1.

STATEMENT OF PURPOSE

The object of the Niagara Regional Ladies Slo-Pitch League is to provide ladies slo-pitch teams with the opportunity to participate in friendly competition. The League may provide divisions so that teams with similar levels of skill can compete with each other.

2.

DEFINITIONS

(i)

In this constitution the Niagara Regional Ladies Slo-Pitch League shall be known as "THE LEAGUE"

(ii)

A "Member" is:

a) any person listed on the official team roster as a player, coach or manager

b) the holder of a franchise in the league.

(iii)

A "Voting Member" is the voting representative from each team as designated in writing by the franchise holder.

(iv)

3.

LEAGUE MANAGEMENT

(i)

A governing council comprised of the League Executive and the voting member of each team shall manage the affairs of THE LEAGUE.

(ii)

4.

LEAGUE EXECUTIVE

i) President

iv) Treasurer

ii) Vice President

v) Convenor

iii) Secretary

vi) League Statistician

5.

QUALIFICATIONS & ELECTION OF LEAGUE EXECUTIVE

(i)

The President, Vice-President, Secretary and Treasurer shall be elected at the Annual meeting, each year. These individuals shall form the Executive Council. No one individual can hold two elected positions simultaneously. (Am 1997)

(ii)

The Convenor and League Statistician shall be appointed by the elected Executive pending approval of the Governing Council. If more than one individual has expressed interest in one of the appointed positions, this can be determined by an election at the Annual Meeting following the election of the League Executive members.

(Am 1997)

(iii)

The Executive Committee shall consist of the Executive Council, Convenor and Statistician.

(iv)

6.

DUTIES OF THE EXECUTIVE

(i)

The League Executive shall be charged with the general management and day-to-day operation of the league.

(ii)

PRESIDENT The President shall:

a) preside at all meetings of the Executive and Governing Council.

b) be registered as signing authority for league finances.

c) notify the secretary of the time, date and place of all meetings.

d) provide an agenda for all meetings.

e) maintain all league records and files.

f) answer and maintain all league correspondence as directed by the League Executive.

g) Notify all voting members of the time, date and place of all meetings.

(Am 2006)

(iii)

VICE PRESIDENT The Vice-President shall:

a) perform the duties of President if the President is absent or unable to act.

b) succeed to the office of President in the event that the office becomes vacant.

c) ensure that there is a quorum at all meetings.

d) be responsible to oversee the selection of an all-star committee and make necessary arrangements for all-star competition.

e) be registered as signing authority for league finances.

(iv)

SECRETARY The Secretary shall:

a) keep minutes of all meetings and provide copies to teams at the following meeting.

(Am 2006)

(v)

TREASURER The Treasurer shall:

a) be responsible for all banking, financial accounts and statements, bookkeeping and custody of all League monies.

b) provide a printed income and expense statement.

c) provide a copy of all bank statements, books, receipts and all other documents relating to League finances to the Chairperson of the Audit Committee on or before Dec 1st each year.

d) provide a copy of an audited financial statement to each voting member, signed by her/himself and the three voting members who did the audit.

e) be registered as signing authority for League finances.  

(vi)

CONVENOR The Convenor shall:

a) draw up the regular season and playoff schedule.

b) arrange parks for league play.

c) ensure league schedule is completed.

d) book umpires for all games.

(Am 2006)

(vii)

LEAGUE STATISTICIAN The League Statistician shall:

a) be furnished with, and maintain, all league statistics

b) provide the local media with league standings by the last day of each month during the season, and play-off results upon their completion.

c) maintain a current register of all league players 

(Am 2006

(viii)

EXECUTIVE COUNCIL DUTIES The League Executive shall:

a) ensure that all league rules are enforced

b) hear and rule on all protests filed according to league rules

d) impose fines and/or suspensions for violations of league rules

e) organize and direct arrangements for any functions, as directed by the governing council.

f) perform any other duties as directed by the governing council.

g) determine dates by which payments under the fees and charges schedule are to be made and incorporate such dates into the Fees and Charges Schedule .

h) any two members of the League Executive, with signing authority, shall constitute signing authority for all league  monies.

i) present an annual budget for the approval of the governing council at the first meeting following the  commencement of league play each year.

