KGSA​​IDAHO

KGSA Policies

Updated December 2025

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1 MISSION

Kootenai Girls Softball Association (KGSA) is a volunteer-led organization in North Idaho  providing a fun and positive learning environment for players, coaches, parents, and umpires.  We are committed to teaching fundamental skills and knowledge of the game to equip the girls  in our local communities to keep advancing in competitive play. The league will put strong  emphasis on the following items:

     a. Sportsmanship

     b. Learning to be a good winner as well as a good loser

     c. Developing the skills necessary to participate in softball at a higher level

     d. Developing a winning attitude

     e. Teaching the value of being a team player

     f. Maintaining an environment in which all players, coaches, umpires, and spectators  can enjoy the game of softball

        KGSA will strive to provide the skills necessary for coaches, umpires, and players to progress  through the different levels of play by                  providing clinics and other training activities designed to  continually increase their skills and knowledge of the game.

 

2 VISION

KGSA will partner with other organizations in the area to elevate the level of play on local teams.  We want North Idaho to become known for excellence in fastpitch through a community of  cooperation elevating girls to the next levels of softball. The future of KGSA will be our  daughters teaching the next generation the game of fastpitch. 

 

3 GENERAL INFORMATION

 

3.1 DIVISIONS

 

The league shall consist of 6 divisions:

     a. 6U - for players aged 6 years and under as of the birth date cutoff.

     b. 8U - for players aged 8 years and under as of the birth date cutoff.

     c. 10U - for players aged 10 years and under as of the birth date cutoff.

     d. 12U- for player aged 12 years and under as of the birth date cufoff.

     e. Varsity - for players aged 15 years and under  as of the birth date cutoff.

     f. Unlimited - a highly competitive division for experienced 8th grade players.

 

3.2 SEASON

 1. The season consists of league play where each team will play each other team in their  division at least once and maybe more depending on the number of teams in that division.

2. An “End of Season” tournament is held for Varsity, 12U, 10U, and 8U divisions. The tournament  typically begins Thursday or Friday and continues through Sunday when the championship  games are played. Awards are given to first and second place winners for the tournament in each division.

3. The “6U Olympics” are for all players in the 6U division. Each girl competes in events related  to softball. Awards for first, second and third  place are given to the winners of each event.

 4. The “End of Season BBQ” is for all players, families, and friends. It is potluck-style, and the  league supplies hot dogs and hamburgers.

 

3.3 FIELD LOCATIONS

1. (Unlimited, Varsity, 12U and 10U) Finucane Park, on the corner of 4th St. and Prairie Ave. in  Hayden, ID.

2. (8U and 6U) Woodland Middle School, 2101 W Saint Michelle, Coeur D'Alene, ID.

 

3.4 GAME RESPONSIBILITIES (All Divisions)

1. Fields must be vacated for use 1 hour prior to game time. Teams playing will be allowed to  warm up in the outfields and dugout side of chalk lines.

2. Home team will be responsible for getting the field ready to play:

a. Prep, water, and rake the infield.

b. Set up bases.

c. Chalk the field.

3. Visiting team will be responsible for care of the field after the game:

a. Water & rake the infield.

b. Rake and compact the pitcher’s mound and the batter’s boxes. (Very important because of the amount of rain we receive during the season.)

c. Put the bases and equipment away.

d. Make sure the equipment shed or boxes are locked.

 

3.5 EQUIPMENT

1. After the draft/draw, each coach will be issued equipment by the equipment chairperson  necessary for safe play and running the game. This includes:

a. Scorebook

b. Lineup card booklet

c. Batting helmets with face masks

d. Bats

e. Bucket of balls

f. Catcher’s gear (helmet, chest protector, and shin guards)

2. At the end of the season, the coach is responsible to return the equipment to the  equipment chairperson at End of Season BBQ or sooner. (The scorebook does not need to be returned.)

3. A player may use her own equipment if it meets USA Softball safety regulations.

4. Pitchers are required to wear face masks while pitching. Face masks are also highly  recommended for use in all infield positions.

 

3.6 UMPIRES

1. (Unlimited) division games will have (1) USA Softball umpire per game.

2. (Varsity, 12U, 10U and 8U) division games will have an umpire[2] . 

3. (6U) games will not have an umpire.

4. If an umpire is not present at game time, coaches will ask a parent to umpire the game. The  game will count.

5. Umpires and coaches are asked to work together to make a correct decision on a ruling. The  judgment of the umpire is not to be challenged.

 

4 TEAM SELECTION

 

4.1 SKILLS CLINIC (All Divisions)

1. All players shall attend the Skills Clinic. At the Skills Clinic, all players will be evaluated in  four categories: throwing, ground balls, pop flies, and hitting.

2. (Unlimited, Varsity, 12U and 10U)Pitchers and catchers will be evaluated in pitching and catching. 

3. Each player will be given a rating in each category between 1 and 4, with 4 being the  highest. Each player will be given an overall rating between 1 and 4 equal to the average of  their individual category ratings.

 

4.2 PETITION TO PLAY UP (10U, 8U, and 6U)

1. All players are required to register for the division as determined by their birth date, but are  eligible to ‘Petition to Play Up’ to the next higher division.

2. All Petitions will be reviewed by the ‘Player Agent’ for approval. The Player Agent’s  evaluation will be made at time of draft.

3. Candidates must submit a ‘Petition to Play Up’ form.

4. Candidates must attend the Skills Clinic for BOTH divisions: their division as determined by  their birth date, and the next higher division they are petitioning to play up to.

4. Approval(s) will be made by the completion of the draft pool prior to the draft. There is no guarantee that approval to move up will be granted regardless of skill. KGSA discourages skipping a division.

5. At any level with a Skills Clinic, players scoring in top tier of next age level may be contacted  and/or asked to consider the next level up, depending on circumstances.

 

4.3 PETITION TO PLAY DOWN (Varsity, 12U, 10U, and 8U)

1. All players are required to register for the division as determined by their birth date, but are  eligible to ‘Petition to Play Down’ to the next lower division.

2. The general policy is to allow a player to play down one division at the request of their  parents, if circumstances warrant a safety issue. 

 

4.4 TEAM SIZE (All Divisions)

Each team shall consist of no fewer than 11 players, and no more than 13 players. 4.5 TEAM SELECTION METHOD

1. (Varsity, 12U and 10U) teams will be selected by Draft. 

2. (8U and 6U) teams will be selected by blind Draw.

 

4.6 DRAFT/DRAW POOL (Varsity, 12U, 10U, 8U, and 6U)

1. The Player Agent for each division, in consultation with the Registrar and President, will  establish:

a. The number of teams in their division

b. The list of players in their division Draft/Draw Pool

2. Draft/Draw pools for each division shall be finalized prior to the Draft/Draw.

 3. Prior to the Draft/Draw, all coaches will be provided a list containing all players in their  division Draft Pool. This list will include each player’s Skills Clinic Number, Name, Birth Date,  and skills evaluation scores. [3] 

 

5 DRAFT/DRAW PROCEDURE (Varsity, 12U, 10U, 8U, and 6U)

 

5.1 DRAFT OFFICER

1. The President will appoint a KGSA Board member to be the Officer in charge of the  Draft/Draw for each division. The Officer shall not be a coach in that division.

2. The Officer will direct the operation of the Draft/Draw.

3. The Officer will make the following available at the Draft/Draw:

a. 2 copies of each sign-up sheet

b. Sufficient USA Softball Championship rosters to have 1 for each team

c. Draft/Draw Pool tracking chart[4] 

d. Draft/Draw Tickets - 1 for each player in the Draft/Draw Pool (Ticket shall bear player’s  name and Skills Clinic Rating)

 

5.2 ATTENDANCE

1. Attendance at the Draft/Draw is restricted to:

a. The Officer in charge of the Draft/Draw

b. The division Player Agent

c. The head coach from each team (or head coach’s representative in their absence) d. Other KGSA board members as needed

2. If a team has no head coach or representative in attendance at the Draft/Draw, the Officer  will make player selections for that team in accordance with this procedure.

 

5.3 DRAFT/DRAW ORDER

1. To begin, each team’s draft/draw order number is established by random selection.

 2. The draft/draw shall follow a “Snake Draft” format: in draft order, each team selects 1  player per round. At the beginning of each new round, the draft order is reversed. 3. Beginning with players in Rating Group 4, player selection shall be limited to the available  players in that rating group, until all players in that rating group have been selected, then  selection proceeds to the next lower rating group.

 

5.4 ASSIGNMENT OF PROTECTED PLAYERS

1. (Head Coaches’ Children) shall be placed on the rosters of their respective teams. Their  draft tickets are removed from the pool. A team’s first selection in the rating group of the  head coach’s child shall be skipped.

2. (Assistant Coaches’ Children) shall be placed on the rosters of their respective teams. Their  draft tickets are removed from the pool. A team’s first selection in the rating group of the  assistant coach’s child shall be skipped. [5] 

 

5.5 ASSIGNMENT OF PITCHERS AND CATCHERS (Varsity, 12U, 10U, and 8U)

1. (Pitchers) shall be placed in proper draft order on those teams which do not have a coach’s  child identified as a pitcher, by rating group in descending order (4-1), beginning with Rating  Group 4, until each team has 1 pitcher. These pitchers’ draft tickets are removed from the  pool. A team’s first selection in the rating group of their pitcher shall be skipped. If there  are more pitchers than teams, all remaining pitchers shall be returned to the draft pool.

