Saint Mary's National Little League: By Laws

ST. MARY’S NATIONAL YOUTH BASEBALL AND SOFTBALL ORGANIZATION
P.O. BOX 40
NAVAL AIR STATION
PATUXENT RIVER, MARYLAND 20670

BY-LAWS


ARTICLE I:        ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION
A. The Articles of Incorporation (A of I), as approved by the St. Mary’s National Youth Baseball and Softball Organization, by name St. Mary’s National (SMN), is the authority for these By-laws.
B. As provided for in the A of I, a Board of Directors, hereafter referred to as the Board shall function to manage the property and affairs and accomplish the objectives of the Organization.
C. The By-laws are binding on all Organization activities with the exception of Interleague play, which are governed by Maryland District 7 Regulations.
ARTICLE II:        MEMBERSHIP
        There are two classes of membership of the Organization. The qualifications for each class are as follows:
A. Elected/Appointed Membership in the Organization is limited to adults over 18 years of age, residing within St. Mary’s County, Maryland, who possess an interest in the administration of the Organization.
B. Player Membership in the Organization is limited to boys and girls which meet the age requirement of Little League Baseball and who reside within the operational boundaries of the Organization.
ARTICLE III:        MEETINGS
A. Board meetings will be held at a place and time designated by the President. All Board meetings are open to the public. Meetings shall last two hours maximum.
B. The President, when necessary will call special Board meetings.
C. If the President, is not available to call a required Board meeting, such a meeting shall be called as explained above, by the Vice President of Major Baseball, Secretary, or Player Agent.
D. An Annual meeting shall be held the first week in September for the purpose of electing the Board. A notice of the meeting shall be advertised in the local newspaper at least two (2) weeks prior to the annual meeting.
E. Voting for the election of the Board shall be open to all members.
F. All voting Board members are strongly encouraged to attend all league meetings. In the event that a voting Board member cannot attend, that board member must give their proxy to another voting Board member to vote on their behalf in their absence. A voting Board member can have only their vote and one proxy.


ARTICLE IV:        BOARD OF DIRECTORS
A. The Board is composed of elected and appointed officials.
B. Elected officials must be regular members in good standing and may not hold more than one elected office.
C. A vacancy occurring by any of the elected officials will be filled by Board election, until the next Annual Meeting.
D. Elections and all other decisions shall be decided by a majority vote of a Quorum (7 of the 11 voting members) present at a properly convened Board meeting.
E. The primary duties of members of the Board are as follows:
1. Establish geographic boundaries for all national leagues.
2. Approve the use, and certify the adequacy of each playing
or practice field.
3. Approve the league schedule.
4. Decide upon the number of divisions, teams in each division and the number of players on each team.
5. Set sponsorship fees.
6. Set registration fees.
7. Reserves the right to approve managers and coaches.
F. The President and Player Agents shall not manage, coach or umpire.

ARTICLE V:    ELECTION OF OFFICIALS
A. The President shall appoint a nominating committee to investigate and consider eligible candidates for the election of officials in May. The nominating committee shall consist of at least three (3) Board Members. Other regular members in good standing may serve.
B. The nominating committee shall notify the regular members in good standing of the elected positions and solicit nominations no later than sixty (60) days prior to the annual meeting.
C. The nominating committee shall submit the slate to the Board for ratification. The new Board shall fill all vacancies on the slate.

