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Rules & By-Laws

Official By-Laws and Rules of the Coastal New England Baseball League. Revised March 21, 2022.

Article I: Name

The name of the organization shall be the Coastal New England Baseball League (CNEBL).

Article II: Purpose

The purposes of the CNEBL are as follows:

To develop high standards in our National Pastime through character and citizenship.
To promote the welfare of the game of baseball and its players.
To encourage the community spirit, sportsmanship and camaraderie.
To ensure John Cogan has enough friends.

Article III: Board of Directors and League President

League operations are carried out by a League President who will be appointed annually by a Board of Directors.

A League Secretary and Treasurer shall be appointed annually by the Board. One person may hold more than one position.

The Board of Directors shall consist of between 7 and 11 League Members.

The Managers of each team shall be appointed by the League President.

Each Manager will serve as an ex-officio member of the Board of Directors and will serve as a Director for a one year term (“Managerial Director”).

Subject to Article III, Paragraph 6 below, the Non-Managerial Directors shall serve a term of three years with a maximum of two terms before being required to sit out at least one year.

For the first calendar season following the adoption of these Amended and Restated By-laws, One of the Non-Managerial Directors will be elected to a 1-year term; two of the Non-Managerial Directors will be elected to a 2-year term and the remaining Non-Managerial Directors will be elected to a 3-year term.

The Board of Directors will be elected by the League Members according to the following process:

The incumbent Secretary or, in the event of a vacancy in that position, the League President, will send an e-mail to all League Members requesting that they submit no more than two names in nomination for the Board of Directors.
The League Members may nominate themselves.
Nominations are to be received within one week.
The incumbent League President will prepare a ballot containing a list of all nominees and circulate it to all of the League Members. The League Members will have seven (7) days to return their ballots to the League President, identifying no more than five (5) League Members to serve as Non-Managerial Members on the Board of Directors.
The League Members receiving the most votes will be elected to serve as Non-Managerial Members of the Board of Directors.

The Board of Directors shall meet at least twice annually. One meeting shall be in the spring prior to the commencement of the season and a second in the fall upon the completion of the season.

Special Meetings may be called from time to time by the President or a member of the Board. All League Members shall be notified electronically of any meeting at least a week in advance of any meeting.

Meetings may be conducted electronically, in person or by telephone. Any vote taken is effective so long as there is a quorum of at 50% of the Directors present. Directors attending electronically are counted for the purposes of determining a quorum.

Minutes of any meetings will be taken and sent to the League Members within a month of any meeting.

An agenda for each meeting will be prepared by the League President and provided to the League Members by email three days before any such meeting.

All Meetings of the Board of Directors are open to attendance by all League Members who will be allowed to address the Board at the meeting.

All Decisions by the Board of Directors are final unless later altered by the Board.

Minutes will be taken at all meetings by the Secretary who shall provide them within 10 days the Board of Directors for review and subject to adoption at the next meeting. All minutes are available for review by League Members upon request.

Article IV: Teams and Players

1. Teams

Rosters

Team rosters will be determined using a draft conducted each season prior to the first game in an attempt to ensure equally competitive teams.
Team rosters may be adjusted during the course of the season to ensure competitive teams. This may include adding new players or moving players from one team to another. Players involved and all team managers will be consulted prior to any roster adjustments.
Adjustments to team rosters may be made based on but not limited to the following criteria:
- Player preference and team acceptance.
- Player rating.
- Positions played.
- Player's frequency of play.

2. League Membership

a. Active Players are League Members

A player must be a minimum of 29 years of age by December 31st of the League Year. Provisional exceptions can be made by the League President.
A player must be 29 years of age by December 31st of the League Year to pitch that year.
A player must complete an application and sign a “Players Agreement and Waiver Form” and agree to abide by it.
A player must have paid the registration fee determined by the League President in full prior to the first game of the season for that year.
Players 18 and older as of January 1st of the League Year may be allowed to play on the same team as their parent but cannot pitch.
All players will be assigned to a team roster during the pre-season league draft.
All new players may request to be assigned to a roster with a specific teammate. During the process of the draft, reasonable attempts will be made to ensure players are assigned with their chosen teammate however, no guarantee is made.
Players who are related will be placed on the same team if requested.

b. Substitute Players are not League Members

Substitute players will be allowed to play in regular season league games to prevent game forfeits for teams expecting less than ten (10) players.
Substitute players are not assigned to specific teams and will be assigned on a game-by-game basis by the league president or his appointed representative.
All substitute players must be a minimum of 18 years of age.
Substitute players may not play in playoff games.
Subs cannot pitch and bat last.

Article VI: Playing Rules

1. Rules

a. General

Notwithstanding the special rules of play of the CNEBL enumerated herein, “The Official Rule of Major League Baseball” shall apply.

b. Sportsmanship

All players must abide by the players agreement and conduct themselves in a professional and competent manner.
All disputes during the course of a game will be handled by team managers only. Players wishing to dispute a call must address the Team Manager and allow him to address the issue with the umpire crew.

c. Ejections

Any player ejected from any game for any reason will serve a one game suspension for the first offense.
Any player ejected from a second game during a single season will be suspended for the rest of the season.
Suspensions may be appealed to the league President within 48 hours of the end of the game by email.

d. Uniforms and Safety Equipment

All players must wear a full baseball uniform including a hat, shirt and baseball pants. If a uniform shirt of appropriate size is unavailable, any shirt of the same color will be worn.
Helmets are required to be worn by all batters, baserunners and base coaches.
Catchers must wear a catcher's protective helmet.
Rubber or metal cleats may be worn.

