BASEBALL LOCAL RULES
2016 Bainbridge Island Little League
BILL Board of Directors
BASEBALL LOCAL RULES REGULAR SEASON AND ALL-STARS Revised and Approved: March 7, 2016
BILL 2016 Baseball Local Rules PREFACE TO LOCAL RULES Great coaching depends upon many things including a love of the game and a desire to give children the tools they need to be successful on the field and in their lives. “Managers and coaches are among the most important volunteers in the Little League program. They have to know the game and they have to love working with kids. Leagues with knowledgeable, caring and concerned coaches have an advantage when it comes to making the game fun and retaining players.” (Little League International) Bainbridge Island Little League expects that all Managers and Coaches will familiarize themselves with Little League 2015 Baseball Official Regulations and Playing Rules. Knowledge of the game, its rules and its regulations is a fundamental element of a good coach’s toolkit. Our league makes the commitment to its coaches to provide support, education and training opportunities to its managers and coaches at all levels of play. In return, we trust that all managers and coaches will endeavor to grow their knowledge base of the game so that, in turn, they are better equipped to pass on their love and understanding of the game to the kids they coach. The following pages include local rules that modify and/or extend the official rules and regulations of Little League Baseball. Local rules are not a substitute for the rules of the game. They represent only a small set of modifications to official rules and regulations that have been approved by current and/or prior Bainbridge Island Little League Boards of Directors. In addition, a few very basic, unmodified rules and regulations of Little League baseball are included for the purpose of providing some of the distinguishing characteristics that separate the various levels of play. Each Manager and Coach is expected to learn and incorporate these rules modifications that apply across all divisions of baseball AND those local rules that apply to the level of play in which s/he is coaching.
Your signature below represents that you have read and understood the 2015 Bainbridge Island Little League Local Rules, that you promise to do your utmost to abide by these rules and by the rules of Little League Baseball and, most importantly, that you will strive to improve your coaching skills in order to make our league a terrific place for our children to play baseball and have fun doing it.
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BILL 2015 Baseball Local Rules
LOCAL RULES APPLICABLE TO ALL BASEBALL DIVISIONS
1. A Manager must notify the Player Agent if any player misses more than four consecutive games for any reason. Any player who is out of the lineup for more than three consecutive weeks may be removed from his/her team by action of the BILL Board of Directors and replaced in accordance with Rule III(d) of the Official Playing Rules. 2. If a player quits a team, whether due to injury or any other reason, the Manager shall contact the Player Agent, Vice President and President within ten (10) days time to alert them of the change in roster. 3. In accordance with Regulation III(d)(2), Note 1, a player may only be called up from a Minors division team prior to the last two weeks of the regular season. 4. In accordance with Regulation VIII(b), if a Minors division player declines to move up when a vacancy occurs on a Majors division team, the Player Agent shall transfer that player to another team in the Minors division, preferably a team with a lower standing. Team placement of the player shall be at the sole discretion of the Player Agent. The BILL Board of Directors, upon appeal, may waive this policy. 5. The BILL Board of Directors at its sole discretion may assess penalties for a violation of any rule up to and including suspension or termination of the offending manager or coaches. 6. These Local Rules shall be automatically applicable to subsequent seasons until modified by vote of the Board of Directors.
ORGANIZATION OF LOCAL RULES BY DIVISION Subsequent sections focus on sets of local rules as they apply to the various divisions of Bainbridge Island Little League Baseball. Coaches and Managers are responsible for those local rules that apply to the division in which they participate. Mangers who intend to umpire outside of their division of play should be knowledgeable about the local rules for any division in which they intend to umpire.
LOCAL RULES FOR JUNIOR, SENIOR AND BIG LEAGUE DIVISIONS OF BASEBALL Local rules for Junior, Senior and Big League Divisions will be defined in collaboration with District 2 and the local leagues participating in inter-league play. Interleague rules for these divisions of play shall be posted to the BILL website upon becoming available.
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BILL 2016 Baseball Local Rules LOCAL RULES APPLICABLE TO MAJORS DIVISION OF BASEBALL DIVISION PLAYING PHILOSOPHY: This division promotes competition to a higher degree as compared to the Minor League. Within this more competitive environment, the emphasis remains on improving baseball skills, building individual self-esteem, promoting team camaraderie and emphasizing fair play. The division is designed to be both the satisfying culmination of some players' Little League careers and to prepare other players for higher levels of play including advancement in Little League Tournament play and readiness to move up to play on the full 90 foot diamond. 1. Regulation IV(i) of the Official Playing Rules is modified such that each player listed in a team’s batting order shall participate in each game for a minimum of nine (9) defensive outs. If a game is shortened for any reason (this does not include the home team not requiring some or all of its half of the sixth inning), then every player listed in a team’s batting order shall participate for a minimum of six (6) defensive outs. Rule 3.03 of the Official Playing Rules is modified to allow free substitution on defense. 2. Pursuant to Rule 4.04, Bainbridge Island Little League adopts the continuous batting order for all regular season games and any Special Games (i.e., league playoffs). Bainbridge Island Little League will not utilize a nine-player batting order in any games. 3. All games must be played to completion. In accordance to Rules 4.10(a), 4.10(d), 4.11(e), and 4.12 of the Official Playing Rules, if a game is canceled, postponed, delayed or tied, the makeup or completion of the game or innings shall take place the following Sunday at the home team’s designated practice time and field. If this Sunday is the day after one team’s double-header, then that team has the option of playing the makeup game on a different date. If agreed by both managers, the makeup game or innings may be played during the visiting team’s practice slot. In the event that the following Sunday is not possible for one or both teams, the home team manager must work with the league scheduler to find an acceptable time. Home and visiting team designations remain as per the schedule. Any games that are not played prior to the end of the regular season shall be recorded in the standings as a loss for both teams. In accordance with Rule 4.13 of the Official Playing Rules, no team shall be scheduled to play three games in one day. Majors teams may be scheduled for no more than one doubleheader per week. 4. Rule 4.10(e) of the Official Playing Rules is modified to 12 runs rather than 10 runs (“Mercy Rule”). 5. The home team manager shall record the status of a game, scores, pitchers used and individual pitch counts on the league website for all scrimmages and for all games that are completed and for all games that are partially completed, tied, and or cancelled, postponed or delayed due to weather or darkness. This information must be recorded within 24 hours of the completion or partial completion of the game, or from the time the game was scheduled to start if no part of the game was played. If the home team manager fails to record this information as required, the visiting team scorebook will become the official scorebook for the game. 6. The home book is always the official scorebook for the game. To avoid discrepancies in pitch counts at game’s end, it is recommended that scorekeepers from both teams meet often during the game to reconcile pitch counts and scores. The home book is always deemed correct when scorekeepers cannot agree on pitch counts and scores. 7. There shall be a post-season tournament (played as non-regular season Special Games) to determine League Champion. The tournament may be double-elimination or some variant of pool play, depending upon the number of teams and to be determined by the Board of Directors. Local and Little League International regular season rules will be in effect for the tournament. Teams will be seeded in the Page | 4
BILL 2015 Baseball Local Rules tournament based upon their regular season records. If any teams finish with the same record, tie breakers for tournament seeding shall apply in the following order: (i) combined head-to-head record of teams, (ii) runs allowed head-to-head, (iii) runs scored head-to-head, (iv) season runs allowed total, (v) season runs scored total, or (vi) coin flip.
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BILL 2016 Baseball Local Rules
LOCAL RULES APPLICABLE TO MINORS DIVISION OF BASEBALL The Minor League shall be segregated into the following divisions: Tee Ball, “Rookie”, “A”, “AA” and “AAA”. Rookie and A share the same rules and may be combined into one division, depending upon the number of players and thus teams available.
LOCAL RULES APPLICABLE TO TEE BALL DIVISION PLAYING PHILOSOPHY: This division emphasizes the development of players. The goal of the division is to provide all players with a fun and positive introduction to the sport in a very supportive and noncompetitive learning environment. Tee Ball, just like baseball, is open to both girls and boys. Focused on the most basic fundamentals, players will learn how to hold a bat, hit off a tee, throw a baseball and possibly catch a ball. 1. Tee Ball games shall conclude after three (3) innings or one (1) hour, whichever occurs first. 2. All teams shall bat the lineup using a continuous batting order. Any player who arrives after the start of the game shall be added to the end of his/her team’s batting order. 3. The offensive team’s time at bat ends when it bats through the lineup, regardless of whether or not three outs have been recorded. 4. Each team is allowed to use ten (10) defensive players of which four (4) must be in the outfield. Coaches are encouraged to allow players to experience different fielding positions during the season while keeping in mind safety concerns for individual children. Each player must play at least two (2) defensive innings, unless the game is shortened for any reason. 5. Free substitution is allowed so that Managers have the flexibility of putting a different lineup on the field for defense each inning. 6. Walks, base stealing and sliding are prohibited. 7. There shall be one coach in the dugout at all times. Notwithstanding this requirement, each team is permitted to place up to two coaches on the field of play when on defense. a. When playing defense, no more than two coaches may assume positions in fair or foul territory. b. When playing offense, no more than two coaches may act as base coaches. 8. Each team may designate one parent to serve as umpire for the duration of the game. 9. No score or league standings shall be kept. 10. There shall be no post-season tournament.
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BILL 2015 Baseball Local Rules LOCAL RULES APPLICABLE TO “ROOKIE” AND “A” DIVISION OF BASEBALL “ROOKIE” DIVISION PLAYING PHILOSOPHY: This division emphasizes the development of players and fosters a better understanding of the game. The goal is to ensure all players expand their knowledge of the sport in a structured manner while maintaining a focus on fun. Players experience a low level of competition without emphasis on winning or losing. It introduces a fundamental aspect of competition by supporting and encouraging every child to experience success in the face of the challenges of the game. “A” DIVISION PLAYING PHILOSOPHY: This level of play fosters continued skills development and a better understanding of the rules and nuances of the game. Players are expected to have fundamental baseball skills as this is a more elevated level of play than Rookie. The focus remains on the fun of playing the sport while more coaching attention is given to fielding, making plays, accurate throwing, proper hitting technique and preparing the player for player-pitch at the "AA" level. 1. Regulation IV(i) of the Official Playing Rules is modified such that each player listed in a team’s batting order shall participate in a game for a minimum of nine (9) defensive outs. If a game is shortened for any reason (this does not include the home team not requiring some or all of its half of the sixth inning), then every player shall participate for a minimum of six (6) defensive outs. 2. In accordance with Rule 4.04 of the Official Playing Rules, all teams shall bat the line up using a continuous batting order. Any player who arrives after the exchange of lineup cards may be added to the end of his or her team’s batting order at the discretion of the manager. 3. In accordance with Regulation VIII(d) of the Official Playing Rules, the batter’s manager or coach will be the Pitcher and function as the umpire for his or her team’s turn at bat during each inning. a. There shall be no walks. b. The Manager or Coach shall pitch no more than twelve (12) pitches to the batter. Foul balls shall count toward the twelve pitch count maximum. c. If after twelve pitches the player has not struck out or reached base by hitting the ball, the offensive Manager or Coach shall put the ball into play. d. A pitching machine (if available and agreed to by both teams) may be used to pitch in lieu of the batter’s Manager or Coach (note: when employed, both teams must use the pitching machine). 4. As an alternative to rule 3 above, Bainbridge Island Little League may purchase and provide spring-loaded pitching machines to the A/Rookie managers, in which case those pitching machines shall be used in place of the manager or coach. All other aspects of rule 3 above shall remain the same. 5. Prior to a pitch, the player fielding the pitcher’s spot shall take a position immediately to the left or to the right of the pitcher’s plate. 6. The offensive team’s time at bat ends when it bats through the line up or three outs are recorded, whichever occurs first. 7. No new inning shall start after 1 hour and 50 minutes has elapsed from the first pitch. Any inning started prior to the time limit must be finished according to Little League rules. Any game shortened by this time limit will be considered a regulation game. 8. Teams are not required to play make up games or innings. However, BILL encourages managers to try to play all games that are cancelled or not completed for any reason. Page | 7
BILL 2016 Baseball Local Rules a. To avoid conflicts with other field usage activities, games should be rescheduled to occur during team practice times. 9. Scores and standings will not be kept. 10. There will be no post season tournament.
