Tournament Rules
2024-2025 Season Tournament Rules
No alcohol allowed near the immediate field of play. Spectators need to remain in the bar area at upper fields while consuming alcohol. No alcohol allowed at the Little League (Fields #1-#4) or Babe Ruth Fields (Fields #5 and #6) at Golden Eagle, per City of Sparks park rules.
Bat Rules: USSSA 1.20 BFP stamped and USA bats only, for the 9U-13U age divisions. BBCOR -3 bats only, for the 14U division. Bats models on the NCS "banned list" are not allowed.
The pitching mound distance for the 9U division will be 44 feet. All other pitching mound distance and base distance will fall under the normal USSSA standards.
Players can pitch a maximum of two innings on Saturday, and still be eligible to pitch on Sunday. Any player taking the mound for a third inning on Saturday who throws a pitch, regardless of whether he collects an out or not, is not eligible to pitch on Sunday. Players can pitch a maximum of two innings on Friday, and still be eligible to pitch on Sunday (they must take a day of rest on Saturday). Any player taking the mound for a third inning on Friday who throws a pitch, regardless of whether he collects an out or not, is not eligible to pitch on Sunday.
Players in the 9U-12U divisions have six total innings maximum to pitch in the two-day or three-day period. Players in the 13U-14U divisions have seven total innings maximum to pitch in the two-day or three-day period.
Players can pitch a maximum pitch count in a single day of 85 pitches.
The penalty for a team pitching an ineligible pitcher, is the head coach of the team will be ejected from the game. Once the player is identified as being an ineligible pitcher, he will be removed from the mound.
It is recommended that teams run GameChanger for all of their games. This will help in referencing data if a score dispute arises. It will also help the tournament staff keep track of innings pitched by players.
Teams must formulate their rosters using the USSSA age calculator: https://www.usssa.com/BASEBALL/AGECALCULATOR. Teams must have all age appropriate players based on the May 1st age cutoff used by all travel ball organizations. If you have questions about the league age of one of your players, please reference the link above and input their date of birth. It will compute the player’s league age for the current season for you.
Players participating in the 9U division of the tournament can't be born before May 1st, 2015.
Players participating in the 10U division of the tournament can't be born before May 1st, 2014.
Players participating in the 11U division of the tournament can't be born before May 1st, 2013.
Players participating in the 12U division of the tournament can't be born before May 1st, 2012.
Players participating in the 13U division of the tournament can't be born before May 1st, 2011.
Players participating in the 14U division of the tournament can't be born before May 1st, 2010.
All teams need have their team binder, with birth certificates with them during the tournament. If there is a dispute about a player's age, proper documentation will need to be provided. If a player's age is challenged, and a team does not have the proper documentation for a player or players at that time, the player or players in question will be ineligible to participate in the tournament until proper documentation verifying age is provided.
Teams will need the tournament roster printed and filled out and kept in their team binder during the weekend. Roster information including player’s name and birthdate must match up with their birth certificate. Only players on the printed roster, that are properly age-eligible, are allowed to play on said team for the weekend.
Teams caught using older players or non-rostered players, and/or not being able to prove the age of all of their players will have to take forfeits in all of their games, and will be in jeopardy of not being asked back to subsequent tournaments.
Players are not allowed to participate on teams in two different age divisions during the tournament, nor can they play on two different teams within the same age division during the tournament. Once a player plays a game for a team he is only to play on that team, in that age division, for the remainder of the tournament. Failure to follow this protocol will result in a forfeited game(s) for the team that uses said player illegally (which in this circumstance would be the team the player plays with second).
Team Insurance- Each team is required to carry its own insurance, naming “Muckdogs Baseball Club” as an additionally insured party. Physical address to list is 539 Vista Blvd., Sparks, NV 89434.
A team can start a game with eight players, but must take an out in the batting order in the ninth position until a ninth player shows up. A team can finish with eight players, but must take an out in the batting order in the position where the ninth player was previously playing. A team may not start or finish with less than eight players.
American League Rules will be used (all pickoff attempts to third base must be completed with a throw and the balk is played live).
