MATTHEWS PARK ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION, INC. BY-LAWS (Last revised on 01/16/09) ARTICLE I: GENERAL

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1 Matthews Park Athletic Association By-Laws MATTHEWS PARK ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION, INC. BY-LAWS (Last revised on 01/16/09) ARTICLE I: GENERAL A. The Matthews Park Athletic Association (MPAA) Youth Baseball and Babe Ruth Baseball League is an incorporated association affiliated with Babe Ruth League, Inc. Ages 12 and under will fall under the Cal Ripken Division of the Babe Ruth League organization. MPAA is a nonprofit corporation organized for the promotion of youth athletic programs. Whether to remain affiliated with Babe Ruth League, Inc or any other organization is a matter left to the discretion of the MPAA Board of Directors. B. It is the policy of the MPAA to promote the development of strong character, a right attitude, and a sense of responsibility and citizenship in youngsters, using the game of baseball as a vehicle. It is the purpose of the MPAA to achieve this goal through fair play, good sportsmanship, and congenial fellowship, with adult leaders providing the example. It is the overriding objective of the Association to encourage participation and fair competition. Team coaches are required to abide by this policy statement, and all parents and other adults are strongly encouraged to do so. C. In matters of local league play, and all matters involving the operations of the Association, the final authority in regards to interpretation of these By-laws shall rest with the Board of Directors. For good cause, the Board may waive, alter, or amend, any provision of these By-laws as they may apply to any particular situation, without affecting their enforceability. D. These By-laws may only be amended by the affirmative vote of a majority of the entire Board of Directors, provisions for a quorum notwithstanding. ARTICLE II: BOARD OF DIRECTORS A. The Board of Directors shall consist of a minimum of 14 members elected for three year terms. The term of office shall begin on August 1 following the election and continue until a successor is qualified to serve. The terms of the members shall be staggered so the one-third of the Board is elected each year. Board members shall be elected at an annual election held during each spring season. The election of the Board members shall be conducted in a manner approved by the Board. Nominations for Board positions shall be solicited from the parents of participants at the park, and the parents of said participants in the spring season shall be eligible to vote. B. Any vacancy of any Board member shall be filled by appointment of the Board of Directors. The appointed member shall serve for the remainder of the unexpired term of such vacant position. C. All league powers shall be exercised under the authority of the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors shall have authority to counsel, reprimand, suspend, and/or dismiss any coach, or other person who claims to be affiliated in any way with MPAA, whose actions are considered to be detrimental to the best interest of the league. Each Board member is charged with the responsibility to enforce the By-laws in all association activities. However, no individual Board member is vested with any authority because of his status as a Board member. Matthews Park Athletic Association PO Box Mobile, AL Page 1 of 13

2 D. Any board member missing three scheduled meeting in any year shall be considered for dismissal. Dismissal may occur upon a majority vote for all Board members. E. The Board shall meet at regularly appointed times to conduct the affairs of the Association. For all business, except when a majority vote of all of the Board is specifically required herein, a majority of the Board shall constitute a quorum to conduct business. Any matter brought before the Board may be decided upon the majority vote of the members present at said meeting where a quorum exists. F. Board meetings may be called by the President or the Chairman, and shall be called when either receives a request to call a meeting by three (3) or more Board members. ARTICLE III: OFFICERS All officers of the Association shall serve one (1) year terms, commencing on August 1, and continuing until July 30 of the following year. A. PRESIDENT: The President shall be the principle executive officer of the league and make decisions necessary for the orderly operation of the league, subject to the authority of the Board. The President shall have the authority to implement the decisions of the Board of Directors on all of the business and affairs of the league. The President shall be an ex-officio member of the Board of Directors and attend all Board meetings. The President shall make reports to the Board of Directors and, in general, perform all duties associated with the office of President. The President shall be elected by the Board. B. VICE-PRESIDENT: The Vice-President shall handle all duties of the president in the president s absence. He/She shall be appointed by the President and approved by the BOD. C. TREASURER/SECRETARY: It is the Treasurer s responsibility to maintain custody of all money and securities of the MPAA. In this capacity, the treasurer shall sign all checks issued by the MPAA, keep regular books of account, and perform all such other duties incident to this office. The treasurer shall insure that the MPAA organization tax exempt status is maintained with the proper authorities. A treasurer shall present a cash flow report at each regular board meeting. The Treasurer shall be selected by the President with the approval of the Board of Directors. D. EQUIPMENT MANAGER: An Equipment Manager shall be appointed by the Board of Directors to manage and maintain the league s playing equipment. The Board of Directors shall outline the duties and responsibilities of the Equipment Manager and provide reasonable authority of proper management of the equipment. The Equipment Manager shall be responsible for collection and inventory of each team s equipment at the end of the regular season. The Equipment Manager shall present to the Board of Directors equipment requirements as necessary prior to each spring season. Page 2 of 13

