Glenwood Baseball League
2010 Rules for Participation
League Fee: $1,750.00 due prior to first scheduled game.
Rule Book: The Glenwood Baseball League will be officiated under the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) unless otherwise covered in the GBL rules.
Player Roster: Final Roster must be turned in by June 30th. After this date no new players may be added to the roster. In order for a player to be eligible, the player must have played one game prior to the Saturday, June 30th cut-off date. Any non-eligible player entering a post June 30th game will result in a forfeit by the offending team. It is the manager’s responsibility to turn in a final roster for his team to ensure this does not happen.
Eligibility – If a team forfeits more than one game in a single season they are no longer eligible for post-season play. The team with the next best record, regardless if divisions are in place, will take that team’s playoff spot.
Player Release: If a player seeks release and the manager confirms, the released player goes to the last place team who may pickup the player or release him to the next to last place team, etc.
Alcohol on the playing area by participants is an automatic ejection and fine.
Smoking is not permitted inside of the baseball field gates. There are no restrictions on smokeless tobacco.
League Guidelines for Umpire Conduct:
1) Each umpire is a representative of the League and has the authority to order any manager, coach, player, substitute, team attendant, or bench personnel, to do or refrain from doing anything which affects the administration of these rules and the progress of the game. Each umpire will be expected to act professionally with regards to his job on the field and in his relationships with managers, coaches, players and fans.
2) Protests and ejections: Any umpire receiving a protest or ejecting a participant in a G.B.L. ballgame must immediately notify the umpire’s chapter representative as soon as possible following the incident. A written report, transcribed upon the official report form, must be received by this representative within 24 hours of the incident. The umpire representative will be responsible for notifying the commissioner of all such incidents as soon as he becomes aware of them. Failure of an umpire to issue the above mentioned oral and written reports may be cause for that umpire to be suspended from further G.B.L. assignments.
Grace Period: Teams are required to play with a minimum of eight (8) roster team members present. An out will be recorded in the event that the ninth spot in the batting order is empty when it’s time at bat occurs. A game will be forfeited if there are less than eight (8) team members eligible to participate. A fifteen minute grace period will be allowable, prior to the beginning of the game, to secure an eighth player from the point of the originally scheduled game time.
Trips to the Mound: A second trip to the same pitcher in the same inning will cause that pitcher to be removed from the pitching position. If the manager is a defensive infielder, he will be allowed to approach the pitcher without being charged a trip provided the discussion is brief and is terminated when directed by the umpire. Manager/outfielders will not be provided this courtesy and will be charged with a trip.
Substitution Rule: Any of the starting players including the P/DH may withdraw and reenter in their original position.
Designated Hitter: Only for the pitcher.
10 run rule: The game will be terminated following five (5) completed innings whenever a team leads by ten (10) runs or more when both teams have had an equal number of at bats.
Suspended Games: A game that has completed five (5) innings of play that is called because of darkness or rain will be a completed game. However, if the score is tied after both teams have had an equal number of at-bats, the game will be resumed at a later date from its point of interruption. Once a game starts and is halted due to outside circumstances (rain, darkness, etc…) and has not reached the requisite 5 innings, it will be commenced at the point of interruption. The home plate umpire will sign/date both the home and visiting team’s scorebook at the time of interruption.
Force Play/Slide Rule: On a force play anywhere, the runner cannot:
- Slide illegally (rolling, cross-body, pop-up, slashing, kicking, etc.)
- Fail to slide and contact, obstruct, hinder a fielder by being in his way or the way of the throw.
- Catcher can NOT block the plate without the ball. If the umpire determines that the catcher is blocking the plate without the ball the run will score regardless of the tag.
Malicious Contact Rule: On a tag play anywhere, the runner cannot attempt to intentionally dislodge the ball from the fielders grasp by crashing into him unless the runner does so in his attempt to slide.
Speed Up Rules: Intentional Walks: Defense can award the runner first base without pitches being delivered by informing the plate umpire. Courtesy Runner: For the pitcher or catcher immediately upon their arrival on base.
