Terms of Service

1. Acceptance of Terms and Account Eligibility

By accessing, browsing, or using the DugoutLink web application or progressive web application (PWA), you enter into a legally binding agreement with Dugout Link LLC ("DugoutLink," "we," "us," or "our").

To create an account and utilize this platform, you represent and warrant that you are at least 18 years of age or the age of legal majority in your jurisdiction. DugoutLink is designed to facilitate connections on behalf of youth athletes; however, only parents, legal guardians, and authorized coaches may register, create listings, message, or transact. If you allow a minor child to participate in any athletic activity, practice, or game facilitated by this platform, you consent to these terms on their behalf and assume full legal and financial responsibility for their participation.

2. Nature of the Marketplace

DugoutLink operates strictly as an independent communications directory and venue connecting youth baseball coaches with parents or legal guardians of guest players.

• DugoutLink is not an athletic association, sports league, tournament organizer, travel team operator, or employer.
• We do not supervise, control, schedule, manage, or direct team activities, practices, or games.
• DugoutLink may review coach-submitted credentials for a platform badge, but that badge is not a criminal background check, guarantee of identity, or assurance of safety. Users are responsible for conducting their own vetting and due diligence before participating with any third party.

3. Assumption of Risk, Athletic Release, and Limitation of Liability

Participation in baseball and related athletic activities involves significant inherent risks, including, without limitation, the risk of serious bodily injury, permanent disability, concussions, illness, heat-related events, property damage, and death.

By utilizing the platform:

• You knowingly, freely, and voluntarily assume all risks, both known and unknown, associated with your child’s guest playing, including travel to and from tryouts, games, practices, and tournaments.
• You release, waive, discharge, and hold harmless Dugout Link LLC, its officers, members, directors, agents, contractors, and affiliates from any and all liability, claims, demands, actions, or rights of action arising out of negligence, personal injury, illness, property damage, or wrongful death occurring as a result of any interaction or athletic event coordinated through the platform.
• In no event shall Dugout Link LLC be liable for indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages. Our aggregate liability to you for any claim arising from or related to the platform shall not exceed the amount you paid to DugoutLink in the twelve (12) months preceding the claim.

4. Payments, Subscriptions, and the SOS Roster Blast

• Service Fee: Coaches and authorized team managers may purchase digital broadcast promotions, including the "SOS Roster Blast," for a one-time fee of $4.99 (or other posted pricing).
• Scope of Service: Payment covers the digital distribution and enhanced platform visibility of a roster vacancy. DugoutLink does not warrant, represent, or guarantee that any roster vacancy will be filled or that any candidate will accept an invitation.
• Payment Processing: All transactions are processed through Stripe, Inc. By initiating a payment, you agree to Stripe’s terms and authorize DugoutLink to charge your selected payment method.
• Refund Policy: All platform purchases and service fees are strictly non-refundable once the broadcast or posting has been distributed, except where required by applicable law or determined at the sole discretion of Dugout Link LLC.

5. Tournament Compliance and Roster Eligibility

DugoutLink is an independent platform and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or partnered with any sports governing body or tournament sanctioning organization, including, but not limited to, the United States Specialty Sports Association (USSSA), Top Gun Sports, Perfect Game, USA Baseball, Nations Baseball, or Little League International.

• User Responsibility: It is the sole responsibility of the participating coach, team manager, and parent/legal guardian to confirm that any guest player meets all age requirements, classification guidelines (e.g., Major, AAA, AA, A), roster addition deadlines, and tournament eligibility rules before the athlete participates.
• Arm Care & Pitch Counts: While DugoutLink provides tracking tools and profile fields for pitch counts, arm care guidelines, and rest intervals, these features are informational only. Coaches and parents remain solely responsible for tracking official game innings, pitch limits, and required calendar rest days as mandated by tournament rules and safety standards.
• Sanctions & Forfeits: Dugout Link LLC accepts no responsibility or liability for game forfeitures, team disqualifications, coach ejections or suspensions, or player eligibility disputes resulting from non-compliance with tournament regulations or sanctioning body rules.

6. User Conduct and Content Standards

Users agree to use DugoutLink in a professional, courteous manner consistent with youth sportsmanship. You agree not to:

• Submit false, misleading, or fraudulent player statistics, ages, or team credentials.
• Harvest user contact information for unauthorized commercial advertising, solicitation, or mass spamming.
• Transmit offensive, abusive, threatening, harassing, or defamatory communications through the platform.
• Attempt to reverse-engineer, scrape, compromise, or bypass the security or functionality of the application.

DugoutLink reserves the right to suspend or terminate accounts and remove any listing without prior notice or refund for violations of these standards.

7. Dispute Resolution, Governing Law, and Arbitration

• Governing Law: These Terms of Service and any dispute arising out of or related to your use of DugoutLink shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of North Carolina, without regard to conflict of law principles.
• Mandatory Binding Arbitration: Any controversy, claim, or dispute arising out of or relating to these Terms or the platform shall be settled by binding individual arbitration administered by the American Arbitration Association (AAA) in the State of North Carolina.
• Class Action Waiver: You and DugoutLink, LLC agree that all proceedings will be conducted solely in an individual capacity and not in a class, consolidated, or representative action.

8. Content, Intellectual Property, and Service Availability

You retain ownership of content you submit, subject to a nonexclusive license for DugoutLink to host, display, and share that content as needed to provide the service. You are responsible for ensuring you have the right to submit it. The DugoutLink name, branding, software, and other platform materials remain the property of Dugout Link LLC or its licensors.

The platform is provided on an "as available" basis. To the extent permitted by law, we disclaim warranties of uninterrupted access, accuracy of user-submitted listings, fitness for a particular purpose, and any particular outcome from a posting or introduction.

9. Account Termination and General Terms

You may stop using the platform at any time. We may suspend or terminate access for violations of these Terms, suspected fraud, or to protect users or the service. Provisions that by their nature should survive termination, including payment obligations, releases, limitations of liability, and dispute resolution, remain in effect. If any provision is unenforceable, the remaining provisions continue in force. Our failure to enforce a provision is not a waiver of it.

10. Modifications and Contact Information

We reserve the right to amend these Terms at any time. Continued use of the platform after revised Terms are posted constitutes acceptance of the changes.