Oregon District 3 Little League: My Site News

Tuesday, March 23
25th Little League International Congress Voting Results

 

25th Little League International Congress Voting Results

For Rules and Regulations (non-Tournament items), two-thirds majority vote by the delegates is required to send the measure to the International Board of Directors. However, the International Board of Directors may enact a measure if it does not achieve the two-thirds majority vote. For Tournament items, the measure is referred to the Tournament Committee which acts on the recommendation of the delegates.

ITEM 1 - Affects Senior League Softball

Should Regulation I - THE LEAGUE be amended to read:

Senior/Big League:

Teams from one or more leagues in a district which are currently chartered may join to form a Senior/Big League. Any district which can field four (4) teams, must have its own league. Where one district cannot field four (4) teams, leagues in adjoining districts may combine to form a Senior/Big League not to exceed ten (10) teams, with approval of the Charter Committee.

EXCEPTION: The Senior/Big League may be a district-operated program, supervised by the District Administrator. Such a district-wide program may draw participants from within the boundaries of each chartered league in the district. However, each Local League wishing to do so may retain its own team/league structure. NOTE: District Administrators, even if they operate a district-wide Senior/Big League program, are not permitted to vote in the election for District Administrator.

DELEGATION VOTE

234 Yes Votes (91.05 percent) 20 No Votes (7.78 percent)

3 Abstentions (1 percent)

BOARD ACTION – Approved for implementation in 2011.

__________________________________________________________________________

ITEM 2 - Affects all levels of play

Should Regulation II – LEAGUE BOUNDARIES be amended to read:

The Board of Directors of the local Little League may enroll a player whose residence is outside the league’s boundaries, but only under all three of the following conditions: (1) the player has residence within another chartered Little League’s boundaries, and (2) the league where the player resides releases and waives all current and future rights to the player for regular season and tournament, and (3) the District Administrator(s) approve the request.

NOTE: A player who qualifies for and exercises this waiver, then elects not to participate for a playing season, is not eligible to be retained in future seasons.

REGULATIONS II (I) – PROCESSING PROCEDURE – ALL LEVELS OF PLAY

The league president will process a II (i) form. Once the president completes the form, he/she must receive written notification from the league where the player currently resides as outlined above. The league president will present this form and written notification to the District Administrator for review and approval. Once the District Administrator verifies the documentation meets the regulations, the District Administrator may sign the II (i) form granting his or her approval. The league and the district will maintain the form and documenting in their files. This verification process is only required once during a participant’s career.

The league must maintain this form and documentation for this player for the duration of his/her career until the player graduates from the program or breaks service with the league. Tournament teams with players qualifying under this regulation will be required to carry a copy of this form and documentation with them throughout the tournament. If contested during tournament play, the league will be required to produce the documentation. Additionally, if it is determined at a later date that the player does not meet the conditions of II (i), the player is ineligible for further participation. Situations in which documentation is not available must be referred to the Charter Committee through the regional office for decision. The decision of the Charter Committee is final and binding.

DELEGATION VOTE

231 Yes Votes (55.79 percent) 182 No Votes (43.96 percent)

1 Abstentions (0 percent)

BOARD ACTION – No action – item failed.

__________________________________________________________________________

ITEM 3 - Affects Tee Ball Baseball and Softball

Should Regulation II – LEAGUE BOUNDARIES be amended to read:

Tee Ball Division: Any candidate who will attain the age of 4 years before May 1 (Softball: January 1) and who will not attain the age of 8 before May 1 (Softball: January 1) of the year in question shall be eligible to compete in the Tee Ball Baseball/Softball Division (subject to the Local League Board of Directors alignment of this division). This means that a child who will be 8 years old on May 1 (Softball: January 1) or later, is eligible to play that year; a child who will be 8 years old on April 30 (Softball: December 31) or earlier will not be eligible for either Local League play or tournament play at any time during the calendar year in question.

DELEGATION VOTE

276 Yes Votes (74.59 percent) 93 No Votes (25.13 percent)

1 Abstentions (0 percent)

BOARD ACTION – Approved for implementation in 2010.

__________________________________________________________________________

ITEM 4 - Affects only Major Divisions and below

Should Regulation V – SELECTION OF PLAYERS be amended to read:

Operating Manual Plan B (applies to and is mandated only for Major Divisions and below)

The draft is conducted in two separate phases. The first part includes those players who: (a) are returning from a Major team in the same division, AND; (b) have registered for the current season.

This first phase of drafting returning players must be completed before the second phase of the draft, and all returning players who qualify under both conditions above must be drafted. Managers are not permitted to waive a draft choice.

The second phase of the draft includes all players who are eligible for selection and have attended the required number of tryout sessions.