ARTICLE VI:   ELECTED OFFICIALS
A. Elected Officials: President, Vice President of Baseball, Vice President of Softball, 1 or 2 Player Agents (one for both baseball and softball or a Softball Player Agent and a Baseball Player Agent) and VP’s for the following divisions: Junior/Senior Baseball, Junior/Senior Softball, Major Baseball, Major/Minor Softball, Minor Baseball (includes Minor Rookie and Tee-Ball).
B. President – Shall preside at all General, Executive Meetings and Board Meetings; shall represent the Organization or Auxiliary in administrative transactions with the Little League headquarters, County Government (Recs. and Parks) and/or merchants and civic organizations; shall appoint committees and individuals to serve as needed. The League President shall convene a Protest Committee in accordance with Little League Rules.
C. Vice Presidents
1. The VP of baseball and the VP of softball shall be the administrative directors of their prospective divisions.
2. The seniority of the Vice Presidents is as follows: Baseball Major Vice President then Softball Vice President. In the absence of the President, the Baseball Vice-President shall act as the President.
3. Shall be the mediator between their division managers and the Vice President of their division.
4. Shall screen candidates for positions of managers and coaches and submit their names to the board.
5. Will assist the equipment manager in the distribution and return of uniforms and equipment of teams within their division.
6. Vice Presidents shall be responsible for, and represent at the Board Meetings, each team within their division. Each Vice President with the exception of Rookie and T-Ball, shall maintain a current statistical record of each team within their division to include, as a minimum the number of games won and lost and the innings pitched by each pitcher, and shall submit this information to the Publicity Chairperson weekly.
7. All Vice Presidents with the exception of Rookie and T-Ball are responsible to insure that all canceled/postponed games are to be rescheduled by the end of that calendar week and shall notify the Chief Umpire of the new date. Games are to be played within 10 days of the original scheduled date.
D. Player Agent - There may be a Player Agent for baseball and one for
Softball. The Player Agent for baseball will hold overall responsibility. The Player Agent shall:
a. Supervise the registration, tryout and selection/assignment/draft of players.
b. Supervise the transfer of players from divisions and teams within the division.
c. Prepare the rosters for Little League Headquarters no later than two weeks after opening day. Provide copies of the rosters for the President, District Administrator, Vice Presidents, and Secretary. Submit changes to the rosters to Little League Headquarters as required by Little League Regulations.

