District 14 Knothole Association

2007 Rules

1.   The 2007 Knothole Club of Greater Cincinnati, Inc. Rules, and the 2007 Official National League Baseball Rules are the governing rules, except as amended below:

2.      League Fees: A league fee of $38.00 per team for all classes must be turned in at the time of registration, February 20, 2007, at Delhi Park Lodge, 8:00 p.m., along with team rosters and average age sheets. The season will start on April 14, 2007. All leagues will end on June 23, 2007. All games must be played, including make-up games, by league ending date, unless the last game is rained out. Except for League Championship playoffs.

3.   Member Organization: Each member organization shall have a district representative. He will give his managers all rules, contracts, etc. He will deliver all monies and contracts from his teams to the district officials. There will be NO CASH accepted. Make all checks or money orders payable to "District 14 Knothole." Team contracts are due March 20, 2007, at the Delhi Park Lodge, 7:00 p.m.

4.   Legal Games: The umpire shall terminate the game ONLY WHEN ALL THREE of the following conditions have been met:

A.  The winning team is ten (10) runs or more ahead and the losing team has had an equal number of times at bat. (For all classes)

B.  Class A has played a minimum of 5 innings

      Class B has played a minimum of 4 innings

      Class C & D has played a minimum of 3 innings

C.  Class A has played a minimum of 1 hour and 30 minutes

      Class B has played a minimum of 1 hour and 15 minutes

      Class C & D has played a minimum of 1 hour

5.   Class D teams, except the senior division, shall play with the following changes: "THE DROPPED THIRD STRIKE RULE": the batter is out and may not run to first base, other runners may advance at their own risk, except to home. There shall be no stealing to home plate.

      "THE NINE BATTER RULE": no more than nine batters from a team shall go to the plate in any given inning unless the ninth batter walks or is hit by a pitch, in which case a tenth batter, but no more than a tenth shall go to the plate.

      “NO SECOND YEAR PITCHER” will be allowed to pitch in the lowest age division of Class D.

      “Second Year”, shall be defined as a player that played the previous season or by age.

6.   Scheduled Games: All scheduled games must be played on the date, time and field they are scheduled for, unless rained out. After the schedules have been made and printed, only the Executive Supervisor can make alterations to those schedules. The Executive Supervisor is the only one permitted to call off games ahead of time because of rain. In this event he will notify the class coordinators who will in turn notify the teams. DO NOT CALL THE COORDINATORS‑THEY WILL NOTIFY YOU AS SOON AS THEY ARE NOTIFIED. Managers will not be permitted to change their schedules for any reason. If the games are not played both teams will receive a loss and the managers will be subject to discipline. Make up games can be canceled due to weather by the team furnishing the field, if the home team agrees to play on the visitor’s field. All other home team rights do not change.

7.   Rainout Games: Each rainout game must be rescheduled within 72 hours and played within two weeks of the rainout date.  If the rescheduled game is rained out the two teams have an additional two weeks to make up the game but no later than the final date outlined in Rule # 2 above. If the managers cannot agree on a time or place either manager may request the district class coordinator to set a time and place which shall be binding on both teams. Failure of either team to show up for the game shall result in a loss for that team.

      Suspended Games: Any game that is stopped due to darkness, rain, lightning or a time curfew that has not reached the number of innings as outlined in the Greater Cincinnati Knothole Rules for a legal game, shall be considered a suspended game and shall be completed at a later date.  Umpires will have to be rehired for the completion of the game.

8.   Extra Innings: No game will be played for more than two (2) extra innings in league play on Saturday. If the score is still tied at that time it shall be considered no game and replayed as a rainout under Rule

      # 7. Failure to reschedule and play the game shall result in a loss for both teams. The last game scheduled on Saturday as well as games during the week or on Sunday shall be played to conclusion, providing the elements of time, darkness or inclement weather does not interfere.

