BULLPEN TOURNAMENT HS (15u-18u) RULES:

Tournament Format:

Coin Flip: In Pool Play home team is determined by a coin flip. Better Seed will determine home/away during bracket play. Base umpire will announce start time on the first pitch of each game. Start time will be recorded by base umpire and relayed to Bullpen Tournaments staff. Any time discrepancies should be addressed before the end of the 1st inning.

Teams need to be prepared to play 30 minutes before their scheduled game time.

Roster Submission Required: Rosters must be submitted before the first pitch of the teams’ first game. Due to requirements from the health department, rosters must be submitted by all teams attending Bullpen Tournaments.  (You may add players during the event, but they must be added to the online roster prior to entering the player’s first game). Players cannot compete for multiple teams in the same division on the same weekend. Players can compete in multiple age groups on a given weekend (Players must be age and/or grade eligible to do this.)

• Age Restrictions: Your age is determined by the May 1st date of that year OR your high school graduation year.
  1. If the team is found with an illegal player due to incorrect report of that players age, grade, or DOB — OR has not been approved on their active online roster, that team will be KICKED OUT of the tournament and will forfeit all games with a score, 7-0.
  2. A Player is Only Eligible to play for 1 Team per AGE group per weekend.
     1. Example: A 10u eligible player can play for both a 10u team and an 11u team on a given weekend (As long as they are rostered on both teams).
  3. If the player is found legal, the coach protesting will lose their $100.00.

• SEEDING / TIE BREAKERS – Teams are seeded based on all completed games. Pool Winners will always be the better seed than a non pool winner.  From there all wild card teams will be determined based on the rules below:   (After Pool winners, pool seed will have no affect on who advances, i.e a 2-0 team who finishes 2nd in there pool will be seeded behind a 1-1 team who wins there pool.)

1. Win Percentage (ties count as 1/2 win & 1/2 loss)
2. Head to Head (does not apply with 3 or more teams tied)
3. Runs Allowed
4. Runs Scored
5. Runs Allowed in Losses
6. Runs Scored in Losses
7. Coin Flip

• Bracket Play for ABC Seeds will be determined by Pool Winners of Secondary Pools (Gold, Silver or Bronze).  They will be seeded based on all 5 games.  I.E. a 5-0 Team will be seeded higher than a 4-1 team.
  • Platinum Pool Play Extra Inning rule (or gold if division doesn’t have platinum) – If game is tied after time expires or after 7 innings this is how extra innings will be played.
  • 1st Extra Inning.
    • California Rule: Last Batted out on 2nd base, 1 out, 1-1 count to every batter.
  • 2nd Extra Inning.
    • • Texas Tie Breaker:
        • Last Batted out on 1st Base
        • Next Batted out on 2nd Base
        • Next Batted out on 3rd Base
        • 1 out, 1-1 count to every batter.