e. Team Lineups

All players in attendance at a game must be included in the batting lineup in a consistent order for the entire game.
Teams may begin a game with 8 players without penalty. Team may wait no longer than 15 minutes for a 9th player to arrive. Players may play for the other team during regular season games to avoid a team forfeit. If a player for the shorthanded team or a substitute player arrives during the game, a player may return to his assigned team without penalty.
Players arriving after the start of the game must be placed at the end of the lineup.
If a player leaves the game early, is injured or is ejected, his spot in the lineup is skipped without penalty.
Players may only accumulate stats while playing for their own team.

f. Player Substitution

Free defensive substitution is allowed for all players other than the pitcher.
If a pitcher is removed from the position in the middle of the inning, he may not return to pitch during that game. He may play any other position in the field after being removed.
If a pitcher hits 3 batters in one game, he must be removed from the pitcher position and is not allowed to return to the pitcher position during that game.

g. Courtesy Runners

Courtesy runners are authorized to run in the place of any player suffering from injury, age or any other condition that limits their ability to run.
Courtesy runners will be chosen by the opposing team manager and may not be within the next four players due up in the lineup.
Catchers are exempt from selection as courtesy runners.
There are no restrictions on the advancement of courtesy runners.

h. Baserunning, Fielding and the Collision Rule

i. Baserunning

All baserunners must avoid any intentional collision with a fielder. If a collision is intentional or malicious, the offending player is out as well as ejected from the game.
All baserunners must slide or give themselves up if a play is being made on them. In a double play situation, baserunners must slide, avoid contact or leave the baseline to avoid interference. Failure to do so will result in the baserunner and batter being called out and all other baserunners returning to the previously occupied base.

ii. Fielding

Infielders may not decoy a tag. Violation will result in ejection from the game.
A catcher or other player may not block the plate without the ball. This is considered interference.

iii. The Collision Rule

Contact is when two players physically touch each other.
Collision is a forceful, even violent contact between two players.
The Rule: Occasionally, the ball, a Runner, and a Defender all meet at the same time. Both Players should avoid a collision. The Runner is not obligated to retreat, stop, sidestep, veer off, or slide. He can use whatever means necessary to reach a base safely. However, if in the judgment of the umpire, the Runner is deemed to have initiated a collision, and not just contact with the Defender, then the Runner and the Runner closest to Home will both be called out. If a collision is deemed flagrant by the umpire, then the player who caused the collision, Runner or Defender, will be ejected.

i. Length of Games

All regular season and playoff games are 9 innings.
All double-headers are 7 innings.
All regular season games are considered official after 4 1/2 innings if the home team is leading.
All regular season games are bound by a 2 hour and 45-minute time limit:
- The time limit starts at the time of the first pitch.
- If a team is not ready to play at the schedule start time for the game, the 2 hour and 45-minute time limit will start at the scheduled start time.
- If a game is delayed due to weather or injury, the 2 hour and 45-minute timer will stop when play stops and resume when play resumes.
- If, at the end of the inning when the game time reached 2 hours and 45 minutes, the teams were tied, the teams will play one more inning. If the tie is not broken during that inning, the game will end in a tie.
- If the home team is batting and has the lead when the game clock hits 2 hours and 45 minutes, the visitors will get one more at bat. If they fail to tie or take the lead, the game will end in a tie. If the visitors tie or take the lead, the home team will be allowed to bat one more inning.
- Time limits are enforced at the sole discretion of the umpires with no player input.
- All playoff games are exempt from the time limits and will be played out to conclusion.

j. Wood Bats

The only bats authorized for use in the CNEBL are wood bats conforming to the BBCOR rating of bats.

k. Rain Outs

The League President or his designee will determine if a game will be canceled due to weather prior to the start of the game.
In the event of a cancelation, the League President will notify the Team Managers and the Team Managers will notify all players on their assigned team.
If a game has begun, cancelation due to weather will be at the discretion of the umpiring team without player input.
In the event of a canceled game, the League President will make every reasonable attempt to reschedule the game.

l. Alcohol and Tobacco

There is no drinking or tobacco use allowed on the fields at which we play. There is a zero tolerance on this rule.

2. Violations

Violations of league rules will be handled by the League President and the Team Managers for that season.
Any penalties assigned to players that are not outlined in this document as a result of a rules violation will be determined by a majority vote of the Team Managers with the League President breaking any ties.
Players accused of rules violations are permitted to speak on their own behalf before the assembly of the League President and Team Managers.
Any decision on penalties is final and there will be no appeals.

Article VII: Amendments

Amendments to the By-Laws may be made by a simple majority vote of the Board of Directors at a regular or special meeting called for that purpose.
Proposed amendments to these By-Laws should be announced to the league by email no less than one month prior to the meeting at which the vote will be held.

Article VIII: Conflict of Interest

Any possible conflict of interest on the part of the Board of Directors, League President, Team Managers or players in the CNEBL shall be disclosed in writing prior to the commencement of any League Year which begins on January 1st and ends on December 31.
For non-budgeted expenditures greater than $1,000 and not exceeding $5,000, two thirds vote of the Board of Directors shall be required.

Article IX: Provision for Dissolution

Upon the dissolution of the Coastal New England Baseball League, assets shall be distributed for one or more exempt purposes within the meaning of Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Service Code, or corresponding section of any future federal tax code, or shall be distributed to the federal government, or to a state or local government, for a public purpose.

Coastal New England Baseball League 2022 By-Laws

Revised 03/21/22