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2008 By-Laws

LEMOORE LITTLE LEAGUE

Ground Rules

Revised: March 2008

ARTICLE XII – LOCAL AMENDMENTS/Ground Rules

SECTION 1:

Constitution Changes. These By-laws may be amended, repealed or altered in whole or in part by a majority vote at any duly organized meeting of the Members provided notice of the proposed change is included in the notice of such meeting.  A draft of all proposed amendments shall be submitted to Little League Baseball, Inc., for approval.

SECTION 2:

Selection of Players for all divisions except T-ball.
Player selection will comply with the Little League Draft System as detailed in the Operating Manual Plan A.  NOTE: All candidates who are league age twelve (12) must be drafted to a Little League Major Division team.  Exceptions can only be made with written approval from the District Administrator, and only if approved at the local league level by the Board of Directors and the parent of the candidate.
1. There shall not, at any time, be more than two players on any team who were protected in the draft, by Manager/Coach option, unless they are all the Manager's children.
2. Players protected by options (Manager/Coach or brother/sister) must be naturally related, adopted, or under court appointed guardianship of the family in question and permanently reside with the family.  In the case of a split family, the player/s must reside with one parent or the other inside the district.  Any case of players living with close relatives, or under some other temporary or permanent care requires a petition for consideration of exclusion to this rule to the Board of Directors.
3. All returning players in the Major Division only will remain on the same team as the previous year unless released in accordance with Little League Rule Book Section III (e).  All players in remaining divisions shall be re-drafted annually.
4. Major Division only - The draft will be based on the finish position of the team during the previous season, with the last place team receiving the first pick, then the next to last receiving the second pick, and so forth, and will proceed in a manner as described in the Little League Operations Manual.  The draft order for all remaining divisions will be determined by random draw..
5. Only players present at a minimum of 1/2 of the official tryouts will be placed in the draft. Players who do not meet this minimum will be placed on teams in order of team draft pick by blind draw.
6. The draft will consist of two parts; 1st, Draft of players who tryout; and 2nd, placement of players who do not make the minimum number of tryouts.
7. Prior to tryouts, a count will be made of all players for each division and the Player Agents and the President will determine the number of teams and their size. In AAA Division and higher, if the teams cannot be balanced in size, nominees, made by selecting Managers of the drafting division, of players trying out for the next lower division will be given the option to move up if they attended the required number of tryouts for that division (i.e. If there is need for more players in the 11-12 year old Majors Division, 10 year olds will be given the option to move up. This process will be used for the Major Division and AAA Divisions only).
8.  At parents request and board approval, release of returning players on a Majors team will be at the Managers option to either release that player back into the draft, or trade that player immediately following the draft.
9. Late registrants (any player who registers after the first day of tryouts and/or does not make 1/2 of the tryouts) may be placed on a waiting list until there are either enough players to place 1 player on each team or until there is an opening on a team and in either case, players will be placed by blind draw.
10.  The draft format for AAA and AA only will be of the serpentine method.

 SECTION 3:

Lemoore Little League By-laws - Major League:  In accordance with Article X, Section 3 of the Lemoore Little League Constitution, the following By-laws are adopted to govern play at the Major League level.
1. Official Regulations and Playing Rules published annually by Little League, Inc. shall govern play except as follows:
2. A split season will be adopted. The winners of the first and second halves will play a one game playoff to determine the League Champion. In case of a tie in either half, the tiebreakers shall be:
    (a) Record in head to head competition (regular season).
    (b) Record against common opponents (regular season).
    (c) Least runs allowed in competition (regular season).
    (d) Most runs scored in competition (regular season).
    (e) Coin-toss.
If one team wins both halves, that team will be declared the overall champion and the runner-up will be the team with the second best record.  No schedule shall be circulated or proposed until approved by the majority vote of the Board of Directors.
3. Awards will be given to the first and second place teams. All team players will receive a Little League pin.
4. Team names will be designated and approved annually by the officers and directors of the Lemoore Little League.
5. The time limit of all games will be one and three-quarter hours from the scheduled start time. No inning will be started after 7:00 PM (early game) or 9:45PM (late game). An inning starts when the third out is made with the home team at bat.
6. To protest any incident, the Little League procedure as presented in the rulebook must be followed exactly and a formal written protest shall be submitted to the League President within 24 hours of the incident.
7. The League will supply players with jersey and hat.  No change in uniform will be allowed without the approval of the officers and directors of the League.
8. Major league age is 11 and 12 years of age. Players that are league age 10 years old may try out for the Majors Division, but may only be placed on a team if there is a vacancy after all 11 and 12 year olds are accounted for.  Players must then receive approval of 2/3 of the Major Division Manager’s to be drafted into the Majors Division.
 9.  A player may be intentionally walked only one time per game.

