Rules for Qualifying Tournaments and the Texas State Tournament

Unless otherwise noted herein, the rules for all Texas Zone or State Tournaments will be in accordance with the USSSA National rules first, then the Official Major League Baseball Rules as published by the Sporting News.

Texas USSSA Playing Rules

Appeals

A.   There are two types of appeals, a live ball appeal and a dead ball appeal.

B.   The defense may appeal during a live ball immediately following the play and before the next pitch (legal or illegal), granting an intentional base on balls, or before the next play or attempted play.  If the offensive team initiates a play before the next pitch (legal or illegal), the defensive team does not lose the right to appeal.  A defensive player may make a live ball appeal with the ball in his possession by tagging the runner or touching the base that was missed or left too early.

C.   A coach or any defensive player with or without the ball may make a dead ball appeal by verbally stating that the runner missed the base or left the base too early.

D.   All appeals must be made 1) before the next pitch (legal or illegal); 2) at the end of an inning, before the pitcher and all infielders have left fair territory; 3) before and intentional base on balls is granted; or 4) on the last play of the game, before the umpires leave the fenced area of the playing field.

Coach Pitch

A.   Each batter will be allowed Six (6) pitches.  If a batter hits a foul ball on the sixth pitch, he will be allowed to continue batting until he does not make contact with the ball, puts the ball in play.

B.   A fair batter ball hitting a coach pitcher will be declared a foul ball if the umpire rules that the coach pitcher’s contact with the ball was unintentional.  If in the umpire’s judgment a coach pitcher intentionally makes contact with a batted ball, the batter will be out and no runner can advance.

C.   Play shall be stopped and the ball ruled dead when returned to the infield.  The umpire shall determine the position of the runners when the ball becomes dead.

D.   All teams must roster bat for all games and use (10) defensive players.  Teams can begin a game with nine (9) players but one player must be a pitcher.

E.   The catcher shall be located in the catcher’s box, no more than four (4) feet behind home plate.

F.   There will be no: 1) Base on Balls 2) Base Awards for Hit By Pitcher 3) Infield Fly Rule 4) Base Stealing 5) Bunting (players must take a full swing).

G.   Runners may not leave their bases until the pitched ball crosses the front edge of home plate.  A runner who leaves early will be declared out and the pitch will be called a no pitch.

H.   A coach pitcher is prohibited from coaching while in the pitching position either physically or verbally.

I.    Courtesy runners are allowed for the catcher only.

J.    There is no bunting or soft swings in 7 & 8U Coach Pitch tournaments in Texas.  There will be no 20' arc   during qualifiers.

Designated Hitter

A.   The designated hitter rules below apply to ages 15-18.  There is no designated hitter in ages 14U and below.

B.   A hitter may be designated (not mandatory) for any one starting player and all subsequent substitutes for that player.

C.   A starting defensive player cannot be listed as the designated hitter in the starting lineup.

D.   Failure to declare a designated hitter prior to the game precludes the use of the designated hitter during the game.

E.   The role of the designated hitter is terminated for the remainder of the game when: 1) The defensive      player or any previous defensive player for whom the designated hitter subsequently bats, pinch-hits or pinch-runs for the designated hitter or 2) The designated hitter or any previous designated hitter assumes a defensive position.

Protests

A.   If a team protests, they must notify the home plate umpire and the umpire will beckon the tournament director to the field to address the protest.  The game clock will not be stopped for the protest.

Rosters

A.   Rosters must be online in the USSSA computer before any team plays in a sanctioned USSSA event.  Rosters are public information that can be accessed by any director, coach or parent.  The success of the USSSA roster system depends on the accountability of many.  To that extent, the following rule has been implemented beginning with 2006 USSSA events:

      "Your opponent's roster is available at the USSSA team website for your review.  Please verify the legality of your opponent's game roster before you take the field.  Commencement of play designates your acceptance of your opponent's roster and game results will not be changed.  Any coach guilty of fraud in regards to a roster will immediately be suspended from play and reported to the USSSA State Director."

      Therefore, regarding rosters, the only protestable offense during a game begins is the use of a player that does not appear on a roster at all.

Sportsmanship

A.   The umpires will handle UNSPORTSMANLIKE CONDUCT if the unsportsmanlike conduct is on the field of play.  If an umpire has a problem with a fan or parent outside of the field, the umpire should go to the manager of the team that the problem is with and have the manager handle the situation.  If the manager fails to handle the situation then the umpire will eject the manager from the game.  The manager then has the option of handling the situation himself or getting a facility director to handle the situation.

Game Lengths

A.   All 5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12 year old games will be six innings of play.  All 13,14,15,16,17 & 18 year old games will be seven innings of play.

Pitching Limits 

A.   All age groups that are scheduled for six (6) innings, a pitcher may not pitch more than eighteen (18) outs in any given day.  All age groups that are scheduled for seven (7) innings, a pitcher may not pitch more than twenty-one (21) outs in any given day.

