Rules

2012 Liberty Classic Open Division Rules of Play

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2012 Liberty Classic Rules

Open Division

 

The Liberty Classic will follow ASA and NAGAAA rules except for the rules listed below:

1. Registration & Rosters:
a. The Liberty Classic will use the 2011 NAGAAA ratings guidelines.
b. All teams must submit team roster with responses to the 27 2011 NAGAAA rating questions for their players.
c. Teams must provide an ASA registration card.
d. Each player must register by signing their team’s ratings roster prior to appearing on a lineup card.
e. Any player found playing a game without having signed the player roster is subject to suspension and the team will forfeit that game. Any previous games will also be subject to forfeiture.
f. A Photo ID will be required at registration.
g. There will be no player registration on Sunday.
h. There will be no managers meeting.

2. Pick Up Players: Teams playing in the “Open B” are allowed to:
a. Add one “A” player, rating over a 22, to their roster.
b. Top ten players are not over the 185 rating for that division.

3. Run Rule:
a. A game will end, if any team is leading by:
i. 20 after 3 innings
ii. 15 after 4 innings
iii. 10 after 5 innings
b. This rule is in effect for all games.

4. Home Team: Home team for each game will be determined by coin toss.

5. Official Scorebook: The official scorebook will be that of the home team. The visiting team is highly encouraged to confirm the score with the home team every ½ inning.

6. Tie-Breaker: Ties will stand in all Round Robin games when time has expired.
During elimination play, if the score is tied after the completion of 7 innings of play or when time has expired, then the international tie breaker rule shall go into effect. When each team takes offense, the last batter from the previous inning is placed on 2nd base and normal play resumes until the tie is broken.

7. Forfeit: Forfeit time is game time. If games are behind schedule then game time will be as soon as the umpire starts the game clock.
If a team is unable to field at least nine (9) eligible players at game time or game start time they will forfeit the game.

8. Short-Handed: A team must have at least nine (9) players present to start or continue a game. If a team starts a game with less than ten (10) players, then the vacant position must be listed last in the batting order and an out will be assessed each time the vacant position comes to the plate in the batting order.

2012 Liberty Classic Rules – Open Division
Updated 4/4/2012
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If a team is playing short handed and an additional player arrives, that player can enter the game immediately and must be inserted into the vacant position.

9. Courtesy Runner: A team is allowed one courtesy runner per inning. The courtesy runner is the last out or, if it is the first inning and there are no outs it’s the last batter in the batting line-up. If an injury occurs during a game, a runner will be allowed only with the approval of the opposing coach; otherwise, you need to substitute or keep the injured player in.

10. Extra Batters: Teams can have up to twelve (12) players in their batting line-up.
If a team starting with twelve (12) players loses a player during the game and has no one to substitute for that player, then an out will be assessed whenever that player would have come up to bat.

11. Ejected Players: Any player ejected from a game is ineligible to play in their team’s next game at the discretion of the umpire in chief and tournament director. The UIC will be notified as well as the tournament director to determine if further action is required based on the situation.

12. Home Run Limits: Limit of over-the-fence home runs will be used in all divisions. Excess home runs, after the limit, will be an out to the batter, only on fenced fields. The following limitations are per team per game:
a. Two (2) “B” Division – after (2) an out will be assessed.
b. One (1) “C” Division – after (1) an out will be assessed.
c. Zero (0) “D” Division – any home run over the fence will be an inning ending out.

13. Approved Bats: All ASA approved bats will be allowed for play in all divisions. Please have your team’s bats available for inspection prior to the start of your game.
Any bat which is found to have a flat surface, or is cracked, dented, altered from the original manufactured form, or exceeds BPF 1.2 shall be confiscated by the umpire and returned after the team has been eliminated from the tournament.

14. Uniforms: Teams are to have:
a. Like colored shirts.
b. A whole number (0-99) of contrasting color at least 6 inches high must be worn and visible on the back of all uniforms.
c. No players on the same team may wear identical numbers (Numbers 0 and 00 or 3 and 03 are examples of identical numbers.)
d. Visible jewelry (watches, bracelets, rings, necklaces, earrings, lip rings, nose rings, bands and similar wristbands, etc.), pagers, keys, clips, bandanas, and sun-glasses on top of hats may NOT be worn during games.

15. Line-up Cards: Teams will exchange line-ups at the beginning of each game. Line-ups need to include player’s first initial and last name with a jersey number and any substitutes for that game. If a player was not listed on the lineup as a substitute at the beginning of the game they will not be eligible to enter that game, unless the team is playing short handed not due to a player ejection.

16. Double Bag Rule and Base Stealing: The ASA double bag rule is in effect if being used at that field. Defensive players must use the inside bag at 1st base, offensive players must use the outer bag if not continuing to second base. In the event of a wild throw to 1st, both bags are open to both players. In the case of a single bag at 1st base, defensive players must use the inside half of the bag, offensive players the outside half when running through the bag.
Base stealing is not allowed.

17. Eligible Players: A player is eligible to play in the Liberty Classic Open Division only if they have signed their team’s roster before they play their first game. Player placement on a team’s roster must comply with the division determination rules indicated below.
2012 Liberty Classic Rules – Open Division
Updated 4/4/2012
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a. No player is allowed to be on more than one team’s roster that is playing in the Liberty Classic.
b. All players must be at least 18 years of age.
c. Any player on the current NAGAAA suspension list or suspended by a league is NOT eligible for play.
d. Any team using a suspended player will be disqualified from the tournament and all games played will be forfeited.