3 E. COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN: The Board may create one or more committees to assist in the operation of the league and the Park. Chairman of those committees shall be appointed by the Board and may be filled by members of the Board, or non-members, in the discretion of the Board. Said Committee Chairman shall serve at the pleasure of the Board. F. COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR: The Communications Director s prime responsibility will be to maintain the Official MPAA Web Site and to make sure all necessary information is properly distributed to all Board Members and Coaches. ARTICLE IV: FINANCE A. All league revenues shall be deposited directly into the league treasury. A concession stand account may be maintained separate and apart from the league accounts with the consent of the Treasurer. B. Player registration fee amounts will be set by the Board of Directors for each division. All fees will be due before the first game date, or arrangements made with the Treasurer for payment. Any waiver of registration fees must be approved by the Board. No participant shall be eligible for all-stars if the participant, or any member of the participant s immediate family, is in arrears for any registration fee. C. All equipment and material purchased by the MPAA shall remain its property until otherwise disposed of the by the Board of Directors. D. Any proposed purchase of non-concession stand items exceeding $ must be submitted for Board approval. Neither the MPAA nor its officers are responsible for unauthorized debt incurred by other parties associated or not associated with the league. ARTICLE V: MANAGERS AND COACHES A. The Board of Directors will approve all Managers and Assistant Coaches of the MPAA teams. The Board has the authority to require such background checks as it deems appropriate, and to approve or disapprove any person based on its sole discretion. B. Each manager and coach must submit a completed Matthews Park Athletic Association application prior to each season to be allowed to coach at Matthews Park. C. Each manager and coach must complete and maintain his/her Babe Ruth League/Ripken Baseball Coaching Certification Program. The certificate is presently advertised as lifetime certification, but is subject to change. Submission of a certificate of completion is required prior to the start of the every season. MPAA will not maintain records of coach s certifications from year to year. Certification classes can be found at this location MPAA will reimburse up to three coaches per team upon submission of a certificate of completion. Page 3 of 13

4 D. Each manager is required to secure a sponsor for his/her team. E. Each manager and coach is required to participate in scheduled work parties. F. When filling Manager vacancies, this order of priority shall be followed: (The BOD s has the right to deviate from this process at its discretion, it will require a majority BOD vote to do so.) a. A returning Manager has first option for his/her returning team; b. The returning first assistant coach has the next option, c. If vacancies are still available at this point, the Board will assign coaches to fill positions. G. Managers shall solve any team conflicts that may arise. If a problem cannot be resolved by the Manager, he/she shall consult the Player Agent of the age division for resolution. If needed, the Player Agent shall present problems to the President for guidance and if necessary go before the Board. H. Each manager will select a Team Mother and report the name to the Player Agent at least two weeks before the season begins. I. Each manager is responsible for the Team Mother s participation in Matthew s Park Athletic Association s programs and functions to include fundraisers. J. Practices are limited to four per week prior to Opening Day. T-Ball and Peanut will be allowed two per week after Opening Day, while Minor and Major Divisions will be allowed three practices per week after Opening Day. The maximum practice time is one hour and thirty minutes. K. The manager must remain after practice until all children are picked up. L. Each manager is responsible for the conduct of the coaches, team players and parents during game time. M. All managers and coaches of Matthews Park Athletic Association must conduct themselves in a manner so as to set an example for the players and their parents. a. No alcoholic beverages are allowed at Matthews Park or at any practices or games. b. No profanity is allowed at practices or games. c. No smoking or use of any tobacco products is allowed during games or practices. Violators will lose all coaching privileges until appearing before the Board of Directors. N. Although Babe Ruth/Cal Ripkin approved bats are not required, any bat used must be of like size and proportion. (Big Barrel bats are allowed in the Major division only) O. Each manager is responsible for returning his/her equipment to the equipment manager immediately after his/her team s season is over. P. When disciplinary action is taken before or during a game to bench a player for all or part of a game, the manager must submit a written report to the Player Agent explaining the discipline and why it was taken, prior to the next scheduled game. A report is not required where subject player met minimum play requirements. Page 4 of 13

5 Q. All members of each team must be listed on the lineup card, and then the manager must designate non-players as either: A if absent (with reason if known), I for illness, D for disciplinary action. R. The responsibilities for both teams regarding the playing field: a. Raking the field after each game. b. Cleaning respective dugouts after each game. c. Making sure bleachers are clean. d. Removing all bases, removing flag, locking all gates and equipment rooms, turning off scoreboards, and turning off lights after last game. e. Both managers of the last game of the night, Minor and Major, will stay at the park in the concession stand area until all money in counted and the concession stand is locked. f. Returning the water cooler to the concession stand after the last game. S. Duty Officer: a. All managers will be responsible to carry out Duty Officer duties. If a manager cannot fulfill his duty as duty officer, he must find an approved replacement. Another team s manager from the same division as yourself is an approved replacement. Any other replacements must be approved by that division s Player Agent. b. As Duty Officer the assigned manager is responsible for setting the start time of the game. The duty officer for the T-Ball, Peanut, Minor and Major league fields will serve as the official time & score keeper. c. A Duty Officer shall never get involved in a game unless asked to by the Umpire or one of the two team Managers except for the following: a) Time clock issues of any kind. b) Run limit for a particular team has been reached. d. If a manager fails to fulfill his responsibility as Duty officer or does not have another manager or approved coach cover his assigned duty then his team will forfeit its next scheduled game. The game will be played! If two managers swap weeks then that divisions player agent must be notified of the change so the proper manager can be held accountable. There will be a one game per infraction penalty. T. If a manager or coach is ejected from a game, he must leave the line of sight of the playing area immediately. The Duty Officer is asked to provide a written report summarizing the incident to the President within 24 hours. Penalty: The ejected manager/coach will be suspended for his/her team s next game. Two ejections in a single season (Opening Day through the last all star game) will constitute a mandatory 1-year (calendar) suspension from coaching. U. If the BOD finds any act of a manager or coach unethical which gave a team an unfair advantage in any way, the person(s) involved will be removed from holding any and all positions within the MPAA organization for a period of up to 12 months from the date of the BOD hearing. V. One person shall not be allowed to be a manager of more than 2 teams within a single season. W. For selection of Managers of the All Star teams see ARTICLE VII: ALL-STARS. Page 5 of 13

