineligible player will be forfeited.

Section 5
Violations and Penalties
Game Disqualification and Ejections:
An official ejection form must be filled out by a league official, tournament
director, or an umpire for ALL game ejections. The ejection form states:
“As the manager of the above named team, I fully understand that the above
player is suspended for one game as the penalty for being ejected. As manager I take full responsibility to assure that this suspension is fulfilled in the next game played by this team, whether it is a tournament or league game. It is also my responsibility to inform my local league representative or officer of this ejection. Failure to comply with the suspension will result in forfeiture of that game and additional suspension for the player, myself and/or the team. Failure to sign this form will also be grounds for suspension.”
The team manager must sign the ejection report. In the absence of the team manager, a team representative (other than the violator) must sign the ejection report. If a player is ejected in league play, the league must turn in an ejection report to the appointed state official. If an ejection occurs in tournament play, it is the respon- sibility of the tournament director to submit the ejection report to the appropriate state official.
Team managers will be notified of the player’s penalty(ies).
 

ARTICLE IV

Section 1
Team and player fees will be set prior to each season. All fees (including state fees) will be paid to the Advisory Board member in charge of finances (or her agent) on or before the date set by the Advisory Board. Penalty for non-compliance: forfeit of game(s) while fees are delinquent. Penalty for NSF checks same as delinquent fees.

ARTICLE V

Section 1
All association games will be played on a pre-scheduled diamond. All association games will be played per the league schedule.

Section 2
League standings, when effected by rained out games will use head to head
competition. (revision February 2006)

Section 3
Playing rules will be the same as those governing state and national play with exception of those rules adopted by our own association. BWSSA will follow NDASA rules regarding softball bat guidelines.

Section 4
The umpire(s) will rule on unsportmanlike conduct. This includes the use of alcoholic beverages, or smoking on the playing field. NOTE: Playing field is anywhere inside the diamond enclosures. The use of unauthorized equipment swearing, disrespect the the umpire(s) or action with intent to do bodily harm to to another person is subject to unsportmanlike conduct violation.
PENALTY: First violation: Warning. Second violation: (same game) automatic ejection from the game. League representatives also have the power to enforce all or any part of Section 4 violations.

Section 5
A league game must begin at the scheduled starting time. League games may start earlier than scheduled starting time provided both teams and the umpire(s) are in agreement. Double-header games: first game forfeited at scheduled starting time of 6:30PM; second game forfeited 15 minutes after first game’s scheduled starting time. (revision February 2006)

Section 6
Each team must have at least eight (8) players to start a league game and eight (8) players to finish. There are no automatic outs. (Revision 2/20/2001)

Section 7
The BWSSA league play permits a team to play anyone on its roster that is present before the game begins and that free substitution is allowed. If a player leaves or is injured or discontinues in a game for any reason other than ejection, no outs will be taken in the batting order. If a player is ejected, a sufficient number of players (eleven – 11) must be available to continue the game. Present league rules do not allow a game to continue after an ejection when a team starts with 8. 9 or 10 players. ( adopted April 10, 1997)

Section 8
Re-entry rule. See state rule.

Section 9
All players must wear their team numbered uniform. Starting with the 1983 season, all jerseys must have 6” to 8” numbers permanently attached to the back of the jersey. All jerseys must be the team sponsored uniform(s). (revision February 2006)

Section 10
Forfeited games must have the official score sheet signed by the umpire and team manager(s) or representative(s). If notice is received less than 24 hours before league game time, the association will bill the forfeiting team for the umpire fees. Team will be required to pay the umpires fee prior to the next league night. Notified forfeits (more than 24 hrs before game time) do not require a signed score card / teams and umpires are not required to show up at the diamond/complex.

ARTICLE VI

Section 1
The advisory board will constitute the Board of Arbitration. The chairperson of the advisory board will serve as the Grievance Committee Chairperson. A majority
of board members must be present before any official action can be taken. Any board member whose team is involved in a grievance will be disqualified from voting on any issue concerning that grievance. The league representative will be invited to all Board of Arbitration hearings and will act in an advisory capacity.
Said Board will act on:

  1. Rule interpretations (with the umpire in chief)
  2. Protests.
  3. Disciplinary actions.

Section 2
When a rule interpretation of an umpire is protested, a special protest meeting will be called. Persons allowed at said meeting will be the Advisory Board (majority of members), umpire(s) in question, League Representative, Umpire in Chief, and one
Representative from each team involved.

Section 3
The advisory board will vote on all protests if the rule in question is not expressly covered in the current edition of the ASA rules handbook.

ARTICLE VII

Section 1
The official ASA rule book is hereby adopted as the rule book for the Bismarck Women’s Slowpitch Association, Inc., and will govern all situations insofar as they Are covered in the ASA rule book.

ARTICLE VIII

Section 1
For a player to be released from one team to another before the stat of league play, the request must be approved by the advisory board. (revision February 2006)

ARTICLE IX

Section 1
All players playing in the Bismarck Women’s Slowpitch Softball Association, Inc hereby waive all rights to any injury claim.

ARTICLE X

Section 1
Bismarck tournaments: If a team forfeits from a Bismarck tournament, their entry fee will not be refunded. A team has a minimum of ten (10) calendar days prior to a tournament to cancel out of that tournament. (subject to appeal) (revision 05/87)

ARTICLE XI

Section 1
Any amendment to these bylaws will initially be proposed at a meeting of the advisory board. After the change in the bylaws is proposed, the advisory board will notify all participating team managers or their designated representatives of the proposed action on said bylaw(s). On the specified date, a two-thirds (2/3’s) vote of all the advisory board members and a two-thirds (2/3) vote.