BY-LAWS OF WESTBROOK LITTLE LEAGUE
Majors Baseball
THESE BY-LAWS INCLUDE ONLY ISSUES NOT COVERED BY THE RULEBOOK OR THOSE ISSUED THAT ARE DIFFERENT IN APPLICATION FROM RULEBOOK.
1. Vacancies: (Changed 3/14) Managers and coaches: per the board of directors, the first order of business at the first managers meeting will be to determine if there are any manager’s vacancies for the year. If so, a replacement should be determined by the January meeting if possible. At that meeting, each candidate will have the opportunity to address the board of managers and coaches if they so desire. This will be followed by a vote of the current managers. The name of the candidate will be brought back to the BOD for approval. Uncontested managerial positions will be put in place first, followed by contested positions. Managers who are put in place uncontested will vote for the applicants of the contested positions. Managers may choose new coaches after the draft has been completed unless the new coach is a parent of a currently rostered player for that team. (Changed 10/2015) Managers who wish to return in the same position next season will have the right of 1st refusal. If the previous season’s manager does not wish to return, an election for the open position will be held using the process listed above.
2. Draft Order:(Changed 5/03) As a result of the new double elimination playoff format, the managers and coaches agreed that beginning with the 2004 draft, the selection order will be determined as follows: the top two teams in the playoffs will draft last and next to last and the remaining teams will revert back to the order they finished in during the year That is, the team that wins the playoffs will draft last and the runner up next to last. From there, the remaining teams will draft in reverse order of where they finished during the regular season.
3. Player withdrawal and removal: (Changed 3/14) If a player decides to withdraw from a team during the season, said player will not be eligible to play for another team until the following year. That player would tryout and enter the draft like a new player. Players may be removed from a team for excessive misses of practices and games, safety and for severe disciplinary reasons and/or code of conduct violation. This request must be made through the player agent who would present the case to the BOD who would make the final decision. No player will be removed from a team because of lack of ability unless safety is a factor. If this is the case, said player would be returned to the minor leagues and be an automatic the following year if wanted.
4. Player Compensation Picks:
A. Players returning to the draft: In 1995, it was agreed that in the future, any team losing a player who decides to go back into the draft will be compensated. That compensation will consist of one additional pick at the end of the round that the returning player is selected.
B. Ineligible Player: If a team drafts an ineligible player (such as age requirement, city boundaries etc.) that team will receive an additional draft pick the following year at the end of the round the ineligible player was chosen in (providing player is still ineligible).
C. Player moving to another team (Updated 2/02): If a player moves to another team because a coach, their parent is taking over new team as a manager, than the team losing the player should be compensated as follows: The team who lost the player would receive the draft pick of the receiving team one round higher than the player was originally drafted in for each year the player played Little League (for example, if the player was drafted as a 3rd round pick by team A when he/she was 9 and moved to team B when he/she was 11, team B would receive the first round draft pick of team A.). However, compensation will be left at the best available pick of the players new team. For example, if team A loses 2 players that had been drafted in the first round to team B, the best compensation the old team can receive are the 1st and 2nd round picks of the players new team in the draft.
D. Player retainment:A little league ball player returning to minor league will be considered an automatic for his/her original team, throughout said player’s career. Also, if a player tries out and is selected, but decides not to play in little league, that player will be an automatic for the selecting team when he/she tries out the following year or years. In addition, a little league ball player who moves outside the city limits of our league will be considered an automatic for his/her original team if they should move back into our city limits. This will apply even after the one-year limitation in the rulebook.
5. 12 year old draft rules: (3/12) Going into the draft, the team(s) with the least number of returning 12 year olds will be required to draft as many 12 year old players that are trying out in order to get those/that team(s) up to the team(s) with the next least number of returning 12 year old players. Once that has happened, those teams will then be required to draft a 12 year old player trying out in order to get them up to the team(s) with the next least returning 12 year old player, and so on. The maximum number of 12 year olds one team will be required to draft in one year will be set at 2. If there is more than 1 team involved in having to draft 12 year old players, the order will be determined by a lottery. It will be on a 1st in 1st out basis.
6. Darfting of Automatics(10/2015) going forward, automatics will be handled exactly as described by Little League International rules as documented in the “Player Agent” presentation.
