BIG BANG TOURNAMENT RULES AND POLICIES

GENERAL RULES:

1. The Tournament shall be conducted under the 2008 Official Baseball rules as published by the National Baseball Congress, (Here after referred to as the NBC). Except where conflicts arise between the above publication and the following Tournament rules. In which case the Tournament rules shall apply.

2. HOME TEAM IS RESPONSIBLE FOR KEEPING THE OFFICIAL SCOREBOOK.

3. The Tournament Committee is made responsible for providing a complex manager to assist teams and to be in charge of enforcing the Park rules.

4. No person other than umpires, players listed on the official roster of each team, each team’s manager, up to two coaches per team, one bat boy/girl per team, and media are allowed within the confines of the playing field. EXCEPTION 1: For injury or illness, parent(s) and medical personnel will be permitted on the playing field. EXCEPTION 2: If deemed necessary, Tournament Director and Officials may enter the playing field.

5. No alcoholic beverages are allowed at any field or complex. Furthermore, intoxicated persons are not allowed at any field or complex and will be removed when discovered.

6. Smoking is not permitted on any playing field. Managers and coaches may leave the field to smoke and return upon completion provided players are always supervised by a manager or coach on the field at all times.

7. No player shall have in possession any tobacco product. Wyoming State Law prohibits persons under eighteen (18) years of age to purchase such products. Managers and coaches are strongly discouraged from using such products.

8. Players shall not be allowed to wear jewelry of any kind.

9. PROTESTS:

a. The Tournament Director shall assign one person not affiliated with either team playing to serve as the head of the protest committee (the Director or a Tournament Official may serve in such capacity).

b. Protests shall be solved before the game continues. Game time will be suspended for all protests.

c. There is a $25 protest fee on all protests, which must be paid immediately after the game that is protested. If a team wins the protest, the $25 will be refunded.

d. No protest shall ever be allowed on a judgment call by an umpire.

10. EQUIPMENT

a. No bat shall be more than two and three-fourth (2.75) inches in diameter at its thickest part. Wood bats are allowed.

b. Protective headgear must be worn by players at bat, on deck, running bases or acting as base coaches. Such headgear must cover the top of the head and must have extended flaps covering both ears and must properly fit the player wearing it. PENALTY: Removal from the game.

c. Catcher’s mask and throat protector (attached or part of the mask) must be worn by any player warming-up a pitcher to home plate and in the bull pen. The throat protector is considered part of the catcher’s mask. PENALTY: Removal from the game.

d. All players, especially the catcher, are strongly encouraged to wear a protective cup. Managers – safety!!

11. Home team designation shall be determined by coin flip by umpire prior to the game in pool play. During the single elimination tournament, the higher seed will be the home team.

12. Seeding for the Single elimination bracket will be determined by round robin record. Tie breakers shall be determined as follows:

a. Head to head record

b. Total defensive runs allowed

c. Coin flip

d. Ties in Round Robin play are ½ win and ½ loss

13. There shall be no tie games in bracket play.

14. The time limit shall be 1 hour, 50 minutes for all pool play games. Single elimination games will have a 2 hour time limit except the Championship Game of bracket play, which has no time limit. Any inning started must be completed unless the home team is ahead at bat. The mercy rule is still in effect in single elimination play.

15. No game may end in a tie, except in Round Robin play.

16. Courtesy runners will be allowed for the pitcher and catcher only. The courtesy runners must be the last player in the line-up to have been put out. Should two courtesy runners be used at the same time, they shall be the last two players in the line-up to have been put out. If the last player put-out in the line-up has since been substituted for, the replaced players shall still be the courtesy runner.

17. Re-entry rule: Any of the nine (9) starting players may be withdrawn and re-enter once, provided such player occupies the same batting position whenever he is in the line-up. The pitcher is governed by the provisions of the Official Baseball rule 3.05. A substitute who is withdrawn may not re-enter. NOTE: If a player re-enters illegally as pitcher, fielder or runner, there is no penalty except that he must be removed from the game immediately when discovered. If he re-enters illegally as a batter, such illegal re-entry is penalized according to Official Baseball rule 6.07, Batting Out of Order. NOTE: If injury or illness (not ejection!) occurs and all eligible substitutes have been used, a previously used substitute (chosen by the opposing manager) may re-enter. Should ejection force a team below nine eligible players, a team may still participate but must record an out each time the vacant spot comes to bat.

18. Games stopped due to weather or light failure will be resumed at the point of discontinuance as if their were no delay as soon as possible and regardless of the game situation unless the time limit forces the end of the game.

19. In any situation in which the runner on any base physically crashes into any fielder with intent to dislodge the ball or to physically punish the fielder, the ball is immediately dead and the offender is out. No runner may advance unless forced and the offender shall be ejected from the game.

20. For the “Big Bang” Tournament, the must slide rule is in effect at home plate. No “phantom tags”, or plays, are allowed by the defense. It is an umpires judgment concerning severity of infraction on the slide as to whether an ejection would occur.

21. Any person ejected from a game shall be ineligible for that game plus the team’s next game. Managers, coaches, players who are ejected from a game (especially safety concern); penalty can be from the next game, to removal from further tournament participation. Decision with Tournament Committee ASAP. This includes volatile fan behavior.

22. Managers and coaches are strongly encouraged, but not required, to dress in team uniform or similar uniform. Shorts are permitted.

