Slugfest Tournament Rules Packet

Game Format

All games are 6 innings or 1 hour 45 minutes, whichever comes first.
No new inning may start after 1 hour 45 minutes.
Pool play games may end in a tie.

Mercy Rule:
15-run lead after 3 innings
10-run lead after 4 innings

Home/Away Determination

Pool Play: Home team will be determined by a coin flip.
Bracket Play: The higher seed will be the home team.
If home/away must be determined outside of seeding, a coin flip will be used. The higher-seeded team (or designated team if no seeds apply) will call the flip, and the winner chooses home or away.

Game Balls

The home team will provide one (1) good used baseball for game play.
Blaine Little League will provide two (2) new baseballs per game.

Pitching Rules

Follow all age-appropriate pitch count guidelines.
Mandatory rest days apply based on pitch count thresholds.
Pitch counts must be reported to the umpire at the end of each pitcher’s outing and confirmed by both teams.
Pitch counts will then be submitted to the site director following each game.

Roster Guidelines

Teams must have a minimum of 8 players to start a game.
Defensive substitutions are unlimited.
Offensive lineups must remain consistent for the duration of the game.
If a player is injured, leaves, or is no longer able to continue, that spot in the batting order will be absorbed and no automatic out will be recorded.

Sportsmanship & Conduct

Any player or coach who is ejected must sit out the next scheduled game.
A second ejection results in disqualification from the tournament.
Coaches are responsible for ensuring positive and appropriate fan behavior at all times.
Umpires and site directors reserve the right to remove unruly spectators from the facility.

Scoring & Standings

Final standings will be determined using the published tie-breaker procedures if needed.

Tiebreaker Rules – Bracket Play

If time has expired and the game is tied, one additional full inning will be played.

If the game remains tied after that inning, international tiebreaker rules will be used:
At the start of each half inning, a runner will be placed on second base with no outs.
This format will continue until a winner is determined.

The game ends when:
The home team takes the lead after a full inning, or
The visiting team is leading after the home team completes its half of the inning

Rain Contingency Plan

Built-In Makeup Days

Thursday, June 19 – Saturday, June 21
Primary makeup days for any pool play games canceled due to weather.

3 fields available
2-hour blocks from 9:00 AM – 7:00 PM on Saturday and Sunday

Sunday, June 22 – Wednesday, June 25
Additional time slots available to complete remaining pool or bracket games impacted by weather delays.

Flexible scheduling based on field availability
May include shortened game windows or doubleheaders if needed

Priority Rules for Makeup Games

Priority will be given to games that directly impact standings and advancement.

If games cannot be completed due to weather or scheduling limitations, standings will be determined using:
Head-to-head results (when applicable)
Run differential
Coin toss (final tie-breaker if needed)

Flex Scheduling Options

Game windows may be shortened (example: 90-minute games) if needed to complete the schedule.
Doubleheaders may be scheduled to ensure pool play is completed before bracket play begins.

Adjusting Bracket Play

Bracket play must conclude by Thursday, June 27.

If weather delays persist, final contingency solutions may include:
Reseeding based on completed pool results, or
Coin flips if necessary to determine advancement or seeding