7. Roster size: (Changed 3/14) The current roster size for Westbrook Little League depends upon the number of players trying out and the number of vacancies in Little League. The average roster size has been 11 or 12 players. Team sizes will be determined prior to the draft. Roster reduction is subject to approval by the Board of Directors and District 6.
8. Injured reserve list:If a player is injured prior to, or during the season, and cannot participate, the he/she will be placed on the injured reserve list and will return later that season or the next season if he/she is still eligible. This replacement player must have tried out for Little League that current year. If the injured player is ready to participate prior to the end of the season in which he/she has been replaced, that player will rejoin his/her team for the balance of the season, and any eligible seasons thereafter. The player picked up to replace the injured player will also continue with the team for the balance of the season, and any other eligibles season’s. Addition of 5/17/2000: Any player who is injured and cannot play for three or more weeks during the regular game season must be replaced by a player from the minor league. The three week criterion is based on medical opinion from the doctor providing the treatment and the three-week time line begins on the day of the injury. In addition, the replacement players must be picked up before the third game following the injury. The only exception to this rule is when a player is injured during the last two weeks of the regular season. Little League suggests that no players be called up to the majors this late in the season.
9. Registration: (Changed 3/14) All little league players must be registered or they will not be allowed to play or practice. The managers agreed that all returning players must pre-register before the season starts, or they will not be allowed to practice or play. The bottom line is that players will not be covered by insurance if they are not registered…..
10. Practice schedule:
A. Pre-season practice schedule: Each team will practice two or three times a week at night and on Saturdays except for clean-up day. The practices are from 4-5:30 and 5:30-7, and two hour practices on Saturdays. The Saturday times will rotate each week and each season for equality.
B. Vacation week schedule: Decided by the coaches each year by choice.
C. Schedule of weekend practices: During the season practices will be done on a calendar system. this requires each team to sign up for weekend practices on the calendar in the clubhouse in one of the designated time slots. However teams can only sign up for one practice at a time, and cannot sign up for another practice until the first practice is completed.
11.Opening day format:Opening day will be the first game of the year. Opening ceremonies will be followed by the games as follows:
- Game 1 1:00 Warren Field
- Game 2 1:00 Volunteer Field
- Game 3 4:00 Warren Field
- Game 4 7:00 Volunteer Field (coaches option to start game sooner if desired)
12 Game schedules: Each team will play the other seven teams twice during the regular season> In addition, each team will play their opening day opponent a third time for a total of fifteen games. (4/20/10) Opening day matchups will be drawn by lot and the defending champs will be able to choose what time they would like to play on opening day. Each team will be the home team seven or eight times as well. No team will be scheduled to play consecutive nights. Each team will also be scheduled to play under the lights three times during the regular season.
13. Game starting times: The regular season games will begin at 5:30 in the evening. The home team has the field from 4:00-5:00, the visitors, have the field from 5:00-5:20. Games that need to be played earlier, such as concert or awards nights will have their starting times adjusted as necessary. With the addition of the lights, games will be scheduled for Friday and Saturday nights at 7:30. Exceptions of 7:00 on opening day and 6:30 on the last Thursday of the season (added 2/2011).
14. Make up games: (Revised 1/1/2016) All games canceled during the week are to be made up on the next available day. The new make-up days are Thursday, Saturday and Sunday. If for some reason the teams involved do not play on one of the three open days during the week following the rain out, then this game does not have preference over current rainouts. That is if one of the teams involved in the first rainout is rained out again during the following week, it must make up the current week’s game even though the previous week’s game had not been made up as of that date. Games rained out under the lights have the option of being made up under the lights. (Added to the by-laws 4/15/99) That the times of all make-up games will be noted on the practice schedule in the clubhouse.In addition, the home team manager must call any team previously listed on the practice schedule to notify them that the make-up game will be played instead of their practice. Also, the game should be played on the field that the game was originally rained out at. The home team manager is responsible for notifying game officials and concessions should there be any time change, cancellation or make-up game.
15. Decision to cancel games: (Changed 3/14) If the weather conditions are hazardous, the the Ground and Field Maintenance Manager can call the game off before it’s scheduled start. If games are cancelled prior to game time, the home team manager calls the umpires to let them know and re-schedule. If they cannot make the make-up game, then the umpire-in-chief must be called.