9.   Managers are responsible for providing their complete team name and district roster number (your team number on your schedule) on the starting line‑up card and umpires score card. A manager is accountable for the information on cards where his signature or initials appear. In a dispute, the home team's score -book is official except for protests in which case see Greater Cincinnati Knothole Rule # 14.

10. The assigned umpire shall:

      (1)  Determine the base and pitching distances, and install a pitching rubber if available. Corrections to these distances, if in error, may be made at the start of the next inning. A measuring tape should be used.

(2)   Be responsible for collecting line‑up cards and scorecards.

      (3)  Not permit anyone to judge or intimidate him. The umpire can forfeit games and will note on the scorecard any reason for forfeiture.

      (4)  Note in both teams’ scorebooks the point of any protest, and submit a letter, giving details of the protest, to the Umpire Coordinator or Executive Supervisor.

      (5)  All umpires shall wear a mask behind the plate and it is highly recommended they also wear a chest protector, shin guards, a throat protector and athletic supporter with cup.

      No game will be postponed due to the absence of the assigned umpires. The manager will submit the score and line‑up cards and name and phone number of the substitute umpire(s) to the Umpire Coordinator or District Supervisor.

      All ejections will be reported immediately to the Umpire Coordinator who will within three days notify the Executive Supervisor. If the same manager, coach, or player is ejected twice or more during the season a hearing will be held to determine if further disciplinary action is needed.

11. Protest: A protest must be submitted in writing to the district Executive Supervisor within 24 hours after the start of the protested game. Twenty-five ($25.00) dollars in CASH must accompany the protest and will only be returned if the protest is upheld. Protest letters must include the infractioned rule number or the protest will be nullified. Involved managers will be notified by the Executive Supervisor of the time and place of the hearing, which shall take place within two weeks of the filing of the protest. Manager must notify their district representative for that organization or team of the hearing date.

12. Protest Board: The Executive Supervisor will select the protest board to serve with him, which shall consist of three (3) members of this organization. Discussion at the hearing shall be limited to the involved manager or his substitute and his district representative, and the umpire. The board will vote their own decision, but may seek advice from the supervisors, class coordinators, and umpire supervisor before reaching their decision. Their decision cannot be appealed and cannot be overturned.

13. Charges against managers, coaches, players or umpires must be submitted in writing to the Executive Supervisor. He will select a board to serve with him for a hearing. Both the accused and the accuser must be present, and each may bring one witness. If the accuser fails to appear the charges will be dropped. If the accused fails to appear it shall be considered an admission of guilt.

      The District Representative of the accused will be invited by the supervisor to be present so that the accused organization will be aware of what happens at the hearing. If the accused is found guilty, the Executive Supervisor shall have sole discretion in the administration of discipline, based on the severity of the offense.

14. Leagues: Teams that will be eligible for district winners and city tournament play will be established at the time of scheduling. The non-competitive or instruction league is for Class D only. This instructional league shall play under special rules (see Appendix A). All leagues will be based on average age except for the Senior League, which could be all volunteer.

15. Umpire Fees: Umpires are to be paid at the start of each game by the managers of each team. The following pay scale is to be adhered to:

      Each Class D Umpire will receive $24.00 per game

      Each Class C Umpire will receive $26.00 per game

Each Class B Umpire will receive $30.00 per game

      Each Class A Umpire will receive $32.00 per game

      Two umpires are scheduled for each Class A & B games and Class C & D Senior League. If only one umpire shows he will receive the following pay scale split evenly by both teams:

      Each Class D Umpire will receive $48.00 per game

      Each Class C Umpire will receive $52.00 per game

      Each Class B Umpire will receive $60.00 per game

      Each Class A Umpire will receive $64.00 per game

      The two teams shall split the umpire fees. Failure to pay will result in forfeiture by the non‑paying team. The winning team of a forfeit must pay the umpire their half of the fees on the field.  Organizations will be billed for unpaid umpire expenses. Umpires are paid for incomplete, tied, rainout and protested games once they are started. NO UMPIRE IS TO BE PAID A DOUBLE FEE EXCEPT WHERE NOTED.

