EBA 2008 Constitution, By-Laws and General Playing Rules

Member Associations -- Bloordale – Martingrove – Rexdale – Royal York – Weston

Last Updated: March 6, 2007

Table of Contents:

CONSTITUTION

ARTICLE I     NAME and AFFILIATIONS

1. This association shall be known as the ETOBICOKE BASEBALL ASSOCIATION (E.B.A.)
2. It shall be affiliated with such Associations as decided by the E.B.A. on a two-thirds majority vote of the voting members in attendance at the Annual Meeting, provided a quorum is in attendance.

ARTICLE II      OBJECTIVES

1. To foster, promote and monitor amateur baseball in the former City of Etobicoke in cooperation with the member leagues.
2. To operate, in recognized playing series, a league of teams formed from member leagues.
3. To protect the mutual interest of the member leagues and their individual teams playing under the E.B.A. sanction.

ARTICLE III     MEMBERSHIP

1. Leagues or individual teams wishing membership within the E.B.A. must apply in writing
   and be approved by a two-thirds majority vote of the membership. These leagues or
   individual teams shall agree to abide by and comply with the rules of the E.B.A.
2. A member league that is presently operating a team in the Major Division of a particular
   Series Division shall be allowed to operate a team in the Minor Division of that particular
   Series Division, without prior approval of the E.B.A.

ARTICLE IV MEETINGS

1. There will be regular meetings held throughout the year.
2. The Annual Meeting will be held prior to November 30th each calendar year.

ARTICLE V     OFFICERS and GOVERNING BODY

1. The membership of the Association shall be comprised as follows. Each member league may have as many representatives as it deems necessary, however, they are restricted to voting as per Section C of this Article.
   
   The elected Executive shall have the authority to appoint representatives to the offices of Scheduler, Series Convenor, T.B.A. representatives, Sport Council representatives and any other it deems necessary.
   
2. Election of Officers:
   1. The membership at the annual meeting shall elect the offices of President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, General Manger of Select Baseball, General Manager of Rep Baseball, and Umpire in Chief.
   2. The membership of the Association, on a two-thirds majority vote, may, from year to year, create new executive positions and/or delete positions as required.
   3. The President shall appoint Ad Hoc Committees as he/she may see fit to perform specific tasks.
   4. The President shall be given the authority to name replacements for any Executive office which has been vacated during the year.
   5. The Executive shall be given the authority to name Life Members and with the approval of the membership, give full voting rights to that position. November, 1999 (amended)
      
3. Voting Rights:
   1. The membership shall be given the right to vote on all matters concerning the E.B.A. No person shall have more than one vote.
   2. All elected executive members except the President shall have one vote. The President shall be given the right to break an existing tie.
   3. A member league shall be given two votes.
   4. Voting by proxy will not be allowed.

ARTICLE VI     OFFICERS and DUTIES

1. President:
   1. Shall coordinate all activity within the E.B.A.
   2. Shall act as chairperson at all Executive meetings.
   3. Shall ensure that all orders and resolutions of the Executive are carried into effect.
   4. Shall, if necessary, appoint a Member to record the minutes of each meeting.
2. Vice President:
   1. Shall assist the President in performing such duties as may be assigned and, in the
      absence, shall act is his/her place and stead.
   2. Shall chair the Discipline Committee.
3. Secretary:
   1. Shall keep minutes of the E.B.A. meetings.
   2. Shall mail/email the typed minutes to all members along with notice of the next
      meeting.
   3. Shall maintain a file of all minutes, correspondence and material pertinent to the
      E.B.A.
   4. Shall handle all official correspondence on behalf of the E.B.A.
4. Treasurer:
   1. Shall keep an accurate record of all monies received and distributed during the
      current year.
   2. All payments are to be made by cheque, signed by the Treasurer and either the
      President or the Vice President.
   3. Shall prepare a financial statement for presentation at each meeting.
   4. Shall prepare, at the beginning of the year, a budget for the forthcoming year, for
      approval by the membership.
5. General Manager of Select Baseball:
   1. Shall be responsible for the day-to-day operation of the Select Baseball Program
      within the E.B.A.
   2. Shall recommend to the Executive Committee any policy changes regarding the
      operation of the Rep Baseball Program.
6. General Manager of Rep Baseball:
   1. Shall be responsible for the day-to-day operation of the Etobicoke Baseball
      Program within the E.B.A.
   2. Shall recommend to the Executive Committee any policy changes regarding the
      operation of the Rep Baseball Program.
7. Umpire in Chief:
   1. Shall arrange E.B.A. Umpire Clinics on an annual basis.
   2. Shall assist in the training of umpires on an annual basis.
   3. Shall be advised of any protest lodged and take appropriate action according to
      protest procedures (By-law #7.)
   4. Shall be a member of the Rules Committee, Discipline and Protest Committee as
      required.

