2020
Tournament Rules
Premier Baseball Events USA
ALL PREMIER BASEBALL EVENTS will follow the National Federation High School Rules and will be used with the following notations.
Premier Baseball Events reserves the right to enforce particular invitational tournament rules.
1. Age Requirement: A player's age is determined by their age on May 1, 2020.
2. Roster Size: Players may only play in one age division per tournament. For example, a kid cannot play on a 13-year-old team and a 14-year-old team in the same tournament.
Rosters must be submitted through the Tourney Machine site prior to the beginning of the tournament or be sent to events@premierbaseballevents.com on an excel spreadsheet ONLY.
9u-14u - ROSTER MAY NOT EXCEED 20 PLAYERS
15u-18u - ROSTER MAY NOT EXCEED 25 PLAYERS
3. Insurance: All teams must list Premier Baseball Events USA, LLC. as additionally insured. All insurance certificates must be emailed to events@premierbaseballevents.com 2 days prior to the start of the tournament.
*Please be sure to note in the subject line team/program name and tournament name*
PREMIER BASEBALL EVENTS USA, LLC.
66 Skyview Drive, Coventry, CT 06238
4. Protest Fee: Protests will be heard and ruled on by the Tournament Director. The team protesting a playing rule (rule interpretation) must make a $100 cash payment at the time of the protest to the tournament director on-site. If the protest is ruled in protesting teams favor the $100 protest fee will be refunded. The ruling by the tournament director is FINAL. All protests must be filed and ruled on IMMEDIATELY. You cannot protest a play on the field if the play of game as already been resumed. Again, ALL protests MUST be settled prior to the next pitch being thrown.
5. Game Time: Starting time is forfeit time, unless delay is created by Premier Baseball Events. Time starts at the completion of ground rules. Please be prepared to start up to 30 minutes before starting time. Site directors will give each team a minimum of 15 minute notice if game is time is changing to an earlier time.
THE SITE DIRECTOR HAS FINAL SAY OF STARTING TIME!
6. Home Team: If NOT designated on the tournament schedule, HOME TEAM will be determined by a coin flip prior to ground rules. Winner of the COIN Flip will have the choice of being HOME or AWAY!
In playoff rounds the higher seeded team will have choice of being the HOME TEAM
HOME TEAM is required to keep the OFFICAL BOOK.
7. Player Minimum: A team can start with a minimum of 8 players but cannot finish with less. An out will be recorded in vacated batting positions.
8. Championship Game: No time limit for Championship Game. Run rules are still in effect.
Playoff Tie-Breaker System: If a playoff game is tied after all innings have been completed (or at time limit), the "California Tie-Breaker" will go into effect. Each team puts the batter who is scheduled to bat last in their offensive half of the inning on second base and plays out a full inning. This happens until the tie is broken and the game is complete. After two complete innings with the runner starting on second base and still no winner, the runner will move from second to third and the inning will be played out. POOL PLAY GAMES WILL END IN TIES. Extra Innings are not played in pool play EVEN if there is time still remaining on the clock.
9. Bat Rule:
9u-13u; NO BAT RESTRICTIONS (Unless -3 Bats; BBCOR ONLY)
14u-18u BBCOR -3. UNLESS playing in a designated wood bat tournament. One-piece wood bat only. No bamboo or composite wood allowed
10. Pitching Restrictions and Rules: NO PITCHING RESTRICTIONS
Coaches; Please use appropriate considerations for your players and safety of your players health! IF you want a specific guide line to pitching limits please follow USA BASEBALL GUIDELINES! Pitchers must be pulled on the 2nd trip in the same inning and CANNOT return to pitch in that game!
11. Infield Warm-Ups: All teams are encouraged to warm-up as much as possible before game time. NO PREGAME INFIELD. You may use the outfield to hit ground balls and flyballs.
12. Baseballs: PREMIER BASEBALL EVENTS LLC. will provide each team with 1 DOZEN BASEBALLS. Teams must provide all game balls after their 1 dozen baseballs are gone. Recommended Baseballs are 2 NEW and 2 Lightly used!
13. Uniforms: Unique numbers mandatory, matching uniforms recommended. Coaches need not be in uniform but must be in proper baseball attire. NO JEANS. Coaches are not required to wear uniforms but must be dressed appropriately while on the field of play or in dugouts (at a minimum team top and team hat). Coaches must wear clothing that distinguishes them from other parents and spectators. No jeans/jean shorts, ripped clothing or workboots are allowed on the field. Coaches that fail to comply with this policy will be restricted from the dugout area.
14. Adverse Weather: All efforts will be made to play all games. By entering the tournament, you acknowledge that the Tournament Director shall have final say to all schedule changes. 4 innings will be considered a complete game. Games start 15 minutes after last sight of lightening. All Weather Decisions will be made by the TOURNAMENT DIRECTOR!