6 ARTICLE VI: DRAFT FOR ALL DIVISION TEAMS A. The number of teams that each division will have will be decided after registration is closed and prior to the Draft. The Player s Agent will take the number of players registered for that division and divide by 11 and round down to the nearest number. Using this process will keep all teams between 11 and 12 players. 13 or more players to a team are discouraged and should be avoided if at all possible. B. T-Ball teams shall be selected as follows: a. All team selection proceedings will be presided over by the Player Agent for that division. b. Each team may have up to two representatives present at the proceeding, but only one representative will be allowed to participate in the proceedings. c. Each team shall be afforded three (3) option players, selected by the Manager with the written approval of the player s parent/guardian, in lieu of the 1 st, 2 nd and 3 rd round selections. The written approval must be submitted to the Player s Agent Prior to the start of the Draft. d. New Players will be assigned to teams by the Player Agent for that division. This process will be by hat draw process. C. For the remaining divisions the following procedures will be followed for draft selection: a. All Draft proceedings will be presided over by the Player Agent for that division. b. Each team may have up to two representatives present at the Draft, but only one representative will be allowed to participate in the Draft proceedings. c. Each team shall be afforded three (3) option players, selected by the Manager with the written approval of the player s parent/guardian, in lieu of the 1 st, 2 nd and 3 rd round selections. The written approval must be submitted to the Player s Agent Prior to the start of the Draft. d. All players, excluding option players, must participate in one of two try-outs in order to be ranked for the Draft. All remaining players not participating in the try-outs will be selected at the end of the draft at random using a hat draw. e. The draft order will be selected at random using a hat draw. The first round of the draft will go in order from bottom to top; the 2 nd round will be top to bottom; 3 rd round bottom to top, and so on. (In doing this, the selection in the 4 th round will be from top to bottom, giving the manager that drew the lowest number the first pick from the draft pool.) f. The 1 st 2 nd and 3 rd round of the draft will be filled in with Option Players. Any team that does not have an option player to fill in these slots will make a selection from the draft pool when it is their turn to select as described above. The draft pool does not include hat draw players. g. All players will be ranked from 1 (best) through 5 (needs improvement) through the tryout process. D. Option players: a. Can be any child eligible to play in that division. Page 6 of 13

7 b. A signed and dated consent form must be presented to the player agent prior to the start of the draft. Player agents will sort out any option player discrepancies prior to the start of the draft. Failure to have the consent form will make that player eligible for the draft. If that player did not participate in the try-outs and all coaches agree on his ability, he/she will be given the highest try-out rating and placed in the draft pool making him/her eligible for any coach to select. c. The children of a manager will fill in ONE of his option slots only. All other siblings of the option player will fill in the slots of the draft starting in the 7 th round (this includes the three rounds of Options). (If all coaches agree, a lower slot than the 7 th round may be used depending on the child s ability. The child must participate in the try-outs for alternate consideration) d. Siblings of any option players or players selected in the draft process (including the coach s children as stated above) will start to fill in slots starting in the 7 th round, never a higher slot. (Example: If all three option players have a brother that also plays, those brothers will fill in the 7 th, 8 th & 9 th round of the draft. Meaning the Manager will have the first 3 rounds filled in by the option players, will pick from the draft pool for the 4 th, 5 th and 6 th round and will have the 7 th, 8 th & 9 th rounds filled by the siblings. He will not make another pick until the 10 th round.) e. Hat Draw: All players that did not fulfill the try-out process requirements will be placed in a hat to be selected at random. Any child that is an exceptional player and all coaches agree, can be ranked and placed in the draft pool prior to the start of the draft. This is to help keep all teams even and competitive. a) Hat draw players will be randomly selected by the managers starting at the next team that was in line to select when the draft pool ran out. b) This will happen until all teams have an even number of players and there are less player left in the hat then teams (Example: There are 6 teams in the draft. The draft is in the middle of the 10 th round and the draft pool runs out. The hat draw starts with the next team that was to select from the draft pool until all teams have 10 players. If there are more than 6 players in the hat, then the hat draw continues for one more round with the next team to select. When all teams have 11 players, the remaining hat draw players are now down to less than 6 in the hat. The player agent will now place blank papers in the hat to make a total of 6 hat pulls, some of which are now blank. Each coach then draws one more time. Some coaches will not get a player in this round. However, everyone had a chance at every player in the hat. This is the fairest way to do it.) E. The draft rules may be amended, by the Board of Directors, at any time prior to the draft. F. Late Sign up: a. The late registration timetable must be set-up and advertised by the BOD prior to the draft date. b. Players will be allowed to sign up for a predetermined time following the regular registration process. c. Late registrants will only be used to fill in open slots, we will not make new teams with late registrants. This would defeat the purpose in the draft. d. Players will not be placed on teams until late registration is over. Page 7 of 13

