1.         All Rules are Subject to Change as the District determines.  This Tournament falls under Special Games and All Decisions are within District 30.  Any calls to Western Region for clarification will result in forfeit of game and removal from the tournament.

2.         Teams may be Regular Season teams or Selected teams: teams will wear regular season uniforms. No “All-Star” uniforms or hats. No exceptions. This is a forfeit!

3.         There will be 5 divisions: Crystal 11-12, Platinum 9-10, Gold 8-9, Silver 7-8, Bronze 6-7.

1)     Seeding into a group- 3 games, then single elimination. Everyone advances to single elimination. The number of groups depends on the number of teams.  Need 12 teams for 3 groups.

·        We could have 2 winners in one age group, if we have enough teams participating.  Group A, B or C will all have winners.

4.         Tiebreaker for playoff seeding: 1) Winning percentage 2) head-to-head if all tied teams have played each other, 3) runs allowed per game, 4) total run differential (max 8 per game), 5) coin flip.

5.         All teams must have 9 rostered players. The tournament director will make the call regarding a replacement player or forfeit.

6.         Each team must carry a roster signed by the league president or player agent. All players must have a medical release form. Managers may not ask an opposing team for his roster.

7.         Pregame routine:

A.        1 hour before the game, managers flip a coin for home or visitors.

 The home team occupies the 3rd base dugout. Higher seeds will get the option of home or away during the single elimination tournament.

B.         10 min before game time, team introductions and pledges.

C.         5 min before game time, managers meet at the plate with the umpire and exchange lineups.

8.         All teams will supply One New and 2 Good Used Little League hardballs per game.

A.        All 6 balls will be placed into a bucket and placed under the pitching machine.

B.         Bronze only: All pitched balls will be given to a coach standing behind and off to the side of the batter. Make sure the coach lets the catcher know to throw him or her the balls after they catch the ball.

C.         All balls go back to the bucket after the at bat is completed.

9.          Each team must have at least 3 additional copies of your lineup for a total of 4

1-scorekeeper, 1-umpire, 1-opponent and 1-team copy.

10.  Home team will supply the scorekeeper: the scorekeeper must list the time the game begins and ends. Visitors will supply the announcer/music coordinator.  No music from spectators or dugouts. There is no official scorebook, you may use the book/game changer you used during the season.

11.  Each team at all levels will supply an umpire to umpire their own games. Visitors will umpire home, home will umpire the bases. Home plate umpires will NOT stand behind the catcher. They will be off to the side behind the batter.

12.   All decisions of umpires are final.  No protest allowed. If you have any questions or concerns you can call me with the other coach on speaker. It will be resolved then.

13.  All divisions; 4 coaches only in the dugout.

A.    4th coach may be used to run the machine only. Coach may not instruct runners or batters when feeding the pitching machine.

B.     Bronze ONLY:  Additional coaches may be placed behind the plate to retrieve pitched balls. He may not coach runners or batter.

C.      Bronze ONLY: Additional coaches may be placed along the left & right field lines but must stay off the field of play.

14.  All divisions: Teams failing to play any assigned games, teams will forfeit.

A.        Game to be forfeited to be determined by District 30.

15.  An 8 foot (radius) Arc will be put in front of the plate and that area is considered foul.

16.  Player playing pitcher will wear a helmet at all levels.

17.  There are 5 pitches per batter for the first time through the lineup, then 4 pitches per batter after that and for the rest of the game. Batter is out unless the batter fouls off the final pitch. Batter continues to hit until the ball is put in play or a swing and miss. An unhittable pitch will be declared by the umpire as no pitch. Pitches that bounce on or before the plate will be declared a no pitch unless the batter swings, but, if it is the final pitch and it lands before or on the plate, then it will be declared a no pitch. 3 Swings and the Batter is out.

18.  No drop 3rd strike in any division.

19.  No on deck batter!!

20. Pregame hitting allowed. NO hardballs allowed, wiffle balls only. Every player will wear a helmet.

21.  No warm up between innings- no defense warmup, machine gets one minute, after 1 minute no practice pitches allowed.

22.  MACHINE SPEED: Pitching machine to be placed 42 feet from home: pitching speeds: Bronze setting #6. Silver #7, Gold setting #8.  Platinum setting #9.  Crystal- a wheel machine will be used for this age group, the speed will be 48. A generator will be used, I do not want a cord going across the field. CRYSTAL ONLY:

1.         The L screen in front of the machine is mandatory for Crystal only. If the ball hits either the machine or screen, the batter gets first base. Runners advance if forced.