15. Refund Policy-Weather Related: There will be a $125.00 administration fee charged for complete rain outs!
3 GAME MINIMUM
PLAY 0 GAMES- 100% CREDIT (no refund)
PLAY 1 GAME- 50% CREDIT (no refund)
PLAY 2 GAMES- 0% Credit (no refund)
4+ GAME MINIMUM
PLAY 0 GAMES- 100% CREDIT (no refund)
PLAY 1 GAME- 50% CREDIT (no refund)
PLAY 2 GAMES- 0% Credit (no refund)
16. TIME LIMITS: All games will have a strict time limit. You cannot start a new inning after
9u-12u: 1 hour and 45 minutes.
13u-18u: 2 hours
With regards to the time limit. It is NOT a drop-dead time limit. No new inning can start after the time limit has been reached. If the home team is up to bat and is winning the game when the time limit expires the game will end at the point of time expiration. If you start an inning before the time limit, you must finish it. Time starts at the completion of Ground Rules. The umpire and/or Tournament Official is the only one that keeps the official clock. As soon as the 3rd out is recorded in the bottom half of the inning, the next inning officially starts. If there is still time left when the third out is recorded, the next inning will be played.
17. No Show: Teams that no-show will forfeit their entry fee.
18. EH/DH: All age groups can have if they choose to bat more than 9. Both a DH and EH may be used at the same time. An EH is considered a position player and can enter the game defensively at any time, while staying in the same spot in the batting order. 10 hitters are the maximum number of hitters in 13u-18u.
9U-12U Teams may also choose to bat their entire roster and have free defensive substitution. An out will be recorded if any batting spot is vacated during the course of the game where no eligible substitute is available.
19. Courtesy Runners: Courtesy Runner is MANDATORY for the CATCHER with 2 outs and OPTIONAL for the PITCHER with 2 OUTS. Courtesy Runner is any eligible substitute on the bench or if the team is batting their entire line-up it will be the last batted out! The Courtesy Runner cannot run for both the PITCHER and CATCHER!
20. Catchers: Are permitted to wear a two-piece catcher mask and helmet!
21. Balks: 1st and 3rd pickoff is considered a BALK
9u-10u: 1 WARNING - for each individual pitcher
11u-18u: NO WARNING - Balks will be called STRAIGHT UP
22. Player/Coach/Spectator Ejections: All ejections will carry a 1 game suspension. No Exception. 2nd Ejection results in removal from remainder of the event.
23. Footwear: Some fields that Premier Baseball Events use prohibit metal cleats and will be noted per tournament and at the specific sites (i.e. Trinity College, UHART, Turf Fields). No Metal Cleats at the 9u-12u age levels. 13u-18u Metal Cleats ALLOWED unless noted at specific fields or on portable mounds.
24. Coaching Staff: There is only 1 head coach and 2 assistants allowed in the dugout or dugout area. Scorekeepers must remain outside of the dugout.
25. Intentional Delays: Intentionally delaying a game is unsportsmanlike and will not be tolerated. The umpire as well as the tournament coordinator reserves the right to eject players and/or coaches, do to intentional delay. In extreme cases, Premier Baseball Events staff reserves the right to declare a forfeit to the responsible team.
26. Tournament Dimensions and Descriptions:
PREMIER BASEBALL EVENTS will play AT the following dimensions
9u: 46' pitching – 60’ bases - 1 hr. 45 min - 6 innings
10u 46' pitching- 70' nases- 1 hr. 45 min - 6 innings
11-12u: 50' pitching - 70' bases - 1 hr. 45 min - 6 innings
13u-18u: 60'6” pitching - 90' bases - 2 hrs. - 7 innings
9u- 12u Run Rules:
15 runs after 3 innings, 10 runs after 4 innings or 8 runs after 5 innings.
13u- 18u Run Rules:
10 runs after 4 innings, or 8 runs after 5 innings.
All POOL PLAY GAMES - will be able to end in ties. If the time limit expires at the completion of an inning and the game is tied, the game will be recorded as a tie. If all innings are played (9u-12u: 6 innings and 13u-18u: 7 innings) are completed regardless of time remaining and the game is tied, it will be recorded as a tie. THERE ARE NO EXTRA INNINGS IN POOL PLAY EVEN IF THERE IS TIME ON THE CLOCK. (example: At the end of 7 innings the score is 1-1 and the teams have been playing for 1 hour and 10 minutes the game is over and recorded as a tie)
If the home team is winning while at bat when the time limit is reached the game shall be stopped and will be recorded by the score at that time when the game was stopped.
27. TIE-BREAKERS:
1. HEAD to HEAD (if 2 teams are tied)
2. RUN DIFFERENTIAL. (Maximum run differential is +/- 8)
3. TOTAL RUNS ALLOWED
4. TOTAL RUNS SCORED
5. RUN DIFFERENTIAL IN LAST POOL GAME
6. LEAST RUNS ALLOWED IN POOL PLAY
7. TOTAL RUNS SCORED IN POOL PLAY
8. RUNS SCORED INNING BY INNING STARTING WITH FIRST POOL GAME UNTIL ONE TEAM HAS MORE RUNS AFTER A COMPLETE INNING.
9. COIN TOSS (Team that traveled the furthest calls coin toss)
28. Decisions: The Tournament Director shall have final decisions on all tournament questions.