NCBL CONSTITUTION
THE NATIONAL CAPITAL BASEBALL LEAGUE
CONSTITUTION AND BY-LAWS
Updated as of June 15, 2023
PLEASE
NOTE: Revisions to the constitution and by-laws
approved during the off-season meetings at 2023 off-season meetings are
highlighted in red. Other changes made from 2015 through 2022 remain
highlighted in bold black. Also,
please note:
A
Social Media Code of Conduct was approved at the 2016 Kick-off meeting (can be
found under NCBL in the top banner of the NCBL website). It details:
who the
code applies to (teams/players/umpires);
what a
violation is (insulting/threatening/offensive/non-family friendly);
what
the consequences are (banning the account, suspensions, fines);
and how
to report a suspected violation (Incident Report Form).
From
2016: Sliding Rule at 2nd Base –the rule
changes made by major league baseball in 2016 will not be applied and thus
slides to break up a double play will be called as they always have been.
From
2015: All players should note by-law 6.9
h) which contains 3-games suspensions related to intent-to-injure for actions
including, but not limited to, a pitcher throwing intentionally at a batter, a
runner sliding cleats up at an infielder, or a runner colliding with an
infielder or catcher.
CONSTITUTION
SECTION 1: Name
Article 1.1 The name of the League shall be the National
Capital Baseball League.
SECTION 2: Purpose
Article 2.1 (a)
The League shall organize baseball for adults in the National Capital
Region which will be both competitive and recreational in nature.
(b) The League shall operate separate entities
as player demand warrants; for purposes of this Constitution and By-Laws,
we shall use the term “Tier” to refer to any or all of them.
(c) Where
necessary, provisions will be made in this Constitution and the League By-Laws
for differences in the operation of the different Tiers.
SECTION 3: League
Membership
Article 3.1 The
League shall comprise teams in good standing that are located in the National
Capital Region and whose applications have been approved by the league.
Article 3.2 Each
team shall designate one representative (team rep) who shall be entitled to
vote at meetings of the League in accordance with this Constitution. Four (4) officer positions from NCBL umpires
(Umpire-in-Chief), Deputy Umpires-in-Chief (2), and Umpire Assignor) shall also
be entitled to vote at meetings of the League in accordance with this
Constitution.
Article 3.3 A new team shall not be entitled
to exercise a vote during its first year of membership in the League.
Article 3.4 All eligible teams may vote on
all matters except: where it is determined that the matter in question concerns
only a part of the League, only eligible teams of that part or parts may vote.
Article 3.5 “New” teams shall be reviewed
after one season of play. The review is to take place at the annual
“winter meeting”. “Permanent” status and voting privileges shall be
granted at the “winter meeting” by majority vote of permanent teams in the
League.
Article 3.6 A team shall retain its status
as a League member in good standing as long as it abides by the League’s Constitution
and by-laws, and lawful decisions of the League and discharges its playing and
financial obligations to the satisfaction of the League.
Article 3.7 The age limit for players in
the League shall be a minimum of sixteen years of age with any player turning 16 in that calendar year, with parental
consent, is eligible to play in the NCBL (modified at the 2016 Kick-off
Meeting). Where the player’s age is
less than eighteen years of age, parental consent is a mandatory condition of
membership.
Article 3.8 (a) In accordance with
Article 2.1 (a), all players shall be a resident in the National Capital
region, or shall live in such a region that the baseball at the level of the
League is not available to them. No team shall use out-of-town visitors
for games, nor shall any team allow a player from outside the National Capital
region to take the roster spot of a player from the National Capital region.
(b) Players and/or teams belonging to age groups
different than O.B.A. Senior (21 and up) (such as Big League), and
players/teams who live in a area governed by another league or governing body
(such as the Quebec Federation of Baseball), shall be ineligible for
participation unless the following stipulations are met:
1. There is no league or team available to them, or if
one exists, they are indeed registered with them.
2. They have the written permission of the league or
governing body to leave said or governing body, or written permission to play
concurrently in the National Capital Baseball League. NOTE: The
purpose of this rule is to foster cooperation between the League and Baseball
Canada, O.B.A., Q.F.B., and Little League. Specifically, we do not wish
to be seen as “raiding” Big League (16-18) for younger players or teams.
We do not want a team to leave a Big League or Q.F.B. league to play in the
NCBL. This does not affect the NCBL National Capital Crusaders since they
are registered with Big League and they play in the NCBL with the permission of
Big League. It might affect an NCBL team if a league is started in
Hull/Aylmer/Gatineau.
Article 3.9 As a condition of membership in the league, a
team implicitly endorses the Constitution and By-Laws of the League, and shall
satisfy the League that all players on its roster are eligible under the
requirements of Articles 3.7 and 3.8.
Article 3.10 The League itself shall be
affiliated with the Ontario Baseball Association (and therefore also to
Baseball Canada) in a manner that is advantageous to the League.
Member teams are free to increase their own level of affiliation with OBA
on a team-by-team basis.
Article 3.11 As a condition of membership
in the League, each team agrees to purchase a minimum of 4 tickets to the
year-end banquet, unless specifically allowed less by majority vote of the
League.
SECTION 4: League Administration
Article 4.1 (a) The Officers of the League shall
be the Commissioner, Tier President(s) (one per Tier), Registrar, Treasurer,
Secretary, Operations Officers (3), Umpire-in-Chief,
Deputy Umpires-in-Chief (2), and Umpire Assignor (amended at the 2019 Winter Meeting).
Article 4.1 (b) The Operations Officers (3), Umpire-in-Chief and Deputy
Umpires-in-Chief (2) will constitute the League Operations Committee (number of Operations Officers amended at
the 2018 Winter Meeting and number of Deputy Umpires-in-Chief amended at the
2019 Winter Meeting).
Article 4.2 The
Officers of the League shall hold office for a period of two years on election
by a simple majority of a quorum of the League at the winter meeting.
Article 4.2.1 The
Commissioner may appoint a replacement for any Officer who is temporarily
unable to perform his/her duties.
Article 4.2.2 The
League has the authority to remove a League Officer from the League
Administration if they are deemed to be in derelict of their duties or are
otherwise engaged in behaviour detrimental to the League. Removal of a League
Officer can occur by a majority of quorum during a League meeting. Suspension of a League Officer can occur at
any time by decree of the Commissioner and a majority of the League
Administration, until such time as his removal may be voted upon by the League.
Article 4.3 Officers
may be members of a team but no team may have more than one elected officer
position (unless approved by the League) and no team may have more than one
vote. As stated in article 4.1, all
officer positions including the 4 officer positions related to umpires also
have one vote each unless that officer is a manager of a team in the league.
Article 4.4 A
quorum of the League and of a Tier shall be a majority of the representatives
of the League or Tier respectively. For purposes of quorum, the 4 officer
positions related to umpires shall each count as representatives in League-wide
votes, but will abstain from Tier-specific votes unless warranted. Where motions specifically relate to umpires,
the quorum must include 2 of the 4 officers related to umpires.
Article 4.5 Unless
otherwise indicated, decisions of the League or a Tier shall be made by a
simple majority of the applicable quorum. 4.5.1 In the event of a Tie, the
Commissioner shall cast the deciding vote, notwithstanding 4.3.
Article 4.6 As
a condition of membership in the League, each team may be asked to assume
responsibility for an officer position or other function listed in the By-Laws
or established by the League, or shall pay to the League a fee in lieu
of accepting such responsibility as provided in the By-Laws.
Article 4.7 All
payments made from League funds shall be by cheque signed by two of the
following three officers: the Commissioner, the Treasurer, and the
Secretary. Only these officers shall have cheque signing authority.
Article 4.8 While
the League may choose to maintain only one bank account, the treasurer shall
provide for separate financial statements for each Tier.
Article 4.9 The
financial year of the League shall be November 1 to October 31.
SECTION 5: Powers
of the League
Article 5.1 The
League is empowered to:
a) amend and enforce the Constitution
b) amend and enforce the By-Laws
c) accept or reject applications for teams/players/umpires
d) suspend or revoke team/player/umpire participation in the League and
e) enter into agreements or associations for the benefit of the League.
Article 5.2 The
League may elect to discipline any team, player, coach, manager, umpire, or
other team official for any on-field or off-field activities which, in the
opinion of the League, are contrary to the League interests.
Article 5.3 The
use of the name of the League (Article 1.1) is reserved solely for the Officers
of the League (Article 4.1) and any misuse of the name of the League shall
be considered contrary to the League’s interests (Article 5.2) and the person
or people responsible for misuse of the name of the League shall be subject to
discipline procedures established in the By-Laws of the League.
SECTION 6: Meetings
Article 6.1 The
League shall meet not less than twice each year and at locations convenient to
the majority of the representatives.
Article 6.2 The annual “winter meeting” shall be called
by the Commissioner not earlier than November 15 and not later than
February 15 of the following year (modified sometime prior to 2007), with two
week’s notice to all representatives. The agenda of the annual
“Winter meeting” shall include:
- financial statement
- election of officers
- Commissioner’s report
- amendments to the
Constitution (amended at the 2019 Winter Meeting)
- placement of current teams in Tiers
Article 6.3 The annual “spring meeting” shall be called
by the Commissioner not earlier than February 15 and not later than March 31,
with one week’s notice to all representatives. The agenda of the
annual “spring” meeting shall include:
- financial update
- proposed League budget
- proposed membership fees
- amendments to the
Constitution (amended at the 2019 Winter Meeting)
- By-Law revisions
- assignment of organizational duties
- League composition i.e. membership, applications and
revocations, Tier structure and composition
Article 6.4 The
Commissioner may call such other meetings as he/she may decide with a minimum
of 48 hours notice to the representatives.
Article 6.5 The Commissioner shall call a special meeting
at the request of three or more representatives within 48 hours notice of the
receipt of such request.
SECTION 7: League Officers and Functions
Article 7.1 The
officers of the League are:
(a) The Commissioner, who
shall have overall responsibility for the operation of the League, and in
particular shall:
· call meetings, as required by the Constitution, and other meetings at his/her
discretion
· obtain and allocate playing fields and times to Tier Presidents
· prepare tier schedules, rainout schedules, and playoff schedules for all
tiers to optimize field usage and thereby minimize payments for unused field
permits (modified for the 2007 season)
· establish committees or special
functions as required and appoint persons to perform such assigned tasks
· act on behalf of the League, subject to appeal, to uphold League discipline
as defined in Article 5.2 of the Constitution
(b) The Treasurer, who shall receive,
hold, and disburse the funds of the League in accordance with the By-Laws and
directions of the League. He/she shall compile statements of the
financial status of all Tiers, and do such other things that will ensure the
sound financial operation of the League.