ARTICLE VII LEAGUE RESPONSIBILITIES

1. The E.B.A. does not accept any responsibility for the debts incurred by any individual or member league.
2. The E.B.A., its member leagues, all teams and officials disclaim any responsibility for injuries sustained by any individual.
3. Each member league agrees to procure Medical and Liability Insurance to cover all active players, coaches and members from claims that may arise as a result of the operation of the league’s activities.

ARTICLE VIII HONORARY and LIFE MEMBERS

1. Nominations for Honorary membership will be accepted any time prior to the Annual Meeting. These must be in written form and submitted to the secretary.
2. The nomination for Honorary membership will be voted on at the Annual Meeting.
3. An honorary Member may not be an active Executive member of any member league.
4. Honorary members are not entitled to vote or put forward motions.
5. The E.B.A. is to establish a Life Member category with full member privileges. There shall be no more than three (3) Life Members. This position shall be filled by those selected members who have served with distinction.

ARTICLE IX AMENDMENTS

1. The Constitution may be amended at the Annual Meeting by a two-thirds majority vote of the voting members, providing a quorum is present. Notice of any proposed Amendment, Alteration or Addition must be made to the Secretary of the Association in writing at least three (3) weeks before the Annual Meeting.
2. The General By-laws and Playing Rules may be amended at the Annual Meeting or at any subsequent meeting of the E.B.A. by a two-thirds majority of votes cast.
3. A quorum shall consist of not less than one-half of the eligible voting members.
4. Eligible voters are those as defined in Article V, Section C.

BY-LAWS and PLAYING RULES

These By-laws and Playing Rules are intended to define the rules and regulations governing the game of baseball played under the jurisdiction of the ETOBICOKE BASEBALL ASSOCIATION shall apply to all persons directly affiliated with the Association in any capacity. These By-laws and Playing Rules are subject to amendment as provided by the Constitution of the Association in Article IX.

GENERAL BY-LAWS

1. LEAGUE SCHEDULE
   The regular season schedule should be fulfilled in its entirety before the League Playoff
   Schedule begins. Series convenors may have exceptions in extreme circumstances.
   
   
2. SERIES DIVISIONS
   The association shall operate the following ages (as at current year) and categories:
   Junior Rookie Ball 8 and under as at December 31st
   Senior Rookie Ball 9 and under as at December 31st
   Minor Mosquito 10 and under as at December 31st
   Mosquito 11 and under as at December 31st
   Mosquito Girls 12 and under as at December 31st
   Minor Peewee 12 and under as at December 31st
   Peewee 13 and under as at December 31st
   Minor Bantam 14 and under as at December 31st
   Bantam 15 and under as at December 31st
   Bantam Girls 15 and under as at December 31st
   
   
3. PLAYER ELIGIBILITY
   1. To be eligible to play in the E.B.A., a player must play for a member league or team
      or be a resident of Etobicoke. All players and coaches must conform to the T.B.A. or
      M.B.A. by-laws and playing rules.
   2. All players must conform to the out-of-territory and import rules as stated in the
      T.B.A. By-laws.
      
