OCR Document · Web viewLittle League Baseball® and Little League Softball® set forth the rules that must be followed as well as how our chapter must be operated. A Little League

Reynolds Little League

HandbookOf

Local Rulesand

League Operations

LITTLE LEAGUE PLEDGE

I trust in GodI love my country

And will respect its lawsI will play fair and strive to win

But win or loseI will

Always do my best

The format of this handbook makes it easy to photocopy. Feel free to do so and to distribute freely, especially to parents that

have questions about rules or RLL activities.

All managers and coaches should read this booklet in detail as it contains many important local rules as well as references to

important Little League rules.

Note that throughout this document there are numbers in parenthesis like (3.10). These numbers refer to specific rules as listed in the Little League® Baseball Official Regulations and Playing Rules and the numbers represent the exact location where the rule may be found.Also note that manager and/or coach of record is used in several places. This means those members that are appointed by RLL as coaches and managers and officially filed as such with Little League® headquarters in Williamsport.

IntroductionThis information about Reynolds Little League (RLL) has been published by the Reynolds Little League Board in order to ensure a smooth operating league. It includes information about our League, local rules that have been adopted and emphasizes several Little League® rules that are considered important for all to know. All official members (board members, managers and coaches) are expected to have a thorough understanding of these rules and the rules outlined in the Little League® Baseball Official Regulations and Playing Rules (linked here).

Our Boundaries and Who Is Eligible To PlayThose eligible to play in Reynolds Little League Baseball and Softball are children between the ages of 4 and 18 who live within the boundaries of the Reynolds School District. The Challenger Junior division is for eligible children between the ages of 4 and 13. The Challenger Senior division is for eligible persons from the ages of 14 and up. There is no age limit for the Challenger Senior division.

RLL Playing FieldsThe majority of RLL games are played at Columbia Park (CP) which is a Troutdale City park. RLL has a long-term agreement with the City of Troutdale for use of fields, the concession stand and the parking area. The fields themselves are maintained by RLL volunteers and the structures such as fences, bleachers and dugouts have either been paid for by RLL or from donations by local companies. As tenants of Columbia Park, RLL must follow the rules as set forth by our agreement with the City. Parking is governed by the City of Troutdale. No dogs, except service dogs, are allowed in park.

Some games and most practices are held on various Reynolds School District school and other local properties. We have annual agreements in place giving us permission to utilize these facilities. Some of these fields are not in the same playing condition as the Columbia Park fields. We are limited to the amount of improvements that we can make to these fields by the Reynolds School District rules and financial limitations.

In order for our members and registered players to be covered by our Little League insurance policy, we must only conduct games or practices at locations that are named in our insurance policy.

Practice Fields AssignedTeams are assigned practice fields at specific times. Field preferences and priorities are given to Challengers first and then proceed from the oldest division in a season to the youngest. Teams may not be pushed off their assigned fields by another RLL team unless that field is also used for official games. Teams may practice at a location/time that is assigned to another team if that team is not utilizing its assigned time. For school locations that have more than 1 team practicing at a time, priority is given to higher division teams for the best field at a location.

Division Priorities At Columbia ParkGames for Intermediate, Major and Minor division teams have priority over regular scheduled and makeup games for Farm and Rookies, thus games for these divisions may cause Farm/Rookie games to be ‘bumped’ off of fields 1 and 2. Farm has preference over Rookies for field 3, thus Farm games may ‘bump’ Rookie games to another designated field. Divisional priority order is as follows: Intermediate, Major, Minor, Challenger, Farm and Rookie

Handbook and League Operations – Revision date 2/14/2017 Page 3

http://www.littleleague.org/learn/rules.htm


Reynolds Little League Organization—It’s a Volunteer EffortReynolds Little League is chartered by Little League Baseball®, Inc., a non-profit membership organization which is located in Williamsport, PA. Little League Baseball® and Little League Softball® set forth the rules that must be followed as well as how our chapter must be operated.

A Little League is operated entirely by unpaid volunteers. The local governing body is the board of directors which is elected by the League members. League members are managers, coaches, current board members and any interested parents that join the League by paying the annual dues. Elections are held annually, typically at one of our Board of Director meetings in October.

Currently the RLL board consists of the following: President Vice President Secretary Treasurer Player Agents Safety Director Sponsor Director Umpire Coordinator Upper/Intermediate Director Major Division Director Minor Division Director Farm Division Director Rookie Division Director

Challenger Division Director Softball Director Uniforms Director Equipment Director Field Directors Information Director Auxiliary Director Concessions Directors Team Parent Coordinator Project Manager Tournament Director SB Operations Director SB Recruiting Director

What are the duties of these positions?See the Roles and Responsibilities document on the RLL Website (www.rllb.org) for an explanation of duties for each RLL Board position.

Again, none of these volunteers get paid for their time and efforts. Board members typically give up in excess of 200 hours each year to fulfill their board duties. Managers and coaches easily donate over 100 hours each year. Some board members are also managers or coaches. To put that time into perspective, 300 hours is equivalent to 38 8-hour working days!

