cmba-bylaws/docs/02-league-rules-and-policy.md

# League Rules and Policy

## Subjectivity
These rules, regulations, articles, and Bylaws may not be suspended, set aside, or added to under any circumstances, regardless of the will of the Managers. This provision nullifies the “If both managers agree” concept.

## Member Franchises (Teams) and Management

A Member Franchise consists of:

1. A league-approved team identity;
1. A designated Manager authorized to act on its behalf;
1. A roster of eligible and capable players;

All references to “Teams” within this document shall be deemed synonymous with “Member Franchises.”

### Recognition
1. A Member Franchise shall be recognized by the league upon acceptance by the League and payment of all required fees.
1. Recognition grants the Member Franchise the right to participate in league activities, subject to compliance with this document.
1. Membership does not confer ownership rights beyond league participation.

### Team Identity
1. Each Member Franchise shall operate under a single league-approved team name.
1. Team names must be unique within the league.
1. The league reserves the right to reject, revoke, or require modification of any team name for any reason, including but not limited to offensiveness, duplication, or reputational concerns.

###  Admission of New Member Franchises
The Commissioner shall review applications for new Member Franchises for compliance with Franchise Standards.

1. Upon acceptable review, the Commissioner shall present the proposed Member Franchise to the League membership for consideration.
1. Proposed Member Franchises may present a positive case for inclusion.
1. Acceptance shall require a simple majority vote of the Board.

### Manager Designation and Authority
1. Each Member Franchise shall designate one individual as its Manager.
1. The Manager shall be the **sole authorized representative** of the Member Franchise for all league matters unless otherwise approved by the Commissioner.
1. The Manager shall be responsible for:
   1. Communication with the league;
   1. Submission of rosters and player information;
   1. Payment or coordination of all required fees;
   1. Ensuring compliance with league rules by players and associated individuals.
1. All actions taken by the Manager shall be deemed actions of the Member Franchise.
1. The Member Franchise shall remain responsible for all obligations and penalties regardless of internal team disputes or player actions.
1. Each Member Franchise may designate an Assistant Manager.

### Manager Changes
1. A Member Franchise may change its Manager by providing notice to the Commissioner.
1. Manager changes shall not relieve the Member Franchise of any existing obligations, penalties, or disciplinary actions.

## Players
A Player is an individual listed on the official roster of a Member Franchise.

Player status is contingent upon:

1. Compliance with roster and eligibility requirements;
1. Payment of any applicable fees to their Manager or the League;
1. Adherence to all League rules, policies, and codes of conduct.

A Player participates in League activities solely through association with a Member Franchise and possesses no independent membership rights.

### Appointed League Roles
The Commissioner may appoint individuals to operational roles as necessary to support League administration, subject to Board oversight.

Appointed roles may include, but are not limited to, the following:
   1. Umpire Assigner;
   1. Webmaster;
   1. Social Media or Communications Coordinator;
   1. Other roles deemed necessary by the Commissioner.

The Commissioner shall define the duties, scope, and term of each appointed role.

No appointed role shall possess independent authority to interpret rules, impose discipline, levy fees or fines, or bind the League, unless such authority is expressly granted by this document or by vote of the League.

## Budget
A budget for the next fiscal year shall be prepared by the Commissioner for presentation and approval of the Board. The budget shall consists the annual Member dues, other income, and expected expenditures for the operating year. The board shall present the approved budget for information to league Members.

### Rules and Competition Committee Meetings
The Rules and Competition Committee shall meet at the discretion of the Commissioner. These meetings must be held in person, except in extenuating circumstances by agreement between the Commissioner and the Committee.

### Rules and Competition Committee
The Rules and Competition Committee, to be made up of the Commissioner and two (2) appointed franchise holders. An alternate member shall be appointed by the Commissioner if a committee member is unavailable or conflicted (i.e. the matter under consideration involves a player of the committee member’s team or the committee member), shall meet and take action concerning:

1. Official protests
1. Disciplinary matters referred to the committee pursuant to [Standings And Postseason](#standings-and-postseason)
1. Any decision of the Commissioner that has been officially appealed.

