Possible Rule Changes

We had a great informational meeting last night, with all kinds of fun events planned, and also some rule changes discussed.

Here are the potential rule changes, please leave any thoughts/concerns in the comments section.

Playoff substitutions – If your partner can’t play in a playoff game you don’t have to forfeit, but you won’t be allowed to bring in your own hand-chosen ringer either.  From now on the league will have 3 or 4 players available and on hand to be used as substitutes during the playoffs, and your team will be assigned a substitute player at random on the day of the event.   NOTE: This only applies during the playoffs.  Feel free to use any partner you want during the regular season.

Standing water – As you probably know, one section of our field can flood in heavy rain.  If this section of the field (and only this section) floods and there is a large amount of standing water the league (not individual teams, but only the league itself) can choose to declare this section out of bounds.  If the section is ruled out of bounds it will be clearly marked, and if a pallino is accidentally thrown across the out of bounds marker it will be given to the other team to throw for that round.

Measuring 50 feet – As you know, the pallino is only allowed to go 50 feet, and the opposing team is allowed to measure your throw as many times as they want without consequence to make sure your throw does not go beyond 50 feet.  To prevent teams from measuring just to be a nuisance this proposed rule prevents you from measuring the pallino throw if you measure it 3 times, and all 3 times the pallino is under 50 feet.

Bocce – Everybody seems to have a clear understanding of how we keep all our stats, except bocces.  This lack of understanding has caused everybody to record the stat in a different way, and thus diminishes its importance.   To correct this problem, we suggest a rule that will eliminate all gray area and make it very clear what a bocce is (and is not).

Old Rule:  A Bocce is defined as striking an opposing team’s ball, one of your team’s balls, or the pallino in such a way that causes your team to take “inside” position (this can be for the sole point, or for a second, third or fourth point). Sometimes balls make incidental contact, this is NOT a Bocce. If  the act of striking another ball is not what causes you to gain “inside” position then it is not a Bocce.

Proposed New Rule: A Bocce occurs when the ball you throw causes a second ball on your team which is already in play to go from “outside” position to “inside” position (this can be for a first, second, third, or fourth point).