Registration Fees/RefundsPlayers must pay their registration fees or complete a scholarship application prior to appointment to a team. Any player that registers after initial team roster announcements must pay a $10.00 late fee in addition to the regular registration fee.

Should a check issued to RLL for a registration fee or other fee be returned for any reason, the player associated with the returned check may be suspended from his/her team until the funds are paid. RLL may charge a $20 fee for any returned checks.

If a player withdraws from the league within two weeks of the Divisions first game of the season, they will be entitled to a refund of dues minus cost of hat, online registration fees, opt-out fees, fund raiser, and must return uniform and equipment. Any player withdrawing after two weeks from a Divisions first scheduled game is not entitled to a refund.

The Board will set a deadline date for the latest registration date each season.


RLL Uniform Shirts Must Be Returned And Re-UsedAll uniform shirts issued to RLL players remain the property of RLL and must be returned promptly when requested with the exception of Rookie T-Shirts that registered players keep. Hats are to be kept by all players. Upper division players also keep the jerseys and hats issued to them.

Players that do not return uniforms agree to repay RLL for the cost of a replacement. Players that do not return or pay for a non-returned uniform may not participate in RLL in the future until the uniform is returned or until replacement costs are paid. The RLL Board may impose a uniform deposit and/or late fee to help ensure the prompt return of uniforms.

Age Brackets For Each Playing DivisionPlayers must meet the age requirements as set forth by Little League (Section IV). RLL has general age requirements for each division as follows: Rookies (T-Ball) ages 4 & 5 Farm ages 6 & 7 Minors ages 8 & 9 Majors ages 10 & 11

Intermediate ages 12 & 13 Upper/Juniors/Seniors ages 14-18 Challenger Juniors 4 – 13 Challenger Seniors 14 & up (no age limit) Softball Rookie/Farm 4-7

Exceptions are allowed occasionally and each must be approved by the Player Agent, Division Director and Safety Director.

Note that Minors may include 9 to 11 year olds. This could be due to Major teams being limited to 12 players or to a player’s skill level based on the tryout evaluations.

What Is Little League Age?Little League International manages and controls the official Age Bracket, this League Age Calculator should be used to determine a players official League Age.


http://www.littleleague.org/leagueofficers/determine_league_age/league_age_calculator.htm

How Team Managers and Coaches Are AppointedAll managers and coaches must complete an application and be approved by a majority vote of the voting board members. Applications are due 3 weeks prior to divisional tryouts.

There is no tenure from year to year and each Manager/coach must apply for each season. Previous service is no guarantee of approval. The board takes into consideration the needs of the League and the stated/observed abilities of each applicant. Experience has shown that board members generally vote on applicants based on the following points: Past playing experience. Previous volunteer experience. Previous experience working with children. Past coaching experience. If experience was with RLL then attention is paid to past performance and

positive/negative comments from parents and volunteers. Information reported on background checks.

Each team will have a manager and a maximum 1 Coach and 1 Assistant Coach in the dugout or on the field during a game. Teams are allowed additional assistants for practices.

Managers are approved by the board at regular meetings as applications are received and will be notified upon approval. Because some manager and coach applications are received after drafts or Rookie and Farm roster meetings, approval or disapproval may take place after practices begin. Major and Minor managers and coaches may ‘pair-up’ after approved (Manager & 1 coach), prior to the first player tryout and after completion of drafts. No ‘pair-ups’ may take place from the start of the first tryout until after team rosters are filled through the draft process. No new coaches will be appointed until the completion of the drafts.

Note that background checks are a factor in deciding who should or should not be allowed to interact with RLL players. Checks are done to help avoid the possibility of improper adult behavior. Also, should an applicant be denied a manager or coach position, the board President shall inform the individual and such decisions will not be made public, nor is a reason for denial required. There is no appeal of a denial to manager/coach.

How Players Are Assigned to TeamsRookie and Farm division players are placed on teams by Division Directors and the Player Agent. See specifics about process in Rookie and Farm sections of this booklet. Minor and Major division players are placed on respective teams through a tryout and draft process. See draft specifics for each division.


Drafts And Their PurposeDrafts are used to place players on Upper, Intermediate, Major and Minor teams, playing talent to ensure players at all skill levels are spread throughout the divisions teams. Players are evaluated during tryouts by divisional managers, board members and third party individuals. Evaluations are collected; compiled and confidential rankings are used during the drafts. The draft is conducted in a serpentine manner (first to last, last to first order) after managers have randomly been assigned their drafting order. Players not attending the minimum number of tryouts are assigned to teams via “Hat Pick” unless they are managers/coaches children. Skill level of Managers/coaches children unable to attend tryouts is reviewed by player agent and division director and ranked in the appropriate draft round.

Factors included in player evaluations include but are not limited to running, throwing, hitting, and fielding. The school a player attends, their neighborhood or popularity are not determining factors in the draft.