      
4. REGISTRATION
   1. All E.B.A. teams will be allowed to sign as many players as permitted by the O.B.A.
      and S.O.B.A. requirements within the stated deadline.
   2. Teams playing with unsigned or illegal players shall forfeit all games in which such
      players’ names have appeared on the score sheet and the manager suspended immediately pending further investigation.
      
      
5. PLAYER RELEASES
   1. Into the E.B.A.:
      Where a carded player from outside the E.B.A. territory wishes to play for a member league of the E.B.A., said player must first secure a properly signed release form from the management of his/her current club. Such players must conform to the import rules as stated in the T.B.A. By-laws.
   2. Out of the E.B.A.
      1. When a player, having been registered in the E.B.A., wishes to play for a team
         outside of the E.B.A. territory, said player must first secure a properly signed
         release from the President of the E.B.A. with the approval of the presidents of the local associations. A release shall be refused if the player still has financial issues with the league or association.
      2. The E.B.A. President will not provide a release form until satisfied that the
         other E.B.A. teams within the player’s series consent to his/her release.
   3. Within the E.B.A.
      1. A player is expected to play for a team from his home Association (the one in
         which he resides unless a release has been obtained from the home Association.)
      2. In the event of a dispute over a release, the E.B.A. President has the authority
         to issue a release upon appeal should be involved parties be unable to resolve it between themselves.
         Note: By-laws and Rules for player releases outlined in the TBA / MBA
         Constitution and Playing Rules will also apply for players playing in these loops.
      3. When a player is formally cut by his current team, the player is free to sign
         with any other E.B.A. team in his/her age bracket and is eligible to play in all of
         that team’s games.
      4. Any E.B.A. registered player shall not play with any team that is not under the
         jurisdiction of the E.B.A. without the written permission of the President of the
         E.B.A.
         
         
6. MANAGERS and COACHES
   1. Shall be expected to abide by the objectives of the E.B.A. as laid down in Article II of
      the Constitution.
      
   2. Shall be responsible for the conduct of their team personnel and spectators at all times while the team is on or adjacent to the playing area.
   3. Shall use approved baseball scorebook at all games and keep the book until the end of the season.
   4. Home team managers shall report the scores of each game to the Series Convenors
      within twenty-four (24) hours of the game.
   5. All Etobicoke Titans teams shall comply with the E.B.A.’s standard coaches contract.
   6. Shall fill out an accident/incident report and forward within twenty-four (24) hours to
      either their home association or, if a Titan team, the E.B.A. Treasurer.
      
      
7. UMPIRES
   The home association shall be responsible for providing and paying umpires and they
   shall have at least the minimum requirements for the age bracket and level of game being
   played.
   
   
8. PROTESTS
   1. All protests will be dealt with by a Protest Committee consisting of at least three (3)
      E.B.A. executive members appointed by the E.B.A. President. The E.B.A. President may preside at a protest hearing.
   2. Protests will only be accepted if they are based solely on a baseball rule violation.
   3. Protests must be made at the time of the incident and before the next pitch is made or a runner is retired by the manager to the chief umpire who will:
      1. advise the other team
      2. ensure that the scorebooks of both teams are appropriately noted
      3. sign both scorebooks
         
         Protests are not valid if these steps are not taken.
         
         
   4. A protest is not official until it is confirmed in writing within forty-eight (48) hours of the incident. Copies of the protest must be sent to the:
      1. E.B.A. President
      2. E.B.A. General Manager of Rep or General Manger of Select.
      3. Umpire in Chief
   5. All protests must be accompanied by a fifty (50) dollar fee that will be refunded if a
      protest is upheld.
   6. Each team may be represented at the Protest Committee hearing by two (2) representatives. Teams shall be advised by the E.B.A. Secretary through their E.B.A. representatives as to the date of the hearing.
   7. The decision of the Protest Committee will be final.
      
