Tournament Rules

Tournament Format

• Teams are randomly assigned to pools.

• After pool play, all teams are seeded into double‑elimination brackets.

• 10U B, 12U B, and 14U B will have separate Gold and Silver brackets.

Rosters & Protests

Rosters

• All team rosters must be submitted online through USSSA.

Protests

• Protest fee: $100 cash.

• Fee is refunded if the protest is upheld.

• Roster protests must be made before the first pitch of the 3rd inning.

• If a player is not on the USSSA online roster or guest list: the offending team takes a 7–0 loss, the player is ineligible to continue, and the team is only eliminated if that loss knocks them out.

Schedule

• Pool games will finish by early Friday morning.

• Double‑elimination brackets typically begin Friday afternoon.

Pool Play Rules

Game Time Limits

• 8U: 70 minutes, finish the inning; games may end in a tie.

• 10U–14U: 75 minutes, finish the inning; games may end in a tie.

• A game is official when time expires and there is a clear winner or the trailing team cannot mathematically tie.

Scoring / Inning Limits

• Maximum of 6 runs per half‑inning.

Home / Visitor

• In pool play, the team with the most USSSA points chooses home or visitor.

Extra Pool Games Note

• 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.

• 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.

Run Rules (All Games)

• 12‑run lead after 3 innings.

• 10‑run lead after 4 innings.

• 8‑run lead after 5 innings.

MVP Awards (Pool Games)

• Each coach receives an MVP card at the plate meeting for every pool game.

• After the game, each coach selects one player from the opposing team and presents the MVP card.

• MVP cards must be turned in to the Onsite Director for the award and photo.

• MVPs are entered into the USSSA system and receive an automatic All‑State invite.

Bracket Play Rules

Game Time Limits

• 8U: 70 minutes, must have a winner.

• 10U–14U: 75 minutes, must have a winner.

Scoring / Inning Limits

• 8U bracket games: 6 runs per half‑inning.

Home / Visitor

• Higher seed chooses home or visitor.

• If seeds are the same, flip a coin.

• Championship game: team from the winners’ bracket chooses.

• “If” game: coin flip.

Rules Base

• All standard USSSA rules are in effect.

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 Procedures

Used to seed teams from pool play into bracket play.

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.

Once you move past a tiebreaker, you do not go back to a previous one.

Weather & Shortened Games

• Bracket games are official after 2 ½ innings if the home team is ahead, or 45 minutes of elapsed game time.

• If games are cancelled due to weather, tie‑breaking procedures may be adjusted.

• If the “if” game of the Championship is rained out before a clear winner after 2 ½ innings, both teams are declared Co‑Champions and will flip for 1st and 2nd place awards.