10. No change shall be made to these bylaws except by procedures outlined in the Lemoore Little League Constitution.

SECTION 4:

Lemoore Little League By-laws - AAA League:  In accordance with Article X, Section 3 of the Lemoore Little League Constitution, the following By-laws are adopted to govern play at the AAA League level.
1. Official Regulations and Playing Rules published annually by Little League, Inc. shall govern play except as follows:
2. A split season will be adopted. The winners of the first and second halves will play a one game playoff to determine the League Champion. In case of a tie in either half, the tiebreakers shall be:
    (a) Record in head to head competition (regular season).
    (b) Record against common opponents (regular season).
    (c) Least runs allowed in competition (regular season).
    (d) Most runs scored in competition (regular season).
    (e) Coin-toss.

If one team wins both halves, that team will be declared the overall champion and the runner-up will be the team with the second best record.  No schedule shall be circulated or proposed until approved by the majority vote of the Board of Directors.
3. Awards will be given to the first and second place teams. All team players will receive a Little League pin.
4. Team names will be designated and approved annually by the officers and directors of the Lemoore Little League.
5. The time limit of all games will be one and three-quarter hours from the scheduled start time. No inning will be started after 7:00 PM (early game) or 9:45 PM (late game). An inning starts when the five (5) run limit is reached, or the third out is made with the home team at bat.  There will be no limit of runs in the 6th inning, Teams must bat their entire roster and minimum play per player is six (6) defensive outs.
6. To protest any incident, the Little League procedure as presented in the rule book must be followed exactly and the Little League procedure as presented in the rule book must be followed exactly and a formal written protest shall be submitted to the League President within 24 hours of the incident.
7. The league will furnish Jerseys and hats. Players are allowed the option of purchasing their own baseball pants and stirrups, but all players must dress uniformly. No change in shirt or hat is allowed without prior approval of the league.
8. AAA league age is 9 and 10 years of age. Players that are league age 7 or 8 years old, and have played at least one year in the AA division, may try out for the AAA Division, but may only be placed on a team if there is a vacancy after all 9 and 10 year olds are accounted for.  Players must then receive approval of 2/3 of the AAA Division Manager’s to be drafted into the AAA Division.
9.  A player may be intentionally walked only one time per game.
10. No change shall be made to these bylaws except by procedures outlined in the Lemoore Little League Constitution.

 SECTION 5:

Lemoore Little League By-laws – AA League: In accordance with Article X, Section 3 of the Lemoore Little League Constitution, the following By-laws are adopted to govern play at the AA-Minor League Division level.
1. Official Regulations and Playing Rules published annually by Little League, Inc. shall govern play except as follows:
2. (4.04) Lemoore Little League adopts a format using the complete roster as the batting order. The side will be retired after five (5) runs or when three (3) outs occur.
3. Lemoore Little League adopts the use of a pitching machine.  The ball-feeder will be a rostered coach.  Prior to the start of the game and at the end of each half inning, the ball feeder may make adjustments to the pitching machine at the request of either Manager.  During any at bat, the ball feeder may replace a ball or declare a "no pitch" if it is obvious that the ball was not hittable.  In the event a rostered coach is not available to serve as ball-feeder, the Manager/Coach for the team at bat will provide an approved parent volunteer to feed the ball.  In the case of non-availability, Manager/Coach pitching is allowed (overhand only).
4. The pitching machine will be placed on the mound and a 6’ radius will be chalked around it. If a hit ball stops inside the circle, it is considered a dead ball. If it hits the pitching machine and ends up outside the circle, it is a live ball. If it hits the machine and goes foul without being touched, it is a foul ball. If a player enters the circle to make a play on the ball it will be considered a dead ball.
5. The ball is considered live until an effort is made by the pitcher to pass it to the ball feeder.
6. The ball is dead when it is in the ball-feeder’s possession, the fielding teams pitcher is in the process of passing the ball to the ball-feeder.    
7. Strikes will be called if the batter swings & misses.
8. The batter will receive a maximum five hittable pitches. The umpire will determine if the pitches are hittable. If the batter hits a foul ball on the 5th pitch, he/she will receive more pitches until they either swing & miss or hit the ball into play.
9. Bunting will be allowed.
10. Stealing will be allowed.  There will be no leading off. Runners may advance only after the pitch has crossed home plate.
11. The league will furnish Jerseys and hats. Players are allowed the option of purchasing their own baseball pants and stirrups, but all players must dress uniformly. No change in shirt or hat is allowed without prior approval of the league.
12. (4.10E) If after four innings or three and one-half innings if the home team is ahead, one team has a lead of ten or more runs, the Manager of the team with the least amount of runs may concede the victory to the opponent. At 15 runs, the team shall concede victory to the opponent.
13. All players will receive participation awards.
14. Team names will be designated and approved annually by the officers and directors of the Lemoore Little League.
15. The time limit of all games will be one and three quarter hours from the scheduled start time. No inning will be started after 7:45PM. An inning starts when the third out is made with the home team at bat.
16. To protest any incident, the Little League procedure as presented in the rulebook must be followed exactly and a formal written protest shall be submitted to the League President within 24 hours of the incident.
17. AA League age is 7 and 8 years of age. Players that are league age 6 years old may try out for the AA Division, but may only be placed on a team if there is a vacancy after all 7 and 8 year olds are accounted for.   Players must then receive approval of 2/3 of the AA Division Manager’s to be drafted into the AA Division.
18. No change shall be made to these bylaws except by procedures outlined in the Lemoore Little League Constitution.

