***
Very Important, Please Read & Retain ***
Calling In Scores
After
every game is completed, the score of the game must be called into the tournament
director.
Call
the score into Tournament Directors at 207-602-8722 or 207-590-4780
Scores of
all tournament games will be published at http://www.scorebook.com/downeastclassic
Protests, Grievances, & Appeals
Any
protest, grievance, or appeal must be called into the tournament director
immediately following the completion of the game.
Call
the Tournament Directors at
Jim:
207-602-8722
Or
Michael:
207-590-4780
On Field Practice
In the event there is a significant
time between games, each team will split the remaining time up to 10 minutes
previous to the game for fielding practice.
NO batting practice on any fields. No soft toss against fences or backstops.
Feel free to use batting cages where available.
Alternate Phone Numbers:
Jim
Doran: please use 1st: 207-602-8722 /
alternate 207-282-3458
Michael
Sawyer: please use 1st: 207-590-4780 / alternate 207-284-2258
TOURNAMENT RULES
Note: any rule not specifically mentioned will be
governed by the official rules of the Men’s Senior Baseball League (MSBL)
1. UNIFORMS, HELMETS, & BASEBALLS
1a. All
teams must have full uniforms consisting of caps, numbered jerseys, baseball
pants, sanitary sox with stirrups, two in one socks, or solid colored baseball
socks. No player can play without a full
uniform.
1b. All
batters and runners must have helmets; there is no option to this rule. Catchers are also encouraged to wear a helmet
under their mask.
1c. Rawlings
MSBL baseballs will be used for the tournament.
Each team will have three baseballs available for each game. We will expect to use four baseballs per
game, two per team. Each team will be
given a dozen baseballs at registration.
1d. This is a wood bat only tournament. Only wood bats that meet major league
baseball specifications will be permitted. (NO composites).
1e. Metal
cleats are permitted.
2.
GAME LENGTH
2a. All
tournament games will be nine innings.
2b. There will be a 2 ¾ hour time
limit on 9 inning games,(2 ½ hours for 7 inning
games)except the Semi-finals and Championship games. The time
limit begins with the first pitch of the game.
No inning will start after the time limit is reached. All innings already in progress at the time
limit will be allowed to finish.
3.
TEAMS, PLAYERS, LINE-UPS
3a. All players must be a member of the
MSBL to be eligible for the tournament,
unless exception is received from national MSBL headquarters pervious to
tournament per Steve Sigler.
3b. Team rosters, including uniform numbers
must be submitted at registration. These rosters will be each teams official
roster for the tournament, no players can be added after registration.
3c. All
teams must be paid in full at the time of registration, no team failing to meet
this requirement will be allowed to play any games.
3d. All
players must have signed waver forms on file with their league.
3e. A
team manager may bat as many players as he desires, with a minimum of 10
(subject to the number of batters available if less than 10). Batters cannot be deleted or skipped over,
regardless of their batting position or when they were added during the
game.
3f. A
manager may add batters to the bottom of the lineup at any time but if a batter
is pinch-hit or run for (except under courtesy runners as outlined in Section
5), the player may not re-enter the game as a hitter but may remain in the game
as a fielder or pitcher. Each team has
hitting and defensive lineups that are independent of each other. Players may play in either lineup or both.
3g. If
a player is forced to leave a game due to injury or commitment or if a player
is ejected from a game, a reserve player, not previously entered into the game
as a hitter, must hit in the batters place.
If no reserve is present, that spot is skipped and all batters move up
accordingly, with no penalty to the affected team.
3h. A
team must have nine roster players for an official tournament game.
3i. All
players may be substituted for defensively at any time, without affecting the
players offensive status in the lineup.
If the pitcher is removed, he may re-enter to pitch only one time in the
same inning. The removed pitcher may
play any other position after being removed or no position at all.
3j. Final
tournament team rosters must have no less than 14 players.
