Code of Conduct

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This League is designed to provide a robust, structured, supervised, instructional and competitive baseball program for any and all youth age 13 to 19 within the designated boundaries of Loudoun County, which fosters an environment that emphasizes sportsmanship, fair play, physical and mental well-being, teamwork, baseball skills development, community involvement, and volunteerism, and the development of good citizens and positive role models for the community.

The following codes of conduct will be strictly enforced throughout every GLBR season.

1.1 PLAYERS CODE OF CONDUCT

In order to ensure that the principles of sportsmanship, fair play, skill development, and mutual respect among players, managers, coaches, umpires and spectators are the primary considerations governing competition in the Greater Loudoun Babe Ruth League, the following Code of Conduct has been established and adopted.

Each player will ensure that his playing conduct is that of a young gentleman, competing fairly to the limit of his ability. To satisfactorily meet these responsibilities, the player is expected to:

1. Know the rules and abide by them.
2. Respect the umpires and refrain from addressing them or commenting on their decisions during the play of the game. The team's manager may address the umpires during the game but only within the provisions of the rules and in a courteous, respectful manner.
3. Maintain control of his emotions, avoiding the use of abusive language or profanity, humiliating remarks, and/or gestures of ill temper, and physical assault upon another player, coach, manager, umpire or league official at any time.
4. Respect the manager, coaches and players of the opposing team and demonstrate appropriate gestures of sportsmanship at the conclusion of every game - be humble and generous in victory and proud and courteous in defeat.
5. Follow all practice or game facility rules and regulations, respecting at all times the property of others.
6. Realize, accept, and practice the principle that a teamÃâ€Å¡Ãƒ¢Ã¢‚¬Ã¢„¢s reputation is built not only on its playing ability but also on the sportsmanship, courtesy and manners of each individual player.
7. Refrain from the use of alcoholic beverages, tobacco products or other illegal substances both on and off the playing field.
8. Conduct himself in a manner befitting the founding principles of GLBR when traveling to "away" games or tournaments.

1.2 MANAGER & COACHES CODE OF CONDUCT

In order to ensure that the principles of sportsmanship, fair play, skill development, and mutual respect among players, managers, coaches, umpires and spectators are the primary considerations governing competition in the Greater Loudoun Babe Ruth League, the following Code of Conduct has been established and adopted.

Each manager and coach will ensure that his coaching conduct is that of an adult, with the best interests of every ball player and the Greater Loudoun Babe Ruth League, continually expressed. To satisfactorily meet these responsibilities, each manager and coach is expected to:

1. Know the rules and abide by them.
2. Instruct team members in the rules and coach his/her team in such a way as to motivate each player to compete according to the rules at all times.
3. Respect the umpires and refrain from questioning their decisions in a disrespectful or abusive manner.
4. Ensure that the players and spectators follow game and practice facility rules and regulations.
5. Ensure that fans of his team conduct themselves with sportsmanship and maturity at all times while in attendance at game/practice sites; assist the umpires in maintaining control of spectators during the games.
6. Respect the manager, coaches and players of the opposing team both during the play of the game and at its conclusion, win or lose.
7. Teach each player, especially through personal example, to be humble and generous in victory and proud and courteous in defeat.
8. Maintain control of his/her emotions and avoid actions, language, and/or gestures that may be interpreted as hostile and humiliating.
9. Refrain from the use of alcoholic beverages, tobacco products or other illegal substances at games, practices and all other GLBR team events.
10. Instruct team support personnel (e.g., assistant coaches, scorekeepers, team parents) in their responsibilities in accordance with established rules and procedures.
11. Realize, accept, and practice the principal that a team's reputation is built not only on its playing ability, but also on its sportsmanship, courtesy, and manner.

1.3 SPECTATORS CODE OF CONDUCT

In order to ensure that the principles of sportsmanship, fair play, skill development, and mutual respect among players, managers, coaches, umpires and spectators are the primary considerations governing competition in the Greater Loudoun Babe Ruth League, the following Code of Conduct has been established and adopted.

