Manager Coach Information 2023

Manager/Coach Information (2023-05-05)

Softball vs Baseball

Softball divisions are U9 (formerly Mite), U11 (formerly Squirt), U13 (formerly Peewee), U15 (formerly Bantam) and U18 (formerly Midget).  Our league has combined the U17 and U19 divisions into U18 to better meet our needs.

Baseball divisions are 9U (formerly Rookie), 11U (formerly Mosquito), 13U (formerly Peewee), 15U (formerly Bantam) and 18U (formerly Midget). 

Note that the U is before the number for Softball and after the number for Baseball.

Website

Managers should have received their team login from their association executive.

• Ensure you have an accurate roster, complete with jersey numbers, posted for your team.  
• Ensure your team staff (manager/coaches) is listed.  There should be contact information for at minimum the manager and one coach.
• Home team enters game score within 24 hours after the game.  Away team verifies within 48 hours of the game.
• There is a how to guide posted under the League Documents menu tab.
• The game locations on the schedule have to be selected from the Ramp database.  Almost none of our associations’ diamonds/ball parks are listed in the database, so we have chosen whatever facility we can from your town to help make it clear which team is the home team.  PLEASE CONFIRM game location with the home team manager.
• If your opponent does not have any manager or coach contact information posted, reach out to the association contact(s) listed under the Associations menu tab.  

Associations - please update your diamond/ball park locations with Ramp support, as per the email sent to presidents on May 1.  This will help for next year.

Schedule

The schedules have had to be revised several times due to late entries/withdrawals.  Game schedules have been posted as of 4:30 pm, Saturday, May 6.  Please check your final schedule as some changes were made to posted games due to late entry/withdrawal of teams.  Please see below for information about rescheduling games.

It is so important for players to register by their association’s deadline so that an accurate number of teams is entered into the league by the mid-April deadline.  The league cannot provide a schedule while the teams are changing, and it is very burdensome on the league volunteers to have to spend hours and hours revising the schedules over and over.

Any rescheduling of games after the final schedules are posted is the responsibility of the team managers.  Teams are permitted to reschedule games if both sides agree.  You do not need permission from the league.  

Please attempt to reschedule rainouts.  

No points will be awarded for games that have not been played due to inclement weather or that were otherwise cancelled with at least 24 hours notice.

Send info about rescheduled games to games@LMBL.ca to have it changed on the website calendar.  Please include your DIVISION (U9, 13U, etc) and the names of the teams involved (e.g. Bonnyville Team 2 vs Elk Point).  There are over 500 games and over 100 teams in the league!

REMINDER for new managers to check with your association for rescheduling procedures to avoid double booking diamonds and to ensure that your game diamond is prepped and an umpire is scheduled.

Game days 

Managers should be in contact prior to the game to confirm the date and diamond location.  

If games are going to be cancelled due to rainouts, the away team should be notified by 4 pm so they can let their parents know before starting to travel.  If your teams are closer together, you might be able to wait until 5 pm.  

No Shows

If you are not going to be able to make it to your scheduled game, you must notify the other manager as soon as possible, and at least 24 hours in advance (consideration will be given when the no show is the result of an emergency).  

If you are not able to attend one of the May 27/28 games that have been scheduled, please notify the other team AND THE HOST ASSOCIATION at least one week in advance.

NO SHOW (team is not able to field a team at the scheduled time)

Games start at 6:30 pm, with a grace period of 15 minutes.  If a team no shows with no contact with the other coach/manager within a reasonable timeframe with respect to travel, the consequence will be:

1st offence - team is fined $200, payable to Lakeland League Minor Ball and due prior to their next scheduled game.  That association will receive a strike.  Lakeland League will cover the umpire cost from the fine.

2nd offence - team is removed from league for the remainder of the season.  The association will receive another strike and will be under review by the League.

Rules

League rules are posted under the Rules menu tab.  The softball and baseball rules each begin with a set of general rules and then carry on to rules for specific divisions. 

A modified NO WALKS rule has been implemented for U11 and 11U.

U9/9U have their own set of modified rules.

Our league rules take precedence over Baseball Alberta or Softball Alberta rules.  Where there is no league rule, follow the BBA or SBA rules.

Communication

Please check with your association executive or softball/baseball directors if you have questions.  Many of the questions that have been sent to the league executive are things that have already been explained at the league meeting or in emails to the association presidents.  It is the association presidents’ responsibility to pass league information along to coaches/managers.