Men's
Division - 2008
League
1.
The League will exist as a joint
organization of a men's and a women's division of the Porter Central Horseshoe
League with separate boards and rules but joint social events.
Board
1. The Board is the governing body of the League.
2.
The Board will consist of a President,
Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, all team captains, and up to three other
appointed members of the league. Three
members of the Board will remain on the Board from one season to the next
season. Any designated player can be
acting captain in the absence of the Captain.
3.
Beginning with the 2006 season the new
board will take office following the annual board elections, which will be
scheduled for the first Tuesday of March of each year.
4.
The Board must receive a financial report
at the end of the playing season. The
Board will plan a budget for the following year. The Board must approve all financial expenditures.
5. A majority of three or more is a legal majority vote by the
Board members.
6. The Board will allot money from the
treasury for a season picnic, awards, and other incidentals.
7. A League officer cannot be a team captain.
Awards
1.
There will be one overall season champion
for the entire season; this team will receive a trophy for their sponsor. .
2.
Beginning with the 2004 season, the
League will be scheduled with two divisions based on the previous year’s final
division standing. Sponsors trophies
and player awards will be given to the first place teams of each division.
3.
Beginning with the 1999 Season In the
event of a tie, the tie will be broken by a 12 game re-match and must be played
the following playing night (i.e. Tues., Thurs.) on a neutral court.
4.
Beginning with the 2002 Season players must
pitch at least six nights to be eligible for any league awards, unless a
special team exception is filed with the Board.
5. Beginning with the 2004 season the
League will have a season final round robin division tournament Awards will be given for winners based on
the value of the Round Robin playing fees.
The World
Series of the two division season champions will be decided by the number of
game POINTS won based on the 17 pt. game system.
Courts
1. The team is responsible for the
sponsor's courts and shall have them in playable condition before the game.
2.
Reconditioning and covering the pits are
the home team responsibility after each night of play.
3.
Players must purchase their beverages
(mixed drinks, beer, pop, etc.) at the courts they are playing at, with the
exception of the sponsor's approval.
FIRST OFFENSE - Two weeks suspension.
SECOND OFFENSE - suspension for the remainder of the playing season.
4. All games must be played on sponsored courts.
5.
Beginning with the 1997 playing season horseshoe
stakes should be painted white with dark
backboards.
6.
Beginning at midway of 2007 playing
season, horseshoe stakes will be a MINIMUM of 13 inches, measured from the
approaches. If a court does not meet
this minimum before the first game is played, the opposing team has the option
to play the match on another court.
1.
Beginning with the 2001 Season the
playing fee will be $4.00 per playing pitcher for the leagues treasury. It is the team captain's responsibility to
insure the money is collected. (There
will be no fee for forfeits).
2. Each sponsor will donate $75.00 as a sponsor's fee each
season.
3. Sponsors fees
are due one week after the start of the season, after one week a $25 late fee
will be assessed. Sponsors will be sent
invoices for the fee prior to the season start.
4.
It will be the visiting team captain's
responsibility to deliver the money and scoresheet to the League drop site
within twenty-four hours. The visiting
team is responsible for picking up the new percentages and standings and
bringing them for Tuesday's games.
5.
Beginning with the 2000 Season it will be
permissible, at the Home teams’ discretion to use scoreboards during a game.
Field Rules
1. The visiting team must schedule and field
their players first and play must begin no later than 6:30 pm.
2.
Choice of first team to pitch shall be
determined by the "mudding of shoes". The player's partner that was awarded points on the first pitch
will throw first from the opposite pitching box. If no points were awarded the last team to pitch will go next.
3.
Eight men complete a pitching team. Two men complete a set. After a set has started play there will be
no changes made to the set unless a player becomes sick or because of an
emergency. In this case the game will
start over with new players.
4.
Each game will consist of 52 shoes thrown
by each team (26 shoes by each man). A
tie will be decided by a SUDDEN DEATH playoff in which all four players will
complete their throws and the total points thrown will break the tie or
continue with all four players again until the tie is broken.
5.
A ringer is decided when a shoe encircles
the stake far enough to allow the touching of both heel caulks of the shoe
simultaneously with a straight edge.
6.
A point is decided if it is the closest
shoe to the stake and if it is within a distance of a horseshoe from the
stake. This is determined by hooking
another shoe around the stake at the caulks and touching the point shoe. Any shoe of greater distance from the stake
has no point value.
7.
Any contestant, while his opponent is in
the pitching position, shall neither remark nor make any movement that might
interfere with his opponent's play.
8.
Foul shoes will be removed from the
opposite pitcher's box at the request of the opponent.
9.
When a shoe lands in fair territory and
is broken into separate parts, it will be removed and the contestant be allowed
to pitch another shoe in its place.
10.
