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ARTICLE IX

SCHEDULING and RESCHEDULING

Section 9.1 Customized Scheduling

To make League participation attractive to a wide range of teams:

· League competition shall be structured according to both age and skill level wherever possible. This provides teams of widely differing skill levels with competitively balanced regular season play opportunities while also affording lower skilled teams with a realistic opportunity to participate in any of several nationally sanctioned Championship Tournaments through the League’s affiliations with various national sanctioning bodies.

· Team schedules shall be customized according to each team's availability and its home field availability, as well as its preferences for other factors such as doubleheaders. Consideration of travel distances is a factor in divisional placements as well as in determining weekday opponents and weekend opponents.

Section 9.2 Divisions

Teams qualify for NCTS berths based on regular season play in divisional play. Regular season divisions may be defined separately for teams of each age and skill level or they may be combined across teams of different ages and skill levels. When the latter approach is used, a strength-of-schedule factor shall be applied. Divisions may be specific to an individual sanctioning body or they may be applicable to all applicable sanctioning bodies at once. The methodologies whereby regular division standings are determined shall be determined by the League Administrator.

In addition, whenever regular season divisions are be defined separately by skill level, whenever possible and appropriate, "wildcard" divisions shall be made available to all teams. Wildcard divisions provide all teams with additional opportunities for NCTS berths. Wild card divisions are designed to allow the results of inter-divisional games to count. Games played between two teams in the same regular division may also count as wildcard divisional games. Like regular divisions, wildcard divisions may be specific to one or more sanctioning bodies simultaneously. The methodologies whereby wildcard division standings are determined shall be determined by the League Administrator. See section 10.9 for a description of minimum tournament qualifying games required by each sanctioning body.

Following the close of League registrations each year, the League Administrator shall define all such divisions, determine a head-to-head play requirement where necessary, and populate each division with teams accordingly.

Section 9.3 Regular Season Game Totals

The League shall schedule teams to play as many regular season games as they request whenever possible. This total may include non-tournament qualifying games as well as tournament qualifying games. Non-tournament qualifying games do not count in any standings for NCTS berths but are included in the overall record of each team and reported in an overall standings for each age group. NOTE: Non-tournament qualifying games are league games and cannot be canceled w/o penalty, no different than tournament qualifying games, except as provided in section 9.10, rule 11. The league Administrator shall define tournament qualifying and non-tournament qualifying games, consistent with the standings methodologies adopted in the regular and wildcard divisions in each age division. NOTE: The League does not schedule pre-season games but teams can use the various web tools for Pick-Up Games to assist in this process. Availability for exhibition games should be submitted to the league along with regular season availability. When members schedule exhibition games with other league teams, those games should not be added to a team's online schedule as they would interfere with how game results are included in the standings.

RULE 4 Tie-breakers - The league shall determine tie-breakers from year to year, based on the divisional format adopted each year. To the extent possible, the first tie-breaker will be based on head-to-head play between or among the participants.

When two teams are “tournament qualifying” opponents and have extra games scheduled with each other, the extra games can be substituted for the tournament qualifying games when the latter are postponed or canceled. For example, two teams have a two game tournament qualifying requirement with each other but were scheduled to play each other three times. The first two times they play count as their tournament qualifying games. If game one or two between them was not played for any reason, the final scheduled game between them may be used to satisfy their two game tournament qualifying requirement. In order for the website to correctly count the played games in the standings, the un-played game must be rescheduled on the team’s website schedule to a date after the 2nd game that was actually played

Section 9.4 Scheduling

The League Administrator shall draft a tentative League schedule satisfying each team’s various constraints whenever possible for such factors as: tournament qualifying requirements; requests for extra games; team and home field availability; and, doubleheader preferences. Schedules shall be available for all teams no later than approximately two weeks before their season is scheduled to begin.

Section 9.5 Home Games

Every effort shall be made to schedule each team an even number of home and away games except where the total number of games is odd and then the number of home games will not exceed the number of away games by more than one. Where possible, each head-to-head series will be scheduled on an even home and home basis but this will be a secondary consideration, depending on a variety of factors. In addition, if a team's home field availability is limited, it may have the majority of its games scheduled away.

1 Payment Of Umpires. All teams shall split all umpire fees equally.

2. Provision Of Game Balls. The team designated as the home team on the official league schedule shall provide all game balls.