8 e. Teams will receive players in a hat draw random process from the late registration pool until their team is full. Managers will be told when this draw will happen and are encouraged to participate, but are not required to be present nor participate. f. No team will ever be forced to have more than 12 players. g. When all teams are filled and there are still players in the late registration pool, the remaining players will be refunded their money. Again, no team will ever be forced to have more than 12 players. ARTICLE VII: PLAY-OFFS A. Each division will have a play off at the end of the season to determine the park champion for that division. B. The play-offs will be a 5 game tournament between the regular season 1 st, 2 nd & 3 rd place teams in each division. These tournaments will be as follows: a. All seeding games will take place on the Saturday following the last game of the season (unless posted differently by the BOD). If the seeding day is a rain-out and cannot be finished the next day (one additional day only, excluding Sundays). Any seed games played will not be considered and the seeding will be based on the regular season s results. b. Guidelines: a) Seeding Games: i. Seeding games will be on a Saturday. ii. Each team will play the other 2 teams to be seeded. iii. After the seeding bracket is drawn up, the highest ranking team from regular season will get first choice of bracket position. The second highest will pick second and the remaining slot goes to third. iv. The highest ranking team from the regular season will be the home team in each game. v. Games will be: 5 innings for T-Ball 6 innings for Rookie, Minor & Major vi. Games time will be: 75 minute time limit for T-ball & Rookie 90 minute time limit for Minor & Major vii. Games will be allowed to end in a tie. viii. Seeding will be determined as follows: Heads-up record Runs Allowed in all seeding games Runs Scored in all seeding games Ranking at the end of the regular season b) Championship Bracket: i. Seed 2 will play Seed 3 on Monday (Seed 2 is the Home team) ii. Winner of the Seed 2 and 3 game will play Seed 1 on Tuesday for the championship (Seed 1 is the Home team) iii. Games will be: Page 8 of 13

9 c. Playoff Pitching Rules: 5 innings for T-Ball 6 innings for Rookie, Minor & Major iv. No time limit v. No ties a) Based on Babe Ruth Tournament Regulations (11.05, 4 & 5) b) One live pitch equates to one whole inning. Warm up pitches do not count. c) All pitchers start the play-offs with zero innings pitched regardless of what happened in regular season play. (which may have been just the night before) d) A pitcher may never pitch more than 6 inning in two consecutive games. e) For more information refer to Babe Ruth Tournament Regulations (11.05, 4 & 5) d. All other park rules apply that were not overridden in the above statements. C. The regular season 1 st, 2 nd & 3 rd place teams will be decided using a point system where each team will receive 2 points for a win, 1 point for a tie and 0 points for a loss. D. If at the end of the regular season there is a tie for 1 st, 2 nd & 3 rd place according to the point system. 1 st place will be determined first, then 2 nd place, then 3 rd in the following manner based on the games between the teams involved in the tie only: a. Heads-up record b. Runs Allowed c. If still tied, will be determined by a coin toss overseen by the park president and the player agent with the two managers present. One toss determines all. E. There will be no guidelines to break ties for places other than 1 st, 2 nd and 3 rd place. ARTICLE VIII: ALL-STARS A. Each division will submit two 12-Player All-Star teams for competition. The All-Star teams shall be as follows: a. 5 & Under (T-Ball Division) b. 6 & Under (T-Ball Division) c. 7 & Under (Peanut or Rookie Division) d. 8 & Under (Peanut or Rookie Division) e. 9 & Under (Minor Division) f. 10 & Under (Minor Division) g. 11 & Under (Major Division) h. 12 & Under (Major Division) B. Each Team Manager will be provided the All-Star information which will include tournament dates, money required etc. The Manager will be asked to cover this information with all player Page 9 of 13

