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Saturday, October 22, 2011 RULES AND REGULATIONS

Section I: GENERAL RULES

These rules must be followed strictly in order to ensure that the games taking place all start and end on time and that the brackets do not get completely jumbled. Please remember that they apply to everyone and are necessary to allow the Tournament to smoothly.

• All games will be played at Houston Sportsplex, 12631 South Main Street, Houston, TX 77035; phone 713-726-9977 www.houstonsportsplex.com/directions.php for map and directions • NO OUTSIDE FOOD OR DRINKS ALLOWED • NO PETS ALLOWED (no exceptions) • $5 gate fee for non-players over age 12 (Entry fee covers player's gate fees)

1. This is a elimination tournament. There will be a Winner’s Bracket and a Loser’s Bracket. Teams that lose their first game will go into the Loser’s Bracket. Trophies will be awarded to the 1st and 2nd place teams from the Winner’s Bracket. 2. Championship game is scheduled to begin at 9:30 p.m. 3. The game will be declared a forfeit if a team fails to field eight (8) players for their first game within TEN minutes of the designated starting time. 4. Please, no or practice before a game. Get to your games early enough to warm up on the side while the previous game is still being played. Hustle in and between - we are on a tight schedule with only 5 minutes between each game. 5. Games will be the shorter of either seven innings or 50 minutes. NO NEW MAY BEGIN 50 MINUTES AFTER THE SCHEDULED STARTING TIME. This is crucial to keeping the Tournament running on schedule. Do not waste time between innings or during the game. Umpires may award forfeit victories in games where delay tactics are used. 6. Tiebreaker Rule: The following tiebreaker system will be used if a game is tied after either (a) the completion of seven innings or (b) the completion of the last inning begun within the 50 minutes time limit, whichever comes first. 7. will be played in the following "one " manner: Batters will get one pitch. A ball will be considered a walk. A strike will be considered an out. Foul balls will be considered outs. Play will continue with "one pitch" innings until the tie is broken. a. NOTE: This does not apply to the Championship Game. Championship game will not use tiebreaker rules. 8. No game will be called for rain unless there is lightning or unless the fields are deemed unplayable. The final authority regarding play rests with the Houston Sportsplex staff. No portion of your entry fee will be refunded if games are canceled due to bad weather. Rainout number is 713-726-9977. Web link to check for rainout information is http://www.houstonsportsplex.com/weather_update.php. 9. Replacement Players: New players may not be added to a team's roster unless authorized by the Play committee. One time replacement of players may be made only to avoid a forfeit and only with the advance authorization of the committee or by mutual agreement of both captains prior to play. If a team is consistently short players they may request that the committee augment their team with additional players. 10. Home/Visitor team is determined by flipping a coin with winning team determining preference of batting or fielding. 11. Any foul or abusive language directed at the umpires shall result in game ejection. Any foul or abusive language expressed within earshot of the umpire regarding his/her calls will result in an automatic warning. A second offense shall result in game ejection. 12. All protests must be made by the team captain or manager, before the next pitch to the batter. The umpires will settle all protests immediately. Remember, this is a charity tournament and we want everyone to have a good time but the key is to raise money for a charity. 13. Players may not consume alcohol while on the fields. Umpires will enforce this rule.

