This page lists how to register as a player in the CSL.

If you do NOT expect to play in the Congressional Softball League but are only interested in being covered by insurance, go back a page and select the other player link.

Below explains in detail fees, types of registration options and insurance in the CSL.

THE CONGRESSIONAL SOFTBALL LEAGUE (CSL) REGISTRATION ENTRY FEE IS A FLAT $24 per player RATE FOR PLAYERS WHO CAN BE ON A TEAM ROSTER OR IN THE CSL PLAYER POOL AS A FREE AGENT.

After registering as a player in the CSL, managers can "draft" players from the free agent pool onto their rosters at any time during the season using their manager's section of their team pages.  Teams may pull as many free agents as they want without limitations...and players, while considered full-time participants, only have a tournament deadline requirement for being placed on a roster, not any limitations on the number of games they play during the season.  If entered on a roster by mid-July, players can be included on tournament rosters for championship play at the end of the season.

The Commissioner will make every effort to assist free agents - to find teams needing players and placing them on a team.  After the player's entry fee is received, the Commissioner will send a link for the free agent to enter a description of abilities and preferences for a team...e.g., position preferences on the field defensively, playing with others from the same regional area of the country, days of the week available to play, level of play (casual versus competitive) and other information the free agent wishes to display for the managers to review.

NOTE however, THE LEAGUE CANNOT GUARANTEE placement on a team.  After you register with the league, THE LEAGUE CANNOT REFUND YOUR FEE ONCE WE SUBMIT YOUR INFORMATION TO THE INSURANCE COMPANY.

SO, PLEASE BE PREPARED by reading this page carefully before registering on the next page.

INDIVIDUAL PLAYER REGISTRATION PROCESS

The fee for each full-time player is $24.  If your team has already registered in the league, your team name will appear from a list of teams in a drop-down menu on the next page for you to choose.  If you choose a team, your name will automatically appear on that team's roster once your payment has been received.

IF A PLAYER DOES NOT HAVE A TEAM TO SELECT AT THE TIME OF REGISTRATION, select "Player Pool" at the top of the list of team names in the drop-down menu.  Captains can move players to and from the "Player Pool" area during the season.

You have two options to pay: mail a check or to use PayPal (credit card through PayPal or your existing account).  If you have any doubts, delay registering and contact the Commissioner for more information. 

CONGRESSIONAL ETHICS REGULATIONS

The House and Senate Ethics rules are quite specific about prohibiting staff from receiving anything of value from those who lobby the legislative branch directly or by hiring registered lobbyists.  Please see the general guidelines for the House and Senate to avoid violating ethics rules by accepting entry fees or equipment contrary to current regulations.

YOUR EXPECTATION OF PRIVACY

On the next page you will enter your personal information.  The CSL will ONLY use your information for the Commissioner to contact you...to mail your ID card or contact you if a team wanting to draft you cannot contact you.  If you register as a free agent, you will have the ability to enter other contact information for the captains to view when looking to draft players...your preferences are your choice.

PLAYER REGISTRATION

To register as an individual player, you have the option to register to play on a team in the Congressional Softball League (CSL) on this page...or to register as a non-CSL player or kickball player.  To register only for insurance purposes, go back a page and choose another player registration link.  Your registration, regardless of how you register, enters you in the ASA, and covers you for an entire calendar year and for any ASA or USA team on which you play throughout the United States.  

IMPORTANT DETAILS ABOUT THE INSURANCE

Through an agreement between the CSL and ASA, we are able to provide liability insurance for teams to qualify for field permits and provide affordable accident or injury insurance for players.  The CSL team registration is based on a per-player basis.

ALL PLAYERS, SPONSORS, FIELD OWNERS, COACHES, UMPIRES, SCOREKEEPERS AND ANYONE REGISTERED FULL-TIME in the CSL automatically receives ASA Bollinger health/accident and property/injury liability insurance.   Players also receive an ASA identification card as proof of coverage. 

The insurance will cover each player for ANY team (or multiple teams) they play on this season and is valid throughout the nation while the player participates in ANY league under ASA or USA sanctions during practices, clinics, games or tournaments for an entire calendar year.  The insurance will remain in effect on a yearly basis and is automatically renewable next season through CSL. 

Remember, this insurance is portable, and coverage stays with a registered player regardless of the number of teams or where that player participates throughout the nation for the remainder of the calendar year.

$250,000 Player Accident Injury Insurance Plan

Under this ASA Plan, coverage extends to covered injuries incurred by
participants while practicing or playing in games. For Clinics,
coverage applies to participants while taking part in clinic
activities at the designated clinic site. The policy does not cover
travel or off-premises activities under this plan.

The Accident policy provides the following benefits:

$250,000 Accident Medical limit per claim
$5,000 Accidental Death benefit
$10,000 Accidental Dismemberment Benefits Principal Sum
$2,500 Physical Therapy/Chiropractic limit ($100 per visit)
$1,000 Durable Medical Equipment Limit
Full Excess Coverage
52-Week Benefit Period
$250 or $500 Deductible per claim...depending on your plan

This policy is written on an Excess basis, which means that the
policy is secondary over any other valid and collectible insurance or
health plan that a player may have. Therefore, you need to submit your
expenses to your own medical benefit plan first, for this policy to
consider your claim.

