16u/18u Rules/Format
⚖ Official Tournament Rules
16U – 18U Rules & Format
USSSA Texas National Championships — July 24–26, 2026
📍 Plano/McKinney, TX | All Divisions: 16U, 18U
📋 Rosters & Protests
Rosters
Roster & Eligibility Rules
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Rosters must be finalized at Check-In. No additions after that point.
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Protests must be filed with the Tournament Director. A $100 protest fee is required (refunded if protest is upheld).
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NEW FOR 2026: Player Roster Protests — View Roster Protest Rules →
🏆 Tournament Format
Format
Division Formats
1
Friday — Pool Play
• Two 80-minute seeded pool games.
• Pool games may end in a tie.
• Pool games may end in a tie.
2
Saturday — Bracket Play
• More than 16 teams: Teams are placed in several small Double-Elimination brackets seeded from pool play.
• 16 teams or fewer: Teams are placed in a 3-Game Guarantee (3GG) Bracket.
• 16 teams or fewer: Teams are placed in a 3-Game Guarantee (3GG) Bracket.
In the several-small-brackets format: Top 8 teams from Saturday advance to a Single Elimination “Elite 8 Bracket” on Sunday. All other teams move to a Gold or Silver Bracket depending on the total number of teams in the division.
3
Sunday — Final Brackets
• Top 8 teams play in the Elite 8 Single Elimination Bracket.
• All remaining teams play in a Gold and/or Silver Bracket depending on total teams in division.
• All remaining teams play in a Gold and/or Silver Bracket depending on total teams in division.
🥎 Pool Play Rules
Time Limits
Game Time Limits (Pool & Bracket)
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16U & 18U: 80-minute time limit. ● Unlimited runs per half inning.
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All games are finish-the-inning once an official game is reached.
Game Rules
Home / Visitor & Run Rules
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Home / Visitor — In pool play, the team with the most USSSA points chooses home or visitor.
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Run Rules (All Games): 12 run lead after 3 innings ● 10 run lead after 4 innings ● 8 run lead after 5 innings.
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Rosters must be online in USSSA. All standard USSSA rules are in effect.
🏅 Bracket Play Rules
Bracket
Bracket Rules
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Home / Visitor: Higher seed is the home team. If seeds are equal, flip a coin.
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Bracket games that end after regulation go to International Tiebreaker rules (see below).
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Championship game: In a 3GG Bracket, the team from the Winners side picks Home or Visitor. In a Double Elimination bracket, the higher seed from pool play chooses Home or Visitor.
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All standard USSSA rules are in effect.
🔄 International Tiebreaker (ITB)
Progressive ITB is used for bracket games except the Championship, which follows standard USSSA rules.
1
1st ITB inning: Runner on 2nd base, 0 balls / 1 strike count.
2
2nd ITB inning: Runners on 2nd and 3rd, 0 balls / 1 strike count.
3
3rd ITB inning: Runners on 2nd and 3rd, 2 balls / 1 strike count.
4
4th ITB inning: Bases loaded, full count.
📊 Seeding — Pool to Bracket
Seeding
Seeding Procedures
Used to seed teams from pool play into bracket play. Once you receive a tiebreaker, you do not go back to a previous one.
Order of Tiebreakers:
1
Winning percentage (descending)
2
Number of wins (descending)
3
Number of losses (ascending)
4
Head-to-head winning percentage among tied teams (only if all tied teams have played each other)
5
Average points allowed (ascending)
6
Average run differential, max 8 per game (descending)
7
USSSA ranking points (descending)
8
Date team entered USSSA database
⛈ Weather & Shortened Games
Weather
Rained Shortened Events: Tournament Rules
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Bracket games are official after 2½ innings if the home team is ahead.
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If the “if” game of the Championship is rained out before a clear winner after 2½ innings, both teams are declared Co-Champions and will flip for 1st and 2nd place awards.
TD Authority
Tournament Director Authority
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Tournament Directors reserve the right to play WINNERS BRACKET games ahead of LOSERS BRACKET games (possibly eliminating LOSERS BRACKET entirely) if necessary, or to reduce game times if the tournament can be completed with those revisions.
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If the tournament cannot be completed by any other method, the following procedures will be used to determine placement and/or awards.
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Note on Calculations: All games in the tournament (including both pool and bracket play) should be used when average runs scored or allowed are being computed.
Single Elim
Single Elimination Brackets
In the event a Single Elimination tournament cannot be completed due to weather or other reasons:
1. All teams still in the Bracket are ordered first, using the following criteria in order:
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Winning percentage including Pool and bracket play. A Bye in the first round of the bracket will count as a win if bracket play has begun and only the first round of the bracket is complete.
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Least average runs allowed per game played
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Highest average run differential per game played (8 run limit)
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Coin toss
2. If only two teams remain in the tournament, those teams will be declared co-champions.
Double Elim / 3GG
Double Elimination & 3GG Brackets (Winners’ & Losers’ Bracket)
In the event a Double Elimination or 3GG tournament cannot be completed due to weather or other reasons:
1. Teams still in the Winners’ Bracket are ordered first, using the following criteria in order:
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Winning percentage including Pool and bracket play. A Bye in the first round of the bracket will count as a win if bracket play has begun and only the first round of the bracket is complete.
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Least average runs allowed per game played
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Highest average run differential per game played (8 run limit)
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Coin toss
2. Next, teams in the same spot in the Losers’ Bracket are ordered by the following criteria in order:
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Head-to-head (used first when only two teams are in the same spot)
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The team which advanced farthest in the Winners’ Bracket before losing
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Least average runs allowed per game played
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Highest average run differential per game played (8 run limit)
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Coin toss
3. If only two teams remain in the tournament, those teams will be declared co-champions.