23. All equipment is to be kept in the dugouts or designated dead-ball areas and off the playing field when not in use.

24. Teams shall cleanup dugout area after their game. This includes equipment and debris.

25. Anything not covered in these rules shall be ruled on by the umpires and/or Tournament Director.

BIG BANG 10 AND UNDER PLAYING RULES

PLAYING RULES:

1. A regulation game shall be five (5) innings, or four and one-half (4.5) innings if the home team is ahead and at bat. If called, a game is a regulation game if three innings have been completed, or two and one-half (2.5) innings have been completed and the home team is ahead and at bat. In Round Robin play a game shall also become regulation if the time limit is reached and a team leads in score and both teams have had equal opportunities at bat – regardless of inning.

2. The mercy rule shall be in effect: The game shall be terminated if a team is ahead by 15 runs or more at the end of (2.5) 3 innings or 10 runs or more at the end of (3.5) 4 innings.

3. Field dimension: 60 foot bases lines with 43 foot pitching distance.

4. Players shall not wear steel spikes.

5. Leading off is permitted.

6. The dropped third strike rule is in effect.

7. EXTRA HITTER (EH) – This rule is optional. A team must declare its intent to use this rule before the game starts. A team may bat ten (10) players, but may not revert to a nine (9) player line-up except for injury or illness, and only then if no substitutes are available. A manager may play any nine (9) of the ten (10) players, listed in the official line-up, on defense at any time.

8. PITCHING:

a. A pitcher may pitch no more than five (5) innings in two consecutive games.

b. One pitch in an inning constitutes one complete inning pitched.

c. Games in which an ineligible pitcher has been used as specified in 1 of the above, shall be declared forfeit by the Tournament Director or Tournament Official when discovered.

d. The Tournament Director will ensure that pitching records are posted by the tournament schedule and in the hospitality rooms at the conclusion of each game.

e. Trips to the mound by a manager or coach, as defined in official rules of the tournament, shall not exceed one trip per inning. The second trip to a pitcher in the same inning shall automatically result in the removal of that pitcher from the game as pitcher. Note: If a pitcher who is considered an improper pitcher and must be removed as pitcher, he would be considered an improper pitcher and must be removed as pitcher immediately when discovered and there is no further penalty.

f. Pitching rubbers will be placed forty-three (43) feet from the plate.

g. It is not mandatory that the pitcher take signs from the catcher while standing on the rubber.

h. A manager or coach or substitute player may warm-up a pitcher between innings.

BIG BANG 11 AND UNDER & 12 AND UNDER PLAYING RULES

PLAYING RULES:

1. A regulation game shall be six (6) innings, or five and one-half (5.5) innings if the home team is ahead and at bat. If called, a game is a regulation game if four innings have been completed, or three and one-half (3.5) innings have been completed and the home team is ahead and at bat. In Round Robin play a game shall also become regulation if the time limit is reached and a team leads in score and both teams have had equal opportunities at bat – regardless of inning.

2. The mercy rule shall be in effect: The game shall be terminated if a team is ahead by 15 runs or more at the end of (2.5) 3 innings or 10 runs or more at the end of (3.5) 4 innings.

3. Field dimension: 70 foot bases lines with 50 foot pitching distance.

4. Players shall not wear steel spikes.

5. Leading off is permitted.

6. EXTRA HITTER (EH) – This rule is optional. A team must declare its intent to use this rule before the game starts. A team may bat ten (10) players, but may not revert to a nine (9) player line-up except for injury or illness, and only then if no substitutes are available. A manager may play any nine (9) of the ten (10) players, listed in the official line-up, on defense at any time.

7. PITCHING:

a. A pitcher may pitch no more than seven (7) innings in two consecutive games.

b. One pitch in an inning constitutes one complete inning pitched.

c. Games in which an ineligible pitcher has been used as specified in 1 above, shall be declared forfeit by the Tournament Director or Tournament Official when discovered.

d. The Tournament Director will ensure that pitching records are posted by the tournament schedule and in the hospitality rooms at the conclusion of each game.

f. Pitching rubbers will be placed fifty (50) feet from the plate.

g. It is not mandatory that the pitcher take signs from the catcher while standing on the rubber.

h. A manager or coach or substitute player may warm-up a pitcher between innings.

BIG BANG 13 AND UNDER, 14 AND UNDER & 15 AND UNDER PLAYING RULES

PLAYING RULES:

1. In Round Robin play regulation game shall be six (6) innings, or five and one-half (5.5) innings if the home team is ahead and at bat. If called, a game is a regulation game if four (4) innings have been completed, or three and one-half (3.5) innings have been completed and the home team is ahead and at bat. In Round Robin play a game shall also become regulation if the time limit is reached and a team leads in score and both teams have had equal opportunities at bat – regardless of inning.

2. Bracket play regulation game shall be 7 innings with the above mentioned stipulations. There shall be no time limit on championship game.

3. The mercy rule shall be in effect. The game shall be terminated if a team is ahead by 15 or more runs after (3.5) 4 innings or 10 or more runs after (4.5) 5 innings.

4. Field dimensions: 90 foot baselines with 60 foot 6 inch pitching distance.

5. Players may wear steel spikes.

7. PITCHING:

a. A pitcher may pitch no more than seven (7) innings in two consecutive games.

b. One pitch in an inning constitutes one complete inning pitched.

c. Games in which an ineligible pitcher has been used as specified in 1 above shall be declared forfeit by the Tournament Director or Tournament Official when discovered.

d. The Tournament Director will ensure that pitching records are posted by the tournament schedule and in the hospitality rooms at the conclusion of each game.

e. Trips to the mound by a manager or coach, as defined in official rules of the tournament, shall not exceed one trip per pitcher per inning. The second trip to a pitcher in the same inning shall automatically result in the removal of that pitcher from the game as pitcher. NOTE: If a pitcher, who is considered an improper pitcher and must be removed as pitcher, he would be considered an improper pitcher and must be removed as pitcher immediately when discovered and there is no further penalty.

f. A manager or coach or substitute player may warm-up a pitcher between innings.