BILL LOCAL RULES

PREFACE TO LOCAL RULES

Great coaching depends upon many things including a love of the game and a desire to give children the tools they need to be successful on the field and in their lives. “Managers and coaches are among the most important volunteers in the Little League program. They have to know the game and they have to love working with kids. Leagues with knowledgeable, caring and concerned coaches have an advantage when it comes to making the game fun and retaining players.” (Little League International)

Bainbridge Island Little League expects that all Managers and Coaches will familiarize themselves with current Little League Baseball Official Regulations and Playing Rules. Knowledge of the game, its rules and its regulations is a fundamental element of a good coach’s toolkit. Our league makes the commitment to its coaches to provide support, education and training opportunities to its managers and coaches at all levels of play. In return, we trust that all managers and coaches will endeavor to grow their knowledge base of the game so that, in turn, they are better equipped to pass on their love and understanding of the game to the kids they coach.

The following pages include local rules that modify and/or extend the official rules and regulations of Little League Baseball. Local rules are not a substitute for the rules of the game. They represent only a small set of modifications to official rules and regulations that have been approved by current and/or prior Bainbridge Island Little League Boards of Directors. In addition, a few very basic, unmodified rules and regulations of Little League baseball are included for the purpose of providing some of the distinguishing characteristics that separate the various levels of play. Each Manager and Coach is expected to learn and incorporate these rules modifications that apply across all divisions of baseball AND those local rules that apply to the level of play in which s/he is coaching. Upon approval of the League President, Managers may appoint an eligible team representative familiar with the official rules and regulations of Little League Baseball and the BILL local rules, in their absence. 

LOCAL RULES APPLICABLE TO ALL BASEBALL DIVISIONS

1.      A Manager must notify the Player Agent if any player misses more than four consecutive games for any reason. Any player who is out of the lineup for more than three consecutive weeks may be removed from his/her team by action of the BILL Board of Directors and replaced in accordance with Rule III(d) of the Official Playing Rules.

2.      If a player quits a team, whether due to injury or any other reason, the Manager shall contact the Player Agent, Vice President and President within ten (10) days time to alert them of the change in roster.

3.      In accordance with Regulation III(d)(2), Note 1, a player may only be called up from a Minors division team prior to the last two weeks of the regular season.

4.      According to Regulation VIII(b), if a Minors division player declines to move up when a vacancy occurs on a Majors division team, the Player Agent shall transfer that player to another team in the Minors division, preferably a team with a lower standing. Team placement of the player shall be at the sole discretion of the Player Agent. The BILL Board of Directors has waived this policy.

5.      The BILL Board of Directors at its sole discretion may assess penalties for a violation of any rule up to and including suspension or termination of the offending player, manager, coach or team representative.

6.      These Local Rules shall be automatically applicable to subsequent seasons until modified by vote of the Board of Directors. Local rules in conflict with current Little League Official Rules and Playing Regulations will automatically be amended to conform with current Little League Official Rules and Playing Regulations.

7.      All baseball divisions are open to girls and boys of appropriate league age.

8.  Rule 4.10(e) of the Official Playing Rules is hereby modified as follows for the AA through Majors Divisions: 

Subsequent sections focus on sets of local rules as they apply to the various divisions of Bainbridge Island Little League Baseball. Coaches and Managers are responsible for those local rules that apply to the division in which they participate. Managers who intend to umpire outside of their division of play should be knowledgeable about the local rules for any division in which they intend to umpire.

Local rules for Intermediates, Junior, and Senior Divisions will be defined in collaboration with District 2 and the local leagues participating in inter-league play. Interleague rules for these divisions of play shall be posted to the BILL website upon becoming available.

LOCAL RULES APPLICABLE TO MAJORS DIVISION OF BASEBALL

DIVISION PLAYING PHILOSOPHY: This division promotes competition to a higher degree as compared to the Minor League. Within this more competitive environment, the emphasis remains on improving baseball skills, building individual self-esteem, promoting team camaraderie and emphasizing fair play. The division is designed to be both the satisfying culmination of some players' Little League careers and to prepare other players for higher levels of play including advancement in Little League Tournament play and readiness to move up to play on the Intermediate and full 90 foot diamond.

1.       Regulation IV(i) of the Official Playing Rules is modified such that each player listed in a team’s batting order shall participate in each game for a minimum of nine (9) defensive outs. If a game is shortened for any reason (this does not include the home team not requiring some or all of its half of the sixth inning), then every player listed in a team’s batting order shall participate for a minimum of six (6) defensive outs. Rule 3.03 of the Official Playing Rules is modified to allow free substitution on defense. A “courtesy runner” for the catcher and/or pitcher of record is permitted when there are two (2) outs. The “courtesy runner” must be in the team’s batting order and must be the player in the batting order who made the last out. See 7.14(b).

2.       Pursuant to Rule 4.04, Bainbridge Island Little League adopts the continuous batting order for all regular season games and any Special Games (i.e., league playoffs). Bainbridge Island Little League will not utilize a nine-player batting order in any games. Interleague play is overseen and must be approved by the District Administrator.

3.       All games must be played to completion. In accordance to Rules 4.10(a), 4.10(d), 4.11(e), and 4.12 of the Official Playing Rules, if a game is canceled, postponed, delayed or tied, the makeup or completion of the game or innings shall be rescheduled with the league scheduler.. Any games that are not played prior to the end of the regular season shall be recorded in the standings as a loss for both teams. In accordance with Rule 4.13 of the Official Playing Rules, no team shall be scheduled to play three games in one day. Majors teams may be scheduled for no more than two doubleheaders per week.

