GRAND SLAM TOURNAMENTS RULES

BATTING ORDER: You have 4-choices for your lineup:  (1) Bat 9-straight, (2) Bat 9 with DH, (3) Bat 10/Play 9 with EH or (4) Bat the entire lineup (Continuous batting order with FREE Defensive Substitutions applies).  A team must start the game with at least 9-players but can finish a game with 8-players.  THE LINEUP IS NOT COLLAPSIBLE.  If you do not have an eligible substitute to replace a player that is injured, ejected or cannot bat for any reason, it is an AUTOMATIC OUT when that players turn comes up in the batting order.  The official Grand Slam lineup card must reflect the option chosen and ALL eligible subsitutes MUST BE LISTED.

COURTESEY RUNNERS: For the Pitcher AND Catcher ONCE they FIRST reach base!  A courtesy runner will not be allowed if a pitch has been made to the next better.  The courtesy runner MUST BE A LEGAL SUB currently NOT IN THE GAME which includes STARTERS that have been substituted for but are eligible for re-entry. IF you are batting your entire roster, the courtesy runner MUST BE THE LAST BATTED OUT!  If a team only has one substitute or only 1-out has been recorded, the courtsey runner will revert back to the last batted out if the substitute is on base or the last batter in the lineup if the last batted out is on base

MERCY RULE FOR ALL AGE DIVISIONS: 15 runs after 3 innings, 10 runs after 4 innings, 8 runs after 5 innings. Run Rule remains in effect in ALLGames, including CHAMPIONSHIP GAME!

HEAD FIRST SLIDE: Head First slide is NOT allowed in 12-U age divisions when the player is wearing a helmet with a face guard; C-flap or chin strap. This is a safety measure. Players NOT wearing this type of helmet may slide head first.

FAKE BUNT/SWING RULE: A Fake Bunt and then Swing in age divisions 9-U through 13-U is NOT ALLOWED! Penalty for a fake bunt and then swing will result in an OUT!  No contact with the ball is required for an out to be called.

HOME TEAM DETERMINATION: Home team is determined by flip of the coin at the home plate meeting. For Elimination games, the home team will be the HIGHEST SEEDED TEAM! The home team will furnish the official scorekeeper and the visiting team will furnish the scoreboard operator. A FREE SCOREKEEPERS PASS is given to each TEAM! NO game will start until there is an official book and scoreboard operator.

PROTESTS: There will be a $300.00 fee payable in cash for any protest. You can ONLY Protest a RULE INTERPRETATION!  Game time will not stop unless a formal protest is made to the Homeplate Umpire.

UNIFORMS:  Uniforms of all team members should be of the same color and style.  NO duplicate jersey numbers allowed.  If in the umpires judgement he deems the players dress to be inappropriate, the player can be removed from the game until he conforms with the requirements set forth.

BAT RESTRICTIONS:  Beginning January 1, 2012, all bats not made of a single piece of wood shall meet the Batted Ball Coefficient of Restitution (BBCOR) performance standard and such bats shall be labeled with a silkscreen or other permanent certification mark.  The certification mark shall be rectangular, a minimum of a half-inch on each side and located on the barrel of the bat in any contrasting color.  Aluminum and composite bats whall be labeled as approved tamper evident and be marked as to being aluminum or composite.  This marking shall be silkscreen or other permanent cerficiation mark, a minimum of one-half inch on each side and located on the barrel of the bat in any contrasting color (NFHS Rule 1-3-2-3).  An aluminum or composite bat meeting the BBCOR standards is legal immediately.  The NFHS has banned hollow composite bats unless they meet the Ball Exit-Speed Ratio (BESR) and the Accelerated Break In (ABI) test protocal.  The performance of some composite bats can change with use.  The ABI protocal is intended to confirm that the performance of such bats does not improve and exceed the BESR ball exit speed limit with use. 

