NOTE: Any rules not listed on this page will defer to the Major League Baseball rule book also known as “big book rules.” You can access an official copy of the MLB rule book at the link below:

• Link: Major League Baseball Official Rule Book

General Age / Division Guidelines

Age Determination

• A player’s age for any EL1 Tournaments events is the actual age of a child on May 1, 2023

• A player that turns 12 on or before May 1st would be considered 12 years old for EL1 Tournaments play
• A player that turns 12 anytime after May 1st would be considered 11 years old for EL1 Tournaments play

• Players are always eligible to play in an age division above their current age (I.E. 11 year olds can play in the 12U division). EL1 Tournaments also strongly recommends players play with their grade / graduating class to align with players they will be competing with in high school.

NOTE - EL1 Tournaments will allow players to play in the same grade as long as proof of grade is provided to the respective tournament director prior to any games being played

Umpires

• EL1 Tournaments will strive to provide a minimum of two (2) umpires for every tournament contest. In some cases, all non-leadoff divisions may only have one (1) umpire assigned to ensure coverage for all tournament games.

Bat Restrictions

Illegal Bat Penalty

• Each team is responsible for making sure their team bats are legal – this is NOT the umpire’s responsibility

• In the case where an illegal bat is used, the batter will be declared out and all base runners returned to their original bases at the start of the at-bat.  Subsequent use of an illegal bat will result in the same penalty, along with a coach ejection

Game Duration / Time Limits

• We will attempt to stay on schedule as much as possible. Teams should do their best to be warmed up and prepared to play at their scheduled game times, regardless of when the game being played in front of them ends. Player health and safety will be first and foremost, but please show a sense of urgency when getting players & pitchers warmed up for your games if the prior game runs longer than expected

Determining Home Team

• For all pool play games, the home team will be determined by a coin flip. Teams winning the flip will have the option to choose home or visitor
• For bracket play, the higher seed will have the option to choose home or visitor for that contest

• If both teams are the same seed from their respective pool, the home team will be determined by a coin flip. Teams winning the flip will have the option to choose home or visitor

Mercy Rules

• For ALL AGES, the following mercy rules will apply:

• 12 runs after 3 innings (or 2 ½ if the home team is ahead)
• 10 runs after 4 innings (or 3 ½ if the home team is ahead)
• 8 runs after 5 innings (or 4 ½ if the home team is ahead)

• For the 8U DIVISION, a maximum of 5 runs can be scored per half-inning. The half-inning is considered complete when a team gets 3 outs or 5 runs; whatever comes first

• For the last declared inning, the maximum run per inning rule is waived; teams can score unlimited runs

Tie Games

• For all pool play and/or consolation games:

• In the 8U - 14U divisions, in pool play or consolation games, if the game is tied after regulation, the game will be deemed a tie regardless of if the time limit has been reached

• (EX) A 12U game is tied 2-2 at the end of 6 innings with 15 minutes remaining in the time limit. The game will be deemed complete and the result of the game will be considered a tie

• For the High School (15U - 18U) divisions, in pool play or consolation games, if the game is tied after 7 completed innings and there is time left, the game will be played until a winner is determined OR the time limit is reached. Once the time limit is reached, at the conclusion of that inning the game is still tied, then it would be recorded as a tie

• (EX) A 16U game is tied 4-4 after 7 innings, with 10 minutes remaining in the time limit. The game will resume until a winner is determined or the time limit is reached. If the game is still tied after the time limit is reached, it would be recorded as a tie

• Games ending in a tie will count as a ½ win & a ½ loss for the purposes of determining the pool play standings

Bracket Play - Extra Inning Rules

• For all bracket games where a winner must be determined in order to advance to the next round, the game will be played until a winner is determined
• Once the time limit has been reached, all additional innings will be played starting with a runner on second base (last batted out from the previous inning) and NO outs, until one team wins the game
• For consolation games with NO advancement to the next round,  if the game is tied after regulation, the game will be deemed a tie regardless of if the time limit has been reached

Pitching Rules & Regulations

• Once a pitcher is removed from the mound, he is ineligible to return to that game as a pitcher, even if he remained in the game at another defensive position.
• Mound Visits – 1 visit per inning, 2nd visit in an inning must result in a change.  No limit per game.
• Balks - big book; balks are live balls until the conclusion of the pitch/play
• Third to First Move - this move is ILLEGAL; penalty is a balk
• Each team is STRONGLY ENCOURAGED to follow USA Pitch Smart Guidelines, keeping the welfare of their players at the forefront of all pitching decisions. Additionally, we have imposed the following pitch count rules for all EL1 Tournaments events:

• 8U - 12U Divisions

• 40 pitches or less requires NO day off; 41+ requires one day off
• Maximum of 85 pitches in a single day
• Maximum of 105 pitches over a 2 day period
• Maximum of 125 pitches over a 3 day period

• 13U - 18U Divisions

• Maximum of 105 pitches in a single day
• Managing rest will be left up to individual coaches

• NOTE: Pitchers will be allowed to finish out the batter when they hit a pitch count threshold during an at-bat. Days of rest needed will be determined by the FINAL pitch count, regardless of what the number was when the pitcher started his final at-bat

• For example, if a pitcher started his final at-bat at 37 pitches and finished the at-bat at 42 pitches when removed from the game, one day of rest is required

• All protests of pitch count violations must happen during the game. No protests will be considered once a game has concluded. Process of a pitch count protest is as follows:

• Coach must ask for time and alert the umpires that he/she is submitting a pitch count protest. $100 cash is required for all filed protests. The cash will be refunded if the protest is deemed successful. For all denied protests, the $100 is non-refundable
• Umpires will contact the site / tournament director and alert them of the protest
• GameChanger will be the system of record for all pitch count protests. The site / tournament director will review GameChanger records to determine whether a pitch count violation has occurred

• If the team being questioned does NOT use GameChanger, the site / tournament director will use their opponent’s GameChanger data to determine whether a violation has occurred. If neither team has a GameChanger account, the pitch count protest will not be upheld

• If it is determined that a pitch count violation has occurred, the pitcher must IMMEDIATELY be replaced on the mound. The pitcher and head coach will be ejected from the game, and the head coach will also be suspended for the team’s next game

Lineup & Substitution Rules

• Lineup Rules - The batting lineup may consist of 9 players, 10 players with an extra hitter (EH – see below), or their entire roster

• (EX) If a team’s roster consists of 13 players, they can choose to bat 9, 10 (w/EH) or 13 - they may not choose to bat 11 or 12

• In the case of batting 10 players or the entire roster, all players not currently playing in the field would be considered Extra Hitters (EH). The following rules apply:

• The EH is just an additional player in the batting order that can move into and out of the field on defense freely.  Consider the EH the 10th (or 11th, or 12th, …) defensive position
• Use of the EH is optional and must be declared on the official lineup card prior to the game
• Teams starting the game with one or more EHs must finish the game with those EHs. If players are removed from the lineup for whatever reason (injury, etc.), the spot of the player removed from the lineup will result in an automatic out

• When batting 9 or 10 players, teams also have the option of using a Designated Hitter (DH). EL1 Tournaments uses the High School (NFHS) rule - you are eligible to DH for anyone in the lineup. If you choose to enter your designated hitter into the field, the player he was hitting for must be removed from the lineup

• When batting 9 or 10 players, high school substitution rules apply - starters are eligible to re-enter the game once in their original spot in the lineup

• Regardless of lineup construction, teams are allowed free defensive substitutions throughout the game. A player may enter the game defensively at any time without entering the batting lineup

• The only time a player must report as an eligible substitute is when replacing another player in the batting order (applies when teams are batting 9 or 10 players)
• NOTE: The free defensive substitution rule does NOT apply to the pitcher

Other In-Game Rules

• Intentional Walks – teams simply need to request to the umpire to issue an intentional walk
• Sliding – the force play/slide rule is in effect. Players must go straight into the bag on force play sides; no malicious contact
• Possession – defensive players must have possession of the ball to block a base or home plate
• Head first slides - allowed in ALL divisions
• For all non-leadoff divisions - when a runner is deemed to leave the base prior to the ball crossing the plate:

• If the ball is not put in play, the runner that left early must return to the base he came from
• If the ball is put in play, upon completion of the play, the runner that left early must be returned to the last unoccupied base - he can only advance to the base that the hitter forces him to. If the runner that left early is called out, the out will stand as called

• Courtesy runners - to encourage all players to learn how to run the bases, there will be NO courtesy runners allowed in EL1 Tournaments play

Seeding and Tiebreakers

Divisions (and pools within divisions) will be seeded from top to bottom based on pool play record. If ties exist, the following tiebreaker criteria will be used:

1. Head-to-Head record (in the case of a two-way tie or when all tied teams have played each other)
2. Total runs allowed (ranked fewest to most)
3. Run differential (max +/- 8 per game)
4. Total runs scored
5. Fewest runs allowed in a single game

(EX) If a team allowed 3 runs in one game and 5 in the other, the tiebreaker score would be 3

6. Most runs scored in a single game

(EX) If a team scored 3 runs in one game and 5 in the other, the tiebreaker score would be 5

7. Last actual run differential - the ACTUAL run differential in the last completed pool play game
8. Coin flip

EXAMPLE

• Teams A, B and C all finish at 2-1 in pool play, and did not all play each other.  Since head-to-head record would not break this tie, you move to step 2 above (runs allowed).  