3. Scheduling Of Umpires. Under normal circumstances, the home team shall provide for the scheduling of umpires.

Exceptions:

· Opening Weekend - On opening weekend it shall be the duty of each host field to schedule umpires for all games.

· Home/Away Reversals - Also, due to field constraints, the roles of home and away may be reversed i.e, the traveling team may be designated as the home team and the non-traveling team may be designated as the away team. In such cases, the non-traveling team shall be responsible for field preparation and scheduling of umpires.

· Third Party Fields - When neither team is playing on its home field it shall be the responsibility of the designated home team to coordinate with the field owner, the scheduling of umpires. If the teams cancel the game without providing the field owner with timely notification and the umpires are not properly canceled, the designated home team shall be responsible for all umpire fees incurred.

Section 9.6 Reschedules - Grace Period

Following the official release of the tentative League Schedule, there is a two week window for teams 13U and up to contact each other and arrange necessary reschedules.

RULE 5 It is mandatory that teams accommodate all rescheduling requests during this "grace period", provided they are available to play on the date, based on its online team availability, and provided teh reschedule would not result in an onerous number of games within a short period of time. There is no penalty for nor any limit on the number of scheduling changes a team can make during this grace period. The grace period shall end no later than the last Wednesday before Memorial Day Weekend.

RULE 6 Once schedule changes are agreed to by both parties, a non-weather postponement and reschedule must be entered to the team's online schedule, which must be kept current at all times. The non-weather postponement request must be initiated online by the team making the request.

Failure to edit a rescheduled tournament qualifying game could result in the STANDINGS being computed incorrectly. It is the responsibility of both teams to ensure this does not happen. Both the home and away team have the capability to edit the game online. Teams can contact their League Rep for assistance with the mechanics of the online schedule editing process. Any game edit appears on both teams' online schedules simultaneously and an automatic email is sent to all parties, including both League Reps and the League President.

Section 9.7 Reschedules In-Season

Once the rescheduling grace period ends, schedules are considered final and teams are expected to adhere to them. One of the most important obligations each team has to the League is to make every reasonable effort to strictly adhere to its schedule once the season has begun. It is for this reason that the League goes to great lengths to provide each team with a schedule that is tailored to its specifications, including a grace period for reschedules prior to the beginning of the season.

RULE 7 The reschedule of any make-up game, including both weather related postponements and discretionary postponements, as well as the continuation of any suspended games shall be entered on the league's official website (not necessarily replayed) within seven calendar days of the date on which the game was previously scheduled to be played. All such reschedules shall require the concurrence of both managers involved.

Where such concurrence can not be reached, either team may declare an impasse prior to the expiration of the 7 day limit for online updates. In the event an impasse is declared, the league Rep for the home team shall be notified and shall be responsible for rescheduling the game, possibly at a neutral site. The decision of the league rep shall be final and not subject to appeal.

RULE 8 Any non-weather related postponement/reschedule request by a team after the grace period ends must be agreed to by the scheduled opponent, who is no longer under any obligation to accommodate the request.

The League encourages members to be cooperative and make every reasonable effort to accommodate rescheduling requests throughout the entire season provided a timely notification of at least 7 days is provided. On the other hand, the League encourages members NOT to accommodate any postponement request when notification is given less than 7 days in advance and instead, take a non-playing forfeit win. This will encourage teams to be reliable and provide timely notifications. See section 9.8 for a description of penalties for non-playing forfeitures.

Section 9.8 Non-Playing Forfeitures

Any failure to show up to play a scheduled game on time with at least nine eligible players, regardless of length of advance notice, is a non-playing forfeit except as provided in section 9.10.

RULE 9 No game shall officially start without a minimum of nine league eligible players being present in uniform for both teams.

Any team with less than nine such players shall be provided 20 minutes after the scheduled start time to field a team of nine such players. At that point a non-playing forfeit is declared against the team unable to field a complete team unless there is a reasonable basis to expect that a sufficient number of players are on their way. Even under this circumstance, the game must start within 60 minutes of the original scheduled start time and there must be adequate time to play a complete game (7 innings). If the game begins under this circumstance and is not completed due to darkness, the game will be counted as a playing forfeit for the offending team. If the game is the first game of a doubleheader the 2nd game shall be rescheduled but the away team has the option to require the make‑up game to be played on its own home field.

In the event a game can not be played because the umpires failed to show on time the neither team will be penalized. Games must be played if only one umpire is present.