How Many Games Do We Play?Reynolds Little League follows Little League International minimum play requirements for All-Stars.

Player Responsibilities/Participation in Other SportsPlayers are expected to follow Little League rules, RLL rules, the RLL Code of Conduct and any team expectations set up by each individual team manager. Players are allowed to participate in other organized sports at the same time that the RLL season is in progress. Play time can be impacted by a player’s inability to attend practices and games.

Changing Local RulesAny changes, alterations, additions or deletions to any rules that are adopted after the opening day of a season will not take effect until after all games scheduled for the current season have been played. However, if a change is deemed to be an immediate issue, it may become effective if approved by a quorum of RLL Board of Directors.

FALL BALL

The fall baseball season is a developmental season used to improve and learn new skills. It is especially useful for the players that will be moving up a division the following spring season.

Players should play in the division they wish to play in during the following spring season Games will be played against teams from other leagues in the area Games are usually scheduled for Sundays to avoid conflict with other sports Practices are usually once a week but will be left up to the Manager Coaches are encouraged to play players in all positions Developing pitchers is a high priority Coach and buddy requests will be accepted Team shirts will be provided – no hats

GENERAL GAME RULES—ALL DIVISIONS

The Local Rules All Should KnowNote: Official LLI Rules and Regulations are published at http://www.littleleague.org/learn/rules.htm:1. Practices are limited to 3 per week for Upper, Intermediate, Majors and Minors and 2 per week for

Rookie and Farm with a time limit of 2 hours. After games begin Majors and Minors are limited to 2 practices per week.



2. At all RLL fields, the visitor dugout is located on the first base line and the home dugout is the one located on the third base line. A good way to help remember this is to equate first up to bat with the team that sits along the first base line.

3. Batboys/bat girls are only permitted for Challenger teams.4. Each team will have a manager and a maximum 1 Coach and 1 Assistant Coach in the dugout during

a game. Teams are allowed additional assistants for practices.5. A maximum of 2 adult base coaches are allowed, except for Challenger games.6. What happens if a team cannot field 9 players? If it is known in advance that a team cannot field at

least 9 players for a scheduled game, the respective division director and board President must be notified as soon as possible but at least 48 hours prior to the scheduled game so that the possibility of rescheduling the game can be explored. A team with fewer than 9 players may borrow an outfielder from the opposing team if teams wish to proceed with the game and not choose to reschedule.

7. When playing on fields with electronic scoreboard and PA system, the home team is to supply a person to run the electronic scoreboard and an adult ‘announcer’ to run the PA system. Farm and Rookie division teams typically do not use the scoreboard.

8. Only official scorekeepers, adult announcer and league officials are allowed in scorekeeper’s booths. Movement is to be kept to a minimum so as not to distract players and those in the booth are not permitted to make comments favorable or negative to either team. NOTE: Players at bat can hear conversations held in the score booth. Be mindful of your comments and conversations at all times when in the score booth.

9. All teams are supplied with a sufficient number of baseballs needed to play each season’s games. Each team is to provide a new ball for each game. If a team does not supply a game ball and the other team provides more than 1, the team not providing the ball must repay the other team as soon as possible.

10. Only players, managers and umpires are allowed on the fields during games. Should a player be injured, his/her parents must not enter the field until invited by the Head Umpire.

11. Special Tournament rules may differ from that of All-Star and Honor Tournaments. Special Tournament rules will be handed out to Managers prior to start of Tournament games.

Weather Conditions/Darkness The Head Umpire will determine whether a wet field is fit for play, or in his/her absence it will be

decided by agreement between the present team managers. Should rain fall during a game, the Head Umpire will determine whether a wet field is fit for play and

decide if the game should be halted. If any signs of lightning, a game play should be suspended and the situation monitored. What determines darkness? “Dark” is considered to be 15 minutes before legal sunset.

Field Duties for Teams Playing Games For each game, one team must “open” the field and the other “closes” the field. The managers and

coaches for the teams playing determine which team is responsible for open/close duties. If there are no other games are scheduled on a field the bases, gear and equipment must be correctly secured and the appropriate field closing tasks completed.

If playing a non-RLL away team, the home team is responsible for both opening and closing field duties.

Each team must pick up all trash from each dugout after each game. Note: if garbage bags are needed they may be acquired at the concession stand.

At the conclusion of the last game of each day, the home team must ensure any scoreboard controllers and PA equipment is turned off and locked up to include any other electrical devices.

For safety reasons, team Managers for the last game of the day MUST remain at the fields until the concession stand is closed and locked.


Time Limit For GamesOn days that consecutive games are to be played, the games are limited to 2 hours in length and no inning may begin after 1 hour and 50 minutes after its scheduled start time. If games are played with no following games, games will end at “dark”. Dark is defined as 15 minutes prior to legal sunset.