      
9. SUSPENSIONS
   1. All matters which may require disciplinary action must be reviewed by the Discipline Committee consisting of three (3) EBA Executive members appointed by the E.B.A. President. To ensure a quorum can always be achieved, a Discipline Committee of more than three (3) members shall be formed by the E.B.A. Executive. Members of the Discipline Committee presiding can include the Umpire in Chief, General Mangers of Rep and/or Select and the President and such other people who have not specific league affiliation.
   2. The Discipline Committee shall have the right to suspend or reprimand individuals or
      member leagues involved in any matter under its jurisdiction.
   3. All incidents which occur during the course of a ballgame and which require
      disciplinary action must be reported by the chief umpire of that game to the Series
      Convenor within forty-eight (48) hours of the incident. The Series Convenor must report to either the General Manager of Rep or the General Manager of Select.
   4. If deemed necessary, the General Manager of Rep or the General Manager of Select
      as applicable will advise the Secretary who will advise the appropriate Executive
      members and the Discipline Committee will set the date, time and place for the said
      Committee to meet. This should take place forty-eight (48) hours after being notified of the incident.
      1. The parties involved will be informed of the meeting, advised to attend and present material relevant to the matter under consideration.
      2. Any incident involving an assault or harassment of a coach, manager, E.B.A. official, player or umpire shall result in an automatic suspension until the Discipline Committee reviews that matter.
      3. Any bench-clearing incident that occurs during the course of a game will result in the automatic suspension of the managers involved. Such suspension will be for minimum of three (3) games and will be reviewed by the Discipline
         Committee.
   5. Any player, coach or manager ejected from a sanctioned E.B.A. (exhibition, regular
      season or playoff) game is suspended for one game, and this to be the next scheduled sanctioned game. Any further ejection during the course of the season will result in the automatic suspension of the individual until the matter is reviewed by the Discipline Committee.
      
   6. Decisions reached by the Discipline Committee will be final.
      
      
10. FINAL LEAGUE STANDINGS
    1. If two teams tie in points at the end of the regular season, the team that won the
       season series between them will be given the higher placement.
    2. If the series between the two clubs involved is tied, a tie-breaker game will be played on a neutral field with the home team advantage to be decided by a coin flip between the managers or their designates.
    3. If three (3) or more teams are involved in a tie, the same procedure will be followed
       to determine final placement.
       
       
11. PLAY-OFF FORMAT
    For all Series:
    1. The E.B.A. Play-off Champion will represent the E.B.A. in the T.B.A. or S.O.B.A. playdowns where applicable.
    2. The Champion will be decided in a double- knockout elimination series between all member leagues.
    3. Home team advantage will be held by the higher placed team.
    4. All play-off games will be seven innings in length. There will be no curfew.
    5. The mercy rule as detailed in the Playing rules Section 2 will apply also to all play-off games.
    6. O.B.A. carded umpires should be used for all series playoff games.
    7. Series playoffs using a tournament format must begin no earlier than Friday of the
       tournament weekend.
    8. Any team failing to play a game scheduled by the Series Convenor or General
       Manager of Rep or General Manager of Select will automatically forfeit that game.
    9. Players will be allowed to move up to the next series operated by their Association if his/her series has been completed and a champion declared.

PLAYING RULES

1. GENERAL RULES
   1. The Official and Ontario Baseball Association and Select Ontario Baseball
      Association playing rules shall apply in all instances.
   2. Local park ground rules are to be taken into consideration.
   3. The home team must supply baseballs that are approved by the governing association for that series.
   4. All players and coaches must be uniformly dressed. Coaches not uniformly dressed must stay in the dugout during the course of a game.
      
      
2. GAME CONDITIONS
   All regular season and play-off games will count if the game has progressed far enough to be considered a regulation game.
   1. Length of Games
      1. All E.B.A. games shall not exceed seven (7) innings unless there is a tie. In the case of games terminated by the umpire due to rain, darkness etc., Official
         Baseball Rules will apply.
      2. A regulation game occurs when the umpire terminates the game before the end of the seventh (7th) inning and there has been at least five (5) innings completed or four and one-half (4 1/2) innings if the home team is leading.
      3. Tie scores will be allowed to stand.
      4. A mercy rule of ten runs after five (5) innings will apply to all games from Rookie Ball through Bantam series.
   2. Starting Times and Curfews
      For Rookie Ball, Minor Mosquito and Mosquito:
           i. Starting time is 6:15 p.m.
          ii. Once a game has started, it must be completed unless terminated
             by the umpire. However, once an inning has started, it must be completed.
      
