8u-14u Rules/Format
★ Official Tournament Rules
8U – 14U Rules & Format
USSSA Texas National Championships — July 8–12, 2026
📍 Plano/McKinney & Frisco, TX | All Divisions: 8U, 10U, 12U, 14U
🏆 Tournament Format
Format
How the Tournament Works
1
Pool Play
Teams are seeded in Pools based on Power Rating. All teams play 3 pool play games total — 2 games on Thursday and 1 game Friday morning. Teams are seeded into bracket play based on pool play results.
2
Bracket Play
Bracket play begins Friday afternoon. Games continue through the Championship Final on Sunday. Depending on the number of teams in a division, some brackets may move to a Gold and Silver bracket format.
📋 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).
★
NEW FOR 2026: Player Roster Protests — View Roster Protest Rules →
📅 Schedule Overview
Thursday
Pool Play — 2 Games
Games begin at 9:00 AM. Coach check-in continues at the fields.
Friday AM
Pool Play — Final Game (3rd)
Last pool play game in the morning. Seeding is finalized after all games in a pool are complete.
Friday PM
Bracket Play Begins
Bracket games start Friday afternoon. Games continue through the day Saturday.
Sunday
Championship Day
Semifinals and Championship Finals. Trophy & awards ceremony to follow.
🥎 Pool Play Rules
Time Limits
Game Time Limits (Pool & Bracket)
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8U: 70-minute time limit. • 6-run limit per half inning.
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10U: 75-minute time limit. • Unlimited runs per half inning.
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12U & 14U: 75-minute time limit. • Unlimited runs per half inning.
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.
Extra Games
Extra Pool Games Note
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If a team plays an extra pool game as the last game on the schedule, that game only counts for head‑to‑head if needed to break a tie with that opponent.
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Runs allowed and win/loss from an extra pool game do not count toward overall totals, but the head‑to‑head result may be used, depending on whether the opponent is in the same pool.
Awards
MVP Awards (Pool Games)
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Each coach receives an MVP card at the plate meeting for every pool game.
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After the game, each coach selects one player from the opposing team and presents the MVP card.
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MVP cards must be turned in to the Onsite Director for the award and photo.
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MVPs are entered into the USSSA system and receive an automatic All‑State invite.
🏅 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 are tied after regulation will go to International Tiebreaker rules (see below).
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Championship game: The team from the winners bracket chooses home or visitor.
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IF game: Home / Visitor is determined by a coin flip.
⏳ International Tiebreaker (ITB)
Tiebreaker
International Tiebreaker (ITB) – Bracket Games
Used when a winner is required in bracket play, except the Championship game which follows USSSA rules.
Progressive ITB Sequence:
1
1st ITB inning: runner on 2nd.
2
2nd ITB inning: runner on 2nd, 2 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 move past 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.
📝 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
Double Elimination Brackets (Winners’ & Losers’ Bracket)
In the event a Double Elimination 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.
★ USSSA Texas National Championships 2026 | texaschampionships.com ★