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BILL 2015 Baseball Local Rules LOCAL RULES APPLICABLE TO “AA” DIVISION OF BASEBALL DIVISION PLAYING PHILOSOPHY: The "AA" Division is a combination player/coach-pitched baseball where a higher level of game understanding and ability is taught. Competition as it relates to winning and losing is introduced at this level. Winning and losing remain secondary to the essential goal of teaching each player to embrace success or failure with grace and to learn from both. Primary goals are to give players as much experience and playing time as possible and encouragement of ongoing development for all players in all phases of the game. This important developmental division provides a relatively even but not necessarily equal distribution of playing time among players. "AA" includes player pitch, limited stealing of bases, scoring and umpiring. By the end of the season players are expected to have refined their skills so they may successfully participate at the "AAA" level the following year. 1. Regulation IV(i) of the Official Playing Rules is modified such that each player listed in a team’s batting order shall participate in a game for a minimum of nine (9) defensive outs. If a game is shortened for any reason (this does not include the home team not requiring some or all of its half of the sixth inning), then every player shall participate for a minimum of six (6) defensive outs. 2. In accordance with Rule 4.04 of the Official Playing Rules, all teams shall bat the line up using a continuous batting order. Any player who arrives after the exchange of lineup cards may be added to the end of his or her team’s batting order at the discretion of the manager. 3. “AA” is a player pitch division. There shall be no walks but a batter hit by a player-pitcher shall be awarded first base. If a pitcher pitches four (4) balls1 to a batter before the batter has reached base or made an out, the batter’s Manager or Coach shall take the mound to finish the at bat, taking over the ball/strike count. The player-pitcher will field his/her position immediately to the right or left of the coach-pitcher. The combined number of pitches from the player-pitcher and the Manager or Coach shall not exceed eight (8) total pitches, unless the player-pitcher throws the eighth pitch and it is a ball. A foul ball shall count as one of the eight pitches but it shall also extend the at-bat if fouled on the eighth or subsequent pitch. If the final pitch is deemed unhittable by the umpire then the batter shall receive another pitch. If after the eight total pitches the player has not reached base by hitting the ball, the batter shall be out. 4. In the event that the league is unable to provide an umpire, the offensive team’s Manager or Coach shall take a position behind the pitcher’s plate and shall function as the umpire for their team’s portion of the inning. 5. No new inning shall start after 1 hour and 50 minutes has elapsed from the first pitch, except that this rule shall not apply during the playoffs (six innings shall be played regardless of time). Any inning started prior to the time limit must be finished according to Little League rules. Any game shortened by this time limit will be considered a regulation game. 6. In regular season and league tournament play, there shall be a five (5) run limit per inning per team. The five (5) run limit shall not apply to the final inning of the game. a. If it appears that a game will be shortened by the time limit, the designated umpire(s) shall determine and announce to both teams the final inning immediately prior to the start of that inning.
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“Balls” means as opposed to strikes; this does not mean the number of pitches.
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BILL 2016 Baseball Local Rules b. In the final inning, the offensive team concludes its time at bat when it bats through the order or three outs are made, whichever occurs first. The twelve (12) run Mercy rule does not apply. 7. Teams are permitted three (3) stolen bases per inning. a. On an attempt by a catcher to put out a stealing base-runner, any additional advance of bases shall constitute a stolen base(s) toward the total permitted. 8. All games must be played to completion. In accordance to Rules 4.10(a), 4.10(d), 4.11(e), and 4.12 of the Official Playing Rules, if a game is canceled, postponed, delayed or tied, the makeup or completion of the game or innings shall take place during the home team’s next designated practice time and field. If agreed by both managers, the makeup innings may be played during the visiting team’s practice slot. In the event that the following practice time is not possible for one or both teams, the home team manager must work with the league scheduler to find an acceptable time. Home and visiting team designations remain as per the schedule. Any games that are not played prior to the end of the regular season shall be recorded in the standings as a loss for both teams. In accordance with Rule 4.13 of the Official Playing Rules, no team shall be scheduled to play two games in one day. 9. The home book is always the official scorebook for the game. To avoid discrepancies in pitch counts at game’s end, it is recommended that scorekeepers from both teams meet often during the game to reconcile pitch counts and scores. The home book is always deemed correct when scorekeepers cannot agree on pitch counts and scores. 10. The home team manager shall record the status of a game, scores, pitchers used and individual pitch counts on the league website for all scrimmages and for all games that are completed and for all games that are partially completed, tied, and or cancelled, postponed or delayed due to weather or darkness. This information must be recorded within 24 hours of the completion or partial completion of the game, or from the time the game was scheduled to start if no part of the game was played. If the home team manager fails to record this information as required, the visiting team scorebook will become the official scorebook for the game. 11. There shall be a post-season tournament to determine League Champion. The tournament may be single elimination, double-elimination, or some variant of pool play, depending upon the number of teams and to be determined by the Board of Directors. Local and Little League International regular season rules will be in effect for the tournament. Teams will be seeded in the tournament based on their regular season records. If any teams finish with the same record, tie breakers for tournament seeding shall apply in the following order: (i) combined head-to-head record of teams, (ii) runs allowed head-to-head, (iii) runs scored head-to-head, (iv) season runs allowed total, (v) season runs scored total, or (vi) coin flip.
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BILL 2015 Baseball Local Rules LOCAL RULES APPLICABLE TO “AAA” DIVISION OF BASEBALL DIVISION PLAYING PHILOSOPHY: This division of Little League promotes a higher level of competition than "AA" and emphasizes more of the standard rules of Little League baseball. The focus in "AAA" remains on education, development and teamwork while encouraging a deeper understanding of the game and advancing skill development in order to prepare players for successful participation at the Majors level. Winning and loosing remain secondary to promoting the learning and development experienced by each player. 1. Regulation IV(i) of the Official Playing Rules is modified such that each player listed in a team’s batting order shall participate in a game for a minimum of nine (9) defensive outs. If a game is shortened for any reason (this does not include the home team not requiring some or all of its half of the sixth inning), then every player shall participate for a minimum of six (6) defensive outs. 2. In accordance with Rule 4.04 of the Official Playing Rules, all teams shall bat the line up using a continuous batting order. Any player who arrives after the exchange of lineup cards may be added to the end of his or her team’s batting order at the discretion of the manager. 3. In regular season and league tournament play, there shall be a five (5) run limit per inning per team. The five (5) run limit shall not apply to the final inning of the game. a. In the final inning, the offensive team concludes its time at bat when it bats through the order or three outs are made, whichever occurs first. The twelve (12) run Mercy rule does not apply. 4. All games must be played to completion. In accordance to Rules 4.10(a), 4.10(d), 4.11(e), and 4.12 of the Official Playing Rules, if a game is canceled, postponed, delayed or tied, the makeup or completion of the game or innings shall take place the following Sunday at the home team’s designated practice time and field. If agreed by both managers, the makeup innings may be played during the visiting team’s practice slot. In the event that the following Sunday is not possible for one or both teams, the home team manager must work with the league scheduler to find an acceptable time. Home and visiting team designations remain as per the schedule. Any games that are not played prior to the end of the regular season shall be recorded in the standings as a loss for both teams. In accordance with Rule 4.13 of the Official Playing Rules, no team shall be scheduled to play two games in one day. 5. The home book is always the official scorebook for the game. To avoid discrepancies in pitch counts at game’s end, it is recommended that scorekeepers from both teams meet often during the game to reconcile pitch counts and scores. The home book is always deemed correct when scorekeepers cannot agree on pitch counts and scores. 6. The home team manager shall record the status of a game, scores, pitchers used and individual pitch counts on the league website for all scrimmages and for all games that are completed and for all games that are partially completed, tied, and or cancelled, postponed or delayed due to weather or darkness. This information must be recorded within 24 hours of the completion or partial completion of the game, or from the time the game was scheduled to start if no part of the game was played. If the home team manager fails to record this information as required, the visiting team scorebook will become the official scorebook for the game. 7. There shall be a post-season tournament (played as non-regular season Special Games) to determine League Champion. The tournament may be double-elimination or some variant of pool play, depending upon the number of teams and to be determined by the Board of Directors. Local and Little League International regular season rules will be in effect for the tournament. Teams will be seeded in the tournament based upon their regular season records. If any teams finish with the same record, tie breakers for tournament seeding shall apply in the following order: (i) combined head-to-head record of teams, (ii) runs allowed head-to-head, (iii) runs scored head-to-head, (iv) season runs allowed total, (v) season runs scored total, or (vi) coin flip. Page | 11
BILL 2016 Baseball Local Rules BILL POLICIES – DRAFT, TEAM SELECTION, ALL STARS 1. Tryouts/Eligibility a. All players eligible to play in the Majors and AAA divisions, except for returning Majors players, must try out as outlined in the Little League Operating Manual and meet a minimum tryout score for their respective division as determined by the Player Agent and the President. Players unavailable to complete the tryout process but who otherwise meet eligibility requirements will be considered on a case by case basis by Player Agent(s) and the VP of Baseball and must receive a signed waiver by the League President. b. Players who are Little League age 10 must score a minimum of three (3) points higher than the established Majors minimum tryout score to be considered eligible for Majors. c. Players who are Little League age 9 or younger are not eligible to play Majors. 2. Draft (AAA division) a. The Player Agents will be responsible for organizing and conducting the draft. The Draft Pool will be established by the Player Agents. The Draft Pool will include players who complete the tryout process (excepting those players receiving waiver by League President), meet a minimum tryout score established by the Player Agents and have not been selected for the Major League. b. Bainbridge Island Little League has adopted the Plan B draft for leagues in their first year of operation, modified as follows. There will not be any practice games to test the equality of teams. c. On the draft night, the managers shall decide as a group which players are the first round picks. To the extent that the top few picks are more skilled players than the players inserted at the end of the first round, that is noted but exact order is not critical. The managers shall then decide as a group which players are the second round picks, again noting the higher picks, for the purpose of somewhat obtaining a serpentine draft so that the better first round picks are paired up with the lower second round picks. d. At the third round, which will include managers' children in the draft who are 11, those 11 year olds are automatically placed into that round, and those managers with 11 year olds have no vote as to who else is a third round pick (although they may and should comment on players’ skill levels). Thus only the managers who do not have an 11 year old child in the draft will select which players fill out the rest of the third round. This same process is repeated for the fourth round, where managers with 10 year old children in the draft do not get to vote. This same process is repeated for the fifth round if there are any managers with 9 year old children in the draft. e. The draft will continue through the remaining rounds, with a consensus vote as to which players should be in which rounds. No manager shall indicate any preference for any team before the teams are complete. To ensure that managers do not attempt to steer players to a team that they hope to receive, after the first two rounds all players for a particular round will be selected before they are assigned to a team, and then once all the players are selected for that round each player will be randomly placed on a team (by drawing the names from a hat or some similar method). As the draft slots are being filled, the Player Agent shall attempt to achieve rough equality as to ages, so that each team has roughly the same number of 11, 10, and 9 year olds. The managers may help this by creating rounds of only one age group, and the Player Agent may assign players to teams in a way that achieves a rough balance of ages. Siblings shall be placed on the same team, but it is not necessary that they be selected in consecutive rounds. Page | 12
BILL 2015 Baseball Local Rules f. Once all draft slots are filled, the managers shall discuss whether there are teams that look strong or weak, and by consensus swap players accordingly to better even out the skill sets (presumptively keeping players in their same draft round unless there is a strong reason to make a change) until there is some general consensus that the teams have some rough equality. In all rounds, especially early rounds, the managers should make a concerted effort to spread the pitchers, catchers, and middle infielders as evenly as possible among the teams. g. At this point each manager shall submit a ballot with their name, their first choice team, their second choice team, and any team they specifically would not want to have. It is not necessary to name a last choice team. No ballot shall be read aloud until all ballots are received. If every manager picks a different team with his or her first choice, then that is the team each manager gets and the draft is complete. If one team is the first choice of two or more managers, or if any teams receive no first choices, and particularly if no team receives any second choice votes, then that indicates that the teams are not yet balanced. At this time, ideally without changing the round any player is in, talk through why managers want certain teams and why other teams are not being selected, and then switch players around appropriately to even out the talent, making sure it is clear that some manager will be satisfied with the team(s) that did not receive first or second choices before. Now go through the same voting again, but this time, unless there are three managers who all want the same team with their first choice, and unless there are teams that no manager wants with either a first or second choice (in which case further discussion and movement of players is required), then assign teams based upon who asked for the team. If only one manager selects a team with his or her first choice, that is their team. If two managers both have the same team as first choice, then if one of those managers has a second choice team that no other manager selected their first or second choice, then that manager is assigned their second choice team and the other manager gets the first choice. If both mangers have a second choice team that is selected as first choice by someone else, then flip a coin to see who wins the first choice and the manager losing the coin toss will get the remaining, unselected teams. If there are two such ties then the two managers who both lost the coin tosses will flip a coin to see who selects the remaining two teams. If there are three first-choice ties then the remaining three managers will draw lots. h. Once teams are assigned through the method above then each manager's child shall be moved to be on that manager's team, and the manager losing that other manager’s child will receive the other manager’s player from that same round. Similarly any player who is on a manager’s team for which that player’s parent(s) has objected to that specific manager will be moved to another team. After this is accomplished the teams are set, but trading is allowed subject to approval by the Players Agent. Managers should not expect to be allowed to trade for players in different rounds unless there is consensus that any difference in playing skills is minimal and debatable. Any trades must be approved and completed before the end of the draft night. No manager may trade for a player who was in the draft pool but was not selected in the draft. i. The manager’s child will be placed in the round as outlined by the Little League Operating Manual, Option on Sons, Daughters, and Siblings (page 58), except that for AAA BILL has adjusted the Table in Section 5 to the following: Draft Round
Majors Player Age
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BILL 2016 Baseball Local Rules 5 4 3
10 11 12
9 10 11
j. By way of example, if a AAA Manager’s child is 9 years old, that Manager's child will be placed in the 5th round; if 10 years old then in the 4th round; if 11 years old then in the 3rd round. k. The option on “Sons, Daughters and Siblings: (1) Brothers /Sisters in the Draft” (page 60 of 2015 Little League Operating Manual) is amended as described above. l. These draft rules are intended to both ensure evenly matched team and to also give the managers some choice in what team they receive. The rules should be interpreted in a flexible manner that achieves the best result possible. When there is consensus in the draft room to adjust the rules to achieve this result, and when approved by the VP of baseball and Players Agent, then the process for that particular draft shall be adjusted accordingly.
