Code of Conduct

I. PURPOSE

This document highlights certain rules and regulations concerning Member’s conduct and discipline. The below disciplinary steps are not the exclusive means for dealing with offenders; nor does this document include all League or Little League Baseball / Softball rules and regulations for which offenders may be disciplined. The rules and regulations concerning Member conduct are found in several sources including the Little League Rule Book and the Canton Little League (CLL) Constitution and Bylaws.

II. Applicable League Regulations

SUSPENSION OR TERMINATION

All suspensions and Terminations will be addressed by the Executive Board hereinafter defined as the CLL President, Vice President of Baseball and Softball, Treasurer, Secretary and associated Player Agent(s) for Baseball and Softball.

Resignation or action of the Executive Board may terminate Membership as follows.

(a) The Executive Board shall have the authority to discipline or suspend or terminate the Membership of any Member of any class, including managers and coaches, when the conduct of such person is considered detrimental to the best interest of CLL and/or Little League. The Member involved shall be notified of such meeting, informed of the general nature of the charges and given an opportunity to appear at the meeting to answer such charges.

(b) The Executive Board shall, in the case of a Player Member, give notice to the manager of the team for which the player is a Player Member. Said manager shall appear, in the capacity of an adviser, with the player before the Executive Board or a duly appointed committee of the Executive Board. The player’s parent(s) or legal guardian(s) may also be present.

The Executive Board shall have the full power to suspend or revoke such player’s rights to future participation by two-thirds vote of those Board Members present at any duly constituted meeting in which a quorum is present.

IN ADDITION LITTLE LEAGUE, INC. REGULATION XIV, (A) STATES:

“The action of players, managers, coaches, umpires, and league officials shall be above reproach.” Anyone who violates this Code of Conduct will be subject to the disciplinary actions set forth by this document. The authority on discipline will be the sole responsibility of the CLL Executive Board and their decision will be final.

III. SPECIFIC CONDUCT CASES

This section is a guide for the disciplining of CLL Members, guests, and other spectators or participants attending other CLL functions or meetings, for violations of certain rules and regulations. The objective is to maintain objectivity in disciplining Members. However, since the below offenses may be of varying degree, first or second offenses of a serious nature may be dealt with under Article III, Section 4 of the CLL Constitution and By-Laws.

Note: Members include players, parents, grandparents, family Members, managers or any volunteer, league official, and any other spectator or guest on CLL property.

Note: All suspensions or expulsions from the league are procedurally covered under Article III, Section 4 of the CLL Constitution and By-Laws, which requires a hearing for discipline.

A. Severe Infractions: CLL considers all infractions under this section to be the most serious in nature and carry at least a requirement for suspension or permanent expulsion from the league.

1. Physical Assault: Physical Assault by any league Member, guest, and other spectator or participant toward any other Member, guest, and other spectator or participant or umpire will not be tolerated. The offender’s penalty shall be immediate removal from the area under CLL jurisdiction including both playing fields and any area designated for practice. Physical assault is defined as any physical action such as hitting, punching, kicking, pushing, slapping, poking or grabbing any Member, guest, and other spectator or participant or umpire.

B. FIRST OFFENSE: EXPULSION FROM THE LEAGUE

1. Verbal Abuse (Profanity, racial/ethnic slurs, yelling at umpires, coaches, players, guest, and other spectator or participant)

2. Threats of Physical Assault

3. Entering the Field of Play:

a. For Managers and Coaches this is defined as crossing onto the playing field. For all other Members, guests, and other spectators or participants it is defined as going onto any part of the playing field.

b. For offenses under 2, 3, and 4 the penalties shall be as follows:

c. First offense – Ejection and 1 Game Suspension

d. Second Offense – Ejection and 5 Game Suspension

e. Third Offense – Ejection and Expulsion from League

4. Umpire Abuse: Umpire abuse is defined as

a. Repeated or uncontrolled questioning of an umpire’s ruling

b. Repeated heckling of the umpire during play. The umpire shall request that the coaches speak to the offender. If the behavior continues the offender shall be ejected.

c. Approaching an umpire after any game to discuss the umpire’s performance during the game.

Such misconduct will result in the following penalties for the offender:

a. First Offense – Ejection and 1 Game Suspension

b. Second Offense – Ejection and 5 game suspension

c. Third Offense – Ejection and Expulsion from League

B. Miscellaneous Infractions

1. Players/Coaches to remain in dugout

2. Only Batter May Pickup and Swing Bat (unless there is a designated on deck batters box)

3. Throwing of equipment Prohibited

4. Interference with game or players – Members, guests, and other spectators or participants are prohibited from engaging in any actions which interferes with the game or the players such as noises which are intended to disrupt pitchers, hitters, or fielders during the game.

5. No Member, guest, or other spectator or participant or umpire shall engage in taunting another Member, guest, or

other spectator or participant.

6. No Member, guest, or other spectator or participant shall engage in actions, which are intended to delay the game.

For infractions under this section B. Miscellaneous Infractions, the following actions/penalties shall be taken:

The umpire shall stop the game and ask the respective coach to warn the Member, guest, or other spectator or participant that any further infraction will result in ejection. If the infraction is continued the Member, guest, or other spectator or participant will be ejected from the game.

a. First Infraction – Ejection and 1 additional game suspension

b. Second Infraction – Ejection and 3 game suspension

c. Third Infraction – Ejection and season long suspension

C. SPECIAL CATEGORIES OF INFRACTIONS

1. Child Abuse is a violation of state law. Anyone who observes what they believe may be child abuse should immediately report this to law enforcement authorities and league officials. The league will immediately take every necessary action to protect the children within this league.

2. Sexual Harassment will not be tolerated by Canton Little League. Al reports of sexual harassment shall be immediately brought to the president of the league and a hearing conducted under Article III Section 4 within 7 days. Sexual harassment includes, but is not limited to the following: treating a player or adult Member, guest, or spectator in a hostile manner because of his/her gender, making comments with a sexual connotation to any player or other child, making sexual advance to any player or any other child, making an unwelcome sexual advance to an adult Member, guest, or spectator, touching any player or other child in the groin area, touching any female player or any female child chest, touching any player, other child, adult Member, guest or spectator in any other manner that is unwelcome by the person being touched.

3. Discrimination based on race, color gender, ethnicity, national origin or sexual orientation will not be tolerated by Canton Little League. All reports of discrimination shall be immediately brought to the president of the league and a hearing conducted under Article III Section 4 within 7 days. No player, Member, guest, or spectator shall be treated differently than another similarly situated person on the basis of his/her race, color, gender, ethnicity, national origin, disability or sexual orientation.

Any other complaints of misconduct by Members, which are brought to the attention of the Executive Board will be interpreted for action based on the regulations noted in Section V, below (i.e.- Article III, Section 4 of the League’s Constitution and bylaws).

______________________________ ________________

Name of Parent/Guardian Date

I. SIGNATURE

By my initials in the following box______ I verify that the above named parent/guardian did read, agree, and receive a copy of the “Code of Conduct” and agree to abide by the “Code of Conduct” set forth by this league.