Updated: July 09, 2003 Maintained by Tom Very,

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Mt. LEBANON 10 yr OLD TOURNAMENT June 12th - 18th

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Travel Tournament Rules

July 2003

Conduct

Managers are ultimately responsible for the conduct of their coaches, players and fans.

Alcohol, smoking, obscene language/and or gestures will not be tolerated. Violation of this policy will result in immediate removal from the game, field, and/or stands by the umpire, Tournament Director or appropriate MLBA representative. Any ejected person must vacate the field complex.

Only a manager may question a call, make an appeal, or question a rule interpretation. Proper rule interpretation(s) will be reviewed and the decision of the umpire in charge, Tournament Director or appropriate MLBA representative.

Any manager, coach or player that is ejected from a game shall not be permitted to participate in the team’s next game.

There will be no protests or formal complains permitted.

Each team is responsible for cleaning the area in and around their dugout and/or bench area immediately following their game.

MLBA will maintain a zero tolerance policy.

MLBA assumes no responsibility for injuries, damaged or lost property.

Insurance

                    Each team must furnish their own insurance.

Eligibility

Players age for each tournament group will be determined by an August 1^st cut-off date (see table below). Proof of age in the form of a birth certificate is required for each player on the roster and must be available at each game in the event a player’s age is questioned. If a team cannot proof the age of the player, the player will be ruled ineligible to participate until his age made be verified. Any games in which an ineligible player has participated will be deemed to be forfeited.

Birthdate         Playing age

8/1/92-7/31/93     10

Each team shall have no more than 15 players on the roster. Roster must be submitted to the tournament director (or their designee) prior to the team’s first game. Once a roster has been submitted, there will be replacement players permitted.

No player may be rostered for more than one team.

General Rules

All players are required to wear full uniforms, consisting of the same color and type of hat and shirt. All shirts must have numbers on the back. All shirts should be tucked in and all socks must be pulled up. The only exception will be "all-star teams" will all different kinds of uniforms and this shall require prior approval from the Tournament Director or their designated representative.

Forfeiture is fifteen (15) minutes after the scheduled starting time unless approved by the Tournament Director or MLBA designee.

All playing fields are neutral except when a team from the winners bracket is playing a team from the losers bracket. In this case, the winners bracket team will be the home team. In all other games, home team will be determined by a coin toss prior to the start of the game.

Each team will be limited to a manager, two coaches and a scorekeeper in the dugout, bench area. Only adults (18 or over) may coach the bases.

MLBA will maintain the official tournament scorebook for each game. Teams must submit a batting order to the appropriate MLBA tournament scorekeeper ten (10) minutes prior to the start of the game. The batting order may not be changed or altered once the game has begun unless there is an injury or other reason acceptable to the Tournament Director or MLBA designee. (A player showing up late is not an acceptable reason). In any and all cases, the scorebook kept by MLBA shall be deemed offical.

At the conclusion of each game, the manager from each team should verify the number of innings pitched.

The official MLBA scorer can stop a game at any time if they see a violation of the pitching rules. The intent is to prevent an illegal pitcher from becoming part of the game. No penalty will be imposed on the offending team as long as proper response is made.

Teams must begin play with no fewer that nine(9) players, and there must be a minimum of eight (8) players to continue play for any reason. Should a situation arise where a player was named in the batting order, and his or her turn comes to bat and the player is not present, an out shall be immediately recorded.

If there is a rain delay, you may not take your team home until official notification from the Tournament Director or MLBA designee. We require players to leave the field and take shelter (as in cars) at any time that an umpire or other participant sees lightning in the area.

Games called before completion due to weather/darkness/curfew issues will be resumed exactly from the point of interruption. Games will not be restarted. See age specific rules for what constitutes a complete game.

The only scenario in which MLBA tournament fees will be refunded, will be if a team withdraws before the start of the tournament and another team if found as a replacement team. In no other instances, will any amounts be refunded.

All batters and base runners are to wear protective batting helmets at all times (includes the on deck batter). All catchers are required to wear a mask, chest protector, leg guards and cups. Any player not conforming to the above will not be permitted to participate.