A.    Opposing managers at all levels have the option to change speed before the game if they both agree. Once the speed is agreed too, the speed does not change.

23.  8-foot (diameter) circle around the pitching machine, blue flame, (dead ball zone) pitcher must have foot inside zone during pitch and BEHIND the mound off to the 3rd base side 3 feet from the rubber. Playing up the middle, not in front of the shortstop.

A.    Batted ball hit through the pitcher circle the ball is live

B.     Batted ball hits Pitcher and Deflects to hit the machine or coach, then the ball is dead and runners advance one base if forced. Batter is awarded first base.

C.     Batted ball hits machine then ball is dead and runners advance one base if forced. Batter is awarded first base.

D.    If the batted ball touches the coach then the furthest advancing runner is out & batter is awarded first base. No one is on base then the ball is foul.

24.  No new inning after one hour 30 minutes.  Ties are allowed during seeding games to determine playoff seedings.  In the playoff rounds, we play until there is a winner.

25.  All divisions: 5 run rule is in effect except for 6th inning

26.  Crystal and Platinum: each player will play 1 inning in the infield. Gold, Silver and Bronze each player will play 2 innings in the infield. Catcher counts. Every player will play a minimum of 3 innings. No player shall remain out of the defensive lineup for more than 3 consecutive outs.

27. Mercy rule in effect 15 runs after 3 innings or 10 runs after 4 and 8 after 5.

28.  Runners may not leave their base until the ball reaches the batter. Rule 7:13.

29.  Stealing: 

A.        Silver & Bronze: NO Stealing.

B.         Crystal, Platinum and Gold: Stealing allowed, but not of home. One base at a time-no advance on overthrow

C.         No advance on catcher overthrow, when throwing back to pitcher after a pitch

D.        No delayed steals. Either go immediately or not at all.

30.  Continuous lineup. Skipped batter (sick, injured or absent) is not an automatic out.

31.  Ten players on defense: four outfielders (outfield will be marked with a chalk line that the four outfielders may not cross until the ball crosses the batter). Crystal and Platinum play with 9 defensive players.

A.        75 Foot (radius) Arc from the pitching rubber in the outfield.

B.         Penalty for crossing the outfield chalk line will be 2 bases for all runners and the batter/runner. 2nd or more violations will be 3 bases for all runners and the batter/runner.

32.  Players hit by pitch will NOT be awarded first base.

33.  All divisions: Pinch runner for catcher with 2 outs, last out only. Mandatory.

34.  No bunting, fake bunt or slashing/hitting away.

35.  No infield fly rule, except Crystal.

36.  The Batter and All Baserunners are limited to a maximum of two bases per batted ball

A.        Baserunners may advance at will until they score or the opposing team stops them. Play will be halted when the umpire grants “time out.” The umpire shall not grant time out until the ball is controlled and the runners are not a threat to advance.

B.         Example: with a runner on first; a ball is hit to the outfield. The runner will be halted at third. The defense may attempt to put the runner out at third without the risk of a penalty: or the defense may elect to hold the batter/runner to a single.

C.         The idea or concept is to have the defense make plays from the outfield without severe penalties to the defense. If the ball is hit to the outfield, the defense should try to throw the runner out at second. If the ball is overthrown at second the runner may not advance; this will eliminate the “little league” home run.

D.        If the runner goes past the 2 base maximum, the defense can tag him out before he gets to the next base. If the runner advances to the next base safely, once time is called he goes back to the 2 base maximum. Runner is NOT automatically out.

E.     No restrictions in Crystal or Platinum.

37.  If there is a game after you, when your game ends, take your gear out of the dugout and have your postgame meeting off the field.

38.  Bring your own Blue Flame! If both teams arrive with a machine the visitors machine will be used. Leagues should have them available, but you never know.

39.  Winning team to report game information

A.        To:  Brett Curran

                bdcurran@yahoo.com  or  714 325-1524

B.         Game information needed.

Score:  Division Angels - 5         Division Dodgers – 4

Number of innings:  4 ½ innings