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MONTGOMERY BASEBALL LEAGUE

Covino Invitational Baseball Tournament Rules and Procedures

2019 Tournament Final – JUNE 2019

Montgomery Baseball John Covino Baseball Invitational Tournament Rules 1 | P a g e

Contents Welcome and General Information .................................................................................................................................. 4

Facility Information ........................................................................................................................................................... 4

Field and Game Status Information ............................................................................................................................. 4

Tournament Website ........................................................................................................................................................ 5

Tournament Staff ................................................................................................................................................................ 5

General Facility Rules ....................................................................................................................................................... 5

Game Preliminaries ................................................................................................................................................................ 5

Rosters .................................................................................................................................................................................... 6

Team Roster ..................................................................................................................................................................... 6

Cross-Rostering .............................................................................................................................................................. 6

Coaching Staff .................................................................................................................................................................. 7

Batboy/Batgirl ................................................................................................................................................................ 7

Team Attire ....................................................................................................................................................................... 7

Frequently Asked Questions About Rosters ....................................................................................................... 7

Free Defensive Substitution ...................................................................................................................................... 7

Home/Away Designation ................................................................................................................................................ 7

Equipment ............................................................................................................................................................................. 8

Bat Size ............................................................................................................................................................................... 8

Cleats ................................................................................................................................................................................... 8

Jewelry ................................................................................................................................................................................ 8

Game Start and End ................................................................................................................................................................ 9

Official Game ......................................................................................................................................................................... 9

Mercy Rule ............................................................................................................................................................................. 9

Time Limit .............................................................................................................................................................................. 9

Lightning ................................................................................................................................................................................ 9

Continuation of In Process Games ............................................................................................................................... 9

Playing Rules ........................................................................................................................................................................... 10

Batting ................................................................................................................................................................................... 10

Batting Order ................................................................................................................................................................. 10

Slash Bunting ................................................................................................................................................................. 10

Staying in the Batters Box Between Pitches ..................................................................................................... 10

Bat Throwing ................................................................................................................................................................. 10


Base Running ...................................................................................................................................................................... 10

Leading ............................................................................................................................................................................. 10

Infield Fly Rule .............................................................................................................................................................. 10

Dropped Third Strike ................................................................................................................................................. 10

Courtesy Runner .......................................................................................................................................................... 11

Head First Sliding ......................................................................................................................................................... 11

Slide or Avoid................................................................................................................................................................. 11

Obstruction and Interference ................................................................................................................................. 11

Pitching ................................................................................................................................................................................. 11

Intentional Walk ........................................................................................................................................................... 11

Trips to the Mound ...................................................................................................................................................... 12

Balks .................................................................................................................................................................................. 12

Pitcher Warm-Ups ....................................................................................................................................................... 12

Pitching Limits .............................................................................................................................................................. 12

Pitching in the Playoffs .............................................................................................................................................. 13

Curve Balls ...................................................................................................................................................................... 13

Hit Batters ....................................................................................................................................................................... 13

Special Rules for 8U Division ....................................................................................................................................... 14

Appeals and Protests ....................................................................................................................................................... 15

Appeal Plays ................................................................................................................................................................... 15

Protests ............................................................................................................................................................................ 15

Score Keeping ..................................................................................................................................................................... 15

Playoffs ....................................................................................................................................................................................... 16

Playoff Format .................................................................................................................................................................... 16

Tie-Breakers ....................................................................................................................................................................... 16

Behavior: ................................................................................................................................................................................... 17

Manager/Coach Behavior.............................................................................................................................................. 17

Player Behavior ................................................................................................................................................................. 17

Fan Behavior ....................................................................................................................................................................... 17

Tournament Procedures..................................................................................................................................................... 18

Re-Scheduling Procedure: ............................................................................................................................................. 18

Reporting Game Scores and Procedures ................................................................................................................. 18

Appendices ............................................................................................................................................................................... 19


Appendix 1: Score Reporting Instructions ............................................................................................................. 19


Welcome and General Information Welcome to Montgomery Baseball’s John Covino Baseball Invitational. We are proud to have been

running this tournament since 1997 and this year marks our 22nd Anniversary. Each year hosting

60-70 town-based travel teams at our premier facility, the McKnight Baseball Complex.

Our Tournament is intended to be a fun experience for the kids so let’s all do our very best to make

it so! We wish everyone the best of luck and thank you for participating!

Facility Information McKnight Baseball Complex is located at 100 Reading Boulevard, Belle Mead, NJ 08502. It is just off of Route 601 at the Route 601/Route 206 Intersection. There is a league large sign at the entrance. Follow Reading Blvd. to the end to enter the complex. As you enter, the fields are on the right in the following order: A, B, H, D and E. The concession stand and permanent restrooms are between Fields H and D. There are several free standing bathroom facilities near all fields.

There are 4 batting tunnels and 4 soft toss cages: 2 tunnels between Field A and B for use only by teams playing on those 2 fields 2 tunnels between Fields D and H for use only by teams playing on those 2 fields 2 soft toss cages between Fields A and B for use only by teams playing on those 2

fields 2 soft toss cages between Fields D and E for use ONLY by teams playing on Field E

Field and Game Status Information We try to update information about field conditions as soon as information is available. There are only two (2) ways to find out field status:

1. Call the MBL Weather Hotline at (908) 359-4045. 2. Sign up for text alerts on our website at www.leaguelineup.com/mbsltravel.

If you’ve played with us before, we ask that you re-register for alerts since we delete previous year’s registrations.

We also recommend you advise parents to sign up for alerts as well

When in doubt, check the hotline before leaving for the game. We DO NOT post field condition status updates on our website. We will make every effort to have the hotline updated by 4:00pm on weeknights and 7:00am on weekends, should there be a weather situation. If the message is not updated, you can assume that we are intent on playing the games that day/evening and the final call will be with the umpires and our tournament director. Our website also has the weather.com link we use that shows hourly forecasts.

http://www.leaguelineup.com/mbsltravel


Tournament Website Our website provides useful information such as these rules, schedules, contact information, standings and access to subsribe to alerts such as site closures. Find us at www.leaguelineup.com/mbsltravel

Tournament Staff

We work hard to provide you with the best possible tournament experience our league and its volunteers can provide. If you have questions/issues prior to or after being on-site games, we have dedicated Flight Directors for your bracket. Once on-site, questions and issues can be addressed with the on-duty Tournament Director (TD) and they will do their best to assist you. If your issue is not resolved please contact the Overall Tournament Director directly at the [email protected]. The TD will not be able to respond to complaints about judgment calls (safe/out, balk/no balk, etc.) by umpires. Below are key contacts for you in the event you have an issue or any questions:

Overall Tournament Director Gautam Kobla / Frank Kimick / Eric Rossman / Ryan Quillen [email protected]

Dedicated Flight Directors

8U (A&B) Scott Lee [email protected] (732) 266-1457

12(A&B) Brandon Kyler [email protected] (201) 452-3855

9U (A&B) Jason Morris [email protected] (917) 940-3017

13U (A&B) Alan Chen [email protected] (551) 221-6201

10U (A&B) Brian Benedict [email protected] (973) 207-9252

14U (A&B) Frank Kimick [email protected] (201) 574-3748

11U (A&B) Marco Truppi [email protected] (908) 566-6775

15/16U Gautam Kobla [email protected] (732) 672-4256

General Facility Rules

1. NO SMOKING: our Complex is considered smoke-free and is not permitted. This includes e-cigarettes.

2. NO ALCOHOL: alcoholic beverages are NOT allowed at our complex. 3. LEASH AND CURB PETS: we would prefer you do not bring pets; if you do they must be on a

leash at all times and never unattended and the owner must clean up after any accidents. 4. PARK AT YOUR OWN RISK: this is a baseball complex and batted and thrown balls are a risk

to parked cars.

Game Preliminaries Except as modified in these rules or other modifications obvious to youth baseball, such as number of innings, etc., the Official Rules of Cal Ripken / Babe Ruth Baseball will apply. We are not using school or Little League rules.


mailto:[email protected]





We have tried to impose only those rules necessary to run a fair and smooth-flowing baseball tournament. Our goal is PLAYER PARTICIPATION. Every player on a traveling team has proven two things; he/she has decent ability and, even more importantly, he/she loves baseball. In short, he/she wants to play!

Rosters

Team Roster There are no limits to your roster size, whether it be 12, 15 or greater. All players must meet the age eligibility of the flight/bracket you are participating in using the April 30th cutoff date.Your roster must be submitted before your first game and you must carry a copy of it with you. Once submitted, any changes must be approved by the Tournament Director before any new player is used in a game otherwise you carry the risk of the player being deemed ineligible and taking a forfeit regardless of the games outcome. All players are expected to be from the same league and/or township and/or school system. Any exceptions must be approved by the Tournament Director and require proof of placement, such as league or tournament results. 13U Roster will be allowed no more than 2 14 year olds. 14U Roster will be allowed no more than 2 15 year olds. The 15/16U roster may have any number 15 or 16 year olds.

