DEFIANCE BASEBALL ASSOCIATION RULES AND BYLAWS
These rules will govern all baseball teams in the City of Defiance that are in the Rogliatti’s League, Boy’s League, Little League, Colt League and Babe Ruth League. These rules pertain to all players, coaches, scorekeepers and managers of these teams.
OBJECTIVE: The objective of this association is to promote good sportsmanship, respect for authority, honesty, dedication, and loyalty in the youth involved.
To achieve this objective the association will provide a program under the Rules and Regulations of Little League Baseball Inc. and the Defiance Baseball Association by-laws and league rules. It will be the responsibility of all officers to assure that these objectives are carried out. This will be a non-profit association and all proceeds will go directly into the program.
LEAGUE ASSOCIATION
1. It is agreed that the official name of this organization shall be the “DEFIANCE BASEBALL ASSOCIATION INCORPORATED” or “DBA”.
2. DBA officers shall consist of a President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, four (4) to six (6) Trustees, League Presidents of the Rogliatti’s League, Boy’s League, Little League, Colt League and Babe Ruth League and the Umpire Coordinator. This group of officers will be officially called the “DBA BOARD” and will be responsible for all financial, policy and rule change decisions made on behalf of the DBA. These offices will be filled by a majority vote of all DBA members except the League Presidents, who will be elected by each league. The term of each office will be from October 1st through September 30th of each election year. Should a vacancy occur on the DBA Board it will be filled by a majority vote of the DBA Board.
3. In the event the Defiance Baseball Association makes a decision to dissolve and cease operations, the Board of Trustees shall make all decisions regarding the disbursement of any remaining assets, including cash balances. The first preference shall be to distribute all assets to another surviving or new 501(c)(3) tax exempt youth baseball organization in the City of Defiance. If no such organization exists, they shall consider distributing assets to the Defiance High School Athletic Boosters, Inc., or the City of Defiance Parks and Recreation Department. All disbursements will be subject to the approval of the Defiance Baseball Association Board of Trustees in office at the time of the dissolution.
4. It is agreed that the DBA Board will hold a meeting prior to the regular DBA meeting to discuss matters brought by the membership and discuss items of importance to the DBA. The DBA Board shall have the authority to make expenditures on behalf of the DBA and shall have the authority to revise, delete or enact rules governing the DBA. A minimum of five (5) DBA Board members must be present to conduct DBA business. It is agreed that a simple majority vote of attending members is needed to pass any DBA matter or ballot at the DBA Board meeting. Any decisions made by the DBA Board can be revised by a majority vote of attending members at a full DBA meeting. Meeting notices will be done electronically with a 7-day advance notice.
5. The annual meeting will be conducted on the third Tuesday of September each calendar year for the purpose of electing officers, reviewing the previous season, receiving reports and preparing for the next season.
6. Under the guidance of the DBA Board, the DBA Treasurer shall be the purchasing agent for the DBA. The DBA Treasurer is responsible for annual budget projections, bill paying, funds investments, bank account reconciliations and annual income and expense reports for all DBA related matters except for concession operations. All funds raised by the DBA will go to the general fund and not to any individual teams.
7. Concession Operations shall be under the control of the DBA Board. The DBA Board shall appoint a financial manager to handle concession financial matters.
8. It is agreed that each team in good standing in the association shall have one (1) vote on any matter or ballot at the regular DBA meeting.
9. There will be only one vote per calendar year on a DBA issue.
10. It is agreed that any current manager or coach of any team of this association shall have automatic membership in this association, unless expelled from this association by a majority vote of the DBA Board.
11. It is agreed that any rule contained herein shall priority over any league rule.
GENERAL RULES
1. All players must meet one of the following criteria to play in the DBA leagues. (1) Live with a parent or legal guardian in the Defiance City School District, (2) Attend a school in the City of Defiance, (3) Have parents or legal guardians who pay City of Defiance income tax (4) in order to be eligible to play on the Little League Baseball Incorporated sanctioned post-season team a player must live within the map boundaries submitted to Little League Baseball Inc. If a player’s eligibility changes during a season that player may finish out the rest of the season with the team he/she is playing with. The DBA Board must approve any exception to these eligibility rules.
2. All managers and coaches of all DBA sponsored teams at any level must adhere to the “Code of Conduct” as adopted by the DBA Board of Trustees, and attached as an exhibit to these rules and bylaws. The “Code of Conduct” will be governing document to determine coaching requirements and eligibility. All DBA managers and coaches, or candidates for manager or coaching positions, must read and sign the “Code of Conduct” in order to qualify as a manager or coach, in the organization. Rules violations, misconduct, or failure to comply with items in the “Code of Conduct”, including detrimental items found in background checks, may cause dismissal from the organization, or their coaching position, and disqualify candidates from coaching positions. It will take a majority vote of the DBA Board to dismiss or disqualify a manager or coach. X
3. Each team may have a team manager, scorekeeper, and two (2) official assistants. Team managers and coaches must be recorded with league officers or DBA officers before their respective league drafts are conducted.
