The Newtown Classic Tournament Rules U13, U14, U15, U18 Updated 9/25/2015

PAYMENT/WEATHER RELATED REFUND POLICY

Full payment must be received by the date listed on the Tournament Registration website page. Absolutely no refunds/credits for any reason will be given for withdrawals within thirty days of tournament start date.

Three game minimum tournaments will have the following weather-related refunds/credits: Play NO games: Full refund Play 1 game: $150 credit for next year’s tournament only or refund Play 2 games: $75 credit for next year’s tournament only (no refund – credits cannot be combined for any new registration.)

INSURANCE

Each team is required to carry its own insurance and submit a certificate of insurance to CRNAA prior to the beginning of the tournament. No team will be allowed to play until we have that information and it is verified. The certificate must have the following entities listed as “additional insured”:

Council Rock Newtown Athletic Association Newtown Township Newtown Borough Council Rock School District

The Certificate Holder will be CRNAA, PO Box 173, Newtown PA 18940. This can be obtained by simply calling your insurance company and asking them to provide a certificate.

OFFICIAL GAME/RESCHEDULED GAMES/PROTESTS

All games played at The Newtown Classic are Official at the end of ONE (1) complete inning, regardless of age or reason for the stoppage (weather, darkness, etc.) This ruling is in place due to the time constrictions of weekend pool play. All age groups shall play 7-inning games. A team must have 9 players ready to play by the start of their game time as determined by Tournament schedule. Failure to have 9 players throughout the entire game will result in a forfeit of that game. No refunds will be given for any Tournament games that are forfeited. All teams must play their scheduled games. Any team that forfeits a scheduled game is ineligible for continued tournament play and is subject to further disciplinary action. Forfeits will be scored 7-0 in favor of the non-forfeiting team.

The Newtown Classic reserves the right to reschedule games for any reason during the tournament, including, but not limited to weather issues, field availability, umpire availability, daylight, etc. All teams entered into any tournament must be available to play at any time during the course of the tournament. If any tournament game must be rescheduled and a team is not available, that team will forfeit that game and will not be eligible for any credits or refunds. In the event a tournament is set up in a losers bracket format the Newtown Classic reserves the right to revert to pool seeding in order to finish the tournament.

All decisions by umpires on the field of play will be final. There are no protests at The Newtown Classic.

Playing Rules

Other than the exceptions that are detailed in this document, Babe Ruth Official Playing Rules will be used.

Bats

All bats must be BBCOR or wood. U18 wood bat only TIME LIMIT

No new inning may start after the time limit elapses. The standard time limit for all age groups is 2 hours from the time of the first pitch of the game to the last out of an inning. Games can go into extra innings as long as the time limit has not expired. Pool play games can end in a tie. If the time limit is reached during an inning, that inning will be the last one of the game. If the home team is winning after the top half of that last inning, they will be declared the winner of the game and will not hit in the bottom half. If the home team is trailing and must hit in the bottom half of the last inning, the game will end at the moment the home team scores the winning run or at the moment of their third out.

The Championship Game will not have a time limit and will be played to completion unless called for darkness or weather issues. This game will be official after one inning. If the Championship Game is tied when the game is called, Co-Champions will be declared.

ROSTERS/UNIFORMS

No more than 15 players and 4 adults (1 manager, 2 coaches, and 1 scorekeeper) allowed on the roster. Rosters are locked once a team’s first game begins. No player may be listed on more than 1 team roster during any Tournament.

All players must be in uniform with numbers on their jersey. Managers and coaches need not be in uniform, but must be appropriately dressed.

Substitutions

Managers can use either nine or ten batters as a part of the original batting line-up. The manager also has the option to bat all players in uniform sequentially.

If a Manager does not bat all players in uniform sequentially, substitutes can be entered into the original batting line-up for another player (who was originally in the batting line-up) as the game is being played as long as all substitutes are reported to the opposing team manager BEFORE he/she enters the line-up. Once the substitute batter is entered into the line-up, he/she must stay in that slot the remainder of the game. If a player is injured, then and only then can a substitute be moved to a different slot in the line-up. The Manager has the option in this scenario to alternate the original member of the line-up and any subsequent substitute in any manner that is desired as the game progresses as long as it is reported to the opposing Manager before the entry into the line-up takes place.

The Manager can make defensive substitutions at any time with the exception of the pitcher (see rules for pitching). Offense and defensive play are not tied together in any way, shape, or form. BALKS

No Warnings

START OF GAME

Home team will be determined by coin flip prior to the start of each game. Playoffs the higher seed is the home team.

COURTESY RUNNER

A courtesy runner is allowed for the catcher or pitcher at any time. Only the last batted is permitted to run for the catcher. Note that a strike out is considered a batted out. Manager may use a player off the bench if all players are not in the batting line up.

MUST SLIDE RULE

Players must attempt to avoid contact with other players in tag-out situations. If, in an umpire’s judgment, there is intentional contact, that umpire may call the runner out on that play. If the contact is judged as intentional and malicious, that umpire may also eject the player from the game. If a player is ejected for this reason, they may face suspension for their team’s next game with the possibility of further sanctions as well.

HEAD FIRST SLIDE

Permitted at all bases.

INTENTIONAL WALKS

All ages must throw 4 balls for an Intentional Walk.

PITCHING RESTRICTIONS

NONE - coach’s discretion. Second visit to the mound per inning will result in removal of pitcher. Once a pitcher is removed from the mound, they cannot re-enter the game as a pitcher even if they stay in the field as a defensive player.

MERCY RULE

Regardless of age, 15 runs after 3 innings, 10 runs after 4 innings. Home team does not bat if ahead by Mercy. Home team will bat if visiting team goes ahead in top of Mercy inning.

INTENTIONAL DELAYS

Intentionally delaying a game to achieve a victory through the time limit is considered unsportsmanlike conduct and will not be tolerated at The Newtown Classic Tournament. The umpires and/or tournament officials at the game reserve the right to eject a coach or player for intentionally delaying a game and possibly declare a forfeit to that team.

EJECTIONS

If a player, manager, coach, scorekeeper, parent, or fan is ejected from a game, they also face being suspended for the next game and even possible expulsion from the entire tournament. All ejections must be reported to the Director who will make the final determination on eligibility for future games.

TIE BREAKERS

Please note that a tie came equals ½ of a win and ½ of a loss for both teams towards their overall record and/or winning percentage. Therefore, a team that is 2-0-1 would have a winning percentage or .833 and a team that is 2-1-0 would have a winning percentage of .667.

When two or more teams have the same overall record, or winning percentage, we will use the following procedure to break a tie:

1. Head-to-Head winning percentage if all teams involved in the tie played each other at least once. 2. Total Runs allowed. 3. Coin Flip

In the case of a tie involving more than two teams, we revert back to step one whenever the procedure clearly eliminates a team or produces a winner.