B.   For all age groups, a pitcher may not pitch more than twenty-seven (27) outs in a week (Monday thru Sunday) or a specific tournament no matter if it is a three, four or five game guarantee.

C.   A second trip to the same pitcher in the same inning will cause the pitcher’s automatic removal from the mound (not the game).

D.   When a pitcher takes his position at the beginning of each inning, or when he relieves another pitcher, he shall be permitted to pitch not to exceed eight (8) preparatory pitches to his catcher during which play shall be suspended.

Roster Batting

A.   If a team is batting the entire roster, and a member is unable to continue due to injury or illness, the team will not be penalized when it is the missing players turn to bat.  His batting spot will be skipped over without penalty.

B.   If a team is roster batting (nine or more players) and a player on the original lineup card arrives before the entire lineup has been batted, he may be added to the end of the batting order provided he is announced to both the plate umpire and the opposing team when he arrives to the field.  Once announced, he will be placed at the end of the batting order.

C.   Players who arrive late for the start of the game shall be added to the team batting order at the end of the lineup and bat when this position comes up.  Players who must leave before the end of the game may do so.  Their position in the batting order will be ignored for the rest of the game and no out will be charged unless the batting order fall below nine players.

D.   If roster batting, any time the batting order is reduced by an ejection, an automatic out shall be declared in that batting order position.

Run Rules

A.   All games, including tournament championship games, will be played with a run rule in effect.

B.   The run rule for all games will be as follows:  15 runs after 3 innings, 10 runs after 4 innings and 8 runs after five innings.

C.   In ages 5,6,7 & 8-year-old games, teams will be limited to seven (7) runs per inning.

D.   In ages 5,6,7 & 8-year-old games, mathematical elimination will apply.

Safety Rules

A.   While on offense, only the batter and the on deck batter shall be outside of the dugout fence.

B.   A bat boy/girl may leave the dugout to retrieve a bat after all playing action is completed.

C.   All bat boys/girls must have a helmet with two earflaps when not in the dugout.

D.   While on defense, there shall be no equipment outside the dugout; this includes the on deck circle.

E.   Catchers are required to wear helmets that protect both ears and the back of the head.  Either throat protector or mask protecting the throat must be worn.  Skullcaps are not permitted.  Catchers are also required to wear a protective cup.

F.    A player participating in a USSSA sanctioned game shall not wear jewelry.  PENALTY:  The umpire shall ask the player to remove the jewelry.  Play shall not be resumed until the jewelry is removed or the player is replaced.  This is not an ejection or an out.  Medical alert bracelets or necklaces are not considered jewelry.  If worn, they must be taped to the body so as to remain visible.

G.   Shoes with metal cleats may not be worn by players that are playing as a twelve (12) year old or younger.

H.   The use of cell phones is prohibited on the playing field by players, coaches or umpires.

I.    If the runner from third base is running toward home plate attempting to steal or is participating in a squeeze play, the following apply: 1) The batter has two options take the pitch or attempt to bunt the pitch.  PENALTY – Failure to do so will result in the following: 1) The batter is called out 2) All runners return to the base occupied at the time of the pitch 3) The third base coach is ejected.  NOTE:  With the bases loaded, three balls and two strikes on the batter, coaches please have your runner on third start running towards the third base dugout and not sprinting towards home plate.  UMPIRES:  In this situation, please be aware that this is not a steal play or squeeze play if the batter swings the bat.  Do not enforce the penalty with this circumstance.

Slide Rule

A.   A legal slide can be either feet first or head first.  If a runner slides feet first, at least one leg and buttock shall be on the ground.  If a runner slides he must slide within the reach of the base with either a hand or a foot without going past the base.

B.   On a force play if the runner slides, it must be on the ground in a direct line between the two bases, stopping at the base.  The runner may slide or run in a direction away from the fielder to avoid making contact or altering the play of the fielder.  PENALTY – An illegal slide causes both the runner and the batter-runner to be called out and all other runners to return to the base occupied at the time of the pitch.

C.   No player shall initiate malicious contact.  The question of what is malicious is umpire judgment.  PENALTY – The player initiating malicious contact shall be removed from the game.  NOTE:  There can be a collision where both players go head over heals and not be malicious contact.  The key for malicious contact is "intent", umpires need to ask themselves when making the call, "Did the runner deliberately or intentionally run into the fielder to break up the play or cause harm to the fielder?"  If your answer is yes, then you have malicious contact, if your answer is no, then it is a clean play and you have nothing.  Umpire's need to be careful when making this call as to not eject a player if the intent is not there.  Keep in mind that the younger ages are just learning the game and sometimes there will be contact by the runner not sliding and running into the catcher.  Remember the key word is "INTENT".