FOSTER CITY LITTLE LEAGUE BY-LAWS
(updated by The Board of Directors February 2006)
OBJECTIVE: The objective of Foster City Little League shall be to implant firmly in the children of our community the ideals, good sportsmanship, teamwork, honesty, loyalty, courage and respect for authority, so that they may be well adjusted, stronger and happier children and will grow up to be good, decent, healthy and trustworthy citizens.
Section 1. CALL FOR CANDIDATES. The Board of Directors is responsible for announcing the dates and place where League Representatives will receive registration application. The league must provide ample opportunity for all players to register. Such notice shall be conveyed through the schools, local newspapers and through flyers posted throughout the city. Every boy and girl who resides in the city of Foster City has the right to register and tryout prior to the drafts taking place. These rights will be protected and are a condition of charter
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Section 2. REGISTRATION.
On the dates announced for registration, the Player Agent and other authorized league representatives shall be prepared to receive a completed registration form signed by the
parents or guardian of the player and the required registration fee. The parent and/or guardian must also
provide a birth certificate or a valid passport to verify a player's age. A players "League Age" is the player's age on April 30th of that season.
The league shall have on display at the registration desk, a large detail map showing precise boundaries that have been approved by the District Administrator and confirmed by Little League's Regional Director. For Foster City Little League, the boundaries are the Foster City city limits. If there is a question, the residence of each player candidate must be located on the map and then verified by the parent's driver's license, voter registration card, or other legal forms of identification.
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Section 3. ELIGIBLE CANDIDATES. Once a player's parent has completed and signed a registration form, the player is then considered to be an eligible candidate for participation in the league. Any player failing to attend a scheduled tryout session shall lose the status of a candidate unless said player presents an excuse, which is accepted by a majority of the Board of Directors.
Section 4. PLAYER AGENT'S LIST. Prior to the tryouts, the player agent shall make a list showing the names and league age of each candidate. Prior to the player draft, and after all manager and brother/sister options have been exercised, a final player agent list of all players who have qualified as eligible candidates will be presented to all managers before the draft takes place. This list must be maintained by the player agent and is the basis for future player replacement.
Section 5. TRYOUTS. During the tryouts, each player shall be given the opportunity to (1) bat/bunt (2) field fly balls, (3) field ground balls, (4) throw and (5) run the bases as the field conditions permit. Each manager and coach will grade the players and use these grades as a basis for their draft selections. A player may take part in only one tryout session, unless he/she becomes injured or sick during his/her initial tryout. All players who are league age 9 and 10 must tryout in order to play. If the player is not selected by a Majors team, he/she will be made eligible for the AAA draft. If not selected by a AAA team, the player will be assigned to a AA team.
All players of league age 9 - 12 not previously on a Majors team in Foster City Little League must tryout in order to play. If the player is not drafted by a Majors Division team, he/she will then be placed in the AAA draft. If not selected by a AAA Division team, the player will be assigned to a AA Division team. No 11 or 12 year olds will play in the AA Division, unless the Board of Directors determines that in the best interest of the child, it would not be safe for him/her to play in the AAA or Majors division.
There are no tryouts for players who are league age 5, 6, 7, and 8.
Section 6. DRAFT AND PLAYER PLACEMENT.
Majors Draft: Following the tryouts and on a date announced by the President, all Majors managers will gather with the Division Representative, Player agent and President for the purpose of the players' draft. Each team shall have 12 players. The number of draft picks each team will receive in the draft the amount is determined by taking the number of returning players plus any players added by trade or sibling option. If that total is less than 12 then the team will draft the number of picks necessary to field a team of 12. Teams draft in reverse order of their final finish in the previous season's playoffs with the first team eliminated picking first and the champion picking last. In the case where two or more teams are eliminated in the same round of the playoffs the team with the worst season won-loss record picks before the others. If the round and records are the same then whichever team has the poorer head-to-head record, then net run difference between the tied teams will determine who picks before the other tied teams.
