Baseball Policies

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Table of Contents

 

1. Registration Policies

2. Import Policy

3. Underage Policy

4. Overage Policy

5. Roster Size Guideline

6. Roster Selection - Evaluated On / Coach Picks Policy

7. Player Transfers Policy

8. Uniform & Apparel Policy

9. Equipment Policy (Printable)

10. Coaching Certification and Requirements - Reimbursement Policy

11. Criminal Record Check (CRC) & Vulnerable Sector Check (VSC) Policy

12. Coaching Certification & Requirements Policy

13. Late Registration Policy

14. AGM Attendance Policy

15. Community “A” Provincials Entry Fee Policy

16. Weather Policy

17. Umpire Policy

 

 

1. Registration Policy:
2. Refunds: Refund requests prior to the registration deadlines are subject to a $25.00 administration fee. Refund requests after the registration deadlines will only be granted where deemed appropriate by the BMB Executive (eg. moving away, season ending injury, etc.). If a tryout fee has been built into the registration fee, the tryout fee is non-refundable once the tryouts have commenced. Refund requests that are approved will be refunded on a prorated basis.
3. E-Transfer payment option: Those who select E-Transfer have 48 hours after registering to make payment.  The registrar will send one email reminder and if no payment is made within 48 hours, the registration will be cancelled. 
4. KidSport Payment: Those who select KidSport as payment method must pay for registration and BMB will reimburse once payment is received from KidSport.
5. Import Policy: An import is defined by BMB as any player that comes from a community (physical address of residence), that has an established minor baseball association or has a community closer to them than Blackfalds that has an established minor baseball association. This policy applies to Competitive / AA and higher only and is for the whole division, not per team. Baseball Alberta currently has no transfer requirements / guidelines for playing at the Community / A level. Players are able to register in the community of their choice at the Community / A level.

Rally Cap & 9U (Rookie) - import policy is not applicable

11U - 4 import players permitted

13U - 5 import players permitted

15U - 6 import players permitted

18U- 7 import players permitted

 

 

The import policy is to ensure players with BMB as their home association are given the opportunity to play at the AA level in their community. However, BMB believes in also providing opportunities for players whose home association is not BMB, to play on a BMB team when the opportunity does not exist in the player’s home association. Head Coaches can apply to the BMB Executive (through the appropriate Division Director) if they would like to include more imports than stated above after the tryout process has been completed. The application must be in writing (email, letter) and justify the reason for wanting to increase the number of imports allowed for that season. The independent evaluators’ comments and evaluation sheets must also be included with the application to assist the BMB Executive in making a decision. “Grandfathered” Players - Players that were registered with BMB at the Competitive / AA or higher levels in the previous season will not be considered imports if they come from a community that has an established minor baseball association. The appropriate transfer paperwork will still be required as per Baseball Alberta (see #7 Player Transfer Policy below for further information). They will be considered BMB players until they choose to register in any future seasons with another association at which point they will no longer be considered a BMB player.

3. Underage Policy:

Community A and Competitive AA levels in the 11U, 13U, 15U and 18U divisions: BMB accepts requests to move underage players up a division based on the following criteria:

1. The individual must be a second / last year player (based on year of birth) in their age appropriate division.
2. Underage players must register in their appropriate age division and then contact in writing (email, letter) the Directors of both the division they are registered in and the one they would like to tryout for, informing these Directors of their request to move up / tryout in the higher division.
3. If a player wants to be moved up to Community A team in a higher division, the Director of the higher division will contact the player after the registration deadline to let them know if there is room based on the number of players registered in the division. Moving a player up a division must not leave the team(s) in the player’s age appropriate division with a short roster or the A division they are moving up to with too many players on the roster as per the Roster Size Guideline and this will be determined by the BMB Executive on a per division basis.
4. If the player wants to tryout for a Competitive AA team, they must Evaluate On the team based on the Roster Selection - Evaluated On / Coach Picks Policy. They cannot be a Coach Pick. If the player does not make the Competitive AA team in the higher division, they will have the opportunity to play on a Community A team in the higher division if there's room on the roster or play in their age appropriate division. Moving a player up a division must not leave the team(s) in the player’s age appropriate division with a short roster or the A division they are moving up to with too many players on the roster as per the Roster Size Guideline and this will be determined by the BMBA Executive on a per division basis.
5. If it is determined at any point during the season that it is not in the best interest of the player (eg. safety, skill set, cognitive ability, emotional ability, etc.) to play in the higher division, the player shall be moved to a team in their age appropriate division for the remainder of the season.

 

4. Overage Policy: BMB does not allow players requesting to play as an overage player from the 11U to 9U (Rookie) divisions. Other overage rules for male and female players in 11U, 13U, 15U and 18U divisions are dictated by Baseball Alberta, please visit the Baseball Alberta website (www.baseballalberta.com) for further information.

