Policies and Guildlines

Much thought has been given to the development of our policies and game rules. They are designed to support the values of Newton Girls Softball. At each grade level the rules become a bit more challenging and closer to regulation ASA fastpitch softball rules. Our rules, by and large, work well for the vast majority of our players. Understanding, respecting, and adhering to NGSoftball’s game rules is an expectation for everyone involved.

NGSoftball depends upon the dedication and effort of its volunteer coaches who devote many hours each season to support this program. Well-planned practices, run by caring and trained coaches, with well-played games by girls learning and enjoying softball will define our success.

Coaches should place a priority on teaching the game of softball (skills, rules and strategy). Coaches should take the game seriously, but not at the expense of fair playing time for all players or running up the score, which is poor sportsmanship. The final score will be forgotten 30 minutes after the game is played. Poor sportsmanship on the part of a coach or a teammate(s) will be remembered much longer.

Most girls will enjoy improving their skills, spending time with their teammates, and yes, winning. Achieving two out of the three should be considered a successful and fun event.

The league makes considerable effort to create relatively even teams to promote fair competition. Despite our best efforts, this goal is not always achieved. The primary tool utilized to create balanced teams is player ratings by coaches at the end of each season. Coaches are asked to support this effort by providing objective and confidential feedback regarding individual capabilities and strengths of the players on their team.

NGSoftball has adopted a zero tolerance policy regarding player, coach, and parent behavior at all NGSoftball sanctioned events. We expect our values, rules, policies, and procedures to be observed and they will be enforced without exceptions, hence zero tolerance. Anyone violating this policy will be asked to immediately leave the playing field by an appropriate NGSoftball representative and to report the incident to the NGSoftball President.

Eligibility to play NGSoftball – The league is open to all girls in grades 1-10 who live in Newton or attend a Newton Public School.

Number of teams – Ideally each division will consist of an even number of teams in order to avoid “bye” games.

Number of players per team – Team size is determined by the number of players enrolled in each age group and the number of available volunteer coaches. Our goal is to place seven - nine players per team in grade 1-2, nine - eleven players in grade 3-4, ten - twelve players in grade 5-6 and twelve players in Grade 7-10.  Smaller teams should allow for better practices and more playing time for each player. We can only meet this goal if we have enough head coaches and/or fields for each grade division.

Grade-specific considerations:

• Grade 1/2 - Typically no more than 3-4 players from the same school will be placed on the same team. Relatively close geographic proximity is desired to reduce the travel time for practices.
• Grade 3/4 - Typically no more than 3 players from the same school and grade will be placed on the same team. Relatively close geographic proximity is considered to reduce the travel time for practices.
• Grade 5/6 - Typically no more than 2-3 players from the same school and grade will be placed on the same team. Geographic proximity is no longer considered when making teams at these grades.

Additional guidelines in developing team rosters:

• Foremost is the pairing of coaches from a quantity per team and skill-set perspective AND matching "pair-me-with" players on the same team.
• Then we balance teams for pitching (and catching) in grades 3-10.
• Then overall team competitive balance, beginning in grade 3-4.

• Then we do our best to "balance" rosters by grade and school. While never perfect, by and large teams are relatively balanced.

• Players who "pair-me-with" a player from a different grade and/or school will be together BUT it is unlikely that both players will be teammates with players from their grade/school.

• To be fair to all players we do not give any consideration to placing groups of players on the same team or with the same coach from one year to the next. Please expect a roster grouping from one season will not be repeated the following season.
• We make every effort to not allow the "blocking" of three (or more) players on the same team via coach pair-ups or "pair-me-with" request chains even for car pooling issues.
• Coaches need to have their daughters "paired-up" to ensure they will coach together.

• Rosters are developed by the league President and grade commissioners before distribution.

• Once rosters are distributed to the coaches NO roster change requests will be considered unless the league made a mistake (and the family insists upon the change being made).

"PAIR-ME-WITH" Request for Placement with a Friend
NGSoftball has adopted the “pair me with” rule. Each player is allowed to request one person (and only one person) to be placed with on a team. It may be a friend, sister, or car-pool buddy. To be considered, both players must list each other on their application forms, and both forms must be received by March 1. If a player chooses more than one player, NGSoftball will only accept the first name on her list. This policy is also stated on the registration form. NOTE: This rule will not apply for players in grade 4 and older if two exceptional players (typically pitchers) pair-up and possibly lead to unbalanced teams.
Click FAQ's for more details.

Softball is a team sport and part of being a good team member is attendance. Therefore we expect players to attend at least 75% of their games and practices. If you are considering another activity this spring that also requires your attendance on one of your game days, please be fair to yourself and others by selecting only one activity. Thank you for your cooperation.

