LITTLE LEAGUE MINOR HOUSE LEAGUE TOURNAMENT RULES
1. Every team is guaranteed 3 games
2. Games are up to 4 innings if time permits. No new inning can be started after 1hr 20, hard cap at 1 hr 40. If the inning has not finished at that time, score will revert back to the last complete inning unless the home team is at bat and has tied or gone ahead during the inning. Round robin games can end in ties. If the score is tied in a playoff or finals game, the extra inning will begin with the last out on second base (international tie breaker rules).
3. If in the bottom half or the last inning of a game, the home team is winning, then the hoe team will not take their last at bat.
4. Mercy rule is in effect. 5 run max per inning for all games. If after 3 complete innings in round robin a team is up by 10 runs or more, mercy rule will be applied, and the game will end. In the final games, the last inning will be unlimited.
5. Pitching:
a. Maximum 2 innings per game per player.
b. A maximum of 5 innings in ONE day for any given pitcher
c. One pitch in an inning counts as an inning pitched.
d. Once a pitcher has been removed from a game they cannot be re-inserted as a pitcher in the same game.
- A pitcher must be removed from the game if he/she hits 3 batters in an inning or 4 batters in a game.
- All players present at the game are to be listed in the batting order and must bat in turn. Late arriving players must be added to the bottom of the order. Players may only play on one team in the tournament. They must e registered with little league in the minor age or may be called up from the rookie age group. This is only allowed if the team has 9 or less players.
- The last recorded out can be used as a pinch runner for the catcher if they are on base or reaches base safely with 2 outs.
- A team may field with a min of 8 players. We will play with 9 players in the field. There is not an automatic out for the 9th player. Less than 8 players result in a game forfeiture. If during the game, an injury or ejection causes a team to field less than 8 players, this will result in forfeiture regardless of the score or point in the game. Forfeit games will be recorded as a 10-0 loss.
- Unlimited defensive re-entry and substitution is permitted except for the pitcher.
- Two adult base coaches are permitted or a registered team player wearing a helmet.
- The umpire’s decision is final. Abuse of umpires will not be tolerated and will result with removal from the park. Any belligerent parent or fan will be warned then on the second offence the coach of the team involved will be ejected from the game. A third offence will result in forfeiture of the game.
- If there are two umpires under the age of 18 doing the game, the home team must appoint a game coordinator to oversee the game.
- The tournament director or league president will handle tournament decisions and decisions are final.
- Home team for round robin will be determined by a coin toss. Semi finals and finals are determined by standings.
- Infield fly rule is NOT in effect
- If there is a play at home, players must slide. Avoidable collisions at home will not be tolerated and the base runner will be called out.
- There is no head first slides but diving back to a base is acceptable
- Dropped third strike is NOT in effect
- A runner can advance home on a throw to a base from the pitcher (attempt at making a play at a base)
- There is no “leading off” and base runners may not leave the base until the ball crosses the home plate.
22. Base runners may not advance on a passed ball thrown back to the pitcher by the catcher.
23. On deck batters are not permitted, except for the first batter between innings and the start of the game.
24. Coaches will not smoke during the game. Proper attire will be worn including closed toed shoes.
25. Bats MUST have the appropriate USA baseball stamp or be a wood bat.
26. Balls will be provided by the tournament.
27. Standings in each division will be decided as follows: 1) 2 points for a win. 2) 1 point for a tie. 3) 0 points for a loss.
Ties in the standings will be broken as follows:
Head-to-Head (unless a 3-way tie - in which case go to #2)
Least total runs against
Ratio - total runs for / (total runs for + total runs against)
Coin toss
SCORES FROM EACH GAME MUST BE TEXTED IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE GAME BY BOTH COACHES FOR VERIFICATION. TEXT GAME SCORES TO THE TOURNAMENT DIRECTOR.