Game Play

• Coaches: Bullpen provides each team with 3 free coaches passes each weekend.  We strongly encourage that only 3 coaches be in the dugout.  We Reserve the right to limit the number of coaches in the dugout, if deemed necessary.
• Bats: (See Banned Bats)
  • 15u-18u BBCOR or Wood
    1. Illegal Bat Penalty
       1. A batter using an illegal bat is deemed illegal as soon as he steps into the box. If a player uses an illegal bat, the player will be ruled out and runners will not be allowed to advance. Runners that have advanced during that at-bat before the illegal bat was identified, and not as a result of a batted ball, shall be entitled to the base(s) they achieved.
       2. The umpire must be notified prior to the first pitch of the next batter or before all defensive players leave fair territory.
       3. If a team has three illegal bat rules infractions the Head Coach will be ejected for the rest of the tournament.
• Mercy Rules:
  • A. 15 runs after 3 innings
  • B. 10 Runs after 4 innings
  • C. 8 Runs after 5 innings
• In bracket play:
  • Run rules will remain in effect throughout bracket play including championship games. (15 after 3, 10 after 4, 8 after 5)
  • California rules will be played for all extra innings (excluding championship games)
    • (Last Batted Out) on 2nd base. 1 Out. Each batter will start with a 1-1 count.
  • Better seed is required to be the home team!
• Intentional Walks: Head Coach needs to inform the umpire of the intentional walk, no pitches will be thrown, and the hitter will be awarded first base.
• Courtesy Runner: Courtesy runner MUST BE A VALID SUB! If no legal substitute, then last batted out is valid.  The courtesy runner will never be mandatory.
  • If an incorrect courtesy runner is discovered, their will be no penalty, however the offending team must put the correct courtesy runner on base.
• Slashing: Is legal.
• Head first sliding into any base is legal.
• Balks: All balks are LIVE.
• 3rd to 1st move is ILLEGAL. A balk shall be called when a pitcher, while in contact with rubber, fakes, but does not complete a throw to first or third base.
• Number of Players: A game can start with either 8 or 9. However if a team drops to seven or less the game will be automatic forfeit. If a team starts a game with 8 players, the 9th spot in the order will be an automatic out.
• Batting Lineups: You will have three options. (Teams must turn a line-up card in to the umpire at the plate meeting)
  1. Hit 9 hitters with a DH or no DH. We will honor the High School DH Rule. (14 and under).
     1. 15u-18u will play by a modified College DH rule where the pitcher can be P/DH. (This means that once you pull the pitcher out of the game he can remain in the batting order as the DH.) (Can DH for anyone, not limited to the pitcher)
  2. Hit 10 hitters with a DH or no DH and 1 EH. EH can be used as free defensive substitute.
  3. Hit 11 hitters with a DH or no DH and 2 EH’s. EH’s can be used as free defensive substitutes.

  All Lineups will follow high school substitution rules (Substitutes are not required to be on the lineup card as long as they are on the team’s roster online). 

• Skunk in the Outfield Play (Where runner on First Creates his own base path by backing up into the outfield will not be allowed.  Runner at first must take a lead with a direct line toward 2nd base.
  • First Offense, Umpire will call time and issue an official team warning putting all players back to their starting base.
  • Second Offense, Runner will be declared out and any pitch or action by other runners will be nullified.
• USA PITCH SMART GUIDELINES: Bullpen will not police these, they are simply guidelines to take care of your pitchers arms.

  Age	Daily Max	0 Days	1 Day	2 Days	3 Days	4 Days
  7-8	50	1-20	21-35	36-50	-
  9-10	75	1-20	21-35	36-50	51-65	66+
  11-12	85	1-20	21-35	36-50	51-65	66+
  13-14	95	1-20	21-35	36-50	51-65	66+
  15-16	95	1-30	31-45	46-60	61-75	76+
  17-18	105	1-30	31-45	46-60	61-75	76+

• Ejections:
  1. If a coach is ejected,
     1. He/She will be suspended for the rest of that game and the teams next played game if determined by the tournament committee. If a coach is ejected from a game, he is ejected from the park and must exit the quad. If coach chooses to remain in park his team will be rewarded a forfeit loss determined by tournament committee.
  2. If a player is ejected,
     1. The player shall be suspended for the remainder of the game.  If team has no substitute, the player will remain in batting order and his/her team will be forced to take an out. If it is deemed to be malicious contact, or if the player performed in act with intent to injure the penalty will be determined by the tournament committee.

  Injuries: If a team has no substitutes and a player gets injured and can not continue to play, his spot in the batting order will be skipped with no penalty. Once a player’s spot in the batting order is skipped, the player is out for the remainder of the game and can not come back into play.

  Complete Games and Extra Innings:

  1. If rain or weather suspends a game.  5 (4 1/2 innings if home team is winning) innings in a 7 inning game
  2. There will be NO EXTRA Innings in Pool Play, even if time allows! (Excluding Gold Level ABC).

Forfeit Ruling: If a team forfeits a game, it will be scored 7-0.