The draft rotation follows the reverse order to finish from the previous season, with the last place team’s manager receiving the first pick, then the second-to-last place team, and so on. For instance, in a four-team league, the manager of the last place team from the previous season makes the following player selections: 1st choice, 8th, 9th, 16th, 17th, 24th, 25th, etc; The manager of the team that finished in third place makes the 2nd choice, 7th, 10th, 18th, 23rd, etc; The manager of the team that finished in second place makes the 3rd choice, 6th, 11th, 14th, 19th, 22nd; The manager of the team that finished in first place gets 4th choice, 5th, 12th, 13th, 20th, 21st, etc., until selections are completed.

NOTE 1: Because there are no players returning to a particular team, and because coaches cannot be named until the draft is completed, Options 2 and 4 (see "Options On Sons, Daughter and Siblings" in this chapter) do NOT apply when using the draft selection plan.

NOTE 2: When the second phase of this draft method begins, the draft order starts over, regardless of which team drafted last in the first phase.

DELEGATION VOTE

228 Yes Votes (55.07 percent) 176 No Votes (42.51 percent)

10 Abstentions (2 percent)

BOARD ACTION – No action – item failed.

__________________________________________________________________________

ITEM 5 - Affects all levels of play

Should Regulation IX – SPECIAL GAMES be amended to read:

(f) Tournament teams may participate in Special Games only after June 15th.

DELEGATION VOTE

353 Yes Votes (85.26 percent) 58 No Votes (14.00 percent)

3 Abstentions (0 percent)

BOARD ACTION – Approved for implementation in 2010.

__________________________________________________________________________ITEM 6 - Affects Senior League Baseball and Softball

Should Rule 3.03 be amended to read:

Senior/Big League Designated Hitter Rule:

1. At the beginning of a game, each manager may list on the lineup card a designated hitter to bat throughout the game for a designated player in the regular lineup.

2. Only a player not in the regular batting order may be used as a designated hitter.

3. In the event a manager decides to use the designated hitter as a defensive player, the player must remain in the same position in the batting order, unless otherwise replaced by a substitute. If so, the player for whom the designated hitter was batting must be removed from the game. Such player may re-enter the game once, but only in the batting order position of the former designated hitter, who must be removed.

4. This rule does not change the regular rule governing the use of pinch-hitters.

DELEGATION VOTE

325 Yes Votes (85.75 percent) 49 No Votes (12.92 percent)

5 Abstentions (1 percent)

BOARD ACTION – Approved for implementation in 2011.

__________________________________________________________________________

ITEM 7 - Affects all baseball divisions

Should Regulation VI – PITCHERS be amended to read:

(a) Any player on a regular season team may pitch. Exception: Any player, who has played the position of catcher in four (4) or more innings in a game, is not eligible to pitch on that calendar day.

DELEGATION VOTE

260 Yes Votes (62.80 percent) 153 No Votes (36.95 percent)

1 Abstentions (0 percent)

BOARD ACTION – Approved for implementation in 2010.

__________________________________________________________________________ITEM 8 - Affects Junior League and Senior League Baseball

Should Regulation VI (k) be amended to read:

(k) Pitching in more than one game in a day:

Minor League and Little League – A player may not pitch in more than one game in a day;

Junior League and Senior League – A player may be used as a pitcher in up to two games in a day. (Exception: If the player pitched 31 or more pitches in the first game, that player may not pitch in the second game on that day);

Big League - A player may be used as a pitcher in up to two games in a day.)

DELEGATION VOTE

325 Yes Votes (84.41 percent) 58 No Votes (15.06 percent)

2 Abstentions (0 percent)

BOARD ACTION – Approved for implementation in 2010.

__________________________________________________________________________

ITEM 9 - Affects Major League and Junior League Softball

Should Regulation IV – THE PLAYERS be amended to read:

A 12 year old player who is otherwise eligible under all conditions would be eligible for selection to either the Major League or Junior League Division tournament team. However, a local Little League’s board of directors could decide that players league age 12 in the league will not try out for the Junior League Division, and will be eligible for only the Little League ("Majors") Division/Minor League Division.

A player may be selected to participate in one or more regular season games on a Major League team and/or a Junior League team. If a player participates in sixty (60) percent of the Regular Season games in each division as of June 15, he/she will be eligible to participate in either the Major or Junior Division from that point forward in regular season and/or tournament play.

If a player only participates in sixty (60) percent of the Regular Season games in one division (Major or Junior) as of June 15, he/she is only eligible to participate with that particular division from that point forward in regular season and/or tournament play.

A player may only be selected to and participate on one (1) tournament team.