ARTICLE VII: APPOINTED OFFICIALS
Appointed Officials as Needed: Secretary, Treasurer, Facility/Safety Insurance Coordinator, Equipment Manager(s), Information Officer, Chief Umpire, Sponsorship Coordinator, Yearbook Coordinator, Newsletter Coordinator, Auxiliary Coordinator Rookie Commissioner and T-ball Commissioner.
A. Secretary
1. Maintain all written records of the Organization for the current season and one (1) year preceding.
2.        Assist elected and appointed officials in preparing correspondence.
3.         Publish and distribute minutes of meetings and other information as necessary.
4.        Notify Board Members of date, time, and location of meetings.
5.        NOTE: If the secretary is not present at the board meeting, the secretary will receive the audio tape from the board meetings, transcribe the minutes, return the printed minutes to the President along with a blank audio tape and recorder for the next meeting.
B. Treasurer
1. Maintain custody and control of all monetary funds within the Organization.
2. Prepare and present to the Board quarterly at the Board meetings a current financial statement.
3. Submit to an internal audit annually or when relinquishing duties. The dates of the annual submit shall be determined by the current President.
4. Ensure that in addition to the Treasurer’s signature, the signature of the President or one designated official appear on all disbursements.
5. Prepare and file all required tax forms as required by law.
6. Prepare and submit Organization papers as required by Maryland law.
7. Prepare and submit the Leagues Financial Statement to Little League Headquarters in accordance with the Little League Regulations.
8. Make every effort to recover bad debts, in the form of returned checks, by resubmitting them to the bank for reprocessing and calling the persons responsible for the bad checks. Present the Board with a list of uncollected bad debts as part of the quarterly financial report.
C. Chief Umpire
1. Shall supervise the training of all staff umpires and shall schedule umpires for all league games.
2. The Chief Umpire shall instruct all umpires to initial in each score book each pitching change and sign both books after the game and denote official book.
3. Shall provide to the Treasurer receipts for all purchases of umpire equipment expenses.
4. Shall provide list containing names and phone numbers of all league umpires to the President.
D. Sponsorship Coordinator
1. Shall initiate, supervise, and coordinate the acquisitions of all team sponsors.
2. Ensure the team picture and yearbooks are delivered to the sponsors in a timely manner.
E. Information Officer
Shall initiate, supervise, and coordinate all League publicity. Shall promote SMN, advertise League registration, promote league events, and maintain the SMN website. Shall coordinate, publish, and distribute the Newsletter.
F. Equipment Manager
Shall be knowledgeable of current Little League Rules with respect to equipment; shall be responsible for keeping a complete inventory and custody record of all League equipment; shall supervise adequate storage of all League equipment between playing seasons; and solicit bids for replacement or additional equipment. The anticipated cost of equipment expenditures as well as a plan for the expenditures shall be submitted to the Board for approval prior to the orders being placed.
G. Safety/Insurance/Facilities Coordinator
Shall initiate, supervise, and coordinate all safety programs within the Organization; shall randomly monitor games and practice sessions to ensure safe field playing conditions; shall process all accident claims from within the Organization in a timely manner, and submit promptly to Little League Headquarters. Except in a situation that effect personnel safety, the Safety/Insurance Coordinator shall not interrupt a game or practice session, but will verbally report any safety discrepancy to the Umpire-in-Chief during the next time-out, or to the manager of a practice session. Serious safety discrepancies will be reported in writing to the President. The Safety/Insurance Coordinator shall inspect all fields and make recommendations as to safety and suitability to the Board prior to March 1.
Shall be responsible for the acquisition of all playing, practice and tryout ball fields; prepare and coordinate playing schedule for all teams; coordinate routine maintenance and the upgrading of all ball diamonds. Acts as single point of contact between Little League and St. Mary’s County Department of Recreation and Parks, the Naval Air Station, and privately owned fields for all matters concerning facilities. The Facilities Coordinator should present to the Board an overall facilities allocation and improvement plan prior to March 1 of each year, for approval before allocation of capital resources to any particular facility.
H. Yearbook Coordinator
Shall be responsible for the publication of the yearbook. Shall coordinate with yearbook sponsors for ads, sponsorship chairperson, treasurer for acknowledgement and deposit of donations and the Picture Committee. Shall also maintain records of same.
I. Auxiliary Coordinator
Shall be responsible to the Board for the implementation and coordination of all fund drives, special sales, social functions, and special projects to improve the financial state of the Organization. Shall enlist support from local volunteer groups as well as Little League participating families and present a plan with specific financial/functional goals. Shall function as the Chairperson on the Picture Committee.


ARTICLE X:      TEAMS
A. The Board, based on available assets for the current season, will determine team locations, assigned playing fields, name, and number of players.
B. Major, Junior and Senior Division teams will maintain the same number of players within their respective divisions
C. Team names are chosen by the Equipment Manager and approved by the President.
D. There shall be zero tolerance for umpire abuse by a manager, coach or any team member, fan or team affiliate.

ARTICLE IX:       TEAM MANAGERS
A. One manager will be appointed for each team on the basis of capability not necessarily incumbency. The manager shall be responsible to the Organization for the accomplishment of the League objectives and the actions of all personnel associated with the team. The manager is also responsible for the following:
1. Thoroughly acquainted with and will enforce current Little League Regulations.
2. Shall secure the services of a coach and a team parent. The team parent will act as the team’s representative in the Organization’s Auxiliary.
3. Ensure that sponsors are invited to Opening Day ceremonies.
4. Responsible for the return of team uniforms and equipment.
5. Managers need to call their division VP and report the game’s score, innings pitched by each pitcher and names of absent players. See Article 5.
6. All managers and coaches are required attend the annual coaching/rules clinic and a one (1) time Emergency management Training Course as provided by the Board.
7. Umpires are to be treated with respect and diplomacy; all Team Managers will enforce zero tolerance for umpire abuse.
8. An individual will only be the Manager or Coach of record during regular season for only one team.
9. It’s the responsibility of the home team manager to notify the Chief Umpire of any postponement.
B. Mandatory Playing Time SEE RULE IV (I)
To provide some assurance that managers live up to the spirit of the Mandatory playing rule, all substitutes must be in the game, no later than the start of the fourth (4) inning. All substitutes must be announced before the first pitch of the fourth (4) inning. If a manager fails to meet the mandatory playing time for any team player, the manager shall for the:
a. First Offense – Receive a written warning.
b. Second Offense – Be suspended for the remainder of that game.
c. Third Offense – Be suspended for the remainder of the season.

