Manager Policies

This document covers roster administration, discipline escalation, and formal process – the detail managers need that isn’t in the player-facing Quick Reference.

Contact: Nathan Dugan, Commissioner – flatheadadultbaseball@gmail.com – (208) 784-3290

Forfeits & Standings

• A forfeited game is recorded as a 7-0 loss for the forfeiting team – full stop. That’s the only number used, for both the win/loss record and the runs-against/runs-scored tiebreaker math. There’s no separate per-inning calculation.
• Four forfeits by a team in a season may mean immediate expulsion from the League, at the Commissioner’s discretion, with no refund.
• Both teams must report game results (score, winning pitcher, stats, field conditions, ejections, umpire evaluation) within 48 hours. Failure to report may itself be treated as a forfeit.
• Games that aren’t made up after a rainout are forfeited by both teams in the standings.

New Players, Tryouts & the Draft

• The League controls team assignment for any player who came in through League advertising or referral, or who wasn’t on a roster the prior year.
• A player recruited directly by a team is that team’s player and isn’t subject to League assignment.
• New players not recruited by an individual team go through League tryouts and the annual draft. If no tryouts or draft are held, the League assigns them directly.
• Draft order: the two lowest-finishing teams from the prior summer season pick 1st and 2nd. Expansion teams follow, in the order they joined the League. Remaining teams draft in reverse order of the prior season’s standings.
• A team with no legitimate catcher or inadequate pitching may request a special catcher or pitcher pick at the start of the draft.
• Players who come in after the draft may contact individual teams directly if those teams need more players.

Roster Management

• Rosters, including league and player fees, proof of date of birth, applications, and waivers, are due by opening day.
• Rosters may be changed up to mid-season (date set annually). No changes after mid-season except for:
  • injury, or
  • a player voluntarily quitting for the rest of the season.
• Every player needs a signed waiver on file at least 2 days before playing. Fees for added players are due when they’re added.
• Full-season rosters need a minimum of 12 full-time players.
• Use last names and uniform numbers in the scorebook. This matters for playoff and national tournament eligibility checks, including for part-time (“half-time”) players.
• A player can’t switch teams mid-season without both managers’ and the Commissioner’s consent.
  • Exception: if a team disbands, its players become free agents and may join any team.
  • No manager may recruit, bribe, or take a player already on another roster.
  • Managers may trade players or draft picks by mutual agreement.
  • A player who wants to leave a team can request a release in writing to the Commissioner and his manager, giving his reason.
• A player who wants to leave and start a new team may do so, but can’t take other players from his old team, or any other team, without that team’s manager’s consent.
• 40% participation rule: to be eligible for playoffs, tournaments, or other postseason play, a player (full-time, part-time, or pool) must have played in at least 40% of his team’s regular-season games. The Commissioner can waive this case by case.

Ex-Pro Players

• A player must be out of pro ball (major or minor league; independent leagues are handled separately) for 3 complete FAMBL seasons before he’s eligible to play. The League may grant a waiver.

Age & Waiver Violations

• Any manager may question a player’s age or roster status. A protest on this requires proof submitted to the protesting manager by the Friday of the following week.
• If an underage player, a player without a waiver, or a non-rostered player is found to have played:
  • All games he played in are forfeited.
  • The offending team’s manager may be suspended 2 games.
  • A second offense, same team, same season: player suspended 4 games.
  • A third offense: the team is barred from the playoffs, and the player is expelled from FAMBL.
  • A manager with prior knowledge of the violation faces the same suspension or expulsion as the player.
• The Commissioner has full discretion to adjust these penalties.

Discipline, Grievances & Appeals

• The Commissioner can suspend any player or manager, on any terms, for conduct judged harmful to the League’s welfare, interest, reputation, or charter.
• Immediate suspension (pending Commissioner review) applies to:
  • laying a hand on, shoving, striking, or threatening an official – can mean season suspension or lifetime expulsion;
  • refusing to abide by an official’s decision – can mean season probation or suspension;
  • physical attack on any player, manager, official, or spectator – can mean season suspension or lifetime expulsion;
  • verbal abuse of any player, manager, official, or spectator – can mean season suspension;
  • being on the field intoxicated, or using drugs or alcohol during a game – can mean season probation or suspension;
  • smoking, including vapes, on the field or in the dugout.
• Ejection from the current game (without automatic further suspension) applies to:
  • objecting to an official’s decision in an unsportsmanlike way;
  • discussing a ruling with an official (only the manager or his designee may do this);
  • unnecessarily rough tactics against an opposing player.
• Grievances: a player or manager can file a grievance in writing with the Commissioner, who rules on it and reports the outcome to both teams.
• Appeals: any ruling can be appealed in writing to the Commissioner, but all Commissioner decisions are final. Appeals are denied absent significant extenuating circumstances, at the Commissioner’s discretion.
• Gameplay/rules protests: lodge with the Commissioner within 24 hours of the game. The ruling is final.

Game & Field Administration

• If a game runs past its time limit, both teams help prep the field for the next game. The home team manager is responsible for making sure it happens. Fields may need prep at other times too – also a home-team responsibility.
• Rainouts: the home team must notify the Commissioner and the opposing manager at least 2 hours before game time. Failure to do so may result in a home-team forfeit. Delayed starts need Commissioner approval.
• If field conditions are in question mid-game and managers disagree, the umpire decides whether to stop play. Field safety and upkeep come first – only products approved for that specific field may be used for prep.
• Rainout makeup games aren’t scheduled automatically by the League. Both managers must agree on a date, and the League must be notified and approve. Games not made up are forfeited by both teams in the standings.
• Standings tiebreakers, in order: head-to-head record, runs-against, runs-scored, then a coin flip. A forfeit is always scored 7-0 for this math.