If you have no other coverage in force, this policy will pay your
claim as Primary, subject to the $250 deductible. The policy
only covers medical and dental expenses, which are incurred
during the Benefit Period – within 52 weeks of the date of injury.

 

$5,000,000 Liability Insurance Plan

This ASA Liability Insurance Plan provides protection
for lawsuits and court judgments that may result from bodily
injury and property damage claims arising out of your operations.

The policy limits are:

$5,000,000 per Occurrence limit
$8,000,000 Aggregate limit per Location
$2,000,000 Products/Completed Operations aggregate
$2,000,000 Advertising/Personal Injury limit
$2,000,000 Sexual Abuse limit per occurrence
$2,000,000 Sexual Abuse limit aggregate
$300,000 Fire Legal Liability
$10,000 Medical Payments (to non-participants)
$0 or $500 Deductible per claim...depending on your plan

The policy includes Participants Liability, which is one of the most
important aspects of Liability coverage for sports organizations.

Who is covered under this policy?
♦ Organizers
♦ Officials
♦ Participating Teams or Players
♦ Individual Team Members
♦ Field Owners (as Additional Insureds, if requested)
♦ Sponsors

To provide the most comprehensive coverage for your participants, the insurance company suggests that Liability Insurance coverage should be combined with the Player Accident Injury Insurance Plan.

WHY INSURANCE?

Last year, a player collided at home plate and broke several teeth requiring nearly $6,000 of restorations.  In the past, our insurance policy paid out claims amounting to thousands of dollars for property like a Mercedes dented by a foul ball, personal injury for reconstructive knee surgery for a player with no other health insurance, plastic surgery for another player's broken nose from a line drive and for less serious accidents to other players as well as for injuries to passersby on the Mall.

Surprisingly, the league previously faced (but thankfully avoided) a multi-million dollar suit, not once, but TWICE when tourists were hit by errant balls on the Mall.  One of those incidents was rather severe when a tourist was knocked unconscious by a hard hit softball that had become like a missile.  Therefore, we are proud to be able to provide affordable coverage for a mere $24, players pay to protect everyone's interests (sponsors, field owners, players, umpires, the team and the league) during the season with both personal injury and liability insurance through ASA.

The liability insurance will provide general spectator liability coverage of $5,000,000 per occurrence for bodily injury and property damage with $5,000 medical payment for non-participants with NO deductibles, but more importantly, covers the team as an entity, captains, players, umpires and sponsors who may be individually named in a suit from spectators or passersby.

The accidental injury medical coverage for players has a $500 deductible. The medical coverage is $250,000 per claim as primary coverage for players without health insurance...or as an excess benefit plan for players who already have a health insurance policy.  The Medical insurance covers umpires, full-time players, coaches, managers and scorekeepers for accidental injuries during games, practices, tournaments or during group travel as a team.  The policy also covers medical and dental bills incurred during a 52-week benefit period from the date of injury.

IF YOU DO NOT HAVE HEALTH INSURANCE COVERAGE OF ANY KIND, THE CSL's INSURANCE AGREEMENT WILL PROVIDE PRIMARY MEDICAL/INJURY COVERAGE (with a $500 deductible) FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE CALENDAR YEAR.

Visit the ASA web site www.mddcasa.org or the Bollinger Insurance web site www.bollingerasa.com for more detailed information.

For information about claims procedures, contact the CSL Commissioner.

TEAM OR PLAYER POOL DESIGNATION PROCESS

Players have two options to select their team classifications when registering themselves in the CSL:

1.)  IF YOU DO NOT HAVE A SPECIFIC TEAM ROSTER TO SELECT, register as a Free Agent in the player pool.  On the next page in the first category (Find your team:), select "CSL Player Pool" in the drop-down menu at the top of the list of team names.

Or

2.)  IF YOUR TEAM HAS REGISTERED AND YOU SEE THAT TEAM NAME ON THE NEXT PAGE, choose the team name during registration.  On the next page in the first category (Find your team:), select your team from the list of team names.

Or

3.)  IF YOUR TEAM HAS REGISTERED BUT YOU DO NOT SEE THAT TEAM NAME ON THE NEXT PAGE, choose "CSL Player Pool" in the drop-down menu at the top of the list of team names.  It simply means that your team has not registered or has yet to be certified by the Commissioner.  Either the Commissioner or your team captain can move you onto the correct roster at a later date.

 

REGISTRATION FEE PROCESS

On the final page of registration, you will have an option to pay your fee EITHER BY CHECK or ON-LINE via PayPal, using a credit card or your PayPal account.  (Any PayPal account can send the fee for you if you sign into that PayPal account during the final phase of registration.)

After you enter your information on the next page, and submit it to our database, DO NOT HIT YOUR BACK BROWERS OR IT WILL ENTER YOU AGAIN AS A PLAYER.  Our system will assign you a player number and list the identification number of the team or player pool you selected from the drop-down menu in the first category (Find your team:).  Print that page for your records or to include a copy with your check if you choose to mail it.  At that point, you can also click on a link that will display an address to which the check should be mailed.

For more information or clarifications before you register, contact the CSL Commissioner.

CSL Web last updated 02/23/09. For problems, suggestions or ideas for this web site, contact the Webmaster. For League issues, contact the Commissioner. All text, images and techniques ^©1998-2009.