9U Tournament Rules

1.Pre-Game:

1. Each team will report to the Tournament Official, usually located at the concession stand, before their first game of the tournament.  The Tournament official will distribute one dozen Diamond DLL-1 baseballs with the “OP Logo”. These are to be used as game balls throughout the tournament. Additional balls will be available upon request.
2. Coaches must text their final score (win or lose) to Daren Senfield at 716.432.4316 with both team names and field played on.
3. Strict compliance with the separately attached COVID-19 health and safety rules and protocol must be adhered to.

2. General:
   1. The Official Little League of America Baseball rules will apply except as modified by this document.
   2. Both the home and opposing teams Head Coach will meet 5 minutes prior to game time for Ground Rules.
   3. All Seeding games begin with a coin flip to determine home / away.  All Sunday games home / away are determined by the higher seeding.
   4. All games shall be played on a sixty (60) foot diamond with a forty six (46) foot pitching distance.
   5. All games will be six (6) innings unless the “Mercy Rule”, or Time Limit comes into effect.
   6. A regulation game shall consist of four (4) innings (3½ innings if the home team is winning).

i.Games called after regulation shall be scored as final.

ii.If a game is suspended for an extended period of time before regulation, it will resume where it left off at the earliest opportunity.

iii.Scorekeepers must record and confirm with the other team the time elapsed, current score, outs, runners on base, pitchers and out counts before leaving the field and again before resuming the game.

iv.No player substitutions / additions are permitted when a suspended game is resumed. Players unable to be in attendance for the remainder of a suspended game will be an out when they are scheduled to be at bat.

v.The current batter will restart his at bat with a new count when play resumes.

vi.If the result of a suspended game won’t affect the final seeding it may be deemed a regulation game by tournament officials.

7. Any protests or rules in question must be addressed immediately, during the game with a Tournament Official. A protest is null if made after the next pitch has been thrown.
8. Questions regarding rules, game play must be addressed at Ground Rules, where the umpire becomes the judge and interpreter
9. Maximum of two (2) defensive conferences per inning.  Pitcher removed after the second conference.
10. Team managers are required to submit scores to the OPLL Tournament Director as soon as possible at the completion of the game.
11. All score will be posted as soon as possible to the Orchard Park Little League Website under the tournament center, 10u tournament “Live Scores & Schedule”
12. It is the coaches’ responsibility to ensure that scores on www.opll.org are recorded accurately.  This website serves as tournament central and official score and record keeper for the seeding round .

i.We are not perfect!  Mistakes can happen.  Coaches must check that their score was recorded correctly after each game.

13. All Scores are final at the conclusion of all seeding games. Once Sunday Seeds are released, based on recorded website scores, it is FINAL. Score corrections must be made before Sunday brackets are released.

3.Time Limit:

1. A 5-minute grace period is permitted if a team is unable to field a team of at least 8 players at the designated start time, otherwise forfeit.
2. No new inning may start if One Hour & Fifty Minutes (1:50) has elapsed since the official start time.

i.The official start time is that of the umpire or his designee.

ii.The official start time is the scheduled start time unless delayed due to the tournament or weather.

iii.An inning is considered started at the time the final out of the previous inning is recorded (at the time the 6th run is scored where the run limit ends an inning).

3. All games, with the only exception being final Sunday Championship Games, will have this limit. 
4. Time limit rulings cannot be protested.
5. Coaches are responsible to ensure their players are ready to take the field immediately after the inning is completed.  Defensive positional lineups should be completed and players assigned prior to the last out of the offensive inning.
6. Time between innings should not exceed 3 minutes.
7. The umpire will declare an inning as the final inning, suspending the run limit rule, when in his judgement; the inning will end after the time limit.

i.In the event that the top of an inning will end with the run limit the umpire may declare the inning as the final inning, suspending the run rule and allowing the top of the inning to continue until 3 outs are recorded.

