Article 9 - Other Procedures

9.01 HOSTING CHAMPIONSHIP TOURNAMENTS. – All Championship Tournaments will be place on a rotation among Leagues/associations requesting to be placed in the rotation.

A. Any League/Association/Community wishing to bid for a Minnesota Softball State Tournament or National Tournament must register all of the teams, individuals, and umpires with Minnesota Softball.

B. Leagues/Associations/Communities will be assigned to the rotation based on field availability, suitability and accessibility. Some Leagues/associations will not be able to host tournaments due to lack of number of fields available.

C. The League/Association/Community must submit a written request to the Commissioner to be placed on the rotation.

D. If the League/Association/Community refuses to host a scheduled tournament, they will lose the next rotation slot and it will be awarded to the next League/association on the rotation list.

E. Minnesota Softball will provide the following: umpires, trophies, softballs, teams, and scheduling. Minnesota Softball will conduct the draw and provide brackets with game times for the tournament. In the event of rain, the Tournament Director will adjust times as needed. A Minnesota Softball appointee will assist in running the tournament.

F. The League/Association/Community hosting the tournament will provide the following: Tournament Director, field maintenance (these are Championship Tournaments and we recommend that the field be dragged and chalked at least ever third game or sooner if needed), and concessions (all proceeds from concessions will go to the League/association).

G. All gate fees (per team) will be collected and retained by the League/association. Minnesota Softball will pay umpire fees, trophy cost, for softballs and any miscellaneous cost (brackets or other approved cost).

9.02 UMPIRES.

A. All sanctioned tournaments will be required to use registered umpires of the organization affiliated by Minnesota Softball. In the event you want to use umpires from out of Minnesota Softball we ask that you notify and negotiate with the State Umpire-In-Chief.

B. The Minnesota Legislature passed a "Concussion Law" which requires any municipality, business, school district or nonprofit organization that organizes a youth athletic activity and charges a fee to follow the statute's requirements, including implementing concussion training and education to improve player safety and establish safe return-to-play policies for athletes who sustain a concussion. All umpires are required to take Concussion Law training as prescribed by the State of Minnesota.

9.03 RECRUITING.

A. Recruiting will be allowed from the completion of all national tournaments until January 1 of the current playing year.

EXCEPT:

1. If a manager, coach, assistant coach, parents, legal guardians, players or any other person acting on behalf of the team contacts a player or the players’ parents or legal guardians and they are informed that the player has committed to play for a team, no further contact will be allowed through the current playing year.

2. If a player is under contract, no further contact will be allowed through the current playing year.

B. Recruiting players who have signed a contract will be a recruiting violation (unsportsmanlike conduct) and the manager/coach and or team may be placed on probation or suspended from Minnesota Softball competition up to 5 years.

C. Contact in person (verbal), by phone, in writing, e-mail, text message, or other means by a manager, coach, assistant coach, parents, legal guardians, players or any other person acting on behalf of the team of a player and/or her parents or legal guardian making false or misleading statements about another, manager, coach, player or team will be a recruiting violation (unsportsmanlike conduct) and the manager/coach and or team may be placed on probation or suspended from Minnesota Softball competition up to 5 years.

D. Recruiting player(s), who remain on a team that has not been eliminated from championship play, will be considered a recruiting violation (unsportsmanlike conduct) and the manager/coach, player and/or team may be put on probation or suspended from Minnesota Softball competition for up to 5 years. Recruiting will not be allowed during the blackout period.

EXCEPT:

Recruiting is allowed if the team officially disbands prior to the start of championship play, players from that team may be recruited.

9.04 ILLEGAL TRYOUTS. No team can conduct a tryout until the completion of all youth national championships have concluded. Any team meeting, practice, or other function where a team invites a player not on the team’s current roster will not be allowed and will be considered a tryout.

9.05 TOURNAMENT CONFLICTS. Leagues/Associations or Associated Member shall not schedule a tournament that conflicts with tournaments (only in the class that is scheduled or sponsored by Minnesota Softball). Example if Minnesota Softball is hosting Class C tournaments the leagues can host Gold, Class A/B or Recreational Tournaments at the same time.