If a new team is created in the Majors Division, that team shall get the first pick. If there are two or more new teams, a random drawing will be held among those teams to determine the order of the draft. This is based upon a ten (10) team draft.
If a team is retired from the Majors Division, the returning players must participate in the tryouts and must be drafted onto a Majors Division team.
As per Little League rules, no manager shall select more than eight players in any age group. Also, no major's team shall have more than two (2) 10-year olds on the roster(including options).
AAA Draft:
Once the rosters of all majors teams have been filled, the remaining names will be presented to the AAA
representative for the purpose of the AAA draft. Because there is no real consistency from year to year in
AAA, the draft order for AAA shall be determined by a random drawing of numbers. Teams will select in
order (for example 1 through 10) during round one, then the order reversed in round two with the last
team drafting in the first round, getting the first pick in the second round (for example 10 through 1). The
team drafting last in the second round shall draft first in the third round. This serpentine pattern shall continue until all rosters have been filled.
Any players not selected on either a Majors or AAA team will be placed on a AA team by the AA representative. All 11 and 12 years olds must play in the Majors or AAA, except for special
circumstances involving the safety of the child, with the prior permission of the President.
There shall be no draft for the AA, Minor-B or T-Ball divisions,. These teams will be assembled by the
Division Representative. It should be stressed that these three divisions are non-competitive, therefore
there shall be no concern about a "stacking" of teams, Players will be placed on teams on a random basis,
Section 7. DURATION OF TITLE. Each player acquired by a Majors team shall for the duration of their Majors Little League career, be the property of that team, unless subsequently traded or released. The Board of Directors shall reserve the right to continue as a player any youngster whose residence changes after becoming a member of the league. However the best interests of the child, and consultation with the parents and the President of the new league shall be taken into consideration by the Board in exercising this right.
Section 8. TRADING. Because a player once drafted on a Majors team becomes property of that team for the duration of his/her Little League career, trading is discouraged and only allowed under very rare and unusual circumstances. All trades must be made through the Player Agent and must be approved by a majority of the Board of Directors. All trades, if allowed, are player for player only, and not for future draft choices. Trading is allowed in the AAA division, but only within 24 hours of the draft. The Player agent must monitor any attempts by managers and parents to manipulate the system and thus create an imbalance in the league. ALL TRADES MUST BE FOR JUSTIFIABLE REASONS. A player wanting to be traded for the purpose of getting off a losing team, or wanting to play with his/her best friends, will NOT be considered justifiable reasons for requesting a trade.
Section 9. RELEASES A 10 or 11 -year old Majors division player, who has had a documented season long pattern of unresolved problems with a manager, coach or other player, may apply for a release from his/her team, for the exclusive purpose of re-entering the draft in the following baseball season . This release must be done through the Player Agent and approved by a majority of the Board of Directors. To be effective for the following season, the release must be approved by the board prior to the final two weeks of the regular season.
Section 10. SECRECY. For the protection of all players, managers and coaches MUST NOT reveal the scores or ratings of any player taking part in the tryouts. In addition, managers and coaches MUST NOT reveal the position in which any player was drafted for the season, or the votes received in the All Star balloting. Violation of this rule shall be considered a serious infraction by a manager or coach, and not considered in the best interest of the program. Statistics may be kept by a teams' coaching staff, but are not to be released to any player or parent in the league.
Section 11. LATE SIGNUPS.
The Board must take into consideration that for some reason or another, parents may not hear about signups on the specific dates established for registration. The Player Agent is
responsible for handling all late sign-ups. Late signups will be accepted for the Majors Division until the
majors draft. Any player who does not sign-up and tryout prior to the draft shall not play that season
unless every player who tried out for the Majors Division has been given the opportunity to fill an opening
on a Majors Division roster; and every player who tried out for AAA has been given the opportunity to fill
an opening on a AAA Division roster. Late signups for the AA, Minor-B and T-Ball Divisions will only be accepted if there is space available on the teams.