• Team A = 7 runs allowed
• Team B = 10 runs allowed
• Team C = 13 runs allowed

• In this scenario, Team A is seeded #1, Team B seeded #2 and Team C seeded #3

NOTES:

• Games ending in a tie will count as a ½ win & a ½ loss for the purposes of determining the pool play standings

• (EX) A 2-1 record in pool play is the same as a 1-0-2 record

• We will never revert back to a previous tie breaker once a tie has been broken

• Pool protection - we reserve the right to change matchups in the first round of bracket play to avoid pool play rematches and/or interprogram matchups. The goal here is to create unique matchups within the same event as much as possible. If pool or program protection results in

Forfeits

• Teams who are unable to attend a game during the event will be required to take a forfeit
• All forfeits will be scored 7-0
• Teams that end up forfeiting games will receive no refund. Additionally, they will be expected to cover the costs of any refunds that need to be sent to their opponent due to their opponent not meeting their minimum game guarantee for the event

Sportsmanship

• All players, coaches, and fans will be expected to conduct themselves in a sportsmanlike manner at all times. Razzing, heckling, taunting and making disparaging remarks to the opposing team and/or umpires will not be tolerated
• Any player, coach, or fan whose conduct is unbecoming, malicious or abusive, will, at a minimum, be removed from the premises at the discretion of the Tournament Director, Umpire-in-Chief and umpires

• Only the coach that attends the plate meeting will be allowed to discuss game situations with an official or ask questions on the field. If you do not attend the plate meeting, DO NOT try to go out on the field -  this may result in an ejection from the game. This rule applies to assistant coaches and program directors, along with anyone else that did not attend the pre-game plate meeting.

Ejection Policy

• Players / Coach Ejections

• Any player or coach ejection will result in a one-game suspension, to be served in the next tournament game

• For all player ejections, the player should remain in the dugout
• For all coach ejections, the coach must leave the complex immediately and be out of site from game officials. Failure to comply with this directive will result in forfeiture of the game

• If the same player or coach is ejected for a 2nd time (either in the current tournament or any future EL1 Tournaments event), he or she will be suspended for the remainder of the tournament
• If the same player or coach is ejected for a 3rd time, that player or coach will be suspended for the remainder of the current tournament season

• Fan / Parent Ejections

• Any fan or parent ejections will result in removal from the complex. The fan or parent in question will not be permitted back into the complex for the remainder of the tournament
• A second fan or parent ejection for the same team will result in the removal of ALL FANS for that given team. This fan restriction will remain in place for that team for the remainder of the current event

• Alcohol Policy

• Alcohol will not be permitted within the complex at any EL1 Tournaments event. This offense will result in immediate removal from the complex, and the above fan ejection policies will apply

Team No Shows

• Teams are expected to honor their commitment to the tournament and play in all scheduled games. Teams that no show games that result in their opponent’s not reaching their game minimum may be billed the amount of the refund owed to the opponent who fell short of their tournament game guarantee

Field Restriction Violations

• Many of our turf fields have sunflower seed and metal cleat restrictions. Failure to comply with the rules of the complex could lead to fines and potential ejections of players and coaches. Please pay special attention to the restrictions of the complexes that your teams are playing on.

Protests

• Protests can be made on rules interpretations only - judgment calls are not subject to protest
• All protests must happen immediately prior to the next pitch being thrown. Once play resumes, the opportunity to protest is lost
• To initiate a protest, coaches should calmly request time out and inform one of the umpires that you would like to file a protest. At that moment, the game will stop and a EL1 Tournaments tournament director will be contacted to resolve the protest
• $100 cash is required for all filed protests. The cash will be refunded if the protest is deemed successful. For all denied protests, the $100 is non-refundable

Conflict Resolution

• As with any competitive situation, conflicts are sure to arise over the course of the events. EL1 Tournaments directors are committed to ruling on all conflicts in a way that is both (1) fair to the teams involved and (2) good for the tournament as a whole