GREATER CINCINNATI KNOTHOLE 2005 DIVISION I BASEBALL - THE CITY LEAGUE ** INFORMATION AND RULES **

1. TEAM REGISTRATION & LEAGUE FEES:
a. FEES ARE: $130.00 (CHECKS SHOULD BE MADE OUT TO: GCKA) b. IMPORTANT: The Registration Form and the $130.00 league fee are due by: * FEB. 26 (Classes B & C) or * March 26 (Class A) * SEND TO: Doug Gausmann, 1849 Timberidge Dr., Loveland , Ohio 45140 * QUESTIONS: Contact Doug Gausmann at 513-683-8614

2. MANAGER'S MEETINGS:
10:00 @ the BLUE ASH CIVIC CENTER (Cooper Rd.) a. Classes B & C on March 12 (Sat.) b. Class A on April 9 (Sat.) c. Roster sheets are due at this meeting. d. Come prepared to schedule games after the meeting.

3. TEAM ELIGIBILITY:
a. The Registration Form, the Team Roster, and fees must be returned to the DIVISION I Supervisor Doug Gausmann. b. Both completed copies of each player's Knothole contract must be returned to teamÕs DISTRICT SUPERVISOR before the team can participate in a game. PENALTY: FORFEITURE OF GAME. c. Teams may not carry less than 12 players or more than 20. d. Teams may not play in any other league. However, teams may participate in other tournaments during the season as long as they promptly reschedule games. Exception: When the Division I tournament is going on, a team may NOT play in another tournament.

4. PLAYER ELIGIBILITY:
a. You must have both copies of his completed contract in the hands of the teamÕs District Supervisor before that player can play in a game. PENALTY: TEAM WILL FORFEIT EACH GAME SAID PLAYER PARTICIPATES IN. b. Teams are not required to turn in a birth certificate or a picture for each player. However, in case of a protest on a player's eligibility, the manager must be able to produce both items within 24 hours or face possible forfeit. c. Players may not play on any other team (per G.C.K.A. Rule #1). That includes district Knothole teams d. No players may be added after May 31. e. When roster changes are made, revised rosters are to be mailed to Doug Gausmann immediately.

5. SEASON DATES:
a. The season starts the weekend of April 16 (Class A will start May 14, although teams may schedule as early as April 16 if school play is not a factor). b. The last scheduled date will be Sunday, June 26. c. The last day for make-up games will be Friday, July 1. d. The City Tournament will begin the week of July 5 (@ Tealtown). -2-

6. SCHEDULES:
a. They should be completed by the Division I Supervisor by the date of your class meeting (B & C on March 12 and A on April 9). b. Teams will be scheduled to play 25-30 games depending on the number of teams and regions. c. Games will be scheduled by the week. It will be the responsibility of managers to contact opposing managers to set dates for that week. The schedule will list the home and visiting teams. d. Teams can play doubleheaders. e. Games should be postponed only for weather conditions or school events.

7. DISTRICT BOUNDARIES:
a. Teams are to be made up of players from their Knothole District. b. If a player wishes to play in another district, the coach must get approval from the District Supervisors involved.

8. CLASSES:
a. A (14 & 15 year old teams), B (12 & 13 year old teams), and C (10 & 11 year old teams). Each class will be divided into regions. b. However, if there are sufficient teams in a single age group (ex.: 12 year olds), the regions within the class will be set up by age group.

9. GAMES:
a. Innings: A Ð 7 innings; B Ð 6 innings; C Ð 6 innings. b. Times: All weeknight games will start at 6:00. Managers can call the opposing manager in advance to change the starting time. This should be done at least 48 hours in advance of game time. c. Late Team Arrivals: A team is allowed 30 minutes in case of trouble without danger of a forfeit. If both teams and umpires are present, but one team is more than 30 minutes late, umpires have the right to order the game played. All attempts to play the game should be made. d. ONLY THE CITY LEAGUE SUPERVISOR CAN CALL A GAME A FORFEIT. e. Pre-game: Prior to the scheduled starting time, there shall be no batting practice in and around the field of play (this includes, but is not limited to soft-toss, hitting into the fence, using a ball on a stick, etc.) thirty (30) minutes preceding said scheduled start time. f. Each team shall be permitted no less than ten (10) minutes infield practice prior to the commencement of the game, the order to be determined by the teams at the field, dependent upon availability of players.