2. (Catchers) shall be placed in draft order on those teams which do not have a coach’s child  identified as a catcher, by rating group in descending order (4-1), beginning with Rating  Group 4, until each team has 1 catcher. These catchers’ draft tickets are removed from the  pool. A team’s first selection in the rating group of their catcher shall be skipped. If there  are more catchers than teams, all remaining catchers shall be returned to the draft pool.

 

5.5 DRAFT SELECTION TIME LIMIT (Varsity, 12U and 10U)

1. When it is their turn in the draft order, a coach will have 2 minutes to select a player from  the face-up Draft Tickets in the applicable Rating Group. The timer will begin when the  Officer states, "(team name), on the clock."

2. If no selection has been made with 15 seconds remaining, the Officer will announce the time  remaining in the selection, announcing again “Selection Please” at the five-second mark. 3. If no selection is made at the end of the two-minute window, the Officer will move that  team’s selection to the last pick in that round.

 

5.6 BLIND DRAW (8U and 6U)

When it is their turn in the draft order, a coach will promptly select a face-down Draw Ticket in  the applicable Rating Group.

 

5.7 SIBLINGS

1. Siblings shall be placed together upon one draft ticket and indicated in bold or red ink.

 2. Siblings shall be selected together in the rating group of the highest-rated sibling. 

3. Upon selecting a pair of siblings, a team’s next selection in the rating group of the lower rated sibling shall be skipped. 

4. Unless there are more sets of siblings than the number of teams, no team shall have more  than one set of siblings.

 

5.8 ASSIGNMENT OF UN-RATED PLAYERS

When the final player in the draft/draw pool has been selected, the Officer shall, in continuation  of the draft/draw order, randomly assign all remaining un-rated players to teams.

 

5.9 TRADES

When all players have been assigned to teams, the Officer will allow an opportunity for trades.  Head coaches or their representatives may agree to trades which exchange 1 player for 1 other  player. No trade shall cause any team to be without a pitcher or catcher. Siblings may not be  separated. All trades are subject to review and approval by the Officer.

 

5.10 CONFIDENTIALITY

All proceedings of the draft are kept completely confidential, including players’ Skills Clinic  Ratings, selection position, and trades. Each individual in attendance at the draft is responsible  for maintaining confidentiality of the draft and draft materials. Violation of this confidentiality  rule is cause for suspension of the individual.

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6 CODE OF CONDUCT

 

6.1 EXPECTATIONS

All participants in KGSA understand their commitment to the league, will make KGSA practices  and games a top priority, and will support the KGSA Mission and Vision. Any coach, parent, or  player may be asked to alter their level of participation in the league if deemed necessary for  the welfare of the girls. The board will make this determination.

 

6.2 THE LEAGUE

1. Provide basic equipment for teams.

2. Provide properly fitting uniform shirts that must be worn at all games.

3. Provide proper training to coaches, umpires, and players.

4. Provide appropriate fields in good and safe condition to play on.

5. Notify participants of cancelled games due to weather or field conditions.

 

6.3 THE BOARD

1. Establish policies to ensure the league is run as successfully as possible.

2. Support coaches, players, and parents in providing positive experience for the girls. 3. Be made aware of issues or problems brought to the division’s Player Agents even if it has  been resolved.

4. The player agent and president will review and clarify the current coach’s code of conduct  and ensure that this is signed by coach and assistant coaches prior to first practice with girls  of their division.

 

6.4 PARENTS

1. Get their girls to practices and games on time and pick them up on time afterward.

2. Demonstrate good sportsmanship with positive cheering for ALL participants.

3. Support coaches, players, and umpires in their efforts to do their best; and to discuss issues 

as they come up following the game. If issues elevate, they can/will be dealt with by the  Player Agent of that specific division.

4. Contact the Player Agent of the specific division or the league president to assist in  resolution of differences, if needed.

 

6.5 COACHES

1. Arrive at practices and games a minimum of 30 minutes early, organized and with all the  equipment.

2. Develop all players regardless of skill level.

3. Lead by example and demonstrate good sportsmanship to all players, opponents, umpires,  and parents.

4. Remember, they are youth coaches, and the game is for the girls, not adults. 5. Sign the “Code of Conduct” agreement and follow this document.

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6.6 PLAYERS

1. Arrive at practices and games a minimum of 15 minutes early ready to do their best for their  team.

2. Demonstrate good sportsmanship on and off the field.

3. Wear league-provided uniform (t-shirt).

4. Wear/use USA Softball approved equipment.

5. Notify the coach ahead of time if they cannot be at a game or practice.

6. Be committed to their team and the KGSA League.

 

7 REGISTRATION POLICY

The Registrar will be responsible for organizing the sign-up days and will handle the mail-in registration. 

 

7.1 ADVERTISING

Flyers, ads in the paper, and any other publicity regarding sign-ups will go out approximately 8  weeks prior to season opener. A mass mailing and emailing to all who played last year will go  out about this time also.

 

7.2 SIGN-UPS FOR KGSA 

Mail-in registration will be accepted based on the date postmarked.[6]  Online signups will be accepted at the league-approved website kgsaidaho.com using TeamSnap for registration.

 

7.3 DEADLINES

The deadline for registration will be the day of the Skills Clinic. The 6U and 8U draws and the  10U and Varsity drafts will take place approximately 3 weeks before the season opener.

 

7.4 WAITING LIST

Anyone signing up before the Skills Clinic will be placed on a team. Anyone signing up after the  draft/draw will be placed on a waiting list maintained by the Registrar. The order of the ‘waiting  list’ will be determined by which team would have had the next player added if more players  were available, and all teams will be on the list. The Player Agent for that division will add a new  player to the team next in line with the approval of the leagues’ President based on the  following criteria:

a. Anyone signing up after the draft/draw but before the season starts, will be added to a  team roster.

b. Once the season starts, if a team loses a player, the coach may contact their Player  Agent and request a replacement. The Registrar will be contacted to determine the next  player and she will be added to that team with the President’s approval as stated above.

c. Once the season starts, any team that drops to 10 players or fewer will be assigned the  next player on the list.

 

8 KGSA COACHING BASICS

 

8.1 PITCHING

We acknowledge the challenge that exists between allowing batters the ability to learn batting  skills and allowing the pitcher the ability to discover she can throw a strike. At early  developmental stages batters, simply will not see many strikes from a live pitcher. We want to  discourage batters from waiting for a walk. But we also do not want them to swing at bad  pitches, developing bad habits.

 

8.2 6U DIVISION

The focus in the 6U division is for 5-6 year old players to have fun! Coaches will introduce basic  throwing, fielding, batting, and base-running techniques. During games, all players on the team  will have an opportunity to bat off a tee and will be encouraged to play multiple positions defensively. We want the girls to fall in love with the game by making it a fun, active, team centered experience.

 

8.3 8U DIVISION

In the 8U division players will be introduced to the game of fastpitch. Coaches will teach basic  throwing, fielding, batting, base-running techniques. They will also teach the basics of fastpitch  pitching. Players will have an opportunity to learn all skills and play multiple positions. This will  be a fun league focused on fundamentals, learning to play hard and having a great time!

 

8.4 10U DIVISION

The focus of the 10U division is to expose players to all aspects of the game of fastpitch, preparing them for a competitive tournament season if they choose. Coaches will continue to

develop basic fundamentals while introducing more advanced throwing, fielding, batting and  base-running techniques as well. Players who enjoy pitching will be encouraged to practice  outside of regularly scheduled team activities. The league partners with experts in the community to provide clinics as well as group and private instruction for girls to continue to  develop their skills. Players will continue to practice the skills necessary to play all defensive  positions and will be encouraged to try multiple positions throughout the season. At this level  girls will experience the fullness of the game and joy of competition. Our goals are to encourage  as many girls that would like the opportunity to pitch to do so. At this age the girls and their  parents figure out if pitching is in their future and ift private lessons will be needed.

 

8.5 12U/VARSITY DIVISION

The focus of the Varsity division is to teach and develop fundamental skills in all areas including  more complex offensive and defensive play. Coaches will continue to encourage proper  technique, sportsmanship and teamwork while playing with passion and a healthy competitive  spirit. The KGSA season provides an opportunity for girls to hone their skills while playing with  different teams throughout the spring as they prepare for competitive tournament seasons.  Our goals are to develop both batting and pitching with a normalized strike zone. We are not  worried about letting girls “try” pitching at this age. We are now working on developing  dedicated pitchers and catchers. All batting, bunting and base running techniques should be  learned.

 

8.6 KGSA UNLIMITED

KGSA Unlimited is a unique opportunity for highly competitive 14U players who are in 8th grade.  Players should have multiple years of softball experience and be proficient in all skill areas listed  in the developmental structure. Teams change weekly and games will be highly competitive as  players work to earn points for performance. The purpose of this division is to provide an  exciting spring season for experienced 14U players where they can get good reps, play with  different teammates from the community and have a great time doing it. Coaches will continue  to encourage proper technique, sportsmanship and teamwork while playing with passion and a  healthy competitive spirit.

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LEAGUE DEVELOPMENT STRUCTURE 

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