3k. Any
player over the age of forty-five (45) is eligible to be on one roster in each
division of the tournament. No player
can be on more than one roster within the same division (meaning more than one 25+
National team, one 25+ American team or more than one
45+ team).
3l. A
player must have one plate appearance or pitch one inning to be eligible for
the playoffs.
4.
SPORTSMANSHIP
4a. There
will be no beer or alcoholic beverages permitted at the field before, during, or
after the game. The field refers to the
general playing area.
4b. The
tournament director has the right to suspend or expel any team member who
abuses league rules or who does not exhibit a sense of sportsmanship or who
plays without regard to the safety of the umpires or other players.
4c. The
umpire has sole discretion to expel any player or manager from the game.
4d. Fighting
among players or aggressive physical contact with an umpire will not be
tolerated and players expelled from the game for either violation will be
suspended from the remainder of the tournament.
4e. Players
shall not intentionally collide with any other player. In the case of a runner intentionally
colliding with a fielder, the runner will be called out, and may at the umpires
discretion be expelled from the game.
All base runners must either slide or give up their right to a base
(avoid a collision by stopping or leaving the base path) if the defensive
player (e.g. catcher) has possession of the ball, is in the act of receiving
the ball, or is about to immediately receive the ball and will be able tot make
an apparent play on the runner.
If a
defensive player is not in possession of the ball, is not in the act of
receiving the ball, or is not about to immediately receive the ball so that he
is able to record an out (apparent play…at any base), he cannot block the base
(e.g. home plate) or be in the base path so as to impede (obstruct) the base
runners right to that base. Under such
circumstances, the defensive player shall be responsible to avoid any
collision. If a collision does occur
under these circumstances the runner will always be considered safe and the
obstruction rule shall be enforced. The
defensive player may be ejected from the game (if the action is intentional, he
must be ejected), and will be suspended from the tournament if the obstruction
is judged to be flagrant.
5. COURTESY RUNNERS
5a. Players
that will need courtesy runners must have their manager notify the opposing
manager before game time. If not so
notified, the opposing manager may deny the request. Each team will be allowed the maximum of two
(2) courtesy runners per game. The
player to make the last batted out must be the courtesy runner. Once the game begins and the full compliments
of two (2) courtesy runners have not been used, only by obvious injury can an
additional courtesy runner be used. In
the event a player becomes injured during the game and the maximum number of courtesy runners (2) have already been designated,
a pinch runner must be used and no courtesy runners will be allowed. If a batter (designated as needing a courtesy
runner) opts to run or forgets to get a courtesy runner and subsequently runs,
he will loose his courtesy runner for the remaining portion of the game.
6.
PITCHERS
6a. No
pitcher while pitching may wear white or gray sleeves, nor may a pitcher wear a
batting glove or wristband while pitching.
6b. Intentional
walks will be allowed in the tournament.
6c. There
will be no regulation as to the number of innings a pitcher may pitch in the
tournament.
7.
FIELDERS
7a. Infielders
are not allowed to decoy a throw or catch.
If a decoy throw or catch is detected, all runners shall be allowed to
advance one base beyond the base held after all play stops. If the same fielder decoys twice in the same
game, the fielder shall be expelled from the game. Decoying is referred to as a false catch or
throw done in an attempt to get the player to slide unnecessarily, where no
strategic value is gained.
8.
CODE OF CONDUCT
Prohibitions
Managers and players shall conduct
themselves in a sportsmanlike manner at all times. No manager or player shall commit the
following:
1.
Lay a hand upon, shove or strike, or threaten an official. Players
and managers guilty of such conduct
shall be immediately suspended from further participation in the game, and will
be expelled from the remainder of the tournament.
2.
Refuse to abide by an officials decision. Players
and managers guilty of such conduct shall be suspended from further
participation in the game.
3.
Be guilty of objectionable demonstrations of
dissent at an officials decision. Players
and managers guilty of such conduct shall be suspended from further
participation in the game.
