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2008 (8U – 12U) Bridgewater Invitational Tournament Rules
Tournament Rules
Tournament Format
The tournament will consist of pool play among teams in a division, followed by playoffs as detailed on page 5 section “Playoffs.” Please bring schedule conflicts to the attention of the Tournament Director for your age group by the end of the manager’s meeting. Every effort will be made to schedule games around those restrictions. Once the schedule is set at the manager’s meeting, only one change per manager is allowed.
Tiebreakers are:
1. Fewest Number of forfeit losses.
2. Head-to-Head Results
3. Fewest Runs Allowed per game.
4. Run Differential per game (Scored – Allowed, cap of +10)
5. Fewest Number of Ejections
Once the tie has been broken among teams, that team is no longer considered tied if the next
tiebreaker must be used among other teams.
Note: Scores from forfeited games will not count for tiebreaker purposes.
Teams
• Team rosters can have a maximum of 15 players
• Players must be of eligible age for their group as of 4/30/2006
• Players may “play up” one age group, and may be registered in both age groups as long as
they are eligible in both groups
• No changes to team rosters are allowed once submitted
• Teams are allowed one adult manager, two adult coaches, one adult scorekeeper
• No other adults are allowed in the dugout area
Team records
Teams must supply the following to the Tournament Director at the mandatory organizational
meeting.
• Complete roster of players including names, uniform numbers, and birth dates
• Listing of team manager, coaches, and scorekeeper with contact numbers
• Copies of team insurance certificate
• Copies of player’s birth certificates
Game times and location
Game times are listed on the schedule (home team determined by coin flip before each game).
Weeknight games (Monday - Friday) will begin at 6:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. No inning may begin
after 1 hour and 45 minutes from the beginning of the game. The allotted time per game will be two hours. If a team cannot field at least nine players that team will forfeit the game. The umpires, who have the sole authority to decide on game forfeiture, will designate the official time. Umpires also have the discretion to start the official game time if they feel teams are unnecessarily stalling the start of the game. All rescheduling of games must be done by calling the Tournament Official for your age division by noon the day before the game. Each team will be permitted one request to reschedule after the schedule is completed.
A regulation game will be six innings for ages 8 through 12. Games should be able to be completed in the allowed time slot, however when necessary, evening games may be ended due to darkness and declared official by the umpire. Extra innings should be played if the game is tied after the regulation innings and the inning can be started before the 1 hour 45 minute time limit. If a game is tied at the end of an inning when the time limit is reached, the game will be declared official and will count as a tie during pool play. Playoff games must be continued until one team wins, with no 2-hour time limit. No game can continue past 11:00 p.m.
An official game is 4 complete innings or 3 1/2 innings if the home team is winning. If a game is stopped by the umpire for any reason and has reached the “official” status, the game will be over and existing score and outcome will be final if it cannot be restarted within the 2-hour time limit allotted for that game. If a game is stopped before it has reached “official” status, it will be resumed when possible at the point where it was stopped.
A 10-run rule will be in effect for all games except the Championships. If a team is ahead by 10 or more runs at the end of the 4th inning (or top of the 4th if home team is winning), the game is over. For 8-year old team, the maximum number of runs a team can get in any one inning is 6 runs. This means that if after 5 innings, (4 1/2 innings if the home team is ahead) either team is winning by 7 runs, the game is over.
Pre-game infield practice will be allowed at the discretion of the umpire. Starting games on time takes precedence over pre-game practice. Pre-game practice is limited to 10 minutes per team, time permitting. Batting practice is not allowed on the playing fields. Please be prepared to start your games up to 15 minutes early on weekends in the spirit of fitting all the games for that day in at a reasonable hour.
Inclement weather
In order to complete all scheduled games, every attempt will be made to play games as scheduled. We will try to cancel games as early as possible before game time. Decisions on canceled games will be posted on our website at www.bridgewaterbaseball.com. Team managers will be notified when possible. If you have not been called by a tournament official and the game has not been postponed on the website, the game will be on until canceled at the field. We apologize if you must make an unnecessary trip to the field, but it is not always possible to make a final decision before game time.