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BILL 2015 Baseball Local Rules 3. Draft (Majors Baseball) a. BILL will continue with the policy of redrafting the entire league for 2015. b. Prior to the draft, the Player Agents will be responsible for establishing a list of all Returning Players, and shall conduct a meeting with the managers to evaluate their previous year’s performance and/or previous manager’s opinion. This is a subjective evaluation and is only intended to assist new managers in the draft process. c. New players will be required to tryout (excepting waivers approved by League President). The Player Agent will be responsible for conducting the tryout process and generating a list of New Players eligible to play Majors. The New Players list will be based upon players who complete the tryout process and meet a minimum tryout score established by the Player Agents to assure sufficient competence to play safely in the Major League. d. For the 2015 season, Bainbridge Island Little League has adopted the Plan B draft for leagues in their first year of operation, modified as follows. There will not be any practice games to test the equality of teams. e. The tryouts/skills assessment will proceed as in prior years. Players returning to Majors do not try out, 11 year old players trying out for Majors must meet a minimum draft score of 15 to be eligible for Majors, and 10 year old players must meet a minimum score of 18 to be eligible for Majors. The draft pool will consist of all players meeting the minimum scores, all 12 year olds, and all returning Majors players. This draft pool may exceed the exact number of players needed to fill the teams. f. On the draft night, the managers shall decide as a group which players are the first round picks. To the extent that the top few picks are more skilled players than the players inserted at the end of the first round, that is noted but exact order is not critical. The managers shall then decide as a group which players are the second round picks, again noting the higher picks, for the purpose of somewhat obtaining a serpentine draft so that the better first round picks are paired up with the lower second round picks. g. At the third round, which will include managers' children in the draft who are 12, those 12 year olds are automatically placed into that round, and those managers with 12 year olds have no vote as to who else is a third round pick (although they may and should comment on players’ skill levels). Thus only the managers who do not have a 12 year old child in the draft will select which players fill out the rest of the third round. This same process is repeated for the fourth round, where managers with 11 year old children in the draft do not get to vote. This same process is repeated for the fifth round if there are any managers with 10 year old children in the draft. h. The draft will continue through the remaining rounds, with a consensus vote as to which players should be in which rounds. No manager shall indicate any preference for any team before the teams are complete. To ensure that managers do not attempt to steer players to a team that they hope to receive, after the first two rounds all players for a particular round will be selected before they are assigned to a team, and then once all the players are selected for that round each player will be randomly placed on a team (by drawing the names from a hat or some similar method). As the draft slots are being filled, the Player Agent shall attempt to achieve rough equality as to ages, so that each team has roughly the same number of 12, 11, and 10 year olds. The managers may help this by creating rounds of only one age group, and the Player Agent may assign players to teams in a way that achieves a rough balance of ages. Siblings shall be placed on the same team, but it is not necessary that they be selected in consecutive rounds. i. Once all draft slots are filled (with the Players Agent ensuring that all 12 year olds and returning Majors players are placed on a team), the managers shall discuss whether there are teams that look strong or weak, and by consensus swap players accordingly to better even out the skill sets (presumptively keeping players in their same draft round unless there is a strong reason to make a Page | 15
BILL 2016 Baseball Local Rules change) until there is some general consensus that the teams have some rough equality. In all rounds, especially early rounds, the managers should make a concerted effort to spread the pitchers, catchers, and middle infielders as evenly as possible among the teams. j. At this point each manager shall submit a ballot with their name, their first choice team, their second choice team, and any team they specifically would not want to have. It is not necessary to name a last choice team. No ballot shall be read aloud until all ballots are received. If every manager picks a different team with his or her first choice, then that is the team each manager gets and the draft is complete. If one team is the first choice of two or more managers, or if any teams receive no first choices, and particularly if no team receives any second choice votes, then that indicates that the teams are not yet balanced. At this time, ideally without changing the round any player is in, talk through why managers want certain teams and why other teams are not being selected, and then switch players around appropriately to even out the talent, making sure it is clear that some manager will be satisfied with the team(s) that did not receive first or second choices before. Now go through the same voting again, but this time, unless there are three managers who all want the same team with their first choice, and unless there are teams that no manager wants with either a first or second choice (in which case further discussion and movement of players is required), then assign teams based upon who asked for the team. If only one manager selects a team with his or her first choice, that is their team. If two managers both have the same team as first choice, then if one of those managers has a second choice team that no other manager selected their first or second choice, then that manager is assigned their second choice team and the other manager gets the first choice. If both mangers have a second choice team that is selected as first choice by someone else, then flip a coin to see who wins the first choice and the manager losing the coin toss will get the remaining, unselected teams. If there are two such ties then the two managers who both lost the coin tosses will flip a coin to see who selects the remaining two teams. If there are three first-choice ties then the remaining three managers will draw lots. k. Once teams are assigned through the method above then each manager's child shall be moved to be on that manager's team, and the manager losing that other manager’s child will receive the other manager’s player from that same round. Similarly any player who is on a manager’s team for which that player’s parent(s) has objected to that specific manager will be moved to another team. After this is accomplished the teams are set, but trading is allowed subject to approval by the Players Agent. Managers should not expect to be allowed to trade for players in different rounds unless there is consensus that any difference in playing skills is minimal and debatable. Any trades must be approved and completed before the end of the draft night. No manager may trade for a player who was in the draft pool but was not selected in the draft. l.
The Manager’s child will be placed in the round as outlined by the Little League Operating ManualOption on Sons, Daughters, and Siblings, Section 5, page 58.
m. The option on “Sons, Daughters and Siblings: (1) Brothers /Sisters in the Draft” (page 58 of 2015 Little League Operating Manual) is amended as described above. n. These draft rules are intended to both ensure evenly matched team and to also give the managers some choice in what team they receive. The rules should be interpreted in a flexible manner that achieves the best result possible. When there is consensus in the draft room to adjust the rules to achieve this result, and when approved by the VP of baseball and Players Agent, then the process for that particular draft shall be adjusted accordingly.
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BILL 2015 Baseball Local Rules All Star Rules and Regulations All rules, regulations and guidelines presented in this document are intended to be consistent with Bainbridge Island Little League Local Rules and the principles of player development, fair play and good sportsmanship that provide the foundation of best practices for youth baseball. All rules, regulations and guidelines are, also, designed to conform to the rules and regulations of Little League International. Any unintended conflict shall be resolved to the satisfaction of the relevant rule and/or regulation contained in the current Baseball Official Regulations & Playing Rules of Little League International. The All-Star Committee strives to preserve the efforts of prior year’s All-Star Committees while accommodating suggestions received from players, families and coaches who commented to the Board regarding prior year’s AllStar Selection process and Tournament. It is the intent of the All-Star Committee to communicate a set of guidelines that promote fairness and transparency. It is also the intent that these rules and guidelines be taken forward to form the basis for next year’s All-Star selection process while allowing the subsequent year’s All-Star Committee and BILL Board opportunity to make adjustments based on community input.
Teams 12/11 year-olds: This level of competition includes the opportunity for play in the Little League World Series. In selection of All-Star players at this level, the BILL Board endorses the principle of competitive advantage in creating the team with the best chance of success in the post-season All-Star Tournament. As in prior years and as required by Little League International, BILL will field one team comprised by 12/11 year-old players. This team will carry a minimum of twelve (12) All-Stars. If sufficient high-caliber player-candidates are eligible for All-Star play at this level, BILL encourages consideration of an All-Star roster of thirteen (13) or fourteen (14). 11/10 year-olds: This level of competition does not include opportunity for play in the Little League World Series although teams may advance to the District and State Championships. Selection of players for inclusion onto the 11/10 team(s) will be determined by the number of registered, eligible players and guided by a balance between principles of competitive advantage and inclusion. Whether B. I. Little League fields one or two teams at this level will depend upon numbers of eligible players. It is intended that the fielded team(s) have a good opportunity to advance in the District and State Tournaments while accommodating the greatest number of players possible. If only one All-Star team is fielded at this level of competition then the team will carry a minimum of twelve (12) players. If more than one team is fielded then teams may carry a minimum of eleven (11) players. If multiple teams are fielded then each team will carry the same roster size as the other. Minimum roster size notwithstanding and to further the principle of inclusion, BILL endorses Little League International’s suggestion that teams at this level of play consider the maximum roster size of fourteen (14). 10/9 year-olds: This level of competition also provides for advancement in District and State Tournaments. The selection of All-Star players at this level will be guided by a principle of inclusion. In keeping with BILL’s goal to allow as many players as possible to experience post-season play, the League will strive to field at least two, equally and fairly-divided 10/9 year-old teams. To further the principle of inclusion, BILL endorses Little League International’s suggestion that teams at this level of play include the maximum roster size of fourteen (14) while establishing a minimum roster size of twelve (12). If two teams are fielded then each team will carry the same roster size as the other. Page | 17
BILL 2016 Baseball Local Rules
Managers: All-Star Managers assume a great responsibility over the children selected as All-Stars and they carry the obligation to represent the community of Bainbridge Island and the organization of Bainbridge Island Little League with utmost professionalism during District, State, Regional and National Tournaments. Sportsmanship, ability to create a positive experience for players and knowledge of the game of baseball shall be highly valued in the selection of All-Star Managers. It is our goal to have the All-Star Manager for each team announced during the final week of regular season games. To be eligible to apply, the potential All-Star Manager must currently be a Manager within the Majors or Minors Divisions. Only regular season managers at the Majors Division level may apply as All-Star Manager of the 12/11 team. Regular season managers at the Majors and Minor Divisions levels may apply as All-Star Manager of the 11/10 and the 10/9 All-Star teams. In an effort to promote transparency, the following four items will be taken into consideration: •
•
•
•
Mid-Season Manager Evaluation –All families will be sent a confidential survey asking for feedback on the Manager for which their child plays. Specific questions will be included regarding success at skills development, encouragement of good sportsmanship, demonstrated team management skills, etc. Mid-Season Peer Assessment of Managers – Regular season managers shall receive a Managers Peer Rating Form. Each regular season manager will be asked to rate managers other than themselves along a set of criteria such as game management, relationship with players, control of his bench, control of spectators and respect for the game and its rules. This rating form is designed to provide feedback to managers about perceived strengths and weaknesses from the perspective of his or her peers. All-Star Manager Application/Letter of Interest – Regular season managers interested in managing an AllStar team must complete the “All-Star Manager Application/Letter of Interest” and return it prior to the published deadline. The All-Star Application/Letter of Interest will include self-appraisal of coaching experience, tournament experience, knowledge of the game, attitudes about youth baseball and description of additional league involvement. Interview – The BILL All Star Rules Committee will conduct structured interviews of each eligible applicant and record assessment of those candidates based upon the interview.