2. If the top of an inning ended in the run limit instead of three (3) outs, the run limit will apply to the bottom of the inning even if time will expire before the inning ends.
3. If an inning declared as the final inning, ends before the time limit it will be at the umpire’s discretion to allow one (1) additional inning to be played as the final inning.
8. Catcher Speed Up Rule – With two outs, a baserunner scheduled to be the catcher in the next inning may be replaced by the player that recorded the last out.

4.Mercy Rule:

1. There is a six (6) run per inning mercy rule in the first full five (5) innings. For the 6th inning and on into extra innings as time allows, there will be no cap on the runs per inning.
2. There will be no “continuation rule” and only six (6) runs should be credited after the play is complete.

i.Unless the hit resulting in the play is a home run which clears the fence.

3. 15 runs after the completion of the 4th inning and 10 runs after the completion of the 5th inning.

5.Roster:

1. No player may occupy a roster spot on two (2) teams in the tournament.
2. Eight (8) players are necessary to start a game. Game umpire will wait 5 minutes from scheduled start time before a forfeit is declared if less than eight (8) players are present.
3. Teams must finish a game with a minimum of eight (8) players, otherwise forfeit.
4. No player may enter the game after the completion of the 2nd inning unless

i.  Opposing team manager must be notified prior to the first pitch of the game.

ii.  Must be listed in the official batting order submitted prior to the game.

iii. Must take an out each time the player is scheduled to bat prior to his arrival

iv. Must be announced to the other manager upon arrival.

6.Farm Club Players:

1. Managers may request farm club players in the event that their team will not have enough players for a game.
2. Farm players must be declared to the opposing team manager before the start of the game.
3. If requested, and present, farm players must be rostered for the game and play the field for at least two (2) defensive innings.

7.Batting:

a.Bunting is permitted - No Fake (Slash) Bunts – Batter may not show bunt then swing.

i.Dead ball, Batter Out (safety concern), No runners advance.

b.Each team shall bat their entire roster until three (3) outs are recorded or the run limit.

c.Throwing a bat while at the plate

i.1st incident - a warning is issued to the player and team manager.

ii.2nd incident – player is out.

d.Throwing of equipment will not be tolerated

i.1st incident - a warning is issued to the player and team manager.

ii.2nd incident – player is ejected from the game, may not play in next game.

8.Base Running:

1. Head first slides are not permitted (Head first return to base is permitted).
2. Leadoffs are NOT permitted. Taunting the pitcher is not, repeated offenses will be an out.
3. Stealing is allowed when the ball crosses the plate. Any player who is deemed to have left the base early by the umpire is given a warning. The pitch is considered a no pitch and all runners must return to their original bases. 
   1. If at any time thereafter, the same player or another player from the same team is deemed to have left the base early, the runner is automatically out. The pitch is considered to be a no pitch and all other runners must return to their bases.
   2. If multiple players leave the bases early after a warning has been issued, all runners who have been deemed to have left early will be out.
4. Stealing of home is not permitted.
   1. Advancing on Errors – a base runner may advance on overthrow error(s) when the ball is put into play and may score. The runner remains at risk until the play ends with possession of the ball by the pitcher in the infield.
   2. The Batter may also advance on overthrow error(s) but cannot score and must stop at 3B.
   3. No advancing on overthrows from the catcher to the pitcher when returning the ball between pitches or attempt to throw out a baserunner on 3rd base.
5. On an over throw that goes out of play each runner will advance one (1) base, forced or not.
6. Excessive force on the base paths will result in the offending runner being called out.
   1. Runner must attempt to avoid collisions at all times.
   2. Runner must slide or attempt to avoid a collision on a play at any base, otherwise will be OUT! No warnings will be issued.
   3. Any runner attempting to dislodge the ball from a defensive player shall be called out.
      1. If, in the judgement of the umpire, the runner attempted to injure, the offending player will be ejected from the tournament.

9.Fielding:

a.Each team shall field ten (10) players, four (4) must be in the outfield.

b.Unrestricted player substitutions.

c.A defensive player will not obstruct the base path unless attempting to field the ball.

d.No fake tags / hidden ball tricks - dead ball.

e.No blocking bases, runner should be allowed a clear path to the base.