10. UNIFORMS:
This is a uniform league and all teams must wear uniforms.

11. GAME BALLS PERMITTED:
a. At the start of the game the home team will furnish one new ball which must be a ball supplied by Kid Glove or Knothole purchasing (ex: MacGregor, DeBeer, Rawlings, Diamond) or with the approval of the City League Supervisor. b. The visiting team must furnish a good serviceable ball of the same type. c. Umpires are directed to remove all balls deemed by them as unfit from the game. At the completion of the game, the home team will be given first choice of the balls which were used in the game. -3-

12. UMPIRES:
a. Home team is responsible for providing both umpires for the game. If the home team is on the visiting team's field, said visiting (host) team will supply the umpires. b. Each team will pay one umpire. Cost per umpire: A = $30; B & C = $25. If an umpire does a game by himself, he will be paid: A = $40.00, with each team paying $20; B & C = $35, with the host team paying $20 and the visiting team paying $15. c. Each umpire who shows up at a game that is forfeited will be paid $15. Teams that forfeit a game will be charged a $30 penalty (payable to the Division I Supervisor), to be paid immediately, or they will not be allowed to finish their season. d. No Division I manager, coach, or player may umpire a game in his class. No person may umpire a game in which an immediate family member is playing or coaching. e. Umpires are to be paid on the field BEFORE THE GAME STARTS. f. Umpires must be at least two years older than the class for which they are umpiring.

13. CITY TOURNAMENT:
a. At least half of the teams in the league will qualify for the City Tournament. The top two teams in a region will qualify. Other teams will be chosen according to age group & record. b. Each manager is responsible for updating and checking his standings/schedule by June 20 so all teams can have a full picture of teams that are in the running for trophies and the tournament. c. The City Tournament will be a two and out format. d. The tournament will begin the week of July 5. e. Team league fees cover the cost of the tournament for those teams that qualify.

14. BATTING ORDER OPTIONS:
a. The Re-entry Rule: See City Rule #18. b. The continuous batting order: If a player cannot bat (unable to bat because of illness, injury, had to leave, etc.), such position is NOT an out in the batting order. Any nine players may play on defense. If the batter can not continue (injury, illness, etc.), move to the next batter with a fresh count. If a runner can not continue, the last out on the bench will be used. c. The additional hitter (AH) rule: If using the AH, a 10th batter may be added to the batting order at the start of the game. Any nine of the ten batters may play on defense. If a team using the AH drops from ten to nine players available, the spot in the lineup is left open and is NOT an out. The re-entry rule applies as well. d. The designated hitter (DH) rule: A team can use the (DH) as it is used according to high school rules (he can bat in place of any of the starters). If a designated hitter is used, he may not play on defense. The DH can be used with either the AH or the re-entry rule. e. Managers must choose one of these options before the game begins: 1. Continuous batting order; 2. AH; 3. DH (High School Rule); 4. AH and DH; 5. Regular nine-man batting order.

15. COURTESY RUNNER:
a. This option is only for catchers. This rule applies only to the player who finished the previous inning as the catcher, not the player who will be the catcher the next inning. b. If the team is using the continuous batting order, the player who made the last out will be used. For the other batting options, any player who is not in the batting lineup may be used as the courtesy runner. c. In any circumstance, the courtesy runner does not enter the score book. -4-

16. PITCHER:
a. In any three day period, a pitcher is limited to pitch a total of: A = 9 innings; B = 8 innings; C = 7 innings. One pitch in any inning is an inning pitched. b. Violation of the pitching rule is a serious offense. PENALTY: MANAGER WILL BE SUSPENDED FOR THE NEXT TWO GAMES AND THE GAME IN QUESTION WILL BE FORFEITED (Second offense could result in the expulsion of the manager and/or team in question). c. Pitchers can pitch in both games of a double-header as long as the inning limit is observed.

17. SUSPENDED GAMES:
a. Any game stopped because of rain or darkness shall be considered an official game after 5 innings (4 _ innings if home team is ahead) in class A, and after 4 innings (3 _ innings if home team is ahead( in classes B & C (This rule does not apply to the City Tournament). b. Any game stopped because of rain, darkness, time, or tie which has not resulted in an official game will be resumed at the EXACT point of interruption and played to a completion at the earliest time possible. c. Games running over into later scheduled game times are subject to time rules at the host teamÕs park. An agreement should be made between the managers and umpires prior to the start of such a game on how to handle a game not completed. d. Umpire fees should be pro-rated depending on the length of the suspended game to be completed.

