Men's Division - 2011
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 2009 season,
any member wishing to run for office must notify the secretary of the
position/s they are seeking by the end of the regular pitching season. A list of candidates will be distributed
during the round robin, and a balloted election will be held at the Banquet.
The results will be announced at the banquet, and the officers will take office
starting with the March meeting.
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.
6. Beginning with the 2009 season, awards
will be either clothing or cash equivalent decided by each winning team.
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.(Fees are collected even for
forfeits)
2.
Beginning with the 2010 playing
season, each team is responsible for paying the full $32 each night, regardless
of how many players pitch. If a team
does not collect all fees, the team will forfeit all matches.
3.
Each sponsor will donate $75.00
as a sponsor's fee each season.
4.
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.
5.
It will be the visiting team
captain's responsibility to deliver the money and score sheet 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.
6.
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 2010 season
any player reaching 70 years of age or older before the end of the year 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 Designated Pitcher Rule*
1.
Beginning with the 2011
playing season if either or both teams cannot field a complete set of
players (short two players) there will be no forfeit - all games will be played
with the necessary designated pitcher(s).
If either or both teams cannot field a partial set (short three
players) 3 games will be forfeited by either or both team, etc (Only two designated
pitchers per team). Playing fees are not
collected for forfeits. (Only two designated pitchers per team and would be
used if the team has 7, 6, 5, 4 or 3 players).
Playing fees are collected for
forfeits.
2.
Beginning with the 2011
playing season, a designated pitcher will be defined as a player pitching 2 matches
with two different partners on the same pit. Rule 4 still applies. Designated pitchers can be used when a team
has less than a full team (8 players). You are allowed 2 designated pitchers
per night. One player against another team and walking back and forth is not
allowed.
3.
Beginning with the 2011
playing season if only one team has a forfeit (five 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.
4.
Beginning with the 1998 Season
any player with a percentage of over 30% cannot participate in designated
pitcher.
*for
the 2010 season, this rule has not changed except for the fee collection. It
has only been better clarified. The term “walking” has been replaced with
“designated pitcher”.
Percentages
and Handicap
1.
The League will play with a 102
percent handicap of the difference between the two opposing team percentages. (Dividing
ringers by .8 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 2011
season, established players percentages will not change until they have
completed six 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.
Beginning in the mid 2011
season. Regardless of the weather before
the start of a night, both teams must have a full team prepared to play. If a team has less than 6 players available
on the scheduled night their forfeits will carry over to the make up
night. If by 7:00 pm the weather has not
cleared, the captains will decide on a makeup night.
4.
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.
5.
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.
6.
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 2011
season teams will play their own division 2/3 of the year and the other
division 1/3 of the year.
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.
Beginning with the 2011
season, trading of players is allowed with the consent of three impartial Board
members. No roster changes can be made one
week after the picnic.
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.
9.
Beginning with the 2010 season,
new teams that would like to enter the league must be approved by a majority
vote of the Board.
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 10, 2011 jai2/secretary