Updated 1/16/2008

Division III

American Legion Baseball
Standard Operating Procedures

The rules below were adopted for all league play.  Final approval at the Jan. 16, 2008 meeting.

Changes from last year are bolded.

·         League schedules must be completed and sent to the commissioner by May 31, 2008. 

  June 1, 2008 from 2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m., all teams will present their paperwork (Form 1s, Form 2’s, etc.) to their District commissioner at Post 138.  The penalty of not showing any paperwork will result in no post-season eligibility even if not completed.  If not submitted by June 15th, then you will be disqualified.

 June 15th will be the designated cut-off date for rescheduling league games for reasons other than weather and umpire shortages. After this date, any rescheduling must be agreed upon by BOTH teams. If the game is unable to be rescheduled, the rescheduling team will have to forfeit the game. 

 Refundable entry fee of $100.00 per team is due to the commissioner by a date to be set at the fall meeting. 

 The Division teams voted to assess themselves a $100 fee which is to pay for Umpires at the Divisional Senior, Junior and Junior A Playoffs.

 All State and Divisional fees are to be paid by May 1, 2008.

 A team must complete the league schedule to be a contender for the league championship and post-season play.
  Teams that do not finish their League schedules, or *forfeit two League games in a season may compete the following season upon approval of a majority of the coaches and posting of a $300.00 non-refundable fee paid to the League. 

 A new team is defined as follows: 

      A.    A team that did not play in American Legion Division III the previous season. 
 OR
 B.    A team that played in American Legion Division III the previous season but has a new coach and or manager and no more than 3 returning players. 

·         Players who dual participate (play in another league outside of American Legion Baseball) must have a dual participation letter completed by June 8th, approved by the Senior Commissioner and comply with the dual participation rule to be eligible for post season. 

 Teams must have a copy of the league SOP’s in their "Team Notebooks.”  Team Notebooks must be present at every league game.  If they are not present at the games, the team will forfeit the game. 

 Visiting teams must call the evening prior to the start of the game if they are unable to play the game.  If they do not, they will need to cover the home team’s umpire costs. 

 Both coaches will call in case of inclement weather, bad field conditions, postponements, etc. 

 Make up games must be made up on the first available date.  League has priority over non-league games. 

 Teams must use association umpires for all league games.

 The home team will call or email the scores of league games to Richard Norris:   253-471-1266 or rickn@emeth.com WITHIN 48 HOURS.

 Players ejected from a LEAGUE game must be reported to Richard Norris by the coach of the ejected player within 48 hours. The player must sit out the very next LEAGUE game. All LEAGUE games after the ejection will be forfeited if the ejection is not reported to the commissioner or if the ejected player fails to sit out the next LEAGUE game. 

 The league ball will be Diamond D-1, Rawlings R-100, or Baden 3 B Pro or Pro 9.  No Exceptions. 

 The ten-run rule will apply to all league games; after 4 ½ innings in a 7 inning game, after 61/2 innings in a 9 inning game. 

 Coaches must be in the same uniforms as players in all league games.

 American Legion patches will be on all uniforms prior to the team's first game.

Senior League Specific
Standard Operating Procedures

·         The league schedule will consist of each team playing 3 league games against each team within the league. 

·         The Divisional Senior will not have a Championship Tournament and the top teams in league will be the results of the seeding for the regional tournament. 

Since we have no tournament this year the rest of the Senior information doesn’t exist but will stay in place in the SOP’s for future incase we have a Senior Divisional Tournament. 

·         The Senior Legion Divisional Tournament it will be a 4 team double elimination tournament format. 

·         The Divisional tournament host team must pay all expenses except the umpires. 

·         If the Divisional tournament is rained out without a game ever being played, the league standings will be used to represent Division III at a regional tournament. 

·         If the district tournament is rained out while the tournament is in progress, the highest seeded teams with the best tournament winning percentage will represent Division III at the regional tournament.

Junior League Specific
Standard Operating Procedures

·         No graduated senior may play in any Junior Legion LEAGUE game or during any Divisional playoff games.   18 year olds (non-graduated senior) can play if they are released from a senior legion club (Junior Legion feeder teams only), otherwise all kids must be 17 years old or younger. 

·         The league schedule:
The juniors are divided into 2 divisions; North and South.  Each team within their division will play a home and away game against the other teams within their division.  

·         The Junior Legion Divisional Tournament will consist of eight teams and will be hosted by Graham – Kapowsin and they will get an automatic berth, leaving 7 berths left.  

·         Junior Legion Divisional Tournament format is as follows: (bracket click here)
8 team double elimination; the top 4 teams from the N League (Graham – Kapowsin takes one of the 4 already) and top 4 teams from the S League.  The 1st  2nd, and 3rd place teams will advance to the state tournament.
 Seeding to the Divisional Playoffs for each Junior League division will be based on the number of teams that finish the schedule and are eligible for the playoffs. If a division finishes with 2 less teams than the other, it loses one of its seeds to the division with 2 more teams. If a division finishes with 4 less teams than the other, it loses two of its seeds to the division with 4 more teams. If all teams finish the season and are eligible for the playoffs, each division receives and equal number of seeds as established at the beginning of the season. (Approved by e-mail vote 4/12/07) 

·         The Divisional tournament host team must pay all expenses except the umpires. 

·         If the Divisional tournament is rained out without a game ever being played, the two highest seeded league champions and the next team with the higher winning percentage of League games. 

·         If the Divisional tournament is rained out while the tournament is in progress, the highest seeded teams with the best tournament winning percentages will represent Division III at the state tournament.  

·         If a tie cannot be broken by the above criteria, the tied teams must travel to a playable location and play one game to determine the Division III representatives to state tournament.

Junior A League Specific
Standard Operating Procedures

·         The league schedule will consist of each team playing two league games against each team within the league.  

·         The Junior A Legion Divisional Tournament will consist of the top four teams from league play.  

·         Junior A Legion Divisional Tournament format is as follows: 
 4 team double elimination tournament and the host is yet to be determined. 

·         The Divisional tournament host team must pay all expenses except the umpires. 

·         If the Divisional tournament is rained out without a game ever being played, the regular season champion will represent Division III at the state tournament.  

·         If the district tournament is rained out while the tournament is in progress, the highest seeded team with the best tournament winning percentage will represent Division III at the state tournament.

*Exhibition team – Can’t participate in playoffs but games count in League standings.
*Forfeiture of double header will only count as 1 forfeited game, but 2 losses in the league standings.