4.
Discuss with an official or officials the decision reached by such
official or officials, except for the manager or his designee who are
authorized to participate in such discussions. Players
guilty of such conduct shall be suspended from further participation in the game.
5.
Use unnecessarily rough tactics in the play of the game against the body
or person of an opposing player. Players
guilty of such conduct shall be immediately suspended from further
participation in the game, and will be expelled from the remainder of the
tournament.
6.
Be guilty of physical attack as an aggressor
upon any player, manager, official, or spectator, before during or after a
game.
Players guilty of such conduct shall
be immediately suspended from further participation in the game, and will be
expelled from the remainder of the tournament.
7.
Be guilty of verbal abuse of any player,
manager, official, or spectator, before during or after a game. Players
guilty of such conduct shall be suspended from further participation in the
game.
8.
Consume alcoholic beverages or illegal drugs during the game or be on
the field of play at any time in an intoxicated condition. Players
guilty of such conduct shall be suspended from further participation in the
game.
9.
No smoking on the field of play or in the dugout. Players
guilty of such conduct shall be suspended from further participation in the
game.
9.
PENALTIES
9a. Any
player that is suspended from a game for non-flagrant offenses as outlined
previously in the rules, shall be allowed to return to play in the teams next
game. A second suspension will eliminate
that player from the remainder of the tournament.
10.
GRIEVANCES, PROTESTS, & APPEALS
10a. Protest
involving normal baseball rules must be filed with umpire at time of play. No protest
will be allowed after next pitch is thrown.
10b. All
grievances, protests, or appeals must be filed with the tournament director
immediately following the completion of the game. The tournament directors ruling will be
final.
11.
SCORING & TIEBREAKERS
11a. Ties
will be allowed during the preliminary division play of round robin games
should a game be called due to a time limit.
No ties, and no time limit will be in effect
for the Semi-finals or the Championship games.
11b. During
the preliminary division play on Friday and Saturday, a win will be worth two
(2) points, and a tie will be worth one (1) point.
11c. The
tiebreakers for determining the teams that will advance to the Semi-finals and
Championship games will be as follows, and will go only as far through the list
as needed to break the tie:
1. Head to head competition (cannot break three
way tie).
2. Fewest total runs allowed in the preliminary
division games.
*(average runs per game if one team has played 4 round robin games)
3. Fewest runs allowed in any one preliminary
game.
4. Flip of a coin.
12.
AWARDS & TROPHIES
12a. Championship
and runner-up trophies will be given to each team in each division.
12b. MVP
awards will be given out in the Championship games in each division.
13.
AGE REQUIREMENTS
13a. A
player must turn twenty-five (25) by December 31 of calendar year to be eligible to play in the over 25
division.
13b. A
player must turn forty-five (45) by December 31 of calendar year to be eligible
to play in the over 45 division. Each team may have 2 players on their roster
of age 43 or 44. They may also have up to 3 players grandfathered to play in
the Tournament as long as the total number of players under 45 does not exceed
3. One of those players is eligible to pitch one round robin game.
13c. Any age
challenge must take place during ground rules with the umpires, anyone that
cannot prove their age will be ineligible for that game. If a player arrives
after game starts age challenge must take place when player is announced as
entering game. If an under age player is used both he and his coach will be
suspended for entire tournament. Any game appeared in will be forfeited.
14. PLAYOFF ELGIBILITY
14.a. One plate appearance
or one inning pitched is required to be eligible for the playoffs.
15. HOME TEAM
15.a Home team in playoffs will be higher seeded team, if the
finals are two like seeded teams the team allowing the fewest runs in the
tournament.
16. SPEED UP
RULE
16.a Every time
the catcher or pitcher gets on base with two outs, a courtesy runner is to be
used to enable the catcher to gear up and the pitcher to be ready for the next
defensive inning. The courtesy runner will be the last batted out.