Upon completion of the interview process, the All-Star Committee will consider all of the information gathered and vote to make recommendations of All-Star Managers that are then presented to the BILL Board President for appointment and, if appointed, for the approval of the BILL Board. Managers named to the All-Star teams shall choose their own All-Star Coaches pending appointment by the BILL Board President and, if appointed, approval of the BILL Board. All-Star Coaches must be selected from among regular-season Managers and Coaches at the Majors and Minors Divisions of Bainbridge Island Little League.
Player Eligibility: To be eligible for All Stars, players must meet the following requirements:
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BILL 2015 Baseball Local Rules • • • • •
12/11 Team: Any player league age 12 or 11 who has participated as an eligible player in 60% of scheduled, regular season games on a B. I. Little League Majors Division team 11/10 Team: Any player league age 11 or 10 who has participated as an eligible player in 60% of scheduled, regular season games on a B. I. Little League Majors or AAA Divisions team 10/9 Team: Any player league age 10 or 9 who has participated as an eligible player in 60% of scheduled, regular season games on a B. I. Little League Majors or AAA Divisions team During the time from the end of the school year until the end of the tournament post-season a player must commit to not missing more than 2 days of All-Star practice and no All-Star games. Player must complete, sign, along with his/her legal guardians, and submit an All-Star Player Commitment Letter. Any player in the Majors and AAA Divisions meeting the above requirements may nominate him/herself for consideration to be an All-Star.
If a player and/or his parents know for a fact that they will either miss more than 2 days of practice or any tournament games due to vacation or other summer commitments, for example, they should consider themselves ineligible for All-Stars participation. If a player makes him or herself available, is selected for All-Stars but misses more than two practices or a tournament game, the player shall be replaced with an alternate player at the discretion of the All-Star Committee with the approval of the BILL Board President. All-Star Managers have an affirmative obligation to advise the All-Star Committee if any player has missed more than two days of practice or is planning to miss any tournament dates. The All-Star Manager never has the authority to make eligibility decisions and must, in all events, consult the All-Star Committee if s/he has any questions concerning eligibility of a specific player.
Player Selection All-Star player selection shall be governed by three distinct processes: 1. Selection by player peers 2. Selection by regular-season managers 3. Selection by All-Star Managers In all instances, only those children who have completed an All-Star Player Commitment Letter shall be considered for selection. The developing list of All-Star candidates submitting an All-Star Player Commitment Letter shall be reviewed by the Player Agent(s), the Umpire-in-Chief and the Vice President of Baseball for obvious omissions. The Player Agent(s) will communicate with the families of such omitted players to confirm their intention to not have their child be eligible for All-Star selection. In the event that a potential All-Star player is identified by his or her peers as an All-Star Candidate but for whom there is no All-Star Player Commitment Letter on file with the League, the Player Agent(s) will contact the family of that player to determine the status of the player’s interest in submitting and All-Star Player Commitment Letter.
Player Selection Process Peer Nominations: All regular season players from the Majors Division shall receive an opportunity to vote for those 12 year-old players that they think ought to play on the All-Star team. Each voting player will select a maximum of four (4) players other than him or herself or any member of his or her own team. Any Peer Nomination shall be made according to evaluation of a 12 year-old player’s skill at the game, sportsmanship and Page | 19
BILL 2016 Baseball Local Rules positive impact on his/her team or upon the League as a whole. Ballots shall be tabulated by the All-Star Committee to identify the top four (4) peer-selected, 12 year-old candidates. Manager Player Bios: Each regular season Majors and AAA Divisions manager shall provide information on those players on his/her team that are eligible for consideration as All-Stars. The information shall be provided on a Player Bio Form provided by the League. The bio shall include objective information such as batting average, onbase percentage, speed and positional skill assessment. Information provided shall also include subjective impressions regarding player’s attitude, team player qualities and improvement over the course of the season. Description of any player is intended to provide an accurate perspective of that player’s strengths and weaknesses in a form that is consistent across all players. All-Star Selection Process: The All-Star Team Selection Meetings will be presided over by the Player Agent(s), the Vice President of Baseball, and with the assistance of the All-Star Committee. In addition, the BILL President will seek to appoint an Independent Observer to the process. Ideally, the Independent Observer will have past experience with Bainbridge Island Little League but will have no current involvement with the League. It is recommended that if a Player Agent or Vice President has a child eligible for All Stars, then those persons should not participate in the All Star selection process to avoid any perceived conflicts of interest. This determination shall be made on an individual basis with each year’s board. In any event, if a Player Agent or Vice President has a child eligible for selection to an All-Star team being discussed, s/he will abstain from involvement while that team is selected. If the Players Agent(s) and Vice President are all similarly constrained then the Coach’s Coordinator shall preside over team selection. Any irresolvable issue will be decided upon by the Bainbridge Island Little League President. His or her judgment on the issue shall be final. Announcement of All-Star Teams: The release of names of players selected for All-Star teams shall not be made before June 15th or two weeks prior to the start of the tournament (whichever is earlier) and not until the availability and eligibility of all prospective team members have been established.
12/11 All-Star Team Selection •
•
• •
Upon commencement of the All-Star Team Selection process, the top four (4) peer-selected 12 year-old players shall be announced by the presiding officer and those players will fill the first four spots on the 12/11 All-Star Team. As the All-Star Team begins to take shape, the All-Star Manager may identify specific positions that have not yet been filled or that are light in available talent. Other than by virtue of the All-Star Manager’s vote as a regular-season manager, he or she may not suggest a particular player by name to the rest of the voting group. At no time may a regular-season manager vote for a player on his or her own team. Spots 5 through 9 (total of 5) shall be filled by vote of Majors Division Managers. o Each Manager shall present a bio of eligible All-Star candidates that were coached by him or her during the regular season. In the event that a candidate All-Star is not represented by his or her Manager due to absence, that Manager’s written bio will be read aloud by the presiding officer. o There shall be, at least, three (3) rounds of voting by the Majors Managers. Each manager shall privately record his or her votes followed by the public announcement and recording of those votes. Page | 20
BILL 2015 Baseball Local Rules
In Round One, Majors Manager shall have five (5) votes to cast for the selection of All-Star players. Managers will record their selections on paper ballot. They shall sign those ballots then submit them to the presiding member of the All-Star Committee. Once all votes are submitted, the presiding member shall announce each Manager’s selections. The top three (3) vote recipients shall be placed onto the All-Star team roster occupying spots 5, 6 and 7. In Round Two, Majors Managers shall have four (4) votes to cast for selection among the remaining All-Star candidates. The top two (2) vote recipients shall be placed onto the AllStar team roster occupying spots 8 and 9. The 12/11 All-Star Team Manager shall place two (2) of the remaining All-Star candidates onto the All-Star team roster occupying spots 10 and 11. In Round Three, Majors Managers shall have three (3) votes to cast for selection of the 12th All-Star on the roster. The All-Star Manager may elect to roster a 13th or 14th All-Star. This decision occurs solely at the discretion of the All-Star Manager. If s/he elects to roster a 13th player, voting proceeds as in Round 3. Upon selection of the 13th All-Star to the team roster, the All-Star Manager may exercise the option to roster a 14th player. If s/he so elects to do so, voting also proceeds as in Round 3.
11/10 Team Selection •
Upon completion of the 12/11 team selection process, the Majors Division Managers shall be joined by the AAA Division Managers and the 11/10 All-Star Team Manager(s). Only Majors Managers vote for the players on the 11/10 team; AAA Managers are present solely to discuss any AAA players that are eligible.
Selection of a single team: •
If the size of the available pool of All-Star candidates at this level permits for the selection of only one team, the All-Star Team Selection Process for the 11/10 year-olds shall proceed similarly as is above detailed for the 12/11 team with the exception that no peer voted All-Stars are available to populate the first four roster spots. o o
o o
Team roster shall have a minimum of twelve (12) players. Each Manager shall present a bio of eligible All-Star candidates that were coached by him or her during the regular season. In the event that a candidate All-Star is not represented by his or her Manager due to absence, that Manager’s written bio will be read aloud by the presiding officer. At no time may a regular-season manager vote for a player on his or her own team. Spots 1 through 7 shall be determined by vote of the regular-season managers in Round One. Regular-season Managers shall have ten (10) votes to cast for the selection of All-Star players. Managers will record their selections on paper ballot, sign the ballots then submit them to the presiding member of the All-Star Committee. Once all votes are submitted, the presiding member shall announce each Manager’s selections. The top seven vote recipients shall be placed on the All-Star team roster occupying spots 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7. Page | 21
BILL 2016 Baseball Local Rules o
Subsequent voting proceeds as per Round Two described above in the Team Selection Process for the 12/11 year-old team. From this point forward, the balance of the team is created by following the same protocol as for the 12/11 year-old team.
Selection of two teams: •
If the number of the available All-Star candidates at this level permits for the selection of two teams, then the minimum size of each team is to be eleven (11) players for each team. Selection of All-Star candidates to two All-Star teams at this level is to proceed as follows: o Regular-season managers shall develop a pool of eligible All-Stars. This pool shall number thirty (30) in size and becomes the only source from which an All-Star at this level of play may be selected for the purposes of team creation. If there are fewer than thirty available applicants, the process shall proceed directly to the coin flip to determine which manager picks first. o The voting process to create the pool shall take place in three (3) rounds. In Round One, each manager is allotted 25 votes. The manager shall create his or her list privately then submit that list on a signed paper ballot to the presiding officer. Once all lists are submitted, the presiding officer will publicly announce each manager’s selections that are, then, recorded. The top 20 vote recipients will be added to the pool. In Round Two, each manager is provided with ten (10) votes from which the top 7 vote recipients will be identified and added to the pool then numbering 27 in total. In Round Three, each manager is provided with five (5) votes from which the top 3 vote recipients will be identified and added to the pool then numbering 30 in total. o Once the All-Star Pool is established, the All-Star Managers shall flip a coin to determine which of them picks first. Alternating selection shall continue until each team has a roster size of eleven (11) All-Star players. Early selections shall focus on equitable distribution of pitchers and catchers then upon equitable distribution of the middle infielders. o Upon filling each team with 11 All-Stars each, the All-Star Managers may decide to add additional players but both All-Star Managers must be in agreement as regards to roster size. In other words, both All-Star Managers must agree to roster 12, 13 or 14 players on each team.
10/9 Team Selection •
•
Upon completion of the 11/10 All-Star Team Selection process, the Majors Managers may excuse themselves from the room leaving only the AAA Managers and the 10/9 All-Star Team Manager(s). Those Majors Managers that have a 10 year-old team member available for inclusion in the draft of the 10/9 AllStar Team(s) are encouraged to remain available to present his or her player’s bio. It is expected that Bainbridge Island Little League shall be able to field two teams at this level of play. Team formation shall be advised by the principle of offering the opportunity to play in tournament competition to as many children as possible. Consequently, whether one or two teams are fielded, the minimum roster size shall be twelve (12).
