SA MASTERS BASEBALL ASSOCIATION CONSTITUTION
APPENDIX A
CODE OF CONDUCT & DISCIPLINARY POLICY
One measure of a successful non-profit organization is the ability to police itself. In order to provide to each individual a better understanding of their responsibility and required conduct, the South African Masters Baseball Association (SAMBA) has adopted the following Code of Conduct and Disciplinary Policy, in which any violations deemed worthy of corrective action will be reviewed and/or enforced by the Tournament Conduct and Disciplinary Committee (CDC). This Code of Conduct and Disciplinary Policy applies to all members of SAMBA or any player participating in any SAMBA sanctioned tournament or game, including, but not limited to, managers, coaches, assistant coaches, players, Provincial Officials, SAMBA Executive, CDC members, umpires and spectators.
CODE OF CONDUCT
1. It is the responsibility of SAMBA officials, managers, coaches, assistant coaches, and players to:
a. Notify SAMBA officials of injuries sustained by a player within 24 hours of such incident.
b. Properly protect all SAMBA equipment and promptly return same when asked to.
c. Exemplify the highest moral character.
d. Recognize the individual worth and reinforce the self-image of each team member.
e. Provide a safe environment for practice and competition.
f. Respect the integrity and judgment of game official.
g. Be modest in victory and gracious in defeat.
h. Conduct oneself in the spirit of Masters.
i. Encourage players through positive feedback and do not humiliate, taunt or degrade your own team players or opposing team players.
j. Teach and abide by the rules of the game in letter and spirit.
k. Affiliated or member associations committees, through their
respective chairperson, must make the SAMBA
Code of Conduct and Disciplinary Policy available to their
members.
ACCOUNTABILITY OF TEAM MANAGERS
2. The CDC will hold team managers accountable for the conduct of their coaches, assistant coaches, other officials and
players.
DISCIPLINARY POLICY – GENERAL
3. Recognizing the difficulty of establishing specific penalties for all violations of acceptable conduct, the following
penalties or disciplinary action may be taken:
a. WARNING
The offending person is to be advised, in writing, of the offense, and further advised that repetition of the offense shall result in more severe penalty.
b. SUSPENSIONS
The offending person is to be advised in writing that he or she has been suspended from all SAMBA activity for a specific number of games. Level 1, Level 2 or Level 3 disciplinary actions may be applied (see below).
c. DISMISSAL OR EXPELLED
The offending person is to be advised in writing that he or she has been dismissed or expelled from the league for the remainder of that current year.
d. BARRED OR EXPELLED FROM SAMBA
The offending person is to be advised in writing that he or she
has been barred or expelled from present and future participation
in any SAMBA activities, permanently, or for a specific number of
years.
DISCIPLINARY POLICY – SPECIFIC
4. The following list of violations is not all-inclusive and the CDC reserves the right to amend the violations and disciplinary
actions as necessary. The CDC reserves the right to enforce the
appropriate disciplinary action as deemed necessary and may
include any of the above listed general actions. The CDC also
reserves the right to enforce the following disciplinary actions
on individuals/members for specific violations listed below:
LEVEL 1 DISCIPLINARY ACTION
5. Level 1 action, which may lead to the suspension of the manager, coach, assistant coach, player, spectator or any
member of SAMBA from participation in SAMBA activities, are listed below including length of suspension.
6. The SAMBA Executive may enforce these suspensions without approval from the Conduct/Disciplinary Committee;
however, may consult the CDC if necessary. However, the CDC must
notify the violator in writing of disciplinary action. There is no
appeal of Level 1 Suspensions.
VIOLATION DISCIPLINARY ACTION
a. Use of abusive or vilifying language toward anyone on the ball field - Next two games.
b. Continuing any dispute after three minutes - Next two league games.
c. Willful disregard for City ordinances by player, coaches, managers, assistant coaches, spectator or any
member of SAMBA - Next two league games.
LEVEL 2 DISCIPLINARY ACTIONS
7. Level 2 actions, which may lead to the suspension of manager, coach, assistant coach, player, spectator or any member
of SAMBA from participation in SAMBA activities, are listed below including length of suspension.
8. These complaints must be received in written form to the Conduct/Disciplinary Committee within 48 hours after the
occurrence of the incident in question. Level 2 Suspensions are reviewed by the CDC and can be appealed to the Protest Committee.
9. The CDC must notify the violator or the violator’s team manager of disciplinary action and the violator should be
afforded a review hearing with the CDC if the CDC or violator requests such hearing.
VIOLATION DISCIPLINARY ACTION
a. Persistent misconduct after a caution - Next four games.
b. Dangerous play/intent to harm another player - Next
four games.
c. Second Offense – Use of abusive or vilifying language
toward anyone on ball field - Next four games.
LEVEL 3 DISCIPLINARY ACTIONS
10. “Major” Actions which may lead to the suspension of manager, coach, assistant coach, player, spectator or any
member of SAMBA from participation in SAMBA activities for the remainder of the season or expulsion from SAMBA are listed below.
11. The CDC reviews Level 3 suspensions and approval from the Executive Board is needed for any expulsion. A review
hearing is mandatory for this level of disciplinary action and should be conducted within a reasonable amount of time after the offense has occurred.