4.       A game may not be started with less than eight (8) players on each team. The team with 8 players may skip over the ninth (9th) position in the batting line-up without penalty. A game may not be continued with less than eight (8) players on each team.

5.       The home team manager shall record the status of a game, scores, pitchers used and individual pitch counts on the league website for all scrimmages and for all games that are completed and for all games that are partially completed, tied, and or canceled, postponed or delayed due to weather or darkness. This information must be recorded within 24 hours of the completion or partial completion of the game, or from the time the game was scheduled to start if no part of the game was played. If the home team manager fails to record this information as required, the visiting team scorebook will become the official scorebook for the game.

6.       The home book is always the official scorebook for the game. To avoid discrepancies in pitch counts at game’s end, it is recommended that scorekeepers from both teams meet often during the game to reconcile pitch counts and scores. The home book is always deemed correct when scorekeepers cannot agree on pitch counts and scores. GameChanger or a similar app (if used throughout the League and that provides the same level of detail as a paper book) can be used as the official home book for BILL regular season and league championship play.

7.       There shall be a post-season (played as non-regular season Special Games) to determine League Champion. Post season play may be a series of games between teams or a tournament utilizing double-elimination or some variant of pool play, depending upon the number of teams and to be determined by the Board of Directors. Local and Little League International regular season rules will be in effect for the tournament. Teams will be seeded in  the tournament based upon their regular season records. If any teams finish with the same record, tie breakers for tournament seeding shall apply in the following order: (i) combined head-to-head record of teams, (ii) runs allowed head-to-head, (iii) runs scored head-to-head, (iv) season runs allowed total, (v) season runs scored total, or (vi) coin flip.

LOCAL RULES APPLICABLE TO MINORS DIVISION OF BASEBALL

The Minor League shall be segregated into the following divisions: Tee Ball, “A”, “AA” and “AAA”.

LOCAL RULES APPLICABLE TO TEE BALL

DIVISION PLAYING PHILOSOPHY: This division emphasizes the development of players. The goal of the division is to provide all players with a fun and positive introduction to the sport in a very supportive and non- competitive learning environment. Focused on the most basic fundamentals, players will learn how to hold a bat, hit off a tee, throw a baseball and possibly catch a ball.

1.       Tee Ball games shall conclude after three (3) innings or one (1) hour, whichever occurs first.

2.       All teams shall bat the lineup using a continuous batting order. Any player who arrives after the start of the game shall be added to the end of his/her team’s batting order.

3.       The offensive team’s time at bat ends when it bats through the lineup, regardless of whether or not three outs have been recorded.

4.       Each team is allowed to field its entire roster of which four (4) must be in the outfield if all infield positions are occupied. Catchers are optional.  Coaches are encouraged to allow players to experience different fielding positions during the season while keeping in mind safety concerns for individual children. Each player must play at least two (2) defensive innings, unless the game is shortened for any reason.

5.       Free substitution is allowed so that Managers have the flexibility of putting a different lineup on the field for defense each inning.

6.       Walks, base stealing and sliding are prohibited.

7.       There shall be one coach in the dugout at all times. Notwithstanding this requirement, each team is permitted to place up to two coaches on the field of play when on defense.

a.       When playing defense, no more than two coaches may assume positions in fair or foul territory.

b.       When playing offense, no more than two coaches may act as base coaches.

8.       Each team may designate one parent to serve as umpire for the duration of the game.

9.       No score or league standings shall be kept.

10.   There shall be no post-season tournament for T-ball, A, or AA players, but AAA players will be considered for All-Stars.  AA and AAA will participate in the BILL league championship playoffs.

LOCAL RULES APPLICABLE TO “A” DIVISION OF BASEBALL

“A” DIVISION PLAYING PHILOSOPHY: This level of play fosters continued skills development and a better understanding of the rules and nuances of the game. Players are expected to have fundamental baseball skills as this is a more elevated level of play than Tee Ball. Coaches are encouraged to allow players to experience different fielding positions during the season while keeping in mind safety concerns for individual children. The focus remains on the fun of playing the sport while more coaching attention is given to fielding, making plays, accurate throwing, proper hitting technique and preparing the player for player-pitch at the "AA" level.

1.       “A” Division games shall conclude after six (6) innings.  No new inning shall start after 1 hour and 30 minutes has elapsed from the first pitch. Any inning started prior to the time limit must be finished according to Little League rules. Any game shortened by this time limit will be considered a regulation game.

2.       All teams shall bat the line up using a continuous batting order.  Any player who arrives after the start of the game shall be added to the end of his or her team’s batting order.

3.       The offensive team’s time at bat ends when it bats through its entire lineup or three (3) outs have been recorded (whichever occurs first)

4.       Each team is allowed to field its entire roster.  All players in addition to the standard nine (9) must play outfield positions.  The number of additional players must be agreed upon by both coaches prior to the start of the game.  In the event not all players are fielded, teams are allowed unlimited defensive substitutions.

5.       Each player must play at least nine (9) defensive outs, unless the game is shortened for any reason.

6.       The batter’s manager or coach will be the Pitcher and function as the umpire for his or her team’s turn at bat during each inning.

a. The batter’s manager or coach shall pitch underhand or overhand from a knee.  The pitcher does not need to pitch from the rubber.  Pitching distance to the plate may vary by batter or pitcher.

b. There shall be no strikes, walks, or bases taken due to a hit batter.

c. The batter’s manager or coach shall pitch no more than five (5) hittable pitches or eight (8) total pitches to the batter.

d. If after five hittable (5) pitches or eight (8) total pitches, if the player has not hit the ball, the player shall put the ball in play by hitting off a tee.

e. The catcher is not required to return passed balls to the pitcher.  Passed balls must be collected when in the batter’s box, when in the path to home plate, at the end of each inning, or when the pitcher runs out.

7.       Prior to a pitch, the player fielding the pitcher’s spot shall stand immediately adjacent to the pitcher’s plate.

8.       The play ends when a hit ball is thrown to any base or to the pitcher.  For balls hit to the outfield, the play ends when the fielded ball is returned to the infield.  Extra bases due to overthrows are NOT allowed. 

9.       Outs are applied to tags and force outs.  Base stealing, and sliding are prohibited.

10.   When there are players in the dugout, there shall be one coach in the dugout at all times. Each team is permitted to strategically place coaches on the field of play.

a. When playing defense, up to two (2) coaches may assume positions in fair or foul territory. 

b. When playing offense, up to three (3) coaches may assume positions of pitcher and base coaches.

c. One (1) additional coach from either team may stand behind the catcher to collect passed balls and move the tee in and out of play.

11.   No score or league standings shall be kept and there shall be no post-season tournament.

12.   Teams are not required to play make up games or innings. However, BILL encourages managers to try to play all games that are canceled or not completed for any reason.  To avoid conflicts with other field usage activities, games should be rescheduled to occur during team practice times.

LOCAL RULES APPLICABLE TO “AA” DIVISION OF BASEBALL

DIVISION PLAYING PHILOSOPHY: The "AA" Division is a combination player/coach-pitched baseball where a higher level of game understanding and ability is taught. Competition as it relates to winning and losing is introduced at this level. Winning and losing remain secondary to the essential goal of teaching each player to embrace success or failure with grace and to learn from both. Primary goals are to give players as much experience and playing time as possible and encouragement of ongoing development for all players in all phases of the game. This important developmental division provides a relatively even but not necessarily equal distribution of playing time among players. "AA" includes player pitch, limited stealing of bases, scoring and umpiring. By the end of the season players are expected to have refined their skills so they may successfully participate at the "AAA" level the following year.

1.       Regulation IV(i) of the Official Playing Rules is modified such that each player listed in a team’s batting order shall participate in a game for a minimum of nine (9) defensive outs. If a game is shortened for any reason (this does not include the home team not requiring some or all of its half of the sixth inning), then every player shall participate for a minimum of six (6) defensive outs.

2.       In accordance with Rule 4.04 of the Official Playing Rules, all teams shall bat the line up using a continuous batting order. Any player who arrives after the exchange of lineup cards may be added to the end of his or her team’s batting order at the discretion of the manager.

3.       “AA” is a player pitch division. There shall be no walks but a batter hit by a player-pitcher shall be awarded first base. If a pitcher pitches four (4) balls¹ to a batter before the batter has reached base or made an out, the batter’s Manager or Coach shall take the mound to finish the at bat, taking over the ball/strike count. The player-pitcher will field his/her position immediately to the right or left of the coach-pitcher. The combined number of pitches from the player-pitcher and the Manager or Coach shall not exceed eight (8) total pitches, unless the player-pitcher throws the eighth pitch and it is unhittable. A foul ball shall count as one of the eight pitches but it shall also extend the at-bat if fouled on the eighth or subsequent pitch. If the final pitch is deemed unhittable by the umpire then the batter shall receive another pitch. If after the eight total pitches the player has not reached base by hitting the ball, the batter shall be out.

4.       In the event that the league is unable to provide an umpire, the offensive team’s Manager or Coach shall take a position behind the pitcher’s plate and shall function as the umpire for their team’s portion of the inning.

5.       No new inning shall start after 1 hour and 50 minutes has elapsed from the first pitch, except that this rule shall not apply during the playoffs (six innings shall be played regardless of time). Any inning started prior to the time limit must be finished according to Little League rules. Any game shortened by this time limit will be considered a regulation game.

6.       In regular season and league tournament play, there shall be a five (5) run limit per inning per team. The five (5) run limit shall not apply to the final inning of the game.

a.       If it appears that a game will be shortened by the time limit, the designated umpire(s) shall determine and announce to both teams the final inning immediately prior to the start of that inning.

b.       In the final inning, the offensive team concludes its time at bat when it bats through the order or three outs are made, whichever occurs first. The Twelve (12) Run Rule does not apply.

7.       Teams are permitted three (3) stolen bases per inning. Advancing a(1) base on a non-batted ball or non-hit batter is considered a(1) stolen base.

a.       On an attempt by a catcher to put out a stealing base-runner, any additional advance of bases shall constitute a stolen base(s) toward the total permitted.

b.       Advances on overthrows from a batted ball shall not count toward the permitted three (3) stolen bases per inning, but a play shall be dead after base runners advance one base on an overthrow regardless of if there are additional overthrows.

c.       If there is no overthrow on a batted ball, play stops when a player attempts to return the ball to a pitcher on the mound.

d.       Baserunners shall not be permitted to steal home, nor can a runner advance to home on an overthrow of a non-batted ball.  However a runner may advance to home in the case of an overthrow when a ball is batted.

