EMB Operating Rules and Regulations

ESTEVAN MINOR BASEBALL

Operating Rules

2022

INDEX

Operational Rules

Game Rules

Rally Cap

11U

13U

15U

18U

Rules and Regulations Governing Resolutions and Appeals

Appendix A Code of Conduct

Appendix B Code of Discipline

1. Organizational Rules - General

Estevan Minor Baseball and all Leagues shall be governed by the Baseball Saskatchewan Association (SBA) and Baseball Canada rules and regulations unless otherwise provided.

The fees will be assessed by the Board of Directors after the Treasurer has prepared a budget for the upcoming season.

Team rosters in all Divisions may carry a maximum of 18 players for the season unless prior permission has been received from their ESTEVAN MINOR BASEBALL Division Director to carry fewer or greater than this number. The only exception to this rule shall be the Rally Cap Division (Junior and Senior) which may have teams of less than 12 players as determined by the Division Director.

The Estevan Minor Baseball Board of Directors will determine each year the process to be used to conduct evaluations and to establish the number of teams at the AAA, AA and A level based on player registrations in each given year.

Players registering with ESTEVAN MINOR BASEBALL may be required to produce a birth certificate and/or proof of address which would accompany the registration form. After the SBA registration day, only those players properly registered with ESTEVAN MINOR BASEBALL and the SBA may participate in ESTEVAN MINOR BASEBALL scheduled games and ESTEVAN MINOR BASEBALL sanctioned tournament or games.

Players shall play in areas designated by the ESTEVAN MINOR BASEBALL Board of Directors and shall not be allowed to transfer from one area to another unless approved in writing by the ESTEVAN MINOR BASEBALL Board of Directors. All transfer requests must be submitted to the President of ESTEVAN MINOR BASEBALL by April 30.

The following applies to out of zone players (i.e. players living outside the city limits of Estevan - which constitutes the Zone 1 boundary) wishing to play on Estevan Minor Baseball teams:

The process for obtaining approval to play in Estevan is as follows:

the player must first request and obtain a written release from the SBA through the SBA Zone Governor for the Zone in which they reside;

the player must then forward a copy of the release to the President of Estevan Minor Baseball, along with confirmation of their age, permanent address and reason for requesting to play in Estevan; and

all releases should be forwarded to the Estevan Minor Baseball President by April 30 for all divisions of each year.

Upon receipt of the release, the Estevan Minor Baseball Board will confirm placement.

Placements of out of zone players on Estevan Minor Baseball teams are only valid for one (1) season. Players must reapply each year.

The eligibility of players in dispute shall be determined prior to the Baseball Saskatchewan Association registration day, by the ESTEVAN MINOR BASEBALL Board of Directors.

All players must play within the division specified for their year of birth, except for the following exceptions:

Players in their first year of 11U may be allowed to stay in Senior Rally Cap based on their parent’s &/or Division Director’s opinion.

ESTEVAN MINOR BASEBALL shall advertise, receive applications for and select the coach for every team in every division by March 15. Advertising shall be the EMB web site, email and social media. (amended 2022)

A Coaching Selection Committee, which will include the Board of Directors, shall be formed for each age division, based on criteria and guidelines as established by the Board of Directors, to make all coaching selections for each season.

Each Coaching Selection Committee shall make coaching selection recommendations.

Each Division Director shall present their coaching selection recommendations to the Estevan Minor Baseball Board of Directors for approval.

All travel teams shall account for all money used and spent on their team's behalf and submit a Financial Statement for their operation to the parents or guardians and the ESTEVAN MINOR BASEBALL Board of Directors of their team by September 15 of the current year. (amended 2022)

Coaches must see that all players participate on a fair and equitable basis. Coaches deemed by ESTEVAN MINOR BASEBALL to have not followed the minimum play rules for their division are subject to a one game suspension for their first violation to be served the first game after notification of such suspension. Subsequent violations will result in further suspensions.

