Tournament Rules - Central Oregon Baseball Tournaments

Tournament Rules & Regulations

These rules are borrowed from WCP and aside from no new inning rules remain the same.

Any rules not listed on this page will defer to the Major League Baseball rule book also known as "big book rules."

Table of Contents

Age/Division Guidelines

Division Base Length Pitching Distance Leadoff? Balks Metal Cleats
9u 60' 46' No No No
10u 60' 46' No No No
11u/12u 70' 50' Yes Yes No
13u 80' 54' Yes Yes Yes
13u Gold (some games maybe on Varisty field) 90' 60'6" Yes Yes Yes
Age Determination

A player's age for any Premier Sports Tournaments events is the actual age of a child on May 1, 2025.

  • A player that turns 12 on or before May 1st would be considered 12 years old for PST play
  • A player that turns 12 anytime after May 1st would be considered 11 years old for PST play

Game Duration / Time Limits

Age Division Time Limit Innings
9u-12u 1:45 6 Innings
13u-14u 1:45 7 Innings
Important Time Rules
  • Official game time is determined at the conclusion of the plate meeting
  • A new inning starts as soon as the third out of the previous inning is recorded
  • Championship game in the top bracket will NOT have a time limit
  • All other bracket games follow the time limits listed above

Determining Home Team

Pool Play Games

The home team will be determined by a coin flip. Teams winning the flip will have the option to choose home or visitor.

Bracket Play
  • The higher seed will have the option to choose home or visitor for that contest
  • If both teams are the same seed from their respective pool, the home team will be determined by a coin flip. Teams winning the flip will have the option to choose home or visitor.
  • For the Championship games in the Top Bracket (Majors Level), ties at the end of regulation will be resolved by continuing play with standard baseball rules until a winner is determined.
  • For Championship games in the AAA/AA/A and other secondary brackets, ties at the end of regulation will be resolved using the standard tiebreaker rule, which starts with bases loaded and one out.

Mercy Rules

Run Differential Inning Completed
12 Runs 3 Innings
10 Runs 4 Innings
8 Runs 5 Innings

Tie Games & Extra Inning Rules

Pool Play Games
  • If a game is tied after regulation innings or when the time limit is reached, the game will be recorded as a tie
  • Example: A 12U game tied 2-2 at the end of 6 innings with 15 minutes remaining in the time limit will be deemed complete and recorded as a tie
Bracket Play / Extra Inning Rules
  • For all bracket games where a winner must be determined in order to advance to the next round, the game will be played until a winner is determined.
  • Each half-inning (following regulation or the time limit) will start with the bases loaded and 1 out, with the three previous batters in the batting order being placed on 3rd, 2nd, & 1st base respectively.
  • Example: If the 5th position in the batting order is due up, the player in the 4th batting position in the lineup is placed on 1B, 3rd batting position is placed on 2B, 2nd batting position is placed on 3B.
  • The Championship game in the top bracket will NOT have a time limit and will play out in traditional form (no bases loaded tie breaker).

Pitching Rules

Tournament Pitch Limits
9u - 12u Divisions
  • Maximum 85 pitches in a single day
  • Maximum 105 pitches over a 2 day period
  • Maximum 125 pitches over a 3 day period
13u Division
  • Maximum 105 pitches in a single day
  • Maximum 125 pitches over a 2 day period
  • Maximum 150 pitches over a 3 day period

Policy: If a pitcher reaches their tournament pitch limit threshold mid-batter, they must be removed immediately. Coaches should prepare for substitution as the threshold approaches. If a pitcher goes even 1 pitch over the threshold, that will be considered a pitch violation.

Daily Rest Requirements
9U - 12U Division
Pitches Thrown Rest Days Required
0-40 0 Days
41-60 1 Day
61-85 2 Days
13U Division
Pitches Thrown Rest Days Required
0-40 0 Days
41-60 1 Day
61-85 2 Days
86+ 3 Days

Once a pitcher hits their daily maximum (0-40 = 0 Days Rest/41-60 = 1 Day Rest/61-85 = 2 Days Rest) while facing a batter, they must stop immediately, even mid-at-bat.

