Elgin Men’s Baseball League In-House Rules
Revised 4/7/24
1. NO DRINKING! Drinking of alcoholic beverages will not be tolerated. Managers, coaches, players or fans caught drinking will be suspended from future games, lose All Star game eligibility and/or be expelled from the league.
2. NO FIGHTING! Physical contact against another manager, coach, player, umpire or fan will not be tolerated. Anyone caught fighting will be expelled from the league for the remainder of the season or banned for life.
3. Managers are responsible to pay for all league fees and umpire fees to keep in good standing with the league. If a team is not paying their league or umpire fees they will be subject to forfeit games and/or potentially may be expelled from the league.
4. No smoking or vaping is allowed in dugouts or on the field. Any player, coach or manager caught smoking will be ejected from the game.
5. Managers must be present at all league meetings. If a manager cannot attend he must send a representative in his place. Teams not represented at league meetings will be fined $25.
6. Waivers/Pictures/Rosters- Each player will need to register using the online registration found at www.elginmbl.com . It is each manager's responsibility to ensure all of his players have registered and are on the team roster. Players CANNOT play without completing this process. If an unrostered player participates in a game that team will be subject to a forfeit. It is the managers' responsibility to upload pictures of each rostered player. SUBS are included in this as they must sign the waiver before playing. All players need to be registered to be able to play the game. If a player is not registered on the website the team playing the illegal player will be subject to a forfeit of their game. 6a. Each team is allowed 25 rostered players MAXIMUM.
6b. If a rostered player needs to be removed from the 25 man roster the manager must notify the league secretary. The secretary will remove this player from the roster making him ineligible for the rest of the season including playoffs and championship games. If a player needs to be added on to a roster during season play the manager must notify the secretary so that the player can register.
6c. Managers will need to report injuries to the League President or Secretary, the League should be informed of the status of the player to determine eligibility for playoffs.
7. Uniforms- Managers and base coaches do not have to have exact matching uniforms but must wear baseball pants, NO SHORTS OR JEANS ALLOWED and must be in team colored pullovers, hoodies, shirts etc. All rostered players must have complete matching uniforms by the Opening Day ceremony. The Opening Day ceremony date will vary from season to season but will be announced before the start of the season. Matching uniforms means matching hats and jerseys and same colored pants. Any player not in uniform will not be allowed to play. No duplicate jersey numbers are allowed.
8. Game Balls - Game balls must be league approved baseballs. The league approved ball is the Wilson A1010S. Depending on baseball availability, a substitute baseball may be approved for game play. If this occurs the Board will notify umpires and managers via text.
9. Baseballs per Game- Each manager will provide two new game balls at the start of each game. Replacement balls can be slightly used baseballs as long as the umpire agrees the baseballs are in good condition and the ball markings are visible. Replacement balls may be denied at the umpire’s discretion, if this happens managers must find an acceptable replacement. Each team is responsible to replace foul balls and home runs hit during their at bats.
10. Scorebooks/Stats- Scorebooks must have players’ rostered names reflecting the same as their waiver in order to be eligible for the postseason. Stats must be kept on team websites in order for players to be eligible for league post season awards, All Star games, Interleague play or any other special games or events.
11. Game Time- Each team must have a minimum of 8 rostered players to play a game. Game time is forfeit time, no extra time will be given for players to arrive. Games may be played with 8 players and the team will use an 8 man lineup, and the 9th spot will NOT be considered an out. Once a team can no longer field a team with 8 players due to injury, ejection or a player leaving the game that team will lose automatically by forfeit. Regular season games that reach the 3 hour time limit will end after completion of that inning. The score at the end of that inning will count as the final score, games can end in a tie.