(c) The
Secretary, who shall record, distribute and maintain a file of the minutes of
all League meetings.
(d) The
Tier President(s), who shall be responsible for the baseball operations,
including decisions regarding postponement of scheduled games, umpire liaison,
and communications among the teams of their Tiers (modified for the 2007
season). See By-law 6.2 for potential costs to teams when scheduled
games are postponed within 30 days of the originally scheduled date
(amended at the 2011 kick-off meeting and again at the 2017 Kick-off meeting).
(e) The
Registrar, who shall record regular season and playoff rosters for each team in
the League, and distribute copies to each team. The Registrar shall also
arrange for mandatory purchase of insurance for each active player, and shall
collect waivers of liability in accordance with Article 8.1 of the
Constitution. The Registrar shall settle disputes regarding questions of
player eligibility under SECTION 3 of the By-Laws.
(f) The
Operations Committee Officers (3), who
shall undertake projects related to the effective, efficient and sustainable
operations of the League. The Officers (3) shall liaise with the NCBL Umpire-in-Chief,
Deputy Umpires-in-Chief (2) and Assignor on League operational matters related
to umpires, resolve issues between teams and between teams and umpires within
the Mediation Committee, assess results of the rating system and consult with
problem teams to improve their conduct, and help implement processes to improve
operational efficiency of the League. The Operations Committee members shall also
convene and preside over Player Disciplinary proceedings. One of the Operations
Committee Members will participate as an advisor to Umpire Disciplinary
Committees. Note: The number of Operations Committee Officers
was increased from 2 to 3 to help lessen the workload for existing officers
(amended at the 2018 Winter Meeting)
g) The Umpire-in-Chief,
who shall oversee umpire operations overall, including the hiring, managing,
development, and discipline of umpires under his/her charge, and overseeing the
establishment and evolution of the NCBL
Umpire Manual and the NCBL Umpire Code
of Conduct in alignment with the League’s interests and benefit. The Umpire-in-Chief shall liaise with
the Operations Committee Members to resolve problems between umpires and teams
and implement processes to improve relations between umpires and teams. He/she
shall create a culture of umpiring excellence to develop the highest quality of
umpires for the league. He/she will
resolve all questions or problems which require interpretations of baseball or
league rules from umpires or the Operations Committee members. The Umpire-in-Chief will ensure that all NCBL
umpires have consistent interpretations of the NCBL By-Laws and baseball rules
specific to the league. He/she shall
also convene and preside over umpire disciplinary proceedings. The Umpire-in-Chief
will participate as an advisor to Player Disciplinary Committees. (The title of Umpire-in-Chief and his
deputies were changed from Head Umpire during the 2019 Winter Meeting).
h) The Deputy Umpires-in-Chief
shall assist the Umpire-in-Chief in his/her duties. They shall assist in the
recruitment of new umpires. One of the Deputy
Umpires-in-Chief will participate as Secretary on all Umpire Disciplinary Committees
and also participate as an advisor to Player Disciplinary Committees. A 2nd
Deputy Umpire-in-Chief was added whose primary
responsibilities include working with the Umpire-in-Chief on day-to-day
administration, and deal with all Operations Committee matters (amended at the
2019 Winter Meeting).
i) The Umpire Assignor, who shall assign plate
and base umpires for all regular season and playoff games, and oversee the establishment
and evolution of an assignment process (whether software or other form) to
these ends. The Umpire Assignor shall
prepare bi-weekly invoices to the League Treasurer for each umpire and
distribute cheques to those umpires.
He/she is also responsible (in conjunction with the Operations
Committee) for recruiting new umpires for the league. The Assignor will participate as Secretary on
all Umpire Disciplinary Committees where the Deputy Umpires-in-Chief are not
available or must recuse themselves, and will serve as an umpire alternate on
Player Disciplinary Committees.
SECTION 8:
League Liability
Article 8.1 As a condition of their participation in the
League, each player, coach, manager, umpire, or other official of a team shall indemnify
and save harmless the League, its executive, and team representatives for any
liability arising out of their participation in the League, and if required by
the League, shall execute a waiver of liability to that effect.
Article 8.2 As a consideration of its membership, each
team shall indemnify and save harmless the League for any liability arising out
of their membership in the League.
Article 8.3 Where the League provides for the purchase of
insurance on a per-player basis, based on team rosters submitted by each team,
if a team has not handed in its roster by the agreed-upon deadline, the team,
and in particular the team manager and not the League, shall be held
responsible for any liability arising out of that team’s participation in the
League.
SECTION 9:
Disbandment
Article 9.1
To participate in the
current playing year, a team shall deposit with the League a PERFORMANCE BOND
in such amount as the League determines from time to time.
Article 9.2
The League shall maintain each
team’s PERFORMANCE BOND as security from which a team`s fines, financial
penalties or other financial obligations shall be paid.
Article 9.3
The PERFORMANCE BOND is payable
in its full amount not later than the Annual Spring Meeting. If, during
the current playing year, a team`s BOND becomes depleted, that team must
restore its PERFORMANCE BOND in full before that team may participate in
any future League activity.
Article 9.4 The League shall credit each team in a Tier
with that Tier`s financial surplus (as reported in the League`s financial
statement, at the Annual Winter Meeting) on a pro rata basis of teams in the
Tier, less any financial obligation outstanding on October 31.
Article 9.5 If a team`s PERFORMANCE BOND has been debited
by fines, penalties, etc. the League shall credit the pro rata surplus first
against any outstanding financial obligations and then to the team`s
PERFORMANCE BOND until the full amount of the PERFORMANCE BOND is restored.
Article 9.6 Any portion of the Tier surplus remaining to
a team after the full amount of the PERFORMANCE BOND has been restored shall be
credited to the team to be applied against fees for the following year, unless
the team requests immediate payment.
Article 9.7 Notwithstanding 9.4, if a team informs the
league before the Annual Spring Meeting that it is
disbanding, the League shall pay back the team`s PERFORMANCE BOND and any
other team funds deposited with the League, less any outstanding
financial obligation.
Article 9.8 If a team decides to disband after the Annual
Spring Meeting, or ceases operations during the playing year for any reason,
the team
(a)shall forfeit its PERFORMANCE BOND
(b)shall not be liable to pay any fee instalment due after the date of
disbandment or cessation of operations.
SECTION 10:
Amendment
Article 10.1 Amendments to the Constitution may be made at
either the “winter meeting” or the
“spring meeting”, on a majority vote of the League quorum (amended at the 2019 Winter Meeting).
Article 10.2 Amendments to the By-Laws may be made at any
meetings required by the Constitution, or called by the
Commissioner, provided that a notice period of at least forty-eight (48) hours
is provided.
BY-LAWS
SECTION 1:
League Functions
1.1 Pursuant to Article 7.1, the
Commissioner may appoint persons to assume the following responsibilities:
(a) Publicity - report game results, standing and schedules
to the media, and develop and sustain beneficial contacts to publicize and
promote the League.
(b) League Statistics - collect, compute as required,
compile and make summary reports of Tier standings and individual batting and
pitching records.
(c) Tier Statistics - collect the
individual batting and pitching records of the teams in the Tier and
provide them to the League Statistician.
(d) Awards - conduct the selections for the
awards listed, arrange for their presentation, keep an inventory of League
trophies and provide for their storage, repair and engraving.
(e) Annual Banquet - create an agenda and budget
and arrange catering, tickets, permits and location.
(f) Player Disciplinary Committee – The League
shall convene a Player Disciplinary Committee for Level 2 suspensions and
invite all players, umpires, league representatives and other parties that will
best inform the Committee’s process, as the Operations Committee deems
appropriate. A Level 2 suspension is defined as when subsequent games
are given after an ejection, consistent with By-Law 6.9.
The Player Disciplinary Committee composition will be
as follows: One Operations Committee member performing the Chairman duties, the
other Operations Committee member will perform the duties of Secretary, two Team Managers (or a designate from their
team) who are not members of teams in the same Tier as the suspended
person or team, as selected by the Operations Committee, and one umpire
recommended by the Umpire-in-Chief will perform the duties of the panel. The Umpire-in-Chief
and the Deputy Umpires-in-Chief, or the Umpire Assignor as designate for either
of the two, will be invited to participate in an advisory role.
(g) The Umpire
Disciplinary Committee shall be convened for umpire suspensions and/or fines
and invite all players, umpires, league representatives and other parties that
will best inform the Committee’s process, as the Operations Committee deems
appropriate.
The Umpire Disciplinary Committee composition will be
as follows: The Umpire-in-Chief performing the Chairman duties, the Deputy Umpires-in-Chief
performing the duties of Secretary, two active umpires on the official League
roster, as selected by the Umpire-in-Chief,
and one team representative who is not a member of a team in the same Tier
as where the suspended umpire issue occurred, as recommended by the Operations
Committee, will perform the duties of the panel. The Operations Officers will
be invited to participate in an advisory role, but only one of the three is
required for the Committee to proceed.
(h) The Mediation Committee
shall be convened at the recommendation of the Commissioner, Operations
Committee or by quorum of League vote for issues arising within the League that
is of concern to League operations, whether they between opposing players,
between opposing teams, between teams and the League, between players/teams and
umpires, or any other party involved in League Business.
The Mediation Committee will
be comprised of the Operations Committee (the 3 Operations Officers, the Umpire-in-Chief,
and the 2 Deputy Umpires-in-Chief, or their alternates).
No player, manager, umpire
or League officer may decline to participate in the Mediation Committee,
subject to fines consistent with By-Law 1.6. Additional fines may be levied at
the agreement of the Operations Committee and the Committee. A non-response to a Mediation Committee
invitation will constitute a decline.
Where deemed appropriate,
and at the agreement of the Operations Committee, the Umpire-in-Chief, Deputy Umpires-in-Chief
and the League Commissioner, the Mediation Committee rulings will be binding.
Failure to comply with binding Mediation Committee rulings will subject those
affected to disciplinary action and /or fines.
By-Law 1.2 The Committees mentioned in By-Law 1.1 have
the power to set their own process to determine the issue but must allow
suspended, sanctioned or fined persons, teams or umpires the opportunity to
present their case in person if they so wish. Where the Committee finds
sufficient evidence to support the digital review of a particular case, it may
elect to hold the Committee review through email or telephone.
