Annapolis Open – Grant Turner Memorial Baseball Tournament

Rules of play

Last updated 13 March 2010

All games will be played under National High School Federation rules except for the following:

Rosters:

All teams are required to carry with them at all times a copy of their official roster, a copy of each player’s birth certificates and a copy of their insurance.  At their first game they are to show the insurance certificate to the umpire. 

In the event of a player’s age challenge each team must show the player’s birth certificate. If player is found to be to ineligible the player would be removed from tournament, the head coach will be ejected from the remainder of the tournament and the team would forfeit all games that the ineligible player played in.

Lineups:

All teams have the option of the following lineups:

• Teams may bat 9 batters
• Teams may bat 10 batters. An (EH) may be used in the batting lineup. If you start with an (EH) you must finish with an (EH), or take an out at that at-bat.
• Teams may bat entire roster. In this case if a player is unable to bat for any reason an out is declared for that player each time he is unable to take his turn at bat.

For 9u and 10u only, when batting their entire lineup, if a player is unable to bat at any time solely due to on field injury, then no out will be call but the player is no longer eligible to play in the rest of game offensively or defensively.

Each team must announce their options when exchanging line ups with other team at pregame conference with umpires.

Reentry Rule:

A starter may be removed from the lineup once during the game and reentered. A sub cannot be reentered; when a starter is reentered he must reenter in the same spot in the batting lineup.

This rule does not apply to teams that bat their entire lineup as they have unlimited defensive substitutions.

Time Limit:

All games will be 6 innings and no new inning will start after 1 hour and 45 minutes.

A new inning begins when the last out of the previous inning is made.

The tournament directors have right to put in drop dead times if games begin to run behind on any day.

Games call before a full inning is complete because of weather, darkness, or other pertinent matters will revert back to the previous inning for the score. If the game has not reached official game status by reverting back to the previous inning, the coaches will mark their books and the game will be considered a complete game. A game is considered to have reached official status at the completion of 4 innings (3 ½ if home team is leading). Games ending in ties due to darkness, time or weather after 4 innings will remain as ties.

No time limits for championship games only, but mercy rules still apply.

Home/Visitor:

Home team will be determined by coin flip in all poolround/robin play games. Higher seed will have choice for playoff and championship games.

Intentional delays:

The umpire and tournament directors reserve the right to eject any player, coach or fan for intentionally delaying a game and a forfeit may be enforced at the tournament director’s discretion.

Protest:

No protest!! Judgment calls are final. A coach may politely ask the umpire who made the call to clarify a rules interpretation. The umpires on the field will make a final decision on the field.

Tiebreakers:

Tiebreak rules will apply to determine all seeding after round robin play.

Tiebreak rules will apply for division winners, wild card winners and seedings for playoffs.

Tiebreakers are as followed in this order:

• Win Loss Record
• Head to Head record (if only 2 teams are tied)
• Least amount of total runs allowed
• Lowest single game runs allowed
• 2^nd lowest single game runs allowed
• Coin flip

Scorebooks:

The home team will be the official scorebook. The visiting team is encouraged to maintain a book also.

Runs per inning:

There are no max runs per inning.

Mercy Rule:

15 runs after 3 inning (2 ½ if home team is ahead). 10 runs after 4 innings (3 ½ if home team is ahead).

Pitching:

• There are no limits on amount of innings pitched by a pitcher but coaches should use their best judgment when monitoring the use of pitchers.
• Once a pitcher is removed from the mound they may not return to pitch in the same game.
• Each pitcher is allowed 1 balk warning per game for 11u through 14u.

Bats:

There are no weight or size restrictions for 9u through 13u. 14 & under must follow High School Federation rules -3 with the BESR or BBCOR label.

Courtesy Runners:

A courtesy runner for the pitcher and catcher is allowed at any time. The runner must be a player not in the game or was last out.

Ejections:

Coaches and fans ejected from a game must exit the park immediately and not return for the rest of that game plus there next scheduled game. Players may stay with their respective teams but may not participate in rest of that game plus the next scheduled game.

Start of game:

All teams are expected to be at fields ready to play ½ hour prior to game time. Please be prepared to start games early if field, umpires and teams are ready to play.   Teams must have 9 players to start game NO exceptions. Teams may finish with 8 players (out taken for vacant spot in lineup).

The Tournament director has the final say on all rules and rules can be changed up and until the start of the first game played.