10 parents and have the parents sign a provided form and mark whether that their child should be considered for the All-Star team prior to attending the all-star selection. C. In each division, the All-Star teams will be chosen as follows: a. All-Star Selection will be a closed door event attended only by the people as outlined below. b. All-Star Selection dates and times will be scheduled by the Board of Directors. c. Participants: a) The All-Star Selection shall be presided over by the Player s Agent for that particular Division. b) The Board of Directors shall appoint one Board Member to be present at each All-Star selection. His sole duty is to verify that the procedures followed are within the guidelines of the park By-Laws. He should not interfere with the proceedings unless required to interpret the By-Laws. (This Board Member should not have any vested interest in the particular division s All-Star selection he attends) c) Each team for that particular Division shall submit one, and only one, representative to be present for All-Star selection. This representative will be selected by the team Manager. d. Divisions will select the youngest age group first. All players declared to be in that division after the younger age group is selected are eligible for the older age group. e. Actual Selection will be as follows: a) Each Coach will submit 12 names for the age group that is being voted on that he feels should be on that All-Star Team. b) The Player Agent will count all of the votes that each player received. c) The players with the most votes will be given a spot on the All-Star team. d) If the case arises where multiple players receive an equal amount of votes and there are not enough position remaining for these players, the following will take place: i. The team representatives will vote again on all players receiving votes that have not yet secured a place on the team. ii. Each team representative will get one vote per unfilled position in each round. iii. This process will continue until the positions are filled. (Remember: The player does not have to get a MAJORITY vote, just more votes than anyone else.) iv. Only players that receive votes in the preceding round will be eligible for votes in the next round. v. If an agreement cannot be reached between the Team Representatives and the remaining positions cannot be filled, the players tied with the most votes in the last round will be placed in a hat by the Player Agent and drawn out in a random process by the Representing Board Member. Once this process starts the teams will be selected and will be final. Page 10 of 13

11 D. All-Star Team Managers & Coaches will be decided as follows: a. The following order shall be used to decide the Managers of the All-Star teams in each division: a) Manager of the 1 st Place team b) Manager of the 2 nd Place team c) Manager of the 1 st Place team shall select someone from his staff d) Manager of the 2 nd Place team shall select someone from his staff e) Manager of the 3 rd Place team f) Manager of the 3 rd Place team shall select someone from his staff g) Board of Directors will select someone b. The first person on the provided list that chooses to be a Manager shall pick between either, but not both, of the All-Star teams for that division. The remaining All-Star team will fall to the next person on the list that wants the responsibility. c. The Manager of each All-Star Team will select his own assistant coaching staff. ARTICLE IX: LEAGUE PLAY A. The local rules for play of each Division shall be determined by the Board. A copy of the current rules are attached hereto and thereby incorporated herein. B. Rained out games: a. Will be canceled by the Umpire in charge or Park President and rescheduled by the Player Agent or Park President (if required, see below). The status of any games that were in progress when the rain out started will be determined by Babe Ruth official rules. b. Teams should expect to play the rescheduled games in the next open slot that is at least 36 hours past the original start time of the rained out game. Open slots include any day of the week except Sunday and public school recognized holidays. The Park President will determine the next available day based on game schedule, umpire availability and other rainout games to be replayed. For Minors and Majors, no team will be forced to play more than 3 games in a pitching week due to pitching constraints. C. For local league play, the player participation rule shall require each player to play a minimum of 6 outs on defense and the player shall participate before the end of the third inning. This rule only applies to games that are played to regulation length and are not shortened due to a time limit. D. The local league option is for each coach to have free substitution on defense during all regulation season games. E. If any team does not have enough players to field nine players, the team may pick-up a one (1) substitute player. (If a team has nine, they are not allowed to pick up a player to make 10.) This player must be registered in the same or lower age division, only play outfield positions, and must appear at the end of the batting line-up. Teams in any division will be allowed to play with 9 players. A team with eight players or less (including one pick-up player) at official game start time will result in forfeiture. Pick-up players are not allowed in championship games. Page 11 of 13