An official shoe shall not exceed 7-1/4
inches in width, 7-5/8 inches in length, and shall not weigh more than 2 pounds
and 10 ounces.
11.
Beginning with the 2007 season any player
reaching 70 years of age or older before the end of the pitching season can
pitch from a distance of thirty feet or greater. The player must declare his choice at the beginning of the season
and retain that choice for the remainder of the season. Players must provide proof of age to the
Board. All new 30 ft pitchers will be treated as a new player with regards to
their average.
12.
Beginning with the 2003 season anyone
under the age of 70 can pitch from less than 40 ft. only with legal proof of
disability. A grandfather clause will
apply to existing 30 ft. pitchers prior to the 2003 season. Beginning with the
2007 season all new 30 ft pitchers will be treated as a new player with regards
to their average.
13.
Beginning with the 2000 season, the south
pits will be designated as the #1 pits
14.
Beginning with the 2001 season the League
will use the “17 Point” system in totaling the points won for the nights
play. One point for each game won, one
for each of the four best match scores, and one point for the best overall team
score for the night.
Forfeits and Walking
Rule
1.
Beginning with the 1995 playing season if
either or both teams cannot field a complete set of players (short one
player) there will be no forfeit - all games will be played with the necessary
walking. If either or both teams cannot
field a partial set (short two players) 3 games will be forfeited by
either or both team, etc (Only one walker per team). Playing fees are not collected for forfeits.
2.
Beginning with the 2006 playing season if only one team has a forfeit (six
players or less) that team will lose the team point. However, if both teams have a forfeit than the team point will be
decided as usual.
3. Beginning with the 1998 Season any
player with a percentage of over 30% cannot participate in walking.
Percentages and Handicap
1.
The League will play with a 80 percent
handicap of the difference between the two opposing team percentages. (Based on percent of 78 shoes thrown).
2.
Beginning with the 1999 Season all new
players will establish a percentage after their first three games have been
played. Percentages will change with the regular weekly percentages on the
following week.
3.
Established players beginning season
percentages are carried over from the previous season final percentages. Beginning with the 2004 season, established
players percentages will not change until they have completed three nights of
pitching.
Scorekeeping, Postponements,
and Protests
1.
The scorekeeper is the field judge and
the scorekeeper decision is final during play.
A scorekeeper must be a team player or an approved person. During playoffs a team member must keep
score.
2.
Inclement weather or the result of
inclement weather will be the only reason for postponement of a scheduled game.
3.
The two captains involved can postpone a
game because of inclement weather.
Scoresheets with all players listed must be made out prior to
postponement. If the postponed game was
not finished a new game will begin.
Games that have been completed will not be replayed. The same players will be used if possible
but substitute players may be used if the original players are not available.
4.
Notification of postponement must be
given to the League Secretary by both captains involved. The postponed game must be made up within
seven days, after seven days the Board will schedule a time and place for the
make-up game.
5.
All protests or disputes must be done so
during the game in which it occurs.
This must be filed in writing with the Board within twenty four hours
after the alleged grievance occurred.
Secretary
1. Beginning with the 2000 season the
Secretary will receive thirty-five cents per player for each night of play,
including playoffs.
Schedule
1.
The Secretary will submit playing
schedules. This schedule will, as near
as possible, allow all courts an equitable number of games.
2. Beginning with the 2001 season all games played will count towards the division championship, as well as, the overall season champion. (See Awards, Rule 1).
3. Beginning with the 2004 season all teams will play each other an equal number of times.
1.
Any player repeatedly violating rules or
guilty of un-sportsmanlike conduct may be barred from further competition in
the contest.
Teams and Membership
1. Team members will elect all team captains.
2.
There will be a twenty-man roster limit.
3.
All members must be twenty-one years of
age and male.
4.
Trading of players is allowed with the
consent of three impartial Board members.
No roster changes can be made after the 4th of July of the
season.
5.
Beginning with the 2000 season
transferred players must be on the team’s weekly roster prior to playing.
6.
Beginning with the 2000 season changes to
FULL rosters must be submitted prior to a new player playing on that teams
roster.
7.
Beginning with the 2000 season all
players are required to purchase a membership card. As of the 2006 season, membership cards must be purchased the
first night the member pitches.
8.
Beginning with the 2008
season, membership cards will cost $3.00.
All money collected from the membership cards will be used to purchase
awards for membership card drawings at the banquet.
1. Beginning with the 2000 season the Treasurer will receive twenty-five cents per player for each night of play, including playoffs.
1.
All rules not covered in these rules will
be played by the National Horseshoe Pitching Association Rules.
2.
Beginning with the 2002 season new rules or
changing of rules will be done by Board members only after all teams present at
the meeting have voted on those rule changes.
Revised and approved April
1, 2008 rg/secretary