Aside from the difference described in the prior bullet point, the process for creation of the 10/9 year-old All-Star Team(s) shall be precisely like the process detailed above for the 11/10 age group for selection of two teams. Page | 22
BILL Board of Directors
BASEBALL LOCAL RULES REGULAR SEASON AND ALL-STARS Revised and Approved: March 7, 2016
BILL 2016 Baseball Local Rules PREFACE TO LOCAL RULES Great coaching depends upon many things including a love of the game and a desire to give children the tools they need to be successful on the field and in their lives. “Managers and coaches are among the most important volunteers in the Little League program. They have to know the game and they have to love working with kids. Leagues with knowledgeable, caring and concerned coaches have an advantage when it comes to making the game fun and retaining players.” (Little League International) Bainbridge Island Little League expects that all Managers and Coaches will familiarize themselves with Little League 2015 Baseball Official Regulations and Playing Rules. Knowledge of the game, its rules and its regulations is a fundamental element of a good coach’s toolkit. Our league makes the commitment to its coaches to provide support, education and training opportunities to its managers and coaches at all levels of play. In return, we trust that all managers and coaches will endeavor to grow their knowledge base of the game so that, in turn, they are better equipped to pass on their love and understanding of the game to the kids they coach. The following pages include local rules that modify and/or extend the official rules and regulations of Little League Baseball. Local rules are not a substitute for the rules of the game. They represent only a small set of modifications to official rules and regulations that have been approved by current and/or prior Bainbridge Island Little League Boards of Directors. In addition, a few very basic, unmodified rules and regulations of Little League baseball are included for the purpose of providing some of the distinguishing characteristics that separate the various levels of play. Each Manager and Coach is expected to learn and incorporate these rules modifications that apply across all divisions of baseball AND those local rules that apply to the level of play in which s/he is coaching.
Your signature below represents that you have read and understood the 2015 Bainbridge Island Little League Local Rules, that you promise to do your utmost to abide by these rules and by the rules of Little League Baseball and, most importantly, that you will strive to improve your coaching skills in order to make our league a terrific place for our children to play baseball and have fun doing it.
_____________________________ (Printed Name)
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BILL 2015 Baseball Local Rules
LOCAL RULES APPLICABLE TO ALL BASEBALL DIVISIONS
1. A Manager must notify the Player Agent if any player misses more than four consecutive games for any reason. Any player who is out of the lineup for more than three consecutive weeks may be removed from his/her team by action of the BILL Board of Directors and replaced in accordance with Rule III(d) of the Official Playing Rules. 2. If a player quits a team, whether due to injury or any other reason, the Manager shall contact the Player Agent, Vice President and President within ten (10) days time to alert them of the change in roster. 3. In accordance with Regulation III(d)(2), Note 1, a player may only be called up from a Minors division team prior to the last two weeks of the regular season. 4. In accordance with Regulation VIII(b), if a Minors division player declines to move up when a vacancy occurs on a Majors division team, the Player Agent shall transfer that player to another team in the Minors division, preferably a team with a lower standing. Team placement of the player shall be at the sole discretion of the Player Agent. The BILL Board of Directors, upon appeal, may waive this policy. 5. The BILL Board of Directors at its sole discretion may assess penalties for a violation of any rule up to and including suspension or termination of the offending manager or coaches. 6. These Local Rules shall be automatically applicable to subsequent seasons until modified by vote of the Board of Directors.
ORGANIZATION OF LOCAL RULES BY DIVISION Subsequent sections focus on sets of local rules as they apply to the various divisions of Bainbridge Island Little League Baseball. Coaches and Managers are responsible for those local rules that apply to the division in which they participate. Mangers who intend to umpire outside of their division of play should be knowledgeable about the local rules for any division in which they intend to umpire.
LOCAL RULES FOR JUNIOR, SENIOR AND BIG LEAGUE DIVISIONS OF BASEBALL Local rules for Junior, Senior and Big League Divisions will be defined in collaboration with District 2 and the local leagues participating in inter-league play. Interleague rules for these divisions of play shall be posted to the BILL website upon becoming available.
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BILL 2016 Baseball Local Rules LOCAL RULES APPLICABLE TO MAJORS DIVISION OF BASEBALL DIVISION PLAYING PHILOSOPHY: This division promotes competition to a higher degree as compared to the Minor League. Within this more competitive environment, the emphasis remains on improving baseball skills, building individual self-esteem, promoting team camaraderie and emphasizing fair play. The division is designed to be both the satisfying culmination of some players' Little League careers and to prepare other players for higher levels of play including advancement in Little League Tournament play and readiness to move up to play on the full 90 foot diamond. 1. Regulation IV(i) of the Official Playing Rules is modified such that each player listed in a team’s batting order shall participate in each game for a minimum of nine (9) defensive outs. If a game is shortened for any reason (this does not include the home team not requiring some or all of its half of the sixth inning), then every player listed in a team’s batting order shall participate for a minimum of six (6) defensive outs. Rule 3.03 of the Official Playing Rules is modified to allow free substitution on defense. 2. Pursuant to Rule 4.04, Bainbridge Island Little League adopts the continuous batting order for all regular season games and any Special Games (i.e., league playoffs). Bainbridge Island Little League will not utilize a nine-player batting order in any games. 3. All games must be played to completion. In accordance to Rules 4.10(a), 4.10(d), 4.11(e), and 4.12 of the Official Playing Rules, if a game is canceled, postponed, delayed or tied, the makeup or completion of the game or innings shall take place the following Sunday at the home team’s designated practice time and field. If this Sunday is the day after one team’s double-header, then that team has the option of playing the makeup game on a different date. If agreed by both managers, the makeup game or innings may be played during the visiting team’s practice slot. In the event that the following Sunday is not possible for one or both teams, the home team manager must work with the league scheduler to find an acceptable time. Home and visiting team designations remain as per the schedule. Any games that are not played prior to the end of the regular season shall be recorded in the standings as a loss for both teams. In accordance with Rule 4.13 of the Official Playing Rules, no team shall be scheduled to play three games in one day. Majors teams may be scheduled for no more than one doubleheader per week. 4. Rule 4.10(e) of the Official Playing Rules is modified to 12 runs rather than 10 runs (“Mercy Rule”). 5. The home team manager shall record the status of a game, scores, pitchers used and individual pitch counts on the league website for all scrimmages and for all games that are completed and for all games that are partially completed, tied, and or cancelled, postponed or delayed due to weather or darkness. This information must be recorded within 24 hours of the completion or partial completion of the game, or from the time the game was scheduled to start if no part of the game was played. If the home team manager fails to record this information as required, the visiting team scorebook will become the official scorebook for the game. 6. The home book is always the official scorebook for the game. To avoid discrepancies in pitch counts at game’s end, it is recommended that scorekeepers from both teams meet often during the game to reconcile pitch counts and scores. The home book is always deemed correct when scorekeepers cannot agree on pitch counts and scores. 7. There shall be a post-season tournament (played as non-regular season Special Games) to determine League Champion. The tournament may be double-elimination or some variant of pool play, depending upon the number of teams and to be determined by the Board of Directors. Local and Little League International regular season rules will be in effect for the tournament. Teams will be seeded in the Page | 4
BILL 2015 Baseball Local Rules tournament based upon their regular season records. If any teams finish with the same record, tie breakers for tournament seeding shall apply in the following order: (i) combined head-to-head record of teams, (ii) runs allowed head-to-head, (iii) runs scored head-to-head, (iv) season runs allowed total, (v) season runs scored total, or (vi) coin flip.
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BILL 2016 Baseball Local Rules
LOCAL RULES APPLICABLE TO MINORS DIVISION OF BASEBALL The Minor League shall be segregated into the following divisions: Tee Ball, “Rookie”, “A”, “AA” and “AAA”. Rookie and A share the same rules and may be combined into one division, depending upon the number of players and thus teams available.
LOCAL RULES APPLICABLE TO TEE BALL DIVISION PLAYING PHILOSOPHY: This division emphasizes the development of players. The goal of the division is to provide all players with a fun and positive introduction to the sport in a very supportive and noncompetitive learning environment. Tee Ball, just like baseball, is open to both girls and boys. Focused on the most basic fundamentals, players will learn how to hold a bat, hit off a tee, throw a baseball and possibly catch a ball. 1. Tee Ball games shall conclude after three (3) innings or one (1) hour, whichever occurs first. 2. All teams shall bat the lineup using a continuous batting order. Any player who arrives after the start of the game shall be added to the end of his/her team’s batting order. 3. The offensive team’s time at bat ends when it bats through the lineup, regardless of whether or not three outs have been recorded. 4. Each team is allowed to use ten (10) defensive players of which four (4) must be in the outfield. Coaches are encouraged to allow players to experience different fielding positions during the season while keeping in mind safety concerns for individual children. Each player must play at least two (2) defensive innings, unless the game is shortened for any reason. 5. Free substitution is allowed so that Managers have the flexibility of putting a different lineup on the field for defense each inning. 6. Walks, base stealing and sliding are prohibited. 7. There shall be one coach in the dugout at all times. Notwithstanding this requirement, each team is permitted to place up to two coaches on the field of play when on defense. a. When playing defense, no more than two coaches may assume positions in fair or foul territory. b. When playing offense, no more than two coaches may act as base coaches. 8. Each team may designate one parent to serve as umpire for the duration of the game. 9. No score or league standings shall be kept. 10. There shall be no post-season tournament.
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BILL 2015 Baseball Local Rules LOCAL RULES APPLICABLE TO “ROOKIE” AND “A” DIVISION OF BASEBALL “ROOKIE” DIVISION PLAYING PHILOSOPHY: This division emphasizes the development of players and fosters a better understanding of the game. The goal is to ensure all players expand their knowledge of the sport in a structured manner while maintaining a focus on fun. Players experience a low level of competition without emphasis on winning or losing. It introduces a fundamental aspect of competition by supporting and encouraging every child to experience success in the face of the challenges of the game. “A” DIVISION PLAYING PHILOSOPHY: This level of play fosters continued skills development and a better understanding of the rules and nuances of the game. Players are expected to have fundamental baseball skills as this is a more elevated level of play than Rookie. The focus remains on the fun of playing the sport while more coaching attention is given to fielding, making plays, accurate throwing, proper hitting technique and preparing the player for player-pitch at the "AA" level. 1. Regulation IV(i) of the Official Playing Rules is modified such that each player listed in a team’s batting order shall participate in a game for a minimum of nine (9) defensive outs. If a game is shortened for any reason (this does not include the home team not requiring some or all of its half of the sixth inning), then every player shall participate for a minimum of six (6) defensive outs. 2. In accordance with Rule 4.04 of the Official Playing Rules, all teams shall bat the line up using a continuous batting order. Any player who arrives after the exchange of lineup cards may be added to the end of his or her team’s batting order at the discretion of the manager. 3. In accordance with Regulation VIII(d) of the Official Playing Rules, the batter’s manager or coach will be the Pitcher and function as the umpire for his or her team’s turn at bat during each inning. a. There shall be no walks. b. The Manager or Coach shall pitch no more than twelve (12) pitches to the batter. Foul balls shall count toward the twelve pitch count maximum. c. If after twelve pitches the player has not struck out or reached base by hitting the ball, the offensive Manager or Coach shall put the ball into play. d. A pitching machine (if available and agreed to by both teams) may be used to pitch in lieu of the batter’s Manager or Coach (note: when employed, both teams must use the pitching machine). 4. As an alternative to rule 3 above, Bainbridge Island Little League may purchase and provide spring-loaded pitching machines to the A/Rookie managers, in which case those pitching machines shall be used in place of the manager or coach. All other aspects of rule 3 above shall remain the same. 5. Prior to a pitch, the player fielding the pitcher’s spot shall take a position immediately to the left or to the right of the pitcher’s plate. 6. The offensive team’s time at bat ends when it bats through the line up or three outs are recorded, whichever occurs first. 7. No new inning shall start after 1 hour and 50 minutes has elapsed from the first pitch. Any inning started prior to the time limit must be finished according to Little League rules. Any game shortened by this time limit will be considered a regulation game. 8. Teams are not required to play make up games or innings. However, BILL encourages managers to try to play all games that are cancelled or not completed for any reason. Page | 7
BILL 2016 Baseball Local Rules a. To avoid conflicts with other field usage activities, games should be rescheduled to occur during team practice times. 9. Scores and standings will not be kept. 10. There will be no post season tournament.