8.       All games must be played to completion. In accordance to Rules 4.10(a), 4.10(d), 4.11(e), and 4.12 of the Official Playing Rules, if a game is canceled, postponed, delayed or tied, the makeup or completion of the game or innings shall take place as determined by the league scheduler.  Any games that are not played prior to the end of the regular season shall be recorded in the standings as a loss for both teams. In accordance with Rule 4.13 of the Official Playing Rules, no team shall be scheduled to play two games in one day.

9.      The home book is always the official scorebook for the game. To avoid discrepancies in pitch counts at game’s end, it is recommended that scorekeepers from both teams meet often during the game to reconcile pitch counts and scores. The home book is always deemed correct when scorekeepers cannot agree on pitch counts and scores. GameChanger or a similar app (if used throughout the League and that provides the same level of detail as a paper book) can be used as the official home book for BILL regular season and league championship play.

10.   The home team manager shall record the status of a game, scores, pitchers used and individual pitch counts on the league website for all scrimmages and for all games that are completed and for all games that are partially completed, tied, and or canceled, postponed or delayed due to weather or darkness. This information must be recorded within 24 hours of the completion or partial completion of the game, or from the time the game was scheduled to start if no part of the game was played. If the home team manager fails to record this information as required, the visiting team scorebook will become the official scorebook for the game.

11.   There shall be a post-season tournament to determine League Champion. The tournament may be single elimination, double-elimination, or some variant of pool play, depending upon the number of teams and to be determined by the Board of Directors. Local and Little League International regular season rules will be in effect for the tournament. Teams will be seeded in the tournament based on their regular season records. If any teams finish with the same record, tie breakers for tournament seeding shall apply in the following order: (i) combined head-to-head record of teams, (ii) runs allowed head-to-head, (iii) runs scored head-to-head, (iv) season runs allowed total, (v) season runs scored total, or (vi) coin flip.

LOCAL RULES APPLICABLE TO “AAA” DIVISION OF BASEBALL

DIVISION PLAYING PHILOSOPHY: This division of Little League promotes a higher level of competition than "AA" and emphasizes more of the standard rules of Little League baseball. The focus in "AAA" remains on education, development and teamwork while encouraging a deeper understanding of the game and advancing skill development in order to prepare players for successful participation at the Majors level. Winning and losing remain secondary to promoting the learning and development experienced by each player.

1.       Regulation IV(i) of the Official Playing Rules is modified such that each player listed in a team’s batting order shall participate in a game for a minimum of nine (9) defensive outs. If a game is shortened for any reason (this does not include the home team not requiring some or all of its half of the sixth inning), then every player shall participate for a minimum of six (6) defensive outs.

2.       In accordance with Rule 4.04 of the Official Playing Rules, all teams shall bat the line up using a continuous batting order. Any player who arrives after the exchange of lineup cards may be added to the end of his or her team’s batting order at the discretion of the manager.

3.       In regular season and league tournament play, there shall be a five (5) run limit per inning per team. The five (5) run limit shall not apply to the final inning of the game.

a.       In the final inning, the offensive team concludes its time at bat when it bats through the order or three outs are made, whichever occurs first. The twelve (12) run Mercy rule does not apply.

4.       No new inning shall start after 1 hour and 50 minutes has elapsed from the first pitch, except that this rule shall not apply during the playoffs (six innings shall be played regardless of time). Any inning started prior to the time limit must be finished according to Little League rules. Any game shortened by this time limit will be considered a regulation game.

5.       All games must be played to completion. In accordance to Rules 4.10(a), 4.10(d), 4.11(e), and 4.12 of the Official Playing Rules, if a game is canceled, postponed, delayed or tied, the makeup or completion of the game or innings shall take place as determined by the league scheduler. Any games that are not played prior to the end of the regular season shall be recorded in the standings as a loss for both teams. In accordance with Rule 4.13 of the Official Playing Rules, no team shall be scheduled to play two games in one day.

6.       The home book is always the official scorebook for the game. To avoid discrepancies in pitch counts at game’s end, it is recommended that scorekeepers from both teams meet often during the game to reconcile pitch counts and scores. The home book is always deemed correct when scorekeepers cannot agree on pitch counts and scores. GameChanger or a similar app (if used throughout the League and that provides the same level of detail as a paper book) can be used as the official home book for BILL regular season and league championship play.

7.       The home team manager shall record the status of a game, scores, pitchers used and individual pitch counts on the league website for all scrimmages and for all games that are completed and for all games that are partially completed, tied, and or canceled, postponed or delayed due to weather or darkness. This information must be recorded within 24 hours of the completion or partial completion of the game, or from the time the game was scheduled to start if no part of the game was played. If the home team manager fails to record this information as required, the visiting team scorebook will become the official scorebook for the game.

8.       There shall be a post-season tournament (played as non-regular season Special Games) to determine League Champion. The tournament may be double-elimination or some variant of pool play, depending upon the number of teams and to be determined by the Board of Directors. Local and Little League International regular season rules will be in effect for the tournament. Teams will be seeded in the tournament based upon their regular season records. If any teams finish with the same record, tie breakers for tournament seeding shall apply in the following order: (i) combined head-to-head record of teams, (ii) runs allowed head-to-head, (iii) runs scored head-to-head, (iv) season runs allowed total, (v) season runs scored total, or (vi) coin flip.