Practices after tryouts must be arranged by the coach.

Players must wear ESTEVAN MINOR BASEBALL assigned uniforms for ESTEVAN MINOR BASEBALL scheduled league games, league tournaments and SBA Provincials.

If a team does not have nine (9) or more players available for a league game or a league play-off game, substitute players may be called up from a lower level of the same division or from a lower division to fill the roster. Coaches of the lower level team MUST be contacted to request permission to call up a player.

Senior teams may pay rent to ESTEVAN MINOR BASEBALL to use the diamonds at a minimum of $1000 per season. (Amended 2022)
Movement of players in the 11U, 13U, 15U and 18U divisions will be dependent on that divisions league rules and permissions. The ESTEVAN MINOR BASEBALL Board of Directors will review on a case-by-case basis. (Amended 2022)

Each team in the 11U, 13U, 15U, 18U will receive 3 dozen game balls for use during games only. Teams are responsible for retrieving and maintaining their supply of game balls. Teams may be required to purchase extras at the ESTEVANMINOR BASEBALL Equipment Manager’s discretion.

2 Game Rules - General

All league games shall be governed by the Baseball Saskatchewan Association (SBA) and Baseball Canada rules and regulations unless otherwise provided.

When possible, a coach, assistant coach, manager, parent, sibling or player of a team shall not officiate in an Estevan Minor Baseball game (in or out of Estevan) that is in the same Division and Level as their child, sibling or player's team except in the case of an emergency and with consent of both coaches.

Coaches shall clearly print names and numbers on score sheets which shall be exchanged at the home plate meeting prior to the start of every game. Coaches are responsible for correctly completing game sheets.

Any player or coach ejected from a game shall immediately leave the ball park which is defined by the entrance gates. This ejection will be dealt with according to the Estevan Minor Baseball’s Code of Conduct (see Appendix B) and Code of Discipline (see Appendix C) and may result in suspension.

All protests must be submitted in writing to the President of Estevan Minor Baseball within 48 hours of the action in question. The ESTEVAN MINOR BASEBALL Protest Committee, which is to be formed by the President of ESTEVAN MINOR BASEBALL, will make a ruling on all protests.

Estevan Minor Baseball reminds all coaches that it follows the Canada Baseball Rules which states: THAT the use of all tobacco products, including smokeless tobacco, by all on-field participants (players, coaches, managers, umpires etc.) be prohibited at all competitions sanctioned by Baseball Canada, PENALTY: Automatic ejection from the game.

Coaches are responsible for the conduct and discipline of both players and fans and may impose reasonable sanctions. This can include sanctions for missing practices or games.

Starting time for all evening games shall be 6:00 pm.

No inning shall begin after 8:00 p.m. before June 1st and 8:30 p.m. thereafter. However, the umpire may adjust these times in the interests of safety.

Estevan Minor Baseball will follow a 4° at 4 pm rule. The 3 parks will be responsible for assessing the temperature from a common weather source and if the temperature is 4° C or lower at 4 pm, Mon - Friday, a cancellation notice will be placed on the EMB web site.

For weekend double header games: (11U-18U)

Games shall be scheduled 3 hours apart (typically at 1:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m., but Game 2 may start earlier if agreed upon by both teams.)

For double header games (same two teams playing both games), and only when there are no games scheduled on the same diamond after the double header, there shall be no time limit on either game. i.e. both games shall be played to be a complete game as per the definition of a complete game for that age division.

For any weekend games (including both games of a double header), when there is another game scheduled to follow on the same diamond, no new inning shall start 2 hours and 30 minutes after the scheduled start time. In the case of a double header with a third game scheduled following the double header, both double header games shall use the “no new inning after 2 hours and 30 minutes” rule. Note: Two back to back games for one team, where the second game involves a different opponent, is not considered a double header - in this case the 2 hour and 30-minute time limit rule will also apply for the first game.

