Zero Tolerance Policy Acknowledgement Required 

Newton SouthEast Little League (NSELL) runs its programs for the benefit of the children it serves. Our goals are to teach the fundamentals of baseball, provide a fun and safe environment for our children and promote good sportsmanship.   With this in mind, NSELL has adopted a ZERO TOLERANCE POLICY. This Policy is found on the NSELL website under the section entitled “Zero Tolerance Policy”. All parents are required to read, discuss with their children playing in NSELL, and agree to this Policy as part of the registration process as a condition of their children playing in NSELL.


Zero Tolerance Policy 
1. Goals 
Newton SouthEast Little League (NSELL) runs its programs for the benefit of the children it serves. Our goals are to teach the fundamentals of baseball, provide a fun and safe environment for our children and promote good sportsmanship.  Our T-Ball and Farm League programs are instructional and non-competitive. Our Minor and Major League programs are instructional and competitive.  
While our Minor and Major League programs are competitive, Little League is not all about winning. Good sportsmanship is our most important value. It is important that all of us (managers, coaches,  players, parents and spectators) cheer good plays by all players and not criticize or  call attention to bad plays or mistakes by anyone.   

2. Umpires  
NSELL uses a combination of high school students, many whom played in our program,  paid adult umpires(in the Majors and AAA/Cooperstown) and adult volunteers. All student umpires attend a training clinic and receive written materials prior to the start of the season. We will be working with our younger, newer umpires during the early part of the season. The quality of our umpires may be inconsistent over the course of the season and possibly over the course of a game. NSELL has a policy of zero tolerance related to criticism of umpires. Managers, coaches, players and spectators should not complain, make comments, or in any way criticize our umpires.  The umpires in the AA/College division are our kids - treat them as you want your children treated by others. If you have a complaint about an umpire, please contact your league commissioner.  

3. Zero Tolerance Policy  
UMPIRES
All persons associated with the team, including players, managers, coaches and spectators, shall support the umpires. No one is to address the umpire during the game with the following exceptions:  

1. Managers or players responding to the umpire,
2. Managers making substitutions,
3. Managers, coaches, players or spectators pointing out emergencies or safety issues.
4. Managers asking for a rule interpretation. 

1. A manager may ask an umpire in a polite and constructive way to explain a rule. Polite and friendly feedback can be given to the umpire after the game. Absolutely no demonstrative behavior, sarcasm, harassment or intimidation by managers, coaches, players, parents or spectators will be tolerated. Any such behavior should be reported to the Commissioner of the League.  
   
   1st infraction: Umpire may ignore or give warning or take any other appropriate action, including reporting the incident to the Umpire In Chief and the Commissioner of the League.
   2nd infraction: Umpire shall give warning or take any other appropriate action. Umpire shall report the incident to the Umpire In Chief and the Commissioner of the League.
   3rd infraction: Umpire will take action as appropriate which may include having the Offender ejected and asked to leave the area.  
   
   PLAYERS
   There shall be no criticizing or belittling any players preceding, during or following a game. Managers are responsible for enforcing this rule, making sure the coaches, players, parents or spectators are not directing negative comments to either team.  
   Examples of such behavior can include things such as saying, loud enough to be heard, “he can’t hit,” “pitcher can’t pitch”, calling attention to miscue by player,  sarcasm,  etc. This is unacceptable by anyone- managers, coaches, players, parents or spectators. 
   
   If the other team is doing this to a manager’s team, the manager should bring it to the attention of the other team’s manager immediately at the end of that half inning.  
   
   Any parent or spectator who observes a ZTP incident should:
   

1. If of immediate consequence, bring to the attention of the manager at the end of that half inning.
2. If of no immediate consequence, bring to the attention of the manager privately after the game.
3. If the inappropriate behavior continues or if it involves a manager, contact the League Commissioner