By Staff
February 24, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
After a couple of bench clearing events during the 2016 season the Intercounty Baseball League decided to clean things up a little and put three new rules in place.
The IBL is helping the clubs appeal to the family crowd and a bunch of emotionally charged baseball ball players roaring out onto the ball field doesn’t fit with the family sports event.
Kitchener and Brantford teams clear their benches for one of he few brawls in the league last year.
The new rules Rules of Operation, passed in January 2017set out suspensions for three classes of players.
a) The player identified as first to leave the dugout or bullpen to engage in or start an altercation is automatically suspended five games.
b) The manager of the team identified as first to leave the dugout or the bullpen is automatically suspended three games.
c) A position player, who leaves his position, to engage in an altercation, is automatically suspended one game. This also applies to batters and or players in the batter’s box.
IBL Commissioner John Kastner said “It is the job of the umpiring crew to determine who is first to leave the bench.
As is the case with all brawls, the crew will meet and determine what transpired.
The IBL does not have a provision to challenge umpiring decisions over this or any other decision.