After a rainout, managers should stay at the Prince Rogers Complex if already there to arrange for the game to be re-scheduled. If not there, contact the Age Group Coordinator or Tournament Director within 24 hours to reschedule. Managers are responsible for checking their e-mail and other messages in a timely manner. Forfeits will apply if a message has been left and your team does not show up for a game or contact the Tournament Director to re-schedule. (We do not want any forfeits, so we will make reasonable efforts to contact you.)
Safety rules
Rules and procedures to promote safety at all times are of paramount importance. The league officials and umpires will have authority to enforce safety rules and to regulate activities on the field, dugout, and stands in order to promote a safe playing environment.
• Only 1 batter is allowed in the fenced on-deck area at a time
• Batters in the on-deck area must have a helmet on at all times
• Player catchers must wear a helmet and facemask when warming up a pitcher
• Only players, manager, coaches and scorekeeper are allowed in the dugout
• No batting practice is allowed on the field
• Catchers must wear cups during the game
Uniforms and Equipment
Only approved Little League / Cal Ripken / Babe Ruth equipment is allowed. Uniforms must follow general Little League / Cal Ripken / Babe Ruth rules. Each team must supply two game baseballs to the umpire at the start of the game.
Umpires and officials
Two umpires will be assigned for 9U-12U games. 8U games will have one umpire throughout pool play and two umpires in the playoffs. All tournament umpires have completed official training courses and have experience in local leagues. Umpires are granted authority to regulate the game and activities on the field in order to promote safety and fair play. Ensuring a high level of quality umpiring is a high priority of the tournament officials and Bridgewater Baseball. Specific concerns may be directed to the tournament director.
Tournament officials will be present during all games. They are responsible for all tournament activities, including resolving any issues and assisting teams whenever possible.
Protests
Only rule interpretations may be protested. All decisions will be made by the tournament officials that are present at that game. All protests must be settled before the next pitch. No protests will be accepted after the next pitch or later in the tournament. Please make sure you ask the umpire to stop the game and call for a tournament official at the appropriate time or the protest may become null and void.
Playing rules
The overall playing rules will follow Official Cal Ripken League, except where specifically noted below or as determined by tournament officials. Rulings by umpires may be appealed to tournament officials, however, it should be noted that umpires will generally be given significant authority by officials and will only rarely be overruled and only under extraordinary circumstances.
Game roster
Each team must maintain a game scorebook and supply a team lineup that indicates pitcher availability to the opposing team manager and umpire prior to the start of the game. Scorekeepers should reconcile results periodically throughout the game, and should inform opposing scorekeeper of any changes in the lineup as they are put into effect.
Teams must start the game with a minimum of 9 players. Pitchers may not re-enter the pitching position once removed from this position during the game. If for any reason a team is forced to go down to eight players, the game may continue. Any player withdrawals that leave fewer than 8 players will result in an immediate forfeit.
Extra hitter
Teams have the option of batting the entire roster or playing 9 players and an optional 10th batter extra hitter (EH) to the batting order, in any location in the order. If used, the EH must be included in the original batting order submitted prior to the start of the game and must remain in the order for the entire game. If a player must leave the game for any reason, that spot in the batting order shall be skipped. For teams batting the entire lienup, if a player shows up late, they can be added to the end of the lineup. If a team is playing 9 players only and a player shows up late, normal substitution rules apply.
At the eight year old level, all players will bat. The team having more players has the option to bat only to the number of players on the other team. The larger team always has the option to bat all players but must decide at the start of the game and stay with this decision throughout the game. If a player becomes injured or has to leave the game, in the 8 year old division, the spot in the batting order shall be skipped without an out being charged.