(Am 2006)

7.

LEAGUE EXECUTIVE – TERM OF OFFICE

8

LEAGUE EXECUTIVE – VACANCIES

(i)

The Vice President shall assume the office of President where the President cannot complete his / her term.

(ii)

9.

LEAGUE EXECUTIVE – CONFLICT OF INTEREST

10.

MEETINGS

(i)

There shall be a minimum of three (3) meetings annually, two pre-season and the Annual Meeting at which elections shall be held.

(ii)

Other meetings may be called at the discretion of the President, or upon written request of any five (5)members of the governing council

(iii)

All voting members shall be notified of meetings by telephone or email within 72 hours of the date and time of the meeting. (Am 2006)

(iv)

No error or omission in giving such notice shall invalidate or void any actions taken at such a meeting by the governing council.

(v)

Any member may attend any league meeting.

(vi)

A quorum for any league meeting shall consist of any three (3) members of the Executive and two thirds (2/3) of the voting members.

(vii)

Any team not sending a representative to a league meeting shall be fined $10.00.

(viii)

11.

VOTING MEMBERS – HOW DESIGNATED

(i)

The franchise holder may appoint any person on their team roster, to be the voting member for their team, at any league meeting.

(ii)

Any change in the franchise holder shall be provided, in writing to the Secretary at, or prior to, the first pre-season meeting each year.

(iii)

12.

REMUNERATION

(i)

Members of the Executive Committee may be paid an Honorarium at the pleasure of the League. Such amounts to be determined annually at any pre-season meeting.

(ii)

Any expenses incurred on league business, except those mentioned in clause (iii) must be pre-authorized by the League Executive and approved by the President or Vice-President. A completed Expense Claim Form, together with any receipts, shall be submitted to the Treasurer for payment from general League Funds.

(iii)

Any functions shall be paid from the proceeds of those functions. The procedure for claiming expenses shall be the same as in clause (ii).

(iv)

13.

AMENDMENTS TO THE CONSTITUTION

(i)

Amendments to this constitution may be made at any pre-season meeting each year. Any other amendments to the Constitution in reference to rules specific to the league may be proposed in the following manner:

1 - A written letter to the Executive

2 - Executive approval brought to the floor during the current year

3 - A vote by the Governing Council at the following meeting

(ii)

Any proposed amendment must be presented to the meeting in writing with sufficient copies for the governing council.

(iii)

Any such proposed amendment shall be introduced by its nominator and duly seconded.

(iv)

14.

PLAYING RULES AND REGULATIONS

15.

RULES SPECIFIC TO THE LEAGUE

(i)

A maximum SEVENTEEN(17) players may play for each team in a game and all players in uniform. Although recommended that all players be in the batting order for the entire game, player substitution is permitted following SPOA guidelines. Each player must appear in the line-up for at least one turn at bat.

(ii)

There shall be unlimited substitution in the field to the ten player maximum.

(iii)

a) A minimum of EIGHT(8) players may constitute a team and must start the game at this time. The ninth and tenth places in the batting order are not AUTOMATIC OUTS. All players in the initial batting order must be present at the park at the start of the game. (Am 2004)

b) A team starting a game with ten or more players can drop down to as little as eight players without penalty. (Am 2005)

(iv)

Where a team starts a game with EIGHT (8) or NINE(9) players, additional players, upon arrival, may be added to the END of the batting order at any time during the game. Am 2004)

(v)

A player arriving late may enter the game ANY TIME when the team has started the game with 8 to 16 players. Her name must be put at the bottom of the batting order.

(vi)

A player taken out of the game for injury may not re-enter. Her name shall be removed from the batting order without penalty provided 8 players remain in the order. Any player removed from the batting order without notification to the other team prior to the game will be considered an automatic out for the remainder of the game.

