SPORTSMANSHIP & CONDUCT - RULE 7 

Page updated 1/23/2022

A. Conduct – see National Rule #7A  

        1.The Fall 2016 Meeting of the American Legion passed Resolution 16 which states: The organization's policy is regardless of the activity anyone not showing proper

respect during the anthem will be removed from the activity.

2. In light of this resolution Connecticut has adopted the following regulation: Any player, coach or manager who refuses to stand at attention or who

otherwise intentionally disrespects the flag during the playing of the National Anthem shall be disqualified from participation in that game. Such

disqualification will be considered a MAJOR INFRACTION if brought to the attention of the state director

B. Heckling – see National Rule #7B  

C. Sportsmanship – see National Rule #7C  

Disciplinary Policy – In addition to the National Rule  

CT American Legion Program has adopted the following Disciplinary Action Policy. The provisions of this policy shall be in effect from one hour prior to the scheduled start of the game, throughout the game, and one hour after the completion, suspension or termination of the game.

Only the head coach (or his assistant, designated before the game with the right to replace him), will be allowed to leave his normal position to argue any calls or decisions made by the umpires. Penalty is the offending coach or team official will be ejected from the game and will be subject to the further penalties listed below. Umpires may, at their discretion, warn the coach for their first offense, especially early in the season. Please note that no coach is allowed to argue balls and strikes. The penalty would be restriction or ejection to the dugout at the sole discretion of the umpires 

1. MAJOR INFRACTION shall include, but not be limited to:  

a. Non-consensual or reckless physical contact or attempting to make physical contact or any threat of physical intimidation or harm to include pushing, shoving, bumping, kicking, intentionally spitting, throwing at or attempting to make physical contact with an umpire or opposing player or fan.

b. Spitting, throwing or kicking anything at an umpire or any game participant. 

c.Participating in a physical altercation.

d. Conduct otherwise considered a minor infraction that, by its nature, is judged to have included intent to incite a major infraction. This rule is designed to prevent “baiting”.

2. MINOR INFRACTION shall include but not be limited to:  

 a.Undue use of profanity towards any game participant

b. Verbal abuse of umpires or any game participant or intentionally throwing equipment

c. Malicious contact (as defined in National Rule 1.H. Point of Emphasis) will be judged case by case by the umpires as to whether a MAJOR or MINOR infraction is to be

assigned.

d. Any coach who criticizes an umpire in a public forum (defined as comments or quotes in the media and public meetings. The individual name of an umpire does not have to be

included for this penalty to be imposed).

e. Any other conduct deemed by the umpire to be unsportsmanlike and warranting this penalty.

3. Punishment – Any player, coach, manager or bench personnel found guilty of a MAJOR infraction will be suspended for a minimum of four games and the suspension could be season-ending depending on the circumstance. If the person incurs a second major infraction he shall be suspended for the remainder of the season. Any player, coach, manager or bench personnel found guilty of one MINOR infraction will be suspended for a minimum of two games. The 2nd minor infraction will result in a suspension of a minimum of 3 games. If he receives a third minor infraction, he shall be suspended for the remainder of the season. 

A player ejected out at one level of play, can’t play for any other level of play until their penalty is served at the level he was ejected without the approval of the State Director or his designee. Any player suspended for the remainder of the season at one age level is also ineligible at the other age level. Please note that only the State Director, or is designee, has the authority to impose any punishment beyond these stated penalties.

4. Implementation of the Suspension - Any player, coach or manager thrown out of a Zone  game will sit out the next Zone or Tournament games as punishment. If a player, coach or  manager is thrown out of a regularly scheduled exhibition game, he will sit out the next  regularly scheduled exhibition game. If the expelled player, coach or manager's team has no  exhibition games left on their schedule, he will sit out the next Zone games, tourney games or  first zone games of next year, whatever comes first. Coaches of both teams in the game  involving the expulsion must notify the Zone Chairman immediately after the game.  Suspensions for either major or minor infractions will continue into the next season if the  suspensions cannot be completed during the regular season or state tournament. 

5. For clarification, a suspended individual is not allowed to:  

 a. Communicate with any team personnel or umpires at the site of competition;   

 b. Take part in any pre-game activities at the site of competition; or  

 c. Be in the stadium, on the field, or within eyesight of the field once pre-game   activities have started.  

6. Appeal Process - Punishments can be appealed to the State Director, or his designee, if first supported by the appropriate Zone Chairman. Affected players and coaches must sit out their next game(s) until a final decision can be made. The State Director will make a decision working through the Zone Chairman. Any decision by the State Director, including letting the original punishment stand because the appropriate Zone Chairman did not support a further review, is final. All appeals must be made within 24-hours of the incident. No appeals will be accepted or heard after the 24-hour window.

For all appeals, the zone chairman, as well as a liaison from the umpire's board, will get proper information concerning the incident. The umpire(s) involved in the game with the incident should notify the umpire liaison immediately (no later than noon the following day) pertaining to the incident. The umpire liaison will contact the zone chairman, who, if they agree with the appeal, will forward all information to the state director who will hear and make a ruling on the appeal.

7. Ejection from the Ballgame - Any coach, manager, or team official ejected by the umpire must leave the field and dugout area immediately and is not allowed to communicate with team members or the umpires. A player who has just been ejected must continue to be supervised by a coach. The umpire is required to inform the Head Coach of the ejection and it is then the coach’s prerogative to: 

(a) keep him on the bench or 

(b) send him (under constant supervision by another coach) to another location. If the player continues to be a problem after being ejected the Head Coach will be told to either control his player(s) or forfeit the game. 

Whenever an ejection occurs, the umpires are required to give the Zone Chairman and State Director a completed Ejection Report, which is available on our State Baseball Website (www.ctlegionbball.com), by noon the following day.

D. Reinstatement – see National Rule #7D  

E. Ejection from the Ballpark – In addition to the National Rule #7E,  

Umpires may restrict the offender (player or coach) to the bench/dugout for the remainder of the game, if the umpire judges the offenders actions to be minor in nature. Players restricted to the bench/dugout shall remain in the dugout under the supervision of team coaches. Coaches restricted to the dugout/bench may only leave the dugout/bench to attend to a player 

        F. – In addition to the National Rule, any manager, coach, player, or team parent, team family member, or anyone else involved in an American Legion Baseball game or program, who in the opinion of the State Director or his representative, conducts himself in an unsportsmanlike manner, or in a manner that discredits the American Legion Program, may be removed from further participation by the Department Baseball Committee. The Baseball Committee’ s Decision will be final.

Please note that inappropriate comments in any social media or print/audio “outlet” will result in case specific disciplinary penalties up to and including permanent ineligibility.

G. Repeat offenders – Any team that has any combination of more than four players, coaches or team  officials ejected from games during the same regular season may be made ineligible for  participating in that season’s State Tournament by the State Committee. Any team made ineligible  under this rule may be given the opportunity to appeal this decision to the State Director or his  designee.  

H. The home team shall designate a person to be site director at each game. (This may be a team  coach or general manager.) The site director will identify himself to the home plate umpire prior to  the start of the game and shall be available on site throughout the game.