3.1 PLAYER ELIGIBILITY FOR POST-SEASON PLAY- Each player, to be eligible for League or AABC sanctioned tournaments or post season play/playoffs, must play in at least three (3) regularly scheduled games during the regular season; the player must have been present and his name appearing in games in the official scorebook.  For the summer season only, he must also have signed a Connie Mack Player Contract- AABC Southern California form ("Contract") before playing in any league game.

4.1 CONTRACTS- for the summer season only, the signing of a Contract by players may be accomplished after March 1st of the current year, and no player can be signed to a Contract after July 1st of the current year.   Furthermore, a Contract is not considered official until it has been received, via fax, at the AABC State Association's Governing Body, the Amateur Baseball Congress - Southern California (ABC-SC), office.   The date of fax transmission as automatically posted on the faxed document when received at the ABC-SC offices will be considered the official date of the Contract, not the date a player or coach has signed the document.

5.1 NO PROFESSIONALS- NO player, whether under contract or not, may compete or continue competing in the league after signing a professional contract.

6.1 TEAM ROSTERS AND SUBMISSION OF INSURANCE WAIVER- Each Field Manager/Head Coach is to prepare his/her team's roster and to have obtained signed SC-AABC/AABC Insurance Waivers from each player listed on their roster, and is responsible to turn the team roster and the Insurance Waivers into the League's Board Representative prior to the start of the season.


7.1 AABC PLAYER WAIVER FORM CONTRACT ("RELEASE") PROCEDURES- Before any player can be waived (Released) from his Contract commitment, it is the duty of the League President (or delegated League representative) to contact the managers of all the other teams in the League, and advise them of a player's Release request.   If no other manager of another team in the League has an interest in such a player, that player may be released.   If managers of more than one team show interest, then the priority of choice will be accomplished by a lottery drawing witnessed by the managers of the interested teams and a League Board member.   The foregoing not withstanding, all Releases of a player from his/her Contract must be approved, in writing, by the player's current team Field Manager/Head Coach.

8.1 SUSPENSIONS, EJECTIONS AND APPEAL PROCEEDINGS- Any player(s), manager(s) or coach (es) that is ejected from a game for fighting before, during or after a game, while in uniform or any part of the teams uniform (e.g., hat, or jersey only), will be AUTOMATICALLY suspended for the next game. Enforcement of the suspension is the responsibility of the player's team Field Manager/Head Coach.   Any game that a manager(s), coach(es) or player(s) later participate in while he/she was under suspension will be forfeited.   A team's manager may protest a suspension by formally written requesting (within 48 hours of when the event causing the suspension occurred) a special hearing to review any suspension or ejection decision. The League Commissioner (or another League Board Member at the Commissioner's request) will review the matter in a timely manner. The Commissioner's (or the assigned League official's) decision will be final.

9.1 FORFEITS- A forfeiture will have occurred if after a game's scheduled starting time, a team cannot field a team of at least nine (9) player's from that team's Official Player Roster.

10.1 FORFEITURE & PROTEST FEE PENALTY- The League prefers not to tolerate superfluous, frequent or abundant forfeitures and protest activity, and will be charging a fee for each forfeiture or protest that occurs, as follows: (a) FORFEITURES- For EACH and every game that is forfeited, the responsible team will incur a minimum financial penalty of $100.00 plus umpire fees incurred by the League for the game. (b) After the second forfeiture by any one team within the same summer season, the SCCM Board reserves the right to impose further penalty, including the possibility of omission from post-season play participation. (c) PROTESTS- For each and every protest that is filed by a team, the responsible team must pay a Protest Fee of $100.00, in advance before the League will review any protest.  The League's Commissioner or Chief Umpire will review the protest in a timely manner, and advise of his/her decision, which will be considered final. Further protest and debate on the same matter will be considered another, separate event, and will cause the responsible team to incur another Protest Fee charge.

11.1 GAME SAFETY- Each team's manager is responsible for obtaining and maintaining insurance coverage for his/her team for the duration of each season of play    All players must be wearing proper equipment to play the game.   Helmets must be worn at all times by players while hitting.   Catchers must wear a helmet and facemask at all times while in the game or while warming up Pitchers.   Players must wear a helmet at all times while on or running the bases. A player 'must slide or otherwise attempt to avoid physical contact' while on or running the bases.

