2008 GHLL TOURNAMENT PLAYING RULES

 

The Official Little League Baseball Playing Rules

shall govern tournament play except as noted below:

 

1. BASEBALLS: Baseballs licensed by Little League must be used.

  

2. FIELDS: All AA game fields are considered neutral. The home team shall be determined by the toss of a coin, the winner having the choice.

 

For MAJORS and AAA the Home team is decided by lowest seeded team (example: National #3 is home team over American #4) in cases where both teams have the same seed they will flip a coin.

 

3. PLAYING RULES: A copy of the Official Little League Baseball Regulations and Playing Rules and the Tournament Rules and Guidelines must be available at each tournament site and at the time the game is to be played. This is the responsibility of the Tournament Director and Managers.

 

4. PITCHING RULES –

 

a. Any player on a tournament team may pitch. (NOTE: There is no limit to the number of pitchers a team may use in a game.) Exception: A player who has attained a league age of twelve (12) is not eligible to pitch in the Minor League.  A player league age ten (10) is not eligible to pitch in the AA tournament.

 

b. The manager must remove the pitcher when said pitcher reaches the limit for his/her age group as noted below, but the pitcher may remain in the game at another position:

 

Ages 13-16     95 pitches per day

Ages 11-12     85 pitches per day

Ages   9-10     75 pitches per day

Ages   7-8       50 pitches per day

 

NOTE: A pitcher who delivers one or more pitches in a game cannot play the position of catcher for the remainder of that day.

 

Exception: If a pitcher reaches the limit imposed for his/her league age while facing a batter, the pitcher may continue to pitch until that batter reaches base or is put out.

 

Note 1. If the pitcher reaches the limit imposed on his/her last pitch to a particular batter, the pitcher must be removed before delivering a pitch to the next batter.

 

Note 2. Intentional Walk: No automatic intentional walk allowed the pitcher must throw pitches.

 

c. Pitchers league age 16 and under must adhere to the following rest requirements:

 

• If a player pitches 61 or more pitches in a day, three (3) calendar days of rest, and a game, must be observed.

• If a player pitches 41 - 60 pitches in a day, two (2) calendar days of rest, and a game, must be observed.

• If a player pitches 21 - 40 pitches in a day, one (1) calendar days of rest must be observed.

• If a player pitches 1-20 pitches in a day, no calendar days of rest must be observed.

 

 

NOTES:

1. The withdrawal of an ineligible pitcher after that pitcher is announced, or after a warm-up pitch is delivered, but before that player has pitched a ball to a batter, shall not be considered a violation. Little League officials are urged to take precautions to prevent protests. When a protest situation is imminent, the potential offender should be notified immediately.

 

2. Pitches delivered in games declared “Regulation Tie Games” or “Suspended Games” shall be charged against pitcher’s eligibility.

 

3. In suspended games resumed on another day, the pitchers of record at the time the game was halted may continue to pitch to the extent of their eligibility for that day, provided said pitcher has observed the required days of rest.

 

5. FORFEITS: No game may be forfeited or a team disqualified without the authorization of the Tournament Director.

 

6. BENCH/DUGOUT: No one except the players, manager and coaches shall occupy the bench or dugout during a game.  Base coaches:  Two adult base coaches may be used.

 

7. VISITS: A manager or coach may not leave a dugout for any reason during a game without receiving permission from an umpire. The manager or coach may be removed from the field for the remainder of the game for violation of this rule. When permission is granted the manager or coach will be permitted to go to the mound to confer with the pitcher. If the manager or coach desires, the entire infield may also be called in on the discussion.

A manager or coach who is granted a time out to talk to any defensive player will be charged with a visit to the pitcher.  A manager or coach may come out twice in one inning to visit with the pitcher, but the third time out, the player must be removed as a pitcher. The manager or coach may come out three times in a game to visit with the pitcher, but the fourth time out, the player must be removed as a pitcher. The rule applies to each pitcher who enters a game.

NOTE: Only one offensive time-out will be permitted each inning except for injury.

 

8. INJURY/ILLNESS: If a player is injured or becomes ill during a game, the player does not have to continue in the game.

 

9. MANDATORY PLAY/SUBSTITUTIONS/RE-ENTRY:  Regular Season rules will apply for the GHLL Tournament.

a.     Majors - Each player on the roster must play six (6) consecutive outs and bat at least one (1) time.

b.   AAA & AA - bat the entire roster and free substitution.  GHLL requires that all players play a minimum of 9 outs per game in the field.

 

10. SUSPENDED GAMES: Any game in which a winner cannot be determined in accordance with the playing rules shall be resumed from the exact point at which it was suspended regardless of the number of innings played.

 

EXCEPTION: In the event that the first inning is not completed, the game shall be replayed from the beginning and all records, including pitching, disregarded. Incomplete (not regulation) or tie games are considered suspended games.

 

11. TEN-RUN RULE: If at the end of a regulation game (4 innings or more) one team has a lead of ten (10) runs or more the manager of the team with the least runs shall concede the victory to the opponent. NOTE: If the visiting team has a lead of ten (10) or more runs, the home team must bat in their half of the inning.

 

12. FIVE-RUN RULE (AA ONLY): The side retires when there are three outs, or when 5 runs score, whichever comes first.  Exception: if the ball is still in play after the 5th run scores, play continues and all runs driven in by that play will score.  During the sixth inning, there will be no limit on scoring.

 

Ten-RUN RULE (AAA ONLY): The side retires when there are three outs, or when 10 runs score, whichever comes first.  Exception: if the ball is still in play after the 10th run scores, play continues and all runs driven in by that play will score.  During the sixth inning, there will be no limit on scoring.

 

13. REGULATION GAME: Each tournament game must be played to the point of being an official game:

  a. Regulation games are of four or more innings in which one team has scored more runs than the other.  

  b. Regulation games (when a winner can be determined) terminated because of weather, darkness or curfew must NOT be resumed. This does not mean games suspended or delayed by weather that may still be resumed before darkness or curfew on the same day.

 

14. GAME TIME LIMITS:  No new inning shall start after two (2) hours.  Drop Dead Rule in effect for ALL games at 2 hours 10 minutes.  Example: Visitors take the lead in their half the inning, at 2 hour 10 minute point the Home team has not finished their half of the inning, the score reverts back to the last completed inning.  If at that point it is still a tie, then you revert back to last completed inning that had a team with the lead.  If this does not break the it will be suspended at that time and rescheduled.  The game will resume at exactly the place it left off.

 

If a game must go into extra innings within the time limit, each team must start the inning with the last player making an out in the previous inning on 2nd base and play until a winner is determined given the time limits published.

 

Semi-Final and Championship games will have no time limit.

 

15. REPLAYING GAMES: No tournament game may be replayed without specific approval from the Tournament Director.

 

16. UNAUTHORIZED AGREEMENTS: No agreements shall be made between managers and/or Tournament Director and/or umpires contrary to Tournament Rules.

 

17. ALTERCATIONS: Any player, manager, coach or official who is involved in a physical or verbal altercation at the game site could be suspended or removed from tournament play by the Tournament Director an/or GHLL Board.

 

18. EJECTIONS: Any manager, coach or player ejected from a game will be suspended for the next physically played game (See Rule 4.07). Ejections shall be noted in the tournament team’s scorebook. Entry should include member’s name and date ejected and be signed by the Tournament Director.