4. It is agreed that any DBA Board Member or Officer may also serve in the capacity of team manager or coach.
5. Each player must be registered with his team by filling out and returning to the team manager the DBA registration form along with the registration fee. All fees, cards and rosters must be turned in to each league president prior to the start of the season. Players will not be allowed to participate in games until their signed registration form is turned in. The registration fee for participating in the DBA will be $30.00 per player for Rogliatti’s League, $50.00 per player for Boy’s, Little, Colt & Babe Ruth leagues. However, no player will be kept from participation in baseball because of financial hardship.
6. Players who participate on a DBA sponsored traveling team may be asked to pay an additional fee in order to offset expenses. This fee will be determined by the DBA Board annually.
7. Each year every team will be required to fill out an equipment request form for the upcoming season to obtain required new equipment. This form shall be turned into the league treasurer by November 1st of the current year to allow the treasurer time to secure the required equipment with the least cost to the DBA. No other person other than the treasurer is authorized to purchase equipment on behalf of the DBA.
8. The DBA Board will be responsible for the collection of the sponsorship fees for the teams. The fee shall be $300.00 per team for all leagues except Rogliatti’s League, which will be funded by Rogliatti’s Sport Center, 426 Clinton St., Defiance, Ohio. Starting with the 1983 season all team sponsors must commit to a three-year contract because of the cost of uniforms.
9. All players must wear complete uniforms during games but managers and coaches are not required to wear uniforms.
10. Umpire’s pay will be $10.00 per game for Rogliatti’s League (one umpire), $15.00 per game for Boy’s League (two umpires), $20.00 per game for youth umpires and $30.00 per game for adult registered umpires for Little League (two umpires), $20.00 unregistered youth, $25.00 for unregistered adults and $30 for registered umpires in Colt and Babe Ruth League (two umpires). Year end tournament coordinators have the option of setting their own umpire pay schedules as long as the tournament remains profitable without including concession revenues. Scorekeeper’s pay will be $12.50 per game for Little League, Colt League and Babe Ruth League. It is appropriate and encouraged for adults to volunteer for scorekeeping and umpiring duties without pay.
11. Trophies will be presented to each league as follows: Each league will receive two sets of trophies for regular season and two sets for the league tournament. Teams tying for a position will both receive trophies, with the exception of Colt League and Babe Ruth League, who will have a playoff. There will be no playoff in the other leagues.
12. There will be one trophy bought for the Little League Batting Champion.
13. The DBA will pay entry fees for outside tournaments as follows:
a. Babe Ruth 13-14 team – maximum of two tournaments
b. Colt League 13-14 team – maximum of two tournaments
c. Little League 11-12 teams – maximum of three teams – three tournaments each
d. Little League 9-10 teams – maximum of two teams – three tournaments each
e. Boy’s League 9-10 team – maximum of three tournaments
f. Rogliatti’s League 7-8 teams – maximum of two teams – three tournaments each
14. All Star Team hats and socks will be provided for all teams and may be kept by the players and coaches. Pants will be provided by the DBA and must be returned after the season.
15. All Star Team shirts will be designed by league officers and will be purchased on a lot basis with the cost of the shirts being absorbed by the players, coaches or a sponsor. The shirts may be kept by the players and coaches. The sponsorship fee for an All-star team is $250.00.
GENERAL GAME RULES
1. Any complaints on decisions of game rules must be made by team managers and not players, and no protests of umpire’s judgment decisions may be made.
2. Only managers, coaches, scorekeeper, players and one batboy may be on the bench during the game (Little League teams may not use a batboy).
3. A protest committee shall be elected before league play begins, and decisions on protests by said committee shall be final. The committee will consist of two (2) DBA Officers and an elected representative from the league in which the protest was filed. Each league will vote for a representative to represent their league. If the representative is involved in the protest then the president of the league will represent that league. The protest must be submitted in writing within 24 hours to the affected league president and any judgment call by the umpires will not be accepted.
4. A forfeiture of a game will occur if a team cannot field nine (9) players, or the number specified in league rules, within fifteen (15) minutes after the scheduled start of the game.
5. In event of a violation of any rule on discipline or misconduct problems with players, managers, coaches or fans of any team, the matter shall be turned over to the DBA Board for action.
6. All catchers must wear a catcher’s helmet, chest protector, throat protector, shin guards and must wear a cup. All batters must wear a helmet during games, practices or while using DBA batting cages.
DBA President ______
4
X – Indicates Change February 19, 2008 (rev. 2-08)