Any player who is league age 12 must be permitted to play in the Major Division. The local league cannot force any player who is league age 12 to play in the Junior League Division.

(AMENDED TO REMOVE THE NOTE BELOW)

NOTE: If a player pitches in one or more regular season games on a Junior League team, he/she will be ineligible to pitch in the Major Division from that point forward in regular season and would only be eligible for the Junior League tournament team.

DELEGATION VOTE

247 Yes Votes (76.94 percent) 69 No Votes (21.49 percent)

5 Abstentions (1 percent)

BOARD ACTION – Approved for implementation in 2010.

__________________________________________________________________________

ITEM 10 - Affects Senior League and Big League Softball

Should Rule 1.07 be amended to read:

1.07 – The pitcher’s plate shall be a rectangular slab of whitened rubber 24 inches by 6 inches. It shall be set in the ground as shown in Diagrams 1 and 2, so that the distance between the front side of the pitcher’s plate and home base (the rear point of home plate) shall be – (1) Minor League: 35 feet; (2) Little League (Majors) and Junior League: 40 feet; (3) Senior and Big League: 43 feet.

DELEGATION VOTE

250 Yes Votes (95.41 percent) 10 No Votes (3.81 percent)

2 Abstentions (0 percent)

BOARD ACTION – Approved for implementation in 2010.

__________________________________________________________________________

ITEM 11 - Affects all softball divisions

Should Rule 2.00 be amended to read:

Bunt is a batted ball not swung at but intentionally met with the bat and tapped slowly. Holding the bat in the strike zone is considered an attempted bunt. In order to take a pitch, the batter must withdraw the bat backwards away from the ball. (Tee Ball: Bunts are not permitted. Batters are not permitted to take a half-swing. If the umpire feels the batter is taking a half-swing, the batter may be called back to swing again.)

DELEGATION VOTE

283 Yes Votes (86.28 percent) 40 No Votes (12.19 percent)

5 Abstentions (1 percent)

BOARD ACTION – Approved for implementation in 2010.

__________________________________________________________________________ITEM 12 - Affects Major League Softball

Should Rule 6.09 (b) be amended to read:

The batter becomes a runner when –

(b) Major/Junior/Senior/Big League: the third strike called by the umpire is not caught, providing (1) first base is unoccupied or (2) first base is occupied with two out. NOTE: A batter forfeits the opportunity to advance to first base when he/she enters the dugout or any other dead ball area.

DELEGATION VOTE

149 Yes Votes (82.77 percent) 30 No Votes (16.66 percent)

1 Abstentions (0 percent)

BOARD ACTION – Approved for implementation in 2010.

__________________________________________________________________________

ITEM 13 - Affects Major League Softball

Should Rule 7.08 (a) (5) be amended to read:

Any runner is out when –

(a) (5) Major Division: the runner fails to keep contact with the base to which that runner is entitled until the ball has been released by the pitcher on the delivery. (NOTE: A local league may adopt a rule that requires the runner to keep in contact with the base to which that runner is entitled until the ball has been batted or reaches the batter, or be called out.)

(b) Minor League/Tee Ball: the runner fails to keep in contact with the base to which that runner is entitled until the ball has been batted or reaches the batter.

DELEGATION VOTE

152 Yes Votes (84.44 percent) 28 No Votes (15.55 percent)

0 Abstentions (0 percent)

BOARD ACTION – Approved for implementation in 2010.

_________________________________________________________________________

ITEM 14 - Affects Junior, Senior, and Big League Softball

Should Rule 8.03 (c) be amended to read:

(c) If the pitcher desires to walk a batter intentionally, all pitches must be legally delivered to the batter.

DELEGATION VOTE

263 Yes Votes (87.66 percent) 35 No Votes (11.66 percent)

2 Abstentions (0 percent)

BOARD ACTION - Approved for implementation in 2010.

__________________________________________________________________________ITEM 15 - Affects all levels of play

Should TOURNAMENT RULES AND GUIDELINES – SELECTION OF FIELDS be amended to read:

Selection of Fields

All shall be played upon Little League fields approved by the Tournament Director. Exception to this rule can only be made with consent of the Regional Director.

Local leagues selected to host a section, state, division, region or world series tournament must have an approved ASAP safety plan.