10.Pitching:

a.No pitcher may pitch more than six (6) innings in any tournament day. 

b.A pitcher is also restricted to twelve (12) innings during the tournament.

c.A pitcher is restricted to three (3) innings per game.

d.One pitch constitutes one inning pitched.

e.A pitcher who has been removed from the mound may not reenter the game as a pitcher.  He may however play any other position on the field.

f.Pitchers must be dressed in full uniform and may not wear wristbands or undershirts which are not of like color to their uniform.

g.All scores and pitchers names/innings logged must be logged in the teams scorebook or any other method of accounting.

h.Pitcher must be removed if they hit three (3) batters in the same inning.

i.Warmup Pitches

i.Eight (8) pitches for a new pitcher.

ii.Five (5) pitches for a returning pitcher.

iii.Pitchers are permitted to wear a batting helmet while pitching if he/she chooses. They are not required to do so.

iv.If the catcher is not ready, a coach must warm up the pitcher.

1.Pitches thrown to a coach count as warmup pitches.

11.Equipment:

a.One (1) dozen Diamond DLL-1 baseballs will be distributed at the start of the tournament. Additional balls will be provided as needed or requested.

b.All male players must wear a protective cup.

c.The Batter, all base runners, and the on deck batter must wear batting helmets.

d.Metal spikes are not permitted.

e.All bats must have the USA Baseball logo and be listed on the USA Bat approved bat list to be used in this tournament. Modified bats are not permitted.

6. All players must PRESENT the stamp to the umpire before each at bat.  This should allow the umpire a quick glance to ensure the safety stamp is affixed.

i.Any player who uses an illegal bat during an at bat will immediately be called out at the time of appeal.

ii.Per NFHS Rules, if a player is caught using an illegal bat, there will be one team warning AND the Head Coach will be restricted to the bench area.

iii.If a team is caught using an illegal bat on a second occasion in any given game, the offending player AND the Head Coach will be ejected from the game.

12.Umpires

a.Two (2) umpires shall be used for all games, one plate umpire and one base umpire. In the event that a second umpire is not available, one umpire may be used but will be a rare exception.

b.Three (3) umpires shall be used for the championship game(s) on Sunday, if available.

c.The coach attending the pre-game conference is the only one permitted to speak with the umpires.

d.Coaches should clarify all questions with the umpires before the game starts.

13.Coach, Player & Fan Conduct:

a.There is a Zero Tolerance Policy regarding verbal and/or physical abuse of any player, coach, umpire or fan. Offending party will face disciplinary action up to / and including ejection.

b.Team Managers are responsible for the behavior of the parents and the fans in attendance for their team. Please address any issues with them immediately to avoid disciplinary action.

c.If a coach, player or fan is ejected from a game, play will not continue until they have left the area of the field.

d.Refusal to leave - the police will be called, the team will forfeit the game, and the offending individual will be banned for the remainder of the tournament.

e.Any player, coach or fan ejected from a game will not be permitted to attend the next game.

f.The tournament committee may impose additional restrictions for repeated or serious offenses at their sole discretion.

14.Pool Play / Bracket Seeding

a.Home team determined by a coin toss at the pre-game umpire meeting. Team traveling the furthest will call the toss.

b.If a tie exists following the end of regulation and the time limit has not expired, additional innings may be played.

c.Games that result in a tie will be recorded as a tie in the standings.

d.Overall record, head-to-head, runs allowed, run differential, runs scored, and coin flip will be used as tiebreakers

e.If pool play games are shortened/ cancelled due to weather, run differential will be used as a tie breaker instead of runs allowed.

15.Bracket Play

a.All teams will advance to bracket play.

2. Teams will be divided into brackets based on Pool Play seeding.

i. Champion Bracket 

ii. Gold Bracket

iii.Silver Bracket

iv.Bronze Bracket

Home team determined by seeding.