Section 9.9 Penalties For Non-Playing Forfeitures

RULE 10 Non-playing forfeitures must be reported by the team taking the win to the League President via email or phone unless the official league website provides automatic notification.

The League Administrator shall keep a written record of each team’s non-playing forfeitures. The penalty for non-playing forfeit losses shall be as follows:

· No points shall be awarded in the standings for any non-playing forfeit loss. The team receiving a forfeit win shall receive the same points as for an ordinary win. The score of all non-playing forfeits shall be 7-0 (for tie-breaker purposes);

· The forfeiting team is responsible for paying all unavoidable umpire fees due to late notification. The opponent receiving the non-playing forfeit, if he scheduled the umpires, is responsible for canceling the umpires immediately upon notification. Any failure to do so would result in the forfeiting team not having to pay the avoidable portion of any umpire fees charged.

· What constitutes late notification for determining the unavoidable umpire fees shall depend in part on the customary practices of the applicable umpire organization. Some organizations allow cancellations with as little as two hours notice while others require as much as 7 days notice. In no case shall the forfeiting team be responsible to pay any umpire fees if notification was provided at least one week in advance.

· Any non-playing forfeit shall be subject to progressive fines, at the discretion of the Competition Committee. A premium may be applied to any non-playing forfeit with less than a three day notification. The first such instance shall result in a warning. Each additional instance shall result in a progressively higher fine in increments of $50.

· Three non-playing forfeits within the same division of play in the same season may result in loss of sanctioned tournament eligibility, at the discretion of the League’s Competition Committee. Five non-playing forfeits, regardless of division, may disqualify the team from all post-season tournament play, at the discretion of the League’s Competition Committee. A 6th non-playing forfeit, regardless of division, may result in indefinite suspension from league participation, also at the discretion of the League’s Competition Committee.

The forfeiting team is responsible for paying all applicable fines and umpire fees within 72 hours of notification of assessment. Failure to make all payments in a timely manner may result in immediate suspension, at the discretion of the League’s Competition Committee.

NOTE: When a team shows up on time with nine or more players and a forfeit is declared, this is a playing forfeit. Playing forfeits are not penalized other than in the standings where no points shall be awarded for any playing forfeit loss.

Section 9.10 Monsoon Safety-Valve

In years where there are a large number of mid and late season rain outs, this rule is designed to prevent teams from having to play an inordinate number of games during the last two weeks of the regular season. To invoke the “safety-valve” rule a team must demonstrate to the satisfaction of its league rep or the league President that it would present an undue burden to play all its remaining scheduled games.

RULE 11 A team may cancel non-tournament qualifying games, also referred to as ”extra games” in the last two (2) weeks of the season without penalty, in order to make-up tournament qualifying games that would have a bearing on the outcome of divisional competitions for berths in post-season tournaments. Teams need the permission of their league rep or the league President prior to cancelling any game for this reason. Any team requesting such a cancellation shall be required to demonstrate to the satisfaction of its league rep or the league President that it would present an undue burden to play all its remaining scheduled games.

A 72 hour notice shall be required for such cancellations under this provision. Essential games include all tournament qualifying games that could reasonably affect the final standings. This would include games that one or both teams need to play to reach its required minimum of qualified games for post-season eligibility.

Section 9.11 REPORTING SCORES

RULE 12 It shall be the duty of each manager or his appointee to report the score of all his team’s games with other League teams on the League website within 24 hours of the time the game was completed. Any game remaining un-scored for seven days after the date for which the game was scheduled to be played shall be locked-down as a "PASSED" game. Neither team shall receive any standings points for a passed game. No other penalty shall apply.

It is important that standings on the League website be kept accurate and current. League reps shall be responsible for ensuring compliance. To the extent possible, the league's official website will assist in this task.

Section 9.12 PROTESTS

The standing Competition Committee shall have complete authority in disposition of all protests.

RULE 13 All protests must be submitted in writing, accompanied by a fee of $50.00, to the President, within 24 hours of the termination of the game upon which the protest is filed, as shown by post-mark on such protest.

The specific baseball rule or League rule allegedly violated and upon which the protest is based must be cited. All protests of an official’s judgment will be denied. The chief umpire shall sign and provide his phone number on the score book of the protesting team and mark the point in the game when the alleged infraction occurred.

In the event the protest is denied, the fee shall be deposited in the League treasury. If the protest is allowed, the fee shall be returned.