 

5. Roster Size Guidelines:

 The recommended minimum / maximum roster sizes for BMB are:

Min / Max

Rally Cap: 10/12

 9U(Rookie): 11/13

11U: 11 / 14

13U: 11 / 14

15U: 11 / 14

18U: 12 / 15

Head Coaches can apply to the BMB Executive (through the appropriate Division Director) if they would like to decrease / increase the minimum / maximum roster size for their team. The application must be in writing (email, letter) and justify the reason for wanting to decrease / increase the number of roster spots allowed for that season.

 

6. Roster Selection - Evaluated On / Coach Picks Policy: This policy is applicable to the 11U, 13U, 15U and 18U divisions at the Competitive AA level. Rosters will require all players except 3 to be selected by the independent evaluators based on the evaluation process and rankings. The remaining 3 roster spots will be selected by the Head Coach from the remaining players that were evaluated.

 

7. Player Transfers Policy:  Players requesting a transfer from BMB to another minor baseball association must follow the Player Transfer Guidelines (http://www.baseballalberta.com/content/transfer-guidelines) as per Baseball Alberta. This policy applies to Competitive / AA and higher only. Baseball Alberta currently has no transfer requirements / guidelines for playing at the Community / A level. Players are able to register in the community of their choice at the Community / A level. BMB will not consider a transfer request until the registration deadline for the division of the transfer request has been reached. At that time the BMB Executive will review the number of registered players in the applicable division and determine if releasing the player(s) will be detrimental to BMB. For example, if 10 players are registered, and 2 of those players want to transfer to another association (offering the same level) which would then leave only 8 players registered and not enough for a team, the transfer forms would not be signed releasing the player(s) to another minor baseball association. The ability / skill set of the player will also be taken into consideration when the BMB Executive considers the request.

 

8. Uniform & Apparel Policy: The BMB Executive has developed the Uniform & Apparel Policy to assist all of our teams in taking advantage of bulk order pricing, consistent apparel selection, consistent colors, etc.

 Rally Cap: In the Rally Cap, BMB will provide each team with a set of t-shirts and hats that each player and coach will get to keep. Players are required to wear jogging pants or baseball pants. Shorts are not allowed for the safety of the players in case they slide or dive. No open-toed shoes.

 

9U, 11U, 13U, 15U & 18U Divisions: The following requirements are for all players and coaches at the Community A and Competitive AA levels:

 Baseball Pants: At the Community A level all players and coaches are required to wear gray baseball pants when playing games. At the Competitive AA level all players and coaches are required to wear white baseball pants when playing games. Players and coaches can wear either the long or short style pants. If they choose to wear the short style pants they will be required to wear black socks or white socks with black stirrups.

Socks: Players and coaches are required to wear black socks or white socks with black stirrups when playing games.

Belt: Players and coaches are required to wear a black belt with their baseball pants when playing games.

Short & Long Sleeve Shirts: For players and coaches that prefer to wear either a short or long sleeve shirt under their uniform when playing games, it must be black.

Jersey: BMB is responsible for providing all player and coaches with a hat and a set of jerseys to each team (players and coaches) at the Community A and Competitive AA levels. No other jerseys are to be used by BMB teams unless approved by the BMB Executive. In order to minimize the wear and tear on BMB jerseys they are not allowed to be worn at practices. A jersey deposit may be collected from each player, to be returned at the end of the season when the jersey is returned.

Hats: Players and coaches are required to wear a black hat with the current season’s approved logo as determined by the BMB Executive.

The BMB will work with local businesses each season to provide a variety of apparel choices with Pirates Baseball logos. These will include jackets, hats, shorts, short and long sleeve shirts, etc. Players and coaches are not required to purchase any of the apparel with logos, they are able to purchase non-logo’d apparel as long as it meets the criteria listed in the Uniform & Apparel Policy. For example, a player may choose to purchase a logo’d t-shirt through the business that BMB has contracted to provide logo’d apparel or they may choose to purchase a blank black t-shirt from any business. The BMB will communicate via email when the logo’d apparel is available and how members can go about ordering items. This option allows parents / guardians, siblings, grandparents, etc. to also order logo’d Pirates apparel

 

 

9. Equipment Policy (Printable)

ITEM	U5/U9	A	AA	NOTES
Baseball Helmet	Yes	Yes	Yes
Bat	No- Bats provided by BMB	Optional- Bats provided by BMB	Optional- Bats provided by BMB	Each team is provided with a selection of bats. It is recommended for players to try the team's bats before making an optional purchase.
Catcher’s Glove and Equipment	Provided By BMB	Provided by BMB	Provided by BMB	Players may make an optional purchase up to U15.  U18 not included
Cleats	Optional	Yes	Yes	Plastic cleats for divisions lower than U15. U15-U18 plastic or metal cleats accepted.
Glove	Yes	Yes	Yes
Protective Cup	Optional	Yes	Yes
Running Shoes	Yes	No (Cleats)	No (Cleats)
Water Bottle	Yes	Yes	Yes