Cross-Rostering There may be occasions where a single player appears on more than one roster for reasons such as vacation coverage, injury, etc. This is allowed only as follows:

A player CAN be on an “A or B” team roster at a younger age AND a “A” team roster for an older team provided that both teams are from the same league

A player CAN be on an “B” team roster at a younger age AND a “B” team roster for an older team provided that both teams are from the same league

A player CANNOT be on an “A” team roster at an older age and a “B” team at a younger or age EVEN IF age eligible

o PENALTY – it will be assumed the player belonged to the younger team and the older team will forfeit any games the player was used

A player CANNOT be on any “A” and “B” team roster in the same age group o PENALTY – it will be assumed the player is of “A” caliber and any games played

by that player as a member of the “B” team will be forfeited A player CANNOT be on any two rosters if the rosters are from different leagues

o PENALTY – the managers will be asked to declare the dominant roster where the player plays most frequently and the second team will forfeit all games where the player was used; if managers do not declare, both teams will forfeit all games where the player was used

It’s best to handle this with your initial roster submission (vs. future changes as desribed in “Team

Roster” above). Highlighting these players to the Tournament Director will also allow these to be

reviewed before your first game and will ensure you are compliant. If deemed appropriate, any

exceptions or waivers must be approved by the Tournament Director before the commencement of

the Tournament.


Coaching Staff No hard and fast rule. Generally, one manager, two coaches and a scorekeeper are more than enough to clutter any dugout.

Batboy/Batgirl If you have one, bring him or her. They can save us a few minutes here and there. But they should take the job seriously and cannot come out on the field until play stops. They need to wear a helmet.

Team Attire Players should all be in baseball uniforms, preferably matching jerseys and matching pant color. For All-Star teams where players wear their original team jersey, be sure to inform your opponent where you have repeating jersey numbers. Coaches may wear whatever they prefer wearing, team shirt, shorts, full uniform, etc.

Frequently Asked Questions About Rosters What if I don’t have 12 players on my team for a game? We know that some teams normally only carry 11 players, or that there may be some unavoidable absence of a couple of players on a given day, but do not abuse this. Teams who keep showing up with only their best hitters aren’t fooling anybody. As we said before, they may win this year, but they won’t be back next year. What if a player has to leave early or is injured? No problem, his spot is skipped. No automatic out as we are not looking to punish the team because the player has family or other commitments or is injured. Let the other manager know at the beginning of the game if you know in advance. What if a player comes late? Again, no problem. Just insert him at the bottom of the order. The idea is to get him into the game with minimal bench time. What is the minimum number to begin play? Seven is the minimum. We really do not want to impose forfeits, since that deprives both teams of actually playing the game. We usually do have other games following. If your team caravan is lost or stuck in traffic, let us know. Call the VP of Travel at 732-672-4256. We will make every effort to work something out. We want you and the other team to get your money’s worth of games. If you have < 7 players a forfeit will be assigned.

Free Defensive Substitution Any player may be placed in any defensive position at any time, from off the bench or from another position. A player can return to the same position he occupied earlier in the game, or to a different position. The only exception is that a pitcher cannot return as a pitcher once he/she is removed including the starting pitcher. Teams in the 14U and 15U divisions with more than 12 players have the option to only bat 12 but relinmquish free defensive substitution rules. See “Playing Rules-Batting-Batting Order”.

Home/Away Designation For all Pool Play games we use a coin flip. The posted schedule will contain the home and away designation which is only to be used for dugout assignment – Home is first base, Away is third base. For playoff games the higher seed will be the Home Team.


Equipment

Bat Size The Montgomery Baseball League is a Cal Ripken/Babe Ruth league and as such follows the bat rules of that organization. As specified on www.baberuthleague.org:

46/60 will follow USA Standards. All bats must have the USA stamp. - 2 5/8" barrel

1- piece solid wood bats are allowed, and no USA stamp is required for a solid wood bat.

50/70 will follow USA Standards. All bats must have the USA stamp - 2 5/8" barrel

1- piece solid wood bats are allowed, and no USA stamp is required for a solid wood bat.

60/90:

13U & 14U - All non-wood bats must have the USABat Marking or marked BBCOR .50. Bat Barrel - 2 5/8"

15/16U - All non-wood bats must be BBCOR .50 and no greater than -3. Bat Barrel - 2 5/8"

1- piece solid wood bats are allowed, and no USA stamp is required for a solid wood bat. PENALTY: "If the illegal bat is discovered prior to a batter completing his “at bat” the bat is simply removed from play and the “at bat” continues. A player who uses an illegal bat or non-conforming barrel dimension and hits a fair ball will be ruled out. No advancement on the bases will be allowed, and any outs during the play shall stand. This is an appeal play. The “at bat” will be considered legal once a pitch is thrown to the next batter. Any bat discovered prior to the game that does not conform to the above rule shall be directed to be removed immediately and not be allowed for use during the game."

Cleats No metal spikes on the 46/60 or 50/70 fields. Metal spikes permitted only on the 60/90 field.

Jewelry Players should remove all jewelry, except medical alert or jewelry worn for religious purposes. If they present a hazard, they may have to be taped inside of the player’s uniform. Umpire will make determination. Any pitcher whose jewelry cannot be removed, if the umpire determines that the jewelry poses a distraction to batters, that player may not appear on the mound until the jewelry is taped or covered to the umpire’s satisfaction.

http://www.baberuthleague.org/


Game Start and End Official Game In case of time limit or rain:

8U through 12U: 4 innings shall be considered an official game. In addition, if the home team is in the lead after 3 and a half innings it shall be considered an official game.

13U through 15/16U: 5 innings shall be considered an official game. In addition, if the home team is in the lead after 4 and a half innings it shall be considered an official game

Mercy Rule Upon a game being consider “Official” as per rules above, if either team is ahead by 10 or more runs, the game will be ended.

Time Limit During pool play, the time limits are as follows:

8U and 9U, no new inning will start after 1 hour and 45 minutes (1:45) from the first pitch. If the inning is started, it must be completed.

10U thru 12U, no new inning will start after 2 hours (2:00) from the first pitch. If the inning is started, it must be completed.

13U thru 15/16U: no new inning will start after 2 hours and 15 minutes (2:15) from the first pitch. If the inning is started, it must be completed.

In the event of a late start, rain delay, or extra-inning game, IF THERE IS A GAME SCHEDULED ON YOUR FIELD FOLLOWING THE CURRENT GAME, no new inning shall begin less than 15 minutes prior to the scheduled start of the next game.

All playoff games are to be played in full unless the Mercy Rule applies.

Lightning If there is lightning in the vicinity or claps of thunder, the umpires will ask that you remove the players from the field and you spectators from the bleachers and head to a car for 30 minutes before play can resume. If the umpires ask you to clear the field and the dugout, please comply. Lightning is said to have a 10-mile radius! Rain/lightning delays are inevitable and they are frustrating for everyone involved, but we need to keep people safe first and foremost. DO NOT LEAVE THE PREMISES until the umpires have determined if the game is to resume or not. We will make every effort to resume the game once the lightning passes. The game is not automatically ended because of lightning. If a game does have to be called, but is not yet regulation, it will be resumed from the exact point regardless of inning.

Continuation of In Process Games If rain or lightning or other conditions forces a suspension of a game before it is an Official game, it will be continued from the point of suspension. Managers should consult with each other and document the situation (inning, score, runners on base, outs, count, pitchers used) and email the

information to [email protected]. Key considerations: 1. If the continuation occurs after another tournament game, innings pitched in that game may

impact the pitchers of record in suspended game, see pitching rules 2. Players that do not return for the continuation are removed without penalty (no auto-out) 3. Players that were not in the lineups of the suspended game may be added to the bottom of

the batting order in the continuation



4. If the batter of record or pitcher of record are not present for the continuation, the next batter will come to bat with the exact count (balls and strikes) as the batter had

Playing Rules

Batting

Batting Order This is a “Bring 12/Bat 12” tournament. All players who come are to be placed in the batting order. Feel free to bring more than 12, if you want to. Don’t be tempted, however, to bring only your 9 or 10 best batters. If you do, you’d better have genuine reasons. We have seen that ploy before and those teams aren’t here anymore.

Exception: in the 14U and 15/16U brackets, teams that bring more than 12 players to a game may choose to either:

a) place all players in the batting order and play with free substition, or b) must place at minimum 12 batters in the batting order and forego free susbstitution,

meaning standard substitution rules will apply; key among these rules: i. substititute may enter for any player into that players batting position

ii. once a substitute is substituted, they can no longer re-enter the game iii. a starter may only re-enter into the same batting position iv. if all substitutes are exhausted and a player is injured, one exhausted

substitute may re-enter

Slash Bunting Slash bunting is prohibited and will be a dead ball and the batter called out. Once a batter turns to bunt they may only bunt or pull back.

Staying in the Batters Box Between Pitches No automatic strikes as in school ball but, umpires have authority to prevent stalling, etc.

Bat Throwing Umpires will warn the offending player first that he may be called out and thrown out of the game upon repeated offense. After warning and on repeated offense, umpires may, but are not required to, call the batter out and eject the player if throwing is repeated and dangerous to the catcher, intentional, or to influence the play, etc. This is a judgment call. Hopefully, this will not happen.

Base Running

Leading No Leading in 46/60 games although runners can leave base once pitch crosses home plate. Leading is allowed in all 50/70 and 60/90 games.

Infield Fly Rule In effect for all flights except 8 year olds.

Dropped Third Strike Not in effect for games on the 46/60 fields. It will be applicable for 50/70 and 60/90 games.

The Rule: on an uncaught third strike with no runner on first base or with two outs, the batter immediately becomes a runner and can advance to 1st base. If, at the time of the 3rd


strike, first base is occupied with fewer than 2 outs, the batter is out and does not become a runner.

Courtesy Runner Teams may use a courtesy runner for the pitcher at any time and for the catcher with two outs. The player making the last previous 'batted' out becomes the courtesy runner. Utilizing the courtesy runner is an option and not mandatory. The catcher and pitcher are considered the players who will field these defensive positions when the batting team returns to the field.

Head First Sliding 8U to 13U: Not allowed. A runner CANNOT slide head-first except to return to a base. Runner can and will be called out – no warnings. 14U to 15/16U: headfirst sliding is permitted.

Slide or Avoid Applies at all levels and at all bases. A runner may choose not to slide into the base on a tag or force play, but he must clearly avoid the fielder. A runner will be called out for failure to slide or avoid at any base, not just home plate when there is a play on that runner. There are too many possible situations to cover them all, but coaches should advise their players to slide unless there is absolutely no play at that base. That way they will avoid the potential “out” call. Throwing a block on or running into a catcher is illegal at all of our levels. It is an automatic out. Moreover, the umpire may (but need not) eject the runner. On the other hand, catchers may not abuse that protection. Catchers may be in the baseline only while preparing to catch a throw on its way there, but blocking the baseline before the throw is made, or remaining there even when the throw is far off-line, can result in an obstruction call. In short, runners should always slide even if the catcher is blocking the plate without the ball. The catcher may not stand in the baseline awaiting a throw to the plate. He may move into the baseline once he has the ball and may move into the baseline, if necessary, to field an off-line throw, but if either the catcher stands in the baseline awaiting the throw or the fielding team deliberately throws the ball toward the baseline so that the catcher will move into the baseline to field the throw, obstruction can be called. The umpires will be alert to such tactics. Under no circumstances, however, apparent obstruction or not, may the runner run into the catcher, whether or not the catcher has the ball. This applies even if the catcher is guilty of obstruction. If the runner runs into the catcher, the runner's action will negate any obstruction and the runner will automatically be out and, in the umpire's discretion, ejected. Other runners will return to the bases occupied at the start of the play. This is for the safety of all players. Our umpires are all experienced – they will make the proper call.

Obstruction and Interference There are numbers of situations which may arise, but take special note of this one, which occurs with some frequency, especially at the lower levels. If an infielder muffs or otherwise redirects a batted or thrown ball and then moves or reaches for it, the onus is generally on the fielder, rather than the base-runner, to avoid contact as a result.

Pitching

Intentional Walk No intentional walks are allowed. You must pitch to each batter. A catcher standing calling for a pitch out is not considered pitching to the batter.


Trips to the Mound Manager/Coach is allowed 2 trips to the mound per pitcher in any inning. The 2nd trip must result in removing the pitcher from the game.

Balks Balks are only applicable on the 50/70 and 60/90 fields. For the 11U divisions there will be one warning per pitcher. The umpire should tell the pitcher how they balked and demonstrate the correct technique, if possible. There will be no balk warnings given for 12-15/16U divisions. Pitcher Warm-Ups Pitchers are to warm up in foul ground down the lines; a home plate is set up with the pitching distance marked by white paint on the fence. Pitcher is to face the outfield fence (back to plate) with catcher in the corner. There must be a spotter, who can be a player, a coach (NOT including a coach actively coaching first or third base) or a parent. Spotter must face the field. Any player warming up a pitcher must wear mask (with throat protector and helmet). A parent may act as catcher but acts at their own risk if not wearing same type of mask. Pitchers entering the game are normally allowed 8 warm-up pitches on the mound, with 5 in subsequent innings. The umpire may allow more if the pitcher is replacing an injured pitcher or, for both pitchers, at the beginning of the game to ensure adequate loosening up. We do not anticipate bothering with rules concerning the pitcher’s glove color, undershirt length or color, length of shoelaces, etc., but if the umpire thinks that the pitcher is gaining an advantage thereby, he can order changes. Pitching Limits The most important responsibility of every Manager and Coach participating in the Montgomery Tournament at every age and competitive level is the safety and overall healthy development of each child participating in the tournament. Pitchers are at particular risk for long term arm and shoulder injury from overuse or poor pitching mechanics. Each Manager in the Montgomery Tournament should immediately remove from pitching any player who complains or shows signs of arm pain or fatigue during a game. In addition, each Manager is strongly encouraged to monitor pitch count for every pitcher used in every game. For the purposes of our tournament, we use and record Innings Pitched to determine pitcher eligibility. The reason for using games rather than days is because it allows both coaches and tournament official’s full flexibility in scheduling. For example, there is no advantage to a coach in resisting a suggested schedule change which, under a “days” system, would prevent him from using his best pitcher. For tracking purposes, one pitch to a batter constitutes an inning. Each coach must keep track of the eligibility of his pitchers. In addition, the managers for both teams must report the number of innings pitched for each pitcher at the end of the game. 8U-12U: Pitchers are allowed 6 innings in two consecutive games, regardless of the number of days which elapse between those games. That means that a pitcher might be eligible in two days or perhaps might not be eligible for a week. The chart below provides an example:


13U-15/16U: pitchers are allowed 7 innings in two consecutive games, regardless of the number of days which elapse between those games. That means that a pitcher might be eligible in two days or perhaps might not be eligible for a week. The chart below provides an example:

PENALTY: any team found to have used an ineligible pitcher after a game has been completed shall forfeit that game. If, during a game a team is found to have used an ineligible pitcher, the team will forfeit all runs score up to and including the inning in which the ineligible pitcher appeared and the opposing team will be awarded in each inning the pitcher appeared 5 runs or the actual number of runs scored, whichever is greater.

Pitching in the Playoffs Pitching “resets” for the playoffs, meaning that every pitcher is fully eligible for the first playoff game. There is NO reset for subsequent rounds or for the championship game.

Curve Balls Discouraged but allowed at all levels. It is too difficult for the umpire to distinguish a real curve from an accidental one at the 12U and under levels to try to enforce a rule. Keep in mind, however, that injuries loom for younger players who try to throw real curves. Let’s play down the hooks and, instead, keep their prize arms healthy for later competition: high school, college and maybe the big leagues.

Hit Batters We have no rule calling for automatic replacement of a pitcher who hits two batters, three etc. Common sense applies as to whether the pitcher’s degree of control constitutes a safety hazard. If

Pitcher Eligible Pitched Eligible Pitched Eligible Pitched

Team 1 Sabathia 6 4 2 2 4 3

Santana 6 2 4 2 4 1

Halladay 6 0 6 2 4 2

Team 2 Lee 6 6 0 0 6 5

Lester 6 0 6 6 0 0

Team 3 Pettitte 6 3 3 3 3 3

Rivera 6 3 3 3 3 3

3rd Game1st Game 2nd Game

Team Pitcher Eligible Pitched Eligible Pitched Eligible Pitched

Team 1 Seaver 7 4 3 3 4 3

Gibson 7 2 5 2 5 4

Johnson 7 0 7 2 5 2

Team 2 Koufax 7 6 1 0 7 5

Young 7 7 0 0 7 0

Team 3 Palmer 7 3 4 3 4 3

Righetti 7 3 4 3 4 3

1st Game 2nd Game 3rd Game


so, the umpire can require his removal. Obviously a deliberate attempt to injure a batter is a different story, and the umpire can require the removal and possibly ejection.

Special Rules for 8U Division We recognize that 8U is the entry point for most travel players and going from recreational baseball with modified rules to keep the game simple to full-tilt aggressive baseball rules could be overwhelming. Therefore we have modified the rules for 8U.

1. Stealing: a. Stealing of 2nd and 3rd base is allowed, but only 1 steal per batter. b. There is NO stealing of home. c. There are NO delayed steals allowed.

2. No leading. 3. No bunting. 4. No infield-fly. 5. Overthrows

a. Runner CAN advance at own risk one extra base on: i. Overthrows for batted balls (e.g., overthrow to 1st)

ii. Catcher’s overthrow while stealing 2nd (i.e., they can attempt to advance to 3rd if unoccupied)

iii. Catcher’s attempt to pick off a runner who takes a lead off of 1st or 2nd base (i.e., “snap back”)

b. Runner can NOT advance on: i. Catcher’s overthrow while runner attempts stealing 3rd base although any

runner double stealing 2nd from 1st does so at their own risk ii. Catcher’s attempt to pick off a runner who takes a lead off of 3rd base (i.e.,

“snap back”) iii. Catchers overthrow to 1st or 2nd if the runner is on 3rd

6. Wild Pitches: Runners on first or second base may advance only 1 base at their own risk on a pitcher’s wild pitch; runners on 3rd base may not advance on a pitchers wild pitch although a runner on first base may advance to second at their own risk.

a. Any attempt by the catcher to throw out a runner going from 1st to 2nd or 2nd to 3rd on a wild pitch should be treated as a throw out attempt of a stolen base and the runner may advance based on the rules for overthrows

7. No advancement by the batter beyond 1st base on a Walk or Hit Batter. 8. Batting limitation – 3 outs or 5 runs EXCEPT in the last inning where the number of runs is

unlimited. Time limits and mercy rule apply a. The last inning is defined by the umpire based on time limits; b. If the call of last inning is made between visiting and home batting, the run limit rule

the visiting team batted under will be the rule the home team bats under. 9. Time Limit – We realize that 8-year olds might not be able to finish 6 innings in the time

allotted so please try to start on time to maximize their number of innings. No inning will start after 1 hour and 45 minutes from the first pitch. If the inning is started, it must be completed.