Any games played that are NOT impeded by legal sunset will be played in their entirety unless ended under protest. If ended under protest, it must be properly noted and must be reviewed by the RLL President, Player Agent, Umpire Director and one or more league officer that is not a manager or coach for teams of the protested game.

Shortened GamesIf a game must be called prior to its completion, the official LLI rules will be followed.

Equipment and Uniform Requirements1. Only bats meeting Little League specifications and standards maybe used. Note: If a player’s bat

must be banned due to these specifications, costs for the bat are the responsibility of the player and not RLL.

2. Gloves, gear and uniforms will adhere to LLI specifications

SafetyRefer to the current year’s safety manual for detailed information.

Make-Up GamesThe Division Directors will coordinate with Field and Umpire Directors to reschedule games. Games are to be made up as quickly as possible and will be made up in order of original play.

Umpire DutiesThe Little League Playing Rules state “There is not sound reason for paying umpires”. RLL follows this guideline so team managers and coaches are assigned umpire duties. Generally the Major division will umpire for Minor division games and Minor division will umpire for Major games.

Because games depend on umpires, all assignments are expected to be fulfilled. Team managers are responsible for each team’s assignment. If a regular scheduled assignment is not fulfilled, the manager of the team that failed to perform the duties may be suspended for his/her team’s next regular scheduled game (this means that they cannot participate in his/her team’s game in any manner and may only be a spectator and be no closer than the outfield).

The RLL Board encourages Farm and Rookie division managers/coaches to also volunteer for umpire duties, especially if there are plans to move up to the higher divisions later—it proves to be good experience.

Note that parents or qualified teens may fulfill umpire assignments for managers/coaches provided they are league members however, the Head Umpire (plate umpire) must be a Manager or coach of record or a person that has been appointed as an umpire by the Board President.

Scorekeeping Requirements All teams will be supplied with scorebooks. Because Rookie and Farm teams do not keep official scores, their books are for keeping track of the 5-run limit. For scorebook requirements for Major and Minor teams, see respective sections.


MINORS, MAJORS AND UPPERS DIVISION RULES

How Team Managers Are Assigned to TeamsManagers are selected by a majority Board vote and approved background check.

Number of Players Per Team If a player quits or cannot play the rest of the season due to an injury, the manager must: Contact the Player Agent, Safety Director and Division Director When due to injury, complete necessary injury forms within three (3) days and return to Safety or

Division Director. No later than 48 hours after a player quits. A replacement player must be on roster within 7 days of notification of Player Agent. If not, Player

Agent will pick replacement player. Replacement players must be of the same age or greater age than the player that quit. If there are less than 1/3 of scheduled games left when vacancy occurs, player will not be replaced.Briefly, the replacement player is picked from a Minor division team. The Minor team manager cannot block such a pick, and Major managers should be sensitive to the wishes of parents.

Trades Allowed At DraftPlayer trades, one for one, are allowed at the end of the draft. The Player Agent must be present at time of trade and trade must be completed before all managers, Player Agent and Division Director leave the room.

Draft ConfidentialityConfidentiality is expected in the draft process so as not to hurt any individual feelings. Managers and coaches and any board members in attendance should not reveal the order that any player is drafted. Any League material furnished during drafts must be returned to the League prior to the end of draft and remains property of the League.

How players are eligible to play in a division out of their age range for Minors, Majors and Uppers

Any player wishing to play up or down a division based on their age appropriate division must meet the following criteria:

The player must attend both tryouts for the division they wish to play in and at least one tryout for the division their age qualifies them for.

For players wishing to play up, a majority vote will need to pass involving all that divisions managers, that divisions director, and the player agent.

For players wishing to play down, a majority vote will need to pass involving the age appropriate division managers, that divisions director, the player agent and if need be, the safety director.

Once a player is drafted to a team not in their age appropriate division, they will not be allowed to change divisions.

Players may be asked to move divisions based on tryouts even if they didn’t previously desire to. This will be based on the evaluations of the managers, and will be discussed with the division director and the parents of the player. If safety is a concern, then the safety director will be asked to observe the player and be a part of all conversations involving moving the player.

There are some circumstances that do not allow players to move divisions. ie 13 year old players cannot play in minors or majors.

Players participating in divisions that are out of the age range may require charter committee approval.


Player Substitution RulesMinimum play is six (6) outs and does not need to be consecutive. Any player that does not meet this requirement must start the next game.

Roster Batting Teams will bat the roster, which means that all players are placed in the batting order even while not playing defensively.

10 Run Rule AppliesIf at the completion of 4 innings, or 3 ½ innings if the home team leads for Minors and Majors (5 innings, or 4 ½ innings if the home team leads for Intermediate), a team has a run lead of 10 runs, the team that is behind must concede the game (4.10).

Majors and Uppers have no run limit per inning Minors as a five (5) run limit per inning. The last inning of the game is an opening inning so long

as four (4) innings have been played. The plate umpire is required to inform both team managers in advance of the open run inning.