16: Playoffs: (Revised 4/7/08)Double elimination: The first 4 games are scheduled to be played on the Saturday of the last week of the season. There will be no mandatory day of rest between games to shorten the playoffs.
Tie breakers:All ties to determine playoffs seedings will be broken by the format listed below:
1. Best record head to head
2. Best record against teams seeded higher.
3. Coin flip
(If three or more teams tie, the same criteria will determine the higher seed, that is, the combined records head to head will determine top seeding, and then the remaining teams will again go through the tie-breaking scenarios as well).
Home teams: The team with the best record is the home team throughout the playoffs with the exception of the championship game. If the team coming out of the winner’s bracket is a lower seed than the team coming out of the loser’s bracket, the winner’s bracket team will be the home team. Should a second championship game be required, the higher seed will be the home team.
17. All stars: (Updated 4/13/00 (9 & 10, 11, & 11 & 12 year old teams)) The best 12 or more players will be chosen by a vote of each team consisting of one vote for each player chosen. The all-star manager has the right to make the decision on the roster size with a twelve-player minimum. The managers coaches and league president will be allowed to attend the selection process. 1995 addition: All eligible players will be nominated automatically for each available all-star team. The managers and coaches will have the option of talking about any, all or none of the nominees.
17A. Added 5/07: Managers and coaches agreed that selections of all-star managers be held at the end of the all-star voting meeting. This would allow a manager who has an 11 year old that is border line 11 & 12 or 11’s to make a decision after he know what team his child is playing on.
18. Post season coaching: Per by-lay #2, (Mangers) coaching of post season teams (all-stars Jr. all-stars etc) will be determined inversely from the draft order. That is, whatever team drafts last, has first choice for an all-star team. The team that drafts seventh has the next choice and so on. If a manager and/or second assistant coach do not return the following year, then the choice will go to the manager of the next team in line. Managers must have one full year Little League (in addition to the current season)coaching experience to qualify.
19. 10-Run rule:In 1990 the league offered the 10 run rule. Meaning that if one team is ahead by ten or more runs after 3 ½ innings then the trailing team may opt to have the game stopped at that point. The managers and coaches agreed not abide by this rule.
20. Player Evaluations: (Revised 1/1/16) Current procedure allows for two evaluation sessions for Westbrook Little League. Both evaluations are open to all candidates, however only one evaluation session is mandatory. The VP of major baseball, the managers and coaches reserve the right to amend this tryout format to accommodate special circumstances.
21. Third coach: (Revised 3/14) A: Each team will be allowed to have a manager, and two coaches to help with the team if they so desire. All three names will appear on the roster. B. (2/9/2014) The managers have agreed to allow a 3rd coach ( in addition to the manager and two other coaches) in the dugout during games as long as the opposing team and umpire in charge agree with the addition.
22.Field maintenance: (Changed 3/14) The managers and coaches have agreed to clean out their respective dugouts after the game also. Both teams will set up the field, raking it out after pre-game practice, lining the field. (5/16/05) Both teams will rake out, drag and tarp the field (mound and plate) after each game as well as trash removal.
23. Concession stand duty:(Changed 3/14) The managers agreed to cover or arrange coverage for the concession stand on a rotating basis.
24. Batting cage practice:The batting cage will be scheduled using the sign up method on the calendar in the clubhouse. Same rule, that you can only sign up for one session at a time.
25. Batting cage practice prior to games (Added 2/28/02) :The batting cage will be used by the “away” teams prior to each game due to the fact that the home teams have the field for one hour and the away teams for only twenty minutes. The away team playing on Warren Field will have the cage from 4:00-4:30 and the away team from Volunteer will have it from 4:30 to 5:00.
26. Continuous Batting/3 inning rule: (Added 10/2015) Teams will run a continuous batting order and implement a 3 inning rule during the regular season. The three inning rule will specify that players will play at least three innings in the field with two of the innings being consecutive.In situations where the visiting team does not get their last defensive inning, the players who did not get their 3 innings will start the next game.During playoffs this rule is optional - teams will not be required to run a continuous batting order or abide by the three defensive inning guarantee.