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BILL 2015 Baseball Local Rules LOCAL RULES APPLICABLE TO “AA” DIVISION OF BASEBALL DIVISION PLAYING PHILOSOPHY: The "AA" Division is a combination player/coach-pitched baseball where a higher level of game understanding and ability is taught. Competition as it relates to winning and losing is introduced at this level. Winning and losing remain secondary to the essential goal of teaching each player to embrace success or failure with grace and to learn from both. Primary goals are to give players as much experience and playing time as possible and encouragement of ongoing development for all players in all phases of the game. This important developmental division provides a relatively even but not necessarily equal distribution of playing time among players. "AA" includes player pitch, limited stealing of bases, scoring and umpiring. By the end of the season players are expected to have refined their skills so they may successfully participate at the "AAA" level the following year. 1. Regulation IV(i) of the Official Playing Rules is modified such that each player listed in a team’s batting order shall participate in a game for a minimum of nine (9) defensive outs. If a game is shortened for any reason (this does not include the home team not requiring some or all of its half of the sixth inning), then every player shall participate for a minimum of six (6) defensive outs. 2. In accordance with Rule 4.04 of the Official Playing Rules, all teams shall bat the line up using a continuous batting order. Any player who arrives after the exchange of lineup cards may be added to the end of his or her team’s batting order at the discretion of the manager. 3. “AA” is a player pitch division. There shall be no walks but a batter hit by a player-pitcher shall be awarded first base. If a pitcher pitches four (4) balls1 to a batter before the batter has reached base or made an out, the batter’s Manager or Coach shall take the mound to finish the at bat, taking over the ball/strike count. The player-pitcher will field his/her position immediately to the right or left of the coach-pitcher. The combined number of pitches from the player-pitcher and the Manager or Coach shall not exceed eight (8) total pitches, unless the player-pitcher throws the eighth pitch and it is a ball. A foul ball shall count as one of the eight pitches but it shall also extend the at-bat if fouled on the eighth or subsequent pitch. If the final pitch is deemed unhittable by the umpire then the batter shall receive another pitch. If after the eight total pitches the player has not reached base by hitting the ball, the batter shall be out. 4. In the event that the league is unable to provide an umpire, the offensive team’s Manager or Coach shall take a position behind the pitcher’s plate and shall function as the umpire for their team’s portion of the inning. 5. No new inning shall start after 1 hour and 50 minutes has elapsed from the first pitch, except that this rule shall not apply during the playoffs (six innings shall be played regardless of time). Any inning started prior to the time limit must be finished according to Little League rules. Any game shortened by this time limit will be considered a regulation game. 6. In regular season and league tournament play, there shall be a five (5) run limit per inning per team. The five (5) run limit shall not apply to the final inning of the game. a. If it appears that a game will be shortened by the time limit, the designated umpire(s) shall determine and announce to both teams the final inning immediately prior to the start of that inning.
1
“Balls” means as opposed to strikes; this does not mean the number of pitches.
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BILL 2016 Baseball Local Rules b. In the final inning, the offensive team concludes its time at bat when it bats through the order or three outs are made, whichever occurs first. The twelve (12) run Mercy rule does not apply. 7. Teams are permitted three (3) stolen bases per inning. a. On an attempt by a catcher to put out a stealing base-runner, any additional advance of bases shall constitute a stolen base(s) toward the total permitted. 8. All games must be played to completion. In accordance to Rules 4.10(a), 4.10(d), 4.11(e), and 4.12 of the Official Playing Rules, if a game is canceled, postponed, delayed or tied, the makeup or completion of the game or innings shall take place during the home team’s next designated practice time and field. If agreed by both managers, the makeup innings may be played during the visiting team’s practice slot. In the event that the following practice time is not possible for one or both teams, the home team manager must work with the league scheduler to find an acceptable time. Home and visiting team designations remain as per the schedule. Any games that are not played prior to the end of the regular season shall be recorded in the standings as a loss for both teams. In accordance with Rule 4.13 of the Official Playing Rules, no team shall be scheduled to play two games in one day. 9. The home book is always the official scorebook for the game. To avoid discrepancies in pitch counts at game’s end, it is recommended that scorekeepers from both teams meet often during the game to reconcile pitch counts and scores. The home book is always deemed correct when scorekeepers cannot agree on pitch counts and scores. 10. The home team manager shall record the status of a game, scores, pitchers used and individual pitch counts on the league website for all scrimmages and for all games that are completed and for all games that are partially completed, tied, and or cancelled, postponed or delayed due to weather or darkness. This information must be recorded within 24 hours of the completion or partial completion of the game, or from the time the game was scheduled to start if no part of the game was played. If the home team manager fails to record this information as required, the visiting team scorebook will become the official scorebook for the game. 11. There shall be a post-season tournament to determine League Champion. The tournament may be single elimination, double-elimination, or some variant of pool play, depending upon the number of teams and to be determined by the Board of Directors. Local and Little League International regular season rules will be in effect for the tournament. Teams will be seeded in the tournament based on their regular season records. If any teams finish with the same record, tie breakers for tournament seeding shall apply in the following order: (i) combined head-to-head record of teams, (ii) runs allowed head-to-head, (iii) runs scored head-to-head, (iv) season runs allowed total, (v) season runs scored total, or (vi) coin flip.
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BILL 2015 Baseball Local Rules LOCAL RULES APPLICABLE TO “AAA” DIVISION OF BASEBALL DIVISION PLAYING PHILOSOPHY: This division of Little League promotes a higher level of competition than "AA" and emphasizes more of the standard rules of Little League baseball. The focus in "AAA" remains on education, development and teamwork while encouraging a deeper understanding of the game and advancing skill development in order to prepare players for successful participation at the Majors level. Winning and loosing remain secondary to promoting the learning and development experienced by each player. 1. Regulation IV(i) of the Official Playing Rules is modified such that each player listed in a team’s batting order shall participate in a game for a minimum of nine (9) defensive outs. If a game is shortened for any reason (this does not include the home team not requiring some or all of its half of the sixth inning), then every player shall participate for a minimum of six (6) defensive outs. 2. In accordance with Rule 4.04 of the Official Playing Rules, all teams shall bat the line up using a continuous batting order. Any player who arrives after the exchange of lineup cards may be added to the end of his or her team’s batting order at the discretion of the manager. 3. In regular season and league tournament play, there shall be a five (5) run limit per inning per team. The five (5) run limit shall not apply to the final inning of the game. a. In the final inning, the offensive team concludes its time at bat when it bats through the order or three outs are made, whichever occurs first. The twelve (12) run Mercy rule does not apply. 4. All games must be played to completion. In accordance to Rules 4.10(a), 4.10(d), 4.11(e), and 4.12 of the Official Playing Rules, if a game is canceled, postponed, delayed or tied, the makeup or completion of the game or innings shall take place the following Sunday at the home team’s designated practice time and field. If agreed by both managers, the makeup innings may be played during the visiting team’s practice slot. In the event that the following Sunday is not possible for one or both teams, the home team manager must work with the league scheduler to find an acceptable time. Home and visiting team designations remain as per the schedule. Any games that are not played prior to the end of the regular season shall be recorded in the standings as a loss for both teams. In accordance with Rule 4.13 of the Official Playing Rules, no team shall be scheduled to play two games in one day. 5. The home book is always the official scorebook for the game. To avoid discrepancies in pitch counts at game’s end, it is recommended that scorekeepers from both teams meet often during the game to reconcile pitch counts and scores. The home book is always deemed correct when scorekeepers cannot agree on pitch counts and scores. 6. The home team manager shall record the status of a game, scores, pitchers used and individual pitch counts on the league website for all scrimmages and for all games that are completed and for all games that are partially completed, tied, and or cancelled, postponed or delayed due to weather or darkness. This information must be recorded within 24 hours of the completion or partial completion of the game, or from the time the game was scheduled to start if no part of the game was played. If the home team manager fails to record this information as required, the visiting team scorebook will become the official scorebook for the game. 7. There shall be a post-season tournament (played as non-regular season Special Games) to determine League Champion. The tournament may be double-elimination or some variant of pool play, depending upon the number of teams and to be determined by the Board of Directors. Local and Little League International regular season rules will be in effect for the tournament. Teams will be seeded in the tournament based upon their regular season records. If any teams finish with the same record, tie breakers for tournament seeding shall apply in the following order: (i) combined head-to-head record of teams, (ii) runs allowed head-to-head, (iii) runs scored head-to-head, (iv) season runs allowed total, (v) season runs scored total, or (vi) coin flip. Page | 11
BILL 2016 Baseball Local Rules BILL POLICIES – DRAFT, TEAM SELECTION, ALL STARS 1. Tryouts/Eligibility a. All players eligible to play in the Majors and AAA divisions, except for returning Majors players, must try out as outlined in the Little League Operating Manual and meet a minimum tryout score for their respective division as determined by the Player Agent and the President. Players unavailable to complete the tryout process but who otherwise meet eligibility requirements will be considered on a case by case basis by Player Agent(s) and the VP of Baseball and must receive a signed waiver by the League President. b. Players who are Little League age 10 must score a minimum of three (3) points higher than the established Majors minimum tryout score to be considered eligible for Majors. c. Players who are Little League age 9 or younger are not eligible to play Majors. 2. Draft (AAA division) a. The Player Agents will be responsible for organizing and conducting the draft. The Draft Pool will be established by the Player Agents. The Draft Pool will include players who complete the tryout process (excepting those players receiving waiver by League President), meet a minimum tryout score established by the Player Agents and have not been selected for the Major League. b. Bainbridge Island Little League has adopted the Plan B draft for leagues in their first year of operation, modified as follows. There will not be any practice games to test the equality of teams. c. On the draft night, the managers shall decide as a group which players are the first round picks. To the extent that the top few picks are more skilled players than the players inserted at the end of the first round, that is noted but exact order is not critical. The managers shall then decide as a group which players are the second round picks, again noting the higher picks, for the purpose of somewhat obtaining a serpentine draft so that the better first round picks are paired up with the lower second round picks. d. At the third round, which will include managers' children in the draft who are 11, those 11 year olds are automatically placed into that round, and those managers with 11 year olds have no vote as to who else is a third round pick (although they may and should comment on players’ skill levels). Thus only the managers who do not have an 11 year old child in the draft will select which players fill out the rest of the third round. This same process is repeated for the fourth round, where managers with 10 year old children in the draft do not get to vote. This same process is repeated for the fifth round if there are any managers with 9 year old children in the draft. e. The draft will continue through the remaining rounds, with a consensus vote as to which players should be in which rounds. No manager shall indicate any preference for any team before the teams are complete. To ensure that managers do not attempt to steer players to a team that they hope to receive, after the first two rounds all players for a particular round will be selected before they are assigned to a team, and then once all the players are selected for that round each player will be randomly placed on a team (by drawing the names from a hat or some similar method). As the draft slots are being filled, the Player Agent shall attempt to achieve rough equality as to ages, so that each team has roughly the same number of 11, 10, and 9 year olds. The managers may help this by creating rounds of only one age group, and the Player Agent may assign players to teams in a way that achieves a rough balance of ages. Siblings shall be placed on the same team, but it is not necessary that they be selected in consecutive rounds. Page | 12
BILL 2015 Baseball Local Rules f. Once all draft slots are filled, the managers shall discuss whether there are teams that look strong or weak, and by consensus swap players accordingly to better even out the skill sets (presumptively keeping players in their same draft round unless there is a strong reason to make a change) until there is some general consensus that the teams have some rough equality. In all rounds, especially early rounds, the managers should make a concerted effort to spread the pitchers, catchers, and middle infielders as evenly as possible among the teams. g. At this point each manager shall submit a ballot with their name, their first choice team, their second choice team, and any team they specifically would not want to have. It is not necessary to name a last choice team. No ballot shall be read aloud until all ballots are received. If every manager picks a different team with his or her first choice, then that is the team each manager gets and the draft is complete. If one team is the first choice of two or more managers, or if any teams receive no first choices, and particularly if no team receives any second choice votes, then that indicates that the teams are not yet balanced. At this time, ideally without changing the round any player is in, talk through why managers want certain teams and why other teams are not being selected, and then switch players around appropriately to even out the talent, making sure it is clear that some manager will be satisfied with the team(s) that did not receive first or second choices before. Now go through the same voting again, but this time, unless there are three managers who all want the same team with their first choice, and unless there are teams that no manager wants with either a first or second choice (in which case further discussion and movement of players is required), then assign teams based upon who asked for the team. If only one manager selects a team with his or her first choice, that is their team. If two managers both have the same team as first choice, then if one of those managers has a second choice team that no other manager selected their first or second choice, then that manager is assigned their second choice team and the other manager gets the first choice. If both mangers have a second choice team that is selected as first choice by someone else, then flip a coin to see who wins the first choice and the manager losing the coin toss will get the remaining, unselected teams. If there are two such ties then the two managers who both lost the coin tosses will flip a coin to see who selects the remaining two teams. If there are three first-choice ties then the remaining three managers will draw lots. h. Once teams are assigned through the method above then each manager's child shall be moved to be on that manager's team, and the manager losing that other manager’s child will receive the other manager’s player from that same round. Similarly any player who is on a manager’s team for which that player’s parent(s) has objected to that specific manager will be moved to another team. After this is accomplished the teams are set, but trading is allowed subject to approval by the Players Agent. Managers should not expect to be allowed to trade for players in different rounds unless there is consensus that any difference in playing skills is minimal and debatable. Any trades must be approved and completed before the end of the draft night. No manager may trade for a player who was in the draft pool but was not selected in the draft. i. The manager’s child will be placed in the round as outlined by the Little League Operating Manual, Option on Sons, Daughters, and Siblings (page 58), except that for AAA BILL has adjusted the Table in Section 5 to the following: Draft Round
Majors Player Age
AAA Player Age Page | 13
BILL 2016 Baseball Local Rules 5 4 3
10 11 12
9 10 11
j. By way of example, if a AAA Manager’s child is 9 years old, that Manager's child will be placed in the 5th round; if 10 years old then in the 4th round; if 11 years old then in the 3rd round. k. The option on “Sons, Daughters and Siblings: (1) Brothers /Sisters in the Draft” (page 60 of 2015 Little League Operating Manual) is amended as described above. l. These draft rules are intended to both ensure evenly matched team and to also give the managers some choice in what team they receive. The rules should be interpreted in a flexible manner that achieves the best result possible. When there is consensus in the draft room to adjust the rules to achieve this result, and when approved by the VP of baseball and Players Agent, then the process for that particular draft shall be adjusted accordingly.