The Board does have the power to levy a "Late Registration Fee", equal to but not greater than twenty-percent (20%) of the regular Registration Fee.
Section 12. AGES AND DIVISIONS. The following is a breakdown of the ages and divisions for players in Foster City Little League. The league attempts to provide an environment conducive for the development of all children in the program With the safety, well being and development of the player in mind, there is flexibility within Little League policy to place players in different divisions based on their age and abilities as determined by former and current managers, with the approval of the Board of Directors.
League Age Division
5 T-Ball
6 T-Ball
7 Minor-B
8 Minor-B or AA
9 AA or AAA
10 AA, AAA or Majors
11 AAA or Majors
12 AAA or Majors
Section 13. REPLACEMENTS.
When a player in the Majors or AAA division is lost to a team during the playing season for any of the following reasons:
1) He/she moves to another city which is too distant for the player to commute for practice and games,
2) He/she is injured and will not be able to return to play within a reasonable period of time,
3) He/she has for personal reasons, decided to terminate his/her association with the team and league,
4) Any other justifiable reason, reviewed and approved by a majority of the Board of Directors;
The manager of the team losing a player shall promptly notify the Player Agent. The Player Agent will then advise the President
and the Board of Directors. If the loss of the player is deemed justifiable and approved, the Player Agent will send a letter of release to the player and the parents stating the player is
released from the team. This action creates a legal opening for a replacement player on the roster. The
manager will then have two games to fill the vacancy on his team. Failure to fill the vacancy after two
games is grounds for a manager's dismissal. No player replacements are allowed within the last two weeks
of the regular season. The vacancy must be filled by qualified players, except those protected as Managers
, Coaches or Brother/Sister options. The replacement player then becomes a permanent member of that
team for succeeding years. No AAA team may lose more than one player to the Majors division per
season unless every team has lost a player. No AA team shall lose more than two (2) players in any one
season. It must be noted that a Majors player who is injured and removed from the active roster for the
current season, will still be an active member of that particular team for the remainder of his Little League career.
Section 14. OPTIONS. There are four kinds of options in Little League baseball, a Manager's option, Coach's option, Brother/Sister option and a sibling option. These exist at both the Majors and AAA level (except the sibling option which exists only in the Majors Division).
A team in the Majors Division has one official manager and one official coach. The child of the manager
may be claimed as a Manager's option and thus protected from the draft. The Manager's option
in the Majors division must be taken in the 7th round, or first available pick after the 7th round. The child of a coach or Coach's option
, may be claimed and is also protected from the draft, and must be taken in the 7th round, or first available pick after the 7th round. These selections must be declared
prior to the draft. If a team does not have enough selections from round 7 through 12 to satisfy the teams
options then the option is assigned to the next lowest round above round 7. These option players are not
eligible to take part in tryouts. If a player is selected as a Manager's or coach's option, he/she will remain
an option player for the remainder of his/her Little League career, regardless of whether his/her parent or
guardian remains a manager or coach of that team. In subsequent years, while the option player is still on
the team coached by his parent/guardian, he/she is then, for the purpose of the draft, considered as a
"returning player". If either the coach or manager does not have a child or relative on the team, no option is granted for that manager or coach.
Brother/Sister option.
When a parent declares that his children shall be considered as brother/sister options, and a manager selects the first brother/sister under this option agreement in the draft, the manager
must automatically take the brother or sister in the next draft round.
Sibling option. If a player becomes available for the Majors draft, and that player has a brother/sister
who is already a member of a Majors team, and if the parents of the two children declare the pair to be
considered as brother/sister options, the manager of said team will automatically receive the option player prior to the draft.
In the AAA division, the managers option must be taken in the 12th round. There are 1 or 2 official
coaches in AAA, and each gets an option. The coaches options in AAA are based on age. A coach's
son/daughter who is 9 years old is taken in the 6th round, a player who is 10 years old must be taken in
the 5th round, a player who is 11 years old must be taken in the 4th round, and an option player who is 12 must be claimed in the 3rd round.