To help simplify:

13u and Younger: All bats must be stamped BPF 1.15. Must be a baseball bat – no restriction on weight or length as long as bat has “BPF 1.15” stamp.
14u: -5 or -3 weight/length ratio. All -5 bats must be stamped BPF 1.15. All -3 bats must be stamped BBCOR.
15u and Older: -3 weight/length ratio only. All bats must be stamped BBCOR.

Bat rules apply to the age division you are playing in (not the age of the player or team).

If someone knowingly uses an illegal bat, the illegal bat has to be discovered before the next pitch to a batter of either team.  If the bat is deemed illegal by the umpire, UIC and/or Tournament Director, the defensive coach has the choice of either the batter being called out and then everyone returns to base at the TOP or take the play.  In addtion, BOTH the HEAD COACH and the PLAYER who used the illegal bat will be EJECTED from the game in progress.

A list of approved BESR-ABI bats for the 2011 season can be found at the following link:  http://www.nfhs.org/content.aspx?id=4155

CONDUCT: Team coaches & managers are responsible for the conduct of parents, players and other team spectators. Use of profanity will not be tolerated. If any manager or head coach is thrown out of any game by the umpire, that manager WILL NOT be eligible to coach/manage in his/her team's next scheduled game. The Tournament Director can override this rule by letting the manager coach in his/her next game if he so chooses. NO ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES ALLOWED.

GAME LENGTH: 8-U-12-U = 6 innings or 1:40; 13-U-18-U= 7 innings or 1:50; NO DROP DEAD TIME LIMIT! No game will be played out after time limit or inning limit. In elimination play, games have to be played out until there is a winner! When time limit is up & home team is batting & home team is ahead, the game is over regardless of score! We will NOT complete the inning. The Final score is the score at the end of the time limit! Umpires will keep official time. NO Time Limit in Championship Games!

BASEBALLS: Each team must provide (2) two new baseballs per game. Each team is responsible for shagging foul balls.

TIE BREAKERS: Games can end in a tie in EVERY GAME except ELIMINATION GAMES! In Elimination games, IF the game is still tied after regulation play (ALL 6 or 7-innings completed) AND the time limit has expired, ONE more regulation inning will be played. IF the game is still tied after this inning is played, the International Tie-breaker will be put into effect. IF we have not played all 6 or 7-innings AND time has expired, we will play ONE more regulation inning prior to the International Tie-breaker being put into effect. The Last player to have an official at-bat in the previous inning will go to 2nd base to start the next inning.

SEEDING: Tiebreakers for determining seeding will be as follows >> 1) Head-to-Head (IF Applicable); 2) Least Runs Allowed; 3) Run Differential (7-Run MAX); 4) Most Runs Scored (10-Runs MAX) and 5) Coin Toss! In the event of a 3 or more way tie, we will determine the Highest Seed using the aforementioned tiebreakers and after we eliminate the team that gave up the MOST RUNS, we will then revert back to the FIRST tiebreaker and go from there IF POSSIBLE. This will allow us to use Head-to-Head as a tie-breaker once we get down to 2 or 3 teams.

OFFICIAL GAME: If a game is called because of rain or other acts of God and cannot be resumed; it is an official game if FOUR INNINGS have been completed in a 6-inning game OR if the HOME team is ahead in the bottom of the 4th inning. It is an official game if FIVE INNINGS have been completed in a 7-inning game OR if the HOME team is ahead in the bottom of the 5th inning. If the game is called prior to this point, the score shall be the same as it was at the end of the last COMPLETED INNING.

*** YOU MUST HAVE PROOF OF INSURANCE in order to play in a GRAND SLAM TOURNAMENT!

+ EVERY team that participates in a Grand Slam Event must go to our website at http://www.grandslamtournaments.com and register your team creating a unique team name, login and password. Once you do this you will be able to create a roster online. This online roster MUST BE CREATED prior to your participation in a Grand Slam Tournament. Copies of each player’s birth certificate that is listed on your roster must also be turned in to a Grand Slam staff member at team registration on the day of the event you are playing in. These copies of birth certificates will remain on file with Grand Slam for the entire season.

