Offices vacated during the season because of resignations, etc., will be filled with nomination and election conducted by the remaining officials and commissioners.
Persons ever having been arrested and convicted of a felony shall not be allowed to hold office in the association.
Umpire time sheets will be turned into the Treasurer by the Head Umpire. Time sheets will be verified by two of the following association members; President, Treasurer, or Secretary.

ARTICLE III: PLAYERS

Classification: The McCook Midget Baseball Association will consist of five leagues, classified by age as follows:

1. T-Ball Baseball League: K- 1^st grade (boys/girls)

2. T-Ball Softball League: K-2^nd grade (girls)

3. Sluggers: 2^nd & 3^rd grade

4. Cubs: 4^th, 5^th, & 6^th grade

5. Juniors: 7^th, 8^th, 9^th, and 10^th grade

Exception To Above:

a. T-Ball – Child must reach their 6^th birthday by May 1^st.

b. Juniors – Child must be 16 on the current year’s January 1^st.

All players will register at a time designated which shall be about the middle of March. There will be three sign-up dates, after which any person signing up will be charged a late fee of twenty dollars plus the regular registration fee. Persons who can prove moving into the area after regulation dates will not be charged the late registration fee. The Officers and Commissioners will not be held responsible for any player that drops out after the draw. The player will be replaced by a player from a late sign-up.
Apparel: Each player shall furnish his own glove and all apparel except shirt and cap. Official white baseball pants are required for every league EXCEPT T-Ball.

ARTICLE IV: SPONSORS

Eligibility: Any individual or corporation doing business in McCook, NE., except hereinafter provided, shall be eligible to sponsor a team subject to the regulations of the board and its approval.
Equipment:

The MBA will furnish each player on the team with a cap and shirt. The shirt will have the team’s designation and player number.
Expenses will determine the sponsor’s fee.
Sponsor’s fees will be due and payable on May 1st.
The association will assist in the inventory and recovery of his equipment.
Sponsor will furnish all other necessary equipment for play and safety of players as designated by the MBA.

ARTICLE V: COMMITTEES

The MBA officers may appoint committees as required.

ARTICLE VI: MANAGERS AND COACHES

Duties: Each team shall be assigned a manager, who shall be responsible for conducting his team in sportsmanship.

1. Manager only, may have a draft of his own children and the sponsor’s son or daughter.

2. Each team will consist of the following personnel: 1 manager, 2 assistant coaches, 2 batboys and 1 team scorekeeper, plus the players listed on the official team roster.

3. Prior to the start of any game, MANAGERS must report to the Scorekeepers Box, any player not allowed to play.

4. Managers will be responsible to report to the association officers, any dropouts they may have, so they can be replaced by those who sign up late.

5. Managers are responsible for the Leagues accounting of, and maintaining the equipment in good and proper order. They will also be responsible for returning the League representative at the end of the season.

6. Coaches must return equipment to League official immediately following the last game of the season. Officers will be on hand to receive the equipment.

ARTICLE VII: RULES

TEAMS: Teams will be divided as equally as possible through the draw. After the draw is concluded, no challenge may be made during the season based on a draw issue.

1. Players may be assigned to specific teams under the following conditions:

a. Sponsor’s exemption: 1 player

b. Children of the Head Coach

AND, if applicable

c. Siblings from the same family in the same league.

EQUIPMENT, DRESS AND CONDUCT:

1. Uniforms shall consist of shirts and caps. Official white baseball pants are required for every league EXCEPT T-Ball.

2. No baseball shoes or footwear bearing metal spikes shall be worn in any of the leagues.

3. Any player may use any type of glove he desires at practices and regular games.

4. All batters and base runners must wear a protective helmet.

5. All umpires, managers and other officials are urged to encourage proper training habits. Any player using tobacco products on the field will be expelled from the league for the remainder of the season. Any tobacco products used by the coaches, umpires, managers, or other officials, will be confined to the area outside the playing fields. Any use of alcoholic beverages at either the Jaycee Complex or Felling Field, will result in expulsion by the umpires and the Midget Commissioners from the fields for the remainder of the season. This is an enforced rule.

6. The use of profanity, obscene or abusive language will result in expulsion of the offending party from the fields for the remainder of the evening, along with a recommendation of future action to be decided upon by the Midget League Baseball Association governing body.

7. Players, coaches managers, and all other officials associated with the McCook League Baseball Association, will conduct themselves in a sportsmanlike manner while engaged in activities at either Felling Field or the Jaycee Complex.

C. BATTING AND SUBSTITUTIONS: ALL LEAGUES

1. The OFFICIAL RULES OF BASEBALL, adopted by the Amateur Baseball Congress of America, shall govern this league unless otherwise specified herein.