10. Play ends when the ball is controlled at the pitcher's mound (the full mound area and not just the rubber).


Appeals and Protests

Appeal Plays Must actually be made – no automatic call by the umpire on a missed base, etc. Pitcher need not initiate the appeal play - any player may make the appeal. It may be made to any umpire. Remember, time must be in and the ball remains live throughout the appeal.

Protests Protests are allowed only on rule interpretations and applications not on umpire judgment calls. A protest must be made before the next pitch or play. A Tournament Director will be on duty to decide on protests and that decision is final.

Score Keeping Each team will maintain a normal game score book for the entire game. Scorekeepers will notify their counterparts of the score every ½ inning as well as any lineup changes. The score being maintained by the scorekeepers for both teams will be the official score of the game. Please do not rely on the volunteer scoreboard operator for this purpose. The scoreboards are in use strictly to enhance the experience for the players and to offer a more “big league” feel. Both scorekeepers should touch base after each ½ inning to ensure that they have the same score to avoid an argument later on. We will instruct our umpires to keep an eye on the score and the pitcher usage but once again the scorekeepers for both teams will be the official book.


Playoffs Playoff Format The number of playoff teams depends on the number of teams in each bracket.

4 Teams: 1 division, pool play each other once, all make playoffs, 1 seed plays 4, 2 plays 3 5 Teams: 1 division, pool play each other once, top 4 make playoffs, 1 seed plays 4, 2 plays 3 6 Teams: 1 division, random pool play for 4 games, top 4 make playoffs, 1 plays 4, 2 plays 3 7 Teams: 1 division, random pool play for 4 games, top 4 make playoffs, 1 plays 4, 2 plays 3 8 Teams: 2 divisions of 4 teams each, pool play each other once and all make playoffs, 1 and

2 plays 3 and 4 from the opposite division; highest remaining seed in each division plays lowest remianing seed in opposite division for semis, winners play for bracket championship with highest seed being the home team; if both teams are the same seed, home is determined by: (1) highest number of pool play wins, (2) lowest number of pool play runs allowed, (3) highest pool play run differential, (4) highest number of pool play runs scored, (5) lowest runs allowed in most recent playoff game, (6) highest run differential in most recent playoff game, (7) coin flip to be conducted 45 minutes before the game to allow correct dugout placement

9 Teams: 1 division, random pool play for 4 games, top 4 make playoffs, 1 plays 4, 2 plays 3 10+ Teams: 2 divisions of 5+ teams each, random pool play for 4 games, top 2 teams in each

division make playoffs, highest seed in each division plays lower seed in opposite division for semis, winners play for bracket championship with highest seed being the home team; if both teams are the same seed, home is determined by: (1) highest number of pool play wins, (2) lowest number of pool play runs allowed, (3) highest pool play run differential, (4) highest number of pool play runs scored, (5) lowest runs allowed in most recent playoff game, (6) highest run differential in most recent playoff game, (7) coin flip to be conducted 45 minutes before the game to allow correct dugout placement

Tie-Breakers For determining the playoff participants and seeding, tiebreaker rules are used. These rules are applied in order until ties are broken. If breaking ties amongst 3 or more teams, the rules are applied in order until the tie is broken and then the rules are applied top down again to break remaining ties.

Overall record Head to head results

When more than 2 teams are tied, head to head results will be used to eliminate or rank teams if possible; for example, if the Yankees, Orioles and Rays are all 2-2

Scenario 1, Yankees beat the Rays, and the Orioles beat the Rays; the Rays would be the 3rd of these 3 teams then go back to head to head to break the Yankees and Orioles tie or if they didn’t play each other, proceed to the next tie breaker Scenario 2, Yankees beat the Rays, Rays beat the Orioles, Yankees beat the Orioles, order is Yankees, Rays, Orioles Scenario 3, Yankees beat the Rays, Rays beat the Orioles, Yankees and Orioles didn’t play; order is Yankees, Rays, Orioles with Rays being the only common opponent compared as they are within the tie Scenario 4, Yankees beat the Rays, Orioles haven’t played the Yankees or the Rays, there isn’t enough information to rank so proceed to the next tiebreaker