### Additional roles supporting the league.
Webmaster, Umpire Assigner

### Umpires
Umpires shall have the sole responsibility for the enforcement of all sections in [Team Rosters Players And Eligibility](#team-rosters-players-and-eligibility) of the Bylaws, except where specified.

## Code of Conduct
### Ethics
All League members, including officers, Managers, umpires, and players shall strive to be ethical, honorable, and truthful in all dealings concerning the League thereby promoting the League as a first class league of impeccable integrity.

### Sportsmanship
All League members, including officers, Managers, umpires, and players are expected to behave in a sportsmanlike manner, promoting fair competitive play in a respectful atmosphere.

## Definition; Amendments
These Bylaws shall stand as the official rules of the League.
All League members shall abide by and are subject to, without exception, all rules and regulations as outlined in the Constitution and Bylaws as well as the authority of the League Commissioner, in accordance with [Subjectivity](#subjectivity)

### Amending the Bylaws
Bylaws may be amended, removed, or added by an affirmative vote of two-thirds of the League members present at the time of the vote.

## Membership

### Annual Membership Dues
All League members shall pay annual membership dues, as determined by League [budget](#budget). All League members must have all membership dues paid by a schedule set by the Commissioner and approved by the Board.

1. Penalty for late payment shall be ten dollars ($10.00) per week for no longer than five (5) weeks.
1. Members in violation of the above shall be placed on temporary suspension for a period of two (2) weeks.
1. Members who have not paid outstanding dues by the end of the two week suspension shall be placed on indefinite suspension until all dues are paid.

### Fees and Fines

### Fees
League fees may consist of, but are not limited to the following: Forfeit fee; Performance bond; Field fees; Prize Money Fund; Tournament fees; and any other costs incurred by the League.

### Fines
The Commissioner may levy fines to any League Member franchise or player subject to Board oversight. Fines may be levied for violation of this Constitution and its Bylaws or conduct unbecoming of a representative of the League. Fines may not exceed fifty dollars ($50.00) for a single incident Fines must be paid in full by a date specified by the Commissioner. Member franchises or Member franchises consisting of rostered players with outstanding fines will be considered not in good standing as defined in [classification](#classification).

### Leave of Absence
Members in good standing may be granted a leave of absence and are entitled to all privileges as outlined in [Classification](#classification)  of the Constitution.

1. Members in good standing on leave for more than two (2) years must reapply for membership.

### Temporary Suspension
An League franchise may be placed on temporary suspension by the Commissioner and are subject to rules set forth in [Classification; Standing](#classification-standing).

### Indefinite Suspension
An League franchise may be placed on indefinite suspension by the Commissioner and subject to rules set forth in [Classification; Standing](#classification-standing). Violations that may result in indefinite suspension are as follows:

1. Conduct detrimental to the objectives of the League.
1. Two (2) forfeits of a game in one season. A team that is indefinitely suspended two consecutive seasons for violation of this subsection shall not be permitted to reapply for reinstatement unless a change in management is presented to the league. The new management must be approved by the League Commissioner and ratified by a majority of the League members.
1. Tampering with players on the roster of another member franchise. Tampering shall be defined as the deliberate solicitation, without consent, by one League member of a player who has made at least an oral commitment to play for another League franchise.
1. Consumption of alcoholic beverages on or in close proximity to the playing fields as detailed in [League Standings](#league-standings)
1. Violation of any written policies set forth by the issuer of any permits for field use by the League.
1. Failure to comply with any of the stated codes of conduct as set forth in this document.

### Reinstatement
An indefinitely suspended franchise may be reinstated by the Commissioner upon the resolution of any outstanding violations and the satisfactory guarantee of no further violations.

### Additional Fees
The Commissioner may request additional fees to cover any costs that exceed the amounts originally budgeted for by the League.

### Fees to the Commissioner
In the event the Commissioner is a franchise holder, the Rules and Competition Committee may levy any and all appropriate fines for infractions of this Constitution and Bylaws by his franchise.