Scorekeeping RequirementsFor Major, Majors and Uppers official games, score books are to be properly maintained for the home and visitor teams. Presiding head umpires are to sign at a minimum the home team’s score book at the conclusion of each game. Records of all games are to remain in the score book. Managers are responsible for score books and should retain possession between games. Managers must allow any presiding umpire, opposing team scorekeeper, same division team manager or board member access to score books at all times.

To ensure that pitching rules are followed, managers are to summarize innings pitched by each player in the past 7 days (longer period of time in instances of continuations) and provide those details to the opposing team upon giving that team its starting lineup. These summaries are to be included at the bottom page of each team’s score book. Should a manager fail to comply with this requirement, the respective division directors may request that the board suspend the manager for one or more games.

Reporting of Game Scores and Game Rain-OutsThe winning team is responsible for reporting scores after each official game to the Division and Information Director. Games called due to darkness are to be reported to the Division Director and rescheduled at a later date. Reports are to be made the same day the game occurred or was called.

Games called due to weather are to be reported as: If games are called by Field Director prior to start of any scheduled games, Field Director will

notify Concessions, Information, Division and Umpire Directors,o Concession Director(s) will notify all parent volunteers of cancelled gameso Information Director will post to social media that games are cancelled and on website that

fields are closed.o Division Directors will contact all team Managers who have scheduled games who in turn

will contact their respective team members. Will work with team managers to reschedule games at a later date.

o Umpire Director will notify all scheduled plate umpires. If games are called by a plate umpire or manager at the start or during a game, managers will

notify Concession, Division, Information and Umpire Directors.o Concession Director(s) will notify all parent volunteers of cancelled games and work with

Division Directors on any rescheduled games.o Information Director will post to social media that games are cancelled and on website that

fields are closed.


o Division Directors will make note and work with team managers to reschedule at a later date. o Umpire Director will work with Division Directors and plate umpires for any rescheduled

games.All games cancelled and marked as incomplete must be rescheduled and made up prior to all other rescheduled games and made up according to order of the original game schedule. All rescheduled games will be coordinated through the Division Directors.

Tournament (All Star and Honors) Team Manager Selection Process 1. All Minors, Major and Uppers division managers and coaches of record who wish to manage the

Tournament Team may apply for the position.2. All those applying must present their ‘resumes’ before the board at the annual tournament manager

selection meeting. This meeting. This meeting will generally be the day that the Tournament Team selection meeting is held, most likely just before that meeting.

3. Each applicant will be allowed a maximum of 15 minutes in front of the board of directors in order to present his/her case for being considered for the manager’s position. After each 15 minute period, board members may ask questions of each candidate.

4. After each applicant has been interviewed by the board of directors, the board will vote for manager. Voting will be conducted by written ballot and the ballots will be counted by the President, Player Agent and Secretary. The candidate that receives a simple majority of the board vote will be named Tournament Team Manager. The newly-elected Tournament Team Manager will present two coaches for board approval. Approval requires a simple majority of board member votes.

Note: If a person running for manager has a relative that is a voting board member, that board member may not vote nor may that board member take place in tallying of the ballots. A substitute board member will be selected by a majority vote of the board. Tournament (All Star and Honors) Team Player Selection All Minors, Major and Uppers division managers/coaches of record for the current spring season and players of record are eligible to participate in the selection of players to be on the Tournament Team that will represent Reynolds Little League at the District Two Tournament, and any subsequent .1. All players of league age who have played in at least 60% of the 12 game minimum of that team’s

scheduled games, have a valid birth certificate, live within the league’s boundaries (or have an approved D2 waiver, if applicable) are eligible for the Tournament Team selection.

2. The Player Agent and/or Division Director will present a ballot for each division team two weeks prior to the last scheduled games. Each player and manager may vote for a maximum of five players from his/her own team. Any ballot with more than five player names on it will be invalid.

3. The Division Director may place up to two additional players from each team on the ballot.4. An impartial subcommittee consisting of three individuals will tally the team ballots and prepare a

finalist list. The Player Agent must verify eligibility and birth dates prior to placing any player on the final list. The final list must be kept in a sealed envelope and on file for two years.

5. All players’ performance profiles must be submitted to the league’s tournament committee by a set date determined and preset in advance as noted in the league’s annual calendar.

6. Players and their parents must sign a letter of ‘Acknowledgment of Availability” to attend both tournament practices and games in order to be considered for tournament play.

7. Each team gets 1 vote and is eligible to vote for a maximum of 13 players. Any ballot containing more than 13 votes is invalid. Managers from each team may decide how they will cast the team ballot.

8. Teams may abstain from a vote or vote for fewer than 12 players.9. Players make the team by receiving a 100% majority of those voting (rounded down), until there is a

round where no players qualify for the team—a ‘stalled round’.10. The balloting is a ‘round of ballots’, thus upon receiving a 100% of votes of those voting, a player is

on the team and thus the “pool” for subsequent ballots is reduced.