 

Face masks for coaches/managers:  A manager or coach IS permitted to warm up a pitcher at home plate, in the bullpen or elsewhere at any time but MUST wear a face mask while doing so as per Baseball Canada’s Official Rules of Baseball-Canadian Content article 3.09: The C.F.A.B. rules require catchers in all age categories to wear a protective helmet and mask while catching. NOTE: This includes practice and warm-up situations such as the bullpen or between innings. Coaches must wear at least a mask in all practice and warm-up situations. Throat protectors are to be mandatory for all catchers and umpires. Extension masks are acceptable provided that the throat area is adequately covered in conjunction with the chest protector.

 

10. Coaching Certification and Requirements - Reimbursement Policy: The BMB will reimburse coaches that submit proof of the following documents and applicable receipts to the appropriate Division Director that they are coaching in that season. National Coaching Certification Program (NCCP) - Baseball coaching certification Respect in Sport - Leader certification Criminal Record Check (CRC) and Vulnerable Sector Checks (VSC) - These documents can be obtained from a local RCMP detachment.

Coaches Code of Conduct - There is no fee related to this document but it is required to be signed, dated and submitted to the appropriate Division Director by anyone coaching in the BMB.

 

11. Criminal Record Check (CRC) & Vulnerable Sector Check (VSC) Policy: A Criminal Record Check (CRC) / Vulnerable Sector Check (VSC) is required for all coaches.

 

12. Coaching Certification & Requirements Policy: To determine the coaching certification and additional requirements that the BMB, Baseball Alberta and / or Baseball Canada requires for individuals to be a Head or Assistant Coach for the upcoming season in any division, please visit the Baseball Alberta website.

 

13. Late Registration Policy: There will be a $30.00 late registration fee applied to any registration that occurs after the registration deadline established for each division and caliber (A, AA, etc.). Late registrations will only be accepted if there is room within the division and caliber the individual wants to register in. Individuals wanting to inquire about registering after the applicable registration deadline will need to contact the appropriate Division Director. If an individual is registering late, but their registration is required to create a team or fill the minimum required as per the BMB Roster Size Guideline, the late fee will not be applied.

 

14. AGM Attendance Policy: Prior to each season, BMB holds their Annual General Meeting (AGM). Everyone in attendance (based on the completed attendance sheet) will receive a discount on their registration fees (per child) if they register within 1 week of the AGM and this discount is determined by the BMB Executive prior to the AGM. Registration after the 1 week period, even for individuals that attended the AGM, will be at the regular registration fee.

 

15. Community “A” Provincials Entry Fee Policy: If a Community A team in the 11U or higher divisions decides to extend their season by entering Community “A” Provincials organized through Baseball Alberta, they can apply via email to the BMB Executive to have 50% of their Provincial entry fee covered by the BMB. The BMB Executive can be contacted at blackfaldsminorball@gmail.com.

 

16. Weather Policy: Blackfalds Minor Ball follows Baseball Alberta’s weather policy.

This policy applies to all games sanctioned by Baseball Alberta including, league games, exhibition games, and Provincial Championship games.

LIGHTNING AND SEVERE WEATHER: When thunder roars, go indoors. You can determine the approximate distance of lightning from your area by counting the number of seconds between the flash and the first sound of the thunder and dividing by three (3). This will give you the distance in kilometers from your location. The problem lies in that people need to be in a safe location (not a dugout!) before the count reaches 30. For instance if one counts 35 seconds, people should be finding a safe location to shelter in.

AIR QUALITY: 

1. Play/activity is not permissible when the AQHI is Very High Risk (10+)

2. Play/Activity is permissible when the AQHI is High Risk (7-9) with caution and modified activities. Players/Teams/Umpires may opt out of participation but must communicate with their respective coaches, OFM’s, and hosts.

“Unhealthy for sensitive individuals and groups; consider rescheduling or modifying outdoor activities. Baseball activities should be carefully evaluated, and organizers should consider shortening warm-up and practice times, modifying activities, or moving indoors, especially for individuals with respiratory or cardiovascular conditions. At-risk individuals, including those with respiratory or cardiovascular conditions, should not participate in outdoor baseball activities during High-Risk conditions."

Baseball Alberta Full Air Quality

 

17. Umpire Policy: BMB umpires that are taking their 1st or 2nd year of Level 1 will be reimbursed the cost of the clinic once they ump 3 games that are scheduled by the BMB umpire director.