RISING STARS BASEBALL TOURNAMENT PLAYING RULES FOR 10 & UNDER 2015 All rules follow the National Federation of High School Rules with the following additions: 1. Base paths are 60’ with a pitching rubber of 45’. 2. Any player turning 11 before May 1, 2015 is ineligible. Please be prepared to provide proof of age. 3. Ten (10) players on the field (4 outfielders). 4. Infield fly rule will apply. 5. Player limit is 18. Your roster may be changed with the Tournament Director before your first game. After the first pitch of your first game, your roster is frozen. 6. All batters, runners, and bat boys must wear helmets with ear flaps. 7. USSSA bat rules apply and no bat barrel larger than 2 5/8” is allowed. If an illegal bat is used, an immediate dead ball will result. All runners will return to their original base and batter will be called out. 8. No steel spikes are permitted. Rubber cleats are allowed 9. Games are five (5) innings in duration. No new inning may start after one hour and 5 minutes. NO EXTRA INNINGS IN POOL PLAY. Ties are ties and are part of the strategy. 10. Semifinals and championship games are six (6) innings with no time limit. 11. If your team is ahead by 10 runs at the completion of 3 innings, you are declared the winner. 12. Designated hitters are not allowed. 13. Bunting will be allowed. Once a batter squares away to bunt, he must bunt or take the pitch. If the batter takes a full swing, he will be called out. 14. A runner may steal any base except home, but must not leave the base until the ball crosses the plate. Umpires will call the runner out if he leaves the base early. The pitch is a dead ball. 15. Home is closed. 16. A batter CANNOT run on dropped third strike 17. When a base runner does not slide or attempt to get around a fielder who is attempting to make a tag with the ball or if he maliciously runs into a fielder and is not obstructed, he will be called out and removed from the game 18. Teams must bat round robin with set batting order with free substitution in the field. ROUND ROBIN MEANS: (1) All players are in the game and they are batting. Example: If a coach has 14 players at a game, all 14 bat in a set order for the whole game. (2) A coach cannot elect to bat less than the number of players he has at the game. Example: If a coach has 14 players, he cannot bat a lesser number of players. (3) During round robin, coaches cannot have one player pinch run for another player (all players are already in the game). (4) a courtesy runner is allowed for the pitcher and catcher at any time. (a) A courtesy runner must be used for the catcher when there are 2 outs. (b) During round robin, the courtesy runner will be the player who made the last out. 19. A team can start with one less player than would constitute a full lineup. The spot would be an automatic out each at bat. If another player arrives late, he/she must bat in the last position. ( e. g. 10U would start with 9 players and the 10th at bat would be an automatic out. 20. If weather interferes with play so that the game is called (ended) by the umpire, it is a complete game after 4 innings or 3 ½ innings if the home team is ahead. 21. Extra inning/tiebreaker rule (Championship/Consolation brackets only) – At the top of next inning each team will start with a runner on second base. That runner will be the last official at bat from the previous inning. This rule will remain in effect until the game is decided. If the runner gets injured, he is replaced by the player who made the last out of the last inning. 22. No player or coach shall at any time touch or abuse an umpire. At no time will abusive language or harassing be tolerated. If a player, coach or umpire uses foul language he is to be suspended immediately. 23. CHANTING BY PLAYERS, COACHES OR FANS WILL NOT BE ALLOWED OR TOLERATED. 24. Pitching Rules: a. The number of innings a player can pitch will be determined by the following chart: Age Group One Day Maximum to One Day Maximum Tournament Maximum Pitch the Next Day 10U and 12U 3 6 8 14U 3 6 9 One Pitch is Considered an Inning b. Innings will be tracked on the score sheet which is signed by both teams at the end of each game. Managers need to check in on Day 2 to verify each player’s eligibility. Violation of this rule will result in forfeiture. c. No more than four (4) warm-up pitches between innings or eight (8) after a change of pitchers. d. Ball must be returned directly to the pitcher after an out is made. e. Pitchers may walk a batter simply by advising the umpire of this fact f. Pitchers need not stretch. No balk rules. g. Once a pitcher is taken out he cannot pitch again in that game. He may play any other position. NOTE: Absolutely no carry-in coolers are allowed in the complex. Water jugs are permitted.