If a coach or brother option are the same age, the player with the oldest birthday is drafted in the round
preceding the one normally used for their age. However, no team can lose their 1st or 2nd round pick
because of this rule. For example, if the three options are all 12 years olds, they will have to be selected in the third, fourth and fifth rounds.
In the event that a player's parent becomes a manager of another team in the league, said player then
becomes the managers option for that team and will be taken in the 7th round of the draft. If a manager
has two children, the two players become options in the 7th and 8th rounds, with that teams coach's
option going in the next "higher" draft round. If the coach has two children on the team, one child will be
taken in the 8th round, with the other child being taken in the next "higher" round.
A manager must declare his option and his coach's option prior to tryouts. This is important because the tryouts should not be a means for selecting a coach by taking the parent of the most talented player in the tryouts. The coach should be chosen for his/her ability to assist the manager in working with the team and teaching the game of baseball, and not as a simple way of protecting a good player spotted in the draft
Section 15. MANAGER AND COACH SELECTION. In order to manage in Foster City Little League, a person must first fill out an "Application to Manage" form during the registration period. Potential managers will then be interviewed by the President and members of the Board of Directors for questioning. Following the questioning period, the President will then have the power to name the managers for the Majors and AAA Divisions. Managers in the AA, Minor-B and T-Ball Divisions shall be appointed by the President with the advise of the Division Representative. The Board of Directors has the right to approve or disapprove any appointment made by the President. The selection of managers and coaches is in the jurisdiction of Foster City Little League, and is not subject to intervention from the District, Region or Little League Headquarters.
There shall be no more than three (3) managers or coaches in the Majors division who do not have a relative playing on his/her team.
Majors division managers and coaches must have at least two (2) years previous managing or coaching experience as an "official coach". Manager and coaches in the AAA division must have at least one (1) year of previous managing or coaching experience as an official coach. An official coach is defined as a coach or manager who has previously been approved by the Board of Directors.
Managers and coaches shall be appointed annually by the President. There is no seniority of tenure in
serving as a manager or coach. Per Little League rules, a manager's appointment expires on September 15th.
All managers and coaches candidates are held in high regard for their willingness to be considered. It is
also expected that successful managerial and coaching candidates will place their emphasis on teaching the
skills of baseball and sportsmanship to all their players, regardless of talent. Managers and coaches are
required to display sportsmanship in their dealings with their players, players' parents, other managers and coaches, umpires and members of the Board of Directors.
All managers and coaches will be subject to continual evaluation by the Division Rep. and other Board
members throughout the season. The evaluation process is necessary to insure that only the best and most qualified managers and coaches are in leadership positions.
The Manager shall be responsible for the conduct of his or her players, team parents, and team volunteers
at all league games and practices. The manager must demonstrate that he/she has an appreciation of the
philosophy of Little League Baseball, and must cooperate with the Board of Directors and others in making the program of mutual benefit to all youngsters.
All managers MUST show by example that they respect the judgment and position of authority of the
umpire, and at the same time instill in their players a respect for authority of adult leaders in the league. The
manager must exercise a leadership role, but at the same time leave the game in the hands of the players.
The manager must, within Little League rules, provide an opportunity for every player to take part in every
game. The Manager must also encourage players at every opportunity. The Manager must know the
playing Rules of Little League Baseball and be able to interpret them correctly. The Manager must make
every possible effort to correct any violation of the rules before they occur to prevent any protest situation.
It is also recommended that all managers have a basic knowledge of first aid and safety.
All managers and coaches must be aware that the Board of Directors, by the power vested therein and
within this constitution, has the power to remove any Manager or coach from his/her her position if his/ her
actions are viewed as detrimental to the team or to the well being of the league. The manager or coach
does have the right to a hearing before the board in such cases, as outlined in these bylaws.
Because the goal of Little League is constant education, all managers and coaches are required to attend all special training classes or seminars provided by Foster City Little League.