1. Tournament Director has the ability to amend forfeit scoring
2. Forfeits cannot better the seed for the forfeiting team

Complete Games and Extra Innings:

1. 1. If rain or weather suspends a game. 4 (3 1/2 innings if home team is winning) innings could be considered a complete game in a 6 inning game. Or 5 (4 1/2 innings if home team is winning) innings in a 7 inning game
   2. There will be NO extra innings in pool play games, even if time allows.
   3. California rules will be played for all extra innings (excluding championship games)
      1. (Last Batted Out) on 2nd base. 1 Out. Each batter will start with a 1-1 count.

* Bullpen Staff has the authority to amend any of these rules due to weather or other unforeseen circumstance.

Park General Rules

• NO ANIMALS (except service animals with paper work and bib) beyond parking lots
• NO outside food and beverages.
• NO gum or seeds allowed on fields.
• NO wading, swimming, fishing, or ice skating
• NO tobacco products, illegal drugs, or chemicals of any kind.
• NO spectator coolers or containers of any size.
• NO fireworks of any kind.
• NO missile / projectile like objects.
• NO glass bottles or aluminum cans.
• NO air horns, Vuvuzelas or whistles of any kind.
• NO skateboards, roller blades, roller skates, roller shoes, etc.
• NO un-authorized field or batting cage usage – all usage must be approved in advance.
• NO un-authorized photography on diamonds while game is in play (Must be in dugout or outside the fence).
• NO un-approved pamphlets, handouts, displays, advertisements, etc.
• NO un-authorized merchandise, food, beverage, or photography sales of any kind.
• NO un-authorized vehicles, scooters, carts or the like beyond parking lots.
• NO un-authorized Personal Training
• All RV/Camper’s should park in Parking Lot C; Overnight parking is not permitted

Protests are only available for a violation or misapplication of rules, not for disagreement with an umpire’s judgement call.

You can not protest an umpire’s interpretation of a play.

You can not protest (Not limited to these items)

1. Balls and Strikes
2. Out and Safe Calls
3. Balk Calls
4. Obstruction Calls

Obstruction and interference almost always require a judgement on the part of the

umpire. Remember also that obstruction often happens “away from the ball”, and that the

umpires are trained to primarily watch the ball, so they often may not see the obstruction.

Field umpires often watch base runners for leaving before a fly ball is caught, or missing

a base while running bases, but they do this by quickly scanning the bases when there are

multiple runners, and unless something happens at the time they happen to be watching

that base, or if it is obvious, it can easily be missed. Also remember an umpire not seeing

an incident, or his judgement in deciding if there is or is not obstruction or interference,

or his judgement in where the runners would have ended up if not for the obstruction, are all judgement calls, and are not grounds for protest.

1.0 How to initiate a protest.

1.01 Stop the Game. If a pitch is thrown the protest is null and void.

1.02 Do not argue with the umpire, find a tournament director and tell him you would like to protest.

1.03 Present your $100.00 non refundable cash unless the protest is upheld.

2.0 What can you actually protest?

2.01 Illegal Players

2.02 Illegal Bats

2.03 Substitutions

Cancellation Credits:

1. If Zero Games are played 75% of entry fee will be returned as a credit for a future event run by Bullpen Tournaments.
2. If 25% of your guaranteed tournament games are played 50% of entry fee will be returned as a credit for a future event run by Bullpen Tournaments
3. If  33% of your guaranteed tournament games are played 40% of entry fee will be returned as a credit for a future event run by Bullpen Tournaments
4. If you play 2 or more of your scheduled games, that is considered a full tournament.
5. Credits are valid for 12 months from the time of the cancelled event.

Gate Fees are non refundable. Bullpen Tournaments will do everything we can to play all scheduled games.

Teams that pull out after an event is sold out will not receive any refund or credit.

Teams that pull out with 90 days of an event will not receive any refund or credit.

Teams that pull out prior to the 90 days of an event will receive a refund minus their deposit.

Credit Card Fees are non refundable.

BANNED BATS

Bullpen Tournaments in partnership with Wilson (DeMarini) has decided to allow all 2018 CF Zen drop 10 models.  We understand not all events at Grand Park are played under Bullpen rules.  Any Bullpen sanctioned event will allow these 2018 bats for use.

The list below of 2017 bats will continue to be banned from all Bullpen play: