2.                  If a player moves from the area, he or she may return to the same team from the previous year.

 

3.                  A coach’s copy of the team roster showing eligibility of its players shall be available for verification at all regular season and tournament games should a question arise as to a player’s eligibility.

 

4.                  Request for verification of play eligibility rests with the coaching staff.

 

5.                  Any player transferred from one roster to another after the start of League play for that age group shall be considered an ineligible player.

 

6.            The penalty for playing an ineligible player shall be forfeiture of all games in which the ineligible player participated.  A protest must be submitted to and approved by the Board of Directors before the penalty can be imposed.  The Board shall notify the league of this infraction.

 

6.                  Any flagrant act of unsportsmanlike conduct on the playing field or as a spectator may be cause for the cancellation of the eligibility of either a player or a coach.

 

7.                  A player’s high school eligibility is to be safeguarded at all times.  No coach, by his actions, shall cause such eligibility to be jeopardized.  The penalty for a coach causing school ineligibility of a player shall be the permanent suspension of the coach from any further coaching in the Association.  The Board must agree, by a majority vote, that a violation of this Regulation has been committed.

 

B.                 REGISTRATION

 

1.                  A registration by mail campaign will be conducted around January 1 of each year for all players on a roster the previous year.  Registration by mail shall be encouraged before the last Saturday in January.

 

2.                  Players new to the program or those not using the mail-in procedure may use an open or walk-up registration that shall be held the second and third Saturdays in February.  Places and times shall be determined and announced by the Board.

 

3.            The Board shall establish the registration fee annually.  Refunds of registration fees shall be at the discretion of the Board.  Usually, partial refunds shall be granted before the first league game.

 

4.                  On the registration forms, a returning player shall indicate a preference for remaining on the same team or entering the player pool and becoming subject to the draft within the same age group.

 

5.                  The final date for registration shall be twelve (12) days before the player draft.  Registrations submitted after the final date shall be placed on a waiting list in chronological order.

 

6.            A player or players may be added to an existing team by means of a recruiting process if the following guidelines are followed:

 

a.                   A new player living within the Association’s boundaries or attending school in Jefferson County, who contacts a coach and wants to play on the coach’s team.

 

b.                  A new player living within the Associations’s boundaries or attending school in Jefferson County, approached by a coach and wants to play on his or her team.

 

c.                   A player who is now playing in another Jefferson County area, but who is, or who will be going to school within the Association boundaries and initiates a move to Association teams on his or her own or by means of his or her parents or guardians may be added if the coach is contacted by the player or player’s family.

 

Penalty:            Under no circumstances shall a coach recruit a player from an existing team in Lakewood or adjoining areas.  He may not call, write, or initiate the thought through other ball players or parents or guardians.  Through a thorough investigation, if this is found true, the coach may be suspended indefinitely from the Association.

 

C.                 TRYOUTS AND DRAFT

 

1.            Within five (5) days after the last day of open registration, 0 League coaches shall freeze or retain a minimum of six (6) players on their rosters, except those players excluded in Paragraph 7.  Those players not retained are placed in the player draft.  Coaches must IMMEDIATELY notify those players that they do not retain.

 

2.            a.            There will be a one (1) day player tryout for each player pool before the draft, other than Level III.

 

b.                  Any player that enters these tryouts and is not selected by a higher level team can be returned to his original team or be placed in the draft at the option of the coaches at the level.

 

3.            Players that are new to the program are automatically assigned to the player pool and are subject to the draft.  Late registrants will be assigned to teams after the draft by the President or his or her designee.  However, these assignments will only be made to maintain the recommended number of players on the roster, and shall be made based upon tryout results and acceptance by the team coach.

 

4.                  Upon completion of registration, there shall be a one (1) day tryout for all players.  After the tryout, a draft of respective players shall be held.  The order of the draft shall be as follows:

 

a.                      0 league teams will draft and fill their roster with a maximum number to be determined after registration.  After the 0 league team(s) has filled its roster, 1^st League teams shall draft, then 2^nd League teams, then 3^rd League teams, in that order.  If there is more than one team per level of play, the Association President shall decide the order of selection according to any method the President determines to be fair.  The coaches shall then alternate selections until their rosters are filled. 

 

5. The rosters of coach-pitch teams shall be filled from the available pool of players.  When those teams are full, any remaining players shall be assigned to T-Ball teams.  T-Ball players will be assigned according to regulations set up by the T-Ball chairperson, subject to Board approval.