Section II: RULES OF PLAY

1. Each team must consist of a minimum of twelve players, with a minimum of three females on each team. 2. No metal spikes may be worn. 3. Teams are required to provide their own gloves, bats, and practice balls. Bats must be aluminum or composite ASA approved bats. Batting helmets are optional. Any equipment deemed illegal by the umpires will not be allowed. 4. We will use the same size and type of balls throughout the tournament, provided by the Houston Sportsplex. 5. The umpires are the official scorekeepers. 6. Rules: a. In order to encourage maximum participation, tournament teams may have a batting order of unlimited size. If a player is on the team roster, that player must be in the batting order and must bat, however they are still not required to play in the field. b. A player may be in the batting order and not play in the field. In order to play in the field, however, a player must be in the batting order. c. Prior to the start of the game, the teams must provide its batting order to the opposing team. d. If a player is not in the batting order because of late arrival, their name may be added to the end of the order. But if a player is in the lineup and is not present at his/her time to bat, then it will be ruled as an out. 7. The batting order may consist of a maximum of two males batting in a row, followed by or after a female. (A female must bat at least every third batter, men may bat back to back followed by a female.) Girls must be rotated through the batting to achieve the male/female batting sequence. Teams must have a set batting order for males and females but a female may not always follow the same male if the number of men on the team is an odd number. 8. rules are as follows: • Can • Can • Cannot lead off • Must wait until the ball is to leave the base • Cannot steal bases • Advancing a base or bases on a or is not permitted • Two fouls on the third strike is an out 9. No bunting, no check swings 10. Batting helmets are not required. 11. Homerun Rule: No team shall have more than 2 homeruns up on the opposing team. Each additional homerun will as an out. Homeruns will commence to count when one team is no longer homeruns ahead of their opponent. 12. If the ball bounces over the fence it will be ruled a and each player on base will be awarded two bases. 13. Batting Round Rule: Inning run limit rule: There will be a 6 run limit per inning through innings 1-4. (Exception: Unlimited runs may be scored if one of the innings 1-4 is declared the final inning of the game or 10 minutes left in the game.) Unlimited runs may be scored in innings 5,6,and 7 always. Game mercy rule: 12 runs after 4 innings and 10 after 5. 14. Courtesy Runners: If a player has a partial injury such that he/she is able to bat but unable to run, a courtesy runner may be requested. The batter must reach first base before a courtesy runner can be used. The umpire and opposing captain must both be notified prior to the start of the game or when injury occurs about the need for a courtesy runner. a. If the player requiring a courtesy runner is a woman the last woman to make an out must run. If not available, than any woman on the bench must run. If a woman is not available, the last man to make an out shall be the courtesy runner. b. If the player requiring a courtesy runner is a man, the last male player to make an out must run. c. No pinch runners other than courtesy runners are permitted. d. Players that have requested courtesy runners may not advance beyond first base. 15. Fielding Rules: a. There must be ten players on the field, playing defense. Out of the ten, there must be a minimum of three females on the field. If the team does not have ten players present to take the field, the team must field a minimum of eight players, with a minimum of two females. While playing defense, a player may enter, leave, or re-enter the fielding team (free substitution) as long as there is a minimum of three females on the field during field play at all times. b. In keeping with ASA rules, the arc on pitches must be a minimum of six feet and a maximum of ten feet from the ground. A ball not within these limits shall be called an illegal pitch as soon as possible by the umpire. If the batter does not swing at an illegal pitch, it is automatically a ball. If the batter swings, the pitch will be treated as though it had been thrown within the legal limits. The umpire's call on a pitch is absolutely final. c. The is that space over any part of home plate that is between the batter's back shoulder and front knee when the batter is lined up with the plate. d. Each at-bat begins with a 1-1 ball-strike count. Thus, three balls constitute a walk, and two strikes constitute a . (Of course, any ball that is hit above the batter's head - fair or foul - and is caught by the defense is an out). The umpire's call on strikes and balls cannot be disputed. e. If a male player walks and a female batter follows, she has the option of taking an automatic walk OR hitting. BEFORE stepping into the batter's box, the female must inform the plate official of the decision. f. The Rule: If the defense is attempting to make a double play and there is a reasonable chance a double play will be completed, the runner going to the lead base must either slide or get out of the way of the throw. If the runner does not, the umpire has the discretion to call a double play. A runner need not get out of the way if there is no chance of the defense making the double play. This call will be made at the umpire's discretion and cannot be disputed. g. The Home Plate Rule: When there is a play at home plate, it is the runner's responsibility to avoid contact if the catcher has the ball before the runner gets to the plate. However, the catcher must not unreasonably block the plate before the ball gets to home plate. The umpire has complete discretion to decide both (a) whether the runner intentionally initiated contact and should therefore be called out, and (b) whether the catcher unreasonably blocked the plate before the ball gets to home plate and the runner should therefore be called . h. Play shall be called dead once all runners have ceased running and are standing on base or within a few strides of the base and the ball has been returned to the pitcher's mound by any member of the fielding team. In the event that the lead runner is held (to within a few feet) of his or her base and the ball is returned to the pitcher's mound then play is called dead. Other runners that are in forward running motion towards the next unoccupied base may advance to that base.

Finally, please pick up any trash left in the dugouts after each game and dispose of them in the trash cans at the park. We hope you all have a great time at the tournament. Please let us know if you have questions. See you at Houston Sportsplex fields bright and early on Saturday!

C:\DATA\Triple Play 2011\2011 Triple Play Official Rules.docx