(vii)

Each team shall have a grace period of fifteen(15) minutes to field a team before a forfeit is declared. In the event of multiple-headers a grace period is only allowed for the first game. There is no grace period for subsequent games. (Am 2000)

(viii)

The home team shall set out a complete set of bases and supply 2 League approved balls, one new, the other good condition used. (Am 2005)

(ix)

No inning shall start after 1 hour and 10 minutes from the start of a scheduled 1 hour 15 minute game; and no inning shall start subsequent to 5 minutes from the scheduled start of the next game in any other doubleheader, or the 11:00pm curfew.

(Am 2006)

(x)

Following the completion of regularly scheduled game (SEVEN innings) and the score is tied, extra innings shall be played. The game shall be continued from the position of the batting reached in the last inning. The teams shall play until a winner is declared at the end of a complete inning, or until curfew time, whichever comes first. No runner shall start at 2nd base

(xi)

Commencing June 15^th in each season any player(s) not wearing an official team shirt is ineligible to play. The policy for a team shirt is matching tops with the official team logo on it. However, when this is not possible all team members must wear tops of the same colour. (Am2004)

(xii)

When the schedule reads Reds vs. Blues, Blues are the Home team.

(xiii)

There is no mandatory mercy rule. However, the losing team may concede the game without penalty, after completing 5 times at bat in a 7-inning game, or 7 times at bat in a 9-inning game. If the losing team does not concede, the game must be played to completion.

(xiv)

Coaches must comply with the same equipment rules as players while on the field with the exception of jewellery and casts. However, leg casts will not be permitted anywhere on the playing field, including coaches.

(xv)

16.

PLAYER ELIGIBILITY

A player is eligible to play in the league if:

(i)

she is 18 years of age or over and is on the official team roster.

(ii)

she is 16 or over but under 18 years of age, is on the official team roster, and a letter of consent by legal parent or guardian, has been received by any member of the League Executive.

AND:

(iii)

she is not under suspension from the League, Slo-Pitch Ontario or Softball Canada

(iv)

she is in good standing with every team in the League for whom she has played, in terms of money, equipment or team uniform.

(v)

she is not under contract to any other team in the League, or has a written release from any team for whom he had previously signed a contract.

(vi)

A team claiming that a player owes money or equipment to them, must submit their claim to the League in writing. If approved by the league, the player is ineligible to play for any league team until reimbursement is made.. (Am 2006)

17.

TEAM ROSTERS

(i)

A team may sign a maximum twenty-two (22) players.

(ii)

All teams shall submit a preliminary roster to the League Statistician by a date to be set annually by the League Executive.

(iii)

Teams may add players to their roster until they reach their 22-player maximum. After reaching the maximum no other players can be added. The player must be added prior to playing in a game either by phone, email or in person. Deleting players from the roster is not permitted. Exception (iv). (Am 2006)

(iv)

Exception: A player may be deleted from the roster for medical or other reasons if approved by the Executive.

. (Am 2006)

(v)

No roster changes can be made after July 25^th. The Executive Committee can make exceptions in extenuating circumstances. (Am 2006)

18.

COACH AND MANAGER ELIGIBILITY

Any person is eligible to participate as coach or manager if:

(i)

she/he is not under suspension from the League, Slo-Pitch Ontario or Softball Canada

(ii)

she/he is in good standing with every team in the League with whom she/he has been affiliated, in terms of money, equipment or team uniform.

(iii)

19.

DIVISION ALIGNMENTS

(i)

The Executive committee shall assign teams to divisions, at their discretion, utilizing guidelines suggested by Slo-Pitch Ontario, in conjunction with the preliminary rosters.

(ii)

20.

GAME CANCELLATIONS

(i)

Any team wishing to cancel a game, for any reason, except inclement weather shall give a minimum of forty-eight (48) weekday hours notice to:

(a) the other team

(b) the Convenor AND

(c) the Umpire-In-Chief

OR FORFEIT THE GAME (Am 2006)

(ii)

(iii)

(iv)

21.

RESULTS OF GAMES

(i)

The winning team shall be awarded 2 points, the losing team none. A tied game shall result in each team being awarded 1 point.

(ii)

22.

MOST VALUABLE PLAYER (MVP’S)

23.

LEAGUE STANDINGS

(i)

The team with the most points at the end of the regular schedule shall be awarded the Division Championship.