ARTICLE X:      PLAYERS
A. Registration, Tryouts and Draft
Registration and tryout details shall be initiated and coordinated by the Player Agent for baseball and softball and shall be in accordance with current Little League Rules and Regulations. The respective player agents shall personally conduct each draft, assisted by the Vice President.
1. The league shall schedule three (3) tryouts and players must attend at least two (2) tryouts, in order to be drafted.
2. All players 10 and above who are not returning to a Major League team must tryout.
3. The League shall use Draft Plan A, as outlined in the Presidents Handbook.
4. Any player who registers late, after the tryout period, will be placed on a waiting list. Late registrants will be assigned to teams only where there is a need.
5. Anyone failing to attend tryouts will be placed on a team waiting list and assigned as vacancies occur, to maintain the rosters by the Player Agent.
6. The Player Agent may place 10,11 and 12 year olds not drafted to a Major team on a Minor League team.
B. Team Assignment
Preliminary rosters will be set at 12 players according to the minimum player rule Regulation 3A as set forth in the Little League Rulebook. The board shall hold a Division Managers meeting 5-7 days after the last try-out date to assure team rosters can be finalized and maintained. At that time the Player Agent shall provide a list of the draft eligible players and names and ages of players who are registered but did not participate in try-outs per Article XI A-4 of Ops manual. Late registrants will be assigned to teams only when the need is present. Following the draft, managers may, if they desire trade players until 14 days after the first scheduled game in accordance with the Trading Ops Manual page 63.
One week prior to the start of each playing session, the Player Agent shall publish a team roster for each division, giving each player’s name, League age, address and phone number. Published rosters are final and can only be changed as outlined below:
1. Involuntary vacancies due to resident changes, permanent suspension, or injury that would prevent participation for the reminder of the season. A manager will immediately notify the Player Agent and Vice President of any vacancy and will have a maximum of one week from the date of vacancy to draft a new player. Vacancies will be filled by a draft from the Minor team or teams assigned to support the Major division. In the case of no eligible replacement player in the waiting pool of players, the Player Agent and Vice President will call for a meeting of the Board and submit their recommendation for resolutions

(a) The League shall, at least 10 days prior to the first scheduled game, establish the number of players on each team (see Ops. Manual). Every effort should be made to set the maximum rosters for each division as follows:

Senior Softball        13 players                Senior Baseball        13 players
Junior Softball        13 players                Junior Baseball        13 players
Major Softball        12 players                Major Baseball        12 players
Minor Softball        12 players                Minor Baseball        12 players
                                        Rookie Baseball        12 players
                                        T-Ball                12 players
In the event that the number of players and teams preclude the roster size stated above, the rosters can be set to include up to a maximum of 15 players.
(b) Those league age 10, 11 and 12, registering after tryouts cannot be drafted until they have played four (4) regular season games with a Minor team. The Player Agent can continue to register players through the season and add them to the waiting list. Players drafted as stated above will be required to play for their new team.
(c) Any player on a Minor team who is drafted by a Major team and refuses to move, will be immediately placed on another Minor team and cannot be selected for any All-Star team nor drafted by another Major team.
(d) No player will be drafted during the final two weeks of the season, except if they are league age 12. Such players are not eligible for Invitational play.
(e) All teams will maintain a full roster. Failing to maintain a full roster, and games played without having a full roster is cause for protest and will be resolved by the Protest Committee. For softball, having an insufficient number of eligible players on the waiting list to maintain roster strength will be resolved by a meeting of the Board.
(f) The Junior Baseball Division will consist of only 13 & 14 year olds. If cuts have to be made it shall not be 13-year-old players. 13 year olds are not eligible to play in the Senior Baseball Division. 14 year olds are eligible to fill senior vacancy.
2. Either the player involved, or the player’s parents may make, in writing, a brief summary of all pertinent information a request for a return to the draft pool, to the Board. If a player or the parents make such a request, the team manager will appear before the board to offer recommendations and/or explanation. If the Board, the reassignment, approves the request and player/draft recruiting will be conducted in accordance with Little League Rules, and as explained above. The submission of such a request does not constitute authority for the player to join another team or cease activities with the assigned team.
3. The Player Agent will make each change to the original roster with immediate notification to all managers in the affected Division, through the Vice President.

ARTICLE XI:    PLAYING FIELDS
A. The Board or a designated representative and certified as to adequacy for practice session’s only or game play will inspect each playing field utilized by the Organization. Written requests for field utilization (schools, private or military etc.) will be initiated by the Facilities Coordinator and signed by the President.
B. The Home Team Manager of each game is responsible for the field preparation, including chalking and bases. Proper preparation must be complete prior to the scheduled game time. T-Ball, Rookie, and Minors are not required to chalk the fields.
C. Each playing or practice field will have one team manager, designated by the Field Coordinator, assigned the duties of field coordinator. The field coordinator will coordinate all efforts of field maintenance, such as maintenance, clean-up, periodic grass cutting, practice schedules and make-up game availability. All managers shall assist the field coordinator.

ARTICLE XII: SPONSORS
A. The Sponsorship Chairperson in accordance with Little League Rules and Regulations shall solicit team sponsors.
B. Whenever possible, one sponsor will be assigned to each team for the playing season. The sponsor’s desire for an individual team will be honored whenever practical.
C. Suitable publicity for the sponsors shall be the responsibility of the Publicity Chairperson. Minimum publicity shall consist of the following items which shall be provided by the Organization.
Team uniforms will show the sponsor’s name in accordance with Little League Regulations including a yearbook and team photograph.

ARTICLE XIII:    GAME PROCEDURES (MAJORS AND ABOVE)
A. All games will be conducted in accordance with current Little League Rules, and as amplified herein.
B. The visiting team shall have the field from 20 minutes prior to game time until 5 minutes prior to game time for warm-ups.
C. The home team will provide two new balls and two back up balls to the Umpire prior to the game, except the Senior Baseball home team, which will provide three balls. After the game, the game balls will be returned to the home team. The home team, using suitable game balls, will replace balls lost or damaged during the game. Request from the Umpire for additional balls will be made to the home team.
D. Two umpires should be used for every game.
1. If one staff umpire is present, volunteer umpires may be chosen from the spectators. Each team manager will provide one candidate to the staff umpire.
2. If both umpires must be volunteers, each team manager will provide one candidate, the field positions (behind the plate or on the bases) must be agreeable to both managers before the game commences. A manager/coach may umpire. By allowing the game to start, each manager automatically accepts the volunteers as being qualified. Failing to find acceptable umpires from the stands isn’t cause for the game to be rescheduled in accordance with these By-laws.
E. If a game cannot be played because of the inability of either team to place nine players on the field (fifteen minutes from the official game time start), The game shall be reschedulted through the VP or Interleague Commissioner. NOTE: A game may not be started with less than nine (9) players on each team.
F. All make-up games, including postponed games, will be played at the earliest field availability and not later than the Saturday of the same calendar week as shown on the official schedule. If the teams involved cannot agree, the Division Vice President shall be advised within 24 hours and shall reschedule the game utilizing another field if necessary. Games scheduled to be played on Friday may be made up the following week.