Fewest runs allowed Largest run differential


Last resort: If the tie breaker is only to determine seeding: Coin flip If the tie breaker is to determine who makes the playoffs:

1. Record vs. the next to last team to make the playoffs (e.g. 3rd place team) 2. Fewest runs allowed vs. the next to last team to make the playoffs 3. Largest run differential vs. the next to last team to make the playoffs 4. If still tied, continue steps 1-3 up the standings (e.g., evaluate against the 2nd

place team, then the 1st place team) 5. If after all of these tiebreakers the teams are still tied, a play-in game will be

played with the winner immediately then playing a playoff game; no special arrangements will be made to accommodate the play-in date and timing; if a team cannot make the date/time they will forfeit the play-in game

Behavior: Manager/Coach Behavior It’s been said time and time again but we want to be clear so everyone is on the same page and there are no misunderstandings. ALL umpire calls are FINAL. Coaches may discuss a rule interpretation with the umpires if done reasonably and professionally. These umpires are carded and they generally do an excellent job however, we all know that calls may be missed sometimes. It’s a fact of life. Please be respectful and remember that there are kids watching and that they are taking very good notes on how their coach conducts himself/herself. In the unlikely event that you go over the top and are ejected though, you are suspended from the next tournament game, playoffs included.

Player Behavior Players are expected to conduct themselves with sportsmanship. Throwing equipment, disrespectful behavior, fighting, etc. will not be tolerated. If escalated, the umpire can and will eject a player and any player ejected is suspended from the next tournament game, playoffs included.

Fan Behavior We also ask that you request for your parents/fans conduct themselves appropriately as well. Since you know those folks, it’s not unreasonable for us to ask that you or one of your coaches go over and get things under control if people are getting out of hand. We have instructed our Tournament Directors to contact the local authorities if they feel a situation has gone over the edge or if someone is acting in a threatening or abusive manner. Bottom line: it’s little boy baseball. It shouldn’t happen.


Tournament Procedures Re-Scheduling Procedure: The updated master tournament schedule is located on the Montgomery Travel Baseball website (http://www.leaguelineup.com/mbsltravel). We would like to limit rescheduling. However, we understand that sometimes scheduling issues come up. Our tournament schedule is very tight so we ask that you first try to make the games as schedule, if at all possible (even is your best pitcher or hitter might now be available to play). Schedule issues should be identified as early as possible to facilitate rescheduling. Once the Tournament Schedule is established, rescheduling of games will follow the following procedure. IF THIS PROCEDURE IS NOT FOLLOWED YOUR REQUEST WILL NOT BE PROCESSED. If you have any questions about this please, contact your Flight Director (see “Tournament Staff”).

STEP 1: The Team that wants to re-schedule must contact opponent’s manager and agree on a on a reschedule date and time. This step MUST be completed prior to contacting the Montgomery Tournament Schedule Coordinator. The available ‘open field slots’ can be found on our Travel Website. Teams can also try and switch with other scheduled slots within their division. Please try to complete games as early in the tournament as possible. You must contact the managers of those teams in the slot you prefer and get agreement for an exchange. STEP 2: The manager requesting a change MUST contact the Tournament Director via email

([email protected]) to receive confirmation of the change. Make sure you copy the opposing team’s manager on the email. If you are exchanging slots with another game, copy the managers of the teams for that game on the email as well. Please include division name, prior and new game field/dates/times as well as team names involved. Give us as much info as possible. STEP 3: If your request is approved, you will receive an email confirming the approval from the Schedule Coordinator and the website will be updated. Please provide as much notice as possible. No schedule changes will be accepted within 72 hours of game time.Teams not honoring the 72-hour window are subject to forfeit.

Reporting Game Scores and Procedures Scores will be self-reported by managers using our website. The procedure can be found in Appendix 1. It is the winning manager’s responsibility to report the final score within 12 hours. The manager will report the score, name and jersey number and innings pitched of all pitchers used. If you see a score has been incorrectly posted or not posted at all please email your game score and pitchers used (with innings pitched) to [email protected].




Appendices

Appendix 1: Score Reporting Instructions 1. After each game, the winning manager must collect – final score, names, jersey numbers

and innings pitched of winning and losing team’s pitchers 2. From the website (www.leaguelineup.com/mbsltravel) select “Schedule” from the top menu

then select your division and click “Report Score”

3. Select the game date, location and the score reporting password: “mblnj” (all lowercase)

4. Find your game and click “Report Score”

5. Set game status to “Complete”, enter the score, record pitchers and click Submit


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