Each spectator will ensure that his/her conduct at all games and practices is that of a mature adult with the best interests of every ball player and the Greater Loudoun Babe Ruth League, continually expressed. To satisfactorily meet these responsibilities, every spectator is expected to:

1. Respect the rules of the game.
2. Respect the umpires, managers, coaches and players and refrain from questioning their decisions or from addressing them in a loud, disrespectful or abusive manner
3. Cheer for their team in a positive, supportive manner, refraining at all times from making hostile, negative, or abusive remarks about the opposing team.
4. Adhere to all practice/game facility rules and regulations.
5. Demonstrate appropriate gestures of sportsmanship at the conclusion of a game, win or lose.
6. Realize, accept, and practice the principal that a team's reputation is built not only on its playing ability, but also on the sportsmanship, courtesy, and citizenship of its fans.
7. Refrain from the use of alcoholic beverages, tobacco products or other illegal substances at games, practices and all other GLBR team events.

1.4 RESPONSIBILITY FOR CONDUCT

Each team is responsible to see that their managers, coaches, players and spectators abide by the respective CODE of CONDUCT. All managers, coaches, players and parents or guardians of players will be provided copies of the appropriate CODE of CONDUCT Acknowledgment forms prior to the start of the season.

1.5 CODE OF CONDUCT REQUIREMENTS

CODE of CONDUCT for spectators and players should be thoroughly discussed at a pre-season joint meeting between managers, coaches, players and parent/guardians of players. All sponsors, coaches, parents/guardians and players are required to sign the CODE of CONDUCT Acknowledgment form indicating they understand and accept their responsibilities as stated in the code. This form, with the required signatures, is to be filed with GLBR.

1.6 IMPROPER CONDUCT ADJUDICATED BY GLBR BOARD

Conduct of sponsors, managers, coaches, players or spectators detrimental and contrary to the GLBR CODE of CONDUCT may result in suspension from further participation for whatever period of time deemed reasonable and appropriate by the GLBR Board of Directors.

1.7 IMPROPER CONDUCT PENALTIES

Improper conduct on the part of managers, coaches, players or spectators may result in expulsion from the game/practice facility, or in extreme cases, forfeiture of the game. The GLBR Board, or Board appointed Code of Conduct Committee, reserves the authority to discipline managers, coaches, players or spectators during the course of the season for conduct deemed detrimental to the good order of the League. Such actions may include warning, suspension or termination.

1.8 OFFENSIVE ACTIONS

DEFINITIONS OF OFFENSIVE ACTIONS

No manager, coach, player, parent/guardian or spectator is to:

1. refuse to abide by an umpire's decision; or
2. be guilty of objectionable demonstration by throwing equipment or any other forceful action: or
3. be guilty of heaping verbal abuse upon an umpire for any real or imaginary wrong decision or judgment; or
4. be guilty of an abusive verbal attack upon a player, an opposing manager, coach, umpire or spectator; or
5. at any time, lay hands upon, push, shove or strike an umpire, manager, coach, player or spectator; or
6. be guilty of a physical attack as an aggressor upon any player, opposing manager, coach, umpire, spectator, GLBR or PRCS official.

1.9 PENALTIES FOR OFFENSIVE ACTIONS/EJECTION FROM GAMES

All ejections will be considered CODE of CONDUCT violations, and the manager, coach or player is automatically suspended for at least ONE (1) game. The GLBR Board, or Board appointed Code of Conduct Committee, will define any further appropriate penalties and must approve permission for any suspended player, manager or coach to participate in games subsequent to the incident for which they were ejected. All rulings of the Board or its Code of Conduct Committee will be expedient, provided that both team managers and the umpire association reports the facts relative to the ejection promptly. A player or manager ejected from a game should be notified at the time as to the cause of the ejection; both managers are still required to notify the League Commissioner when an ejection occurs. A written report by the ejecting umpire explaining the reason(s) for the ejection should be made in all situations involving ejection. Any manager, coach, player, team representative, or parent/guardian striking or shoving an umpire will be suspended from attending any GLBR activity for the remainder of the season.

1.10 SUBMISSION OF APPEALS

A written appeal may be made to the Greater Loudoun Babe Ruth League President within TWENTY-FOUR (24) hours of the penalty decision. The decision of the League's Board of Directors will be final.

1.11 CODE OF CONDUCT COMMITTEE JURISDICTION.

When penalties for rule violations are not specified, they will be decided by the GLBR Board or appointed Code of Conduct Committee with approval from the full GLBR Board of Directors.