12. Forfeits- In case of a team not having enough players and having to forfeit, both teams must pay their umpire fees. Any team forfeiting a game will be fined the cost of the ump fee. This fee will be collected by the league at a later date and will be reimbursed to the opposing team. The score of the game will be recorded as a loss of 9-0. After three (3) forfeits teams may be subject to removal from the league. League board will meet with managers to discuss team forfeits. Any team who knows in advance that they will not be able to field a team must notify the league president a week in advance. This will allow umpires to be notified of the cancellation in time. The game will count as a canceled forfeit in the league standings. Managers will need to provide at least 48 hours notice to reschedule or the manager will be fined umpire fees for both teams. Any team that has multiple forfeits will meet with the Board to determine their status within the league.
13. Umpire fees- MANAGERS WILL NOT PAY UMPIRES CASH ON FIELD. MANAGERS WHO DO NOT PAY THEIR UMPIRE FEES IN A TIMELY MANNER WILL BE SUBJECT TO FORFEITS UNTIL THEIR ACCOUNTS ARE UP TO DATE. These are the payment options:
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Pay for all ump fees before the season starts
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Pay your ump fees at the Continental concession stand the day of your game(s) BEFORE YOUR GAME to Monica Morado using CASH, VENMO OR ZELLE/QUICKPAY.
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Pay your ump fees at the Continental concession stand at the end/beginning of the month to Monica Morado by cash, check, Venmo, Cash App or Zelle/QuickPay.
14. Protests- Protests will be allowed. Only errors in the interpretation of the rules can be the object of the protest. Judgment calls (ex. balls/strikes, safe/out calls) cannot be protested. Protest format will be as follows: 1. Protesting manager must immediately announce to the umpire(s) that the game is being played under protest. 2. Manager must fully complete the League approved Protest Sheet and must have it signed by the umpire. 3. Game should continue without further argument. 4. Depending on the outcome of the game it will be protesting manager’s responsibility to notify the league Vice President of the protest. The league board will meet to decide the outcome of the protest. The league board decision is final.
15. Field Prep/PreGame- Both managers are responsible for prepping the field before and after their games. No team may use the infield prior to the game for warm-ups. They need to use the outfield for warm-up purposes.
16. Equipment Safety-Managers must review their equipment (helmets, catcher’s gear, etc.) to ensure safety before use.
17. Bats- All wood and wood composite bats are legal for game play as long as the bat does not exceed 35” in length and a maximum barrel size of 2 5/8”
18. Slaughter Rule- Slaughter will remain in effect for regular season games; -9 inning game- 15 runs after 6 innings (5 1/2 for home); 10 runs after 7 innings (6 1/2 for home) -7 inning game- 15 runs after 5 innings (4 1/2 for home)
19. Playoff Eligibility-Players must play the predetermined regular season games in order to be eligible for playoff and championship games. One rostered Manager and two rostered coaches are always active and have no game minimum to be eligible to play in all regular season, playoff and championship games. **i. 2023 Predetermined games for playoff eligibility - 6 **ii. 2023 Roster cutoff date for player eligibility – 7/21/24 . Any player added to a roster after this date may not be eligible for playoffs. iii. Any player brought in after the cutoff date in order for a team to avoid a forfeit cannot pitch but can play any other position. iv. An at-bat constitutes a game played. An inning pitched constitutes a game for a non hitting pitcher. Non hitting pitchers must be in the scorebook as a non hitter to constitute a game played. After a player has played 6 games, managers will notify the President or Vice President and the player will be assigned a player ID Card. Managers must be ready to present ID cards for all players who are eligible for playoff games.
20. Managers are responsible to keep dugouts and field surroundings clean and damage free. Any garbage/damage left by team or team fans will be the responsibility of that team’s manager to either pay for damage or return to the field to clean garbage. Failure to comply by a manager will result in possible suspension. Fans are not allowed in the dugout. Not adhering to this rule may result in a forfeit.
21. Players must remain in the dugout if not the on deck batter. All equipment and gear must be kept clear and out of the way. Any player refusing to remain in the dugout or remove equipment from the playing field may be subject to a team forfeit at the umpire’s discretion.
22. Line-up Substitutions- All substitutions must be announced to the umpire and opposing team. If a player is not announced he will be considered out after occupying the batter’s box or any time during the at bat.