Teams listed on the schedule as the home team shall provide the official scorekeeper for that game. Teams listed on the schedule as the visiting team shall provide the official pitch count tracker for that game. The home team coach or manager will be responsible for reporting the game score their respective league.

For league play-offs, teams must have played 60% of a full schedule (different for each division); if not, games will be counted as a LOSS, until the 60% mark is After making this adjustment, placings will be made according to win-loss percentage and ties count at .5 of a win.

Coaches must register for Estevan Minor Baseball tournaments at least TEN (10) days prior to the scheduled tournament date. TEAMS ARE NOT AUTOMATICALLY ENTERED.

The pitching rules of SBA will apply, unless otherwise set out by the league.

SBA substitution rules will apply.

A clean shirt courtesy runner may be allowed for the catcher with two out to allow the catcher to put on his/her equipment, thereby speeding up the game.

Estevan Minor Baseball follows the Baseball Canada rule requiring catchers in all age categories to wear a protective helmet with throat protector and mask while NOTE: This includes practice and warm-up situations such as the bullpen or between innings. Coaches must wear at least a mask in all practice and warm-up situations.

The primary rule of ESTEVAN MINOR BASEBALL is that all aspects of FAIR PLAY must be observed. Coaches shall endeavor to treat all members of their teams with fairness to ensure the development of players in the best spirit and traditions of baseball.

If a AA or A team does not have at least nine players, the game will NOT be automatically forfeited for that reason. Teams may play out the game with the result being the official result. Any AAA team not having at least nine (9) players by 30 minutes past the official game start time shall forfeit the game. Nonetheless, the game may be played for practice purposes with the consent of both coaches, and shall still utilize the scheduled umpires.

3 Rally Cap Division

The objective of this division is to introduce the game of baseball to young players while making it safe, interesting and fun. Our program offers a wide flexibility for placement based on age and skill at this level. We find the best fit for a starting player to develop.

Although some of the rules are not traditional rules we are familiar with, at this age tradition is not the primary concern. The opportunity for the players to learn the fundamentals of the game in a safer environment while having fun and improving their skills is the primary concern. Hitting, fielding and running the bases are the primary reasons children want to play baseball and this program allows them to do that.

The following rules apply to the Rally Cap Division (differences between Junior Rally Cap and Senior Rally Cap, as indicated):

AGE OF PARTICIPANTS
- Junior Rally Cap - 4 to 6 years as of Dec 31st of the current year
- Senior Rally Cap - 7 and 8 and 9 years as of Dec 31st of the current year (9 years when Division Director and parent determine it to be in best interest of the child)

ROSTER

Junior Rally Cap: 6 to 8 players per team
Senior Rally Cap: 7 to 9 players per team

COACHES/VOLUNTEERS
- Junior Rally Cap: 2-3 coaches and all parents are encouraged to be on the field to help with their player
- Senior Rally Cap: 1-3 coaches

EQUIPMENT

Pitching machine (optional)
Two ball baskets (one at the machine and one at the catcher)
Two dozen pitching machine balls
Bats
Catcher Equipment (Senior Rally Cap)

SPEED OF PITCH

Junior Rally Cap - parent/coach pitch
Senior Rally Cap - approximately 41 - 43 miles per hour.

FIELD DIMENSIONS

60 foot base paths
Pitching machine at 40 - 42 feet
Distance between bases shall be 45 feet
The infield shall begin two (2) feet outside the baselines.

LENGTH OF GAME

Games should be preceded by 30 minutes of practice (throwing, catching, batting and fun games). Games should be maximum of three innings (90 minutes time limit, in total)
No new inning shall be started after 1.5 hours of play.

CONCEPT:
- Junior Rally Cap: Players’ first experiences in baseball should be filled with active and engaging activities that are developmentally appropriate for their age. The Baseball Canada Rally Cap program introduces the game to children while developing skill in fun and entertaining manner.