By-Law 1.3 The Committees shall decide by majority vote
within seven days of the date the Commissioner or Umpire-in-Chief referred the
issue to the Committees. The Committees’ decision shall be made in writing and
copied to the Commissioner and Umpire-in-Chief and the affected parties. Brief
summaries of Player and Umpire Disciplinary Committee rulings will be publicly
posted in designated portion of the League website.
By-Law 1.4 a) Notwithstanding 1.2, a person, team or umpire
may, on payment of a $100 fee, appeal the decision of a Disciplinary Committee
or a Binding Mediation Committee to an Appeal Board comprising of the same
original committee members. The appeal must be made within 48 hours after the
results of the Disciplinary Committee have been sent by email to the affected
parties.
By-Law 1.4 b) An appeal must
contain pertinent and relevant new information not reviewed in the original
hearing that, by reasonable consideration, could have a material impact upon
the review and/or decision.
By-Law 1.4 c) A team or person who loses an appeal, or whose appeal was dismissed by
the Operations Committee, shall forfeit the protest or appeal fee. If the team
or person is successful in their appeal, the $100 dollar fee will be refunded.
By-Law 1.4 d) Committees mentioned in By-Law 1.1 reserve
the right to refuse an appeal where it deems the appeal to be frivolous and
used to ensure the player in question can continue to play, or where the
information presented therein does not, in their opinion, materially affect the
outcome of the ruling/assignment.
By-Law 1.4 e) The decision of the Appeal Board is final.
By-Law 1.5 A
team, or person who loses a protest, or appeal pursuant to 6.15 shall forfeit
the protest or appeal fee.
By-Law 1.6 A
team which fails to accept an officer position or function listed in By-Law
1.2 shall pay to the League a sum of $50.
By-Law 1.7 A
team which fails to accept an officer position or function listed in By-Law
1.1 shall pay to the League a sum of $50.
SECTION 2: Playing Rules
By-Law 2.1 Except
as provided herein, the playing rules shall be those of Baseball Canada.
By-Law 2.2
(a) A regulation game shall consist of seven innings, and all other rules
governing the end of the game are as in Official Baseball Rules 4.10, with
the following additions: Extra innings are played in a tie game if
and only if time permits. Should the game be called for reason of curfew,
the game shall be considered to be a regulation game, regardless of the number
of innings played. Should the game be called because of light
failure or bad weather before the scheduled end of the game, it will be
replayed if the game was not of regulation length (4 and a half or 5 innings,
depending on score), and will otherwise be considered a regulation
game. If the umpire calls the game during an inning, the score reverts to
the last complete inning. A regulation game which is tied when the umpire
calls the game shall remain tied and shall not be continued or
re-scheduled.
NOTE 1: Beginning in 2005, playoff games are
required to be 7 innings (6 and a half if the home team is ahead) and thus
games with a run differential of less
than 5 runs (amended from “less than
7 runs” at the 2019 Winter Meeting), will be suspended and finished later
if the game has been called earlier. Umpires will be paid overtime if a
playoff game requires more than 2 hours and 30 minutes to complete 7 innings.
(By-law amended at the 2005 Spring and Kick-off League meetings).
NOTE 2: Beginning in 2017: In
the playoffs: if the visiting team scores one or more runs in extra innings,
any subsequent stoppage to that game will make it a suspended game, and
must be completed before the next game takes place. Any stoppage of a
game in extra innings where it's still a tie game will permanently end the
game in a tie (By-law amended at the 2017 kick-off
meeting).
NOTE
3: Beginning in 2020, after a playoff
game has started (i.e. after 1st pitch) and a stoppage happens before the end
of the 5th inning which would normally result in the game being called, the
game will be suspended rather than called. For purposes of time limits, the
umpires must take note of the time played and that will be carried over to when
the game is continued. (By-law amended at the 2020 winter
meeting).
(b) Mercy rule of 10 runs after 5 innings to be used
in all tiers for all regular season and playoff
games (amended at 2019 Winter Meeting).
By-Law
2.3 The time limit for a game
shall be as follows: No new inning may begin more than 2 hours and 15
minutes after first pitch regardless of scheduled start of game (amended
at the 2011 spring meeting). For
purposes of this by-law, the definition of a new inning is the moment the last
out is made in the previous inning (defined at the 2019 Kick-off Meeting). For
early evening games, no new inning may begin after 8:15 pm regardless of when
the first pitch was thrown, unless no team(s) shows up for the field in the
late slot at that field. The drop-dead time for early games (when
there is a game afterwards) and the first game for afternoon double slots (when
there are 2 games) will be 15 minutes after the “no new inning can start after”
time. So, for 6:15pm games, at 8:30pm
the game will end as if the lights went off; for 1:00pm games, the game will
end at 3:30pm as if the lights went off (modified at the 2016 Kick-off Meeting).
Stadium
games have a limit of 2 hours from the scheduled start of the game rather than
first pitch due to the fact that field contracts are only for a total of 2 hours
and 15 minutes per game. Beginning
in 2014, as we are now locking up at the stadium, games can
play to the full time-limit of 2 hours and 15 minutes, assuming sufficient
light, whereas in previous years, no new inning could start after 8 pm. Weekend
Stadium games have a 2-hour time limit
from the first pitch.
By-Law 2.4 (a) A team in any tier (amended at the 2019 Kick-off
Meeting) may play a game with eight players.
(b)(i) When a team begins a game with only 8 players,
the ninth spot in the batting order shall be an “automatic out”. If a team
starts a game with 9 players but subsequently drops to 8 due to injury or other
circumstances, then the player who leaves the batting order shall be replaced
by an “automatic out”.
(b) (ii) The “automatic out” shall be used as follows. When that spot in
the batting order is due to bat, the opposing pitcher shall be on the mound
with the ball, and the umpire shall call for a batter. Upon being informed that
this batter is the “automatic out”, the umpire shall declare an “out” and
indicate the new number of outs, ending the inning if it is the third out or
proceeding to the next batter otherwise. NOTE: The way this is to
be interpreted is that the “Automatic Out” is not an “out” until the umpire
says so. Say that the 9th spot in the order is an “automatic out”. In
the case of the 8th batter making the second out, the ball is still “live”
until the pitcher takes his position on the mound with the ball and the umpire
declares the third out. In the case of the 8th batter drawing a two-out
walk, for example, teams are reminded that the ball is still in play; the
batter is free to go past first base and other runners may try to advance at
their own risk, until the umpire declares the “automatic out”, which he can’t
do until the play is over (i.e. the batter has touched first base, and the
pitcher is on the mound with the ball.
By-Law 2.5 A
team shall be granted fifteen minutes grace beyond the scheduled start time if
it has insufficient players. If after the period of grace, insufficient
players remain for one team, the game shall be declared a forfeit. Where
both teams have insufficient players, each team shall be charged with a
forfeit, the game shall be cancelled and replayed only if it has a bearing on
the final standings of the League.
Grace period for early games is 30 minutes instead of
15 minutes but there is no change in end times (added at some point around
2010).
By-Law 2.6 (a) A forfeit is
declared when a team is unable to start a game with the minimum number of
players within the grace period as stated in by-law 2.5. The
score of a forfeited game shall be 7-0 (amended at the 2010 spring meeting).
(b) Each player on the roster of a team which wins a game by forfeit will
each be credited with one game played towards his/her playoff eligibility. The
team which wins by forfeit will designate one pitcher as having pitched in the
game towards his/her playoff eligibility (amended sometime prior to
2010). No player on the roster of a team which loses a game by forfeit
will be credited with a game played, regardless of whether or not the player
was present at the forfeit.
By-Law 2.7 The home team shall for each game:
(a) NOTE: this section on
deciding suitability of the field for play was removed at the 2019 Spring
Meeting and replaced with by-law 2.71.
(b) Supply a minimum of three
new and 3 good used baseballs (added at the 2014 Kick-off meeting) for the
playing of the game. Only baseballs approved by the League
shall be allowed.
(c) Supply the bases, and if
possible, chalk the lines.
(d) Prepare the infield for
play, particularly the pitcher’s mound and the batter’s box.
(e) Permit the visiting team first
access to the playing field, ten minutes before the start of the game.
(f) Report to the
Commissioner, the absence of an assigned umpire.
Bylaw
2.71: (added at the 2019 Spring Meeting)
(a):
The home team shall decide the suitability of the field for play for a regular
season game. When conditions warrant cancellation of the game, the home team
shall report such cancellation to the League not less than one and a half (1.5)
hours before the scheduled starting time.
(b):
If a regular season game is to be cancelled less than one and a half (1.5)
hours before the scheduled starting time, a consensus between the home and
visiting team representatives needs to be made, otherwise it will be up to the
umpires.
NOTE:
The 1.5 hour threshold in (a) and (b) is for the local teams/fields only. This
remains 3.0 hours for games in Kingston and Cornwall.
(c):
If a playoff game is to be cancelled at any time before the scheduled starting
time, a consensus between the home and visiting team representatives needs to
be made, otherwise it will be up to the umpires.
(d):
If a consensus is not made in (b) or (c), and one team doesn’t show up to the
field, that team will forfeit the game.
By-Law 2.8 If
at any time after the start of a game, a team is unable to field the minimum
number of players, that team shall be declared the loser due to
insufficient players. However, this is not a forfeit as defined in by-law 2.6
a) and therefore provisions of any by-laws for forfeits do not apply (example
2.6 a) regarding score or 6.3 regarding fines). If the winning team
is ahead at the time of default, that score shall be the final score but if the
defaulting team is ahead at the time of default, the score will be amended to
be one less than the winning teams score at the time of default. If
there was no score, then the score shall be recorded as 1-0 for the winning
team (amended at the 2010 Spring Meeting).
By-Law 2.9 When
a team loses a player through injury or ejection and no other player remains
who has not played in the game, the team may return a player to the line-up
except a player who has been ejected from the game.
By-Law 2.10 A
player who has returned to the line-up shall take the place in the batting
order of the player removed.
By-Law 2.11 Designated Hitter
(DH) (a) Each team shall be permitted one Designated Hitter (DH) position in
the batting order, as in Official Baseball Rules 6.10, except that the League
shall permit the use of a DH for any player in the starting line-up, rather
than just for the pitcher.
(b) Teams are limited to one
DH per game. That is, a team may elect to use a DH for (at most) one
player. Failure to elect to use a DH prior to the game precludes the use
of a DH for that game.
