ATTENTION: ONLY USA STAMPED BATS CAN BE USED.
2021 Linwood Summer Classic Tournament Game Rules
TEAM ROSTER
1. The coach must provide the opposing team’s coach with a line-up card that includes the full team’s roster and batting order.
MISCELLANEOUS
1. Home Team determined by coin-flip prior to start of game. Winner of coin flip may choose home/away status. Visiting team may choose dugout of preference.
2. Number of Players: Each team must bat their entire roster which is present at the beginning of each game. There are a maximum of 10 players in the field. In the event a team has less than 10 players, those present bat. There are no duplicate batters in an inning, except for the 6th inning (see number 7 below) – the penalty for having less than the required number of players is that the team is limited to the number of runs it can score once through the batting order.
3. Only the pitch machine Coach, and 1st and 3rd base coaches are permitted on the field while the game is in progress.
4. Head coaches of both teams will meet with the umpire prior to the game for ground rules.
5. The pitching machine shall be set at 38 mph.
6. Each team will designate a scorekeeper who may remain within the dugout area.
7. There shall be a 5-run cap for each inning, with two exceptions. First, in the event that a player hits a home run, all runs scored from that home run shall count. For example, if a player hits a 3-run home run which will give the team 7 runs scored for that inning, all 7 runs shall count. A home-run shall be defined as a ball hit over the outfield fence while in the air. Runs scored from an inside-the-park home run shall not be permitted to exceed the 5-run per inning cap rule. The second exception to the 5-run cap rule is that the 6th inning, or any extra innings, shall be considered unlimited.
8. If a team is winning by 15 or more runs at the end of the 4th inning (3 ½ innings if the home team is winning), or 10 runs at the end of the 5th inning (4 ½ innings if the home team is winning), the mercy rule shall be declared and the game shall end.
9. Each team must confirm score with each other between innings.
10. All teams must remember that we are here to have fun, play baseball, and to teach our kids good sportsmanship. Each team must maintain control over their
respective coaches, spectators and parents of their players. Any person expressing excessive comments to an umpire, coach or spectator deemed to be negative in nature by the umpire shall receive a warning by the umpire. The umpire is permitted to award/call a forfeit against the violating team after a second warning is given to any such person, coach or parent.
11. Only USA stamped bats are permitted for use in games and on Linwood Baseball premises.
BATTING
1. All players shall be placed in a continuous batting order which shall remain the same for the entire game. Batting out of order will create an out.
2. Only one batter on-deck at all times. All other players must remain within the dugout.
3. Each batter shall get a maximum of 5 hittable pitches. The umpire shall determine hittable pitches. If the 5th hittable pitch is fouled off, the at-bat shall continue until the player swings and misses, fails to swing at a hittable pitch, or puts the baseball in play.
4. There are no walks.
5. If a batter is struck by a ball from the pitching machine, it will not be considered a hittable pitch and the at-bat shall continue. If the batter swings at a pitch that hits him, it shall be deemed a strike.
6. Three strikes is an out.
7. Three outs per inning.
8. One warning per team will be issued by the umpire for throwing equipment. Following the warning any player who throws equipment may be removed from the game.
9. No bunting is permitted.
10. Any batted ball that comes into contact with the pitch machine or the coach operating the machine shall be considered dead, and the batter will be awarded 1st base. All base-runners will advance to the next closest base.
FIELDING
1. Standard infield positions shall apply, and one player shall stand on either side of (but not in front of) the pitching machine within 6 feet until a ball is in play.
2. The outfield shall include 4 defensive positions unless a team has only 9 players.
3. Outfielders must play on the grass; short-fielders are not permitted.
4. Free field substitution is allowed at any time.
BASE-RUNNING
1. Stealing is not permitted.
2. Base-runners may not advance on a passed ball from the pitch machine.
3. Leads are not permitted.
4. There is no infield fly rule.
5. Base-runners are permitted to tag-up.
6. A base-runner may leave a base once the pitch has crossed home plate. Any player leaving a base prior to the ball crossing the plate will be called out by the umpire.
7. Sliding is permitted; however, head-first slides are not permitted. The exception to this rule will be when a runner over-runs a base and dives back into that base head-first.
8. There is no “must slide”rule; however, a runner that does not slide must veer in an attempt to avoid contact. Any attempt by a runner to intentionally and/or maliciously run into a defensive player will be called out and ejected from the game by the umpire. This is a judgment call by the umpire.
9. On a ball hit into the outfield, runners may advance until the ball is released in a forward direction from the outfielder. At that time, the runner must stop at the base he is advancing to. Runners may not advance from an overthrow from an outfielder. If a runner continues to advance bases following the outfielders’ forward release of the ball, he may do so at his own risk. If the runner is thrown out, the out will stand. If the runner reaches the base safely, the umpire will send the runner back to the previous base.
10. There are no advances on overthrows on a ball hit to the infield.
11. If a batted ball is pronounced dead, all base runners shall advance to the closest base.
12. Courtesy running for the catcher is permitted at any time. Only a player not in the line-up, at the time, may courtesy run for the catcher. If there is no such player, the last player to make an out shall be permitted to run.
DEFINITION OF A GAME
1. A game will be comprised of 6 innings unless the following occurs:
a. A game is terminated and 4 innings have been played (3 ½ if the home team is winning).
b. A game is terminated by the game time limit which is:
i. A new inning may not begin after 1 hour and 45 minutes from the official start time, which will be set by the umpire. A new inning shall be defined as the time at which the last out of the previous inning occurred. If the last out of an inning is recorded at or before the 1 hour and 45 minute mark, the next inning is to be played.
2. Games that are suspended prior to the above due to weather or darkness may be rescheduled and will resume at the point of suspension (unless the game is official).