ROSTER SELECTION

AA, AAA, Majors

All data from the skill evaluations at Show Your Stuff Day and prior year's coach evaluations will be compiled and rolled up by or under the direction of the League Player Agent into a single composite numeric score for each player (prior year coach evaluations will be treated as qualitative only and do not contribute to the SYS score). Players will be ranked from highest to lowest according to their composite Show Your Stuff (resulting in their “stack rank”). For the Majors Draft, in order to ensure competitive balance in the Majors Division, the League Player Agent, the League President, the League VP, and the Coaches Coordinator, may make discretionary adjustments to the player rankings for the players composing up to the top 16 players provided a consensus can be reached among that group. If no consensus as to the discretionary adjustments can be reached, then the stacked rankings shall remain unchanged. This information is confidential and is not to be shared with players or parents of players. Players' league ages and school grades will be noted, but they will not be separated by age or grade.

Prior to team assignments, petitions will be reviewed to consider extraordinary age group requests. Petitions may include: (1)League age 8-year olds requesting to play in AAA (those who qualify will be slotted into the total pool of players according to their composite SYS/coaches evaluation score). (2) League age 9-year olds requesting to play in the Majors division. At the player agent's discretion, 11 year-old or older players with extremely low scores may be moved to the AAA division.

The number of teams and players in each division will be determined by the Player Agent, in consultation with the President, Coaches Coordinator, and League VPs, based on the number of qualified players and coaches. Pursuant to rules of Little League Baseball, Incorporated, all league-age 12 year olds will be assigned to Majors, except any league-age 12 year old who have successfully been granted a District Waiver to play in a lower division. In case of extraordinary circumstances the Player Agent may elect to utilize a Plan A Draft with consent of the Board of Directors.  Managers in AAA may select one assistant coach prior to the AAA auto draft (which is managed by the Player Agent).

Majors Baseball Division Draft:

Majors "Managers" will be selected by the League VP in consultation with the Coaches Coordinator, Player Agent and President.  Majors' Managers may choose one assistant coach prior to the draft.

The X highest ranked players who have declared themselves eligible for the Majors draft will be placed in the Majors draft pool, where X is set to approximately 14 times the number of Majors teams, minus 1. For example, with 5 Majors teams, the top 69 eligible players would comprise the Majors draft pool.  However, the Player Agent is allowed some discretion on which players at the margin are or are not placed in the Majors draft pool, and may take into account sibling relationships, coaching availability and needs, grade levels, natural break points in the player ratings, and other factors.  All 12 year old players who would not otherwise be in the draft pool based on ranking will be included at the bottom of the draft pool with their original ranking preserved. The League Player Agent, in consultation with the President, Coaches Coordinator and League VP, may also add some "must draft" players to the draft pool (e.g., returning Majors players and 11 year old players in the 6th grade).  In addition, and after review and approval by the Player Agent and a majority of Managers, "outlier" players who would not otherwise have been in the draft pool may be added to the list at the request of managers interested in drafting them.

The Player Agent will provide final player ratings (and rankings) and coach evaluations for the players in the Majors draft pool to the League VP for distribution to managers at least two (2) days prior to the Majors Draft.

At the beginning of the draft or on a separate date prior to the Majors draft, up to 30 minutes may be spent adjusting the stack­ rank prior to the first pick; any changes must be agreed to by the Player Agent and a majority of the managers present.

Draft Logistics (assuming 6 Majors teams):

Player Agent will manage the draft with the assistance of the League VP. Managers will be assigned a draft order using a random method. For example, drawing numbers 1-6 out of a hat. The draft will generally proceed from round to round in serpentine fashion.

         I.            It is the intent of the Board that teams within the Majors division be as balanced as possible each year, with a similar distribution of ages among all the teams.

       II.            If the blind order is not utilized, the order of the teams in the draft is determined by the Player Agent, the League VP and the President after taking into account the relative strengths and weaknesses of each team as a function of the assignments of the Managers' children.  For those teams without a Managers' children assigned to the first 2 rounds, the initial order will be determined by a draw.

     III.            Round 1: Draft order will be 1-6, Round 2: 6-1, etc.

     IV.            There will be no trading of draft positions or draft picks.

      V.            Managers will have up to 2 minutes to make their selection in each round, or the highest rated player not yet drafted will be chosen for them.

     VI.            Each team shall be required to draft a league-age 12-year old in the final rounds of the draft as necessary to ensure that all such players are drafted.

   VII.            Managers must choose their own child(ren) in the round that corresponds to their position in the stack-rank.  For example, if a Manager's children are the 5th and 26th rated players overall, they must be chosen using that team's 1st and 5th round picks.  If the Manager's children are rated to be in the same round, they must use that and the subsequent round's picks to obtain them. In addition, if a Manager's children are in the same round from 1-3, this will result in a team being required to defer their next pick, as follows: if a Manager's children are both in the 1st round, they will take their 3rd round pick at the end of the 10th round; if they are both in the 2nd round, their 4th round pick will be deferred until the end of the 9th round; and if they are both in the 3rd round, their 5th round pick will be deferred until the end of the 8th round.

 VIII.            Sibling Option - parents may request that siblings play on the same team if both are drafted into Majors.  Therefore, if a Manager drafts a player who  has a sibling rated among the top 72 players (assuming 6 teams and such 72 players shall include all the "must drafts" plus the number of discretionary players in the pool (based on the stack rankings)  in order to get to 72 players), then the sibling is automatically selected as well, using up the draft pick corresponding to such sibling's position in the overall stack rank when including all players in the draft pool  and stack ranking them purely based  on their composition score. If the sibling is in the Major's draft pool, but not among the top 72 players, then it is the Manager's option whether to also select the sibling using his/her pick in the round corresponding to such sibling's position in the overall stack rank when including all players in the draft pool and stack ranking them purely based on their composition score. If this option is not exercised, then before a different team may draft that sibling, a trade must be executed to place those players on the same team. However, a Manager shall not draft a player in anticipation of drafting the player's sibling if the sibling cannot otherwise be slotted on the grid in compliance with these rules (e.g., if a Manager would be required to draft a 12-year old player in the last round but for having drafted a player with a sibling in the previous round).