Player substitution and re-entry
There will be free defensive substitutions. Non-starting players may be substituted in the batting order. The starter must re-enter in the same spot in the batting order. (NOTE: A pitcher cannot re-enter and pitch again, as stated above.) Once removed, a non-starting player may not re-enter the batting order unless there is an injury or illness to another player which would result in fewer than 9 players available to bat. No minimum playing time is required for any player.
Stealing and base running
For ages 9-12, base runners may not leave base until the ball passes home plate. Cal Ripken League leaving early rules apply. All bases may be stolen, including home.
All runners must slide OR avoid contact at any base, and especially at home, whenever there is a play or throw to the base. Runners who do not slide will be called out for interference. Umpires are given authority for determining player’s intention to slide or avoid contact.
Runners may NOT slide head-first into any base. Players will be called out. Players may dive back head first to a bag
Speed up Rule – The pitcher and catcher may be substituted for a base runner when there are 2 outs. Base runner will be LAST batted out, not a bench player. The pitcher or catcher MUST be the pitcher or catcher of record.
For 8-year old teams, these additional rules apply:
a. Stealing is allowed to second and third bases only. Stealing home is not allowed. Base runners may not leave base until the ball passes home plate. Little League / Cal Ripken leaving early rules apply. You may only score as a result of a play developing off a batted ball, or as a forced advance due to a walk or hit batter.
Infield fly
The infield fly rule will be enforced and will be called and ruled upon by the umpire at all levels
except 8U. There is no infield fly in the 8U division.
Pitching rules
For ages 9 through 12, pitchers may pitch a maximum of six innings in any two consecutive games (e.g. 3-3-3, 6-0-6, 2-4-2 are maximum permitted situations). The pitching limits are NOT reset for the playoffs. For the 8 year old teams, each pitcher may pitch a maximum of 3 innings per game.
One pitch to a batter counts as an inning pitched. Once a pitcher takes the mound and delivers a warm-up pitch, the pitcher must pitch at least one pitch to the first batter unless the above rule would be violated. Team managers are responsible for ensuring that eligibility of each pitcher is correctly specified on the line-up card presented to the opposing manager and is followed throughout the game. Any pitching rules contained herein that are violated will result in a game forfeit.
Up to 8 warm-up pitches are allowed at the start of the pitching assignment, and up to 5 pitches are allowed between innings.
One trip to the mound per pitcher in an inning is allowed. A second trip per pitcher in an inning will result in the removal of the pitcher. A coach must ask the umpire for time before crossing the foul line. (There is no limit on number of trips to the mound per game.)
Balks will not be called (8-12), except in 12u 50/70 where balks will apply.
Equipment
There will be NO big barrel bats at any 8U-12U level including 50/70.
Playoffs
Playoffs in all age groups will be single elimination.
In each playoff game, the home team is the higher seed. Championship Game home teams are determined by a coin flip.
Rules for coaches
An adult coach must be used at 3rd base. Either an adult or player may coach 1st base, but players must wear a batting helmet while on the field.
Only the team manager can discuss calls with any umpire. Managers are expected to treat umpires respectfully. Questions of rule application may be discussed calmly with the umpire.
The team manager is responsible for the conduct of his players, coaches, scorekeeper, and spectators. The use of foul language or abusive treatment of umpires or the opposing team will not be tolerated and the team manager is expected to take appropriate action. Team managers, coaches, and players may be ejected by the umpire without warning for:
• Abusive treatment of umpires
• Touching an umpire in any way that would not be considered accidental
• Unnecessarily delaying the game
• Instigating and promoting unsportsmanlike conduct
• Drinking alcoholic beverages within the park or participating in a game under-the-influence
• Involvement in any physical confrontations
Continued violation of these rules following a manager, coach, or player ejection will result in a game forfeit. Anyone ejected from a game for any reason will automatically be suspended for the next game. Further disciplinary action will be determined by the tournament director.
Smoking is not allowed on our fields at any time. No alcoholic beverages are allowed at any of the fields.
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