Lemoore Little League AA Modified Kid Pitch Rules: To be used at the half way point in the season.

1.  There will be NO walks. Once a pitcher throws four balls, the coach from the batter's team will come out to pitch (the pitcher will stand off to the side just as he/she does now with the pitching machine) until the batter strikes out or puts the ball in play.
2.  Players age 7 and 8 are limited by little league to 50 pitches per game.  See pitching rules for required number of days rest needed. It is recommended you limit your pitchers to less than 40 so you don't over use the pitchers and so they will be available to pitch in their next game as long as they have had the required number of days rest. 
3.  An inning will end when three outs have been made or five runs have been scored. 
4.  There will be open scoring in the 6th inning of the game.
5.  The managers from both teams will decide whether or not to allow stealing.  This decision should be made prior to the start of the game.  If stealing is allowed, a player may advance one base per play and they may not steal home.
 
Little League International Pitching Rules:
The manager must remove the pitcher when said pitcher reaches the limit for his/her age group as noted below.  The pitcher may remain in the game at another position
except catcher).

League Age       

11-12              85 pitches per day

9-10                75 pitches per day

                        7-8                  50 pitches per day

                        Pitchers must adhere to the following rest requirements:

If a player pitches 61 or more pitches in a day, they must have three calendar days of rest and may NOT pitch in their team’s next game.

If a player pitches 41-60 pitches in a day, they must have two calendar days of rest and may NOT pitch in their team’s next game.

 If a player pitches 21-40 pitches in a day, they must have one calendar day of rest. They may pitch in their team’s next game.

If a player pitches 1-20 pitches in a day, they may pitch the next calendar day.  They may pitch in their team’s next game. 

SECTION 6:

Lemoore Little League By-laws - T-Ball League: In accordance with Article X, Section 3 of the Lemoore Little League Constitution, the following By-laws are adopted to govern play at the T-ball Division level.
1.  Any child reaching the age of 5 yrs as of April 30th and no older than 6 yrs old shall be eligible for T-Ball.  In exceptions where the child has not be exposed to the fundamentals of the game and there is a clear and present danger the child will be injured in the higher division of play, a 7 yr old may play down only at the REQUEST of the parent and the APPROVAL of the Board of Directors.
2.  Eligible players will be placed on a team by the player agent and/or T-ball Division Representative.
3.  No game will exceed 2 innings or 1 1/2 hour time limit from the scheduled start time of the game, no inning shall start after 6:30 PM.  Each team shall bat through the roster in each inning.
4.  All scheduled games shall meet all requirements of current rulebook (page 26, VII-schedules (d)).
5.  The Complete Roster shall be the Batting order with all players batting through the roster each inning, and all players shall play Defense.
6.  No League standings will be held nor will championship games be played.
7.  The batting tee shall be used in all games and practice, as per Section I-(a) 3, page 20 of the Official Regulations and Playing Rules, Coach or Adult pitch will be allowed.
8.  The Catcher must wear all protective gear as required by Little League Regulations.
9.  The Coach/Manager shall be present in the Field to instruct the Players.
10.  The Offensive team shall have a 1st and 3rd base Coach to instruct players around the bases, and NO OUTS shall be counted during the 1st half of the season.  Players who are called out during the 2nd half of the season shall vacate the bases in preparation of standard rules.
11.  Stealing home base on a passed ball will not be allowed, the ball shall be considered fair when it passes the 3 ft chalked line in front of the batter. This is to protect a child from running up on a batter with the bat still in hand.
12.  No warm up batters will be allowed on deck. Players must remain in dugout until it is their turn to bat.
13.  The league will furnish uniform shirts and hats.  (Team names will be designated and approved annually by the officers and directors of the Lemoore Little League).
14.  Awards will be given to players.  All players will receive a Little League Pin.
15.  The purpose of T-Ball is to instruct the very basic fundamentals of baseball and make it FUN for the children.
16. No change shall be made to these bylaws except by procedures outlined in the Lemoore Little League Constitution.