     IX.            In accordance with Little League rules, no team may have more than 8 players who are league age 12.

       X.            All teams must draft a specified minimum number of 12-year-olds on their roster. If  such number cannot be determined  by a specific rule herein, by the BILL Board of Directors or by LL rules, it shall be set by the Player Agent, along with whatever rules and requirements he/she may impose to ensure that all teams draft the minimum number of 12-year olds, without exceeding the limit of 8 per team and ensuring that no team can manipulate this rule in order to create a competitive imbalance.

     XI.            Any disagreements over the process during the draft will be resolved by the President, the League VP and the Player Agent. If one of the above officials is also a Manager of a Majors team, that official will be recused if it is determined a potential conflict of interest exists.

   XII.            The Player Agent shall pause the draft for three minutes at the beginning of the 7th round (before the draft enters, or nearly enters, the "must draft" phase of the draft).

 XIII.            All players, including those returning to Majors and Managers' children, must attend SYS Day and be re-evaluated each year, in accordance with Little League International. In addition, at the end of each season, Managers will rate all returning players and these evaluations will be available prior to the draft for consultation and for stack rank adjustments. Ideally, this will also prevent “sandbagging” of talented players into lower rounds of the draft.

 XIV.            For BILL team names, there will be a priority for returning coaches to retain their BILL name from the prior year and geographic preferences will be taken into account. The remaining Managers will draw or otherwise agree upon the remaining team names.

   XV.            The draft will be deemed complete and approved if 1) the Majors Managers are in unanimous agreement that the teams are balanced, and 2) there is unanimous approval by the VP and Player Agent.  If the draft is not approved by the VP and Player Agent (and Managers), a redraft will occur.  OPTIONAL ALTERNATIVE METHOD: At the conclusion of the Majors division draft, a random method can be used to assign drafted teams to individual Managers. For example, drawing numbers 1-6 out of a hat. At this time, any children of Managers who are not assigned to their parent’s teams are to be traded for a player of equal rating. Once all Managers and Managers children are assigned accordingly BILL team names are to be assigned to teams and the draft is completed.

Following the Majors division draft, all remaining players (AAA, AA) will be stack-ranked according to their total composite scores and assigned to the AA or AAA division accordingly.  Any 12-year old players for whom a waiver was obtained allowing them to not play in Majors must be placed in AAA, unless there is an exceptional case related to player safety. All remaining 11 year olds will be placed in AAA unless there is an exceptional case related to player safety.  The Player Agent has final say over all divisional placements, and may take into account sibling relationships, coaching availability and needs, grade levels and other factors.

Following divisional assignment and final selection, appointment and confirmation of coaches in the AAA and AA divisions, players will be placed on teams by the Player Agent(s), with the assistance of the League VP, in a serpentine fashion according to players' rank order of their composite "Show Your Stuff' day (with potential stack rank adjustment prior).  Coach evaluations from the previous season will be available for consultation, but will not be part of the composite SYS score. Draft order will be determined randomly. 

Parents with multiple children playing in the same division may request that their children be assigned to the same team. Lateral trades (i.e. exchanging players within the same row) by the Player Agent should be made to accommodate these requests. Trades are then made by the Player Agent to balance teams with pitchers and catchers. Any player selected to an All-Star team the previous year or a select baseball team in the prior or current year should be identified. Player changes will be made within rows to balance the teams as much as is possible for pitching, catching, All-Stars and select players and any other factors to be considered necessary to create balance among teams. In particular, each team should receive the same number of highly ranked pitchers.

Managers will be selected by the applicable League VP in consultation with the Coach Coordinator and President. Each Manager may select one assistant coach. The Player Agent, in consultation with the applicable Division VP, shall place the children of each manager and assistant coach on the applicable coaches' team.

If, as a result an imbalance is created among teams particularly in the distribution of pitchers or catchers, additional trades may be considered by the Player Agent with the sole purpose of correcting the imbalance.

The Player Agent and the Division VP should bear in mind that the first 4 rows of the oldest age group and the first two rows of the next age group are the most important in terms of ensuring balance among teams. Player changes within these rows should be limited if possible. Final review and approval of the team selection by the Player Agent and Division VP is made at this time.

Barring extraordinary circumstances, in each division, no two players in the first round (top row) of each age group should be on the same team. This rule could possibly break up a manager-coach combination.  The top ranked players in each age group should not be moved from the first row; however, they may be moved within the first row if necessary.

Confidentiality: Player rankings, "Show Your Stuff' day results, coaches' evaluations, the order with which players were drafted or assigned to teams, and any discussion that occurs during the Roster Assignment meetings must be kept strictly confidential.

T-Ball, A Rookie and Minors Softball Divisions

"Reciprocal Buddy" system will be used, where if two children both specify each other at registration; they will be placed on a team together. Such matching buddy pairs will be randomly assigned to school-based teams, followed by any remaining individual players from that school. Adults who wish to coach together (max two per team) must have their children specify each other as buddies.

