Schedule of Events – June 17th

 

Time

Event

Duration

5:20

Accuracy Contest (hit target area)

0:20

5:40

Fastest Runner

0:20

6:00

HR Contest first round

1:00

7:00

Throw Distance Championship

0:20

7:30

HR Contest Championship Round

0:20

7:50

End of Contests

0:05

7:55

Start Exhibition Game

1:00

8:55

End of Game

 

 

 

Rules:

 

Second Annual JPL SOFTBALL HOME RUN DERBY!

 

TIME/DATE

 

Bye Week of JPL Softball Spring Season 2003 (June 17th), start 5:20pm.

 

SIGN UP

 

Deadline to register: June 17.

 

Register with the Derby Commissioner, Dave Tseng, by email (dtseng@jpl.nasa.gov), JPL mail, or on the day of the Derby before first pitch. Just $3! (use officially provided used balls) or bring your own, new official softball, a Dudley SB-12LND (ultimate eligibility of a contestant's ball will be at sole discretion of the HR Derby Commissioner).

Spaces will be limited to 20 players, maximum. If more than 20 players sign up, then each team will be allotted a maximum of 3 spaces. If some teams do not send three contestants, then the remaining spaces will be filled on a first come/first served basis (by receipt of registration fee).

 

PLAYER ELIGIBILITY

 

Contestant shall be a player in JPL softball league in good standing. Both men and women are encouraged to compete. Entrants so far:

 

 

 

VOLUNTEERS

 

We will need a bare minimum of three volunteers. Volunteers may not be contestants. Need homerun judges, official scorer, catcher, pitcher. Please contact Dave Tseng. So far:

1.      David Tseng

2.       

 

RULES

 

Rules will follow those of the MLB Home Run Derby.

1.      Sign in with the official scorer (preferably before 5:10pm; must be before first pitch). 

2.      Contest scheduled for 1hr, so delaying of the game will be issued a first warning, then a second offense will result in disqualification.

3.      The Batting order will be random, announced at start of the Derby. Players will be allowed 2 minutes after their name is called or they will be disqualified.

4.      In the first round, each batter will have 6 outs (an out is any swing of the bat that does not result in a home run) and a maximum of 12 pitches taken (not swung at).  Pitches taken after the 12th are considered outs.

5.      The winner of the first round and the second place finisher (plus ties) will compete in a second round of 6 outs each.  Winner of the first round will have choice of batting order in the second round. Winner of the second round is the Champion.

6.      Each batter can either bring his own pitcher (who will be allowed a maximum of 4 practice pitches) or a volunteer pitcher.

7.      A home run is any ball that lands on or past the imaginary straight line between two cones in the outfield as determined by the majority of homerun judges (tie goes to the batter).

8.      Cone distance will be fixed at the beginning of the contest by the commissioner and volunteers. One set of cones will be the men's homerun markers, and a separate set of cones will designate the women's homerun marker. The men's markers will be placed approximately 20-25 yards past the Little League burn line (deeper in centerfield than the foul lines). The women's distance will be approximately 10-15 yards in from the burn line.

9.      Bats must be marked official softball, 1.20BPF, and certified by a recognized softball association.

10.  Rules interpretations and rules not covered herein will be decided by the HR Derby Commissioner.

11.  A legal pitch shall be one that is thrown from anywhere on the pitching mound's dirt and clearly reaches a height above that of the batter's head (judgment to be made by the catcher/official scorer).

 

WINNERS

 

Male and female contestants will be scored separately. Homerun King and Queen will be announced on the JPL Softball Webpage, a trophy, and one official HR Derby Softball, signed and dated by both the commissioner of JPL Softball and the HR Derby Commissioner! A keepsake of truly monumental proportions!

 

 

 

Throwing Accuracy Contest  $2

 

  1. Contestant who throws a strike from the farthest distance wins.
  2. Each contestant is given three consecutive (no other contestant will throw between attempts) attempts to throw a strike in each round.  If the contestant does not throw a strike he is eliminated.
  3. If two contestants are tied for a distance, then the one with fewer misses from the previous round is the winner (etc).
  4. The target will be a marked off section of chain link fence which roughly corresponds to the MLB strike zone.
  5. The starting round’s distance will be approximately 15yds; the distance will be increased after each round by approximately 2yds.
  6. All contestants will be required to throw at each distance.
  7. Throws may be made from a stand still, a run, a trot, or from the knees if desired.

 

 

Cannon Arm Contest  $2

 

  1. Contestant who throws a softball the farthest distance in the air into a designated area without crossing a line at home plate wins.
  2. Each contestant is given three consecutive attempts.  The farthest attempt will be marked with a flag or other marker.
  3. The balls will be official softballs provided by the judge.
  4. The distance of a throw will be marked at the point where the ball first strikes the ground as determined by another judge.
  5. The designated area will be marked by a line of cones in Loma Alta’s right field area.  The area will be shaped as an approximately 10-20degree wedge extending from the home plate area.
  6. The Home Plate line will be the line from Home Plate to Third Base.  The ball must leave the hand of the contestant before he steps on or over that line.  To do otherwise is a fault and the throw will not be counted for distance but will be counted as an attempt.
  7. If two contestants’ throws appear to be ties according to the majority of judges, then the contestants will have a single attempt at a tie breaker.

 

 

 Hot Wheels Contest  $2

 

  1. Runner who legally runs all four bases with the lowest time wins.
  2. Runner will be given a maximum of two attempts, fastest attempt counts as his official time.
  3. Runner starts from inside the right hand batters box regardless of the handedness of the runner.
  4. Runner will start from the standing position (i.e., no hand will be allowed to touch the ground).
  5. Time will be kept by two judges with stopwatches. The average of their times will determine the official time.
  6. The runner is given two attempts. Second attempt after all contestants have finished the first round.
  7. The runner will be allowed one false start, second false start counts as an attempt.  A false start is called if the runner lifts a foot off the ground before the “GO” signal. (i.e., the runner may anticipate the “Go” and start his momentum, but he may not start a step by lifting a foot).