OAK CREEK JUNIOR KNIGHTS – 2015TOURNAMENTRULES - SOFTBALL

Unless otherwise noted, all Oak Creek Junior KnightsSoftball Tournaments will be governed by the Amateur Softball Associationrules. The Following exceptionsto Amateur Softball Associationrules apply:

  • Game time: is forfeit time, unless the delay is caused by the tournament. Game time starts after the umpires meeting
  • Championship Game: in each age division will have no time limit. Run rules remains in effect
  • Home team: Teams will follow the schedule for pool play home & away. Higher seed will be home team in Sunday’s bracket play. Championship gameswill be determined by coin flip. The umpires do not need to be present for the coin flip.
  • Infield warm-up: There will be no pre-game practice allowed on the game infield. Teams may use the outfield or any non-tournament field and grass areas between fields (if available) to warm-up prior to games.
  • Softballs: the tournament provides all game balls. The umpires will bring the balls to the field with them
  • Each team is responsible to retrieve and return all foul balls on their side of the field to the home plate umpire. In order to keep the games moving, on deck batters must retrieve all foul balls that go back to the screen(stay away from live or passed balls if there are base runners).
  • Cleats: No metal cleats are allowed.
  • Protests:permitted at time of incident only, with $100.00 to be posted. Game will not continue under protest. Protest committee will rule immediately on all protests. If the protest is not upheld, the $100.00 fee will be forfeited. Roster challenges will be treated as a protest.
  • Pitching Restrictions:There is no limit on the number of innings or number of pitches a pitcher can pitch.
  • Batting Order: All teams will bat their entire order (continuous) with free defensive substitutions.
  • Player Injuries & Missing an At Bat: If a player is removed from the field due to an “obvious” injury, the last out will be used as the base runner and any player on the bench can be used if the injured player was on defense. If an injured player or “any” player does not bat their turn in the lineup, an out will be recorded the first time only and that player cannot re-enter the game or bat again. By “obvious”, there was a collision or the player tripped or miss-stepped in view of the umpires and both teams. No sudden stomach aches, etc. to get a faster runner on the bases.
  • Courtesy Runners: Courtesy runner is allowed for the catcher of record (prior inning catcher) when the catcher is on base with two outs. Courtesy runner will be the last out.
  • Ejections: These penalties are for “ordinary” ejections. The tournament committee reserves the right to hand out stiffer penalties for extraordinary circumstances i.e. fighting, contact with umpire, etc.
    o Any player or coach ejected from a game will automatically be suspended for the next game.
    o Any player or coach ejected from a second game shall be suspended for the remainder of the tournament.
  • Adverse weather or rain:OCJK Tournaments may be played in adverse weatherconditions. The tournament director reserves the right to change the tournament format as he sees fit in order to complete the tournament in the scheduled time period.
  • In the event that a game is stopped because of weather or other reason, the following applies:

1.Before becoming a regulation game, it is declared a suspended game and shall be resumed at the exact point of suspension and played to completion (time limit and tiebreaker rules apply).

2.After a game has become a regulation game (trailing team finished their half of the 4th inning), it shall be ruled a complete game.

  • The Tournament Director has the authority to cancel or not complete any pool play game that has no bearing on advancement to Sunday’s Single Elimination Bracket play.
  • Forfeits: If a team forfeits a game during pool play, they will not be eligible for bracket play.
  • Base Stealing & Lead Offs:

The 10U,12U, & 14Usoftballtournamentswill have leads and steals permitted upon release of the ball by the pitcher.

  • Dropped 3rd Strike: There is no advancement for the batter on dropped third strikes in the 10USoftball Tournament.

Time Limit: Defined as no new inning may start after the time limit expires. Should an inning begin before the end of the time period and carry beyond the time limit, the inning will be played in its entirety. Time starts after the umpires meeting. An inning starts when the 3rd out is made in the bottom half of the previous inning. There is no time limit for the championship game but the run rules still apply.

Extra Innings:For all “pool play” games, if a game is tied after 6 innings or after the time limit has expired, the game will be official as a tie.

For all “bracket” games, if a game is tied after 6 innings or after the time limit has expired, each additional new inning will be played using the “International Tie Breaker”. At the start of each half inning, the last out from the previous inning will be inserted as a base runner on 2nd base with 1 out.

OCJK SOFTBALL TOURNAMENT –SPECIFIC AGE RULES:

Level / Pitching / Bases / Bat / Stealing & Leading off / Time Limit: No New Inning After / Defensive Players
10U / 35’ / 60’ / 2 ¼ / Upon release of ball by pitcher. No drop 3rd strike. / 1 hour
15 minutes
6 innings / 9
12U / 40’ / 60’ / 2 ¼ / Upon release of ball by pitcher. Drop 3rd strike in effect. / 1 hour
15 minutes
6 innings / 9
14U / 43’ / 60’ / 2 ¼ / Upon release of ball by pitcher. Drop 3rd strike in effect / 1 hour
15 minutes
6 innings / 9

OCJK TIEBREAKER PROCESS:

Unless otherwise noted in the Tournament Schedule/Bracket, all ties after “pool play” shall be settled as follows: In Order

1.Head to Head competition (between teams tied, 2 teams or more).

2.Lowest average runs allowed per inning in pool play (runs allowed divided by defensive innings played)

3.Highest average runs scored per inning in pool play (runs scored divided by offensive innings played)

4.Lowest total runs allowed

5.Highest total runs scored

6.Coin Flip

The OCJK Tournament Director(s) shall have final decision on all tournament questions.

The OCJK Tournament Committee’s interpretation of the aforementioned rules and regulations shall be final.

 The OCJK Tournament Committee reserves the right to decide all tournament matters.