Official PHBA All-Star Tournament

About PHBA

The league was established in 1958 as an organization formed to provide a program for the youth of the Pleasant Hill area in cooperation with the Pleasant Hill Recreation and Park District, the Mt. Diablo Unified School District and Diablo Valley College.

Purpose

The purpose of this association shall be to promote, equip, govern and sponsor baseball and softball as played by youth 4 years of age and over using the doctrine of Positive Coaching.

Goals and Objectives

Enjoyment of the game shall be the basic goal of all participants and all efforts will be directed toward having each member of each team play baseball or softball. Coaches shall strive to be positive coaches by putting athletes first, teach character and foster self-motivation. Coaches shall also coach for mastery and refuse to use fear or intimidation while developing a partnership with each participant. Honor and respect of the game shall be paramount while an emphasis on winning shall be minimized.

Tournament Items

• No County or Club teams allowed. Players must have played within their city’s Baseball League.
• The tournament is pool-play and your team is guaranteed three (3) games.
• All teams will be seeded for Sunday bracket playoff games based on standings in pool play.
• The enclosed tournament rules will apply to tournament play, see specific rules for your division. If a rule is not covered in these rules, then the PONY Baseball Tournament Rules will be used, and all other basic baseball rules will be covered by the Official Rules of Baseball.
• A coin-flip, usually 30 minutes prior to each game, will determine home team. Dugouts are first come, first served.
• The Home team will keep the official score book. There will be an official game score sheet filled out and signed by each team’s manager following each game that will include the official record of players that pitched in the game and the number of innings pitched. The home team manager (or their scorekeeper) is responsible for having this score sheet completed and signed by both managers and the umpire.
• Pitching rules will be strictly enforced. One out equals one third of an inning pitched.
• Please remember that these baseball games are played for the enjoyment and growth of our children.
• Smoking is also prohibited on all school property, and alcohol is prohibited on all of the fields.
• Personal B-B-Q’s are also prohibited at any tournament field, park or surrounding area.
• No pets please.
• Please respect the opinions and calls of the umpires and do not use abusive or foul language toward umpires, coaches or players. Anyone using abusive or foul language may be asked to leave the field, and if such conduct continues, the offending team may be subject to forfeiture of the game.
• Amplified music is not allowed at the fields.
• Lastly, please take the time to clean up your dugout area after your games.

Best of luck to your team and thanks for participating! 

1.01 – General

Play is governed by Official Rules of Major League Baseball, unless superseded by the “Rules and Regulations for Pinto League” or by these “Rules and Regulations for Tournament Play.”

• Documentary evidence of accident medical insurance, preferably in the form of a certificate of insurance, shall be carried to all tournament games in the event a team member needs medical attention.

• A medical release form for each player, bearing the signature of the player’s parent or legal guardian, shall submitted prior to any games being played and a copy be carried by the manager to all tournament games.

• Teams may start a game with 8 players but cannot finish a game with less than 8.

• “Bat boys,” male or female, or “mascots”, animals or human, shall not be permitted on the field in dugouts.

• Be of proper age, as stated in these rules. Failure to provide evidence of a player’s eligibility when requested by the tournament director will be an automatic forfeit of played games that the player participated in. This is a Pony National rule. Tournament team business managers/coaches shall carry with them to all tournament games evidence of each player’s date of birth.

• All players, coaches, managers and spectators are expected to conduct themselves in a sportsmanlike manner at all times. The tournament director has the authority to remove anyone from the event at any time for unsportsmanlike conduct. Any player, coach, manager or spectator whose conduct is unbecoming or abusive shall at a minimum be reprimanded with a warning. If warranted, the offending party shall be ejected from the game at the discretion of the Umpires and / or the tournament director.

• Alcohol is prohibited at or near any of the tournament fields. If warranted, the offending party shall be ejected from the game at the discretion of the tournament director and the team associated with the offending party may have the current game result in forfeit as determined by tournament director.

• Amplified music containing explicit lyrics is not allowed at the fields. Pleasant Hill Baseball Association has a Memorandum of Understanding with the City of Pleasant Hill that prohibits this and will jeopardize the field permits.

• Amplified music containing explicit lyrics is not allowed at the fields. Pleasant Hill Baseball Association has a Memorandum of Understanding with the City of Pleasant Hill that prohibits this and will jeopardize the field permits.

1.02 – Mercy Rule

• The mercy rule is 15 runs after 3 innings, 10 runs after 4 innings and 8 runs after 5 innings.

• Mercy rule is in effect for all games including Championship.

1.03 – Protests

• All protests will be ruled on by the umpire. If a resolution cannot be achieved, then the field marshal or tournament director will make a final decision.

1.04 – Rosters and Lineups

• Rosters submitted prior to the team’s first game will be final, max. size is fifteen (15). Nine (9) players play on the field. A team failing to field at least eight (8) uniformed players at scheduled starting time of a game, or at any time during the game, shall forfeit the game.

• Lineups shall be provided to the plate umpire prior to each game. It shall be clear if the team is batting the entire lineup or using substitutes.

• Batting entire lineup: A manager may opt to bat his entire roster; if the manager decides to do this he will inform both the umpire and the other manager prior to the game. Once the manager opts to use this batting order/free substitution rule, he cannot change his mind at any time during a game. The team can then play free substitution, where players can be moved into defensive positions at will.

• The pitching position must be changed with the umpire and scorekeeper and a player may not re-enter to the mound at any time. If a player is injured, becomes ill, or is ejected while a team is hitting a complete order, there will be no penalty for losing that batter in the order. However, if the batting order fails to compete with 8 players, the game is then ended with forfeiture.