### Outside Leagues
Teams may not play in leagues outside of the League, unless that league has a formal agreement with the League that its playing schedule does not conflict with regularly scheduled League games or playoffs.



## Meetings and Voting
Per [Annual Meeting](#annual-meeting), the League shall hold an annual meeting. In addition, per 4.2, the Commissioner may call additional meetings.

### Voting Privileges
Each franchise with voting privileges as specified in [Classification; Standing](#classification-standing) shall have one (1) vote at league meetings, regardless of the number of representatives the franchise has sent to the meeting.

### Commissioner’s Role
The Commissioner shall chair the meeting. If the Commissioner is also a franchise holder, he must designate another person from his franchise to represent the team at league meetings. The Commissioner can only vote in the event of a tie vote among the members present at the meeting.

### Voting Decisions
A 2/3 vote is necessary to:

   1. Amend the Constitution, per [Amending the Constitution](#amending-the-constitution)
   1. Amend the Bylaws, per [Amending The By Laws](#amending-the-Bylaws)
   1. Remove an Officer.
   1. Expel a team or player for violations of rules set forth in the Constitution or Bylaws.

Any decision not listed above shall be decided by simple majority vote.

### Attendance
All franchise members are expected to attend all league meetings. Failure of a franchise to send a representative to a meeting may result in a ten dollar ($10.00) fine. Those members present at any meeting shall constitute a quorum and all votes by this quorum are binding.

### Uniform
All players must be in uniform (bearing the team’s name as represented to the league) by the team’s first regular season game in order to be eligible to participate in games. Players may not obtain the jersey of another team member in order to obtain eligibility.

1. This deadline may be extended by the Commissioner at his discretion following a written petition by the team that shows a just and reasonable cause for extension, and evidence of a good faith effort to meet the deadline.
1. This rule applies to any players legally added to the roster after the stated deadline.
1. Uniforms shall consist of, but are not limited to, matching team caps and jerseys with assigned team uniform numbers. 
1. Players must be dressed in proper baseball pants. These pants need not match the team’s uniform, however, the League encourages all players to wear matching pants. Sweatpants, shorts, jeans, or any other type of pants other than baseball pants are prohibited.

## Team Rosters; Players and Eligibility

### Roster Deadline; Roster Size
Prior to June 1, each team has an “open roster.”  League teams must submit a roster of their players to the Commissioner no later than June 1 of each year. Any team that does not submit its roster to the Commissioner by June 1 as required by this [Roster Deadline; Roster Size](#roster-deadline-roster-size) and in accordance with the information requirements in [Roster Information Requirements](#roster-information-requirements) shall be deemed not in good standing. Consequences of not being in good standing are defined in [Classification; Standing](#classification-standing) of the Constitution. This submitted roster plus any and all legal roster transactions per [Roster Transactions](#roster-transactions), shall be considered official. Players not on a team’s official roster are ineligible for play, except where specifically noted in this [Teams And Managers](#teams-and-Managers).  
Each team’s roster must contain a minimum of sixteen (16) players and shall not exceed twenty-six (26) players, in each case, excluding non-playing Managers and coaches. 

### Roster Information Requirements
A team’s rosters as submitted to the Commissioner on or before June 1 shall contain the following information for each rostered player: name, age, bats/throws, position(s),uniform number, and face photo. Rosters shall be submitted in Excel or via Google sheets (or similar editable spreadsheet.)

### Roster Transactions
Teams may add a total of five (5) players to the roster after the June 1 roster submission deadline. The total number of players on a team still may not exceed twenty-six (26). In order to add players between June 1 and July 1 but not exceed the 26 player limit, a team may drop players who were rostered on June 1.  No players may be added after July 1, except as set forth below.
After July 1, upon request to the Rules and Competition Committee, a team may add a player if (i) the team’s roster has fallen (or, upon the removal of players “missing in action” as described below, will fall) below the 16 player minimum and (ii) doing so will, in the good faith determination of the Rules and Competition Committee, prevent the team from forfeiting games. 
In order for a team to declare a player “missing in action” after July 1, (i) the player shall have (a) failed to appear at all of the team’s games occurring prior to such request or (b) suffered a season-ending injury after June 1 and (ii) the team must drop the player from its roster.
A team may drop players at any time as long as the team’s roster does not fall below the 16 player minimum.
Any and all roster changes shall be submitted to the Commissioner and satisfy the information requirements in [Roster Information Requirements](#roster-information-requirements).  Roster changes shall be effective as of the first pitch of the team’s first regularly scheduled game after the updated roster is submitted.

### Alumni
If a team would otherwise be required to forfeit or technically forfeit a game after June 1 due to a lack of eligible players in attendance, the team can use one (but not more than one) of its former players (“alumni”) in that game. The team’s Manager shall inform the opposing team’s Manager and the Commissioner as soon as possible (and in no event later than the first pitch) of his team’s use of an alumni player and will provide to the opposing team’s Manager and the Commissioner with the alumni player’s name, age, bats/throws, position and uniform number. Alumni players are not eligible to play in the playoffs.

### Eligible Players
Eligible players must be of at least eighteen (18) years of age by the date of the teams first +game. No player may play for more than one team in a season (either before or after June 1).
A team that uses an ineligible player, per the rules in this [Team Rosters Players And Eligibility](#team-rosters-players-and-eligibility), will be deemed to have forfeited any and all games in which the illegal player(s) participated.

### Postseason Player Eligibility
Players must appear in at least five (5) games during the regular season in order to be eligible for postseason play. Upon request to the Rules and Competition Committee, exceptions may be made for players with long term injuries.

### Player Responsibility for Team Fees
All players in the League are expected to pay their team fees. Players will not be allowed to switch teams within the League unless or until any and all debts are paid in full.

### Free Agents
A player must inform the League Commissioner and his Manager no later than February 15 of the upcoming season if he wishes to leave his team and become a free agent. After this he is free to play for another team in the League. A Manager may waive this deadline for an individual player at the Manager’s discretion. If the player fails to notify as specified, that player shall be disqualified from playing on another League team for that season.

## Protest and Forfeits

### Timeframe and Reporting
All protests must be filed with the Commissioner within 48 hours of the alleged infraction and on the League supplied form. All requested information must be accurately reported. Any Manager who knowingly falsifies information on the protest form will be fined and suspended as determined by the Commissioner, and that Manager’s team will forfeit the game.

### Ground for Protest
Protests may only be made on the grounds of a violation of a rule stated in this Constitution and its Bylaws or in violation of a stated Major League Baseball rule. Protests may not, under any circumstances, be based on the judgment of an umpire’s call. The protesting team’s Manager must notify the umpire of the protest at the time the violation occurred. Managers shall notify the league Commissioner at the earliest possible time after the game and provide umpire signature as proof of notification.

### Ruling
Upon the filing of a protest with the Commissioner, the Commissioner shall call a meeting of the Rules and Competition Committee at the earliest possible date. Judgment regarding the merit of the protest shall be made after deliberation.

### Notification
Teams that win games by forfeit must notify the Commissioner that very day.

### Umpire Payment
Forfeiting teams must pay, at the time of the forfeit, the full cost of the umpire(s), and shall be considered not in good standing as defined in [Classification; Standing](#classification-standing). Teams will be considered not in good standing until payment is made. In the event a team is unable to pay the umpire at the proper time, the team’s forfeit fee will be used to cover initial forfeits. The cost of additional forfeits will be paid by the team.

### Forfeits
Should a team forfeit a game shall lose 2 points in the standings. 
Forfeiting teams must pay, at the time of the forfeit, the full cost of the umpire(s). Until payment is made, a forfeiting team shall be considered not in good standing as defined in Subsection.
Should a team forfeit 2 games in a season they will be banned from playing games for the remainder of the season and playoffs and placed on indefinite suspension, not in good standing, as defined in Subsection of the constitution. Games that included or would have included this team shall be subject to the following:

1. All previous games played by the indefinitely suspended team shall count in the official standings.
1. All subsequent games shall be recorded as a loss for the suspended team and a win for the scheduled opponent.