Rest days will be determined by the final pitch count recorded after the last batter, regardless of the pitch count at the start of that batter. For example, if a pitcher begins their final batter at 37 pitches and finishes at 42, one day of rest will be required based on that final total.

Additional Pitching Rules
  • Once a pitcher is removed from the mound, he is ineligible to return to that game as a pitcher, even if he remained in the game at another defensive position.
  • Mound Visits: 1 visit per inning, 2nd visit in an inning must result in a change. No limit per game.
  • Balks: big book; balks are live balls until the conclusion of the pitch/play.
  • Third to First Move: this move is ILLEGAL; penalty is a balk
  • GameChanger will be the system of record for all pitch count protests. The site / tournament director will review GameChanger records to determine whether a pitch count violation has occurred.
Protesting Pitch Count Violations
  • All protests of pitch count violations must happen during the game, and only apply to the current pitcher. No protests will be considered once a game has concluded, or on pitchers that have already been removed from the mound.
  • Process of a pitch count protest is as follows:
    • Coach must ask for time and alert the umpires that he/she is submitting a pitch count protest. $100 cash is required for all filed protests. The cash will be refunded if the protest is deemed successful. For all denied protests, the $100 is non-refundable.
    • Umpires will contact the site / tournament director and alert them of the protest.
    • If it is determined that a pitch count violation has occurred, the pitcher must IMMEDIATELY be replaced on the mound. The pitcher and head coach will be ejected from the game, and the head coach will also be suspended for the team's next game.
Pitch Count Tracking
  • If the team being questioned does NOT use GameChanger, the site / tournament director will use their opponent's GameChanger data to determine whether a violation has occurred.
  • If neither team has a GameChanger account, the pitch count protest will not be upheld.
  • Each team is STRONGLY ENCOURAGED to keep the welfare of their players at the forefront of all pitching decisions.

Bat Restrictions

Age Group GSL Tournaments WCP Tournaments
9U-13U BPF 1.15, USABat, or BBCOR BPF 1.15, USABat, or BBCOR
14U Division BBCOR BBCOR

Lineup & Substitution Rules

Lineup Options
  • Teams may choose one of the following lineup options:
    • 9 Players: Standard lineup with substitution rules applied
    • 10 Players: Using an Extra Hitter (EH), which is considered the 10th defensive position
    • Entire Roster: All players may be listed in the batting lineup
  • Teams must declare their lineup option before the start of the game
  • Teams can use a Designated Hitter (DH) when batting 9 or 10 players
Substitution Rules
  • Free defensive substitutions: Allowed throughout the game
  • Batting lineup: Once a player is removed from the batting lineup, they cannot re-enter
  • Courtesy runners: Allowed for current pitcher and catcher at any time
    • Must use a player not currently in the lineup
    • If batting the entire roster, the last completed at-bat will be the courtesy runner
  • Injury substitution: If a team has no eligible substitutes and a player is injured, the opposing team's manager selects a player to re-enter

Seeding and Tie Breakers

Divisions (and pools within divisions) will be seeded from top to bottom based on pool play record. If ties exist, the following tiebreaker criteria will be used:

  1. Head-to-Head record (in the case of a two-way tie or when all tied teams have played each other)
  2. Total runs allowed (ranked fewest to most)
  3. Run differential (max +/- 8 per game)
  4. Total runs scored
  5. Fewest runs allowed in a single game
    ie: If a team allowed 3 runs in one game and 5 in the other, the tiebreaker score would be 3
  6. Most runs scored in a single game
    ie: If a team scored 3 runs in one game and 5 in the other, the tiebreaker score would be 5
  7. Last actual run differential – the ACTUAL run differential in the last completed pool play game
  8. Coin flip

Sportsmanship & Conduct

  • All players, coaches, and fans must conduct themselves in a sportsmanlike manner
  • Ejection Policy:
    • First ejection: One-game suspension
    • Second ejection: Remainder of tournament suspension
    • Third ejection: Remainder of tournament season suspension
  • No alcohol permitted within the complex
  • Field restrictions must be followed (sunflower seeds, metal cleats, etc.)