SECTION 7:

All Star / Tournament Team Issues all Divisions.   Lemoore Little League post-season play on All Star or Tournament Team is a privilege afforded to only a few of our player members in each Division.  Lemoore Little League will support these individuals as follows:
1. Special All-Star Uniforms may be provided for official Little League Tournaments (10's, 11’s, and 12's).  The league will pay for hats.
2.  Lemoore Little League will pay tournament fees for official Little League Tournaments (10's, 11’s, and 12's).  .
3.  The Board of Directors may elect to pay for a maximum of one tournament entry fee per team for Lemoore Little League’s 9 year old Tournament Team.  (Lemoore teams shall play for free in the Lemoore 9 year old Tournament, if hosted). .
4.  The Board upon recommendation by the Treasurer may agree to help offset certain travel expenses for players, Managers, and Coaches only.
5.  The Board recommends that player parents, Coaches and players conduct a fundraiser to support travel expenses for players, Managers, and Coaches in case Lemoore Little League expenses prohibit any league contribution.
6.  Funds raised by the Team or Division shall be properly accounted for by the Lemoore Little League Treasurer. Any unused money will remain in the Lemoore Little League Treasury for use in offsetting All Star / Tournament expenses.

SECTION 8:

All-Star / Tournament Team Selection: 

10, 11 and 12 Year-Old All Star Selection:

1.  All-Star players will be selected in an open draft format.  Any player that has been ejected from a game during the regular season for unsportsmanlike conduct may not be eligible for participation in post-season / All-Star team selection.
2.  Manager’s will nominate players from their own team to be included in the All-Star Draft.  The Player Agent shall conduct the All-Star Draft.
3.  Each team will be allowed only the Manager present during the draft.  If the Manager cannot be present during the draft, He/She shall notify in writing to the Player Agent or President his request to have one Coach be present in their place.  Each Manager will have a maximum of one vote per player.
4.  Nominated players will be voted on by a show of hands that should include open & honest discussion.  During the draft, the top 12 vote getters will constitute the All-Star team.  The Player Agent will keep track of total votes for all nominated players. 
5.  In the event of a tie in the last few draft positions, a re-vote on those players will be conducted until the tie is broken.
6.  The All-Star Team Manager may elect to have 13-players on the All-Star Team.  This option must be declared prior to the end of the All-Star Draft.  If so, the player with the 13th highest vote total will become the 13th rostered player.
7.  In the event that a player is unable to play on the team, the highest voted player not on the team will become the substitute player.
8.  The 11 year old and 12 year old All-Star Manager selection will be as follows: An All Star Team Manager/Coach Selection Committee will consider all interested and eligible Managers/Coaches for recommendation to the board based on the Managers ability to represent their given team during the regular season, their ability to represent Lemoore Little League in a positive and public manner, and their teams placement in their division. The Selection Committee will then give a recommendation to the Board of Directors for approval.
9.  The 10 year old All-Star Manager will be selected as follows: An All Star Team Manager/Coach Selection Committee will consider all interested and eligible Managers for recommendation to the board based on the Managers/Coaches ability to represent their given team during the regular season, their ability to represent Lemoore Little League in a positive and public manner, and their teams placement in their division. The Selection Committee will then give a recommendation to the Board of Directors for approval

9 year old Tournament Team Selection:

1.  Tournament team players will be selected in an open draft format.
2.  Manager’s will nominate players from their own team to be included in the All-Star Draft.  The Player Agent shall conduct the Tournament Team Draft.
3.  Each team will be allowed only the Manager present during the draft.  If the Manager cannot be present during the draft, He/She shall notify in writing to the Player Agent or President his request to have one Coach be present in their place.  Each Manager will have a maximum of one vote per player.
4.  Nominated players will be voted on by a show of hands that should include open & honest discussion.  The Player Agent will keep track of total votes for all nominated players. 
5.  In the event of a tie in the last few draft positions, a re-vote on those players will be conducted until the tie is broken.
6.  The 9 year old Tournament Team Manager may elect to have 12 or 13 players (check with Tournament Officials to ensure 13 players are allowed), on the 9 year old Tournament Team.  This option must be declared prior to the end of the All-Star Draft.  If so, the player with the next highest vote total will be selected.
7.  In the event that a player is unable to play on the team, the highest voted player not on the team will become the substitute player.
8.  Lemoore Little League will form one 9 year old Kid Pitch Tournament Team.  The team will be selected as follows: AAA Managers and Coaches will select twelve or thirteen 9 year-old players with the highest number of votes from their division. 
9.  If the 9 year old Tournament Team Manager wishes to have 13 players on the team, the 9 year-old with the next highest votes not already on the team will be selected. This option shall only be completed after a team roster of 12 players has been completed.

 SECTION 9:

Parental Obligations all Divisions: Lemoore Little League is not a baby-sitting service and requires active participation and cooperation of all parents involved.  All parents should be prepared to support their kids and teams in a positive and productive manner.  Parents will be asked to help Lemoore Little League in areas such as fund raising, field up-keep/maintenance, after game clean-up of the premises, score-keeping, announcing games, assisting on work-days, umpiring games, working the snack bar and generally providing a positive example for the kids.  Lemoore Little League in accordance with Article IV, Section 3 above, can assess up to $50.00 per family if the need arises, so please don't hesitate to help make the Little League experience for your child a good one, officers, Managers, Coaches, and umpires are all volunteers too.

SECTION 10:

Manager / Coaches Obligations all Divisions:  Managers and Coaches are leaders and role models for each and every child in our league.  The Manager ultimately will be held accountable for the actions of their Coaching staff, parents and players.

1.      The league will assign every team responsibilities pertaining to working in the snack bar, umpiring games, field cleanup days, etc.  If teams are not properly represented at the assigned functions, the following course of action will be followed:  (1st infraction) the Manager will be suspended for his/her team’s next game and may not be allowed to manage or Coach an All-Star / Tournament team that season.  (2nd infraction)  The Manager will be suspended for the remainder of the season. 

2.      The league issued equipment/uniforms must be turned in to the Equipment Manager no later than 7 calendar days following closing ceremonies.  If equipment/uniforms are not turned in at that time, the league will send the team Manager an invoice for the equipment via USPS Certified Mail.  If the proper, league issued equipment is not turned in, or paid for with 30 calendar days of receipt of the invoice, the team Managers’ name will be sent to a local collections agency (no exceptions).  All-Star & Tournament team Managers will be re-issued equipment prior to their first practice.

3.      Managers and Coaches will not be allowed to change titles before, during or after the season, no exceptions.  If a Manager chooses to step-down, the President, Coaching Coordinator and Divisional Rep will appoint an alternative Manager as a replacement.  The Manager that has given up his title will not be allowed to Coach or manage for the remainder of the season.      

SECTION 11:                                                                         

Rescheduling of Games: There are No Forfeits in Little League.  No game shall be re-scheduled unless weather conditions, time constraints, un-controllable acts of nature, or inability of a team to field the minimum (9) players, prevent the game from being played.  In such cases, Managers, the Head Umpire, and the Board Member in charge of the field shall re-schedule the game to be played in the next available opening on any field that is of proper size for the division regardless of any other games scheduled for either team for that week.  The only exception is that no team will be re-scheduled to play a game, which results in a double-header.  Absent Managers, Coaches, or particular players shall not be a reason for rescheduling a game.  Managers who attempt to re-schedule games without due cause as expressed above will receive a letter of reprimand and may not be considered as Tournament Managers or Coaches as a result.

SECTION 12:                                                                               

Practice Facilities:  Practice facilities (schools, parks, etc.) must be covered under Lemoore Little Leagues insurance prior to the beginning of practice.  Teams will not be allowed to practice on the fields at the Lemoore Little League complex, except All-Star / Tournament teams.  The determination of which team will practice at a given field (school, park, etc.) will be conducted by the league in the following manner:              

1.      The league from random draw will determine order selection by team by division.

2.      The priority level by division will be: Majors, AAA, AA, T-Ball.

3.      The team drawn 1st will be allowed to select which field they wish to practice at and so forth until all the teams in the division / League have selected a practice field.

Note: Practice facilities must be left clean and orderly when practice is complete.  Teams that receive complaints may be reprimanded.