At the 9U level, balks will be called, but runners will not be moved to the next base as a result of the balk call. Also, at all times both the batter and runners will be protected. Meaning, if there is a balk and the runner is picked off or thrown out stealing, the runner will be put back. If as a result of the balk the batter was “quick pitched”, the batter will have his turn at bat still. Also, as a result of the balk if a batter makes an out putting the ball in play, the batter will still have his turn at bat, and the runner(s) (if applicable) will be put back at their original base(s) before the pitch took place. If a runner is stealing on the pitch when there is a balk called, he will be awarded the base still and not put back. It will be “no pitch” as far as the count goes, though, to the batter when a balk is called. There will be no warnings issued prior to balks being called.
With the 10U-14U division balks will be called. No warnings will be issued prior to balks being called with these age levels.
One DH allowed for any defensive player's spot in the lineup, including the pitcher's spot.
Teams can bat nine players, ten players or as many offensive players as they would like. Each player past nine will subsequently be labeled an EH. Teams must maintain the integrity of their batting order, but can rotate their players in and out defensively.
When a team uses both a DH and an EH in the same game, the EH can’t be rotated into the DH's spot, the defensive player being DH'd for and the DH have to remain tied together. In order for a team to obtain a free-flowing lineup of ten or more players where the EH can be intermixed throughout all ten or more spots in the lineup, the team will either have to lose the DH and enter the defensive player into the game as a hitter, or have the DH enter the game defensively and lose the defensive player.
The role of the DH is terminated for the remainder of the game when either the player on defense (or a substitute player for the defensive player) enters into the game as a hitter OR when the DH or any previous DH enters the game defensively in that spot.
Per the updated American League rule, teams will get four non-change mound visits per game. An additional non-change visit will be awarded to each team if the game goes into extra innings.
Per the updated American League rule, a relief pitcher coming into the game must face a three batter minimum. Only exceptions to this are an injury to the pitcher, or the inning ending prior to the three batters being faced consecutively. If a pitcher is left in to start the next inning, he has to complete facing the three batter minimum, which includes batters he faced the previous inning.
Per the updated American League rule, fielders have to give baserunners a clear running/sliding lane to all bases, until they are in full control of the ball. This applies to all bases, not just home. If the umpire deems that a defensive player has blocked the runner's path to the bag, obstruction will be called and the runner will be awarded the next base. This applies to plays going into the next base, or going back to a base during a pickoff attempt.
Per the updated American League rule, the runner's lane to first base is extended two feet into fair territory, in addition to the runner being allowed three feet of width in foul territory. Defenders will have to work around runners with thrown balls. Interference will not be called on the batter/runner if the umpire deems the player was within this five-foot are while running down the line. Any player deemded running down the line, out of this area, will result in runner interference.
Once a player enters the game as a pitcher, and is removed, he may not take the mound again as a pitcher during the same game.
A line-up card must be filled out by each head coach, and exchanged between teams, as well as a copy provided by both teams to the home plate umpire.
Game length will be six innings for the 9U-12U age divisions. Game length will be seven innings for the 13U-14U age divisions.
Games will have a 2 hour time limit (no new inning will start after 2 hours).The time limit starts at the break of the home plate meeting. Both umpires will set a timer on their phones, and time will be kept in both minutes and seconds.
All ties in pool play games after time limit has expired will be deemed ties. Pool play games can go into extra innings, if the extra inning starts before the time limit has expired.
In all elimination games (including the gold and silver bracket games, excluding any consolation games), a tied game after the time limit has expired, will be played out in the international tie-breaker format for one extra inning (player who is scheduled to bat last in that half of the inning will be put on second base, team continues hitting from where last out was made). This format will be used for each extra inning until a winner is declared.
Runners must slide or avoid contact going into all bases. No plowing of the catcher allowed. Runners that do not make a conscious effort to slide or avoid contact going into a base will be called out, regardless of the outcome of the play. Malicious intent collisions will be lead to player ejection. Malicious contact shall supersede all obstruction penalties. Incidental contact is allowed though (i.e. runner running up the first base line, throw by infielder into the running lane, causing a collision between runner and first baseman).