Three teams come to the baseball park for a 90-minute practice/game. The first 15 minutes is to organize and perform a skill warm-up with their coaches. When the official game begins - Team A and B will play a 20-minute game while Team C will be in the outfield with their coaches practicing hitting, fielding, running and throwing. Teams rotate taking 10 minutes to reorganize with Team B and C playing a 20-minute game and A practicing in Final rotation occurs for Team A to play C and B practices. Coaches will be provided with activity cards that they can use in the outfield for practice ideas.

*This system will be organized based on the number of teams registered with Estevan Minor Baseball and the ESTEVAN MINOR BASEBALL Board of Directors and the Division Director.

BATTING

Junior Rally Cap: Inning will start with runners on each base. All players shall bat every inning. Each batter shall receive five (5) hittable pitches, including foul balls. If the ball has not been hit, the batter will hit from a tee and advance to first base.
Senior Rally Cap: All players will be listed on the batting order, and the half inning is over after three outs. Prior to June 1st each batter shall receive five (5) hittable pitches, including foul balls. The batter is out after the 5 pitches if he has not hit. After June 1st the batter is out after three strikes. The batter can only advance to first base on a hit and cannot be walked.
Players shall wear batting helmets with a strap at all times when batting and running the bases.

DEFENSIVE

All players will play each defensive inning

OTHER

Junior Rally Cap: No stealing of base is allowed on pass balls or on overthrows.
Senior Rally Cap: Batter / runner or runners allowed only one base on an overthrow
No “infield fly rule” or “bunting”.
Only one base will be allowed on a ball which hits the pitching machine.
The advance of base runners shall halt as soon as the ball enters the infield. The ball does not have to be caught or touched by an infielder.
All players are to try every position at least once during the season.
Junior & Senior will have a year end, fun day tournament in late

SCORING

Junior Rally Cap: No scores will be kept.
Senior Rally Cap: Scores will be kept, by an official scorekeeper. There is a maximum of 6 runs per inning. Scores are not reported to Baseball Estevan

4 11U Division

The following rules apply to the 11U

Games shall be 6 innings.

During league play, no more than six (6) runs may be scored by a team in one inning (in the event of an ‘over the fence’ home run, all runs will count).

Any team that is 10 runs up after 4 innings shall win that game; however, the game may be continued for practice purposes with the consent of both coaches.

During league games, league tournaments and league playoffs, all players listed on the team roster shall bat.

Unlimited defensive substitution allowed as per the following:

Every player must play at least 2 defensive innings in the first 4 innings of a game. (Violations subject to discipline)
A pitcher removed from the mound may play in another position, but shall not be permitted to return to pitch in the same game.
All defensive substitutions shall retain their batting positions.

There is no leading off. A base runner must stay in contact with the base until the pitched ball crosses the plate. Penalties as per Baseball Canada - Official Rules of

Pitching limits - Pitchers may only pitch in a maximum of 2 innings per game. Once a player has pitched they cannot backcatch.
Curve balls are not allowed. Umpires will call a curve ball a “ball”.

Coaches are responsible for the discipline and conduct of their players and may impose reasonable sanctions. This can include sanctions for missing practices or games.

For the “AA” Division, no player can steal home on a passed ball between the pitcher and catcher. (In “AAA” Division players can steal home on a passed ball).

During league games, league tournaments, and league playoffs, bunting will not be allowed.

Home base cannot be stolen on a passed ball.