11. At some point, there will likely be a stalled ballot that does not place players. At this point, the election becomes a simple majority election.

12. If there are any subsequent stalled rounds, the Player Agent may vote on each subsequent ballot until the team is selected (Player Agent acts as tie-breaker).

13. The ballots will be tallied by the Player Agent, Division Director and the President (Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer in this order if one of the above is unable to attend and perform their duties)

14. The first 13 vote-getters are selected to the team.15. Additional ‘pool reducers:

After each round all players receiving no votes in that round will be eliminated from the pool. After any stalled rounds, if there are enough players who have received more than one vote to

fill the remaining positions, any players receiving only one vote will be eliminated from the pool.

A nnouncement of All Star and Honors Tournament Teams All-Star and Honors Team announcements is based on the requirements set by LLI and are typically announced during the End of Season/Closing Day activities.

Honors TeamIf any All-Star team players quit or are injured and unable to play, replacement players will be chosen from the Honors Team by the All-Star team Manager and Player Agent.

Tournament Team Travel ExpensesTournament teams compete at the District level, State and beyond. Parents are expected to cover their own expenses. Players may apply for financial assistance from RLL when traveling outside our district. Financial assistance requests are reviewed by the board and may/may not be approved. Financial assistance is intended to offset room & board costs incurred by the player, it is not intended to fully cover player costs nor does it cover any parent costs. Should a team travel to State or beyond, the league will assist in fundraising to help defer costs. All fundraising monies and donations must be submitted to the RLL treasurer for recording and dispersal.

DEVELOPMENTAL DIVISIONS

ObjectiveOur goal is to teach our younger players the fundamentals of baseball while instilling the love of the game and the importance of team work and good sportsmanship.

Team NamesBy request, if disagreement, hat pick.

How Team Players are AssignedPlayers will be placed on a team by Division Director and Player Agent. Emphasis is to place players and coaches by player request first as much as possible then by area and schools while maintaining a balance of ages and roster size. Players may be moved due to late sign-ups and the need to balance rosters.

Games and Game balls Games shall consist of at least 4 innings. Game and practice balls will be a reduced injury factor ball. Game time is limited to 2 hours and no new inning should start after the 1:45 mark. If a game is in

the middle of an inning when the 2-hour limit hits, the game is still over. There is a 5-run max per inning. Teams switch offense and defense when the 5 runs are reached or 3

outs have been made. Roster batting must be used. This means that all players are in the batting order at all times and the


batting order may not be changed. This does not mean that every batter on each team bats before there is a side out. Side outs occur when there are 5 runs scored or 3 outs whichever occurs first. Again, there is a maximum of 5 runs allowed for each offensive team each inning. Upon scoring 5 runs, teams switch from offense to defense, even if there are not yet 3 outs.

No official score is kept. Runners are allowed to advance as many bases as possible until the ball becomes secured in an

infielder’s hands. Runners may not advance bases on over throws when making an attempt to make a play.

VolunteersAll volunteers who have contact with the kids must pass a background check. Encourage all of your parents to fill one out so at any given time they can help out during a game or practice. Parent involvement is very important at this level.

A volunteer must be in the dugout at all times.

All coaches need to take the concussion training course and send a copy of the completion certificate to the safety director.

Game Length/Time Limit for Games

Games consist of a maximum 5 innings, less than 5 innings is allowed. The determining factor is the time of play. No inning may begin after 1 hour and 15 minutes after the game scheduled start time. All games must end by “dark”. Dark is defined as 15 minutes prior to legal sunset.

It is up to the coaches to gauge their player attitudes and adjust the game length due to weather conditions such as hot or cold temperatures. Coaches may agree to halt play at any time less than 5 innings after at least 3 innings have been completed even though it has been less than the time limit.

FARM

Pitching and BattingThe season will start with strictly machine pitch with player pitch being introduced after 4 weeks of game play. The fourth Saturday following opening day shall be the first day of player pitch regardless of how many games each team has played. After player pitch is introduced, the first two innings will remain machine pitch with all remaining innings being kid pitch.

A batter shall receive 5 pitches max, from either the machine or a player.

A pitcher is only allowed to pitch no more than 1 inning, pitch no more than 50 pitches and must be league age 7 per Little League pitch count guidelines.

Once kid pitch is introduced so shall the “strike out”. A player shall only “strike out” with three swings of the bat with the third not having any contact with the ball. A batter may not “strike out” if the third swing is a foul ball. This goes for machine and player pitch. Once a batter “strikes out” the tee will be introduced. The batter gets 2 attempts off the tee. If the batter fails to hit a ball into fair territory within the 2 attempts, the batter is out.

OffensiveA batter does not receive a walk with 4 balls.


If a batter is struck by a pitch, it is up to the batter and coach to either continue the at bat or take the walk to first base.

There is no minimum distance a ball must travel into fair territory. Bunting is not allowed.

Roster batting is required. This means all players are in the batting line up regardless of their defensive position or if they were on the bench.

