East Peoria Community Baseball

Father’s Day Tournament

2025

www.epcbaseball.com

Rules and Regulations

East Peoria Community Baseball will enforce a “NO TOLERANCE” behavior policy for all fans, players, and coaches. We are here to have fun. Any fan, player, or coach who violates our policy will be asked to leave the premises – no warning is needed to be given.  Anyone ejected during a game is also subject to missing the next game at the tournament director’s discretion.  Anyone ejected after the conclusion of a game will not be allowed to participate in the next game.

Eastside Center is a tobacco, smoke, and “vapor”  free facility.  Please refrain from using any related products when on the property.

Birth certificates for all players should be made available upon request.  The age of the player as of May 1, 2024.  Use of an ineligible player will result in the team's elimination from the tournament.

We will not be charging a gate fee for the tournament. We will have a limited concession stand, so please, no food, beverages, or coolers allowed in the complex. Players can bring individual jugs of water for the complex and youth baseball teams.  

Tournament officials reserve the right to alter the schedule, diamond assignments, game lengths, or any other pertinent details to ensure the tournament's completion. IHSA Rules will be used for any rules not mentioned herein.

Teams will NOT be allowed to take infield practice before any games, so field crews can ready the fields.

The home team is responsible for filling out a game score report card at the end of each game. Both teams’ coaches must sign the game report card.

If the lightning detector sounds a warning, all players, coaches, and fans must leave the playing area. Please comply with these rules. All money made on this tournament will go back into the parking lots and to their cars. (City Ordinance)

No tie games – will play until a winner is determined.

There will be NO “if” game in the “play back” bracket championship game for 8u-15u.  There will be one team with zero losses and one team with one loss playing in the championship game.  The game is winner-takes-all.  

No protests.  Umpires' calls are final.  Please support the umpires.

No dogs (or other pets) are allowed, except for service animals.

For time limit purposes, games begin with the 1st warm-up pitch.  Innings start immediately after the last out of the previous inning.

If the game is tied after the last inning and the time limit has not been reached, straight extra innings will be played.  Once the time limit is reached during a tied game, a modified California Rule will be put in place at the top of the next inning:  1 out, runner on 2nd, and a 0-0 count.

In the event we cannot complete the tournament as a result of weather, etc., the following refunds will be issued:

1. Zero games played:  100% refund minus $50 admin fee
2. 1 game played:  50% refund
3. 2 games or more played:  no refund

Please do not hit or play soft toss on the grass in the outfield. We also prohibit any soft toss from being hit into any facility fence. 

Batting cages are open and available on a first-come, first-serve basis.  Please be as efficient as possible to respect the other teams waiting.  No metal spikes allowed in the cages..

Please pick up the dugout after each game.  Parents, grandparents, relatives, and fans: Please pick up your belongings in the general area after each game. Please dispose of your trash in one of the many trash receptacles located throughout the facility and in the dugouts.     

1. Innings: 9u & 10u games will be 6 innings.  11u, 12u, 13u, 14u, and 16u games will be 7 innings.  The game is official after 4 innings if called due to rain or darkness. If called before that it will be considered a suspended game, and play will resume at that point.
2. Time Limit:  Games will have a 1:30 time limit.  The umpire keeps official time.  Championship games will have the same time limit.  
3. Coaches on Field:  Only base coaches for the hitting team will be allowed on the field.  All other coaches must remain in the dugout (e.g., no coaches outside the dugout when their team is in the field, except for 8U).  This rule will be strictly enforced.
4. Pitching Limits:  There will be no pitching limits placed on your pitchers during the tournament. It is left up to each coach to determine the correct number of innings for each of his pitchers.
5. Cleats:  NO METAL CLEATS!
6. Pitching Distances & Base Lengths:  :

1. 8u:  42”/60” (coach pitch)
2. 9/10u:  42”/60”
3. 11/12u:  48”/70”
4. 13u:  54”/80”
5. 14u:  60/90”
6. 16u:  60”/90”

7. Bat Restrictions:  All bat restrictions will be STRICTLY enforced by the umpires.  Any player stepping into the batter's box with an illegal bat will be called out and ejected for the remainder of the game.  Coaches, please make sure your team is compliant.