(ii)

In the event of a tie for any position in the division, except first place, the higher position shall be awarded to:

a) the team with the most points in the meetings between the teams or if still tied

b) the team with the most runs in the meetings between the two teams or if still tied

c) the team with the most wins during the season.

(iii)

In the event of a tie for first place still existing after a), b) and c) has been applied, a single no curfew, tie breaking game shall be played to determine the divisional championship.

(iv)

In all other positional ties, a coin toss shall decide who has the higher position for playoffs, and any monetary awards shall be totaled and divided equally between the teams.

(v)

If any circumstance not covered by these rules occurs, the Executive Committee shall determine a suitable solution.

(vi)

24.

LEAGUE PLAY-OFFS

25.

FEES AND CHARGES

(i)

A schedule A schedule of Fees and Charges, " Schedule A " shall be determined annually by the Governing Council and a copy distributed to each Executive and Voting Member.

(ii)

A good performance bond shall be posted with the League by all new teams. Such amount is refundable if the team subsequently drops out of the League but is in good financial standing. The amount of the bond shall be determined annually and is due at the time the team registers with the League.

(iii)

All teams shall pay an annual League Entry Fee that includes Park Fees, Umpire Fees, Trophies, Prize Money, League Registration, SPOA Registration and any other costs that the Governing Council deems appropriate. (Am 2005)

(iv)

The League Entry Fee is payable on dates to be determined annually by the League at any pre-season meeting.

(v)

Any fines assessed by the League shall be paid to the Treasurer prior to, or at, the next scheduled League Meeting.

(vi)

Where the umpire declares a game forfeit, the forfeiting team shall be liable for the total game umpire fee, and fined in accord with the amount specified in "Schedule A". Any team forfeiting three (3) games shall be suspended from league play.

(vii)

Any team that has not paid any of the scheduled League Fees or Charges by the due date shall forfeit their first or next scheduled League game(s) and the provisions of "Schedule A" shall apply.

(viii)

Where a team owes fines that meet or exceed the amount of the GOOD PERFORMANCE BOND, they shall be given seven (7) days notice to pay the total amount owed, or be suspended from League play. The Treasurer shall be responsible for providing notice, in writing, to the designated team representative, of the date when the total amount is due. (Am 2006)

(ix)

All teams will pay a $40 Meeting Bond at the start of the year in compliance with Article #10 (viii) (Am 2005)

26.

PROTESTS

(i)

Protests that arise, other than those dealt with by the umpire during the course of a game, must be filed within forty-eight (48) hours of the games starting time.

(ii)

A protest shall be filed in accordance with the Slo-Pitch Ontario suggested procedure, in writing, and delivered to the Secretary, President or Vice President of the League within the forty-eight (48) hour time limit.

(iii)

27.

LEAGUE FINANCES

(i)

Monies belonging to the League shall be kept on deposit in a bank, or may be invested in such a manner as Council may determine from time to time.

(ii)

The League shall annually appoint an Audit Committee, consisting of a Chairperson and two members, all current members of the League. Such appointments to be made no later than the Annual Meeting each year.

(iii)

28.

EXECUTION OF DOCUMENT

29.

NON-LIABILITY OF PLAYERS

30.

UMPIRES

31.

INELIGIBLE PLAYERS

(i)

Any team found to be using an ineligible player shall:

(a) forfeit any games in which she played

(b) pay a $100 fine to the League before being allowed to play their next game.

(ii)

The coach and manager of such team shall be suspended from participating in the League for the balance of the season.

(iii)

32.

EJECTIONS FROM A GAME

i)

Any member ejected from a game for physically abusing another member or umpire shall be automatically suspended from any further participation in League play until the matter has been brought before the League in the same manner as a protest.

ii)

In this event the Umpire-In-Chief shall participate in the protest procedure as a member of the Executive Committee.

iii)

33.

OTHER DISCIPLINARY ACTION

34.

ANNUAL BANQUET

35.

PRIZE MONEY

Prize money awarded on an annual basis is to be determined by the League no later than June 15th after all team funds have been paid and tournament revenue has been determined. (Am 2006)