23. Continuous Batting Order-Teams may use a continuous batting order. If a team has only 8 players, all 8 players will bat without an automatic out being recorded for the empty 9th spot. Once a 9th rostered player enters the game he will enter into the 9th slot in the batting order. If a team only has 8 players and a player is ejected from the game, the game is a forfeit. If a team has 9 players, all 9 players will bat. Players may be added to the bottom of the order at any time during the game. Added players/substitutions must be announced to the umpire and opposing team. There is no maximum on continuous batting order. Any player ejected from the game must be subbed for in the batting order. If not then there will be a counted out every time their spot comes up to bat in the order until that spot is filled. If a player is injured during a game and cannot continue play he must be subbed for. If no substitute is available to sub for him then his spot in the order will be skipped, no out will be recorded. If a player leaves the game (non-ejection) he must be subbed for. If there are not enough players to sub, he will be counted as an out until the spot is filled.
24. A/B Hitters- Teams are allowed to A/B hitters in their line-up. This means before the game a manager designates certain players who will trade off at-bats. A manager is allowed to A/B as many hitters as they want. If a player is removed from the game then the replacing player will take on the role of the former player. A player may not be removed from A/B and not replaced, otherwise the non-occupied spot will count as an out. This will help in getting more players involved in game play without removing a player from that game. Ex. You have 14 players batting in 13 spots; 2 players hitting 13th will trade off at each at bat.
25. Defensive Free Substitution- Any rostered player may freely play any defensive position other than pitcher spot from inning to inning throughout game. A defensive player does not have to be in the batting order. If a defensive player enters the batting order he must be entered at the bottom spot unless he is substituting a batter in lineup at that point the batter being subbed for can no longer hit but can still play a defensive position. All players must have at least one official at bat per game to be considered one game played. Ex. A player shows up, plays one or more innings in the field and does not have a recorded at bat then leaves the game. This does not count as a game played and will not count as a game played toward playoff eligibility.
26. Ejection- Players, coaches, managers or fans will be ejected from a game for any display of bad sportsmanship or inappropriate activity including excessive arguing, yelling, swearing/profanity, throwing equipment, etc. Ejected persons will also be ineligible for the following game. Ejections will be handled on a case by case basis, depending on the severity of the action a manager, coach or player may be ineligible for multiple games. At which time a manager meeting will be called to review the situation to possibly extend the expulsion. Any suspended player or manager cannot be in the dugout or participate in any game/league activities during or after the game. Suspended players cannot be anywhere on the field during their suspension. They may attend only as a fan, they must still adhere to league rules or be subject to an extended suspension. The league will have incident reports that will need to be filled out with any ejections by the umpire. Any players, coaches or managers get suspended more than 3 times in a season may be suspended for the season.
27. Collision rule – At the umpire’s discretion, a runner attempting to score or advance a base may not deviate from his direct pathway to the plate (base) in order to initiate contact with the defensive player. A runner violating the rule will be called out even if the fielder drops the ball. Also at the umpire’s discretion, a runner lowering his shoulder or using his hands, elbows or arms to push through or maliciously knock the defensive player out of the way and/or initiate contact with the defensive player would be in violation and will be called out. Defensive players cannot block the pathway of the runner if he is not in possession of the ball, if this happens the runner will be called safe. Again at the umpire’s discretion, runners who slide appropriately are not in violation of the rule. Base runners must slide to avoid contact.
28. All pitchers may be removed and brought back at a later time in the game as a pitcher only once as long as he remains in the game and continues playing a defensive position for the completion of that inning.
29. Courtesy Runner- Each team will be allowed a maximum three (3) players per game who can be classified as needing a courtesy runner. Managers must let the opposing manager and umpire know of any players needing courtesy runners. Each time a designated non runner reaches base, he will call time out and at that point will be replaced by the last recorded out. If the last recorded out also is listed as needing a courtesy runner, the second to last recorded out will run. In the case that no outs have been recorded when the designated non runner reaches base, the last batter in the lineup will act as the last recorded out. There are no designated runners.