• Substitutes: Alternatively, a manager may choose to bat nine (9) or ten (10) using an extra hitter (EH).

• The EH may be freely substituted on defense. Pitching and substitution rules still apply. The EH must be declared prior to the start of the game. Any team that begins play using an EH, must maintain a 10-player line-up throughout the game. If a 9 or 10 (using the EH) player lineup cannot be maintained due to injury, illness or ejection, then that spot in the order will be declared an out when it is to come to bat.

• Any player in the starting line-up who has been removed for a substitute may re-enter the game one time.

• Players shall return to the line-up in their original place in the batting order. While more than one substitute may be used in that position before the starting player is returned, no substitutions shall be made that shall alter the original batting rotation of any of the starting or substitute players. A substitute cannot re-enter the game once removed from the game.

• Once removed from the line-up, a pitcher may return to the line-up but shall not pitch again in the same game.

1.05 – Time Limit

• No new inning after 1 hour 50 minutes in all age groups. Applies to all games except Championship.

• Once an inning begins it must be completed.

1.06 – Pool Play Games

• If a game is tied at the end of regulation play, International Rule will go into effect in the first extra-inning of play (last batter of previous inning on first base and 2nd to last batter on second base from previous inning, no outs in the inning). If this “extra inning” ends in a tie, then the game will be recorded as a tie.

• The first extra-inning is defined as the inning immediately following the regulation innings for that age division OR any inning starting after 1 hour and 50 minutes – whichever comes first.

1.07 – Seeded Bracket Games

• If a game is tied at the end of regulation play, International Rule will go into effect in the first extra-inning of play (last batter of previous inning on first base and 2nd to last batter on second base from previous inning, no outs in the inning). The game will continue using this format until a winner is determined.

• The first extra-inning is defined as the inning immediately following the regulation innings for that age division OR any inning starting after 1 hour and 50 minutes – whichever comes first.

• Championship Game: No time limits in championship games. If tied after regulation innings, 1 regular extra inning will be played. If still tied then all subsequent innings will use the International Rule until a winner is determined. International Rule will place last batter of previous inning on first base and 2nd to last batter on second base from previous inning, with no outs in the inning.

1.08 – Bat Rules

• Bats must be stamped with any of the following:

• USSSA 1.15 BPF
• USA BASEBALL
• BCOR CERTIFIED .50

• Note: A bat without a visible and clear USA Baseball stamp, 1.15 BPF stamp or BBCOR certification is deemed illegal, even if the stamp rubbed off

• Barrel Size:

• 2-1/4”, 2-5/8”, and 2-3/4” are allowed

• Length to Weight:

• ANY ratio is allowed.
• No listed banned bats will be permitted.

• Wood Bats - Allowed in any division

• If an illegal bat is found during an at-bat prior to the ball being put into play, then the bat is removed from the game and the at-bat proceeds with a legal bat. If an illegal bat is found after the ball is put into play, the batter shall be ruled out and all runners return to their positions prior to the at-bat. The first offense for a player or team using an illegal bat will result in manager ejection from the current game, as well as the next played game. The second offense will result in team disqualification without refund

1.09 – Score Sheets and Pitching Affidavits

• The score sheets filled out by the home manager, signed by the umpires and visitor manager, shall be the official record for pitching and the final score of the game. The manager of each team is responsible to check the score sheet for accuracy at the end of each game and sign them. Once signed, this becomes the official record of the game. The umpire is responsible for reporting game score and any ejections to the tournament headquarters.

• Pitching affidavits must be complete and retained by the manager at all times, and signed by opposing manager for each game. Failure to produce an up-to-date pitching affidavit may result in forfeit as determined by tournament director. Pitching affidavits should be filled out and signed in ink.

• Any violation of pitching inning limitation rules may result in an immediate forfeit and/or disqualification from the tournament without refund at the discretion of the tournament director.

1.10 – Additional Rules

• Coin flip determines home team during pool play and Championship games. Home team for seeded bracket games is based on seeding. Dugouts are first come, first serve.

• Absolutely no pregame infield on any of the fields. Warm up in foul territory only.

• Courtesy runner for Pitcher and Catcher of record. No outs required. Substitute player is first eligible runner, then last out if batting entire roster.

• Ejection of player/s - If a player is ejected from a game he shall miss the rest of the game in which he is ejected and the next played game. Ejection Offenses, but not limited to:

• Runners deliberate contact with catcher or another player on the field (non-avoidance). Determined by umpire that contact was deliberate and with intent to harm player or dislodge baseball.
• Swearing or unacceptable behavior by player, coach or fan.
• Physical contact (fight) with player/player, player/coach, player/umpire, coach/umpire, fan/coach, fan/umpire, etc.

1.11 – Seeding

• Playoff bracket seeding will be based Winning Percentage (the number of wins plus half the number of ties, divided by the total number of games) of all pool play games.

• Wins + (Ties * 0.5) Total # of Games Played

1.12 – Tiebreakers for Seeding

• If two (2) or more teams are tied with same record:

1. Head-to-head results
2. Run Differential
3. Pitcher Strikeouts in all pool play games
4. Coin toss

• In a 3 (or more) way tie, if one team does not hold a head-to-head advantage over all the tied teams, then Runs Allowed, Runs Scored, Pitcher Strikeouts will help break the multi-team tie.

• Once a multi-team tie is broken using Runs Allowed, Runs Scored or Pitcher Strikeouts (ie. four team tie is broken into a two team tie after Runs Allowed), revert to Head-to-Head results to break the tie.

• If that doesn’t determine the next seed then use Runs Allowed, Runs Scored or Pitcher Strikeouts, and then Coin Flip.