Courtesy runner allowed for pitcher or catcher at any time. The courtesy runner must first be a player who currently isn't in the lineup. If no bench player is available, then the player who made the last out will be the courtesy runner. If at any time, a courtesy runner is determined to be ineligible, a proper replacement pursuant to these rules shall be used without penalty.
Re-entry is allowed for the starter, in the same position of the batting order the starter started the game in. The starter and the player(s) subbed into that spot must remain tied together. Once a sub has played and then left the game, he can not re-enter the game.
The integrity of the batting order must be maintained at all times.
Ten-run rule after four innings (for 9U-12U games) will be enforced. Ten-run rule after five innings (for 13U-14U games) will be enforced.
If after the completion of the third inning (in 9U-12U games) and the completion of the fourth inning (in 13U-14U games) the visiting team is up by 15 runs or more, the visiting team will become the home team starting in the fourth or fifth inning, respectively, based on the age group of the game. When this happens, between the end of the third inning and the start of the fourth inning, there will be the normal half inning break so that the defense and pitcher can get a quick breather, before taking the field again.
Dugout behavior by teams, and fan behavior of each team, will be enforced by the umpiring crew. Head coaches are required to control their dugout and fans, otherwise they are subject to ejection along with players, and/or fans in violation of the inappropriate behavior.
All players, even if not currently present by the first pitch of the game, must be written into the lineup card prior to the home plate conference in order to be considered eligible players for the game.
Teams are strongly recommended to have jersey numbers for every player on their team. Players without a jersey number can be labeled #0 or #00. Duplicate numbers will be allowed if announced before the game at the home plate meeting, and are correctly labeled (i.e. #5a and #5b).
Both teams are required to keep a scorebook/GameChanger during the game. If a team does not keep a paper or electronic book, they have no grounds for a score dispute, player substitution disputes or batting order disputes. If a scoring dispute arises, we will first attempt to use GameChanger video to review any scoring plays in question. If there isn't a GameChanger video readily available, we will defer to the home book.
No infield/outfield will be taken prior to the game by either team. All pregame warm-ups must be done in the outfield areas beyond the infield dirt area.
Both teams and their fans are asked to help retrieve fouls balls and return them back to the home plate umpire.
*Seeding determined by: 1. best record, 2. head-to-head, 3. fewest runs allowed (IF THREE OR MORE TEAMS TIE WITH THE SAME RECORD, OR TWO TEAMS TIE WHO HAVE NOT PLAYED EACH OTHER IN EACH TEAMS’ FIVE DESIGNATED POOL PLAY GAMES, GO DIRECTLY TO THIS- Exception to this would be if there was a three-way tie and one of the three teams beat the other two teams in all teams’ designated pool play games, then the team with the two head-to-head victories would be seeded higher/advance. Fewest runs allowed would then decide who seeds higher out of the two remaining teams in this circumstance, not head to head), 4. run differential (+ or - 8 runs per game max).
Higher seed is home team in elimination play, including gold and silver bracket games, and any consolation games.
Any coach ejected will be required to sit out the next game of the tournament. Coaches must also leave the immediate area when ejected from a game and are not allowed to have any further contact, of any kind, with their players or coaches during the remainder of said game. Coaches who use extreme amounts of profanity in the process of being ejected, and/or treat the umpiring crew unprofessionally by making personal insults and threatening comments, can and will be suspended for the remainder of the tournament. This will be decided upon by the Umpire In Chief and the decision made will be supported/upheld by the Tournament Director.
Rules for Golden Eagle Regional Park:
-no metal cleats for any players
-no plastic/molded cleats for pitchers when pitching (tennis shoes and turf shoes only)
-no gum
-no sunflower seeds or any shelled nuts
-no ice chests
-no gas or charcoal barbecues
-no alcohol near immediate playing area
-no animals
-no glass containers
-no skateboards/bicycles/rollerblades
-no hitting golf balls