Physical Contact: Physical contact with league officials of the G.B.L. will not be tolerated under any circumstances. Anyone instigating intentional, physical contact of any degree with an official will be immediately ejected. Further disciplinary action, up to and including permanent suspension from further Glenwood Baseball League activity may result.
Team Managers: The manager is the sole representative of his team and it shall be his and only his responsibility to address the umpire(s) regarding the game situations. Players will not be permitted to leave their positions to confront umpires for any reason.
Language: Participants will not be permitted to make any personal remark that reflects on any player, umpire or spectator. Such remarks are grounds for immediate ejection without warning. Spontaneous language, which in the judgement of the umpire, appears to be vulgar and abusive and may be heard by spectators will result in the offender being immediately warned by the umpire that another such outburst will warrant his ejection. An umpire may issue a bench warning covering all members of the offending team that another outburst will result in immediate ejection.
No manager, coach player, substitute, team attendant, or bench personnel shall:
1) Use language which will in any manner reflect upon opposing players, any umpires, or any spectators.
2) Be permitted to leave their position for the purpose of arguing balls and strikes.
3) Object to any umpire’s decision that involves judgement such as, but not limited to, whether a ball is fair/foul, a runner is out/safe or a pitch is a ball/strike.
Note: When a manager, coach, player, substitute, team attendant, or bench personnel, is ejected from a ballgame, that person shall leave the field, sight and sound, immediately. If the offender remains past a reasonable length of time, in the umpire’s judgment, either to continue an argument or in a show of dissatisfaction with the result the umpire can declare to the player’s manager that the offender has 1 (one) minute to remove himself sight and sound from the field. The umpire will allow the offender one (1) minute to remove himself from sight & sound of the playing field, after which the offending team may be penalized a forfeiture. Under no circumstances may a player mingle with fans or sit in the stands.
Any player ejected from a game shall be fined $20.00 for the first offense, $40.00 and a one (1) game suspension for a second ejection, and $50.00 for a third along with being subject to expulsion from the league as determined by the protest committee. Any manager or player manager ejected from a game shall be fined $20.00 for their first offence and an additional $20.00 for each subsequent incident (Cumulative), although cannot be suspended without a majority vote of the protest committee. *Example – Coach is ejected from a game for the third time – he must pay a $60.00 fine before start of next game.
All fines shall be paid to the commissioner prior to the fined person’s next game, not the next scheduled game. (The ejected player is automatically suspended for the first game that immediately follows after the ejection.) If the suspension occurs in the last game of the year, the game suspension will be the first game of the new season. Participation of any player found to be in violation of the above-stipulated rule will result in disciplinary action being taken by the protest committee but not limited to fines, suspensions, and the possible forfeiture of ballgames.
Throwing Equipment: Players who throw equipment (bats, gloves, helmets, etc.) in protest of an umpires decision or players who throw equipment intentionally and maliciously which could cause injury to participants or bystanders will/must be ejected, written up and fined.
Uniforms: All players must be in like uniforms.
Equipment: Wood Bats – Standard professional grade ash and maple bats as well as professional grade composite bats are legal. It is a team’s responsibility to provide enough bats to last an entire season.
Balls – as part of the league fee the GBL will provide each team with enough baseballs to provide three new balls for each scheduled home game including playoffs. At the beginning of every game the home team will provide three new balls in addition to two “slightly used” balls.
Helmets - Helmets are required for every batter, baserunner, and batboy. The GBL recommends helmets with dual earflaps, but does not require them. Single earflap helmets are acceptable. The GBL also recomends helmets for basecoaches, but does not require them.
Protest Committee: This is a three man independent body that will make binding decisions on rules interpretation and disciplinary actions. The committee chairman will be contacted concerning any protest or situation requiring attention and meet with the three man panel to deliberate the outcome. The full protest committee will consist of the managers of each of the participating teams and the Commissioner. This committee will only meet under suggestion of the protest committee or in cases of extraordinary importance.
Protest Committee:
Pete Freed (Chairman)
John Leisering
Mike Fetzner