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BILL 2015 Baseball Local Rules 3. Draft (Majors Baseball) a. BILL will continue with the policy of redrafting the entire league for 2015. b. Prior to the draft, the Player Agents will be responsible for establishing a list of all Returning Players, and shall conduct a meeting with the managers to evaluate their previous year’s performance and/or previous manager’s opinion. This is a subjective evaluation and is only intended to assist new managers in the draft process. c. New players will be required to tryout (excepting waivers approved by League President). The Player Agent will be responsible for conducting the tryout process and generating a list of New Players eligible to play Majors. The New Players list will be based upon players who complete the tryout process and meet a minimum tryout score established by the Player Agents to assure sufficient competence to play safely in the Major League. d. For the 2015 season, Bainbridge Island Little League has adopted the Plan B draft for leagues in their first year of operation, modified as follows. There will not be any practice games to test the equality of teams. e. The tryouts/skills assessment will proceed as in prior years. Players returning to Majors do not try out, 11 year old players trying out for Majors must meet a minimum draft score of 15 to be eligible for Majors, and 10 year old players must meet a minimum score of 18 to be eligible for Majors. The draft pool will consist of all players meeting the minimum scores, all 12 year olds, and all returning Majors players. This draft pool may exceed the exact number of players needed to fill the teams. f. On the draft night, the managers shall decide as a group which players are the first round picks. To the extent that the top few picks are more skilled players than the players inserted at the end of the first round, that is noted but exact order is not critical. The managers shall then decide as a group which players are the second round picks, again noting the higher picks, for the purpose of somewhat obtaining a serpentine draft so that the better first round picks are paired up with the lower second round picks. g. At the third round, which will include managers' children in the draft who are 12, those 12 year olds are automatically placed into that round, and those managers with 12 year olds have no vote as to who else is a third round pick (although they may and should comment on players’ skill levels). Thus only the managers who do not have a 12 year old child in the draft will select which players fill out the rest of the third round. This same process is repeated for the fourth round, where managers with 11 year old children in the draft do not get to vote. This same process is repeated for the fifth round if there are any managers with 10 year old children in the draft. h. The draft will continue through the remaining rounds, with a consensus vote as to which players should be in which rounds. No manager shall indicate any preference for any team before the teams are complete. To ensure that managers do not attempt to steer players to a team that they hope to receive, after the first two rounds all players for a particular round will be selected before they are assigned to a team, and then once all the players are selected for that round each player will be randomly placed on a team (by drawing the names from a hat or some similar method). As the draft slots are being filled, the Player Agent shall attempt to achieve rough equality as to ages, so that each team has roughly the same number of 12, 11, and 10 year olds. The managers may help this by creating rounds of only one age group, and the Player Agent may assign players to teams in a way that achieves a rough balance of ages. Siblings shall be placed on the same team, but it is not necessary that they be selected in consecutive rounds. i. Once all draft slots are filled (with the Players Agent ensuring that all 12 year olds and returning Majors players are placed on a team), the managers shall discuss whether there are teams that look strong or weak, and by consensus swap players accordingly to better even out the skill sets (presumptively keeping players in their same draft round unless there is a strong reason to make a Page | 15
BILL 2016 Baseball Local Rules change) until there is some general consensus that the teams have some rough equality. In all rounds, especially early rounds, the managers should make a concerted effort to spread the pitchers, catchers, and middle infielders as evenly as possible among the teams. j. At this point each manager shall submit a ballot with their name, their first choice team, their second choice team, and any team they specifically would not want to have. It is not necessary to name a last choice team. No ballot shall be read aloud until all ballots are received. If every manager picks a different team with his or her first choice, then that is the team each manager gets and the draft is complete. If one team is the first choice of two or more managers, or if any teams receive no first choices, and particularly if no team receives any second choice votes, then that indicates that the teams are not yet balanced. At this time, ideally without changing the round any player is in, talk through why managers want certain teams and why other teams are not being selected, and then switch players around appropriately to even out the talent, making sure it is clear that some manager will be satisfied with the team(s) that did not receive first or second choices before. Now go through the same voting again, but this time, unless there are three managers who all want the same team with their first choice, and unless there are teams that no manager wants with either a first or second choice (in which case further discussion and movement of players is required), then assign teams based upon who asked for the team. If only one manager selects a team with his or her first choice, that is their team. If two managers both have the same team as first choice, then if one of those managers has a second choice team that no other manager selected their first or second choice, then that manager is assigned their second choice team and the other manager gets the first choice. If both mangers have a second choice team that is selected as first choice by someone else, then flip a coin to see who wins the first choice and the manager losing the coin toss will get the remaining, unselected teams. If there are two such ties then the two managers who both lost the coin tosses will flip a coin to see who selects the remaining two teams. If there are three first-choice ties then the remaining three managers will draw lots. k. Once teams are assigned through the method above then each manager's child shall be moved to be on that manager's team, and the manager losing that other manager’s child will receive the other manager’s player from that same round. Similarly any player who is on a manager’s team for which that player’s parent(s) has objected to that specific manager will be moved to another team. After this is accomplished the teams are set, but trading is allowed subject to approval by the Players Agent. Managers should not expect to be allowed to trade for players in different rounds unless there is consensus that any difference in playing skills is minimal and debatable. Any trades must be approved and completed before the end of the draft night. No manager may trade for a player who was in the draft pool but was not selected in the draft. l.
The Manager’s child will be placed in the round as outlined by the Little League Operating ManualOption on Sons, Daughters, and Siblings, Section 5, page 58.
m. The option on “Sons, Daughters and Siblings: (1) Brothers /Sisters in the Draft” (page 58 of 2015 Little League Operating Manual) is amended as described above. n. These draft rules are intended to both ensure evenly matched team and to also give the managers some choice in what team they receive. The rules should be interpreted in a flexible manner that achieves the best result possible. When there is consensus in the draft room to adjust the rules to achieve this result, and when approved by the VP of baseball and Players Agent, then the process for that particular draft shall be adjusted accordingly.
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BILL 2015 Baseball Local Rules All Star Rules and Regulations All rules, regulations and guidelines presented in this document are intended to be consistent with Bainbridge Island Little League Local Rules and the principles of player development, fair play and good sportsmanship that provide the foundation of best practices for youth baseball. All rules, regulations and guidelines are, also, designed to conform to the rules and regulations of Little League International. Any unintended conflict shall be resolved to the satisfaction of the relevant rule and/or regulation contained in the current Baseball Official Regulations & Playing Rules of Little League International. The All-Star Committee strives to preserve the efforts of prior year’s All-Star Committees while accommodating suggestions received from players, families and coaches who commented to the Board regarding prior year’s AllStar Selection process and Tournament. It is the intent of the All-Star Committee to communicate a set of guidelines that promote fairness and transparency. It is also the intent that these rules and guidelines be taken forward to form the basis for next year’s All-Star selection process while allowing the subsequent year’s All-Star Committee and BILL Board opportunity to make adjustments based on community input.
Teams 12/11 year-olds: This level of competition includes the opportunity for play in the Little League World Series. In selection of All-Star players at this level, the BILL Board endorses the principle of competitive advantage in creating the team with the best chance of success in the post-season All-Star Tournament. As in prior years and as required by Little League International, BILL will field one team comprised by 12/11 year-old players. This team will carry a minimum of twelve (12) All-Stars. If sufficient high-caliber player-candidates are eligible for All-Star play at this level, BILL encourages consideration of an All-Star roster of thirteen (13) or fourteen (14). 11/10 year-olds: This level of competition does not include opportunity for play in the Little League World Series although teams may advance to the District and State Championships. Selection of players for inclusion onto the 11/10 team(s) will be determined by the number of registered, eligible players and guided by a balance between principles of competitive advantage and inclusion. Whether B. I. Little League fields one or two teams at this level will depend upon numbers of eligible players. It is intended that the fielded team(s) have a good opportunity to advance in the District and State Tournaments while accommodating the greatest number of players possible. If only one All-Star team is fielded at this level of competition then the team will carry a minimum of twelve (12) players. If more than one team is fielded then teams may carry a minimum of eleven (11) players. If multiple teams are fielded then each team will carry the same roster size as the other. Minimum roster size notwithstanding and to further the principle of inclusion, BILL endorses Little League International’s suggestion that teams at this level of play consider the maximum roster size of fourteen (14). 10/9 year-olds: This level of competition also provides for advancement in District and State Tournaments. The selection of All-Star players at this level will be guided by a principle of inclusion. In keeping with BILL’s goal to allow as many players as possible to experience post-season play, the League will strive to field at least two, equally and fairly-divided 10/9 year-old teams. To further the principle of inclusion, BILL endorses Little League International’s suggestion that teams at this level of play include the maximum roster size of fourteen (14) while establishing a minimum roster size of twelve (12). If two teams are fielded then each team will carry the same roster size as the other. Page | 17
BILL 2016 Baseball Local Rules
Managers: All-Star Managers assume a great responsibility over the children selected as All-Stars and they carry the obligation to represent the community of Bainbridge Island and the organization of Bainbridge Island Little League with utmost professionalism during District, State, Regional and National Tournaments. Sportsmanship, ability to create a positive experience for players and knowledge of the game of baseball shall be highly valued in the selection of All-Star Managers. It is our goal to have the All-Star Manager for each team announced during the final week of regular season games. To be eligible to apply, the potential All-Star Manager must currently be a Manager within the Majors or Minors Divisions. Only regular season managers at the Majors Division level may apply as All-Star Manager of the 12/11 team. Regular season managers at the Majors and Minor Divisions levels may apply as All-Star Manager of the 11/10 and the 10/9 All-Star teams. In an effort to promote transparency, the following four items will be taken into consideration: •
•
•
•
Mid-Season Manager Evaluation –All families will be sent a confidential survey asking for feedback on the Manager for which their child plays. Specific questions will be included regarding success at skills development, encouragement of good sportsmanship, demonstrated team management skills, etc. Mid-Season Peer Assessment of Managers – Regular season managers shall receive a Managers Peer Rating Form. Each regular season manager will be asked to rate managers other than themselves along a set of criteria such as game management, relationship with players, control of his bench, control of spectators and respect for the game and its rules. This rating form is designed to provide feedback to managers about perceived strengths and weaknesses from the perspective of his or her peers. All-Star Manager Application/Letter of Interest – Regular season managers interested in managing an AllStar team must complete the “All-Star Manager Application/Letter of Interest” and return it prior to the published deadline. The All-Star Application/Letter of Interest will include self-appraisal of coaching experience, tournament experience, knowledge of the game, attitudes about youth baseball and description of additional league involvement. Interview – The BILL All Star Rules Committee will conduct structured interviews of each eligible applicant and record assessment of those candidates based upon the interview.