(c) A DH may be designated to bat
for any one starting player and his/her subsequent
replacements without otherwise affecting that player’s status in the
game. A DH for the player must be selected prior to the game and be
included in the line-up cards presented to the Umpire in Chief.
(d) The DH named in the
starting line-up must come to bat at least one time unless the opposing club
changes pitchers.
(e) Pinch hitters and pinch runner
may be used for the DH. Any substitute hitter or runner for the DH
becomes the new DH. A DH may not pinch run. A replaced DH shall not
re-enter the game in any capacity except under conditions of injury or ejection
as in By-Law 2.10.
(f) The DH may be used
defensively. He/she would continue to bat in the same position in the
batting order, and the player being DH’d for would
then bat in place of the substituted defensive player. (If more than one
defensive substitution is made when the DH takes the field, the manager shall
immediately designate their spots in the order). A DH is locked into
the batting order. No multiple substitutions can be made that will alter
the batting rotation of the DH. And once a DH becomes a defensive player, the
DH role shall be terminated for the rest of the game.
(g) A player being DH’d for may only pinch hit or pinch run for the DH.
Once the player who was originally DH’d for
comes to bat, the DH role shall be terminated for the rest of the game,
and the player who was performing the DH role is removed from the
game and shall not re-enter the game in any capacity except under conditions of
injury or ejection as in Bay-Law 2.10.
(h) There is one possible conflict
with the (f) and (g) above. Under (f), it could be argued that while a
team is at-bat, the manager could claim to be moving the DH into the field
next inning and thus the player being DH’d for would
become a pinch hitter for the replaced defensive player. However under
(g), the player being DH’d for may not be a pinch
hitter or pinch runner for any player except the DH. It is decided that (g)
will take priority and that player being DH’d
for may not bat for someone besides the DH unless the DH has already
played in the field. Therefore, no manager shall attempt to use the
players originally being DH’d for as a pinch hitter
or pinch runner for any player except the DH.
(i)
NOTE: Rule clarification at the beginning of the 2005 season, if a team
is using a DH, and one of their players leaves the game due to injury or
ejection, the DH may be inserted into the field of play if no other players are
available on the bench. Notwithstanding By-law 2.11 h), if the team at bat
loses a player due to injury or ejection, the player being DH’d
for may bat or run for the lost player if no other players are available on the
bench for substitution or re-insertion (amended at 2005 Spring &
Kick-off meetings and further clarified at the 2010 Spring Meeting).
By-Law 2.12 Before
the start of a game, each team shall submit the starting line-up list of
players to the opposing manager and to the umpire. The list shall include
player uniform numbers and positions. In addition, each team shall identify to
the umpires and to the other team, the captain and the field manager who shall
be responsible for the conduct of the team and they shall be the sole persons
permitted to question an umpire's application of the rules. Any player on
the team's roster can be used as a substitute regardless of whether or not he is listed on the line-up
card or when that player arrives at the game (amended by executive
committee vote on May 14, 2011).
By-Law 2.13 The League heartily endorses strict
enforcement of Official Baseball Rules 4.06, 4.07, 4.08, 9.01 and
9.02(a) In particular, the flagrant use of profane or obscene language,
and physical contact with an umpire or participant shall be cause for immediate
ejection and possible further suspension.
2.13 i) Contact Avoidance Rule (approved at 2013
Kick-off meeting) The NCBL maintains a “contact avoidance rule” to ensure that
players are not injured through collisions at home plate. This rule
places the onus of responsibility for contact avoidance on the offensive team
and the defensive team, the Catcher and the Runner. Please note that any reference to the Catcher
in this rule also applies to any other fielder covering home plate.
a) The Catcher
The
Catcher must provide unobstructed access of the plate to the Runner when not in
possession of the ball or in the act of fielding a ball. Fielding a ball includes
being about to receive a thrown ball if the ball is in flight directly toward
and near enough to the Catcher so that he must occupy his position to receive
the ball. The Catcher will be called for obstruction and the Runner will
be called safe if, in the umpire’s judgment,
the
Catcher has not provided access to the plate to the Runner and the Catcher was
not either in possession of the ball or in the act of fielding a ball.
b) The Runner
The
Runner must avoid contact at all times.
The
only way contact may occur and the Runner not be declared out is
- incidental contact
occurring while sliding when the Catcher provides no access to the plate
because he is either in full possession of the ball or is in the act of
fielding a ball. If in the opinion of the umpire the Runner slid with the
intent to induce excessive contact, the Runner shall be called out and may be
subject to further sanctions;`
- intentional (not
incidental, as in while making a play, but truly intentional) contact by the
Catcher on the Runner;
Any other contact will result in
the Runner being called out.
By-Law
2.14 (a) Further to Official
Baseball Rules 8.06 and 3.03: On a coach or manager’s first mound visit
to a pitcher in an inning, he/she may elect to move the pitcher to another
defensive position. In that case, the player may not return to the mound
until the next inning or later. On a coach or manager’s second mound
visit to the same pitcher in the same inning, he/she must remove the pitcher
from the mound. The pitcher may take another defensive position but may not
return to the mound for the remainder of the game.
(b) In the case of player-managers, such people
shall identify themselves to the umpires, and the umpires shall charge a mound
visit to the manager whenever he/she leave his/her defensive position to
converse with the pitcher. Attempts to circumvent this rule by having
other players talk to the pitcher shall also be charged with a mound visit.
By-Law 2.15 The League recognizes the difficulty in
completing 7 innings of play within time limits (modified to reflect
amendment to by-law 2.3 at the 2011 spring meeting). The following
guidelines shall be followed:
-Games shall start at the scheduled game time, subject to By-Law 2.6,
regardless of whether both teams have had a pre-game infield practice.
-A home team which does not have the infield ready 20 minutes prior to
game time (By-Law 2.8) shall forego their pre-game infield practice.
Given that the infield is ready, a visiting team which is not ready
10 minutes prior to game time shall forego their pre-game infield
practice.
-Teams in a game starting at 8:30 should be prepared to forego their
pre-game infield practices if the previous game finishes too close to 8:30.
-Pitchers shall be limited to 5 pitches between innings, unless weather
and the umpire’s discretion dictate more. The 5-pitch limit includes pitches
thrown to a warm-up catcher.
- Beginning in 2017, the league has adopted major league baseball’s rule
change for intentional walks where the manager of the offensive team, after
asking for and being granted a time-out, need only indicate to the umpire that
the batter is to be awarded first base without any pitches being thrown
(approved at the 2017 Kick-off meeting).
- Beginning
in 2019: In order to have a league sanctioned way of moving a game along, at
any time in a game, either team may choose to have their own batter take an
intentional strike out. This is implemented the same as an intentional walk. (Approved
at the 2019 Kick-off Meeting)
By-Law 2.16 Extra Hitter
(EH) – (adopted for TIER 3 and TIER 4 at the 2022 Kick-off meeting).
(a) Each team, if they so choose,
shall be permitted one Extra Hitter (EH) in the batting order so that there are
10 batting positions.
(b)
The EH is independent of the DH as teams may also elect to use a DH for a
defensive player.
(c)
Failure to elect to use the EH prior to the game precludes the use that option
for that game. The EH player must be included in the line-up cards presented to
the Umpire in Chief.
(d)
The EH position may be collapsed by eliminating the EH’s position in the
batting order or by having the EH play in the field for a defensive player who
is not being DH’ed for. The EH is locked in his
position in the batting order and the replaced fielder’s position in the
batting order is removed to bring the batting order back to 9 positions.
(e) If the EH takes the defensive position of
a player who is being DH’ed for, that player is
removed from the game but the batting order remains the same at 10 positions.
(f) Pinch hitters and pinch runners may be
used for the EH. Any substitute hitter or runner for the EH becomes the new EH.
The EH may not pinch run. A replaced EH shall not re-enter the game in any
capacity except under conditions of injury or ejection as in By-Law 2.10.
(g)
While a team is at-bat, the manager may want to revert back to a 9-man batting
order by removing the EH position or by claiming to be moving the EH into the
field the next inning and thus remove that fielder’s position in the batting
order. However, this would appear to be a potentially unfair manipulation of
the batting order while the team is batting.
Therefore, it is decided that the batting order can be collapsed back to
9 positions only while that team is in the field, (i)
Notwithstanding the preceding subsection, if the team at bat loses a player due
to injury or ejection, the EH may bat or run for the lost player if no other
players are available on the bench for substitution or reinsertion. The batting
order thus reverts back to 9 and there is no automatic out for the batting
position being removed.
By-Law 2.17 Everyone Bats Option as explained in Team Duties
(initially added for the 2021 Covid season but then adopted for TIER 4 at the
2022 Kick-off meeting).
2.17-1. Basic
application
a- a team can
decide at the start of the game to have all their players in attendance bat.
b- the umpire
and opposing team must be notified prior to the start of the game that this
option is being used.
c- once a team
starts a game like this, they can not change their minds once the first pitch
is thrown.
d- if a team only
has 9 players at the start of the game, they MUST state prior to starting the
game, that they are using the rule for when late-arriving players show up (see
2a below)
e- when using
this rule, defensive substitutions are un-limited EXCEPT for pitchers. For
example, a player can play in the field in the 1st inning, sit for the 2nd and
3rd, and then go back in the field for the 4th....and so on...
Please note:
Pitchers must still follow the NCBL rules regarding re-entry. (ie. Can not re-enter as pitcher in
same inning and if removed from pitching, must stay in game defensively in
order to re-enter as a pitcher later)
2.17-2. What if
a player arrives late?
a- if a team is
using this option and a player arrives after the start of the game, this player
is to be placed at the bottom of the batting order.
For example, a
team has 12 batters in the lineup and a player arrives in the 3rd inning when
they are at the 3rd spot in the order. The late arriving player would
become the 13th batter in the lineup in slot 13. (NOT in the 4th slot)
b- if a player
arrives late, but does not want to hit, no new batting slot is created and he
can only play in the field. If the team wishes to bat this player later,
he would have to sub into one of the existing batting slots, thus removing the
player he is replacing from the batting order (this does not affect defensive
substitutions, both players are still able to play in the field)
2.17-3. What if
a player leaves prior to the end of the game (this includes leaving due to injury)?
a- if a player
leaves prior to the end of the game, his spot in the order will simply be
skipped.