29b. If a player is injured at any time, a courtesy runner may be used, courtesy runner will be last recorded out.
29c. Courtesy runner for pitchers and catchers can be used after 2 outs at manager’s discretion. Courtesy runner must be the last recorded out.
30. Pitchers-FIVE (5) total visits to the mound per game by anyone on the team, including manager, coach or player. All pitchers may be removed and brought back at a later time in the game as a pitcher only once as long as he remains in the game and continues playing a defensive position for the completion of that inning. In the case of pitchers hitting batters the umpire will issue a warning to the managers and pitchers after a pitcher has hit 3 (three) players in a game or if the umpire feels the pitcher is hitting batter(s) intentionally. 2) Ask a pitcher to be removed from the mound if the pitcher has hit 4 (four) batters. At this time, per the umpire request, the pitcher must be removed from the pitcher’s mound. He can remain in the game just not allowed to pitch. 3) Make a judgment call if he thinks a pitcher is intentionally throwing at a batter in a malicious and intentional purpose. The pitcher may then be ejected from the game and will not be allowed to play the remainder of the game and will also serve a one game suspension the following game.
30b. MLB Pick Off rule-limits pitchers to two disengagements (either a pickoff attempt or a step-off) per plate appearance. If a pitcher attempts a third disengagement without getting the runner out the runner will advance. This resets with each new base the runner is at.
31. Intentional Walk- In the case of an intentional walk the catcher will notify the ump that an intentional walk will be issued. No pitches will be thrown, batter will take his base.
32. All fines collected will be recorded and used to offset league costs (team awards, trophies, etc.)
33. Rain Outs-The League will make every effort to notify managers at least 90 minutes before their game time of cancellation.
34. Make Up Games-Will be scheduled throughout the season depending on open time slots. Ex., some games may be rescheduled the following Sunday, some games may be made up mid season, some games may be made up at the end of the season.
35. Tie Breakers-At the end of the regular season if there is a tie the following tie breakers will be used to determine standings:
● Head to head
● Runs scored during the tied teams series
● Runs allowed during the tied teams series
● Total season run differential
36. In addition, all games will be played using Major League Baseball rules, with the exception of the 2025 rules.
*********PLEASE NOTE THE FOLLOWING UMPIRE ASSOCIATION FEE GUIDELINES**********
● 9 inning game with 2 umps = each team pays $110
● 9 inning game with 1 ump = each team pays $55
● 7 inning game with 2 umps = each team pays $110
● 7 inning game with 1 ump = each team pays $55
● Show Fee = each team pays $110 per ump
● Umps will receive full pay for games under the following conditions
○ Any forfeited games, ie. team forfeits due to only 7 players showing up
○ Any games that have started & are subsequently cancelled for any reason prior to completion. ie. activation of sprinkler system, acts of God-weather related, umpire injury
● A game is official once the visiting team has made 15 outs and the home team is leading or once the home team has made 15 outs regardless of the score
● Rain procedures-EMBL will notify scheduled umpires at least 1 hour prior to scheduled game if game will be cancelled or rescheduled. EMBL will do all they can to notify umpires and work with umpires to reschedule. No games will be rescheduled until it is first confirmed with umpires for availability.
ADDITIONAL WILD CARD, PLAYOFF AND CHAMPIONSHIP GAME RULES:
● Best of three game series or one game elimination games
● Teams are re-seeded after each round of play
● Game duration: Post season games will be 9 inning games
● Slaughter Rule: 9 inning game- 15 runs after 6 innings (5 1/2 for home); 10 runs after 7 innings (6 1/2 for home)
● If game is still tied after 3 hours of play the California Rule will go into effect; The new inning starts with the last recorded out at 2nd base and team at bat has one out.
● Playoff schedule will fluctuate week to week for the best interest of the league
● The league asks that all participants be flexible and expect to play on Saturdays at 4:00pm and/or 7:00pm and on Sundays at 9:00am, 12:00pm, 3:00pm and or 6:00pm