Upon completion of the interview process, the All-Star Committee will consider all of the information gathered and vote to make recommendations of All-Star Managers that are then presented to the BILL Board President for appointment and, if appointed, for the approval of the BILL Board. Managers named to the All-Star teams shall choose their own All-Star Coaches pending appointment by the BILL Board President and, if appointed, approval of the BILL Board. All-Star Coaches must be selected from among regular-season Managers and Coaches at the Majors and Minors Divisions of Bainbridge Island Little League.
Player Eligibility: To be eligible for All Stars, players must meet the following requirements:
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BILL 2015 Baseball Local Rules • • • • •
12/11 Team: Any player league age 12 or 11 who has participated as an eligible player in 60% of scheduled, regular season games on a B. I. Little League Majors Division team 11/10 Team: Any player league age 11 or 10 who has participated as an eligible player in 60% of scheduled, regular season games on a B. I. Little League Majors or AAA Divisions team 10/9 Team: Any player league age 10 or 9 who has participated as an eligible player in 60% of scheduled, regular season games on a B. I. Little League Majors or AAA Divisions team During the time from the end of the school year until the end of the tournament post-season a player must commit to not missing more than 2 days of All-Star practice and no All-Star games. Player must complete, sign, along with his/her legal guardians, and submit an All-Star Player Commitment Letter. Any player in the Majors and AAA Divisions meeting the above requirements may nominate him/herself for consideration to be an All-Star.
If a player and/or his parents know for a fact that they will either miss more than 2 days of practice or any tournament games due to vacation or other summer commitments, for example, they should consider themselves ineligible for All-Stars participation. If a player makes him or herself available, is selected for All-Stars but misses more than two practices or a tournament game, the player shall be replaced with an alternate player at the discretion of the All-Star Committee with the approval of the BILL Board President. All-Star Managers have an affirmative obligation to advise the All-Star Committee if any player has missed more than two days of practice or is planning to miss any tournament dates. The All-Star Manager never has the authority to make eligibility decisions and must, in all events, consult the All-Star Committee if s/he has any questions concerning eligibility of a specific player.
Player Selection All-Star player selection shall be governed by three distinct processes: 1. Selection by player peers 2. Selection by regular-season managers 3. Selection by All-Star Managers In all instances, only those children who have completed an All-Star Player Commitment Letter shall be considered for selection. The developing list of All-Star candidates submitting an All-Star Player Commitment Letter shall be reviewed by the Player Agent(s), the Umpire-in-Chief and the Vice President of Baseball for obvious omissions. The Player Agent(s) will communicate with the families of such omitted players to confirm their intention to not have their child be eligible for All-Star selection. In the event that a potential All-Star player is identified by his or her peers as an All-Star Candidate but for whom there is no All-Star Player Commitment Letter on file with the League, the Player Agent(s) will contact the family of that player to determine the status of the player’s interest in submitting and All-Star Player Commitment Letter.
Player Selection Process Peer Nominations: All regular season players from the Majors Division shall receive an opportunity to vote for those 12 year-old players that they think ought to play on the All-Star team. Each voting player will select a maximum of four (4) players other than him or herself or any member of his or her own team. Any Peer Nomination shall be made according to evaluation of a 12 year-old player’s skill at the game, sportsmanship and Page | 19
BILL 2016 Baseball Local Rules positive impact on his/her team or upon the League as a whole. Ballots shall be tabulated by the All-Star Committee to identify the top four (4) peer-selected, 12 year-old candidates. Manager Player Bios: Each regular season Majors and AAA Divisions manager shall provide information on those players on his/her team that are eligible for consideration as All-Stars. The information shall be provided on a Player Bio Form provided by the League. The bio shall include objective information such as batting average, onbase percentage, speed and positional skill assessment. Information provided shall also include subjective impressions regarding player’s attitude, team player qualities and improvement over the course of the season. Description of any player is intended to provide an accurate perspective of that player’s strengths and weaknesses in a form that is consistent across all players. All-Star Selection Process: The All-Star Team Selection Meetings will be presided over by the Player Agent(s), the Vice President of Baseball, and with the assistance of the All-Star Committee. In addition, the BILL President will seek to appoint an Independent Observer to the process. Ideally, the Independent Observer will have past experience with Bainbridge Island Little League but will have no current involvement with the League. It is recommended that if a Player Agent or Vice President has a child eligible for All Stars, then those persons should not participate in the All Star selection process to avoid any perceived conflicts of interest. This determination shall be made on an individual basis with each year’s board. In any event, if a Player Agent or Vice President has a child eligible for selection to an All-Star team being discussed, s/he will abstain from involvement while that team is selected. If the Players Agent(s) and Vice President are all similarly constrained then the Coach’s Coordinator shall preside over team selection. Any irresolvable issue will be decided upon by the Bainbridge Island Little League President. His or her judgment on the issue shall be final. Announcement of All-Star Teams: The release of names of players selected for All-Star teams shall not be made before June 15th or two weeks prior to the start of the tournament (whichever is earlier) and not until the availability and eligibility of all prospective team members have been established.
12/11 All-Star Team Selection •
•
• •
Upon commencement of the All-Star Team Selection process, the top four (4) peer-selected 12 year-old players shall be announced by the presiding officer and those players will fill the first four spots on the 12/11 All-Star Team. As the All-Star Team begins to take shape, the All-Star Manager may identify specific positions that have not yet been filled or that are light in available talent. Other than by virtue of the All-Star Manager’s vote as a regular-season manager, he or she may not suggest a particular player by name to the rest of the voting group. At no time may a regular-season manager vote for a player on his or her own team. Spots 5 through 9 (total of 5) shall be filled by vote of Majors Division Managers. o Each Manager shall present a bio of eligible All-Star candidates that were coached by him or her during the regular season. In the event that a candidate All-Star is not represented by his or her Manager due to absence, that Manager’s written bio will be read aloud by the presiding officer. o There shall be, at least, three (3) rounds of voting by the Majors Managers. Each manager shall privately record his or her votes followed by the public announcement and recording of those votes. Page | 20
BILL 2015 Baseball Local Rules
In Round One, Majors Manager shall have five (5) votes to cast for the selection of All-Star players. Managers will record their selections on paper ballot. They shall sign those ballots then submit them to the presiding member of the All-Star Committee. Once all votes are submitted, the presiding member shall announce each Manager’s selections. The top three (3) vote recipients shall be placed onto the All-Star team roster occupying spots 5, 6 and 7. In Round Two, Majors Managers shall have four (4) votes to cast for selection among the remaining All-Star candidates. The top two (2) vote recipients shall be placed onto the AllStar team roster occupying spots 8 and 9. The 12/11 All-Star Team Manager shall place two (2) of the remaining All-Star candidates onto the All-Star team roster occupying spots 10 and 11. In Round Three, Majors Managers shall have three (3) votes to cast for selection of the 12th All-Star on the roster. The All-Star Manager may elect to roster a 13th or 14th All-Star. This decision occurs solely at the discretion of the All-Star Manager. If s/he elects to roster a 13th player, voting proceeds as in Round 3. Upon selection of the 13th All-Star to the team roster, the All-Star Manager may exercise the option to roster a 14th player. If s/he so elects to do so, voting also proceeds as in Round 3.
11/10 Team Selection •
Upon completion of the 12/11 team selection process, the Majors Division Managers shall be joined by the AAA Division Managers and the 11/10 All-Star Team Manager(s). Only Majors Managers vote for the players on the 11/10 team; AAA Managers are present solely to discuss any AAA players that are eligible.
Selection of a single team: •
If the size of the available pool of All-Star candidates at this level permits for the selection of only one team, the All-Star Team Selection Process for the 11/10 year-olds shall proceed similarly as is above detailed for the 12/11 team with the exception that no peer voted All-Stars are available to populate the first four roster spots. o o
o o
Team roster shall have a minimum of twelve (12) players. Each Manager shall present a bio of eligible All-Star candidates that were coached by him or her during the regular season. In the event that a candidate All-Star is not represented by his or her Manager due to absence, that Manager’s written bio will be read aloud by the presiding officer. At no time may a regular-season manager vote for a player on his or her own team. Spots 1 through 7 shall be determined by vote of the regular-season managers in Round One. Regular-season Managers shall have ten (10) votes to cast for the selection of All-Star players. Managers will record their selections on paper ballot, sign the ballots then submit them to the presiding member of the All-Star Committee. Once all votes are submitted, the presiding member shall announce each Manager’s selections. The top seven vote recipients shall be placed on the All-Star team roster occupying spots 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7. Page | 21
BILL 2016 Baseball Local Rules o
Subsequent voting proceeds as per Round Two described above in the Team Selection Process for the 12/11 year-old team. From this point forward, the balance of the team is created by following the same protocol as for the 12/11 year-old team.
Selection of two teams: •
If the number of the available All-Star candidates at this level permits for the selection of two teams, then the minimum size of each team is to be eleven (11) players for each team. Selection of All-Star candidates to two All-Star teams at this level is to proceed as follows: o Regular-season managers shall develop a pool of eligible All-Stars. This pool shall number thirty (30) in size and becomes the only source from which an All-Star at this level of play may be selected for the purposes of team creation. If there are fewer than thirty available applicants, the process shall proceed directly to the coin flip to determine which manager picks first. o The voting process to create the pool shall take place in three (3) rounds. In Round One, each manager is allotted 25 votes. The manager shall create his or her list privately then submit that list on a signed paper ballot to the presiding officer. Once all lists are submitted, the presiding officer will publicly announce each manager’s selections that are, then, recorded. The top 20 vote recipients will be added to the pool. In Round Two, each manager is provided with ten (10) votes from which the top 7 vote recipients will be identified and added to the pool then numbering 27 in total. In Round Three, each manager is provided with five (5) votes from which the top 3 vote recipients will be identified and added to the pool then numbering 30 in total. o Once the All-Star Pool is established, the All-Star Managers shall flip a coin to determine which of them picks first. Alternating selection shall continue until each team has a roster size of eleven (11) All-Star players. Early selections shall focus on equitable distribution of pitchers and catchers then upon equitable distribution of the middle infielders. o Upon filling each team with 11 All-Stars each, the All-Star Managers may decide to add additional players but both All-Star Managers must be in agreement as regards to roster size. In other words, both All-Star Managers must agree to roster 12, 13 or 14 players on each team.
10/9 Team Selection •
•
Upon completion of the 11/10 All-Star Team Selection process, the Majors Managers may excuse themselves from the room leaving only the AAA Managers and the 10/9 All-Star Team Manager(s). Those Majors Managers that have a 10 year-old team member available for inclusion in the draft of the 10/9 AllStar Team(s) are encouraged to remain available to present his or her player’s bio. It is expected that Bainbridge Island Little League shall be able to field two teams at this level of play. Team formation shall be advised by the principle of offering the opportunity to play in tournament competition to as many children as possible. Consequently, whether one or two teams are fielded, the minimum roster size shall be twelve (12).
Aside from the difference described in the prior bullet point, the process for creation of the 10/9 year-old All-Star Team(s) shall be precisely like the process detailed above for the 11/10 age group for selection of two teams. Page | 22