G. League Championship – Softball only: In case of a tie between two teams a one game playoff would be held. In the case of two or more teams that tie a drawing will be held by the league to determine playoff matches. The League will determine Major League Baseball Playoffs

1.        Playoff Champion is representative in Invitationals.
2.        6 Teams: Pirates, Dodgers, Cardinals, Braves, Diamondbacks and Reds.
First Round:
A. 1st and 2nd place teams have a bye
B. Game 1: 3rd place team Vs 6th place team.
C. Game 2: 4th place team Vs 5th place team.
Second Round:
A. Winner of Game 1 Vs 2nd place team.
B. Winner of Game 2 Vs 1st place team.
Third Round: Championship:
Winner of Game 3 Vs Winner of Game 4.
H. Score keeping – The official score book will be designated by the Umpire-in-Chief and will usually be the home team’s responsibility unless otherwise designated. Both teams may keep any unofficial second score book in the dugout.
I. Sunday practices are prohibited before 2:00 PM.

ARTICLE XIV:        MINOR BASEBALL
A. Pitching. See Rule Book VI.
B. Protests shall not be allowed. All disagreements shall be reported to Minor League Vice President for resolution.
C. There are no balks.
D. All games must be played as scheduled. See Rule Book 4.10D.
E. If the defensive team is unable to register three (3) outs after nine batters have batted; play will cease when the offensive team has scored 5 runs. A run is not scored if the runner advances to home plate during the play in which an out is made by the last batter before touching first base or by a runner being forced out. The opposing team shall then come to bat. This rule does not apply in the sixth (6) inning. The manager of the team at bat shall announce the last batter to the defensive team.
F. Team rosters shall consist of players of league age 8 through 12.
G. The Board requests each team to send at least one volunteer to Minor League umpire training.
H. Following rule E. above, the Minor teams will keep score and standings in
The Minor league. As in the Major league, the manager of the team with the most wins in the minor league will be given first opportunity to manage the 9-10 year old All-Star team following the regular season.
I. Each team may have an adult base coach at first and third base. It is no longer required to have a player stand in as one of the base coaches.
ARTICLE XV:        MINOR SOFTBALL
A. Article XV, Sections A through E, shall apply.
B. Eight (8) and Nine (9) year old pitchers shall be allowed to pitch from 35 feet, if requested. The distance from the pitcher’s plate to the rear point of home plate shall be 40 feet for all other pitchers.

ARTICLE XVI:        ROOKIE DIVISION
A. Article XV, Section B through E, shall apply.
B. Coaches can pitch over hand to their team from minimum 35’or have a player pitch from 46’ or use a pitching machine at 35 mph from the mound, as decided by both team coaches’. Each batter shall receive five (5) pitches for each time at bat. If after five pitches the batter does not hit the ball in fair territory, the batter shall use the tee. There shall be no strikeouts or walks.
C. Games will be limited to six (6) innings.
D. The infield shall be a 50-foot square and the pitcher’s plate shall be thirty-six (36) feet from the rear point of home plate.
E. Team rosters shall consist of players of league age 7 and 8 year olds.
F. Official T-ball (soft) balls will be used.

ARTICLE XVII:        TEE-BALL RULES
                These are the rules from the Tee Ball Rule Book and local league rules.
A. Field Decorum
1. Players, coaches and parents designated by the manager shall be the only persons occupying the confines of the playing field and dugouts prior to and during the games.
2. Except for the batter, base runners, and coaches at first and third bases, all players shall be on their benches in their dugouts when the team is at bat.
3. Offensive and defense coaches may offer advice but shall not interfere with play. The manager or coach shall call “time” before demonstrating a technique or explaining a situation to the players during the progress of a game.
B. TEAMS
1. Team rosters shall consist of players of league age 5 and 6.
2. The Player Agent for Baseball shall assign players to teams, placing approximately the same number of players, by age, to each team.