12 F. For All-Star play it is the expectation of the Board that each player shall play defense a minimum of three outs in each game played. ARTICLE X: MISCELLANEOUS A. Any coach or player who uses vulgar or abusive language will be subject to suspension. The suspension will last until the offending person appears before the Board of Directors. A parent or guardian must appear with a player. B. A parent or spectator using vulgar or abusive words toward a player, coach, umpire, or league official will be asked to refrain from using such words, and if it continues the person will be asked to leave the park. C. No player will wear any jewelry of any kind during games. If a player refuses to remove his/her jewelry, he/she will not be allowed to play. It is a safety issue that must be enforced by the coaches. Medical ID bracelets and necklaces are exempt from this requirement. D. Players can petition the BOD to play down for safety reasons only. a. If a player that is allowed to play down cannot be used as an option player. This player will be placed in the hat at the end of the draft and chosen randomly. b. Players who play down cannot participate in all-stars in any division for any reason for that season. E. Players can play up at their own discretion. a. These players are required to attend a try-out to prove that they are capable of playing in the higher division. If the player does not attend a try-out, the player will not be allowed to move up without the approval of the BOD. b. Player who play-up cannot play back down once they have participated in one regular season game. F. Player ejected from a game: Any player ejected by the umpire from a league game within a single season (including All-Stars) will have the following penalty(s): a. 1st offense sit out the next game. Player is not allowed to come watch his team play the next game. b. 2nd offense - Miss the next 2 games. Player is not allowed to come watch his team play the next two games. c. 3rd offense Rest of Season Suspension including Post-Season play. Appeals: The parents or coach of the player in question has 24 hours from the game start time to appeal the ejection(s) to the player agent of that league. The player agent will then hear from the coach, witnesses, duty officer and the umpires involved. A decision must be made prior to the start of the next game. If the player agent sees significant justification for the ejection, the ejection will stand and no further appeals are available to the player. If the Player Agent is unable to come to a conclusion concerning the ejection and appeal before the start of the next game, then he may contact the Board of Directors for a meeting on the subject. When the Board of Directors is asked to step in the player will be allowed to play until a ruling is made. At that Page 12 of 13

13 meeting, all witnesses, umpires, and coaches will be given the opportunity to state their case if deemed necessary, and the Board of Directors will decide the outcome of the appeal. This outcome will be final and take effect immediately. The player agents have the authority to overturn a suspension with due cause. The player agent must, at a minimum, contact the umpire and the duty officer prior to making his decision. This final decision should be based on the severity of the actions of the ejected player alone. This authority should only be used if there is evidence that the umpire was unjustified or unnecessarily hasty in the ejection of a player. At any time after receiving the appeal, the player agent may consult the Board of Directors or Park President to discuss individually or as a group the situation to try to resolve the issue quickly. Neither the Park President nor the Board of Directors is allowed to overturn or overrule a decision made by the Player Agent with regard to player ejections. These decisions are placed with the Player Agent because he is an advocate for all of the players in their respective leagues. They are encouraged to look out for the best interest of the players, even if that is a punishment that results from a proper ejection. G. Metal cleats: Metal Cleats are not to be worn on the playing field by players or coaches. If a player/coach is suspected to have metal cleats, the opposing coach should ask the umpire check. If the umpire determines the player/coach has steel cleats on, that player/coach will be asked to leave the playing field, including dugout area, immediately and may not return to that game. If the infraction happens twice, the player/coach must present his/her case to the BOD s prior to participating in another game. H. No one is allowed on the playing field, including the dugout area, that is not a registered player, approved Coach or an umpire. (This rule will only be enforced by the BOD s, not the umpires or the duty officer) Coaches that do not have coaches applications turned in and have not submitted their Babe Ruth League/Ripken Baseball Coaching Certification are NOT considered approved coaches. This is a MPAA BOD rule to be dealt with at its discretion. Infractions of this rule will not be used to determine the outcome of a game for any reason. Page 13 of 13