18. RUN RULE:
a. The game shall be called if one team is ahead by: Class A - 8 or more runs after the losing team has had 5 complete times at bat; Class B & C Ð 10 or more runs after 4 complete times at bat. b. No game can end by the run rule if the run limit is reached while the visiting team is at bat.

19. RAIN CONDITION RULE:
a. Home team manager will check field 3 hours before game time and notify visiting team and umpires if the field is unplayable. Home team manager decides if field is playable before the game starts. b. Once the game starts and the first pitch is thrown, the game is up to the umpires.

20. CANCELLED GAMES:
a. Scheduled games should only be cancelled because of rain-outs or school events (teams face possible forfeits for other reasons). b. All games are to be rescheduled and played within two weeks after the cancellation. c. NO GAME IS TO BE RESCHEDULED AFTER SUNDAY, JUNE 26 EXCEPT FOR GAMES CANCELLED DURING THE WEEK OF JUNE 19. League Scorekeepers are to be notified about rescheduled games. If there is any problem in rescheduling a game the League Supervisors should be contacted.

21. DISCIPLINE:
a. Any player, coach, or fan ejected from a game for disciplinary reasons will be suspended for a minimum of one game on the first offense. b. On the second ejection, the player, coach, or fan will be suspended for a minimum of 2 games and the team could forfeit the game in which the second ejection occurred. c. A player, coach, or fan who is ejected and/or suspended shall not be in attendance at or within the ball field facility for the remainder of the game and /or games for which they are under suspension. The ball field facility shall be defined as playing field, adjacent fields, and corresponding parking lot. It is the intent of this rule that such suspended person be absent from the facility during the course of the game(s) for which they are under suspension. Such period being defined as thirty (30) minutes before the start of the game and thirty (30) after its conclusion. Violation of this rule will lead to a more serious penalty. d. All ejectionÕs for disciplinary reasons must be reported to the League Director by BOTH managers. e. For serious discipline cases, the League Supervisor can impose a more severe punishment, with final appeal to the Division I Supervisor. -5-

22. FORFEITS:
a. Only the Division I League Supervisors can declare forfeits. b. If a team does not field a team within 30 minutes of the scheduled starting game time, the game could be forfeited. Unusual circumstances and emergencies will be considered before a forfeit is final. c. A team that does not notify the opposing manager until the day of the game that there will be an insufficient number of players to start the game will forfeit said game.

23. PROTESTS:
a. Protests must be made in accordance with City Knothole Rule # 14. The protest, along with $50.00 CASH, must be filed in writing with the League Director within 24 hours. b. The League Director will be responsible for setting up a Protest Committee and he will head said committee. No person involved will be on the Protest Committee.

24. SCORES:
a. Winning team is expected to report scores to the League Scorekeepers within 48 hours of the completion of the game. b. Failure to comply with this rule could lead to a disciplinary situation or even forfeit.

25. FINAL STANDINGS:
a. The final regional standings will be determined by the number of wins on the final day of the regular season. b. Team trophies and patches will be given for the first and second place finishes. In case of ties, head to head competition will be the determining factor. The second determining factor will be play with in the region, with the third factor considered being play with in the league. There will be no playoffs (if it can be helped). c. Each manager is responsible for updating his standings/schedule on a regular basis. d. Remember, all standings must be updated and checked by Sunday, June 19 so all teams can have a full picture of teams that are in the running for trophies and the tournament.

26. OTHER RULES:
a. Major League or Greater Cincinnati Knothole Club rules will apply to any situation not covered in these rules. b. DISTRICT RULES DO NOT APPLY TO DIVISION I BASEBALL. EXAMPLES: 1. warning for balks (no such rule) 2. player must slide into home to avoid contact with the catcher (no such rule) 3. rules on the number of at bats and defensive innings played for players. 4. out calls for thrown bats (no such rule) 5. BE SURE TO COVER POSSIBLE PROBLEMS DURING GROUND RULES. SOME PARKS HAVE SPECIAL RULES.