16.       A.) The use of vulgar or profane language or actions will result in an immediate ejection from the game and field. The use of any tobacco product will not be permitted on any part of the field of play or team bench by any manager, coach, player or umpire, and shall result in immediate ejection from the game and field. (NOTE: Any area that is out of play shall not be considered part of the field of play.) Violation of this rule shall carry an automatic one-week suspension from any practice or regular game.

B.)  Any striking or offensive touch not in the normal course of a baseball game or threats by a

      player, coach or manager to an umpire before, during or after a baseball game shall result in a one year, 

     (“CALENDAR YEAR”), automatic, suspension.

17. Any manager, coach, player or fan ejected from a game will result in an automatic one-week suspension from any practices, regular games or make up games for that week. The week suspension shall begin immediately after the game and will continue for seven full days.

18.       A.)  Intentional misrepresentation of your team’s roster at the time of sign‑ups will result in a hearing within one week from the start of the season. The minimum penalty shall be refusal of your team's right to win their league and a two-week suspension of the manager from all practice and regular games. The use of an ineligible player as defined in Knothole Rule # 22 whether discovered by protest or by league official shall result in forfeiture of all games that player played in. The opposing teams will be credited with a win.

            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 twenty-four (24) hours or face possible forfeit.

19. Under Knothole Rule # 29, "Plowing over the baseman," if the umpire decides on an unsportsman-like call the penalty shall be: "Dead Ball, the runner shall be called out; the runner shall be immediately ejected from the game."

20. No changes to these rules will be made after their adoption for a period of one year, unless the welfare of the children involved necessitates such a change. Only the Executive Supervisor can make such a change. Any Manager found altering these rules without going through proper procedures could be severely disciplined.

21. No infield practice will be permitted on Saturdays if the scheduled time for play has already been reached. All infield practice will cease 15 minutes prior to game time. All games that have reached the schedule time will start as soon as the umpire is ready and without any delays.

22. The Senior Division leagues shall have at least seven teams. If the Senior Division Leagues have less than seven teams sign up, the District shall move up enough teams to make seven in that league using the highest average age calculations. Only the teams that play in the Senior Division will be eligible for the City Tournament. The above rule will exclude Class A Teams. If Class A has more than one division only the Senior Division will be eligible for the City Tournament.

Appendix A

Class D Non‑Competitive Rules

(Exceptions to Normal Rules)

The spirit of the league is non‑competitive; therefore every child should have a chance to start at a defensive position.

1.        There shall be no advancement of the batter after a third strike call that has been dropped by the catcher.

2.  There will be no stealing of bases or home by runners.

3.   No leading off from any base.

4.   Rainouts or make‑up games must be scheduled and played at the discretion of the managers.

5.   During the season, a coach from the offensive team will pitch to his own players at a distance of 40 feet.  Bases will be 55 feet apart. Adults will not interfere with a ball in play. Any interference and the batter is automatically out. A defensive player will play the pitching position near the pitching mound when an adult is pitching.

6.   Three outs or nine batters will constitute a team’s turn at bat.

7.   Official game is 5 innings or 3 1/2 innings if the home team is winning and the game is called due to rain or darkness. No extra innings will be played. If a tie occurs the game will stand as a tie.

8.   The batting order will consist of the following: All players will bat in rotation. For example: if a team has 15 players the batting order will run one through fifteen before the number one batter takes a second time at bat.

9.   There will be unlimited substitution on defense, with only nine defensive players on the field at one time.

10. Class "D" Non‑competitive is limited to players who will reach age 6 before November 1st of the current year.

11. No infield fly rule will be called.

12. When the ball is returned to the infield all play stops.

13. Coaches or parents shall act as umpires.

14.  Rosters of teams by name and birthday must be turned in by sign‑ups.

15.  No manager shall alter these rules in any way. Uniformity and consistency is what makes this league an instructional league. Changing the rules every week teaches the children nothing. Any manager found altering these rules without going through proper procedures could be severely disciplined.