C. EQUIPMENT
1. The uniform will consist of a team Tee shirt and hat, to be worn with full-length pants.
2. The player occupying the defensive position of catcher must wear full protective equipment, which includes a catcher’s mask and protective helmet with throat guard, leg guards, and long model chest protector. All male catchers must wear a protective cup.

D. GAMES
1. It is the League’s policy that you DO NOT score or keep standings
2. Tee Ball must utilize the “batting tee” rather than the pitched ball.
3. Bases should be 50 feet apart and pitcher’s plate should be 36 feet from the rear of home plate.
4. Each player present for the game must be given a position on the field for at least two innings. The game will not exceed two hours or four full innings whichever comes first.
5. The batting order shall be the players listed in the order they are to bat. The batting order shall contain all present at the game. There shall be no penalty for batting out of order. Batting orders need not be exchanged between managers.
6. When all the defensive players are in proper position the defensive managers will indicate his team is ready. The defensive manager may make position changes any time during the game when the ball is not in play. The offense coach will then place the ball on the tee and say “Play Ball”. The batter will not get any additional practice swings after this point.
7. A player who throws the bat shall receive one warning and the play shall stand. The second time this occurs the batter shall return to the dugout and the play shall be called dead with no runners advancing.
8. Base runners must stay in contact with the base until the ball is hit. If, in the judgment of a coach, the runner left too soon, the player shall return to previous base. When players have advanced as far as possible without being put out or having been retired and/or the ball becomes dead, the offense coach shall call “time” and play shall halt.
9. The ball becomes dead when the defensive team is returning the ball from the outfield and has possession of the ball anywhere in the infield. Runners will not be allowed to advance to a base they do not occupy when a dead ball occurs regardless of how close they are to the next base at the time of the dead ball, except when advancing to first base.
10. Award no more than one base for all overthrows. This rule is intended to encourage tee-ball players to attempt to make plays and limit the uncontrolled “running of the bases”.
11. The offensive team will have completed its turn at bat when all players present have batted once.
12. There shall be one offense coach only at the plate who has control of the game or the managers and coaches who are on the playing field at their respective spots. The offensive coach will be the plate umpire, the offensive first base coach will be the first base umpire, and the offensive third base coach will be the third base umpire. And the defensive coach on the field will be the second base umpire having overall final ruling. Whichever the managers agree upon is acceptable.
13. It is the offense coach’s responsibility to remove the tee from the plate after the ball is hit.
14. The infield fly rule does not apply in Tee Ball.
15. There are no forfeits in Tee Ball. If one team does not have 9 players and the other team has extras, it is suggested that players from that team be placed on the team with less than 9 and continue to play. If both teams do not have 9 players, play will continue with those present.
16. Make-up games from rainouts or other causes should be made up.
17. All-Star games for Tee Ball are prohibited.


ARTICLE XVIII:        FALL LEAGUE RULES
The rulebook will be in effect with the exception of the following modifications:
A. Two pitchers must be used per game in both leagues.
1. The Major pitchers will pitch no more than 3 innings per game and 6 innings per week.
2. The Senior pitchers will pitch no more than 4 innings per game and 7 innings per week.
B. There will be a full batting order for both leagues. Everyone on the team will be in the line up. There will be a minimum playing time in the field of 2 innings per player in both Leagues.
1. Games will start as scheduled
2. We encourage rain outs be made up.
3. There will be no protests. Should a problem arise it will be settled at the time by the Umpire-in-Chief.
C. There will be a home plate meeting before the game. Line-ups will be exchanged.
D. Long pants or leg coverings must be worn.