EXCEPTION - if
this player leaving brings the number of batters to 8 batters, his spot in the
order would become an automatic OUT. If this player leaving brings the number
of batters to 7, the team forfeits the game.
2.17-4. What if
a player gets hurt while being on base?
a- the last out
would replace the injured player and the injured players spot in the lineup
will be skipped next time it comes up
EXCEPTION - if
this player leaving brings the number of batters to 8 batters, his spot in the
order would become an automatic OUT next time it comes up. If this player
leaving brings the number of batters to 7, the team forfeits the game.
2.17-5. What if
a player doesn't want to hit (or team doesn't want to bat EVERYONE, but still
wants to bat more than 9)?
a- It must be
indicated before the game who is hitting and who isn't (EXCEPTION: late
arriving players, see 2b above)
b- If someone
that wasn't in the batting lineup wants to hit later in the game, he would have
to sub into one of the existing batting slots (see 2b above).
SECTION 3: Team and Umpire Rosters and Registration
By-Law 3.1 (a) No player may play in any League
game unless the player’s name is on a team’s roster. See by-law
3.13 for the use of a League Emergency Spare.
(b) Each team must supply a written roster of its players to the
Registrar, 24 hours prior to its first scheduled League game.
(c) A team that does not comply with (b) shall forfeit all scheduled
games until it does comply.
(d) Teams may appeal player eligibility and team roster decisions to the
League, in extraordinary circumstances.
(e) Teams shall be allowed to add players to the team roster no later than 1
hour before a game.
By-Law 3.2 The Registrar shall keep a complete list of
all teams’ rosters and shall distribute copies to the other teams on request.
By-Law 3.3 Each
team shall be permitted to makes changes to the roster in writing to the Registrar, until
11:59 P.M. on June 30. However, addition of players who are not, and have
not been, on any roster in the league in the current year may be added at any
time after the deadline (amended at the 2010 Spring Meeting).
By-Law 3.4 Restrictions
for final rosters was deleted at the 2010 Spring Meeting as a result of
amendments made to by-law 3.3.
By-Law 3.5 A
player who has been removed from a team’s roster shall not be restored to that
roster for the current year.
By-Law 3.6 A
player who has been entered on a team’s roster in a season shall remain a member
of that team for the remainder of the playing season unless he/she is released
from his/her team and notification is received by the Registrar.
By-Law 3.7 A player
who is denied his/her release from a team may appeal to the Commissioner.
No player or other member of a team shall engage in the activity of inducing a
player to seek his/her release from his/her current team (At the 2013 Kick-off
meeting, it was decided that this restriction on recruiting of players by
another team is only a gentlemen’s agreement. There is no penalty for
off-season recruitment. Furthermore, it
was agreed that the Manager of a team receiving a player in the off-season will
contact the Manager of the other team as soon as possible).
By-Law 3.8 Unless
prior approval is obtained from the League (amended sometime prior to 2007), no
person shall attempt to have playing and/or non-playing roles
concurrently with two or more teams in the League. For example, no
player shall play for two or more teams, no coach/manager shall coach/manage
for two or more teams, and no person shall play for one team and coach/manage
for another. The penalty shall be expulsion from the League for the
balance of the season. Any NCBL player on an NCBL roster that is also on the
NCBL umpire roster may not umpire in the Tier that they play in.
By-Law 3.9 Unless
otherwise decided by the League, no team shall be permitted to have more
than 25 players on its
roster (amended at the 2009 Kick-off Meeting).
By-Law
3.10 (a): (as amended at the 2019 Spring Meeting). A
player in any Tier is eligible for the playoffs if they appear in at least 25%
of their current team’s regular season games.
NOTE:
An official appearance includes a Plate Appearance OR
pitching to 1 batter. Playing defensively other than pitching is not included.
Pinch-running alone is also not included (Amended at the 2023 Kick-off
meeting).
In
the event that the number of regular season games multiplied by the percentage
required for eligibility does not result in a whole number of games, the result
is rounded up, for example 25% of a 22-game season is 5.5 games, and this is
rounded up to 6 games required for eligibility.
By-Law
3.10 (b): The team representative of
any player who is looking to bypass the minimum playoff requirements shall
email the four Tier Presidents as soon as possible and present their case. The
three Tier Presidents not involved in the tier of the request will be the ones
voting on the case, taking into consideration: the legitimacy of the injury,
the history of the player on the team, feedback from the other teams in the
tier, the timing of the request, and anything else they deem appropriate.
(3.10b added at the 2019 Spring Meeting).
3.10 c) The Umpire-in-Chief, Deputy Umpires-in-Chief
and Assignor will assign only the best performing umpires from each Tier for
postseason games. The official umpire performance evaluations carried out
during the season by the Umpire-in-Chief, Deputy Umpires-in-Chief and Assignor,
the NCBL umpire rating system and relevant playoff logistics will guide the
selection process.
By-Law
3.11 (Revised at 2020 April Executive Meeting):
Financial obligations between an NCBL team and its players are the
responsibility of that team’s management.
However, if a dispute arises from either 3.11 a) or 3.11 b) below, about
the existence or extent of indebtedness between a team and a player or vice
versa, the issue shall be referred to the discipline committee for a ruling on
the penalty.
a) A
player who owes money or other assets to the team with which he/she was last
registered is ineligible to play in the League, subject to appeal as a dispute.
b) NCBL refund policy: Any potential refunds to players for any
reason are between a team’s management and the individual player subject to
appeal as a dispute.
By-Law 3.12 No
Umpire may officiate in any League game unless the Umpire’s name is on the NBCL
Umpire Assignor’s roster.
(a) The Umpire Assignor must supply, by way of e-mail, a written roster
of League Umpires to the League prior to the season start, and provided additions
to the roster throughout the season.
(b) An Umpire that does not appear on the official League roster shall
forfeit all fees and monies for any game officiated.
(c) The Umpire Assignor shall be allowed to add Umpires to the official League
roster at any time before game assignments by submitting an email addition to
the NCBL League Umpire Roster, subject to the approval of the Umpire-in-Chief.
(d) Umpires shall provide
umpiring services to the League as independent contractors.
By-Law
3.13 Use of an Emergency Spare – (added
at the 2022 Kick-off meeting).
(a)
Where a team is at risk of defaulting a game, they may seek assistance from the
league using a “spare’s list”, which will be compiled and provided by the
league. A “spare’s list” with the names of individuals interested in sparing,
along with their contact information and geographic location, will be made
available on the league’s website. This list will be updated and shared
periodically throughout the season. All spares on this list will be registered
and insured by the league; therefore, these spares will not need
to be added to a team’s roster prior to the game.
(b)
Any team that already has a full roster but requires a spare, will not be
penalized for the use of a spare.
(c)
When a team does use a player from the “spare’s list”, they will need to advise
their opposition prior to the game (at lineup exchange at the minimum) that
they are using a non-rostered spare and identify who they are. A spare who is
brought out for a game must, at the very least, have one plate appearance.
After the game, the team who used the spare will advise the league that they
used someone from the spare’s list and who it was. A spare will not be charged
any monetary amount for assisting the team. Any spare who is ejected from a
game, regardless of reason, will be removed the “spare’s list” and will be
unable to participate in the league as a spare.
(d)
Should a team wish to add a spare to their roster, they can; however, the
individual will forego any future opportunities as a spare unless they are
subsequently released from that team’s roster. A team that adds a spare to
their roster is to advise the league so that individual can be removed from the
“spare’s list”.
(e)
In general, this sparing option shall NOT be applicable for the
playoffs. However, a team may request an exemption as stated in By-Law 3.10 (b).
SECTION 4: Standings and Statistics
By-Law 4.1 Each
Tier may decide, by majority vote of teams in the Tier, to be divided into
Divisions provided that a Division shall comprise of not less than three
teams
By-Law 4.3 League
standings shall be determined according to total number of points, with two
points credited for a win, one for a tie, and zero for a loss.
By-Law 4.4 When
at the completion of the regular season:
(a) two teams are tied, the tie shall be broken according to the
following sequence:
(i) the won-lost record between the tied
teams
(ii) the won-lost record of the tied teams against team in the same
division
(iii) net runs for and against in the games between the tied teams
(iv) net runs for and against for the total games played by the tied
teams
(v) a sudden death play-off game flip of a coin (modified by
Executive vote Aug 20, 2022).
(b) three or more teams tied,
the tie shall be broken according to the following sequence:
(i) the won-lost record among the tied
teams
(ii) the won-lost record of the tied teams against teams in the same
division
(iii) net runs for and against in the games between the tied teams
(iv) net runs for and against for the total games played by the tied teams
(v) a sudden death play-off
game flip of a coin (modified by Executive vote Aug 20, 2022).
The following sections c) and d) were added at the
2007 Spring Meeting:
(c) if two teams are tied for the last playoff
spot:
(i) an additional game will be played between the 2
tied teams to decide which team will make the playoffs (this game is to be
played under playoff rules but with no tie) with the
home team decided by the tie breaking sequence from 4.4 (a). (Amended at the
2023 Kick-off meeting).
(d) if three or more teams are tied for the last
playoff spot:
(i) The tie-breaking sequence in 4.4 (b) shall apply
until only two teams remain tied, then 4.4 (c) shall be applied.
By-Law 4.5 The tie-breaking sequence in 4.4 (b) shall
apply until only two teams remain tied, then 4.4 (a) shall be applied.
By-Law 4.6 At
the end of the regular schedule, the team with the highest point
total in each tier shall be declared Tier Pennant Champions.
By-Law 4.7 The
team that wins the final playoff series in a Tier shall be declared Tier
Playoff Champion.
By-Law 4.8 ***as of 2007, the Best Batter award
is voted on by team managers from the tier.
By-Law 4.9 ***as of 2007, the Best Pitcher
award is voted on by team managers from the tier.
By-Law 4.10 Each team is responsible for notifying the League of each
game’s results by the established process provided to teams at the start of the
season (Amended at the 2023 Kick-off meeting).
By-Law 4.11 Each
team shall provide game and individual statistics in such form and by deadlines
established by the League. Such statistics shall be filed with the Tier
Statistician and failure to comply will cause the League to impose a fine in
accordance with By-Law 6.2(d).
NOTE: Beginning in 2022, both teams
are responsible for submitting statistics for their own team online which will
be used to determine the official participants of each game (as per by-law
3.10) following the established process provided to teams at the start of the
season. A fine defined in by-law 6.2 (f)
will automatically be applied if the statistics are not submitted on time. (Note
amended at the 2023 Kick-off meeting).
