(1) What is the New Jersey Independent Baseball League?

The New Jersey Independent Baseball League (NJIBL) League is a locally formed and operated elite semi-pro wood bat baseball league located in Southern New Jersey. This league is open to all players with no limitation or waiting period for players with professional experience. We provide adult players from throughout the area with an opportunity to play weekend baseball with other players in their own age group and skill level. The league was formed to provide the highest level of competitive baseball to fit the schedule of working men who still have the desire to play baseball at the most affordable price possible.

(2) How is the NJIBL governed?

The NJIBL will operate under an elected Board of Trustees who will be entrusted with the operation of the league and "open book" financial management. All rules, rules changes and policies can only be implemented by a majority vote of managers in good standing.

(3) How long has The NJIBL been active?

The NJIBL was formed in the fall of 2008. The league is comprised primarily of teams that have played in the SJMSBL, USOTB, RVL and NABA some for as long as 10 years. In our first year of operation we had over 50 teams, 3 age divisions, summer and fall leagues.

(4) What are the actual age requirements?

Players are eligible for the 25+ and 35+ age divisions if they reach the respective ages by December 31st of the calendar year. The 18+ division requires that the player turns 18 years of age at the beginning of the season.

(5) What are the age groups in The NJIBL?

We have 18+, 25+, and 35+ leagues in the spring/summer season. The fall season is 18+ only.

(6) When does The NJIBL play?

Spring/Summer League generally starts the first weekend of April and continues through the month of August (weather permitting). There are byes on Memorial Day weekend and the weekend nearest the 4th of July. The current playoff format will be determined during the fall managers meeting in late 2009. The games are scheduled from 9 AM through 12 PM on Sundays. Pending manager’s approval, some teams may elect to play some of their regular season games on Saturday evenings. It is likely that there will be several scheduled double headers in the 2010 season. Our Fall League begins in early September and is completed by late November and takes on a similar format as the Spring/Summer League.

(7) Where does The NJIBL play?

Most games are played on high school, local municipal and college fields within Southern New Jersey and Southeastern Pennsylvania. Our All Star Games are held at the Wilmington Blue Rocks Stadium in Wilmington Delaware.

(8) How competitive is the league?

There are players at a variety of skill and experience levels. Most players had some high school experience and maybe college. Several teams have players who have played some level of professional baseball as well. In some cases many players haven’t played in 10+ years! After a few practice sessions and a few games most players find the game comes back to them and they can compete at this level. The 18+ and 25+ leagues have two conferences which are separated by competitive level.

(9) Is the NJIBL accepting new teams?

We certainly welcome new teams to our league. If you are interested in fielding a team and would like more information, please contact us at info@njibl.com.

(10) What is the difference between the NJIBL and other local leagues.

The major differences will be on a few levels:

Financial: There will be no fee to be part of the league. With Sunday morning leagues in our area (MSBL, NABA, USOTB) you are required to pay a fee to be part of the national infrastructure. Take the SJMSBL, of the $100 each of the 1134 players in the SJMSBL paid in 2008, $26 goes to the NY HQ for the MSBL ($29,484). The other $74 stays in South Jersey (or $86,184) is used for varous expenses which do NOT include weekly umpires, regular season baseballs, uniforms or field fees, those are extra fees teams must cover. Many managers have expressed they are not seeing the balance of those dollars in action. The NJIBL will not charge a fee for membership to the organization, it will just ask each team to cover their cost for insurance (the similar coverage as the MSBL but due to the size of the national organization their policy is more comprehensive and more cost effective in consideration of their benefits), umpires and website. Any extras will be the responsibility of the team but not a required cost to play in the NJIBL. The estimated total savings per team will be significant. There are many of the "extras" which will be gien to the league through sponsorships that have been gained locally and corporate.

Communication: The NJIBL will answer all inquiries within 24 hours. Furthermore there will be announced quarterly meetings with prepublished agendas that will take place at the beginning of the calander year, before the start of the season, in season (just before playoffs) and before Thanksgiving. Furthermore schedules will be distributed well in advance of the season.

Leadership: There will be no "all deciding" word coming from above. Judgements on issues will come before a committee. Also, all postitions are up for election (Thanksgiving meeting) and therefore no one regime will run the league in perpetuity. There will be open and welcome communication between the NJIBL leadership and players/managers alike.

Rules: All rules will be voted on. No rules will be implemented in midseason without the consent of the managers.

Competition: The NJIBL will use the SJMSBL platform of Conference/Division composition based on the skill of each team.

Additional Perks:

There are many other special events the NJIBL has through alliances with businesses in the area, most notably is PJ Whelihan's. Our first year was highlighted by a year end awards banquet, Allstar Game at Wilmington Blue Rocks Stadium, a League Night Out at the Phillies, and a Breast Cancer Awarness Game.