2. In all leagues, every player must play at least 2 complete innings, both offensive and defensive. Penalty is FORFEIT. Every player present and eligible to play, must bat in rotation for the entire game. (In rotations means in any order the manager designates to the Scorekeeper Box prior to the start of the game.)

3. Teams in all leagues may play with a minimum of seven players.

4. There shall be no Base runner substitution unless player has been injured.

5. The strike zone will be from the shoulder to the knee, unless elsewhere designated in the individual league rules.

6. Batting out of proper order is an appeal play which may be made only by the defensive team (manager, coach, or player) to the umpire. Refer to the rule book for penalty.

7. Any schedule changes must be approved by the commissioners, both coaches and the league President.

8. All players and substitutes must be reported to the Scorekeeper Box in all leagues.

9. When the defensive player has the ball, and the runner remains on his feet, and deliberately, with great force, crashes into the defensive player, the runner is out. The ball is called dead and each runner must return to the last base touched at the time of the collision. If the act is determined to be flagrant, the offender shall be ejected.

10. There can be no substitutions to fill in for absent team players.

D. GAME TIMES

Felling Field as scheduled.

E. FORFEITS, POSTPONED, OR PROTESTED GAMES:

1. In the event a team has failed to provide specified equipment, the umpire may declare the game forfeited after a one game warning. A list of the teams given the warning will be posted in the Scorekeeper Box.

2. It shall be the duty of the League President to pick the times for re-playing postponed or protested games. He will notify the managers and head umpire of the new times. The Head Umpire will schedule the umpires.

3. In the event of a protested game, the President, umpires and commissioners must be informed with three (3) days of the date of written notice of protest. However, any game protested by either manager will continue through the scheduled innings. The Scorekeeper will make a notation on the book as to the inning, who is a bat, number of outs, and the ball/strike count. The manager making the protest must present a written protest to the President of the League within 24 hours. We would like to try to settle any disputes on the field, at the time it happens, rather than with a protest, if at possible.

ARTICLE VIII: UMPIRES

Each umpire shall be governed by the Official Rule Book, unless otherwise specified herein.
He/she shall have the authority to expel any player, coach, or manager. Managers only have the right to protest to the President of the League.
No player, coach, manager or anyone in attendance shall be allowed to remain in the fenced in playing field areas or on the grounds after being expelled from the game.

ARTICLE IX: SEASON

The official league season shall open and close as the schedule permits. The Board shall be responsible for the collection of a free will offering at the park each night of play during the season.

ARTICLE X: GAMES

SITES: All official games of the league shall be played at the sites selected by the Rules Committee, and all League games shall have priority over non-league games.

GAME DIMENSIONS, DELAYS, & DURATIONS: The following table establishes game standards for each division. (T-ball represents both softball and baseball divisions.)

Division	Bases	Pitching	Infield Fly	Tie Breaker	Time Limit Innings	Rain Limit Innings	Home to 2^nd Base
T-Ball	60 ft	40 ft	None	None	4	3	84 ft 10.25 in
Sluggers	65 ft	46.5 ft	None	1 inning¹	5	3	91 ft 11 in
Cubs	70 ft	46.5 ft	Yes	2 innings²	5	3	99 ft
Juniors	90 ft	60.5 ft	Yes	2 innings²	7	5	127 ft 3.375 in

¹ After playing to a tie in regulation: Your last out of the preceding inning will go to 2^nd base. This will be for both teams in their respective ½ of the inning. If a tie exists after this inning is played, the coaches and umpire will meet at home plate to flip a coin with the visiting team calling the flip.

² After playing to a tie in regulation: Your last out of the preceding inning will go to 2^nd base. This will be for both teams in their respective ½ of the inning. If a ties still exists after the first extra inning, the last out of your first extra inning will take 3^rd base. If a tie exists after this inning is played, the coaches and umpire will meet at home plate to flip a coin with the visiting team calling the flip.

ARTICLE XI: ROBERTS RULE OF ORDER

Robert’s Rule of Order shall govern all procedures at the meetings of the Sponsors, Managers, and Coaches.

ARTICLES XII: AMENDMENTS

The articles may be amended at any time with 2/3 vote of the officers and League Commissioners.

ARTICLE XIII: COACHES AND MANAGERS MEETING

All coaches and managers of each team is required to meet briefly following the parade and opening ceremonies. If you are unable to attend, there must be a representative for your team present.

T-BALL AND SLUGGERS LEAGUE RULES

1. Base runners cannot lead off base before the ball is hit. The base runner will be declared out if they lead off the base and the ball is batted. There is no penalty of the ball is not batted.

2. No base stealing, walks or bunting.

3. If the ball is thrown into the DEAD BALL TERRITORY while attempting to put a base runner out, the runners will be allowed to advance one (1) base beyond the last base legally held at the time of the throw.