By-Law 4.12 In
recognition of team and individual achievements, the League may make awards,
including those listed in Appendix A to these By-Laws.
By-Law 4.13 Should
a team become inactive in mid-season, all remaining games are cancelled
except:
(i) if the team has only 5 or fewer games left, all
remaining games are awarded to opposing teams and appropriate fines are levied
against the team’s performance bond.
(ii) if the team has played 5 games or fewer games, all games for that
team are cancelled, games it previously played are removed from the standings,
and the performance bond is forfeited to the League.
By-Law 4.14 Teams
that finish in last place, in the regular season, in Tiers I, II, and III shall
move to Tiers II, III and IV respectively, in the following season.
By-Law 4.15 Teams
that finish in first place, in the regular season, in Tiers II, III, and IV
shall move to Tiers I, II, and III respectively in the following season.
By-Law 4.16 Notwithstanding
By-Laws 4.14 and 4.15, a team may request to remain in or move to a Tier.
Permission shall be granted if the teams in each Tier affected by such
request agree by majority vote.
By-Law 4.17 A
new team shall be placed in a Tier by a majority vote of a quorum of the League
at the annual “spring meeting”.
By-Law 4.18 In order to potentially speed up the games,
beginning in 2005, a “catcher hurry up rule” may be used at any time the
catcher is on base when 2 are out, at the option of the team that is at bat.
When 2 are out, the catcher who is on base may be replaced by the player who
made the last out. The catcher is still in the game and this is not considered
a pinch runner as the last out is already in the game. If the catcher is
replaced by a pinch runner not already in the game, this is a substitution and
the catcher is out of the game. The option may be used selectively for a particular
occurrence or for the whole game. (By-law amended at the 2005 Spring and
Kick-off League meetings).
By-Law 4.19
(a) Wooden bats only to be used in Tier 1 starting June 1, 2007
(b) Wooden bats only to be used in Tier 2 starting June 1, 2008
(c) Wooden bats only to be used in Tier 3 starting May 1, 2010 (amended 2010
Spring Meeting)
(d) Wooden bats only to be
used in Tier 4 starting May 1, 2011 (amended 2011 Spring Meeting).
SECTION 5: Schedules
By-Law 5.1 The home team responsibilities regarding
the suitability of field and weather conditions for play are defined in by-law
2.71 (amended at the 2019 Kick-off Meeting).
By-Law 5.2.1 The
Commissioner is responsible for rescheduling suspended or cancelled games and
informing the umpiring service (amended for the 2007 season).
By-Law 5.2.2 The
Commissioner may try to accommodate both teams on rescheduled games but has the
authority to require the teams to play a specified date and time (amended for
the 2007 season).
By-Law
5.3 Teams must be prepared to begin
playoff series 2 days after the last regular season game is played or 2 days
after a prior series has completed. Each
3-game series will initially be scheduled in a 5 day window and each 5-game
series will initially be scheduled in an 8 day window (in Tier 4 these series
may extend to 6 and 9 day windows). A rain out contingency date
beyond the window will also be tentatively scheduled. Prior to each series, teams may submit an early or
late preference for their home games for that series but will otherwise be
expected to play on the days determined by the playoff series convenor (a
President assigned from another tier) (amended at the 2015 Kick-off meeting).
By-Law 5.4 At
the request of both teams, the Tier President may postpone a scheduled game.
SECTION 6: Deposits, Fines, Discipline and Protests
By-Law 6.1
(a) Each member shall deposit with the League such fees and performance bond
as the League establishes. Fees shall be applied to field, umpire,
baseballs, administration and miscellaneous expenses. The Performance
Bond shall be used for payment of fines and other financial penalties.
(b)When the League provides for payments in
instalments, a team shall not participate in a scheduled game after an
instalment date, until the team has paid its instalment.
.
By-Law 6.2 The League shall impose a
fine and a team’s performance bond will be debited in the amount of the fine in
accordance with the following schedule.
(a) $200 on each occasion that
a team forfeits a game (i.e.is unable to start a game with sufficient
players). On the third forfeit in a season, the team shall be expelled
from the League for the remainder of the season (modified at the 2010 Spring
Meeting);
(b) $50 against a team on each
occasion that the team fails to send a representative to a League
meeting;
(c) $20 against a team on each
occasion the team or one of its players has a cheque returned to the League for
any reason;
(d) $10 against a team for each game where the statistics submissions via the Google Docs
spreadsheet misses the monthly deadline (revised at the 2017 Kick-off meeting).
(e) $50 against a team that
fails to provide final statistics or any other information that the League
requires;
(f) Beginning in 2005, $10 (reduced from $25 at the 2017 Kick-off
meeting) against a home team that fails to send the official scorers
line-up participation list to the designated League email address
(lineup@rogers.com for 2005) within 10 days. (By-law amended at the 2005
Spring and Kick-off League meetings);
(g) Beginning in 2011, if a team,
under by-law 5.4, obtains approval from the Tier President to postpone a
scheduled game within 30 days of the
scheduled game, that team will be charged the actual cost of the field
(approximately $100 to $200 depending on the field and lighting requirements)
for that game (amended at the 2011 spring meeting). The Tier President has the
discretion to waive the field cost fine if the Commissioner can fill the field
slot with another game. Additionally,
for out-of town games (Beckwith, Cornwall, Kingston, Winchester), cancellations
by a visiting team that are within 30 days of the scheduled game will result in
a $100 per game fine to cover the cost of the field and provide a deterrent for
teams trying to cancel if they can’t field a competitive team (amended at the
2017 Kick-off meeting).
(h) Beginning in 2017, to
better streamline the post ejection process, a team is fined $50 for not submitting
an incident report detailing the ejection within 48 hours of the game (approved at the 2017 Kick-off meeting).
By-Law 6.3 The
League, on a two-thirds majority vote of its representatives, may impose a fine
against a team, player or umpire for any other reason, including failure to
provide timely and accurate scoring summaries or failure to attend a protest or
disciplinary hearing.
By-Law 6.4 When,
in the opinion of a majority of the representatives of the League, a team or
its representative is not discharging its functions to the satisfaction of the
League, the officer or function responsibility will be removed from that
team and the League may impose fines or other penalties which it feels
appropriate.
By-Law 6.5 A
team may protest a game because of
(a) an incident that may have influenced the game’s outcome;
(b) an umpire’s interpretation of a baseball rule; or
(c) a question about the eligibility of a player.
Such protests shall be made in accordance with Official Baseball Rule 4.19 and
delivered in writing with a $25 fee to the Commissioner within 48 hours of the
start of the protested game.
By-Law 6.6 This
by-law relating to conduct after an ejection was amended and rewritten at the
2023 Spring League meeting as follows:
(a): An ejected
player is required to immediately leave the playing field, promptly pack up
their equipment, and exit the bench area.
(b): The
ejected player is permitted to sit in the stands or be in proximity to the
field, not on the players bench or behind it or in proximity to it, to watch
the remainder of the game. The player must refrain from any interaction with
the umpires, the opposing team, and their team for the purposes of coaching or,
directly or indirectly, criticizing the umpires, or taunting or interacting
with the opposing team for the duration of the game.
(c): When a
player is ejected, the representatives of both teams playing the game and both
umpires officiating the game shall report the incident to the Operations
Committee e-mail and fill out the incident report in the League website game
summary/report, providing the player’s name, reason for ejection and the
circumstances applying to the incident.
NOTE: Beginning
in 2005, a player may be ejected from a game even after the play of the game
has ended. This is treated as a 7th inning ejection. Examples include during
cleanup or post- game handshakes. (By-Law amended at the 2005 Spring and
Kick-off League meetings).
By-Law 6.7 (a): The following suspensions shall apply
automatically in the regular season
(amended at the 2019 Spring Meeting) without leave to Appeal.
For purposes of by-law 6.7, the
definition of a new inning is at the moment the first pitch is made in the next
inning (defined at the 2019 Kick-off Meeting).
(i)First
ejection: should a routine ejection occur before the last two innings the
offending player is ejected for the remainder of the game.
(ii)First ejection: if ejection
occurs in the last two innings then the ejection is considered to be continued
for the next scheduled game.
(iii) Second ejection: one additional
game, the next scheduled game
(iv) Third ejection: three additional
games, the next three scheduled games.
NOTE: for (iii) & (iv) should the
ejection occur in the last two innings, the ejection is considered to be
continued for the next scheduled game. The additional games assessed for iii)
and iv) occur after the ejection continuation is completed.
By-Law
6.7 (b) (added at the 2019 Spring Meeting): Ejection status for Level 1
ejections resets in the playoffs, but Level 2 ejections remain (i.e. a player's regular season Level 1 ejection under 6.7 (i) does not carry over into the playoffs).
The
following suspensions are conditionally applied in the playoffs, with limited
opportunity to appeal:
i) First ejection: should a routine ejection occur
before the last two innings the offending player is ejected for the remainder
of the game.
ii)
First ejection: if a 6.9 (a)-(p) ejection occurs in the last two innings then
the ejection is considered to be continued for the next scheduled game.
iii)
Second ejection: one additional game, the next scheduled game.
iv)
Third ejection: three additional games, the next three scheduled games.
By-Law 6.8 When
a team has been assessed five ejections in a season, the Commissioner shall
impose a $100 fine and suspend that team pending review by the Discipline
Committee.
By-Law 6.9 Ejections
and/or conduct, on or off the playing field, before, during or after the
ejections, for the following reasons shall require the Commissioner to impose
the following minimum suspensions, and to refer all Level 2
ejections/suspension to the Operations Committee for the purposes of
establishing a Player’s Discipline Committee.
League Level Ejections and Suspensions
(a) indefinite - behaviour detrimental
to the interests of the League (LEVEL 2).
(b) 7 games – grossly offensive racial comments
or sexual orientation insensitive comments (LEVEL 2). Penalty
increased from 5 games at the 2022 Kick-off meeting.
Umpire/ Player safety ejections and suspensions
(c) 10 games - direct physical abuse of
an umpire (LEVEL 2), including but not limited to: pushing, punching, slapping,
spitting at, throwing objects at, or any other intentional contact with an
umpire in order to intimidate.
(d) 7 games - indirect physical abuse of an
umpire (LEVEL 2), including but not limited to: threats of physical abuse,
kicking dirt towards or on an umpire, persistent aggressive swearing at an
umpire over and above 6.9 (f), intentional contact with any umpire's equipment
or possessions not on his person. Penalty increased from 5 games at the 2022
Kick-off meeting.