5 13U Division

The following rules apply to the 13U Division:

Games shall be 6 innings long for house league.
During league play, no more than six (6) runs may be scored by a team in one inning (in the event of an ‘over the fence’ home run, all runs will count).
Any team that is 10 runs up after 4 innings shall win that game; however, the game may be continued for practice purposes with the consent of both coaches.
During league games, all players listed on the team roster shall bat. This rule shall also apply for League Playoffs and Estevan Minor Baseball tournaments for “A”, “AA” and “AAA” divisions
Unlimited substitution is allowed, except for the pitching position. A pitcher removed from the mound may play in another position, but shall not be permitted to return to pitch in the same game.
Every player must play at least 2 defensive innings in the first 4 innings of a game during league play, league tournaments, and league playoffs. (Violations subject to discipline - see 15). This is not enforced for 9-man ball at Provincials, Westerns or Nationals.
All defensive substitutions shall retain their batting positions.
Pitching rules as per SBA Pitch Count Rules.
Coaches are responsible for the discipline and conduct of their players and may impose reasonable sanctions. This can include sanctions for missing practices or games.

6 15U Division

The following rules apply to the 15U Division:

Games shall be 7 innings

Metal cleats are allowed.

During league play, no more than eight (8) runs may be scored by a team in one inning (in the event of an ‘over the fence’ home run, all runs will count).

Any team that is 10 runs up after 5 innings shall win that game; however, the game may be continued for practice purposes with the consent of both coaches.

During league games, all players listed on the team roster shall bat. This rule shall also apply for League Playoffs and Estevan Minor Baseball tournaments for “A”, “AA” and “AAA” divisions

Unlimited substitution is allowed, except for the pitching position. A pitcher removed from the mound may play in another position, but shall not be permitted to return to pitch in the same game.

Every player must play at least 2 defensive innings in the first 5 innings of a game during league play, league tournaments, and league playoffs. (Violations subject to discipline - see 15). This is not enforced for 9-man ball at Provincials, Westerns or Nationals.

All defensive substitutions shall retain their batting positions.

Pitching limits as per SBA Pitch Count Rules.

All AAA teams shall use wood bats. All AA & A teams shall use bats with a minimum - 3 weight / length differentials for all league games, league tournaments & league playoffs.

Coaches are responsible for the discipline and conduct of their players and may impose reasonable sanctions. This can include sanctions for missing practices or games.

7 18U Division

The following rules apply to the 18U Division:

Games shall be 7 innings
Any team that is 10 runs up after 5 innings shall win that game.
Games follow 9 man ball no re-entry rules as per Canada Baseball rules.
Metal cleats are allowed.
All teams shall use wood bats.
All game rules will be determined and enforced by the Saskatchewan Premiere Baseball League in which Estevan Minor Baseball will enter its midget
Estevan Minor Baseball is committed to fair play. No one player shall sit out 2 consecutive league games (with the exception of medical or disciplinary reasons).
Coaches are responsible for the discipline and conduct of their players and may impose reasonable sanctions. This can include sanctions for missing practices or games.
Estevan Minor Baseball requires parents to drive their children to games .

8 Rules and Regulations Governing Conflict Resolutions and Appeals

If an altercation occurs between two (2) or more parties as a result of Estevan Minor Baseball (herein after referred to as ESTEVAN MINOR BASEBALL) activities and is reported to ESTEVAN MINOR BASEBALL, the president of ESTEVAN MINOR BASEBALL (or their designate) shall notify the Executive Board within one (1) day of the report of the altercation. The Executive Board shall meet to investigate, conduct interviews with parties involved, discuss the situation and come to a conclusion.

The decision of the Executive Board shall be rendered in written form to the parties involved within seven (7) calendar days of the notification from the president of ESTEVAN MINOR BASEBALL, with a copy being forwarded to the president of ESTEVAN MINOR BASEBALL. The letter shall also contain the correct procedure to be followed should one or more of the parties wish to appeal the decision.

The appeal procedure shall be as follows:

A letter is to be sent to the President of ESTEVAN MINOR BASEBALL within five (5) days of the date of receipt of the letter. The letter shall contain the name and address of the President of Estevan Minor Baseball.

The president of the ESTEVAN MINOR BASEBALL shall set up an appeal committee consisting of three (3) impartial individuals to hear the appeal within three (3) days of the receipt of the letter of appeal.

