Baseball Tournament Rules
- All games will be six innings in length. A game will be considered complete after 4 innings or 3 ½ if the Home Team is winning. Every game will have two certified umpires.
- Mercy Rule: 12 runs after 4 innings, 10 runs after 5 innings. Mercy Rule is in effect for all games including the championship games.
- Base Path Distances:
- Pitching Distances:
- 2 hour time limit will be in effect for all games except for championship games. No inning can start after the 2 hour time limit has been reached. An official start time will be indicated by the umpire before every game is started.
- Leading off and stealing is permitted for all ages.
- There are no pitching rules. But please put the health and safety of the kids above the desire to win games.
- Visits to the mound: Pitcher must be removed on second visit to mound in the same inning or third overall visit for the same pitcher.
- Home Team will be determined by a coin flip. However the higher seeded team for the single elimination tournament will determine home team. Home Book is the official book.
- Line- up will consist of 10 players including an extra hitter. All age groups have the option of batting the entire lineup if they choose; however, we will not force your opponent to do the same for that game. Teams can make this decision on a game by game basis. Re-entry Starters may be re-entered once, including the EH, as long as the player occupies the same position in the batting order. If a pitcher is removed from the mound and goes to another defensive position, they may not return as a pitcher in that game.
- Injury: In case of injury and no replacement available that position in the lineup will be skipped without penalty.
- Courtesy Runners: Can be used for catchers only and there must be 2 outs in the inning and the runner must not be in the lineup. If you only have 10 players no courtesy runner will be permitted.
- Balks: Each team will be give one warning. Balks will also not be called if they don’t put the base runner at a disadvantage.
- 2 Game Balls will be provided, you must provide your practice balls.
- Bat Restrictions: 2 ¼ to 2 ¾ without weight restrictions.
- Infield Fly Rule in effect.
- No contact rule in effect. Base runner must slide on all plays. No head first slide permitted with the exception of diving back to a base. If in an umpire’s judgment, the contact was malicious or intentional the player can be ejected from the game. If ejected the player is ineligible for the next game his team plays.
- Intentional Walks the pitcher must throw to the batter in an intentional walk situation.
- Protests: If a manager feels a ruling during the game is incorrect the game should be stopped and the POD Field Manager should be called to settle the protest. The POD Field Manager’s ruling is final.
- Ejections: If a player, coach, scorekeeper, parent or fan is ejected from a game it will be up to the discretion of the Director of Baseball Operations if they are allowed to participate in the next game or any future games for tournament week. If no substitute player is available for the ejected player that spot in the lineup will be an automatic out for the remainder of the game. All ejections must be reported immediately to the Director.
- No infield practice or batting practice is permitted on the fields before the game. There are practice fields were you can have infield practice on. Teams must be ready to play at least 15 minutes prior to their assigned game time.
- Games ending in a tie after completion of six innings will be decide by the following shootout format:
- Each team will place a runner at second base. The runner will be the player that made the last out in the previous inning. Each team will be given 3 outs and the game will continue until a winner is decided.
- Tie-Breakers
- 1. Head to Head (if applicable)
- 2. Average Runs allowed.
- 3. Total Runs Scored
- 4. Coin Flip
- No Alcohol or tobacco products permitted anywhere in the Diamonds In The Rough Park.