Fields must be enclosed with an outfield fence. Outfield fences for the Little League Division must be a maximum of 225 feet from home plate and a minimum of 195 feet; for 9-10 and 10-11 divisions, a maximum of 225 feet and a minimum of 180 feet; for Junior League, a maximum of 350 feet and a minimum of 250 feet; for Senior League and Big League, a maximum of 420 feet and a minimum of 280 feet. (Softball: Fence should be 200 feet). Tournament Directors should not permit portable outfield fences to exceed 200 feet (300 feet for Junior/Senior/Big League Baseball). Conventional dirt mounds are approved for tournament play. A request to use an artificial mound for tournament play may be submitted to the Tournament Committee in Williamsport (through the District Administrator/Tournament Director and Regional Office). An artificial mound must not be used unless approved in writing by the Tournament Committee for a specific tournament site/level, and only for the current year. The Tournament Director or assistant shall judge fitness of the playing field before the game starts.

9-10 & 10-11 Year Old Divisions, Little League: The on-deck batter’s position is not permitted.

DELEGATION VOTE

384 Yes Votes (92.75 percent) 28 No Votes (6.76 percent)

2 Abstentions (0 percent)

BOARD ACTION - Approved for implementation in 2010.

__________________________________________________________________________ITEM 16 - Affects all levels of play

Should TOURNAMENT RULES AND GUIDELINES – TOURNAMENT TEAM PRACTICE be amended to read:

Little/Junior/Senior/Big League: Try-outs or practices by tournament teams shall not be held before June 15. Tournament team practice may only take place against other teams within the same or contiguous districts in the same division, providing such practice is done out of uniform. (Little League accident insurance for tournament teams will not go into effect until June 15, or the date of the release of the names of tournament Team members, whichever is later).

9-10 & 10-11 Year Old Divisions: Try-outs or practices by tournament teams shall not be held before June 15 or two weeks prior to the start of the tournament. Tournament team practice may only take place against other teams within the same or contiguous districts in the same division, providing such practice is done out of uniform. (Little League accident insurance for tournament teams will not go into effect until June 15, or the date of the release of the names of tournament Team members, whichever is earlier).

DELEGATION VOTE

371 Yes Votes (89.61 percent) 41 No Votes (9.90 percent)

2 Abstentions (0 percent)

BOARD/COMMITTEE ACTION – Approved for implementation in 2010.

__________________________________________________________________________

ITEM 17 - Affects all levels of play

Should TOURNAMENT RULES AND GUIDELINES – CURFEW be amended to read:

Curfew

No inning shall start after midnight prevailing time (12:30 a.m. prevailing time for Junior League; 1:00 a.m. prevailing time for Senior/Big League). NOTE: An inning starts the moment the third out is made completing the previous inning.

DELEGATION VOTE

337 Yes Votes (81.40 percent) 73 No Votes (17.63 percent)

4 Abstentions (0 percent)

BOARD/COMMITTEE ACTION – Approved for implementation in 2010.

__________________________________________________________________________ITEM 18 - Affects tournament play in baseball and softball for 9-10-Year-Old Divisions, Little League, and Junior League

Should TOURNAMENT RULES AND GUIDELINES – MANDATORY PLAY RULE 9 be amended to read:

9. MANDATORY PLAY 9-10 Year Old Division, 10-11 Year Old Division, Little League and Junior League: If a tournament team has thirteen (13) or more eligible players in uniform at a game, then every player on a team roster shall participate in each game for a minimum of three (3) consecutive defensive outs and bat at least one (1) time. If a tournament team has twelve (12) or less eligible players in uniform at a game, then every player on a team roster shall participate in each game for a minimum of six (6) consecutive defensive outs and bat at least one (1) time.

DELEGATION VOTE

275 Yes Votes (66.42 percent) 139 No Votes (33.57 percent)

0 Abstentions (0 percent)

BOARD/COMMITTEE ACTION – Approved for implementation in 2011.

__________________________________________________________________________

ITEM 19 - Affects all levels of play Should TOURNAMENT RULES AND GUIDELINES – REGULATION GAME RULE 13 be amended to read:

REGULATION GAME: Each tournament game must be played to the point of being an official game:

(b) Regulation games (when a winner can be determined) terminated because of weather, darkness or curfew must be resumed if the visiting team ties the game or takes the lead in their half of the inning and the home team does not complete their at bat or take the lead in an incomplete inning. This does not apply to games suspended or delayed by weather that may still be resumed before darkness or curfew (as defined in Tournament Rules and Guidelines – Curfew) on the same day.

DELEGATION VOTE

322 Yes Votes (77.77 percent) 92 No Votes (22.22 percent)

0 Abstentions (0 percent)

BOARD/COMMITTEE ACTION – Approved for implementation in 2010.

__________________________________________________________________________

Notes:

Text in Italics indicates a change in the rule or regulation that was proposed for the original agenda.

Text that is underlined in red Italics indicates that text was amended from the original agenda through the Congress Round Table discussions, subsequent meeting of the Congress Rules Committee, and/or by action of the International Board of Directors.

END