The appeal shall be heard at a location that is neutral to all parties concerned.

Witnesses shall be obtained from all parties and shall be contacted if the appeals committee should need additional information to render a fair decision.

A letter stating the decision of the appeal committee shall be sent to the president of ESTEVAN MINOR BASEBALL within seven (7) calendar days, who shall in turn, forward the decision to the appellant, with copies being sent to the other involved parties, the Baseball Saskatchewan Association, the Executive Board, the umpire director and the zone govenor.

The decision of the appeal committee shall be final and binding.

Appendix A

Code of Conduct

Every member* with Estevan Minor Baseball is expected to represent themselves, their team and Estevan Minor Baseball in an appropriate manner. Any behavior that is determined to be inappropriate is reason for and may lead to expulsion from Estevan Minor Baseball without refund of fees for the remainder of the season. Estevan Minor Baseball Executive members reserve the right to implement disciplinary measures.

All members are to respect the rules, their fellow teammates, coaches, opponents and officials at all baseball functions in which they are participants.

All parents/guardians are to observe a 24-hour waiting period before contacting coaches, team or league officials with any complaint.

All members are to not use profane language, ridicule or speak in a derogatory fashion or use physical violence at any time while representing Estevan Minor Baseball.

All members are to not question the game official’s judgment or honesty, only the head coach has the ability to question an official.

If a conflict arises at the team level between a parent/guardian, athlete and coach that cannot be resolved, the first form of resolution will be a meeting between the parent/guardian, athlete and team manager. Should there be no resolution to the issue the parent/guardian, athlete or coach must provide a written complaint to Estevan Minor Baseball and request a meeting with the team manager and the Division Director.

All written complaints will be dealt with according to Estevan Minor Baseball’s By-Laws.

Unsportsmanlike behavior is taken very seriously by Estevan Minor Baseball. Estevan Minor Baseball shall utilize the Code of Discipline to manage unsportsmanlike behavior.

* Member includes all players, their families and coaches.

Appendix B

Code of Discipline

a) Applies to all season play.

b) If Estevan Minor Baseball finds that the behavior of the player or coach warrants a more stringent suspension, they can change the suspension

c) Estevan Minor Baseball may investigate ejections and as a result of that investigation determine if an ejection will count towards the Minimum Suspension levels

d) Coaches are responsible for knowing and following the Code of Discipline.

e) All player and coach ejections in league, tournament and exhibition games must be dealt with immediately by the coach, and reported to the Division Director within 48 hours of the ejection or before the next scheduled game, whichever is earlier. Coaches failing to notify the Division Director are subject to suspension.

f) Coaches must inform the opposing coaches that a player is suspended. Any players on suspension are expected to attend the game(s) but are not allowed to interact with their team and must remain in the stands.

g) Failure of a coach to sit a suspended player will result in forfeiture of the game and suspension of the coach that allowed the suspended player to play.

Minimum Coach Suspensions: [taking into account b) and c) above]

One coach ejection - No action from Estevan Minor Baseball

Two coach ejections - Automatic suspension from the next scheduled game*

Three coach ejections - Automatic suspension of the coach for the remainder of the season**

Minimum Player Suspensions: [taking into account b) and c) above]

One player ejection - No action from Estevan Minor Baseball

Two player ejections - Automatic suspension from play at the next scheduled game*.

Three player ejections - An automatic suspension from play for the next three scheduled games*.

Four player ejections - An automatic suspension for the remainder of the season**.

Once a game ejection has been applied the player or coach is on probation. Probation will be for the remainder of the season, including playoffs.

Good Behavior Clause: Should a player or coach go 30 days without ejection from a game, then one ejection is eliminated from their record. For example: If a player gets their first ejection on June 1st and does not get ejected from a game until July 2nd or after, then this next ejection would be considered his first.

* Regardless of whether the next game is during a tournament, a double-header or league game.

** Suspended until further review by Estevan Minor Baseball