Roster Submission

• All teams playing in the All Star Tournament shall have to submit an officially sanctioned roster from their home league or association to certify all players as recreational.

Pitching Limits

THE FOLLOWING PITCHING LIMITATIONS are in effect. See max innings chart:

• Balks will be called,

  • As per MLB rule change: It is a balk if the pitcher, while touching his plate, feints a throw to first or third base and fails to complete the throw: Pitchers may still feint a throw to second.

• A second visit to the same pitcher in the same inning will cause the pitcher’s automatic removal from the mound (not the game).

• When a pitcher takes his position at the beginning of each new inning he shall be permitted to pitch a maximum of six (6) warm-up pitches. When in relief of another pitcher, a pitcher is permitted to pitch a maximum of eight (8) warm-up pitches (during which time game play is suspended. Time is not suspended, just game play.)

• Any pitcher who engages the pitching rubber and throws a warm-up pitch is considered “in the game” and must throw at least one pitch to a batter before being remove.

Run Rules

• All games, including tournament championship games, will be played with a “Run Rule” in effect. The run rule for all games will be as follows:

  • 20 runs after 1 inning

  • 18 runs after 2 innings

  • 15 runs after 3 innings

  • 10 runs after 4 innings

  • 8 runs after 5 innings

• 8U games only, teams will be limited to seven (5) runs per inning.

  • Mathematical eliminations apply.

Defensive Alignment

• 7U/8U play with 10 defensive players (6 infielders & 4 outfielders)

  • Playing with 9 is an automatic out each time the 10th scheduled batter comes to the plate, if only 8 players, then game is forfeited.

Roster Batting

• Teams MUST bat their entire roster.

• Teams batting their entire roster have open defensive substitution (pitcher excluded, pitching limit rules apply). A pitcher may only make one appearance per game, but may play other defensive positions.

• If a player is removed from the lineup due to injury or illness, the lineup will be compressed, and no penalty (out) will be assessed. (Coaches, do NOT abuse this rule.)

• If a player is removed from the lineup due to ejection, an automatic out shall be declared in that batting order position.

 Game Lengths & Times

• Pool & Bracket games:

  • 6U/7U/8U = 6 innings, or 1hour and 15 minutes

  • 9U/10U = 6 innings, or 1 hour and 30 minutes

  • 11U/12U = 6 innings, or 1 hour and 40 minutes

  • 13U & up = 7 innings, or 1 hour and 45 minutes

• Pool play games may end in a tie*. (See seeding) Run rules apply in all games.

• Bracket Play – Tie-Breaker: If a game is tied after all innings have been completed (or at time limit), the "Texas Shootout" rule will go into effect. Each team loads the bases in order from last out, with one out and we play out the inning. This happens until the tie is broken and the game is complete.

• Championship games: run rules apply, no Texas Shoot Out Tie-Breaker; there are time limits for Championship games:

  • Regulation Time Limits Apply to Championship Games

• Tournament Director may invoke a modified tie-breaker format, including in Championship games.

• Tournament Director may invoke shorter time limits, including on Championship games.

 Seeding for Bracket Play

• Won–Loss (winning percentage value = win/tie/loss)

• Runs Allowed

• Runs Scored

 Dugouts

• Dugouts are first come, first served.

 Home/Visitor

• Pool Play Games. A “Coin Flip” determines home/visitor.

• Bracket Play. The Highest Seeded Team is the Home Team.

 Rules Protest

• Any official Rules Protest or Roster Protest shall require a $100 “protest fee”. Only the Head Coach may file a protest. If you win the protest, the $100 protest fee is returned.

• Any official protest must occur at the time of the alleged rules violation.

  • Game clock is stopped and tournament director is called to the field.

• No protest can be accepted after play has continued.

• Judgment calls cannot be protested and should not be argued.

 Courtesy Runners

• A team may use a courtesy runner for the pitcher or catcher at any time.

• Teams are strongly encouraged to use a courtesy runner for the catcher when there are two (2) outs in an inning.

• Courtesy runner shall be the last out (not necessarily the last batted out).

• The same player may NOT courtesy run for the pitcher and the catcher in the same inning.

 6U/7U/8U Only:

• Pitches per At Bat

  • 6 pitches, strike out within the 6, continuous foul balls on the 6th pitch.

6U Only:

• Each batter will receive five pitches from a coach.  A foul ball (not caught) on the 5th pitch shall not be counted as a swing. The batter will continue to bat on a fifth pitch foul ball until the ball is put into play or the batter swings and misses. After the 5th pitch, the batter will hit from the tee and have a max of two attempts from the tee if unsuccessful on the second swing in putting the ball in fair territory the batter is out.

• No strikeout rule from the pitcher.

• Stoppage of Play – the umpire shall declare “TIME” when the following conditions, in his/her mind have been satisfied: the ball is returned to the infield, the ball is in control of an infielder, the lead runner has stopped running, hesitated or broken stride.

• When batter is hitting from the batting tee, the coach pitcher must stay on pitching rubber until ball is in play (and then remove himself from the play).

Ejections

• All ejections are “plus one” meaning the player or coach ejected from a game shall not be eligible to compete or coach in the next scheduled game.

• Any player ejected shall be asked to leave the playing area immediately (he may sit in the stands, but not the dugout), but is not required to leave the facility unless directed to do so by the Tournament Director.

• Any coach ejected shall leave the facility immediately and may not return until eligible to coach again (see “plus one” rule).

• “Plus one” eligibility for the player or coach may be reviewed by the Tournament Director with the umpires (after the game is completed). The “plus one” rule may be upheld or suspended at the Tournament Directors discretion.

• Umpires are to report all ejections (player, coach or fan) to the Tournament Director and indicate ejections on the official scorecard.

 Sportsmanship

• Umpires will handle unsportsmanlike conduct on the field of play. If an umpire has a problem with a fan or parent outside the field of play, the umpire shall go to the coach/manager of that team and request the coach/manager to handle the problem. If the coach/manager fails to handle the problem, then the umpire will eject the coach/manager from the game; he may also eject the fan or parent if he deems it necessary. Coaches/managers – you are responsible for the sportsmanship and conduct of your players, assistant coaches and parents.

• The Tournament Director may remove a parent, fan, player, coach/manager from the facility at any time if he observes unsportsmanlike conduct; this includes verbal abuse of umpires.

• Demonstrate good sportsmanship at all times.

 Baseballs

• We provide game balls

Metal Cleats

• Metal cleats may be used by 13U and above only.

• No metal cleats may be used on any “turf surface” including, Batting Cages, Soft Toss Stations, temporary pitching mounds or bullpen catchers pads.

 Bat Rules

• 13u and Younger: All bats must be “baseball bats” and must be stamped BPF 1.15, no restriction on weight or length as long as bat has “BPF 1.15” stamp. Wood bats allowed.

• 14u: -5 or -3 weight/length ratio.

  • All Bats must be baseball bats.

  • All -5 bats must be stamped BPF 1.15.

  • All -3 bats must be stamped BBCOR.

  • Wood bats allowed.

• Penalty for usage of an illegal bat: If a bat is determined to be illegal by the umpire, the umpire will declare that the batter is out; runners may not advance on the batted ball; the bat is ejected from the game; and further use of such bat by any player on the team will result in the ejection of the player from the game; and disqualification of the team manager (head coach) from the tournament.

 Additional Bat Restrictions

• COACH PITCH BATS:  Baseball bats that are designed, labeled or marketed, as "Coach Pitch," bats MAY be used ONLY in 6U, 7U and 8U Coach Pitch events!  They MAY NOT be used in any PLAYER PITCH events.