(e) 3 games - unintentional incidental
contact with an umpire during a discussion of a call or a rule interpretation
or during an argument with someone other than the umpire, including thrown
equipment that was not aimed at the umpire but subsequently ended up within 5
feet of the umpire’s person. NOTE: contact is to be interpreted as
intentional contact governed by that would normally be considered verbal abuse
of the umpire who was contacted.
(f) 5 games - verbal abuse of an umpire
including but not limited to aggressive swearing or cursing at or about an
umpire. If this verbal abuse becomes persistent, this section will be
superseded by by-law 6.9c in order to determine the length of suspension (LEVEL
2). Standard is as follows: 1 game if there is swearing/insults after the
ejection (of short duration); 3 games if there are repeated swearing/insults after the
ejection (of extended duration); and 5 games if there is an in-your-face swearing/insulting
confrontation after the ejection (of extended duration and in the immediate
presence of an umpire). Penalty increased from 3 games at the 2022
Kick-off meeting and standard modified at the 2023
Spring meeting.
(g) 5 games - verbal abuse and/or threats of an
umpire off the playing field (LEVEL 2). 6.9 g) will be in addition to any
other previously occurring ejection/suspension within the game, if a
continuation of the preceding ejection.
Where a reasonable amount of time, as determined by a Disciplinary
Committee, elapsed between the initial ejection/suspension and the off-field
abuse/threats, off-field actions of the player will be considered a second and
separate incident. Penalty increased
from 3 games at the 2022 Kick-off meeting.
(h) 3 games – any action by a player deemed to be intentional,
during the normal play of the game, and which could reasonably result in an
injury to another player, including, but not limited to, a pitcher throwing
intentionally at a batter, a runner sliding cleats up at an infielder, or a
runner colliding with an infielder or catcher (LEVEL 2). (amended at the
2015 kick-off meeting).
(i) 3 games – outside the normal play of
the game, throwing a ball or other piece of equipment at another player (with the
intention of hitting that player). (LEVEL 2)
(j) 3 games - a person who starts and
persists in a fight shall receive a minimum 3 game suspension. (LEVEL 2)
Note: Only one of the following (k), (l) and (m) penalties will
apply per person per incident (they are not cumulative): (added at the 2023
Spring meeting)
(k) 5 games - fighting (penalty increased at the 2023 Spring meeting)
(l) 7 games - instigating a fight (LEVEL 2)
(penalty increased at the 2023 Spring meeting)
(m) 10 games - persisting in a fight (LEVEL
2) (penalty increased at the 2023 Spring meeting)
(n) 1 game – outside of the normal play
of the game, throwing a ball or other piece of equipment out of the field of
play.
(o) 1 game - failing to leave
the playing field or players bench immediately following ejection (modified at
the 2023 Spring Meeting).
(p) 1 game - re-enters the playing field
after having the left the playing field following an ejection (added during the
2010 Kick-off Meeting).
(q) 3 games - any violation of By-Law 6.6(b) by an ejected player (added
at the 2023 Spring Meeting).
By-Law 6.10 a) A person who has served his/her
minimum suspension may resume participation pending a Player’s Discipline
Committee decision.
b) A person who is suspended must be on an
active roster for their suspension to be in effect. If the person is
not on a roster, then he is not serving his suspension (added at the 2010
Kick-off Meeting).
c) Failure of an umpire to uphold the requirements
outlined in the NCBL Umpire Code of
Conduct and/or the NCBL Umpire
Handbook, on or off the playing field, before, during or after games, for
the following reasons shall require the Umpire-in-Chief to refer the issue to
the Umpire Discipline Committee, which shall be guided by the following:
1.
Indefinite
suspension: conduct detrimental to the interests of the league.
2.
Suspension
of scheduling days equivalent to 10 games: physical abuse of players or managers
(intentional contact) before, during or after a game.
3.
Suspension
of scheduling days equivalent to 3 games: unprofessional conduct, unbecoming an umpire, such as, but not
limited to, egregious or repeated instances
of mismanagement of the game environment, egregiously or repeatedly
contributing towards the erosion of game environment(s), and/or an
instance of unjustified ejection before, during or after a game. The use of foul language by an
umpire is also considered conduct unbecoming an umpire, before, during or after
a game. The standard for assessment is 1 game if there is swearing/insults at
any time; 2 games if there is repeated swearing/insults at any time (of
extended duration); and 3 games if there is an in-your-face swearing/insulting
confrontation at any time (of extended duration and in the immediate presence of
a player/umpire).
4.
Suspension
of scheduling days equivalent to 3 games: unintentional incidental contact attributable
to an umpire’s actions with players or coaches before, during or after the game.
5.
Suspension
of days equivalent to 2 or more games: Failure to show up for assigned game
without 24-hour notice or proper justification as determined by the Umpire-in-Chief
and Assignor.
6.
Suspension
of days equivalent to 1 or more games, and/or official reprimand by Umpire-in-Chief:
improper dress, associating with one team on or off the field before, during, or
after games, refusal to explain a ruling when asked politely and respectfully, repeated
instances of late arrivals for games (umpires should be on the field 5 minutes
before game start time), and/or failure to fill out required ejection incident
report(s).
NOTE:
This By-:Law, as it applies to umpire-player
fraternization, has been the subject of League discussion following the May 5 2013
Kick-off meeting, and the consensus is that we want to foster an NCBL community
which fully includes umpires, so we do not want fraternization to be prohibited
as in 6 above.
Therefore,
please note that any sanctions for "associating with one team on or off
the field before, during, or after games" will only be applied if such association is deemed to be
egregiously improper.
By-Law 6.11 When there is
(a) a protest
(b) an alleged infraction of Article 5.3, or
(c) a suspension pursuant to By-Laws 6.8, 6.9, 6.10 the Commissioner shall
refer the matter to the Player or Umpire Disciplinary Committee.
By-Law 6.12: Where there is a consistent pattern of ejections/suspensions
among teams and/or players, the Operations Committee will assign a Red or Yellow
Team/ Player status based on the suspension/ejection history of the previous 5
seasons.
6.12 a) A Red Team is defined as a team with
multiple 6.9 suspensions over multiple years
6.12 a-1) First suspension of
any player: Manager automatically gets one game, Disciplinary Committee reviews
the suspension and can assign additional games to player/manager where it deems
warranted, over and above those outlined in By-Law 6.9.
6.12 a-2) Second suspension
of any player: Manager automatically gets two-game suspension, team is placed
into league probation and it forfeits performance bond, must reapply to the
league for re-instatement the following year. Disciplinary Committee
reviews the suspension and can assign additional games to player/manager where
it deems warranted, over and above those outlined in By-Law 6.9.
6.12 a-3) Third
suspension of any player: the team will forfeit all of its remaining
regular season or post-season games, the manager will be given a 5-game
suspension (to be served in next season), and the team may not apply for
reinstatement. No more than 3 members of the roster of this team may appear on
any single NCBL team roster in the next 5 seasons.
6.12
a-4) Note: If any player is suspended more than once on a red team, that
player will automatically be given an additional 24 games, to be served in
addition to the forfeited season.
6.12 b) A Red Player is defined as Player with either
multiple 6.9 suspensions over the 5-year window or any suspension involving 6.9
(a).
6.12
b-1) First suspension: Manager automatically gets one game. Red player
automatically gets 5 games in addition those determined by By-Law 6.9.
Disciplinary Committee reviews the suspension and can assign additional games
to player/manager where it deems warranted, over and above those outlined in
By-Law 6.9.
6.12
b-2) Second suspension: Manager automatically gets 5 games. Red Player will be
suspended for the remainder of the regular season and post season of that year.
The Red Player will be required to apply for re-instatement to the League for
the following season through the NCBL Operational Committee. The NCBL
Operational Committee will make a recommendation to the League, and may impose mitigating
measures such a player performance bond, stricter penalties for
ejections/suspension in the new season and/or subsequent seasons up to and
including subsequent seasons.
6.12 c) A Yellow Team is defined as a team with
multiple 6.9 suspensions and/or multiple ejections within the 5 year period.
6.12 c-1) First
suspension of any player: Disciplinary Committee reviews the suspension and can
assign additional games to player/manager where it deems warranted, over and
above those outlined in By-Law 6.9.
6.12 c-2) Second
suspension of any player: Manager automatically gets one game. Disciplinary
Committee reviews the suspension and can assign additional games to
player/manager where it deems warranted, over and above those outlined in
By-Law 6.9.
6.12 c-3) Third
suspension of any player: Manager automatically gets 5 games. Team is placed
into league probation and it forfeits performance bond, must reapply to the
league for re-instatement the following year. Team receives Red Team Status.
6.12 c-4) Any
additional suspensions, the team will forfeit all of its remaining regular
season or post-season games and the team may not apply for reinstatement. No
more than 3 members of the roster of this team may appear on any single NCBL
team roster in the next 5 seasons.
6.12 c-5) If any
player is suspended more than once on a yellow team, that player will
automatically be given an additional 12 games, to be served in addition to
those outlined in By-Law 24.
6.12 (d) A Yellow Player is defined as a team with a
6.9 suspension and/or multiple ejections within the 5 year period.
6.12 (d-1) First
suspension: Disciplinary Committee reviews the suspension and can
assign additional games to player/manager where it deems warranted, over and
above those outlined in By-Law 6.9.
6.12 (d-2) Second
suspension: Manager automatically gets 2 games. Yellow Player will receive 6
games over and above those determined by By-Law 6.9. Disciplinary
Committee will review the suspension.
6.12 d-3) Third
suspension: The Yellow Player will be suspended for the remainder of the
regular season and post season of that year and receives Red Player Status. The
Yellow Player will be required to apply for re-instatement to the League for
the following season through the NCBL Operational Committee. The NCBL
Operational Committee will make a recommendation to the League, and may impose
mitigating measures such a player performance bond, stricter penalties for
ejections/suspension in the new season and/or subsequent seasons up to and
including subsequent seasons.
6.12
(e) All teams with clean records: Standard by-laws apply. Multiple
suspensions and/or ejections in one season can result in the NCBL Operations
Committee applying Yellow or Red Team status as they deem appropriate.
6.12
(f) All Red/Yellow Teams/Players will return to a clean record
after 3 years of no incidents (ejections or suspensions).
