GREATER CINCINNATI KNOTHOLE 2012 SELECT KNOTHOLE TRAVELING LEAGUE ** INFORMATION AND RULES ** 1. MISSION AND PURPOSE: The Select Knothole Traveling League will give teams the opportunity to play in an additional league outside their District. All Knothole players and the team shall also play their District schedule. Each traveling team shall play between 12-18 additional games depending on the Class and number of teams in the Class. It is expected that teams will be structured to be committed to playing their full Travel League schedule in a competitive fashion. This will be a City wide League, but depending on the number of teams in each Class, regional scheduling will be attempted. Also, since each class consists of multiple ages, if enough teams are registered in each age of a Class, schedules will weighted by age. This League shall include Classes A(15U, 14U), B(13U, 12U), C(11U, 10U) and D(9U). All players must be of the correct age on May 1, 2012. 2. TRAVELING LEAGUE STRUCTURE AND MANAGEMENT A. An Executive Supervisor shall be in charge of the overall program and will have final decision making authority on any and all issues that are presented to the Executive Supervisor. B. Each Class shall have a League Supervisor who shall be responsible for scheduling and day to day operations of the league(s) within the Class for which he/she is responsible. C. Each League in each Class shall have a League Scorekeeper who shall be responsible for recording all game scores, keeping track of all make-up games, ensuring make-up games are properly scheduled and advising the League Supervisor if any teams are behind in completing their game schedule. D. The Executive Supervisor and League Supervisors shall call a mandatory team managers meeting prior to the start of the season. This meeting shall be in March 24th for Classes B, C and D and April 21st for Class A; the time and location will be determined prior to the meetings. E. Game Scheduling i. Classes B, C and D shall start their season April 15th and the season shall run through June 30th. ii. Class A shall start their season the week of May 14th and the season shall run through June 30th. iii. Games will be scheduled on Sundays except for Mother’s Day. Sunday games can’t start before 1:00PM. Many Sundays will include scheduled doubleheaders. Weekday games will be indicated but must be scheduled by the managers because these games can’t interfere with the teams’ scheduled District games. Managers of opposing teams will have the flexibility of changing game day schedules to facilitate completing all scheduled games. Any changes in game dates must be communicated to the League Scorekeeper by the home team when the change is made. F. The team fee for entry into the traveling league shall be $125.00. If a team completes 90% or more of their game schedule, that team will receive a $50 fee refund after the season is over. Team trophies shall be awarded to the 1st and 2nd place teams in each league. No individuals trophies will be awarded. The traveling league is not intended to have a post season tournament, but this could evolve over time with discussions with the managers. All team fees will be paid by check made payable to: Greater Cincinnati Knothole Association (GCKA) and turned in to the Executive Supervisor with the team’s registration and roster at the mandatory managers meeting. 3. TEAM ELIGIBILITY: A. Each team must be based in a Knothole District and must play a District schedule. The team’s District Supervisor must approve the team’s play in the Traveling League by signing the team’s Traveling League Registration and Roster Form. B. Each team must contain a minimum of 12 players and at least 50% of these players must play for the same team which plays in the team’s District league (i.e. 12 players, 6 from the same team; 13 players, then 7; 14 players, then 7 and so on). See Player Eligibility below for player eligibility rules. C. The Traveling League is a uniform league and each player on a team must wear the same uniform as all the other players on that team. D. Teams are expected to complete their entire Traveling League schedule. Managers must plan ahead to roster enough players to complete their game schedule. Forfeits will be a matter for fines, disciplinary action and possible banishment from playing in the traveling league in subsequent years. E. At the end of the Travel League season each League Supervisor and the Executive Supervisor shall review the league results and look at each team’s competitiveness versus the other teams in their league. Teams whose competiveness is significantly lower than the other teams shall be requested to restructure their team to be more competitive or they may risk their eligibility to play in the Travel League in subsequent years. Competitiveness shall be determined by the team’s record, percentage of scheduled games played and other criteria as determined by the League and Executive Supervisors. 4. PLAYER ELIGIBILITY: A. All Players on each Traveling League team must come form within the team’s District boundaries. The District Supervisor can set up District based rules for allowing District Knothole players on a Traveling League team. District Supervisors are encouraged to have teams and players play in this league. Teams may appeal to the GCKA Board if they wish to play in the league without their District Supervisor’s approval. B. Any Knothole player wishing to play on a Traveling League team outside his District boundaries must obtain written approval from the District Supervisor of his “home” District but he does not need the approval of the District Supervisor in which the Traveling League team is based. If the approval is not granted, the player may appeal to the GCKA Board to play on a Travel League team without his District Supervisor’s approval. C. Players from teams outside of Knothole (AABC, Little League, etc.) can be rostered on Traveling League teams, but they must have a signed Knothole Player Contract before they play their first game. Player(s) playing without a signed contract will cause the team to FORFEIT any and all games in which said player(s) participated. D. A copy of each team’s player contract must be turned in with the team roster prior to the season. After the season starts, contract for added players must be received by the League Supervisor of the Class before that player can participate in a game. E. 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. NO OVERAGE PLAYERS WILL BE ALLOWED ON TRAVELING LEAGUE TEAMS. F. No players may be added after June 20th. G. When roster changes are made, revised rosters are to be in the hands of the League Supervisor of that Class prior to the roster being in effect. Email is the preferred method for forwarding new player contracts and updated rosters. Mail and hand delivery also work, but don’t have the benefit of a date stamp of transmission. 5. GAMES: A.. Innings: A – 7 innings; B – 6 innings; C – 6 innings; D – 5 innings. B. Start tines: Managers shall work out their game start times. Sundays must be after 1:00PM and would suggest weekdays 6:30PM of later. If a game starting time needs to change, this should be done at least 48 hours in advance of the game. 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 TRAVELING LEAGUE EXECUTIVE OR 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.) one (1)hour 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. Depending on weather, scheduling issues or other circumstances, the umpires can order the game to be played without infield practice as long as both teams are impacted the same. 6. GAME BALLS PERMITTED: A. At the start of the game each team will furnish one new ball which must be of the quality of balls such as MacGregor, DeBeer, Rawlings, and/or Diamond. In addition to commercial outlets, these balls are available for purchase through Kid Glove purchasing. B. Both teams will furnish good serviceable back up balls of the same type starting first with the home team and as called for by the game umpires. C. Umpires are directed to remove all balls deemed by them as unfit from the game. At the completion of the game, the remaining game balls will be given back to the teams with the home team getting first choice. 7. UMPIRES: A The host team is responsible for providing both umpires for the game.