Individual players will be assigned to teams in a random fashion, clustered by school as much as possible. The Manager and one (assistant) coach may elect to coach together and therefore have their children placed together on the team; all other players should be allocated to school-based teams in a round-robin fashion. However, the Player Agent is encouraged to refer to the prior season's coach evaluations and make adjustments to team assignments as needed to avoid severe imbalances in the relative talent levels among the teams in each division.

All Star Rules and Regulations

All rules, regulations and guidelines presented in this document are intended to be consistent with Bainbridge Island Little League Local Rules and the principles of player development, fair play and good sportsmanship that provide the foundation of best practices for youth baseball. All rules, regulations and guidelines are, also, designed to conform to the rules and regulations of Little League International. Any unintended conflict shall be resolved to the satisfaction of the relevant rule and/or regulation contained in the current Baseball Official Regulations & Playing Rules of Little League International.

The All-Star Committee will be nominated by the Player Agent and is appointed by approval of the Board.  The All-Star Committee strives to preserve the efforts of prior year’s All-Star Committees while accommodating suggestions received from players, families and coaches who commented to the Board regarding prior year’s All- Star Selection process and Tournament. It is the intent of the All-Star Committee to communicate a set of guidelines that promote fairness. It is also the intent that these rules and guidelines be taken forward to form the basis for next year’s All-Star selection process while allowing the subsequent year’s All-Star Committee and BILL Board opportunity to make adjustments based on community input.

Teams

Majors Baseball (mainly 12, occasionally 11 year-olds; sometimes known locally as 12u): This level of competition includes the opportunity for play in the Little League World Series. In selection of All-Star players at this level, competitive advantage and the number of registered, eligible players will be considered in creating the team with the best chance of success in the post-season All-Star Tournament. As in prior years and as required by Little League International, BILL will field one team composed of 12/11 year-old players. This team will carry a minimum of twelve (12) All-Stars. If sufficient high-caliber player-candidates are eligible for All-Star play at this level, BILL encourages consideration of an All-Star roster of thirteen (13) or fourteen (14).

9-11 year-olds (known locally as 11u): This level of competition does not include opportunity for play in the Little League World Series although teams may advance to the District and State Championships. Selection of players for inclusion onto the 9-11 team(s) will be determined by the number of registered, eligible players and guided by a balance between principles of competitive advantage and inclusion. Whether B. I. Little League fields one or two teams at this level will depend upon numbers of eligible players. It is intended that the fielded team(s) have a good opportunity to advance in the District and State Tournaments while accommodating the greatest number of players possible. If only one All-Star team is fielded at this level of competition then the team will carry a minimum of twelve (12) players. If more than one team is fielded then teams may carry a minimum of ten(10) to eleven (11) players subject to waiver from district. If multiple teams are fielded then BILL will attempt to have each team carry the same roster size as the other if possible. Minimum roster size notwithstanding and to further the principle of inclusion, BILL endorses Little League International’s suggestion that teams at this level of play consider the maximum roster size of fourteen (14).

8-10 year-olds (known locally as 10u): This level of competition also provides for advancement in District and State Tournaments. The selection of All-Star players at this level will be guided by the number of registered, eligible players and a balance between principles of competitive advantage and inclusion. Whether B. I. Little League fields one or two teams at this level will depend upon numbers of eligible players. This level will likely feature players from AAA, with some Majors players. In keeping with BILL’s goal to allow as many players as possible to experience post-season play, the League will strive to field at least one, with possibly two, 10/9/8 year-old teams. To further the principle of inclusion, BILL endorses Little League International’s suggestion that teams at this level of play include the maximum roster size of fourteen (14) while establishing a minimum roster size of twelve (12). If two teams are fielded then BILL will attempt to have each team carry the same roster size as the other if possible, though in the case of 2 teams it is likely that an “A” and “B” squad will need to be assembled (with the “B” squad being more developmentally focused).

Managers:

All-Star Managers assume a great responsibility over the children selected as All-Stars and they carry the obligation to represent the community of Bainbridge Island and the organization of Bainbridge Island Little League with utmost professionalism during District, State, Regional, National and International Tournaments. Sportsmanship, ability to create a positive experience for players and knowledge of the game of baseball shall be highly valued in the selection of All-Star Managers.

The All-Star Manager for each team must currently be a Manager or Coach within the Majors or Minors Divisions. Only regular season managers or coaches at the Majors Division level may apply for All-Star Manager of the Majors All-Star 12u  team. Regular season managers and coaches at the Majors and Minor Division levels may apply as All-Star Manager of the 9-11 and the 8-10  All-Star teams.

All-Star Manager Commitment Letter – Regular season managers and coaches interested in managing an All- Star team must complete, sign and submit an “All-Star Manager Commitment Letter”. Dedicating him or herself to the same standard required of All-Star players.

The All-Star Committee will consider all of the Managers and coaches and vote to make recommendations of All-Star Managers that are then presented to the BILL Board President for appointment and, if appointed, for the approval of the BILL Board.

Managers named to the All-Star teams shall choose their own All-Star Coaches pending appointment by the BILL Board President and, if appointed, approval of the BILL Board. All-Star Coaches must be selected from among regular-season Managers and Coaches at the Majors and Minors Divisions of Bainbridge Island Little League. All-Star Managers are required to attend the District Tournament meeting.

Player Eligibility:

To be eligible for All Stars, players must meet Little League International Tournament Eligibility requirements.