1. 8/9/10/11/12u/13u:  No restrictions
2. 14u:   -5
3. 16u:  IHSA Bat Rules

8. Lead Offs:  No lead-offs for 8/9/10u.  Lead offs for 11u, 12u, 13u, 14u, 16u.
9. Stealing:  Stealing in 9u/10u only after the ball has crossed the plate. HOME IS CLOSED.  Normal stealing rules for 11u, 12u, 13u, 14u, 16u.
10. Balk Rule: There will be no balk warnings issued.  No balks in 9u/10u.
11. Dropped 3rd Strike:  No dropped 3rd strike for 9u or 10u.  Applies to 11u and up.
12. Infield Fly Rule:  No Infield Fly Rule for 9u or 10u.  Applies to 11u and up.
13. Lineup:  We will be using the EH, not the DH.

1. If a team elects not to bat their entire roster, standard baseball re-entry rules apply.
2. If a team elects to bat their entire roster, free defensive substitutions will be allowed.  
3. A team must maintain the number of hitters in the lineup starting the game for the entire game.  If, due to injury, the number of hitters cannot be maintained by substitution, then an out will be recorded when that spot in the order is scheduled to bat.  

14. Courtesy Runner:  Courtesy runner for catcher and pitcher only.  A courtesy runner must be someone not currently or previously in the game. If all players have been used, the last out from the previous inning will be the courtesy runner. No player can courtesy run more than once in an inning. Please have the catcher ready to go at the start of the inning.
15. Run Rule:  12 runs after 3 innings, 8 runs after 4 innings.
16. Visits to the Mound:  3 trips per game.  The pitcher must be replaced with each subsequent visit after 3.
17. Home Team determination: The Home team will be determined by a coin flip.  The Championship home team will be the team with no losses (8u only).  If pool play were used, then the higher seed would be the home team.  If both teams have the same seed, a coin flip will be used to determine the home team.
18. Sliding:  Runners must slide to avoid excessive contact in the umpire’s complete discretion.
19. Warm-up pitches:  8 warm-up pitches before the game, and when a new pitcher comes into the game and 5 pitches between innings (or 1.5 minutes, whichever comes first).
20. Pitchers' innings: We will not keep track of or specify a limit on innings pitched. Coaches are responsible for using good judgment and not overusing a young pitcher

8U Specific Tournament Rules

1. A game will consist of 6 innings. The game is official after 4 innings if called due to rain. If called before that it will be considered a suspended game, and play will resume at that point.
2. No inning shall start after 1 hour and 15 minutes, except in a tie score (no time limit for the championship game). Tie games will be played out until a winner is determined.

1. Run rule 15 runs after four innings

3. A 5-run rule will apply per inning, with the last inning UNLIMITED.
4. NO metal spikes, leading off, stealing, or bunting is allowed. Players MUST slide on close plays.
5. Continuous batting order, everyone must bat, and free substitution is allowed.
6. Each batter will be allowed seven (7) pitches or (3) swinging strikes. If the 3rd strike of the 7th pitch is a foul, then the batter will get another pitch.
7. No bat restrictions
8. The coach/pitcher and the kid pitcher must have one foot in the circle.
9. 10 players are allowed in the field, with 4 outfielders. Outfielders must begin each play with both feet in the grass. Two coaches will be allowed in the field when the team is on defense, with one being on the right field line and the other being on the left field line.
10. A coin flip will determine the home team.
11. The home team will be the official scorer, and umpires will keep time.
12. Pitcher / Circle Rule - No base runners may advance once the player pitcher has control of the ball in the circle around the pitcher’s mound. Control is established with one foot in the circle.  Once control in the circle is established, the play is considered dead immediately, regardless of whether the pitcher is attempting to make a play to a base. If a base runner is past the mid-line, the runner is awarded the base going to; if not past the mid-line, the runner must return to the base he/she came from. The pitcher-player should catch all throws to the mound.
13. A team must have 9 players to start a game. When at bat, that team will not take an out for the 10th batter if playing with only 9 players. The 10th player can be added at any time during the game, assuming the last spot in the batting order.  Please note that ALL PLAYERS on the team are expected to bat, not just the 10 players in the field.  In the event of injury/illness, and a player must be removed from the game, an out would then be recorded when that batter comes up in the order.
14. If the ball hits the pitcher/coach, the ball is dead and will not be counted as a pitch total of seven.