ARTICLE ONE - ELIGIBILITY RULES

Section 1 

NO DISCRIMINATION   

1.1   

There shall be no discrimination toward any athlete because of race, nationality, sex, color, religion or creed.

Section 2 

TEAM ELIGIBILITY RULES  

2.1

All teams shall be represented by a state, county, city, or town as outlined in the membership requirements rules of NSAD By-Laws, Article 1, Membership.

2.2   

Each team's club shall be a member of the NSAD through its regional association as outlined in the By-Laws, Article One, Section 3 in order to participate in any of the current year's regional or national tournaments.   

2.3

NSAD shall allow Canadian Teams within boundaries to play in the regional tournament regardless of number of U.S. players playing on the team and be honored if they win the champion in their regional tounament. 

2.4

NSAD shall allow resident of Canadian, Cuban, Mexican and Caribbean players within time zone to play in the regional tournament as follow the Free agents rules.

Section 3  

PLAYER ELIGIBILITY RULES   

3.1 

Players representing a member club shall be deaf or hard-of-hearing and shall be bona fide members of their member club.

3.2  

A player shall have a hearing loss of 55 db or greater in the better ear to be eligible.  This rule is still subject to deliberation, therefore, not "fully implemented" or "subject to interpretation'.   

3.3 

Players shall have attended a school for the deaf, whether residential or day, oral or combined, shall give their regional secretary a copy of diploma, certificate, or any identified school document as well as audiogram for verification of attendance or graduation. Players who have attended a regular or mainstreaming school are required to submit an old or new audiogram to their regional secretary.    

3.4 

No hearing persons shall be allowed to play on any NSAD member club's team in any regional or national tournament. Teams desiring to have hearing coaches shall be permitted to do so.   

3.5

A player shall have valid Driver's License and/or good standing State ID.

3.6

A player shall not play for a member club outside the region of his/her residence.   

3.7 

Players under eighteen (18) years of age, shall submit a letter to their Regional President requesting permission to participate at NSAD Sanctioned events along with written permission from his/her parent(s) or guardian(s).   

3.8

Students attending post-secondary learning institute shall be eligible to play for a club's team as outlined in the Rules and Regulations, Article one, Section 3.5.2

3.9

WOMEN: A pregnant player shall be permitted to play only at her doctor's discretion and her signing a waiver form.   

Section 4

PROTESTS

4.1

Any protests regarding eligibility of any team or its players shall be made before the start of any regional or national tournaments.

Section 5

VIOLATIONS OF THE ELIGIBILITY RULES   

5.1

Any violation of these rules shall cause the member club and/or the player to be suspended for a period of two (2) years from the NSAD and their region. Regions shall be allowed to impose fines as approved by their Regional Board of Directors.

ARTICLE TWO - REGISTRATION

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Section 1  

OFFICIAL NSAD REGISTRATION FORMS   

1.1  

The NSAD Treasurer shall supply each regional Secretary-Treasurer with a sufficient number of yearly dated blank official team's registration and waiver forms. The regional association or any member club thereof shall not be allowed to devise or make use of any other type of player's registration form as such shall be considered invalid.   

1.2   

A member club may be permitted to register more than one (1) team in regional or national tournaments.  

1.3 

The player cannot sign any forms other than the official NSAD Registration form (Yellow NCR paper). 

1.4 

All official player registration forms, team fees, and /or surcharge fees shall be received by the NSAD Treasurer from the regional Secretary-Treasurers no later than fourteen (14) days prior to the regional tournaments.   

1.5  

All Men, Women and Coed teams are required to participate in their regional tournaments if there are three (3) or more division teams before entering the National Softball Tournament.

1.6  

The team roster shall not exceed twenty (17) players, including the coaching staff.  (2007 Dayton)

Section 2   

REGISTRATION RULES   

2.1  

Each player shall sign his/her name on the date of signing on the official player's softball registration form and Athletic Liability Release and Waiver form between March 1st to July 1. Failure to date the signatures on both forms shall result in automatic suspension of the player and he/she shall be ineligible to participate in NSAD or regional competition during the applicable season. 

2.2    

All coaches and shall be responsible for the signatures and any other information of all players on any NSAD registration forms. Any athlete who has been abused, threatened or given intentionally misleading information by a coach or manager for the purpose of defrauding the player, the region of the NSAD or for personal or club gain, shall have the right to lodge a complaint in writing with the regional Secretary-Treasurer. Such individuals found guilt by the region or the NSAD shall be suspended for a period of not less than two (2) years.   

2.3 

A team member (player, managers, coaches, scorekeepers, bat person, and water persons) shall not register with more than one (1) team. Once registered, team members shall not transfer from one (1) team to another. If the team member signs a team member's registration form, this team member shall automatically be suspended form all NSAD competition for a period of one (1) year from the date of the second signature.   

2.4 

All team members shall have their own health and accident insurance.   

2.5    

If a player's name and/or his/her signature are determined to be forged on the official player's registration form, the team coach, player and/or manager shall be suspended from all NSAD or regional competition for a period of two (2) years.  

2.6   

All team members shall sign the Athletic Liability Release and Waiver form.  Failure to sign this Athletic Liability Release and Waiver form, shall make him/her ineligible to participate in NSAD or regional competition during the applicable season.

2.7

A team allows to add up to 3 players (12 players or less) before their regional and after regional tournament. ( Note: these signed players who withdrew from the team cannot play on the others teams.)

ARTICLE THREE - CONDUCTS AND SUSPENSIONS

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Section 1

JURISDICTION OF NSAD   

1.1  

All team members who are participants or spectators, in any NSAD event of any NSAD tournament shall be subject to the jurisdiction of the NSAD and its regulations.   

Section 2

CONDUCTS 

2.1 

Team members shall conduct themselves in conformance with the tradition of NSAD athletics events at all times and in all places. Coaches and managers shall be responsible for the conduct of their teams.   

2.2 

Prior to the dismissal of a person who displays unacceptable behavior, the NSAD Executive Committee shall be authorized, directed, and empowered to observe, investigate, hear evidence and determine the facts involved in the violations of the rules of conduct, which are appropriate in the circumstances.   

2.3 

Any player or spectator who violates the rules of acceptable social behavior and/or regulations governing the use of properties, facilities in the state, county, or city where the athletic events is held shall be subject to the jurisdiction of the host city.   

Section 3  

SUSPENSION OF PLAYER (S)   

3.1 

Any NSAD team may make a request to suspend its former team member(s) from playing for another NSAD team when the team member(s) owes the former club and/or team at least one Hundred dollars ($100.00). All documents and written requests for suspension shall be sent to the regional Secretary-Treasurer.  The Secretary-Treasurer shall verify the documents and finds them to be in order, then the request shall be sent to the NSAD Executive Board for it final decision. Once suspended, the Team member(s) maybe reinstated upon the payment of the debt in full to the former club, and or team provided that copy(ies) of the receipt's) are furnished to the regional secretary-treasurer.

3.2 

Any team member suspended by his respective region shall be barred from participating in any regional for that period in which the suspension is in effect. Such suspension shall be reported to the NSAD Secretary-Treasurer within ten (10) days of the regional meeting and copies of the report shall be sent to each regional Secretary-Treasurer.   

Section 4

DRUG POLICY 

4.1  

Any person under the auspices of the NSAD who is caught with chemical-based drugs or illegal substances during any NSAD sponsored event shall be immediately banned from the premises and further banned from any association with the NSAD until cleared of such charges or as determined by the NSAD Board of Directors.