Choosing a coaching partner – The league will honor the request of two coaches who wish to pair-up as long as the following conditions are met:

• Their daughters select each other as “pair me with.”
• Pairing these players doesn’t create an uncompetitive team balance (e.g. placing two dominating pitchers on the same team.)
• The grade division has enough head coaches for each team.

Orientation Meeting – All coaches are strongly urged to attend their grade orientation meeting in which division rules and rosters will be distributed. At that time, coaches will meet their co-coaches and can begin to plan for the season.

Completion of C.O.R.I. form – Coaches and all adults who choose to assist their team's coaches at practices must complete a C.O.R.I. form with NGSoftball. To download a form click CORI Form.

Selection – Team coaches are asked to provide the league with their 1st, 2nd, and 3rd choice for practice fields and days, AFTER meeting with their team and determining the “best” practice day(s) for the most players and coaches. All requests received before the announced date (usually the beginning of April) will be given equal consideration, with the exception that older grades will receive preference for the bigger fields.

Profile – NGSoftball’s first preference is for local high school or mature middle school students to serve as our umpires.  Many are members of their school softball teams, and many have previously played in NGSoftball.  When needed, NGSoftball also uses professional umpires accredited by the Amateur Softball Association (A.S.A.).

Training – Non-professional umpires typically receive two hours of training before the season.  Tolerance and understanding are expected and appreciated.  Please notify the umpire coordinator or grade commissioner of any specific concerns.

Zero Tolerance Policy –  Umpiring a softball game involves many judgment calls. Invariably this leads to a tendency to second-guess the decisions of an umpire or coach. Openly verbalizing your opinions so that a coach, player, or umpire can hear is strictly forbidden in NGSoftball. This applies to coaches, players, parents or anyone else attending a game. This will be enforced without exceptions, hence zero tolerance. Representatives of NGSoftball are authorized to ask anyone violating this policy to leave the game immediately and report the incident to the President of NGSoftball.

Coach discussion with umpires – A coach may discuss a rule or application of a rule with the umpire only after the completion of the half-inning. This quiet and respectful discussion must take place in the presence of the opposing coach and is to be held behind home plate. The umpire’s decision is final. Concerns may be reported to the umpire coordinator or grade commissioner after the game is completed.

Both teams must agree to postpone – Games are postponed after the head coach from EACH team agrees to postpone.  If there is not an agreement, the game should be played as scheduled.  Opposing head coaches should stay in touch during the day of a game, knowing each others schedule and communication preference.

When to postpone a game – Coaches are urged to take careful consideration before deciding to postpone a game.  Postponing a game for reasons other than inclement weather is strongly discouraged.  Experience has proven that it is better to play on your assigned day with only 5 or 6 players than to try and reschedule the game. NGSoftball has a very limited spring season and there are few make-up field options other than Saturday.  New England weather conditions can change very quickly so coaches are advised to wait until 3:30 p.m. or later before making a final decision.

Mechanism for notifying your team – If both teams agree to postpone, each coach must notify their respective team in a timely manner.

Notifying the umpire coordinator – On days in which weather conditions may lead to questions about game postponement, the head coach of the home team is responsible for notifying the umpire coordinator of the decision to play or not play.

Make up games – Saturday is the designated day to play make-up games. The following schedule will be followed for each division (Sunday is considered to be the first day of the week):

• Grade 1/2 teams will make-up their first postponed game of the week on the following Saturday at 1:00 p.m.
• Grade 3/4 teams will make-up their first postponed game of the week on the following Saturday at 3:00 p.m.
• Grade 5/10 teams will make-up their first postponed game of the week on the following Saturday at 5:00 p.m.
• Should two games in one week be postponed, the second game of the week can be re-scheduled by the team coaches with the support of the grade commissioner as to day, field, and umpire availability.

Player Uniforms and equipment – Each player will receive a team uniform consisting of shirt, pants, socks, and visor. It is the player’s responsibility to provide a fielding glove and sneakers or rubber cleats.  Players are expected to wear their complete uniform to all games.

Team equipment – Each team will receive a full complement of field equipment including softball bats, catcher’s equipment (except grade 1/2), and batting helmets with chin straps. NGSoftball’s policy for providing batting helmets with cages is:

• Grades 1-2: will receive 6 batting helmets with chin straps, all without cages.
• Grades 3-4: will receive 5 batting helmets with chin straps without cages and 2 batting helmets with cages. Use of helmets with cages is encouraged but not required. Any team, if requested, will receive additional helmets with cages
• Grades 5/10 – will receive 6 helmets with cage and chin strap. All players must use an ASA approved cage with chin strap .