VIOLATION DISCIPLINARY ACTION
a. Any attempt to physically harm an umpire, coach, manager, coach, assistant coach, player, or spectator -
EXPULSION FROM SAMBA.
b. Any player or other member of SAMBA who willfully striking, or fights with any other manager, coach,
assistant coach, player or other member at any League game or SAMBA function causing physical harm to an opponent due to any act - EXPULSION FROM SAMBA
c. Second Offense – Persistent misconduct after a caution - EXPULSION FOR REMAINDER OF
SEASON/TOURNAMENT.
d. Second Offense – Dangerous play/intent to harm another EXPULSION FOR REMAINDER OF
SEASON/TOURNAMENT.
e. Any acts of vandalism to the ball field facilities - EXPULSION FOR REMAINDER OF SEASON/TOURNAMENT.
f. Any wilful disregard for City ordinances that causes harm to any individual at the ball field - EXPULSION FOR
REMAINDER OF SEASON/TOURMNAMENT.
SERVING LEVEL 1 OR LEVEL 2 DISCIPLINARY ACTIONS
12. Suspended Officials or Players must serve their suspensions outside the premises of any SAMBA-convened tournament
or event. They are not allowed to serve their suspension at the ballpark.
RULES AND REGULATIONS OF BASEBALL
13. The CDC shall have the authority to suspend, discharge, or otherwise discipline any player, manager, coach, assistant
coach, umpire, Provincial Chairman, CDC member, or other member whose conduct is in violation of the Rules of Baseball , the SAMBA Code of Conduct, or is considered detrimental to the best interests of SAMBA.
RESPONSIBILITY AND ROLE OF THE CDC:
14. The Conduct/Disciplinary Committee will consist of one SAMBA Executive member and two provincial chairmen. One of
the provincial chairmen will serve as the convenor.
15. The CDC shall hear and assess matters resulting from a written complaint regarding the actions of any member of the
SAMBA or its affiliates.
16. The CDC shall meet as required to hear and discuss incidents that may require disciplinary action.
17. Meetings will be called by the convenor as needed. The convenor will conduct the CDC in a manner such that parties
are accorded:
a. A hearing before a fair and impartial body of fact finders.
b. Notice of specific charges or alleged violations in writing and the possible consequences if the charges are
found to be true.
c. Reasonable time, between receipt of the notice of charges and hearing date, to have time to prepare a
defence (limited to seven calendar days).
d. The right to have the hearing conducted at a time and place so as to make it practical for the person being
charged to attend.
e. The right to be assisted in the presentation of one’s case at the hearing;
f. The right to call witnesses and present oral and written evidence and argument;
g. A written decision, with reasons for decision, based solely on the evidence of record, issued in a timely
manner, but not to exceed seven calendar days after the hearing.
18. As part of the investigation, the CDC will assemble evidence from all sides and review the evidence and make a
determination as to the charges. If credible evidence is NOT found, then the complaint will be dismissed. The alleged party will be notified in writing of the dismissal.
19. If, during the CDC investigation, compelling information is found that allowing the violator to continue participation in
the league could be damaging to the League, then the violator may be suspended pending the completion of the investigation.
20. Once all relevant information regarding the complaint is assembled and reviewed by the CDC, it will make its final
decision and notify the violator within 7 calendar days from date of hearing or 14 days from date of incident.
21. Decisions of this committee are final and do not require the SAMBA Executive Committee vote with the exception of
permanent expulsion. If the offending person is suspended for four games or more, the offending person may appeal to the SAMBA Protest Committee.
22. A database of complaints will be kept and a status report of pending complaints presented at each Board meeting.
23. All records are kept in secure and confidential files.
24. In an unlikely instance of a current SAMBA registered member through his or her SAMBA affiliated provincial masters
association, be found guilty of a felony or a crime of moral turpitude in a court of law, SAMBA may convene the CDC to review such an instance on its merits. Current is interpreted as a member who participated in the previous SAMBA IPT and or any prior/current year’s SAMBA sanctioned masters baseball league.
DEFINITIONS
25. BALLPARK: Intended to be all encompassing and includes bleacher areas, the parking lot and street immediately
adjacent to park. Violations will be brought to the immediate attention of the Conduct/Disciplinary Committee for review and possible additional disciplinary action.
26. VILIFYING LANGUAGE: To speak in an abusively disparaging manner
27. HECKLE: Interrupt with derisive or aggressive comments or abuse
28. TAUNT: A remark made in order to anger, wound, or provoke someone.
REPORTING AN INCIDENT TO THE CDC
29. While people can call in with complaints of alleged violations, those investigated must be received in writing and within
48 hours after the incident occurred.
30. Anyone, including affiliated members, the public and League members, may make a written complaint.
31. If the complaint provides credible evidence of a violation, the violator of the complaint is notified and given an
opportunity to respond within 7 calendar days or have a hearing before the CDC.
32. Once the CDC receives the complaint, it will have 7 calendar days to investigate and respond in writing to alleged
violator regarding knowledge and receipt of complaint. The CDC shall have a minimum of 14 calendar days to investigate and forward a finding to the alleged violator. During that time or within 7 calendar days of reporting the findings, the alleged violator may request a hearing before the CDC. The CDC must complete their investigation and report to the alleged violator within 7 days of hearing date.
MANDATE AND TERM OF OFFICE OF THE CDC
33. The CDC is usually appointed at the annual IPT Pre-Tournament meeting – in case it is needed at the tournament. With
this Code of Conduct/Disciplinary Policy, the term of office extends beyond the IPT period until the convening of the following IPT Pre-Tournament meeting, normally a period of approximately a year later. Should the CDC have to convene during a non-tournament period, the committee members should use the best and most convenient means available to communicate with one-another, eg video-conferencing, Skype, etc.