As coaches, athletes, officials and fans, we must work together to create an atmosphere of fairness, integrity, and respect.
All adult sports leagues are designed as recreational activities and are intended to promote a friendly atmosphere of fun. All coaches/managers are responsible for the conduct of each of their players and all obvious spectators before, during, and after the game while on park property. Actions that violate the Sports Code of Conduct are the responsibility of the individual and the penalty will be determined by the Sports Office per the established guidelines outlined in the softball rulebook.
DEFINITIONS
Player: The person who participates in the game. The person must be on the team’s roster card and have a sports stamp by their name.
Manager/Coach: The person designated as the team spokesperson. May be a player or non-player but acts as team representative.
Spectator: The person who comes to the ball field to watch leisure entertainment with no physical involvement.
Team Member: The coach, manager, player, non-player, team representative, or spectator.
Participation: Person with active involvement in the game, including sitting on the bench, coaching, etc.
Disqualified Player: A player who is prohibited from playing but can remain in the team area or serve as coach/manager.
Ejected Player: An ejected player must leave City property and have no contact with the officials or players.
Rainout: A game that cannot be played due to weather or field conditions.
PLAYER ELIGIBILITY
- Once lineups have been turned into the scorekeepers, any players may be questioned as to their legality by team managers/coaches, officials, scorekeepers, and other Sports Unit staff. Managers/Coaches my not question the eligibility of a player after a game has concluded.
- Sports Unit Staff may look up the eligibility of a player at any time before, during, and after a game.
- Roster cards and player I.D. numbers must be provided to resolve questions on the field.
- The player in question must provide proper identification within five minutes of being asked for I.D.
- If the player fails to provide proper identification, then the game is declared a forfeit.
- Player Identification: All City League players must carry proper identification that includes a
photograph and identification number (that matches the team roster and the Sports Unit roster card) to
all games.
REGULATIONS AND PENALTIES
All rules will be strictly enforced by sports staff, officials, and the umpire-in-chief. Misconduct may result in banning an individual or team from all City of Tucson sports leagues.
General Misconduct
No Individual Shall:
- Engage in verbal attacks upon any person.
- Use trash talk, profane, obscene, or vulgar language under any circumstance on or off the field of play.
- Engage in an objectionable demonstration of dissent or unsportsmanlike conduct such as throwing equipment (bat, glove, helmet, etc.) or any other forceful action.
- Consume alcoholic beverages before or during a scheduled game.
- Appear on the field of play under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
- Smoke outside of designated smoking areas such as the field of play or dugouts (including e-cigarettes).
- Refuse to abide by an official’s decision.
- Contest the decisions of an official, unless they are the coach/manager.
- Intentionally delay the course of a game by removing the ball from the field of play.
- Display any unsportsmanlike conduct not before mentioned in the regulations and penalties but deemed unsportsmanlike by an official or sports staff.
Minimum Penalty: Warning from sports official or staff.
Maximum Penalty: 1 year suspension from all City league play.
Physical Contact Misconduct
No Individual Shall:
- At any time, physical attack, strike, shove, threaten to strike or lay a hand on any person.
- Use unnecessary rough tactics (such as inappropriate sliding or bumping into another player) during the game.
- Threaten any person with future violence such as, “I will take care of you later” or “I’ll meet you in the parking lot”, etc.
- Damage City or the opposing team’s equipment or property.
Minimum Penalty: Ejected from current game and suspended for 2 additional games (rainouts do not
count). *Assault charges may be filed for misconduct.
Maximum Penalty: Banned from all City leagues and not able to return.
Manager/Player Misconduct
No Individual Shall:
- Allow a spectator to play in a game unless the individual is on the team’s roster.
Penalty: Game will be forfeited, and the coach and player will be suspended for one additional game.
- Play on another team on the same night or play in two divisions.
Penalty: Game will be forfeited, and the coach and player will be suspended for one additional game.
- Use an illegal or banned bat (per ASA banned bat list) during game play.
Penalty: Ejected from the game.
- Play in games they have been ejected/suspended from.
Penalty: Game will be forfeited, and player will be suspended for an additional 2 games.
ENFORCEMENT PROCEDURES
- The official may eject a player or disqualify a player from the game.
- An ejected player has one minute to remove him/herself from the park. Failure to leave will cause their team to forfeit.
- Any player who is from the team’s next games is also not allowed to attend and/or coach City League games during the suspension. The ejected player is banned from the facility (park) during this period.
- Any player who is ejected from their team’s last tournament game shall not play in the first game(s) of the following season they are registered to play in. The number being equal to the penalty imposed.
- Any team member ejected by an official during any tournament game shall not play or coach in the remainder of the tournament. Once the suspension is served, the player may attend the remaining tournament games as a spectator.
- Any player ejected twice from City League games; the two ejections consisting of two or more games; will be ineligible for the remainder of the season.
- Any player ejected three times from City League games (the three ejections consisting of one or more games) will be ineligible for the remainder of the season.
- The Sports Code of Conduct must be adhered to by all.
- There may be no protest of the Code Conduct.