2024 TOURNAMENT RULES
2024 IPS/NAGAAA database player ratings are to be used and will be verified prior to the tournament.
Teams will be allowed a maximum of three players who are not in the IPS/NAGAAA database.
We use USA Softball (ASA) rules unless otherwise noted.
GAME RULES:
Game time is forfeit time - if not ready to play when called, your team may be forced to forfeit.
To start a game, a minimum of 9 players on a team is required. If you have fewer than 9 players, you will be required to forfeit the game. If you have exactly 9 players, your line-up card must include a 10th batter slot, which will be an automatic out each time it comes up. If an eligible 10th player becomes available during the course of the game, that player can take the empty batter slot during the game.
Uniforms are not mandatory, but similar colored/style shirts are “preferred” with a number on the back.
Pitch Travel: The ball must be delivered with a perceptible arc and reach a height of at least 6 feet from the ground, while not exceeding a maximum height of 12 feet from the ground.
Starting Count: All batters will start with a 1-1 count throughout the tournament (1 courtesy foul with two strikes).
Stealing: There is no stealing allowed.
Run rule in effect as follows:
20 runs after 3 innings,
15 runs after 4 innings,
10 runs after 5 innings
Two (2) extra players (designated hitters) are allowed in the batting line-up.
Courtesy Runners: each team may utilize 1 courtesy runner per inning (including during international rules); runner can be any starter or substitute.
Home run (over the fence) limits are as follows:
Upper Division:
A vs A: 5 homeruns per team per game; every additional home run will end the inning
A vs B or B vs B Games: 3 homeruns per team per game; every additional home run will end the inning.
C Division: 1 homerun per team per game; every additional home run will end the inning.
D Division: no homeruns are allowed; all home runs will end the inning.
E Division: no homeruns are allowed; all home runs will end the inning.
Any player ejected from a game is ineligible to play in at least their team’s next game.
ROUND ROBIN PLAY:
Games are drop dead at 50 minutes – incomplete innings will not be completed. The team ahead in the score when time expires will be declared the winner.
Tie games are allowed in round robin play.
A coin flip will determine the home team.
TOURNAMENT BRACKET PLAY:
Tournament bracket play games have a 50-minute time limit (no drop dead so will complete the inning). Championship game(s) will have no time limit.
Tie Games: In tie games after time has expired or 7 innings have been completed, each team will start the inning with a runner (last batter of the previous inning) on second (International Tie-Breaker Rule). Teams may use their 1 courtesy runner to replace the last batter of the previous inning on second base without using a substitute.
Teams with the higher seed will be the home team until the championship game. For the championship game, the winner’s bracket champion will be designated the home team; during “if necessary” championship game, coin flip will determine home team.
PROTEST RULES:
Committee
All protests will be reviewed and voted on by a committee comprised of a selection of KSL officers, team coaches/managers, and/or umpires deemed eligible by the tournament directors.
Filing the protest
Protest may only be submitted by a team’s coach/manager. The protest must be submitted to the umpire before the last out of the game. The fee must be paid to the tournament committee (or proxy) prior to the completion of the game, within reason, or the protest will be void. The game will continue as normal.
Protest Fee
There is a $100 fee to lodge a protest, plus $50 per question per player that is up for challenge. The $100 protest fee is returned if any of the protested questions are upheld. The per question fee is returned for any of the questions that are upheld. The protest in question will only impact the game of the protest; however, books or other evidence may be used from any prior games.
Payment
The fee must be paid in cash or online.
Protest Requirement
The protesting team must identify specific questions that the player being protested can perform but are not reflected in their player rating. The protesting team should provide evidence to back up their protest (ie. scorebook or video). Scorebooks and evidence from other games may be considered during a protest. Game umpires may also be called in and questioned during the protest.
Result #1: If a question(s) is(are) successfully protested, but the player’s revised individual rating does not exceed the player limit for that division and their revised team rating is still at or below the composite divisional limit, then the team and the player will both be allowed to continue, and the protested game’s final result will stand. <Exception- if the addition of the question results in the player being ineligible for play in that division...example: E player receives question 3 on protest...result #2 will apply>
Result #2: If a question(s) is (are) successfully protested and that player’s revised rating exceeds the limit for that division, but the team’s revised composite rating (when including the protest player(s)) is still at or below the divisional limit, that player will not be allowed to continue to play, but the team can continue playing. The protested team will be assessed a loss for that game only, but no further sanctions will be imposed on the team.
Result #3: If a question(s) is (are) successfully protested and the player’s or players’ revised rating(s) causes their team’s rating to exceed the limit for their division, that team will be assessed a loss and will be disqualified from the tournament.
Penalties for Numerous Rating Violation
If a team has three (3) or more protest ratings questions upheld, either from one (1) protest or multiple protests, the protested team will forfeit the last protested game and the opponent is declared the winner. Additionally, the protested team is eliminated from the current tournament, the protested player(s)’ and team’s NAGAAA league commissioner is notified, and tournament fee will not be refunded.
Voting Process and Procedure
The tournament will follow the spirit of the process for protests laid out in the NAGAAA Governing Manual (Section 50.23 Protest Hearing Process) unless otherwise specified. Each protest committee member will get one vote per question protested. Members can vote yes, no, or abstain. A simple majority vote is needed for a protest to be successful. Only yes and no votes will count towards total. Abstaining votes will NOT be counted towards the total. Ties will be broken by the tournament directors.
Trophy Rounds
NO protests will be allowed during the trophy rounds. Trophy rounds shall be defined as the following:
- Winners Bracket Final
- Losers Bracket Final (3rd Place Game)
- Championship Game
- Championship If-Game
Reporting of Protest
If any player and/or team is successfully protested during the tournament, the protest and the results will be reported to the NAGAAA Ethics Committee and respective NAGAAA board members as well as the league Commissioner of the team and/or Member City Associations that could potentially be impacted by the result.