LEAGUE POLICIES - Updated: March 31, 2021

POLICY STATEMENT
The policies below are the most common referred to by the league. These policies listed are meant to assist players and managers in conducting their league activities in accordance with the league. If there is any question about league policy, contact your division representative or the League President.

1. Each time a player signs a contract with a new team, that player is bound to that team for three (3) years.
EXCEPTIONS:

A) If a player sits out one full season he is then declared a free agent with restrictions.
B) If after any extended absence from a team, for any reason, the player returns to the

     same team he left, his three year commitment to the team does not start over. It remains

     set at his original date of joining that team.
C) If a team moves to an older age bracket, any player that does not meet the older age

     requirement and does not wish to move up with his team is declared a free agent and

     may remain in the younger age bracket.

D) A player that signs to play with a "Secondary" team is only bound to his "Secondary"

     team for that single year, not for three years. The three year commitment still applies to

     the "Primary" team.

E) Any player that is playing for a Primary and a Secondary team and the secondary team

     is in the older age bracket, the player may at any point choose to set the older age

     bracket Secondary team as the Primary. Once changed it can not be changed back for

     the remainder of that year.

2. There is no open recruiting of league members to different teams allowed. Any member

    of a team that is contacted by another team, it's members or anyone representing or

    affiliated to said team with the intend to ask them to switch teams will cause the recruited

    player in question to be banned from the recruiting team for one full year.

3. Any player, coach or manager found to have engaged in unethical recruiting practices or

    tampering with a player under contact to another team, without express written consent from

    the players manager, shall be subject to dismissal as a manager from their team and/or

    suspended from the league. At the same time no player that is not a qualified free agent (played

    for same team for three years or has a written release) may contact any other team manager or

    player regarding changing teams without prior approval from their current manager. Any player

    found to violate this policy will be bared from participating with the team he or she contacted for

    one year even if declared a free agent.

4. Whenever possible during the play-offs, the team with the best regular season record is the

    home team and receives home field advantage. Championship game home field advantge goes

    to the team remaining in the winner's bracket.

5. If a league member owes another league member fees as a result of league or game

    participation in the MSBL/MABL or any of its affiliates, that member is not allowed to participate

    in league activities until he has paid said fees. For this to apply, the League Secretary must be

    notified of the debt.

6. No league member can release a major portion of his team or his entire team without approval

    by the Board of Directors.

7. All managers must be approved by the Board of Directors.

8. The manager of a team is the contact point for the league and represents the members of his

    team keeping in mind league rules and policies. Any manager can be removed by the team

    members by a 2/3 majority vote of all players on the active roster that have participated in at

    least 5 games or 1/3 of all games played which ever is the least.

  
9. The Board of Director meetings are open to any member that wishes to attend. Any member

    wishing to attend must notify the League President prior to the meeting. If the League President

    has not been notified at least 24 hours in advance, attendance of said member can be denied.

10. Board meetings will be held the first Thursday of each month, unless notified. Meetings will

      begin at 6:00 pm and end no later than 9:00 pm.

11. Once the season has started and a player cannot get a trade or release from his team, he can

      place himself in the supplemental draft for selection to another team. If the player is not

      selected by any team, said player is granted his unconditional release.

12. A player that has played on the same team for three complete consecutive years is considered

      a free agent and can move to any other team without any compensation to the team in which

      he is leaving. Once a player signs with a NEW team he begins a new three (3) year contract.

      Furthermore, the League President can restrict the movement of free agents to teams when in

      his opinion it would be in the best interest of the league.

13. For a game to be counted as being played in, the player MUST either show at least one (1) at

      bat or appear as a pitcher and pitch to at least one complete inning.

14. The league is responsible for providing scheduling and resources to teams in order to facilitate

      the playing of adult baseball. Teams are responsible to adhere to the league rules and

      guidelines in order to remain eligible to use the scheduling and resources the league provides.

      Additionally, there are no refunds to teams OR individuals for any reason. Any games canceled,

      rained out or forfeited will only be rescheduled at the leagues convenience. There is no guarantee

      of any game's lost being rescheduled. If game slots are available, the league will provide

      locations, dates and times where games can be made up. These slots, if any will be assigned

      on a first come, first serve basis. It is up to the individual teams to arrange with their opponent

      for make-up games and then notify the league office to secure an open game slot.

15. Tournament Participation Policy: Before any local league member can play for a team formed

      from outside the Southern California MSBL/MABL in any tournament in which the Southern

      California MSBL/MABL will be entering a team, said player must get prior approval from the

      league president and the board of directors. Said player must also get a release to play form

      all managers of teams from the local league that will be playing in that same division.

      If any player takes part on any team from outside the Southern California MSBL/MABL without

      prior approval, said player will be subject to fine, suspension and/or expulsion from the league

      as deemed necessary by the League President and/or the Board of Directors. (This rule does

      not apply in tournaments in which this league does not enter a league-sanctioned team.)

      The Guideline for being given such release is as follows: If our local league has a team

      playing in a given division of a tournament and the team a player wishes to play on that is

      formed from outside this league is entered into the same division, no release will be given. In

      order to receive a release, the team a player wishes to play on must be playing within a

      division where our local league has no team entered.

16. Summer season team deposits are fully refundable up to four (4) weeks prior to the season

      start date. After that only a partial refund will be made based on the following schedule:

For each week after the four week cutoff, the refund is reduced as follows

• Prior to four weeks = Full Refund
• Prior to three weeks = $300.00 Refund
• Prior to two weeks = $150.00 Refund
• Prior to one week = No Refund
• Within one week = No Refund.

Reason for the refund schedule is costs for every team are incurred the closer to the season start. Therefore the refund amount is reduced due to incurred costs to the league.

17. For safety reasons, once a game starts, no one other then league roster players that are in the

      correct complete uniform for the teams scheduled to play on that field, umpires for the game

      and league officials are allowed in the dugout or on the playing field. Once a team has been

      notified that someone must leave the dugout or playing field, they have one minute to comply

      or face possible forfeiture of the game.

      If a team has been warned by a league official that civilians are not allowed in the dugout or

      playing field but is found to violate this rule again, the manager may be fined or suspended. If

      a third infraction occurs, the team may be removed from the league.

18. When ever a team has been declared "FOLDED" by the board of directors, all members of the

      folded team are declared "Free Agents". No more then three members from any folded team

      my join any other team. Also teams adding players from a folded team are still bound to the

      free agent restrictions of no more then a net gain of two (2) free agents in any one season.