EXAMPLE 1: The batter is running toward first base and the ball is overthrown into the DEAD BALL TERRITORY, the player may advance to 2nd base.

EXAMPLE 2: The base runner is on 1st base when the batter hits a fair ball. The ball is overthrown into the DEAD BALL TERRITORY while trying to put out the Batter/Base runner going to 1st base. The Base runner that started at 1st base may advance to 3rd base. If the Base runner would have started at 2nd base, he/she would be awarded home base.

4. The ball will remain dead until batted by the next batter.

5. If a fly ball is caught in any live ball area, the batter will be declared out.

6. Coaches will remain in the coach’s box at all time when their team is batting, unless they have asked for and received a time out. Coaches may not physically assist a Base runner by helping up, stop by grabbing, or pushing a Base runner while the ball is in play. Violation will result in the assisted Base runner being called out, and the ball being declared dead.

7. Defensive Coaches will remain in the dugouts, unless they have received a time out.

8. Each Head Coach will turn in a starting line-up to the Scorekeeper Box no later than ten (10) minutes before the start of the game they are playing. For each additional infraction, the batter will be declared out.

9. Each batter will receive one (1) warning for throwing the bat. For each additional infraction, the Batter will be declared out. The ball will be declared dead on a thrown bat.

10. Home Team Dugout: 3rd base line.
Visiting Team Dugout: 1st base line

T-BALL BASEBALL ONLY

1. Score will not be kept in the T-Ball division. Every player will bat each inning regardless of the number of outs. If a Base runner is declared out he/she will return to their dugout.

2. The batting order will be reversed every other inning so that the last batter of one inning will be the first batter of the next so that every batter will have a chance to score.

3. An arc will be marked across the diamond, 15’ away from home plate. Any ball that is touched, rolls dead, or settles within the arc, will be declared a foul ball. No player may be positioned inside this arc prior to the ball being batted from the tee.

4. The pitcher must be on the pitching rubber, when the ball is batted. If the pitcher leaves the pitching rubber before the ball is batted, the ball will be dead and the batter is awarded 1st base.

5. The tee will be adjusted to the proper height for each batter. The umpire will use his own judgment on moving the tee for the size of the batter. The tee must be placed on home plate and the batter must be completely within the lines of the batter’s box prior to batting the ball.

6. A batter may hit any number of fouls. In order to be called a foul, the ball must be contacted by the bat and leave the tee. The batter cannot strike out.

7. On a fair batted ball, the base runner may advance (at their own risk) until the ball is returned to the pitcher in the infield. If there is no attempt to retire the runners, play will be stopped at the time the ball enters the infield, when the intent is being made to return the ball to the pitcher, with the Base runners stopping at the nearest base.

8. Home team must furnish an umpire’s helper.

9. Anytime a player makes an obvious intention of blocking home plate, the base runner will be safe.

T-BALL SOFTBALL ONLY

1. Score will not be kept in the T-Ball division. Every player will bat each inning regardless of the number of outs. If a Base runner is declared out he/she will return to their dugout.

2. The batting order will be reversed every other inning so that the last batter of one inning will be the first batter of the next so that every batter will have a chance to score.

4. The batter has a choice of using the tee or being pitched to. The batter’s coach will be the pitcher. After 3 missed pitches, the tee will be placed into play.

5. The pitcher must stand next to the coach during the pitch when the ball is batted. If the pitcher leaves this position before the ball is batted, the ball will be dead and the batter is awarded 1st base.

6. The tee will be adjusted to the proper height for each batter. The umpire will use his own judgment on moving the tee for the size of the batter. The tee must be placed on home plate and the batter must be completely within the lines of the batter’s box prior to batting the ball.

7. A batter may hit any number of fouls. In order to be called a foul, the ball must be contacted by the bat and leave the tee or must be fouled off in the case of a pitched ball. The batter cannot strike out.

8. On a fair batted ball, the base runner may advance (at their own risk) until the ball is returned to the pitcher in the infield. If there is no attempt to retire the runners, play will be stopped at the time the ball enters the infield, when the intent is being made to return the ball to the pitcher, with the Base runners stopping at the nearest base.

9. Home team must furnish an umpire’s helper.

10. Anytime a player makes an obvious intention of blocking home plate, the base runner will be safe.

SLUGGERS ONLY

1. The pitcher must have one foot on the dirt part of the pitching mound, even with, or behind the pitching rubber, until the ball has been pitched. A batted ball striking the pitching machine or the protective screen, before being touched by a fielder, will be declared “DEAD”, with the batter receiving the pitch over.

2. No base stealing, walks or bunting. No lead off until ball is hit. 1^st offense – warning; 2^nd offense – receive 1 out.

3. The pitching machine will only be adjusted by the Umpire. Before each game, the umpire and both coaches must agree on setting.