Rule changes implemented at softball league’s AGM

The Whitehorse Co-ed Slo-Pitch Softball League will be cracking down on defaulting teams next season.

The Whitehorse Co-ed Slo-Pitch Softball League will be cracking down on defaulting teams next season.

As a result of a higher number of defaults that occurred during the 2009 season, the league will be implementing a fine penalty of either $25 or $50.

Under the new rules, decided at last week’s AGM, the league has implemented a default rule, where a team will be subjugated to a $50 fine if a rep doesn’t call in a forfeit before noon on game day.

However, to make it easier for teams, members of the league’s executive will allow them to play with a minimum of eight players instead of nine.

A squad would have two automatic outs if they field eight, but could, at any point in the contest, add a ninth player.

The money collected from the fines would primarily go towards umpire fees ($25 per game) and the cost to rent a ball diamond at the Pepsi Softball Centre ($60).

Another major rule change is the league’s decision to end the season two weeks early, sometime in August before the Discovery Day long weekend.

Bud Arnold, the league’s Secretary/Treasurer, said the reasoning behind this was a lot of players lost interest at the end of the season, which resulted in teams having to default.

He said there were around 30 defaults this season, which was up by about a dozen from the average.

The league will offer an extended season for the remainder of August for the teams that are interested.

Another major change came with the creation of a new division. Instead of having four divisions that each ranged in number of teams, the league hopes to have five divisions each with eight squads. Arnold said the reason is so that teams have the opportunity to play each other more regularly, adding a team could play another squad as many as five times during the course of the season, which begins in May.

The league also plans on making its website, which was used for the first time in 2009, more interactive, offering links to show stats and tournament results.

Some of the things that will remain the same is the points system, which awards two points for a win and one for a tie. The time limit on each game will also remain unchanged. The time limit includes not starting a new inning after the one-hour and 15 minute mark.

Arnold was pleased with how the 2009 season went.

“The season went really well,” he said. “All the financials were good, we were right on budget and everything was a big plus this year.”

Division winners included Tlingit Electric, which placed first in division one, while division two was won by Complete Concrete.

Air Cargo Express finished on top in division three and EMCO won division four.