Each manager shall be responsible for selecting his/her own coaches, who in turn must be approved by the
President and the League's Board of Directors. The selection and approval of coaches must be done prior to the Board approving any person as a manager.
In the AA, Minor-B and T-Ball divisions, there shall be one manager per team, but no limit to the number of coaches that may volunteer.
In the Majors and AAA divisions, there shall be no more than three (3) adults in the dugout at any one
time. In the AA and Minor-B divisions, there shall be no more than four (4) adult volunteers in the dugout at any one time.
Section 16. SCHOLARSHIPS: The President of the league has the authority to offer full or partial scholarships to qualified players. The President shall use whatever financial criteria he/she deems appropriate in determining if a player and his/her family qualifies for a scholarship. The scholarships is good only for one year, but may be renewed.
Section 17. ABUSIVE FANS: Fan control is primarily the responsibility of the managers. If the umpire feels that a fan or fans are disruptive, abusive or overly rude, the umpire should request that the manager deal with the fans. If the manager is unwilling or unable to handle the situation, the umpire should warn the fan/s that they are subject to ejection from the field area. If they remain a problems, the umpire should stop the game, insist that the fan leaves the field, stands and spectator area to a distance so as to be unable to influence anything in the field/stands area. The umpire will not allow the game to proceed until the offender has complied. As soon as a fan has been warned, the umpire should seek a friendly party to find a league official, who will then come to the field as a witness. Abusive fans shall not be cause to forfeit the game or cause a penalty to either team.
Section 18. CURVE BALL: Pitchers in Foster City Little League shall not throw curveballs, sliders or screwballs. In judging these pitches, the umpire shall be governed by the movement of the ball, the ball's spin, and the pitcher's hand-wrist-arm movement. The umpires judgment shall be final. No appeals shall be allowed, and no explanation of the judgment shall be necessary. Managers and coaches are expected to refrain from delaying the game by questioning the judgment of the call. On the first occasion, the umpire shall call an illegal pitch. The pitch shall become a ball and the pitcher given a warning.
On the second occasion in the game, it will be called an illegal pitch. If the ball is hit, the offensive team may elect to let the play stand or impose the penalty as if the pitch had not been struck at. In either case, the pitcher shall be removed from the pitching position, but may stay in the game in another position and may not return to the pitching position in that game. In addition, the manager shall meet with a committee composed of the league president, Division Rep., Chief Umpire and the Safety Director to insure that no further violations of this rule occur.
The above stated curve ball rule and penalties may be enforced by a committee of not less than three members of the Board of Directors. This committee shall consist of the President who shall chair the committee, and at least two other Board members appointed by the President. Any penalties or sanctions imposed by this committee shall take place immediately following the game in which the incident took place. There shall be no appeal to the full board of this committee's decision.
Section 19. DELAYED STEAL: The pitcher need only be on the mound with the ball, and the catcher in the catcher's box with his/her mask and glove on. The runners shall return to the last base safely reached . The runners are not to stay off the base in an attempt to draw a play. The umpires shall instruct the runners to return if necessary. If a pitcher makes a play on a runner, the umpires will let the play continue and the runners shall be in jeopardy, but eligible to advance if not put out. The purpose of this rule is to speed up play and prevent drawn out pitcher-runner exercises. Umpire should attempt to control this in the spirit of the rule.
Section 20. SCOREBOARD: The electronic scoreboard is used as a convenience and to enhance the enjoyment of the game for the spectators and participants. It is not an official record of outs, balls, strikes, runs, etc. The only official record of these lies with the official scorekeeper.
Section 21. SCORERS BENCH: The scorers bench is to be occupied only by the designated official scorekeeper, one designated game announcer, and one designated assistant scorekeeper. The umpires should be diligent in not allowing spectators and/or coaches to sit in the scorer's bench, as this might create a disruptive influence on the players, umpires and other coaches. There shall be no cheering, coaching or any other form of spectator participation from the scorer's bench. Scorebooks from the games are not to be removed by anyone, except for that division's representative, and are not to be altered after the game by anyone without the prior permission of the league President or Division representative.