      For Minor Peewee, Peewee, Minor Bantam and Bantam.
          i. Starting time is 7:00 p.m. unless not playing under the lights.
             or playing a double header. In such event starting time is 6:00 p.m.
         ii. The curfew time will be 10:45 p.m. and no full inning shall start after
            10:30p.m. However, once an inning has started it must be completed.
   3. Suspended Games
      In all series a game suspended by the umpire shall resume the next time the two teams meet from the point that the game was stopped with all situations remaining constant except that the batter will be considered a new batter.
      
      
3. PITCHER RULES (as per O.B.A., T.B.A., S.O.B.A., M.B.A.)
   1. In the Minor Mosquito, Mosquito, Minor Peewee and Peewee series, no player shall
      pitch more than seven (7) innings on any calendar day and no more than fourteen (14) innings in any tournament or playoff series that is of four days or less in duration. If a player pitches five (5) innings or more in a day, he/she can not pitch the next day. The player must have two (2) nights rest.
   2. In Minor Bantam and Bantam no player shall pitch more than nine (9) innings on any
      calendar day and no more than fourteen (14) innings in any tournament or playoff series that is of four (4) days or less duration. If a pitcher pitches five (5) innings or more in a day, he/she cannot pitch the next day. The player must have at least two (2) nights rest.
   3. Any player who assumes the pitching position in an inning will be charged with an
      inning pitched.
   4. When a player pitches more innings or outs than is permitted, the player’s team shall
      forfeit the game. A second violation by a Manager or Coach will result in his/her indefinite suspension.
      
      
4. UMPIRES
   1. There shall be at least two (2) umpires assigned for each game by the Home team.
   2. The umpire fees are to be paid by the Home team.
      
      
5. EQUIPMENT
   1. Baseball shoes with metal cleats are prohibited in the Rookie Ball through Peewee
      series.
   2. The on-deck batter, the batter and all base runners must wear a prescribed protective helmet with flaps covering both ears. The chin strap must be secured on the helmet and worn under the chin in all series from Rookie Ball to Minor Bantam inclusive.
   3. All catchers must wear a protective helmet and throat guard.
      
      
      
6. DEFAULTS
   1. A team in any series will default a game if it cannot field a team within fifteen (15)
      minutes after the scheduled starting time.
   2. After two (2) defaults by any one team, the Member League’s President will be called
      before the E.B.A. Discipline Committee to provide further explanation.
   3. After Three (3) defaults, the team may be subject to suspension from further play for
      the remainder of the season.
   4. Any Visiting Team which defaults a game will be liable for all umpire costs
      associated with that game.
      
      
7. POSTPONEMENTS and CANCELLATIONS
   1. Games shall be postponed only if the playing field is in an unplayable condition.
   2. If a postponement is necessary the Home Team, as soon as possible, is responsible for notifying the Visiting Team, Umpire in Chief and the Series Convenor.
   3. Only the Home Plate Umpire can terminate a game once it has started.
   4. Postponed games must be played within fourteen (14) days of the original scheduled
      date with the mutual consent of the teams. The Series Convenor must be notified of the rescheduled date by the Home Team manager. It will be the Series Convenor‘s
      responsibility to intervene if a date cannot be set.
   5. The cancellation of games shall be only in extraordinary situations. The possibility of
      default cannot be considered grounds for cancellation. If extraordinary conditions have been established and agreed upon, both coaches must notify the Series Convenor within forty-eight (48) hours after the game has been rescheduled and confirm it to him in writing
      
      
8. OTHER MATTERS
   All matters not directly covered by these General By-laws and Playing Rules will fall
   under E.B.A. consideration.
   
   
9. SERIES FIELD DIMENSIONS (shall apply to either O.B.A. or S.O.B.A. guidelines.)