TOURNAMENT RULES

Unless noted prior to the event, National Federation High School Rules will be used with the following notations.

GENERAL LOCAL RULES

NOTE: Pool games do not have Pre-determined Home and Away teams. All Pool games are determined by a coin toss and the winner of the toss can select Home or Visitor. In Bracket play, the Home team is determined by the higher seed.

1.  Brackets make with a 4 Team Pool and Pools can consist of a minimum of 3 teams.

2.  Trophies or medals provided to 1st and 2nd place teams in each age group.

3.  Teams will play at least 3 games and more based on winning bracket.

4.  Every Team will be Entered and Seeded in a Single Elimination Bracket.

5.  Teams will provide their own game balls per game.

6.  Bracket play starts can start Saturday based on the overall amount of teams signed up. Pool games can start Thursday's.

7.   Pool Play Tie-Breakers (A) Head-to-Head Competition and then (B) Fewest Runs Allowed. The 3rd tie breaker if teams are still tied after the first 2 tie breakers will be Most Runs Scored

8.  Protest: (On rule interpretation only) Protests must be made, to the ump and to one of the Tournament Directors during the inning the event takes place. Protests will be resolved prior to play being resumed. Ump may charge a visit to the mound to the protesting team. ($100 protest fee).

9.  Game time starts after completion of coin toss.

10. Home team is determined by flip of the coin at the home plate meeting as the home team as the option of selecting to Home or Away. For Elimination games, the home team will be the HIGHEST SEEDED TEAM unless they choose to be the visting team. The home team may have their choice of dugout, unless, the other team is currently occupying that dugout in a preceding game.  The home team will furnish the official scorekeeper and the visiting team will furnish the scoreboard operator. NO game will start until there is an official book and scoreboard operator.

11. Championship games: see line item #17 below. HOME TEAM FINISHES LAST AT BAT IF TIME RUNS OUT AND VISITING IS AHEAD. Run Rule is still in effect. Home team will be determined by coin. Tourney Director can change the game time to the regular time limits from pool games if delays were caused during the day pushing game times back. So for example, 8PM Championship game is pushed back to 10PM based on inclement weather, then Championship game times can be changed.

12. Pitching Rules:(more pitching rules at the bottom)

1. Scorecards must be signed by both team managers to eliminate inning validation problems. (Managers are responsible for meeting the umpires immediately following the game at the pitchers mound.)
2. If pitching rules are violated and the infraction is detected, the situation will be reviewed. Consequences may include elimination of a team from the event and suspension for the following year, coaches and/or players ejection.
3. Tournament director shall have final decision on all tournament questions.

13. For elimination games – higher seed will be home team unless they choose to be the visiting team.

14. Ties will count for Pool Play games – extra innings will not be played in pool play

15. In the event of a tie after 6 inning and/or time limit for elimination games – The next inning will start with one out and the last batted out will start at 2nd base. This will be the structure for each new inning that is required until  the game is won. DURING POOL GAMES, TIME RUNS OUT WITH TEAMS TIED, GAME ENDS IN A TIE.

16. Game times:

17. In the event of a rain out where the games cannot be made up, winners will be declared based on highest seed from pool play that advanced the furthest, either in pool or bracket play. No refunds after 2 games have been played. In the event of rain where 2 pool games cannot be played, 1 pool game will determine seeding into bracket games. In the event of inclement weather where pool games are impacted and all scheduled games cannot be played, the top 1st and 2nd seeds of each bracket will be assigned to the championship games. As a last resort if where Sunday games cannot be played at all, trophies will be awarded to the top 2 seeds or the top 2 remaining teams. For example, if the 1st seed played a bracket game and was upset by the 4th seed, however the next round of games are rained out, the 4th seeded team became one of the top two teams remaining and would be awarded a trophy. The format may be changed to lesser time limits or fewer innings to complete the tournament. Coaches and players accept these conditions when entering the tournament. RAIN: In the event of rain, lightning or light failure a game is considered complete after 3 innings have been played (or 2½ if the home team is ahead at that time).

18. Uniforms: Numbers are mandatory, matching uniforms are recommended.

19. Protest: (On rule interpretation only) Protests must be made, to the ump and to one of the Tournament Directors during the inning the event takes place. Protests will be resolved prior to play being resumed. Ump may charge a visit to the mound to the protesting team. ($100 protest fee).

20. If a team withdrawals the week of the event, there is a $150 fee.

21. Based on demand and popularity, the director can start games on Thursday.

22. Teams cannot use more than one batting cage at a time.

23. NF Tournaments reserves the right to combine age brackets. (Example: 9U with 10U All Stars). This decision will be based on the number of teams that enter into each age group division.

24.How to Determine Seeding (NOTE: Pool games, flip a coin to determine home team. Winner of coin toss has the right to pick Home or Away).

25.Teams may bat a nine (9) player line-up, ten (10) player line-up using an Extra Hitter (EH) or continuous lineup of all present, eligible, uniformed players. Such line-up must be declared before the start of the game and used the entire game. If a team uses a line-up that contains substitute players, all starting players may be removed and re-enter the game once, but must re-enter in their original position in the batting order. Non-starters are not allowed to re-enter. When a starter re-enters, the player in the starter’s batting position in the batting order must be removed from the game and is ineligible for the remainder of the game. If a team uses a line-up that contains ten (10) players, the player in the Extra Hitter position has free defensive substitution. If a team uses a continuous line-up, all players other than the nine (9) defensive position players are Extra Hitters and may move freely in defensive positions with the exception of the pitching position. When using the continuous lineup and a player has to leave the game for any reason, that position in the line-up becomes an out when that at bat comes around. If a team does not follow these rules, it is the sole responsibility of the opposing team head coach to stop play. At that time the tournament director will review the situation and make a final decision.

26.Run Per Age Group

9u – 20 runs after 2 innings, 15 runs after 3 innings, 8 runs after 4 or more innings 
10u – 20 runs after 2 innings, 15 runs after 3 innings, 8 runs after 4 or more innings
11u – 20 runs after 2 innings, 15 runs after 3 innings, 8 runs after 4 or more innings
12u – 20 runs after 2 innings, 15 runs after 3 innings, 8 runs after 4 or more innings
13u - 20 runs after 2 innings, 15 runs after 3 innings, 12 runs after 4 innings, or 8 runs after 5 or more innings
14u - 20 runs after 2 innings, 15 runs after 3 innings, 12 runs after 4 innings, or 8 runs after 5 or more innings

 27. PITCHING LIMITS: It is the responsibility of each team’s manager to challenge pitching violations by notifying the Umpire and then filing a protest with the tournament director.  A protest may be filed at any point after the pitcher in violation records any out beyond his legal limit AND while the pitcher in violation is in the game as the pitcher of record.  If such violation is the last recorded out of the game, the protest MUST be filed prior to the Umpire and the teams leave the field of play.

28. Additional Pitching Rules
1) One additional inning per game, per player starting in a team’s 5th game played
2) Pitching/Score cards MUST be signed by both teams at the conclusion of games. Once the cards are signed, the information becomes official, and will be utilized for record keeping.
3) Pitching limits will be based on 1/3 concept.  Each recorded out is 1/3 of an inning against the pitcher. 4 batters faced w/o recording an out equals 1/3 of an inning. 

29. Visits to the Mound: as per NFHS rules, each team is allowed three charged visits to the mound within a game. A charged visit is a trip in which the manager or coach does not remove the pitcher. After the three charged visits are used, every trip to the mound will result in the pitcher being removed. A visit is not “charged” when the manager removes the pitcher from the mound. Remember, charged visits are cumulative for the entire game (visits are not tracked “per pitcher”). No restrictions on visits per inning.

30. Courtesy Runners (Not used if batting entire line-up.) As per NFHS rules, a courtesy runner may be used for the pitcher or catcher. The courtesy runner must be a substitute player that has not been in the game. A courtesy runner may run for either the pitcher or catcher, but not both. Two courtesy runners (one for pitcher, one for catcher) may be used if the team has eligible substitutes for both roles. If there are no substitutes available, THE TEAM MAY USED THE LAST BATTED OUT AS THE COURTESY RUNNER. IF THE TEAM IS BATTING THE WHOLE LINEUP, THEN IT WOULD BE THE LAST BATTED OUT FOR THE
ENTIRE GAME FOR PITCHER AND CATCHER. THE SAME RUNNER CAN NOT RUN FOR BOTH THE PITCHER AND CATCHER WITHIN THE SAME INNING.

31.Battnig Order - teams may bat a nine (9) player line-up, ten (10) player line-up using an Extra Hitter (EH) or continuous lineup of all present, eligible, uniformed players. Such line-up must be declared before the start of the game and used the entire game. If a team uses a line-up that contains substitute players, all starting players may be removed and re-enter the game once, but must re-enter in their original position in the batting order. Non-starters are not allowed to re-enter. When a starter re-enters, the player in the starter’s batting position in the batting order must be removed from the game and is ineligible for the remainder of the game. If a team uses a line-up that contains ten (10) players, the player in the Extra Hitter position has free defensive substitution. If a team uses a continuous line-up, all players other than the nine (9) defensive position players are Extra Hitters and may move freely in defensive positions with the exception of the pitching position. When using the continuous lineup and a player has to leave the game for any reason, that position in the line-up becomes an out when that at bat comes around. If a team does not follow these rules, it is the sole responsibility of the opposing team head coach to stop play. At that time the tournament director will review the situation and make a final decision.

32. How to determine seeding:

33. Bats: the following rules are in place for 2018 and will be evaluated throughout the season.  Must be a baseball bat. If using a wood bat, they cannot be altered or defective. BBCOR certified bats are legal unless otherwise banned by the NFHS Association.  All other bats must be stamped 1.15 BPF or have a certified BESR rating imprint.  Age groups 9-U through 12-U do not have a restriction on the weight/length ratio for non-wood bats.  The 13-U age group must swing either a stamped 1.15 BPF or have a certified BESR rating imprint bat or non wood bat that must be BBCOR certified.  14-U through 18-u age divisions can use non-wood bats but they must be BBCOR certified.  The penalty for use of an illegal bat will be governed by NFHS rules.  

34. Players on Muliple Rosters: no player is allowed to participate on more than one team for each event.  For example, organization rosters have to designate players on one specific team in conjunction with their submitted rosters.  In addition, no player is allowed to play on more than one team even if those teams are in different divisions, or age groups. PENALTY FOR THIS VIOLATION IS TEAM FORFEIT OF ALL GAMES IN WHICH THE PLAYER PARTICIPATED IN WITH SAID TEAM.

35. Age Requirement: May 1st will be the designated date to determine ages. Photocopies of birth certificates MUST be kept with the team coach/manager at all times.  Failure to provide documentation, upon request, will result in an age/rules violation.

 36. Fake Bunt/Swing Rule: A Fake Bunt and then Swing in age divisions 9-U through 13-U is NOT ALLOWED! Penalty for a fake bunt and then swing will result is an OUT! No contact with the ball is required for an out to be called.

37. Field Dimensions:

9U & 10U age divisions play on fields with 46 foot pitching rubber and 65 foot bases.11U & 12U age divisions play on fields with 50 foot pitching rubber and 70 foot bases. 13U age division play on EITHER 54 foot pitching rubber and 80 foot bases OR 60 foot pitching rubber and 90 foot bases. Each Tournament Director has the authority to determine which field size to use in their respective 13U events. 14U & up play on 60 foot pitching rubber and 90 foot bases.

38. Weather

In the event if the tournament is cancelled while in progress, final standings will be determined in the following way

1) for there to be any final standings, all teams in a specific division MUST finish at least one pool play game. The final standings will be based on the first completed game for every team, utilizing the criteria section for seeding to bracket play

2) If all pool play games are completed, the division will be seeded in the normal fashion prior to bracket play, and the bracket seeding becomes the official final standings. If not bracket round is completed, awards will only be given to the #1 and #2 seeded teams in each age group.

3) If the event is stopped during bracket play, the last fully completed round for the bracket will determine the official standings based on the seeded teams that would advance to the next round from the fully completed bracket round.  If no bracket round is completed, awards will only be given to the #1 and #2 seeded teams in each age group.

Refund Policy

There will be a $100.00 administration fee charged for complete rain outs; 1 game started = 50% of entry fee; 2 or more games started = no refund. Online payment service charges are non-refundable.

Cancelation Policy

If you communicate 7 days before the tournament start date, a full refund will be given. If you communicate 4-6 days before, 50 percent of your fee will be returned. If you call 3 or fewer days before, no refund will be given. Online payment service charges are non-refundable.

PLAYING RULES:

CLICK HERE TO VIEW NATIONAL FEDERATION HIGH SCHOOL (NFHS) RULES

2018 NFHS Rule changes

https://www.nfhs.org/sports-resource-content/baseball-rules-changes-2018/