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DILB Eligibility Requirements

DILB Eligibility Requirements

(Any copies of rules and regulations prior to November 10, 2022, are obsolete)

1.    Criteria for eligibility.

a.    "A" level will be comprised of 7th and 8th graders and/or players who were born on or after May 1, 2009.

b.    "B" level will be comprised of 5th and 6th graders and/or players who were born on or after May 1, 2011.

c.    "C" level will be comprised of 3rd and 4th graders and/or players who were born on or after May 1, 2013. For safety reasons a player must be a minimum of 7 years old on or before of the current year to play. Violation of this rule will result in forfeiture of games that player played in.

d.    "D" level will be comprised of 1st and 2nd graders and/or players who were born on or after May 1, 2015.

e.    'E" level will be comprised of players who were born on or after May 1, 2017. For safety reasons, a player must turn a minimum of 5 years of age at some time during calendar year 2024 to be eligible to play in the Dubuque Independent Baseball League.

2.    In addition to the Dubuque Boys Independent League Board reviewing rosters for eligibility requirements, the League may become aware of a player not meeting eligibility requirements through communications from another coach or parent.

a.    For any player that is in question for which the Board believes necessary to seek proof of eligibility, the same procedures will be followed as outlined above.

3.    Current players in the league that did not meet eligibility requirements when entering the league originally will not be "grand-fathered" unless they can currently meet the eligibility requirements of the league.

4.    Coaches are responsible for having a copy of a certified birth certificate in the event a player's eligibility is challenged. All players in the league must present this proof to be eligible to play in the Dubuque Independent League. Player and Parents Code of Conduct must be renewed each year of play.

5.    Players may compete on more than one team of the same franchise if their age allows provided, they are properly registered on one of the teams in the franchise.

a.    A player can participate at two levels but must choose which level they want to pitch at and may only pitch at that level. To change that decision the player first must obtain the league president's approval. Penalty for pitching in two levels is a forfeit. A player that has played their season at certain level only may not play down even though age eligible just to bolster a team at the end of the year tournament.

b. In an attempt to limit canceled and forfeited games, a team may have any player from a lower level be a substitute player. Such player can only sub for one team at the higher level per season. 

6.    There will be a league fee for each "A", "B", "C" and "D" team. This fee will be set by the board for each season according to the needs of the league. The league fees and team roster must be turned in no later than March 15. Included in the fees, each team at "A", "B", and "C" levels will receive 2 dozen baseballs. "D" level will receive 1 dozen baseballs. All teams also receive their entry fee paid into the Rising Stars Tournament and the End of Year Tournament.

7.    Schedules will be drawn up prior to the season. Schedules should be followed if possible. The Executive Board will set up schedules for season play.

8.    Team rosters are frozen on June 14th for “A”,  "B" and C level teams. Team rosters for "D" level teams are open throughout the season. A player must play in at least 4 regular season games to be eligible to play in the end of the season tournament at "A", "B", "C" and I 'D" levels.

9. All players must have a league provided player Code of Conduct signed electronically by the parents and the player through the League's online registration process (https://www.dilb.org) This form must be turned in for every player when they join a team and for every year of play in Independent League after the initial season. This information will be added to the official team roster of that team. If a player plays without a signed contract or without being on a team's roster, then that is an illegal player and that team will forfeit any games that player participated in.

a.    All persons coaching and parents of players must sign the Code of Conduct through the League's online registration process. Any game a coach or player has participated in without submitting this will be forfeited.

10. All parents and coaches will have a league provided Parent Code of Conduct and/or Coach Code of Conduct signed electronically by the respective parent and/or coach through the League's online registration process (see registration tab on website).

11. The Dubuque Boys Independent League seeks to foster an environment of positive support, care and encouragement. The respective player, parent, and coach Code of Conduct outline behaviors designed to facilitate such an environment.

12. A player at the "A", "B", and "C" levels cannot move to another team at will. The only way that a current player can move to another team is to go through the waiver process. Players can only be run through the waiver process at the spring meeting of the Dubuque Independent League. Waiver forms must be given to a League Board Member prior to the assigned Waiver Deadline to be considered for waivers. At the "D" level, a player can move to another team without any waiver process. Explanation: Any player that was not on a Dubuque Independent League team roster the previous season is declared a free agent. They can become a member of any team that wants them, or they may join any team of their choice. If a player voluntarily or involuntarily leaves an organization for any reason:

a.    prior to June 15 of a given season, that player is eligible to become a free agent for the following season.

b.    after June 15 of a given season, they may

                                          i.    Participate in the waiver process at the January meeting to not forego the beginning of the season; however, if the player is claimed the player must play for the organization that selects him or sit out that entire season. The waiver process involves the team from the previous season with the poorest winning record getting the first chance in picking up the player and so forth. If no team wants to claim the player, then they are declared a free agent and can play for any team he wants to. One (1) at bat or (1) defensive play constitutes an entire season. Coaches are cautioned about tampering with players from other teams to get them to join their team.

                                        ii.    Elect to sit out the first 10 games played of the following season at which time they are eligible to become a free agent and join any team that agrees to accept the player onto their roster.

13. The dissolution of a team will be determined in concert by Organizational Leadership and the DILB Board of Directors.

14. The Dubuque Independent League Baseball Board of Directors maintains the final approval as it pertains to the entry of new teams to the league, consolidation of teams at the same level and any other decisions impacting the structure of the league from an organizational standpoint.

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