Best in the US Team Showcase Game Rules
Best in the US Showcases and the on-site tournament director reserves the right to amend these rules at any time for specific events. NFHS rules will be enforced with the following exceptions. All teams and coaches need to review their event rules prior to the start of each tournament.
Sportsmanship:
The main requirement for all Best in the US events is that all teams, coaches, and fans show good sportsmanship on and off the baseball field. All athletes and families will comply with all tournament and facility rules. Team managers/head coaches MUST have full control of their players and parents at all times. Umpires will be treated with respect at all times.
Tournament directors and hosts have the authority to eject a player, fans or team anytime during the tournament for threatening with physical harm, physical attack, abusive language, destruction of property, or failure to pay.
The tournament committee reserves the right to eject any person from the site for unruly or unsportsmanlike behavior.
Any physical altercation between two teams before, during, or after a contest could result in the removal of both teams from the remainder of the event and future events.
Age Restrictions:
14U and Up
Your high school graduation year.
Or age, your age is determined by the May 1st date of that year
Bracket Tiebreakers:
In the event we do not have a 16 or 32 team bracket for single elimination, teams will play a first round pool with winners advancing + a certain number of losing teams (depending on event)
Losing teams advancement tiebreakers
1. Runs Allowed
2. Run Differential
3. Runs Scored
Bats:
14u - 18U
Wood Only (Unless otherwise stated)
Composite Wood bats not allowed (includes Baum Bats)
Rosters:
All Rosters Must be Provided to Best in the US within 7 Days of the Event.
No player can appear in a tournament game for more than one team, per division.
Playing a non rostered player will result in removal of the player from the tournament. If a team has multiple non rostered players, that team will be removed from the event.
Each manager is responsible for all aspects of his roster and must carry photocopies of birth certificates and/or high school transcripts to provide proof.
An illegal player may be suspended until documentation is provided or removed from the entire tournament if proven illegal.
Mercy Rules:
15 runs after 3 innings
10 Runs after 4 innings
8 Runs after 5 innings (Not Applicable for Semifinal + Championship Games)
Home/Away Determination:
Home and Away will be pre-determined by tournament operators via coin flip.
The home team will be the official book and will record game start time when announced by the umpire. All teams need to be prepared to start 15 minutes prior to their official start time.
Time limits:
Time will begin on First Pitch
Standard Time Limit is 2 Hours, but can be specific to each event so please look on event homepage.
No New Inning Begins After 1 Hour 55 Minute Mark.
Semi-Final and Championship Games do not have a time limit.
Extra Innings (Winners Bracket Games Only):
Last hitter from previous inning @ 2nd base.
The hitting team starts 1 out.
Normal substitution rules apply
Play continues until one team is ahead at the end of the inning
All consolation games are played with 2 hour time limit strictly enforced.
Championship will be played with regular extra innings.
Tournament Director has right to decide to move the game to Extra Inning Rules stated above if the games go beyond 2 extra innings
Complete Games and Extra Innings:
In the event of inclement weather, all rainout games may not be made up due to time constraints and/or field availability.
If rain or weather suspends a game in a 6 inning contest, 4 innings (3 1/2 innings if home team is winning) could be considered a complete game.
If rain or weather suspends a game in a 7 inning contest, 5 innings (4 1/2 innings if home team is winning) could be considered a complete. The host facility and tournament director will make the final decision on all complete games.
In the event of a delay, games that cannot be resumed within 1 hour will be considered an official game. The tournament director can extend the 1 hour deadline if there are extenuating circumstances - working on the fields, lightning delay, etc.
Pitching:
The MLB balk rule will be enforced and will be LIVE, not a dead ball.
3rd to 1st pickoff move is ILLEGAL.
Coaches are allowed a total of TWO (2) mound conferences per pitcher, on the third conference the pitcher must be removed.
The second conference of an inning, a pitcher must be removed.
Hitting Lineups:
All coaches/teams must turn in a lineup card to the umpire at the plate meeting prior to the start of each game.
Lineups must include player name, number and position
Substitutions are not required to be listed on the lineup card
Once the first pitch has been thrown, the number of batters must stay the same for the entire game and the lineup is locked in.
14U and Up you will have three lineup options:
Hit 9 hitters with a DH or no DH. We will honor the High School DH Rule.
Use one EH and hit 10 with or without a DH
Use one EH and XH and hit 11 with or without a DH.
14u and up 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)
Intentional Walks:
Head Coach needs to inform the umpire of the intentional walk and the hitter will be awarded 1st Base. No pitches need to be thrown.
Courtesy Runner:
Courtesy runner is optional for pitcher/catcher of record at anytime.
The courtesy runner must be a legal sub
If you are hitting a continuous lineup that last batted out will be your courtesy runner
Same player is allowed to run for the Pitcher and Catcher
If an error is made on a courtesy runner, it is a correctable error and the runner will be replaced with correct runner
The courtesy runner will never be mandatory.
Number of Players/Forfeits:
A game can start with 8 players. However, if a team drops to seven or less, the game will become an automatic forfeit. The tournament director and committee reserves the right to look at and rule on all forfeits.
If you start game with 8 the 9th place in the lineup will be an automatic out.
Tournament Director has the right to amend forfeit scoring.
Injuries:
If a team is hitting a continuous lineup or has no legal substitutions available and a player gets injured and can not continue to play, their 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.
Pre-Game Infield/Batting Practice:
No pre-game infield or batting practice on the field will be allowed during any tournaments unless noted by the tournament director.
Protests:
A protest is only available for a violation or misapplication of a rule, not for coach/fan/player disagreement with an umpire’s judgement call (ie. ball and strikes, out and safe, interference, etc). Pitching limitations are not eligible for protest. Protests must be filed and ruled on before the next pitch if during a game, or before umpires leave field if after a game. The team protesting must make cash payment of $200 at the time of protest and the protest will only be heard and ruled upon by the tournament committee. If the protest is ruled in the protesting team’s favor, the $200 will be refunded to the team.
Ejections:
Any player, coach, manager, spectator and fan that is ejected from a game shall be suspended and removed for the remainder of that game. Any individual ejected must leave the complex and exit to the parking lot.
*If a team is hitting a continuous lineup, the ejected player’s spot in the lineup will remain and his team is forced to take an out.
Any player or coach that acts maliciously or performs an act with intent to injure, the tournament committee has the final say in the penalty for that individual(s).
Tournament Director has final say in penalty for any individual that gets ejected for a second time in a tournament.
Illegal Bat Penalty:
It is the responsibility of each team's head coach to monitor bats that are in play. If a player uses an illegal bat. The umpire must be notified prior to the first pitch of the next batter or before all defensive players leave fair territory.
If the bat is found illegal, the batter will be ruled out and runners will not be allowed to advance.
Using an illegal bat is defined as stepping into the box with said illegal bat
If a team has three illegal bat rules infractions the Head Coach will be ejected for the rest of the tournament.