+ Once a team qualifies for a Grand Slam World Series, regardless of whether they accept the berth or not, their on-line roster is FROZEN.  This rule is in effect to keep teams participating in the World Series from “loading up” their roster once they see what type of competition they will face. Grand Slam reserves the right to override this rule if it is in our opinion that the spirit of the rule is not being adhered to.

+ A team may ADD up to FIVE additional (5) players to this roster at any time up to 30-days prior to the World Series.

+ A team may REPLACE up to FOUR (4) players to this roster at any time up to 15-days prior to the World Series.

+ Roster limits are 24-players.

+ Once a player is FROZEN on a team’s roster, that player may NOT be listed on another team’s roster or be eligible to play for another team in a Grand Slam Event IN THE SAME AGE DIVISION unless the manger from the original team RELEASES that player. This must be done in writing to Grand Slam Tournaments. Grand Slam reserves the right to override this rule if it is in our opinion that the spirit of the rule is not being adhered to.

+ A player may become a “PICK-UP” player for another team, other than his original team, IF the player’s original team is not participating in the same event that the team he has “PICKED UP” with. IF this team qualifies for the World Series, this player MAY NOT be included on this team’s FROZEN ROSTER unless the player’s ORIGINAL team releases him.

+ A player who is FROZEN on a team’s roster does NOT have to be released IF this player goes to play for another team in another age division, provided he/she is eligible to play in another age division.

+ A player may NOT play on TWO different teams in TWO different age divisions in the SAME tournament, regardless of whether they are "playing up" or not.

EVENT REFUND POLICY

1. If a tournament is completely cancelled due to weather or other Acts of God, each team will be refunded their FULL entry fee.

4. If a team completes their SECOND GAME and the tournament is completed cancelled due to weather or other Acts of God their will be NO refund.

5. If a team drops out prior to 7-days from the official start of the tournament, the team will be refunded their entry fee MINUS a $100 administrative fee.

6. If a team drops out of an event LESS than 7-days from the official start of the tournament, the team will receive NO REFUND.

1. A Ball must go 20-feet in front of home plate to be fair. A FAIR BALL Arc will be drawn on the field!

2. Infielders must stay behind the SAFETY ARC until the ball is hit. This line is 30-feet from the 1st base to the 3rd base line in front of home plate.

3. A base runner is out for leaving the base before the ball is hit or reaches home plate. Stealing is NOT allowed.

4. 10-Players will play in the field with 4-outfielders. The 4th outfielder may NOT assume an infield position. All outfielders must stay BEHIND the base line.

5. The batting order shall constitute ALL players on the team roster at the beginning of the game. Late arrivals shall be inserted as the last batter. ALL players on the roster shall bat before returning to the top of the order.

6. A MAXIMUM of 7-runs per inning or 3-outs, INCLUDING the last inning. There is NO OPEN INNING.

7. FREE substitution on defense. Batting order must remain the same.

8. NO bunting!

9. Defensive coaches are NOT allowed on the field of play and must coach from the dugout!

10. Umpires will call time after EVERY PLAY and declare the ball dead. Time should be called as soon as the lead runner is not attempting to advance. Time does NOT have to be called by the participants.

11. A player can only be intentionally walked one time per game.

12. Infield fly rules do NOT apply.

13. A batter shall receive a MAXIMUM of 6-pitches or three swinging strikes. A player fouling the ball off on the 6th or subsequent pitches can continue their at-bat until they take a pitch, swing and miss or hit the ball.

14. The Coach who is pitching MUST HAVE BOTH FEET in the PITCHERS CIRCLE when pitching.

15. Courtesy runner for the catcher ONLY! Must be the player that made the last out. IF no outs have been recorded the courtesy will be the previous batter NOT on base.

16. When a batted ball hits the Pitching Coach, the following rules shall apply: A) If in the umpire’s judgment, the coach did not make a legitimate attempt to avoid contact, the batter is declared out and no runners shall advance. The ball becomes dead and no pitch is declared.