18. Strike Count:
a. Round Robin and Elimination games will both begin with a 1-1 count with NO foul to give.
b. Championship games will begin with a 0/0 count with NO foul to give.
c. Pitching height (arch) will be between 6’-12’.

19. Game Time Limits:
a. Round Robin
i. No new inning will begin after 50 minutes.
ii. Games can end in a tie.
b. Elimination Play
i. No new inning will begin after 50 minutes.
ii. International run rule if the game is tied
iii. Championship and IF games: shall be a full 7 innings, although the run rule is still in effect.

20. Tournament Divisions: Calculating Open Division Team Designation: All Open Division players must be rated. Teams or players that do not have established NAGAAA ratings must be rated and those ratings submitted on that team’s roster. The Liberty Classic will use the 2011 NAGAAA ratings guidelines. However, all players must be rated according to their current skill level. If a player skills have improved over last year their rating is required to be adjusted. All ratings are subject to protest.
The ten (10) top rated players will be added together to give the team rating for all Open Division Teams as follows:
a. B Division: All teams rated 185 or lower. No player rated over a 22, except for the one “A” player that may be over that rating.
b. C Division: All teams rated 145 or lower. No players rated over 15 allowed on a C division team.
c. D Division: All teams rated 105 or lower. No players rated over 11 allowed on a D division team.

21. Protests: There are two kinds of protests that will be allowed:
a. Player’s Eligibility or Rating:
i. Only opposing teams can file a protest for a player’s eligibility or rating.
ii. Protest must be made prior to the end of that game.
iii. The protest must be filed with the game umpire.
iv. The protest must to include the specific player(s) being protested.
v. A protest for ratings must include the specific questions being protested.
vi. The cost to file a protest is:
1. $125 per player protested and $25 per each additional question on the same player during round robin games. Cash only.
2. $150 per player protested and $25 per each additional question on the same player during elimination games. Cash only No protests will be accepted during trophy games.
vii. If any aspect of the protest is up-held the total fees will be returned to the protesting team.
viii. All protests will be heard by the established tournament protest committee and that committee’s decision will be final. The protest committee shall consist of the game umpire(s), the umpire-in-chief and the tournament director or his designee.
ix. If the protest is upheld and the team’s rating exceeds the limit for the division they are playing in or if a players rating exceeds the limit for a player in that division the protested game will be forfeited.
x. The team can continue to play in the tournament as long as:
1. It wasn’t their 2nd loss in elimination play.
2. They drop the protested player(s) from their roster that exceed the player rating for their division
3. They drop the protested player(s) or any other players so that they do not exceed the team rating limit for their division.
2012 Liberty Classic Rules – Open Division
Updated 4/4/2012
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b. Rule interpretation:
i. Rule interpretation protests need to be filed with the umpire at the time the ruling comes into question.
ii. There is no cost for a rules interpretation protest.
iii. The umpire-in-chief will resolve all rule interpretation protests.
iv. The umpire-in-chief’s decision is final.
v. Judgment calls cannot be protested.
vi. All protests will be ruled upon immediately and play resumed according to the outcome of the protest

22. Tournament Format: All divisions will play two (2) pool games that will seed them for double elimination play. This format guarantees every team four (4) games. Seeding for double elimination play will be based on the following:
a. Placement will be determined by ranking within each group of pool play.
b. Each group will consist of 3 teams (there may be up to 2 groups of 4 teams depending on the total number of teams in that particular division).
c. Won/loss/tie record will be in the following order:
i. 2-0-0; 1-0-1; 1-1-0; 0-0-2; 0-1-1; 0-2-0
d. If there is more than one team with same record in pool play, the higher seed will go to the team that scored the most runs in both pool games. If there is still a tie, it will be broken by a coin toss.
e. Groups with 4 teams:
i. Teams 1 & 2 will play each other and teams 3 & 4 will play each other (numbers are not yet seeding).
ii. The winners of both of the games will play each other in the next game.
iii. The losers of both of the games will play each other after winners have played each other.
iv. 1st and 2nd seeding in this group will go to the teams that played in the winners’ game with 1st seed going to the winner of the winners’ game.
v. 3rd and 4th seeding will be assigned to the teams in the losers’ game with 3rd seed going to the winner of the losers’ game.

23. Round Robin: Round robin will be selected by distributing participating cities teams across all pools in the division.

24. Unsportsmanlike Conduct Rules: The rules for unsportsmanlike conduct are as follows:
a. Any player ejected from a game due to unsportsmanlike conduct is not allowed to be present at his/her team’s next game. The offending player is only allowed to be in the parking lot.
b. Excessive unsportsmanlike conduct could result in a player or team being eliminated from the tournament and possibly banned from future Liberty Classic tournaments at the discretion of the tournament director.
c. All unsportsmanlike activity will be reported to a player’s home league

25. Specific Field Rules: The umpire will address all rules for each field at the time the line-ups are exchanged.

26. Alcohol Consumption: No alcohol is allowed at any of the tournament complexes. Any player or spectator observed drinking or is deemed to be intoxicated will be asked to leave the complex, or ejected from the game or tournament. Any team violating this rule shall be removed from the tournament and forfeit all games.

27. Tournament Officials: The 2012 Liberty Classic Tournament Director is Randall Homer. The Umpire-in-Chief is Bill “Cubby” Mitchell.

28. Other Information: At Huntington Beach Sports Complex there is a $1.00 per day parking fee. Keep your receipt on your dash board and you will not get a ticket. There are in and out privileges.

29. Special Situations: The Tournament Director, with consultation, will resolve and have the final say on any situation that may emerge during the tournament that is not covered by these or ASA rules.