### Technical forfeit
A team subject to technical forfeit shall be awarded only one point for a victory. A team may receive 2 technical forfeits per season. After reaching this limit, subsequent technical forfeits shall be converted to forfeits, as defined in [Equipment](#equipment).

## Standings and Postseason

### Website
The Commissioner shall maintain a league website that includes all official scores and league standings. Additional pertinent information will be provided.

### League Standings
The League shall use a point system to determine the standings. A team is awarded:

1. Two (2) points for a win (including a win against a team in technical forfeit)
1. One (1) point for a win while in technical forfeit (see [Forfeits](#forfeits))
1. One (1) point for a tie game
1. Zero (0) points for a loss
1. Minus two (-2) points for a loss by forfeit (see [Forfeits](#forfeits)).

### Standings Tie-breakers
In the event two teams finish the regular season in a tie for a position, the following tie-breaking procedure will take effect:

1. Record in head-to-head competition.
1. Record within the division (if applicable).
1. Least runs allowed for the season.
1. Coin toss, performed by the Commissioner with a witness.

### Postseason Format
The postseason format shall be determined by annual vote. 

### Prizes and Awards
Playoff prizes and awards, if any, shall be determined by the membership of the league.

### Playoff Umpire Selection
For the playoffs, each team will be granted the ability to exclude one (1) particular umpire from participating in said teams series. The name of this umpire shall be submitted to the chief umpire as soon as possible prior to the series. This umpire “veto” will be binding UNLESS the chief umpire cannot find any other umpire who can work any game in this series.

### Completion of Playoff Games
All playoff games must be played to completion. If a playoff game is suspended for any reason, the game must be finished at a later date declared by the Commissioner. This game is declared suspended, and regardless of what inning or circumstance, the game will be continued from the point in the game when it was suspended. The “Slaughter Rule” is applicable for the playoffs (see [Regulation Games](#regulation-games)).

## Sportsmanship and Prohibited Conduct
All League members are expected to engage in a sportsmanlike and mutually respectful behavior. Any Manager or the chief umpire may request that the rules and competition committee review the specific actions of another player, coach, Manager or team. The rules and competition committee shall review, and in its discretion, determine the appropriate disciplinary action to be taken, if any. Disciplinary actions include a written warning, fines, temporary suspension, and banishment from the League. The committee should take under consideration repeat offenses. The Commissioner shall enforce any discipline determined by the committee.

### Fighting
Fighting or any physical altercation shall not be tolerated in the League. Players cannot leave the bench or their positions during a fight for any reason; the Managers, the on-the-field coaches and umpire(s) shall be responsible for restoring order. Specific penalties for violations are listed below.

1. Any player who instigates or initiates an on-field fight shall be fined and suspended from league play for no less than one season
1. Any player or coach who participates in a fight shall be suspended for three games and fined $50.00.

### Assault of an Umpire
Any player or coach who physically assaults an umpire will be permanently banished from the league. He may also be arrested if the umpire chooses to press charges.

### Substances

1. Smoking: Smoking shall be prohibited in the dugout and on the playing field during the game.
1. Alcohol: Alcoholic beverages are prohibited on or in the close proximity of a team’s bench. Teams in violation of this rule will forfeit the game and be automatically fined and temporarily suspended. Offending players will be fined and suspended for two (2) weeks from the date of the infraction. A second violation of this rule shall result in the automatic expulsion of the team from the League. Managers are responsible for the enforcement of this rule and are accountable for any violations. 
1. Additionally, all teams and players are subject to any and all additional laws, rules, or regulations regarding substances as stated by locality or the issuer of the field permit

### Flagrant Collisions
A flagrant collision is defined as an intentional act to forcibly collide with a fielder. A player who is ejected for a flagrant collision will be suspended for three (3) games and fined $30. A second offense (not necessarily in the same season) will result in the player being suspended for the remainder of that season (including playoffs). A third offense will result in permanent banishment from the league.