 

6. The Board may authorize a redraft in any age group under the following circumstances:

 

a.                      There is a substantial loss of coaches for that age group; or,

 

b.                     There are not enough players to field as many teams as the previous year; or,

 

c.                      At the discretion of the Board, when circumstances are such that it would be advantageous to that age group to redraft.

 

When the Board authorizes a redraft in any age group, returning players and new players shall be placed in a player pool for an open draft.

 

7.                  A player is not required to play for the team which drafts him or her.  When this occurs, the coach of the higher level team may select another player.  If the teams are on the same level, the coaches shall agree on a replacement.  If the coaches cannot agree, the Operating Committee shall make the final decision.

 

 

 

 

 

SECTION III - TEAMS

 

A.                 COMPOSITION

 

1.            Generally, teams shall be composed of players of the same age.  A player may play for an older age level team, but may not move down.

 

2.            Except for coach-pitch and T-Ball, teams of each age group, other than  Level III, will be further divided into 3 leagues.  The President shall determine how many teams will play at each level depending upon the number of players registering and the rules in effect for Jefferson County Junior Baseball.  Coach-pitch and T-Ball will be grouped into one Division.  For T-Ball, players under the age of  eight (8) may be combined.

 

3.            a.            In those rare cases when it is not possible to avoid fielding a team of mixed ages, the age of the team shall be that of the oldest player on the team.  The penalty for a team playing in an improper age bracket shall be forfeiture of all games.  A protest must be submitted and approved by the Board of Directors, or its designee,  prior to being submitted to the County for penalty disposition.

 

a.                   A player may play in an age bracket older than his or her own.  Players must be at least nine (9) years old, however, to enter the program.  Under this rule, if a player elected to play in an age group older than his or her own, then he or she does not forfeit the privilege of playing for his or her own age group in subsequent years.

 

4.                  No team may be transferred from one league to another league after league play has begun.  The penalty for a team transferring to another league shall be forfeiture of all games.

 

5.            The President shall fix the number of players on each roster by age group.  This will be established each year and will be done prior to the draft and will be partially based on the number of registrants in each age group.  A maximum of twelve (12) players is recommended.

 

B.                 LONGETIVITY

 

Every effort will be made to keep teams intact from year to year.  However, it is recognized that this is not always possible, nor always desirable.  In establishing teams each year, the overall best interest of the players shall be given prime consideration.  Most returning players will be automatically assigned to their previous team’s roster.  However, if any team breaks up and is no longer a team, the remaining players will be placed in the player pool.  A team will be considered a broken team if less than six (6) players remain from last year’s team and the coach does not return.

 

SECTION IV - COACHES

 

A.                 SELECTION

 

It shall be the intent of the Association to provide the most competent coaching staffs available.  The Coaches Committee shall assign coaches as defined in the Bylaws.

 

B.        ASSISTANTS

 

A head coach may select his or her assistant coaches, subject to approval by the Coaches Committee.  It is recommended that each coach have at least one assistant.

 

C.            GOALS

 

Coaches shall strive to teach the players all facets of the game, including fellowship, sportsmanship, and development of a positive attitude.

 

 

B.                 RESPONSIBILITIES

 

Coaches shall be held responsible for the conduct of themselves and of their players during the season.  The Coaches Committee shall consider these responsibilities in assessing each coach’s performance.  Coaches shall:

 

1.            Provide cohesiveness between players, parents, the Association, the Umpires, and the League.

 

2.                  Manage the equipment of the Association in a professional manner.  Included in the equipment are playing gear ( baseballs, bats, etc. ), uniforms, and field equipment, such as bases, pitching rubbers, lockers, lights, and field and lining equipment.

 

3.            Attend Association functions on a regular basis and contribute assistance as may be necessary.

 

3.                  Maintain game records ( score book ) and other paperwork as required by the Association.

 

4.                  Return all assigned equipment and uniforms to the Equipment Committee as soon as possible after the last league or tournament game, but not later than August 31 of the current year.  Reimburse the Association for the cost of replacing any equipment or uniforms which, in the judgment of the Board, was lost, damaged, or destroyed through mismanagement by the Coach.

 

5.            Deliver a copy of the team photograph to the team sponsor at the end of the season.

 

6.                  Assist in fund raising as may be required by the Board.

 

SECTION V - FIELDS

 

A.                 PREPARATION

 

The Association will properly prepare all fields for league and tournament games.  Home team coaches shall make certain that this responsibility is met.

 

B.            LIGHTS

 

On lighted fields, home team coaches shall supervise light usage.

 

C.                 EQUIPMENT

 

After all league and tournament games, the home team coach shall remove the bases and pitching rubber and store them in the lockers which are provided.