6.12
(g) In
cases of extreme suspensions involving 6.9 (a), the Operations Committee and/or
the Player Disciplinary Committee can assign a Red+ status to teams or players
where there is risk to the interests of the League as a whole, or where they
deem appropriate. A Red+ assignment can
include a zero-tolerance policy for any ejection, regardless of nature,
punitive financial mitigants for player and team, and conditions precedent for
the team in the event that a Red+ player breaches the zero-tolerance policy.
6.12
(h) Red/Yellow Team/Player Appeal Process
The
intention to appeal a Red-Yellow Team/Player suspensions must be made in
writing within 24 hours of the Player Disciplinary Committee ruling or
Red/Yellow team/player assignment, to the NCBL Operational Committee.
6.12
(h-1) The Operational Committee will only review Red/Yellow Team/Player ruling appeal
requests under the following conditions:
6.12 (h-1a) An
appeal must contain pertinent and relevant new information not reviewed in the
original hearing that, by reasonable consideration, could have a material
impact upon the review and/or decision.
6.12 (h-1b) The player or team must provide a
payment of a $100 fee, payable to the NCBL, with the appeal documentation and
must be received within 24 hours after
the results of the Player Disciplinary Committee and/or Operations Committee ruling
has been sent by email to the affected parties (amended at the 2011 Kick-off
meeting).
6.12 (h-2) A team or person who loses a Red/Yellow Team/Player appeal,
or whose appeal was dismissed by the Operations Committee, shall forfeit the
protest or appeal fee. If the team or person is successful in their appeal, the
$100 dollar fee will be refunded.
6.12 (h-3) The Operations
Committee reserves the right to refuse an appeal where it deems the appeal to
be frivolous and used to ensure the player in question can continue to play, or
where the information presented therein does not, in their opinion, materially
affect the outcome of the ruling/assignment.
6.12 (h-4) Where new
information is presented in the appeal document and deemed by the Operations
Committee to be relevant and having the potential to materially affect the
outcome of the original ruling/assignment, the Player Disciplinary Committee,
comprised of the same committee members, will be reconvened.
By-Law 6.13 Any
application by a new team for membership in the League shall
be accompanied by a $400 deposit (amended prior to the 2010
season). The deposit shall be refunded to the team if the application
is denied. Otherwise it shall serve as the team’s Performance Bond for the
upcoming season. Should the team withdraw after having been accepted but before
the season starts, the deposit shall be
forfeited to the League.
By-Law 6.14 A
player, coach, manager, or other team official shall not wear a uniform, sit on
the players’ bench ,coach bases, or participate in any way (for example
scorekeeping, or managing from the stands) following an ejection, or during a
game for which he/she has been suspended.
By-Law 6.15 When a team uses an ineligible player (where
ineligibility is due to any reason, such as roster ineligibility or
suspension), the team shall automatically forfeit the game and the team’s
coach/manager shall be suspended for one game.
SECTION 7: Miscellaneous
By-Law 7.1 A
team shall outfit its players with complete uniforms of similar color
and design, with appropriate numbers. Hats shall be worn at all
times by defensive players (except the catcher).
By-Law 7.2 No
player shall be permitted to bat or be a runner on the base paths without an
approved protective helmet with double ear flaps.
By-Law 7.3 There
shall be no attempt to injure another player at any time. (NOTE: By-Law 7.3
amended at Spring Meeting 2007)
(a) Collision Avoidance portion moved to By-Law 2.13 i)
at the 2013 Season Kick-off meeting.
(b) If in the judgment of the umpire, player A
has performed recklessly or premeditated actions without regard to the safety
of player B such that player B is injured, then the umpire shall eject player A
from the game; if player A is a base runner when this occurs, player A will be
called out regardless of the outcome of the play, NOTE: In base-running
collisions, double-forearm knock downs and the like will be considered to be an
attempt to injure.
By-Law 7.4 Members
of the teams shall not drink alcohol or consume drugs on the playing field,
including the players: and spectators” benches, at any time in the course of a
game.
By-Law 7.5 Each
team’s on-field manager shall be held completely responsible for knowing and
applying and abiding by the League Constitution and By-Laws. In the event
of his/her absence he/she shall appoint a replacement manager who shall have
the same requirement to know the Constitution and By-Laws. In the event
of automatic suspensions under By-Law 6.7, the League shall not be
required to tell the manager or the person involved of the automatic
suspension. The manager must ensure that the person serves the
suspension, or be subject to penalties under By-Law 6.20.
By-Law 7.6 (Metal cleat prohibition) Deleted at the
2001 Winter meeting.
By-Law 7.7 Players
may wear batting gloves under their baseball gloves while at their
fielding positions. In the case of pitchers, the batting glove must
be one solid dark color either black or brown or matching the color of the
pitcher’s baseball glove. The pitcher’s batting glove can be dyed or otherwise
colored to make the glove into that one solid colour. The pitcher’s
batting glove must not be white or light in colour.
APPENDIX “A”
ANNUAL AWARDS
In cases where the vote is to be made by each team in
the Tier, the team reps shall submit three names on a 1st-2nd-3rd basis, where
final tabulation will be made on points; 5 points for first, 3 for second, and
1 for third. Teams shall not vote for candidates from their own
team.
TIER I:
1) The Tier 1 Playoff Championship Trophy for the Tier
1 Playoff Champions as defined in By-Law 4.7.
2) The Wallace/Jordan Pennant Trophy for the Tier 1 Pennant
Champions as defined in By-Law 4.6.
3) The Greg Mackay Trophy for the Tier 1 best batter
as selected by a majority vote of the teams in the Tier.
4) The Kevin Levya Best
Pitcher Trophy for the Tier 1 best pitcher by majority vote of the teams in the
Tier.
5) The John Jordan Memorial Trophy for Tier 1 Most Valuable Player of the Playoffs as
selected by the Tier President.
6) The John JordanTrophy for
Tier 1 Most Valuable Player of the Regular Season as selected by a majority
vote of the teams in the Tier.
7) The Ron Quesnel Trophy for the Tier 1 player judged
as showing the best combination of sportsmanship and playing ability as
selected by a majority vote of the teams in the Tier.
8) The John Kohli Award for the Tier 1 Rookie of the
Year for the best first year player as selected by a majority vote of the teams
in the Tier.
9) The Ross W. Potter Trophy for Tier 1 Manager of the Year as selected by a majority vote
of the teams in the Tier.
10) The Casey Wood Memorial Trophy for Tier 1 Best
Catcher as selected by a majority vote of the teams in the Tier.
TIER II:
11) The Tier 2 Playoff Championship Trophy for the
Tier 2 Playoff Champions, as defined in By-Law 4.7.
12) The Marcel Nicholas Trophy for the Tier 2 Pennant
Champions as defined in By-Law 4.6.
13) The Gerry Wallace Memorial Trophy for Tier 2 Best Pitcher
as selected by a majority vote of the teams in the Tier.
14) The Paul Robert Trophy for the Tier 2 best batter
as selected by a majority vote of the teams in the Tier.
15) The Blair MacKenzie
Trophy for the Tier 2 Most Valuable Player of the Regular Season as selected as
such by majority vote of the teams in the Tier.
16) The Tier 2 Rookie of the Year for the Tier 2 best
first year player as selected by majority vote of the teams in the Tier.
17) The Rodney Walsh Trophy for the Tier 2 player
judged as showing the best combination of sportsmanship and playing ability as
selected by a majority vote of the teams in the Tier.
18) The Bob Rrousseau
Memorial Trophy for Tier 2 Most Valuable Player of the Playoffs as selected by
the Tier President.
19) The Tier 2 Manager of
the Year as selected by a majority vote of the teams in the Tier (added at the
2023 Kick-off meeting).
TIER III:
20) The John Robertson Trophy for the Tier 3 Playoff
Champions as defined in By-Law 4.7.
21) The Tier 3 Pennant Trophy for the Tier 3 Pennant
Champions as defined in By-Law 4.6.
22) The Tier 3 Best Pitcher Trophy for the Tier 3 best
pitcher as selected a majority vote of the teams in the Tier.
23) The Shane Alexander Trophy for the Tier 3 best
batter as selected by a majority vote of the teams in the Tier.
24) The Jim Dean Trophy for Tier 3 Most Valuable
Player of the Regular Season as selected by majority vote of the teams in the
Tier.
25) The Mike Robillard Memorial Trophy for the Tier 3
player judged as showing the best combination of sportsmanship and playing
ability as selected by a majority vote of the teams in the Tier.
26) The John Jordan Memorial Trophy for Tier 3 Most
Valuable Player of the Playoffs as selected by the Tier President.
(27) The Tier 3 Manager of the Year as
selected by a majority vote of the teams in the Tier (added at the 2023
Kick-off meeting).
(28) The Tier 3 Rookie of the Year for the
best first year player as selected by a majority vote of the teams in the Tier
(added at the 2023 Kick-off meeting).
TIER IV:
29) The Tier 4 Playoff Championship Trophy for the Tier 4
Playoff Champions, as defined in By-Law 4.7.
30) The Tier 4 Pennant Trophy for the Tier 4 Pennant
Champions as defined in By-Law 4.6.
31) The Tier 4 Best Pitcher Trophy for the best
pitcher selected by a majority vote of the teams in the Tier.
32) The Tier 4 Best Batter Trophy for the best batter
as selected by a majority vote of the teams in the Tier.
33) The Govanni Leo Trophy
for the Tier 4 Most Valuable Player of the Regular Season as selected by
majority vote of the teams in the Tier.
34) The Peter (Papa Jo) Johns Memorial Trophy for the
Tier 4 player in Tier 3 judged as showing the best combination of sportsmanship
and playing ability as selected by a majority vote of the teams in the Tier.
35) The Bob Rrousseau
Memorial Trophy for Tier 4 Most Valuable Player of the Playoffs as selected by
the Tier President.
(36) The Tier 4 Manager of the Year as
selected by a majority vote of the teams in the Tier (added at the 2023
Kick-off meeting).
(37) The Tier 4 Rookie of the Year for the
best first year player as selected by a majority vote of the teams in the Tier
(added at the 2023 Kick-off meeting).
League-wide Awards
33) The Joe Beelen
Volunteer Award for the individual recognized for his/her outstanding
contribution to the league as a volunteer, as selected by the
Commissioner.
34) The Umpire of the
Year Trophy for the umpire recognized for his outstanding service to the league
as an umpire, as selected by the Umpire Executive.