Runners are allowed to advance as many bases as possible until the ball becomes secured in an infielder’s hands.

Runners may not advance bases on over throws when making an attempt to make a play.

Base stealing is not allowed.

The offensive team shall provide a coach at 1st base, 3rd base and home plate. These coaches shall act as base coaches and umpires. The coach at home plate shall assist the catcher in retrieving and returning the ball to the pitcher as well as help the batter. The pitcher shall be a coach from the defensive team and will operate the pitching machine. A kid player should still occupy the pitchers position. Once player pitch is introduced, the coach is still encouraged to stand alongside his pitcher, for instructional purposes.

DefenseTeams will field 9 defensive players. All players shall play true defensive positions. If for some reason a team falls short of the 9 players, that team may borrow an outfielder from the other team. This should be the player that was either last to hit or was the 3rd out from the previous inning regardless of skill level.

Defensive plays should be encouraged as team plays. Players should not be trying to chase down a runner to tag them out.

Rotate players so that everyone has a chance to play every position. Every player is required to play at least 6 defensive outs and have at least one at bat.

Coaches are encouraged to be on the field to assist and instruct their defense.

VolunteersAll volunteers who have contact with the kids must pass a background check. Encourage all of your parents to fill one out so at any given time they can help out during a game or practice. Parent involvement is very important at this level.

A volunteer must be in the dugout at all times.

All coaches need to take the concussion training course and send a copy of the completion certificate to the safety director.

ROOKIE DIVISION (T-BALL) RULES

Players and Coaches On FieldCoaches should be on the field for instruction purposes during games. Timeouts are allowed and encouraged to instruct players.

General Rules1. Teams will play all players on the field at the same time during defense.


2. Batters do not strike out. Batters are allowed any number of swings at the ball until they hit a fair ball.

3. Bunting is not allowed. However there is no minimum distance that the ball must travel when hit off the tee.

4. Base stealing is not allowed. 5. Upon hitting a ball in fair territory the batter may advance no farther than 2nd base. Base runners

may advance no farther than 2 bases at a time. Thus if a base runner is at first base, upon a fair hit by a batter, they cannot advance beyond 3rd base due to the hit.

6. Standard overthrow rules apply.7. Sliding is not allowed.8. A coach or approved parent must be located behind catcher to help field passed balls and keep game

moving along.9. A set date will be determined near the end of the season in which the last approximate four games per

team will be permitted to be coach pitch. All managers must be notified in writing.

JUNIOR CHALLENGER/SENIOR CHALLENGER DIVISION

How Team Names AssignedAll team names are decided by the Division Director. All team names have the word Star in them.

How Team Players Are AssignedPlayers will be placed on teams by the Challenger Division Director and Player Agent. Emphasis is to place players and coaches as much as possible by ability and age. Junior Division ages 4-13 and Senior Division ages 14-unlimited.

Players and Coaches On FieldCoaches should be on the field for instruction and safety purposes during game times. Timeouts are allowed and encouraged to instruct players.

PitchingCoaches will be the only allowed pitchers.

UmpiresThere are no umpires required. Umpires can be used for special games.

General Rules1. Teams will play all players on the field at the same time during defense.2. Batters do not need to be in the same order at all times. Every player will get a chance to bat. The last

batter is the clean-up batter and brings everyone home. The last hit is always a home run.3. Batters do not strike out. It is the coach’s responsibility to help the player hit the ball and adjust

pitching accordingly and as needed.4. Base stealing is allowed.5. Upon hitting a ball in fair territory the batter may advance. Base runners may advance.6. There are no official scores or scorebooks kept and no official win-loss records kept.7. Sliding is allowed.8. When playing on Field #1 or Field #2, the Home Team is responsible to prep the field for the game.

Home and Visitor teams are equally responsible for the following: clean (sweep) the dugout, rake the field. If no other games are scheduled for that field, home plate and the pitching mound must be covered, bases must be put away, dugouts locked after being swept, bullpens, port-a-potty, score


booth must be locked before leaving the field for the night. For detailed instructions on closing the fields, see the information posted by the Field Directors.

Time Limit For GamesOn days that have consecutive games scheduled, the games are limited to 2 hours in length and no inning may begin after 1 hour and 50 minutes after its scheduled start time.

Buddy TeamsBuddies are individuals who assist Challenger athletes during the game play is to protect the Challenger player and to assist in any way necessary such as, base running and defense, but only as needed. Buddies are peer athletes who are participating in the Reynolds Little League Program (i.e. Minors, Majors, Intermediate and Uppers).

SOFTBALL

UniformsEach player will wear a league provided jersey and receive a team visor. Players will need to provide their own matching “baseball” pants and cleats (metal cleats not allowed). The color of the pants will be determined by individual coaches and teams.

VolunteersParents are strongly encouraged to become involved in this introductory level of Little League. After completing a Little League® volunteer application and passing a required national background check, parents may become involved in practices and be eligible as coaches, managers, umpires, local league board members and other volunteer positions within the league.