The avoid contact rule is in place for all age groups. Base runners are encouraged to slide or make an effort to avoid collision with fielders. Any collision in an umpire’s opinion , whether intentional or unintentional, shall result in the runner being called out.

Each offense team will receive one bat throwing (slinging) warning. Once a team warning has been issued, subsequent players from that team that sling the bat will be immediately called out, while returning other runners to their original bases.

 

Age Group 8-12 General Rules

Little League rules in effect, except where amended by MLBA tournament rules.

Games will last six (6) innings.

No metal spikes.

Games called before completion due to weather/darkness/curfew, will be considered complete if the home team is ahead after three and one-half (3 ½) innings or, if the visiting team is ahead after four (4) complete innings. As noted earlier, if the game is not considered complete, it will be resumed exactly from the point of interruption.

The ten (10) run rule will be in effect after three and one-half (3 ½) innings if the home team is ahead by ten (10) or more runs, or if the visiting team is ahead by ten (10) or more runs after four (4) complete innings. The ten (10) run rule will also be in effect if either team is leading by ten (10) or more runs at the end of any inning completed after the fourth (4^th) inning. This rule will be in effect for all games, including the championship game.

No slash bunting permitted.

Bats must conform to Little League specifications ( no longer than 32 inches in length and barrel diameter cannot exceed 2 ¼ inches). Big barrel bats are not permitted.

Headfirst sliding is prohibited. A runner is allowed to dive headfirst back to a base.

A team may insert a pinch runner for its catcher if there are two (2) outs in the inning. The last player to be declared out shall be the pinch runner.

Pitching rules-see specific age group rules for additional rules.

One pitch thrown constitutes an inning pitched.

Any pitcher removed from the mound may not return in that game to the position of pitcher (this rule does not apply to 8 year old tournament).

If a pitcher hits two batters in one inning or three batters in total in a game, the pitcher must be removed from the position of pitcher. He may stay in the game at another position.

A pitcher must be removed UPON the second visit (1 visit only without pulling pitcher) of the inning to the mound. Calling the pitcher over to a chalk line for consultation is considered a visit to the mound.

Free defensive substitutions may be made. Defensive substitutions may be made at the start of any half inning. None will be permitted during an inning unless there is an obvious injury, or during a pitching change, in which the pitcher and any number of players may be changed. These substitutions will not result in a player being removed from the line up and will not affect the batting order.

Teams may play with ten (10) players defensively, provided the extra player is used in the outfield, with no rover permitted. All outfielders must play twenty (20) feet behind the base paths. The outfielders should be placed in a left field /left-center/right-center/ right field manner.

Runners may advance on any and all overthrows until the ball is returned to the pitcher as defined above, except where the ball has left the playing field and has been ruled a dead ball by the umpire.

Base stealing is permitted. However, base runners must remain on the base until the ball passes the batter. There will be one (1) team warning for each team upon a player leaving a base early. After a warning has been issued, any base runner leaving early, in an umpire’s opinion, will result in the ball being immediately called dead, the appropriate runner(s) being called out, and the batter returning to bat with a strike (foul) charged to him. If the batter swings and misses, and a base runner was deemed to have left early, he shall be immediately called out.

Catchers may catch a struck ball to record an out provided the ball is above the batter’s head, excluding the third (3^rd) strike foul tip, which may be caught by the catcher. A third (3^rd) strike on the batter, whether swinging or called, does not have be caught and held by the catcher.

The defensive team must record three (3) outs to end each inning, meaning that there is no offensive limit on the number of runs scored or players batting in any inning.

There is no "infield fly rule" in effect. Tagging on the bases will be permitted.

A player is permitted to pitch up to three (3) consecutive innings per game. One pitch thrown constitutes an inning pitched. The maximum allowable innings for one day is three (3) innings. A pitcher is limited to 10 innings pitched during the tournament.

 

Removed for Space Savings

Removed for Space Savings

Removed for Space Savings

 

Revised as of May 2003