What teams need to bring to games – It is the responsibility of the home team to provide the “game equipment” which includes: game bases, pitching rubber, umpire equipment, measuring tape, and game ball.  First Aid equipment must be provided by both teams.  Ice or bags of frozen corn, kept in a small cooler, must be brought to every game and practice.

In-season equipment adjustments – Coaches should contact their commissioner if they need to exchange broken equipment or require a different size.

General – Team practices are a vital element of the NGSoftball experience and should be taken seriously.  A player’s ability to develop the necessary skills to play well, appreciate the game, and improve her self-esteem is dependent upon the coaches’ commitment to planning and running excellent practices. Holding a short practice on the day of a game is not a substitute for a regularly scheduled practice on non-game days.  The best practices are planned ahead of time with a variety of activities to keep players engaged and interested.  A key indicator of an excellent practice is the number of times each player “touches the ball.”  Therefore running 3 or 4 skill-stations is much more instructive than devoting significant practice time to playing a scrimmage.

Consistency using terms – Coaches are encouraged to use common terms when instructing softball skills such as hitting, throwing, and fielding.  Young players find it very frustrating and confusing when hearing two coaches using different words and approaches to describe the same action.

Learning how to run a practice – The league provides a number of clinics before, during, and after the season.  The league expects each coach to attend at least one general clinic and one pitching clinic per season. The league has many resources available to improve coach effectiveness (videos, books, hand-outs, mentors, etc.).  Click Forms and Handouts to download practice drills covered in the player and other instructional tools.

Fielding a team with fewer than nine players – Teams should start games at their scheduled time (not delay or reschedule them) regardless of how many players are present. Some adults feel playing a game with fewer than nine players should be discouraged. We couldn't disagree more. Fewer players results in more at bats and more defensive “touches” per player.  This can only help a player’s skill development and often translates as more fun.  Rules for playing short-handed are discussed in the grade rules and are specific for each grade division.

Starting and ending times - Weekday games are scheduled to begin at 5:45 p.m.  For safety concerns, games must end at dusk, regardless of the score or inning.

When to arrive - Players and coaches should arrive at least 20 minutes before each game for warm-ups and to ensure the game will start on time.

Game preparation:

• Coaches:  To minimize wasted time, it is critical that the head coach prepare a five-inning lineup before the start of the game.
• Parents:  Parents must notify the head coach the evening before a game if their child is unable to attend or will be late.  It takes a great deal of effort to make a “fair” line-up for a 5-inning game and even more time to adjust it at the last minute due to a player unexpectedly not attending.  It is acceptable for a coach to reduce the playing time for players who repeatedly offend this guideline.

Ceremonial meeting prior to start of game:
Just prior to the start of the game, the opposing head coaches will meet at home plate with the umpire, to exchange batting orders with players’ name and uniform number. We place great importance on the ceremonial meeting as it signifies that the adults take the game seriously, displays the authority of the umpire, and expresses good will between coaches.  It also ensures that each coach presents a line-up to the other team's coach, thus avoiding any confusion regarding improper player assignments.

Pace of game - There are approximately 90-100 minutes to play a five-inning game. Should each team require 5 minutes to change from offense to defense, then 50 minutes or 50% of the playing time is spent not playing softball. To maintain an appropriate pace for the game, it is important that the coaches plan inning transitions effectively. This includes:

• Defensive position assignments should be determined before the inning begins and announced immediately after the 3rd out is called.
• Anticipate the catcher assignment and ensure the catcher is dressed and ready to take warm-ups as the team is ready to take the field. Please use a courtesy runner for the catcher, as needed.
• Pitchers are only allowed 5 warm-ups on the mound before the start of an inning.

Reporting scores following game - Each head coach must notify their grade commissioner of the game’s final score within 36 hours of its completion.  Grades 3-10 must also report who pitched and for how many innings.

Eligibility to pitch – Pitchers must demonstrate an ability to throw strikes more than 50% of the time in practice before being eligible to pitch in a game. This guideline should be communicated to pitchers and their parents before the start of the season.

Type of pitching – NGSoftball encourages windmill pitching but it is not mandatory.  Pitching clinics are run from September - April each year.

Threshold for walks/hit batters – Each grade division has specific rules governing how many batters can walk and/or be hit by a pitch before the pitcher needs to be replaced. Please review your specific grade rules for details.

For the safety and ease of mind for all our players, dogs are not allowed near the players’ bench.  They must always be on a leash during a game or practice.  Thank you for your cooperation.

Each coach must fill out and return their player evaluation sheet at the end of the season.  This is our primary tool to create relatively even teams for the following year.  At the end of the season, parents will be asked to fill out a confidential, coach evaluation sheet and return it to the league.   Its purpose is to provide coaches with general constructive feedback and to ensure the league is aware of any potential problems.  Both the player and coach evaluation sheets are kept strictly confidential by the league's President.