EquipmentPlayers will need to bring their own glove and Little League® approved bats to practice and games. Helmets and catchers gear are provided and shared.

RulesSoftball Division levels will follow the Little League® Softball Official Regulations and Playing Rules unless otherwise stated in the District #2 interleague rules.

TEE-BALLObjectiveIs for girls who want to learn the fundamentals of hitting and fielding. Rules of the game are modified to accommodate the need for teaching. The primary goals of tee-ball are to instruct children in the fundamentals of softball and to allow them to experience the value of teamwork.

AgesPlayers League Age 7 through 11 may play Minor softball. Players League Age 5 and 6 may play Minor softball if their assessment indicates readiness to move up from Tee-ball.

Team Formation


Teams have approximately 9-10 players. RLL does its best to create teams by grouping children per their neighborhoods and schools, while also ensuring a relative balance of ages among the teams. We will do our best to honor requests to play with friends or a specific coach, but we cannot make any guarantees.

PracticesTeams may begin practicing in about mid-March. How often a team practices is up to the manager. Softball teams generally practice about 2 times per week until the regular season begins in early April. After the regular season begins, team coaches determine the frequency of practices.

Games Games are limited to 12 per season. Tee-ball games are 4 innings but no longer than 1 hour and 30 minutes. Players hit off a tee.

MAJORSObjectiveAs a competitive division tryouts are held before each season to determine placement on the major’s teams. Players pitch from 40 feet. Games are 6 innings and are not limited by time. A game may be considered complete after 4 innings and the 10-run mercy rule applies. The first 3 innings are limited to 5 runs, all innings after that are open. Stealing is allowed after the ball leaves the pitcher’s hand.

AgesPlayers League Ages 9 through 12 are eligible to play in the Major Division.Please understand that we cannot guarantee players League Age 9 and 12 a spot in the Major Division. A player's placement in the Major Division is based on several factors including the number of players registered by age group, the number of teams in the division, and player assessments. If your child is not placed on a team in the Major Division, she will be placed in the Minor Division. Final decisions on player placement are determined by the Player Agent and Board.

Team FormationMajors Softball teams have approximately 11-14 players. The league groups children per age and player assessment, while trying to ensure a relative balance among the teams. We do our best to honor parent preferences, but cannot make any guarantees.

PracticesTeams may begin practicing in about mid-March. How often a team practices is up to the manager. Softball teams generally practice about 2 times per week until the regular season begins in early April. After the regular season begins, team coaches determine the frequency of practices.

GamesMajors softball teams play at least 12 games per season, playing 2 games per week.

JUNIORSObjectiveIs a competitive division. Players pitch from 43 feet. Games are 6 innings and are not limited by time. A game may be considered complete after 4 innings and the 10-run mercy rule applies. The first 4 innings are limited to 5 runs, all innings after that are open. Stealing is allowed after the ball leaves the pitcher’s hand.

AgesPlayers League Age 12 through 14 may play Junior softball. Please understand that we cannot guarantee players League Age 12 a spot in the Junior Division. A player's placement in the Junior Division is based on several factors including the number of players registered by age group, the number of teams in the division, and player assessments. If your child is not placed on a team in the Junior Division, she will be


placed in the Major Division. Final decisions on player placement are determined by the Player Agent and Board.

Team FormationJuniors softball teams have approximately 11-14 players. The League groups children per age and player assessments, trying to ensure a relative balance of skill among the teams. We do our best to honor parent preferences, but cannot make any guarantees.

PracticesTeams may begin practicing in about mid-March per RLL calendar. How often a team practices is up to the manager. Softball teams generally practice about 2 times per week until the regular season begins in early April. After the regular season begins, team coaches determine the frequency of practices.

GamesJunior softball teams play 3 games per week - usually one at 6:00 pm during the week and a double-header on Saturday. Games are scheduled from early April through mid-June.

These operational bylaws may be amended, repealed or altered in whole or in part by a majority vote at any duly organized meeting of the Members provided notice of the proposed change is included in the notice of such meeting. Draft of all proposed amendments shall be submitted to Little League Baseball, Incorporated, for approval before implementation. This Constitution was approved by the Reynolds Little League Membership on ______ __ (date).

President’s Name (Print) ______________________________________

President’s Signature

(date).

Little League ID No 4370217

Federal ID No. 930852397State ID No. 18695

Make one copy for the District Administrator and copies for the Local League. Send original to Regional Headquarters. This Local League’s Constitution on file at Regional Headquarters (most recently-approved copy) is the official Constitution of this Local League.Little League Baseball, Incorporated does not limit participation in its activities on the basis of disability, race, creed, color, national origin, gender, sexual preference or religious preference.


Safety Manual

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Documents

OCR Document · Web viewLittle League Baseball® and Little League Softball® set forth the rules that must be followed as well as how our chapter must be operated. A Little League