Corrections – Tournament Rules And Guidelines

CORRECTIONS – TOURNAMENT RULES AND GUIDELINES
The following are corrections and clarifications to the Tournament Rules and Guidelines for the 2002 International Tournament. Please review these corrections and clarifications carefully, and share them with managers, coaches, umpires, scorekeepers, tournament directors and all local Little League and District officials.

SOFTBALL TOURNAMENT RULES AND GUIDELINES
(Comments in italics)
PAGE T-9  - A.5. NOTE 3 – Should read: PROTESTS BECAUSE OF A TEAM’S FAILURE TO MEET THE MANDATORY PLAY REQUIREMENTS (SEE TOURNAMENT RULE 9) MUST BE MADE BEFORE THE UMPIRE (S) LEAVE THE PLAYING FIELD.  NOTE: MANDATORY PLAY DOES NOT APPLY TO THE BIG LEAGUE DIVISION.  Inserted the word “NOT” in the last sentence.

PAGE T-9 – C.1.(b) – Remove the following sentence: (NOTE: In the 9-10 Year Old Division Tournament, once a game starts, protests of ineligible player(s) will not be considered.)

PAGE T-13 – 10.C. – Remove the following sentence: Junior/Senior/Big League: only players in the starting lineup may re-enter the game.  

PAGE T-11 – 4.o. –If a player pitches in five (5) or more innings in a calendar day, one day’s rest is required. This also applies between regular season games following tournament elimination or Special Games following the Tournament. Corrected wording on limit of innings.

PAGE T-12 – 4.g.(1) – Should read: A player may pitch on consecutive days if less than five (5) innings were pitched in the previous calendar day. Clarified wording on limit of innings.

BASEBALL AND SOFTBALL TOURNAMENT RULES AND GUIDELINES
(Comments in italics)
PAGE T-11 – 4.(d) – Should read: Pitchers once removed from the mound may not return as pitchers. (See exception for Junior League/Senior League/Big League, Tournament Rule 10.e.) Added exception. 

PAGE T-13 – 10.e. – Should read: Junior/Senior/Big League only: A pitcher remaining in the game, but moving to a different position, can return as a pitcher anytime in the remainder of the game, but only once in the same inning in which he/she was removed. All divisions: Rule 7.14, Special Pinch Runner, will apply during tournament. Big League only: Rule 3.03 (e), Designated Hitter, and Rule 8.03 (c), Intentional Walk, WILL apply during tournament. Removed sentence regarding mandatory play, making it effective in the Junior League and Senior League divisions. Extended the Special Pinch Runner rule to all divisions of play, including the Little League (Majors) Division and 9-10 Year Old Division. 

INTERPRETATION OF THE MANDATORY PLAY RULE
Question:  Regarding Rule 9 – Mandatory Play: If a player on a team’s roster at the start of a game is injured before fulfilling his/her mandatory play requirement, and is removed for the remainder of the game, is the team liable to forfeit the game if properly protested by the opposing team? 

Answer:  No. However, if the player re-enters the game (after his/her substitute has fulfilled the requirement of mandatory play), then that player MUST fulfill the requirement. This also applies to a player on the team’s affidavit who arrives after the game has started. (See Rule 4.01 (d) NOTE.) 

INTERPRETATION OF THE SPECIAL PINCH RUNNER RULE
Rule 7.14, Special Pinch Runner, applies during Tournament Play in all divisions, as noted above, to all divisions of baseball and softball during tournament play.  Rule 7.14 gives each team the ability to utilize a special pinch runner once each and every inning. It is acceptable for the same player to be used as a Special Pinch Runner under this rule more than once in a game. However, once the player appears in the lineup as a defensive player or as a batter, he/she is no longer eligible to be used as a Special Pinch Runner.