Players must complete and sign, along with his/her legal guardians, and submit an All-Star Player Commitment Letter. Any player in the Majors, AAA and AA Divisions meeting the above requirements may nominate him/herself for consideration to be an All-Star via All-Star registration.

If a player and/or his parents know for a fact that they will either miss practice days or any tournament games due to vacation or other summer commitments, for example, they should consider themselves ineligible for All-Stars participation unless arrangements can be made. If a player makes him or herself available, is selected for All-Stars but misses more than a few  practices or tournament games, the player may be replaced with an alternate player at the discretion of the All-Star Committee with the approval of the BILL Board President. All-Star Managers have an affirmative obligation to advise the All-Star Committee if any player has missed more than two days of practice or is planning to miss any tournament dates. The All-Star Manager never has the authority to make eligibility decisions and must, in all events, consult the All-Star Committee if s/he has any questions concerning eligibility of a specific player.

Player Selection

All-Star player selection shall be governed by five distinct groups:

1.            Players

2.            Team Managers

3.            Team Coaches

4.            League Officers

In all instances, only those children who have completed an All-Star Player Commitment Letter shall be considered for final selection. The developing list of All-Star candidates submitting an All-Star Player Commitment Letter shall be reviewed by the Player Agent(s), the Umpire-in-Chief and the Vice President of Baseball for obvious omissions.

The Player Agent(s) will communicate with the families of such omitted players to confirm their intention to not have their child be eligible for All-Star selection. In the event that a potential All-Star player is identified by his or her peers as an All-Star Candidate but for whom there is no All-Star Player Commitment Letter on file with the League, the Player Agent(s) will contact the family of that player to determine the status of the player’s interest in submitting an All-Star Player Commitment Letter.

Player Selection Process

NOMINATIONS: Current BILL practice is to nominate all eligible BILL players for consideration for All-Stars if they have completed their commitment letters prior to selection.

SELECTIONS: All-Star Team Selection will be presided over by the Player Agent(s), the Vice President of Baseball, and with the assistance of the All-Star Committee. Other League Officers or Volunteer Umpires may be called upon for input and to assist if necessary. It is recommended that if a Player Agent or Vice President has a child eligible for All Stars, then those persons should not participate in the All-Star selection process to avoid any perceived conflicts of interest. This determination shall be made on an individual basis with each year’s board. In any event, if a Player Agent or Vice President has a child eligible for selection to an All-Star team being discussed, s/he will abstain from involvement while that team is selected. If the Players Agent(s) and Vice President are all similarly constrained then the Coach’s Coordinator shall preside over team selection. Any irresolvable issue will be decided upon by the Bainbridge Island Little League President. His or her judgment on the issue shall be final. All Divisions of play are required to follow the All-Star nomination and selection process. 

Announcement of All-Star Teams: The release of names of players selected for All-Star teams shall not be made until the availability and eligibility of all prospective team members has been established, and at an agreed upon date by the Player Agent and VP of Baseball.

Majors (12u) All-Star Team Selection

·        Upon commencement of the All-Star Team Selection meeting, the slate eligible players shall be announced by the presiding officer.  Typically, 1-2 spots on the Majors All-Star roster (12u) will be voted on by the majors players prior to the end of the season.  These roster spots will be penciled in at the beginning of the selection meeting.

·        Majors Managers shall then subsequently cast their votes to confirm selection of (typically) the remaining roster spots except for the last 2 positions, depending on roster size. Managers may vote electronically or via paper ballot. They shall submit their ballots to the presiding member of the All-Star Committee. Once all votes are submitted, the presiding officer shall announce the number of votes each player has received.

·        The 12/11 All-Star Team Manager shall then have the option to place one or two of the remaining eligible All-Star candidates onto the All-Star team roster final slots.

9-11 (11u) Team Selection

·        Upon completion of the 12/11 team selection process, the Majors and Minors Division Managers and the 11/10 All-Star Team Manager(s) will cast their votes for the roster, except for the final two positions, which will be selected by the 11u All-Stars Manager.

10/9/8 (10u) Team Selection

·        Upon completion of the 11/10 All-Star Team Selection process, the Majors Managers may excuse themselves, leaving only the Minors Managers and the 10u All-Star Team Manager(s). If the size of the available pool of All-Star candidates at this level permits for the selection of only one team, the All-Star Team Selection Process for the 8-10 year-olds shall proceed similarly as is above detailed for the 9-11 team.

Alternates

Upon completion of team selection, any players not selected will be placed in an alternate pool of players eligible to replace players selected to All-Star teams. In the event the pool or pools of players are large enough to form additional All-Star teams and only one All-Star team has been created in the 11u or 10u age groups, then these players  may have the option of forming their own tournament teams if volunteers are available to Manage and coach the teams. If available players exceed allowable roster size the selection procedures above will be utilized for the corresponding division.

Reconciliation

If an outcome of the All-Star Rules and Regulations procedures does not seem to be yielding the desired result BILL will enable the All-Star Committee to immediately reconcile the situation pending approval of the Board of Directors, even if it means not following these procedures. This is intended to correct catastrophic outcomes like having an ineligible manager or coach lead teams, an ineligible/injured player selected to a team, or a situation where BILL will not be able to field a team or something of similar magnitude. The All-Star Committee can also approve changes deemed necessary in order to ensure a fair process and a competitive team. Per the BILL codes of conduct a zero-tolerance policy is in effect. Managers, Volunteers, Parents, Players and Coaches may refer improper conduct to the board of directors.