ARTICLE XIX:        ALL-STAR/ALL-STAR TEAMS
A. The winning manager of each division will be the All-Star Manager. If unable to fulfill the position, it will be offered to the respective manager in order of finish. In division fielding a combined league All-Star team Manager shall be the manager within the division having the best win-loss record. In case of a tie, in head-to-head competition, a coin flip will determine the All-Star Manager. The All-Star Manager shall pick the coach(s).
B. Managers nominate players for All-Stars. Another manager may nominate a player not nominated by their manager. Each manager shall have the right to speak for his or her players in the nomination process. Each manager should use the following areas: (1) hitting, (2) fielding, (3) pitching, (4) versatility, (5) attitude, and (6) commitment by the players and family until all tournaments are over.
C. Any player resigning from their regular season team before completion of the Invitational Tournament forfeits their rights to an All-Star team.
D. The voting process is as follows:
1. Players will be voted on in order of overall ability.
2. Voting will be by ballot.
3. Each ballot must be filled out by the selecting manager or their representative, depicting the signature of the person, team name, and selection round number.
4. In order to be selected a player must receive one vote less than the total number of votes available in the selection round.
5. One after every two rounds will reduce the number of votes necessary for selection.
4. Eleven (11) players will be selected in the balloting process. The All-Star Manager will select the final three (3) players.
E. Every effort shall be made by the team manager to avoid player suspension. These efforts shall include direct contact with the player’s parents or guardian prior to any action being taken by the manager.
F. The President or Player Agent will announce a player suspension, after receiving written justification from the team manager. When announced, the suspension is official, the player shall be prohibited from any further activities during the current season, his name will be removed from the team roster, and the vacancy filled in accordance with these By-laws.
G. Any manager has the authority to temporarily “bench” his player for a period not to exceed one week or two scheduled games. He shall advise the Division Vice President of each benching action. While in a “benched” status, the player is not entitled to the minimum playing requirements, but must attend, in uniform all scheduled games. Such disciplinary action during regular season play may be justified by:
1. Unsportsmanlike conduct during a game or practice session
2. Excessive absences from games or practice sessions.
3. Removal from a game by the Umpire.
4. Unwillingness to cooperate, or actions that are detrimental to the team.

ARTICLE XX:        MANAGER/COACH SUSPENSION
                Managers/Coach’s may be suspended either on a temporary or permanent basis by the President for failure to comply with the League’s A of I and/or By-laws for the duration of the season including tournaments. Managers/Coach’s may appeal any disciplinary action to the Board for final resolution. The appeal must be submitted in writing to any Board Member within 24 hours after the action decision. Any manager/coach suspended during the season is not eligible to be an All-Star Manager/Coach.

ARTICLE XXI:        UNSPORTSMANLIKE CONDUCT
A. All acts of gross unsportsmanlike conduct by managers, players or fans shall be referred to the Board for action.
B. Staff umpires shall warn managers of any unsportsmanlike conduct that occurs during the game. Failure to implement immediate corrective action will result in the umpire submitting a written report to the President for action.
C. Any manager ejected from a game will appear before a committee, appointed by the President, prior to the next regularly scheduled game. Any Manager/Coach ejected from a game for poor conduct will be subject to a two game suspension.
D. Two members of the Board may be assigned by the President to observe the next scheduled game of any team reported by Staff Umpires for unsportsmanlike conduct.

ARTICLE XXII:        PROTEST COMMITTEE
A. League Play – Rule Book 4.19F
B. Inter-League Play
The protest committee will be administrated as directed by the Maryland District 7 Board.

ARTICLE XXIIII:        AMENDMENTS
                These By-laws may be amended, repealed or altered in whole or in part by a majority vote at a duly called Board meeting, to be held not less than two weeks after such changes have been proposed. Notice that By-law amendments are on the agenda will be included in the notice of the meeting.

ACCEPTANCE:
        The Board accepts these By-laws for the St. Mary’s National Youth Baseball and Softball Organization for baseball and softball, and in conjunction with the Official Little League rulebook.





Date:                                         President: