SoNV USSSA Tournament Rules

**INTERNATIONAL TIE BREAKER

Starting January, 2019, all playoffs games, including the championship, will implement an international tie breaker. This will help keep our events from falling behind schedule. 

**At the start of extra innings, or any inning started after time has expired, the last batter to complete his/her at bat will be placed on second base for each team, accelerating scoring opportunities and bringing the game to a speedier conclusion.

FORCE PLAY SLIDE OR AVOID RULE:

• A runner may legally slide directly into a base or in any direction away from the fielder to avoid contact or altering the play of the fielder or avoid by peeling off away from the player making the play.  Runners are never required to slide, but if a runner elects to slide, the slide must be legal. Legal Slide means a head first slide or a slide with one leg and buttock on the ground before the base.  If contact is made on either side of the bag or behind the bag, the ball is immediately dead. The runner is out, interference is called and the batter/runner is also called out.    
• A.R. – If the bases are loaded with no outs, a double-play attempt is made, and interference is called, all other runners must return to their original bases.

Divisions will be based upon player’s ages as of year (2019 league age as of April 30th, 2019).  

• Players may only play on one team during USSSA tournament weekend.
• Teams must have non-duplicating number on their jerseys at least 4 inches in size.
• Rainout policy is as follows. No games played- 100% refund or credit. 1 Game played- 50% off future tournament. 2 games played- no refunds.
• Home team will be determined by a coin flip in pool play. In playoffs, higher seeded team will be home team.  Each team will provide a scorekeeper with all changes going through home plate umpire.
• All conversations with an umpire should be conducted after a time out has been called and be held in a calm and professional manner.  Verbal abuse of an umpire will not be tolerated and may result in ejection from the game.
• Any manager or coach ejected from a game will sit out their next game.  An ejected manager or coach must not be in the area of the field after being ejected or during the pre-game or play of the suspended game.  Any manager or coach caught continuing to coach after being ejected or suspended will be suspended for an additional period of time.  Any player ejected from a game is subject to a one game suspension at the tournament director’s discretion.
• Managers and coaches are responsible for the conduct of his players and fans.
• Any team knowingly using illegal players shall be subject to discipline ranging from forfeiting a game, ejection from tournament and suspension from all USSSA sanctioned leagues and tournaments for a one year period.
• Any team forfeiting a game may not advance to playoff rounds if it is determined that it is beneficial to that team with regards to runs allowed/differential etc.
• All protests will be ruled on immediately and all decisions are final and once the next pitch is thrown, team loses right to protest.
• Absolutely, no pre-game infield on any of the fields.  Warm-up may only be conducted in foul territory and the outfield!!!
• Director of the tournament reserves the right to change locations of tournament games.
• No mechanical noise makers are allowed at USSSA tournaments.

GAME REGULATIONS

• Sporting News rules, along with the USSSA Rules shall apply.
• Once an inning begins, it must be completed.  However, if the home team is ahead and batting when time expires, the game is over and the inning is not completed.  Also, when the winning run crosses the plate the game is over and no other runs are counted except in the case of a homerun, all runs will count.
• Extra innings are played if there is still time on the clock.  If time expires in a tie game in pool play, game is a tie.
• Every effort will be made to finish tournament but in case of park curfew, rain, darkness or other acts of God, the Director reserves the right to shorten games and/or modify schedules.

LINE-UPS

• Teams may elect to bat 9 players, or 9 players with a designated hitter (DH), or 
• Teams may elect to bat 9 players plus an Extra Hitter (EH), 9 players plus an EH and DH, or (The EH is considered a defensive player and may switch in and out defensively), or
• Teams may elect to bat a continuous line-up of all present, eligible, uniformed players. Such a line-up must be declared before the start of the game and be used the entire game.(No DH is allowed).  Any player arriving after the game has begun, shall be added to the bottom of the batting line-up.
• Starters may re-enter one time only in their original spot.
• Teams may play an official game with an eight (8) player line-up. If a team plays with an eight (8) player line-up, an out shall be declared for the ninth (9th) position in the batting line-up each turn at bat.

NOTE:  The DH can be used for any position player and only the batter who is assigned as the DH may re-enter as the DH under the re-entry rule.  And DH is not allowed in the 7u and the 8u divisions.

PITCHING REGULATIONS 

Pitching – THESE PITCHING RULES PERTAIN ONLY TO REGULAR SEASON TOURNAMENTS.  WORLD SERIES PITCHING RULES ARE GOVERNED BY THE USSSA BYLAWS AVAILABLE AT USSSA.COM

• One pitch to a batter constitutes an inning pitched
• Once a pitcher is removed from the mound he may not pitch again in that game.(If the pitcher is pinch hit for by another player he must be removed from the mound), 
• On a weekend tournament, pitching does not recycle for the playoffs.  
• Pitching Violation: It shall be the responsibility of each team manager to challenge pitching violations by notifying the Umpire-in-Chief and filing a protest.  The protest may be filed at any point after the pitcher in violation exceeds his legal limit AND while the pitcher in violation is in the game and in the pitching position.  Any violation for exceeding the maximum innings allowed shall result in the player being removed from the mound and the automatic ejection of the offending manager for the remainder of the game and his next scheduled game.  If a Team violates the pitching rule a second time in a tournament, the pitcher shall be removed from the mound, the offending manager will be ejected for the remainder of the game and the next game and that game will be forfeited.

BATTER

To intentionally walk a batter, a coach simply needs to inform the umpire and point to first base.  No pitches are thrown.

RUNNER

• At any time, the offensive team may use a courtesy runner for the pitcher and catcher of record the previous inning on defense. The courtesy runner must be a player not presently in the line-up. If no players not presently in the line-up are available, the courtesy runner shall be the player making the last batted out. The re-entry status of the courtesy runner, pitcher, and catcher shall not be affected by this rule. If at any time, a courtesy runner is determined to be ineligible, a proper replacement pursuant to these rules (if available) will be used without penalty.
• For teams using a continuous line-up, the courtesy runner shall be the player whom recorded the previous out. If no outs have been recorded in the game, the courtesy runner shall be the previous batter not on base.
• A courtesy runner may only run one time per inning. 
• It is the base runner's responsibility to avoid contact with the fielder when the fielder has the ball. 
• Slide or attempt to avoid is in effect at all times when fielder is in possession of ball (Leaping or jumping is not attempt to avoid contact).
• If a player leaving the game is a runner and no legal substitutes are available, the runner is declared out.

SEEDING DETERMINATION

1. Winning Percentage (Descending)
2. Number of Wins (Descending)
3. Number of Loses (Ascending)
4. Tied Teams (vs. each other) Winning Pct. – Descending (not valid if all tied teams have not played each other)
5. Avg Points Allowed (Ascending)
6. Avg Run Differential with a maximum of 8 (Descending)
7. USSSA Points (Descending)
8. Date Team Entered USSSA Database

 (Once advanced past one tie breaker, you don’t go back to a previous tie breaker.)

 EQUIPMENT

Penalty for use of illegal bat: 1st Offense - If the umpire discovers that the bat does not conform to USSSA Rule 7.01C until a time during or after which the bat has been used in play, it shall not be grounds for declaring the batter out and/or ejection from the game. If the umpire discovers that a bat has been used to put a ball in play and before the next legal pitch, the defensive team will have the choice of the result of play or the batter being called out and all runners returning to the base occupied before the pitch.  2nd Offense - If a team is found in violation of this rule a second time, then the manager will be ejected in addition to the 1st offense penalty.