The families, supporters, coaches, and players of Tiverton Little League (TLL) represent a broad cross-section of our community.  Parents must be involved for TLL to be a successful children’s organization.   All persons associated with TLL must recognize that their actions and behavior are perceived by the public as representatives of Tiverton Little League and the town of Tiverton.   All TLL parents, players, coaches, fans, spectators and umpires act as ambassadors of our proud organization. 

To ensure the quality and integrity of our youth sports program as well as the safety of all participants (players, spectators, coaches and managers and umpires) Tiverton Little League hereby adopts and will enforce the following Policy on Personal Conduct...

By registering a child for participation in Tiverton Little League, the parent(s) or guardian(s) and player acknowledge and agree that:   

1.       Participation in Tiverton Little League is a privilege and not a right.

2.       The player and his/her family will follow this Code of Conduct. 

3.       Acceptance into Tiverton Little League and continued participation by a player and parent(s) or guardian(s) is subject to the final decision and sole discretion of the Tiverton Little League Board of Directors.  

General Expectations of all Participants   

• Understand that our players are children and need encouragement and not criticism.   Applaud good play and effort by players, congratulate the winning team and encourage the losing team.

• Be willing to volunteer time and/or resources to improve the organization and demonstrate recognition of the efforts of the volunteer personnel.   Support your child's team and TLL by volunteering to work in the concession stand and to prepare and clean the field and dugouts.

• Refrain from unsportsmanlike conduct and grandstand coaching.   Abusive or profane language is forbidden at all times.   Only players, coaches, umpires and league officials are allowed on the field at any time. 

• Learn the basic rules of baseball and softball.

• TLL welcomes participation from members of the community.   Attend board meetings, review all emails from TLL and be familiar with the information on TLL’s website.  Please be positive in any critiquing of TLL.

• Refrain from smoking at all TLL games as required by law. 

• Intoxication or the consumption of alcohol or drugs while attending TLL games or events is strictly forbidden and will result in immediate ejection from the field/facility by an umpire or league official.   Assistance from the police will be requested, as needed, to enforce local ordinances.
   

Coaches

All interactions with umpires, spectators, and/or players must be calm, polite, and respectful.  Interactions with umpires shall be restricted to the following:

• Review of applicable field ground rules or clarification of Little League and/or TLL’s local rules of play. 

• Communication regarding issues that affect the playing of the game including, but not limited to, equipment, injuries and weather.

• General pleasantries and expression of gratitude.

An umpire may, in his/her discretion, eject a coach who conducts himself/herself in violation of this policy.   Umpires shall report any such violation to league officials within twenty four (24) hours. 

Parents/Spectators

All interactions with fellow spectators, players, coaches, and umpires must be calm, polite, and respectful.   Yelling, jeering, questioning, and/or criticizing coaches, players or umpires is strictly prohibited.   Spectators shall not address umpires directly or indirectly, before, during or after a game.   Spectators must follow any rules established by team managers for communicating with players during games or practices.  

Umpires

All interactions with players and coaches must be calm, polite, and respectful.   Umpires shall not interact in any way with parents and spectators during the course of a game in which he/she is umpiring.   Umpires shall refrain from criticizing players, coaches, and/or parents before, during and after a game.   Umpires must always demonstrate proper decorum.

Penalties and Sanctions

If, in his/her discretion, an umpire reasonably believes a participant’s conduct is in violation of this policy, the umpire shall halt the game, convene the managers of both teams and require them to remind the subject participants of Tiverton Little League’s Policy on Personal Conduct.

If such behavior continues after the step taken above, an umpire at his/her discretion may issue an ejection to the subject participant(s) in which an umpire, team manager, or Tiverton Little League official asks the violator to leave the game premises for the remainder of the game

If the violator refuses to immediately do so, the umpire shall suspend the game, and the game shall be concluded at a later date.

Subsequent additional infractions by the same participant may result in a further and lengthier suspension from participation in the league in any capacity and shall be at the sole discretion of the Tiverton Little League Board of Directors.

All ejections shall be communicated by the managers and/or umpires to the division commissioner within twenty four (24) hours.  In addition, managers and/or umpires shall communicate inappropriate behavior to the appropriate Directors regardless of whether an ejection occurred.  The appropriate Directors shall report these complaints to the League President within twenty four (24) hours.   The Tiverton Little League Board of Directors shall investigate the matter and determine an appropriate sanction from participation in all Tiverton Little League events including practices, games, and special events sponsored by Tiverton Little League.

Managers must communicate to their Directors any actions by an umpire they believe to be in violation of this policy within 24 hours of the infraction. Directors must report these infractions to the league President within 24 hours.  In consultation with the head Umpire, the President will determine if the issue must be placed before the Tiverton Little League board of directors.

Zero Tolerance

Tiverton Little League will not tolerate any of the following egregious violations:

• Physical contact made with a child, umpire, manager, or coach.

• Threatening a player, parent, spectator, umpire, manager or coach verbally or by gesturing.

 The Tiverton Little League Board of Directors reserves the right to impose sanctions for violations that are not specifically enumerated above.