12.1 GAME TIES AND TIME LIMITS- All games will be seven (7) innings in length, subject to the following rules for game time length limits, and in the event of a tie at the end of regulation play.   In case of a tie, extra innings will be allowed until game has been won by one of the teams; however, once a game's length has reached 2 hours and 30 minutes, further play will stop after the current inning has been completed.    The forgoing notwithstanding, no new inning will be started after a game's length has reached 2 hours. If the game is still tied after the inning that is completed when these game time length limits have occurred, then the game will be recorded as a tie.   The official game 'start time' will be as defined by the behind-the-plate umpire.

 
13.1 POINT SYSTEM FOR LEAGUE STANDINGS- Two (2) points will be awarded to the winning team, and one (1) point to each team for a tie.   The team with the most accumulated points at end of play of the regular season shall advance as the League's representative to the next level (e.g., the intra- or inter-league playoffs, to a playoff bracket, etc.), if any, of play.

14.1 NO MERCY RULE- There is no pre-defined mercy rule.  The mutual decision of each competing team's Mangers will govern, with the concurrence of the game's behind-the-plate umpire.

15.1 GAME RULES- Shall be AMERICAN LEAGUE RULES, with the following modifications: (a) HIGH SCHOOL STARTING PLAYER RE-ENTRY RULE- a player who is in the starting line-up of the game, and is later substituted for, is allowed to re-enter the game ONCE, and only in the same spot in the batting order; (b) MUST SLIDE/AVOID CONTACT RULE- Any player while running the bases must slide or otherwise have demonstrated to the game's umpires that he/she made a sincere attempt to avoid contact, during situations involving a close play at any plate. (c) EH team may elect to bat 10 players, EH is consider a defensive player. Flagrant attempts to elbow, tackle, intentionally knock over, slide with 'spikes up', and the like will not be tolerated, and is solely at the discretion of the umpire. There will be no protests of umpire rulings for their decisions associated with this rule; furthermore, any player ejected under this rule will be suspended for the next game;   (c) COURTESY RUNNER FOR CATCHER- Only the Catcher is allowed a courtesy runner, as long as there are already two (2) outs in the inning. (If a courtesy runner is used, the courtesy runner's participation in the game shall count toward the 'minimum three (3) games requirement' for participation, referred to in Rule #3, ELIGIBILITY, above.)

16.1 OFFICIAL SCOREKEEPING RESPONSIBILITY- The home team shall be responsible for keeping the official score and record of the game.   All records of Hits, Runs, and Errors shall be reported to the league representative within 48 hours after each game.  

17.1 CLEAN DUGOUT DUTIES- It is the Field Manager/Head Coach's duty to see that their dugouts are left in clean condition after every game by ensuring that all trash is picked-up and deposited in a trash receptacle.

18.1 GAME BATS- Nothing other than the 'MINUS-3' bats approved for High School play, or wooden bats, will be allowed in or around the dugout or on the field of play.

19.1 GAME BALLS- Each team is to provide three (3) new baseballs at the start of each game to the home plate umpire. If more are needed, umpires will ask teams for additional baseballs on an alternating basis, with the home team, in case of debate, being the first team to oblige with the umpires request.

20.1 END OF REGULAR SEASON TIE- In the event of a tie(s) at the end of regular season play, and if time and field availability permit, a one game play-off shall be used to determine which team(s) will advance to the next level of play (e.g., play-offs, playoff bracket, etc.).   Otherwise, using League play records, the following procedure will be followed to determine a winning team: 1) Least total number of runs given up, 2) Most runs scored, 3) Net runs, 4) Draw or coin flip.

21.1 TEAM CERTIFICATION / ELIGIBILITY FOR POST SEASON PLAYOFF- (a) A 21-man roster must be turned into the AABC State Association no later than midnight on July 1st. The League certification process will take place one week prior to JULY 1st, which must include the following; 1. Signed Connie Mack Player Medical Consent Form for each player, 2. Copies of valid drivers license and birth certificate for each player, 3. Be in good standings in the League (all fees paid).   Note: The SCCM League reserves the right to send its top teams that best represent the league into the State Qualifiers and/or State playoff regardless of standings. Payment of League fees and participation in League games constitutes acceptance of all terms and conditions of the SCCM League rules by the teams manager(s), coaches' parents and players.

22.1 STATE PLAYOFF DRAFT- All teams managers, coaches, and players must participate in the AABC State Playoff Draft within their own league organization in which they participated. The first place team, (best record, head to head, or coin flip) will draft the first player of its choice. The second place team will follow and so on. If the player refuses to participate in the draft he is with drawn form future participation. The manager therefore will reselect a replacement player in the next round. The president or league officer before July 1st will call a managers meeting, at a time and location to be announced to perform this process.