Section 22. HELMETS: All players of the team at bat shall wear a helmet when on the playing field, including batting, running, coaching or warming up. The helmet shall not be removed, even briefly, without an umpire's permission.
Section 23. THROWN BATS: This rule amends the Official Little League Rules and Regulations. This rule applies to bats thrown accidentally, but in a potentially dangerous manner. On the first occasion, the play continues until the ball is dead. The umpire will call time and warn the player in the presence of the manager. The scorekeeper will also make a notation in the scorebook. On the second occasion in the same game, the act of throwing the bat accidentally will constitute an immediate dead-ball out. No runners may advance. The player shall be removed from the lineup as a batter, but shall be allowed to play in the field as a defensive player. The umpires judgment shall be final. No appeals shall be allowed, and no explanation of the judgment shall be necessary. Managers and coaches are expected to refrain from delaying the game by questioning the judgment of the call. This rule is intended to prevent injury and emphasize safety.
Section 24. ALL STAR SELECTIONS: Being named to an All Star team in Foster City Little League
is a privilege and not a right. It should reward those players who had a successful season, and are being recognized for their efforts. ALL ATTEMPTS WILL BE MADE BY THE PRESIDENT AND THE
BOARD OF DIRECTORS TO TAKE POLITICS OUT OF THE ALL STAR SELECTION PROCESS.
The Board of Directors, in conjunction with the District Administrator, shall determine the number of All Star Teams representing Foster City in specific divisions.
The Player Agent shall be responsible for conducting the All Star selection process. All Majors and AAA
managers will submit a list of eligible all star candidates to the Player agent at least 10 days prior to the All
star selection process. To become an eligible candidate, each player and parent/guardian, must complete
and sign an affidavit stating that the nominated player will be able to take part in all practices and all games
for the duration of the All-Star tournament. If a player fails to submit a properly completed form, he/she will NOT be considered for any All Star Team.
Conditions for qualifying: Players must have participated in 50 per cent or more of regular scheduled games played.
ALL STAR VOTING:
Voting for the All Star team shall take place at a time and place determined by the President in conjunction
with the Player Agent. It is mandatory that a Manager or Coach from each team be represented at the All Star selection meeting.
The All Star team manager(s) shall be appointed by the League President.
There shall be 12 to 14 members on the Majors All Star team(s). The manager(s) and League president shall choose the total number of players to be on each team. Players will be selected by the respective Division managers and coaches in a secret balloted scale. Managers and coaches assign a numeric value to each eligible candidate on all teams excluding his/her own team. As provided by the Player Agent, all ballots are collected and entered into a computer and tallied. The ten candidates with the highest numeric point totals will be selected automatically. The remaining two players will be selected by the manager(s) and coach(s) of each All Star team from a list of players still available for selection, prior to the selection of the next All Star team.
Major League players who have a league age of 10 will be given priority over 9-year old AAA players in selection to the 9-10 year old Majors All Star team.
Section 25. 10 Run Rule. Majors Division. When the game has been played to the legal requirements , and the losing team has batted in the 4th inning, the game shall be stopped if the winning team is ahead by 10 runs or more. At this time, the team that is ahead will be declared the winner and the game shall be considered as a completed game.
Section 27. Amendments. Amendments to these bylaws are allowed, but only with the approval of two -thirds (2/3) of the Board of Directors. The entire board must be notified of the voting to change these By-Laws with at least three (3) days prior notice.
Section 28. Waivers. Temporary waiver of one of these By-Laws is allowed, but only with the approval of two-thirds (2/3) of the Board of Directors. The entire Board must be notified of the voting to waive a By-Law with at least three (3) days prior notice. Each specific waiver of a section of these By -Laws must be explicitly voted upon by the Board of Directors. Votes may be tendered in person or by written or phone proxy.
(last revision January 2008)
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