INGOMAR FRANKLIN PARK ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION
Rules for 13 and 14 year old Tournaments
2006
Pony League Baseball rules with the following exceptions:
1. ROSTER: Maximum of fifteen (15) players. No more than four (4) adults on the bench, which includes the manager, two (2) coaches and a scorekeeper. Roster must be submitted prior to first game.
a. Roster Challenges: Teams must furnish birth certificates upon request. In the event the challenge is upheld, your team will forfeit the tournament and all remaining games.
2. AGE: Player cannot have reached his 14th birthday (for 13 year old tournament) or 15th birthday (for 14 year old tournament) by April 30, 2006.
3. HOME/VISITING TEAM: Determined by a toss of a coin at the beginning of the game.
4. PLAYERS on the FIELD: Nine (9) players. Team forfeits with less than nine players unless an injury occurs during the game. Team must forfeit if it has less than eight players on the field after the injuries. If playing with eight (8) players, an out is recorded for the batting position of the missing player (or the two missing players if an Extra Player was being used for that game).
5. STARTING TIME: Fifteen minutes grace to field the minimum of nine (9) players. If a travel delay occurs, please call the Blueberry Snack Shack at (412) 741-6877 or the Bracket Director.
a. START of GAME: Warm-ups, five (5) minutes to the home and away team, time permitting.
b. BETWEEN INNINGS WARM-UPS: Six (6) pitches maximum.
6. UNIFORMS: Players must be in baseball uniforms. Metal cleats are permitted.
7. PITCHING: Maximum of ten (10) innings for the first three games of bracket play and an additional seven innings during the playoff rounds. Seven (7) innings maximum per calendar day.
a. One pitch constitutes an inning pitched for the purpose of this rule.
b. Once a pitcher is replaced as a pitcher, he cannot pitch again in that game.
c. If a pitcher pitches in four or more innings on the same calendar day, he is ineligible to pitch in the next game.
d. HIT BATSMAN: 3 per game and the pitcher must be removed from the pitcher position.
e. Balks will be called.
f. A pitcher must be removed if a coach takes more than one (1) trip to the mound in an inning.
8. ROSTER OPTIONS: One of two options must be declared by the manager before each game, and this option must remain in force for the entire game.
a. 9 players: Team plays with only the traditional nine players. Starters may be replaced and re-enter the game one time, in the SAME POSITION IN THE BATTING ORDER. Replacements may not re-enter the game once removed.
b. Extra Player (EP): Team has the option of using ten players, which will include the EP. The EP will be considered a position player and can be moved to various positions as you would any other player considered in the game.
9. In-field Fly Rule: In effect.
10. No Slash Bunting: Batter will be called OUT. Runners will return to the base they were on prior to that pitch. The defensive team has the option to waive this call (example player hits into a double play).
11. SLIDING: Must slide or avoid contact rule is in effect. If a player does not slide, any contact, other than incidental contact, will result in an "out" call. Players are advised to slide in order to avoid this consequence.
12. UMPIRE CALLS: You may NOT review or appeal a judgment call. Any rule questions will be resolved prior to the game restarting. Only the MANAGER can review or appeal a call.
a. PROTEST: Solved immediately on the field by the umpires and the Bracket Director if necessary. Managers are the only individuals who may dispute a call by an umpire. They must object utilizing an appropriate tone and appropriate words.
b. Managers may not object to any ball or strike calls.
c. If the manager objects to a field call, he must be able to cite to a particular Tournament Rule or the Pony League (Baseball) Rule Book. No judgment calls may be challenged.
13. RUNS: The ten (10) run surrender rule applies after the fifth defensive inning.
14. SHORTENED GAMES: During divisional play, any game suspended (by weather, curfew, or 10-run-rule) after the losing team has batted five (5) complete innings is a complete game. If the game is not a complete game, it will be resumed at the exact point of interruption.
a. On a weeknight, no inning of the first game may start after 8:00pm, and no inning of the second game may start after 10:15pm. The late game limit also applies to the weekend games.
b. During the playoff round, all games will be played a full seven innings, except in the case where the 10-run-rule comes into play.
c. Only the Umpires and the Bracket Director can call a game.
15. SPEED UP RULE. A courtesy runner may be allowed for the catcher only (of the previous inning) once there are two (2) outs in the respective half inning. Runner must be a player NOT IN THE GAME AS OF THE PREVIOUS INNING. This will be permitted one time per inning. Use of this option does not affect either the catcher or runner's eligibility.
16. FAN BEHAVIOR: Managers are responsible for their fans' and coaches' behavior. Any player, manager or coach ejected in a game will not be permitted on the playing field for the next game.
17. TOURNAMENT FORMAT: First round will consist of 4-team divisions with round-robin play. Four teams will advance from the first round to the championship round. For 8 team brackets, the top two teams from each four-team division advance (chosen using tiebreakers within that division). Top seed in first division plays second seed in second division and vice versa. Winners play for 1st (no consolation game). For 12 team brackets, the top team in each division advances (chosen using tiebreakers within that division, if necessary) and then one wild-card team is chosen either if it alone has the best remaining record or using tiebreakers among all teams from both divisions that are tied with that record. Wild-card team is seeded 4th, seeding among division winners determined by overall record and then tiebreakers.
18. TIE BREAKERS:
a. Head-to-head
b. Fewest runs allowed for all games
c. Fewest runs allowed in games between all tied teams
d. Coin flip
i. if at any step the number of teams remaining tied is the same as the number of teams to select for advancement, those advance and coin flip used to determine which has higher seed
ii. if at any step the number of teams remaining tied is more than the number of teams to select for advancement, continue with the next tiebreaker for only the teams remaining tied after the previous tiebreaker
iii. if at any step one team wins, advance that team (giving it the highest remaining seed) and if necessary start again from tiebreaker 1 to select another team from the remaining teams
EXAMPLE
A, B, C all tied at 2-1, D lost all games.
A beat B 7-5, B beat C 6-4, C beat A 5-4.
A and B both beat D 10-1, C beat D 16-2.
A allowed 11
B allowed 12
C allowed 12
A advances on tiebreaker #2. If needed, B then advances on tiebreaker #1
EXAMPLE
A, B, C all tied at 2-1, D lost all games.
A beat B 7-6, B beat C 6-4, C beat A 5-4.
A and B both beat D 10-1, C beat D 16-2.
A allowed 12 (11 against tied teams)
B allowed 12 (11 against tied teams)
C allowed 12 (10 against tied teams)
C advances on tiebreaker #3. If needed, A then advances on tiebreaker #1.
EXAMPLE
A, B, C all tied at 2-1, D lost all games.
A beat B 7-5, B beat C 6-3, C beat A 5-4.
A and B both beat D 10-1, C beat D 16-2.
A allowed 11
B allowed 11
C allowed 12
If two teams are to advance, A and B both advance on tiebreaker #2.
If only one team is to advance, flip coin between A and B (even though C would have won tiebreaker #3 since it lost tiebreaker #2)
I.F.P.A.A. ASSUMES NO RESPONSIBILITY
FOR INJURIES, DAMAGED OR LOST PROPERTY.