Tournament Rules

The STSA Tournament Rules establish a comprehensive framework for competitive baseball across all age divisions, prioritizing player safety, sportsmanship, and fair competition through detailed game mechanics, administrative procedures, and clear authority assignments.

• Applicability: These rules govern all STSA-sanctioned baseball tournaments unless a specific tournament rule sheet supersedes them.

• General Rule Adherence: All STSA tournament games are played under these rules.

• Coaching Responsibility: Coaches are accountable for the conduct of their players, coaches, parents, and spectators.

• Official Roster: All teams must submit an official tournament roster.

• Player Eligibility Verification: STSA reserves the right to verify player age and eligibility at any time.

Dispute Resolution: All disputes must be brought directly to the STSA Tournament Director; coaches, parents, and players should not confront opposing teams.

• Zero-Tolerance Sportsmanship Policy: STSA enforces a strict zero-tolerance policy against fighting, threatening behavior, physical intimidation, harassment, abusive language, aggressive arguing with umpires, deliberate injury attempts, disrespect towards officials, or any behavior creating an unsafe environment. Violations will not be tolerated.

• Tournament Standard: STSA's goal is to provide competitive baseball in a safe, organized, and respectful environment, prioritizing player safety, sportsmanship, and fair competition.

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• Bases: 60 feet

• Mound: 46 feet

• Innings: 6

• Lead-Offs: No

• Dropped 3rd Strike: No advance (batter is out)

• Metal Cleats: Prohibited

• Bases: 70 feet

• Mound: 50 feet

• Innings: 6

• Lead-Offs: Yes

• Dropped 3rd Strike: Advance (batter may attempt to reach first)

• Balk Warning: One warning per Pitcher

• Metal Cleats: Prohibited

• Bases: 70 feet

• Mound: 50 feet

• Innings: 6

• Lead-Offs: Yes

• Dropped 3rd Strike: Advance (batter may attempt to reach first)

• Balk Warning: No warnings (enforced immediately)

• Metal Cleats: Prohibited

• Innings: 7

• Lead-Offs: Yes

• Dropped 3rd Strike: Advance (batter may attempt to reach first)

• Balk Warning: No warnings (enforced immediately)

• Metal Cleats: Permitted (STSA may prohibit at specific facilities)

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• 6 innings with a 1 hour and 45 minute time limit.

• No new inning starts after the time limit.

• Legally started innings will be completed unless weather, darkness, or safety conditions prevent play.

• 7 innings with a 1 hour and 45 minute time limit.

• No new inning starts after the time limit.

• Legally started innings will be completed unless weather, darkness, or safety conditions prevent play.

• Have NO TIME LIMIT and continue until a winner is determined.

• Subject to interruption by weather, darkness, unsafe field conditions, or other circumstances.

• Game ends if a team leads by 15 runs after 3 innings.

• Game ends if a team leads by 12 runs after 4 innings.

• Game ends if a team leads by 10 runs after 5 innings.

• This rule applies to all age divisions unless otherwise specified by a tournament-specific rule sheet.

• STSA uses International Rules for elimination games tied after regulation.

• Beginning with the first extra inning, the last batted out from the previous inning starts on second base. This procedure continues for each additional inning until a winner is determined.

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• Bat 9: Nine players bat.

• Bat 10: Ten players bat, including an Extra Hitter (EH).

• Bat Entire Lineup: Every player on the roster bats.

• Defensive substitutions are permitted according to applicable lineup and substitution rules.

• Lead-offs are not permitted.

• Runners may advance only after the pitched ball crosses home plate.

• Stealing is permitted.

• Runners may not leave early.

• Dropped Third Strike (10U): The batter is out and may not advance.

• Bunting: Bunting is permitted.

• Slash Bunting: Prohibited (a batter cannot show bunt, pull the bat back, and then swing at the same pitch).

• Lead-offs are permitted.

• Stealing is permitted.

• Runners may advance according to applicable baseball rules.

• Dropped Third Strike (11U-13U): The batter may attempt to reach first base when the third strike is not caught, subject to applicable baseball rules.

• Bunting: Bunting is permitted.

• Slash Bunting: Prohibited (a batter cannot show bunt, pull the bat back, and then swing at the same pitch).

• Pitcher Removal: A pitcher may be removed from the mound at any time.

• Re-entry Restriction: Once a pitcher is removed from the mound, they may not return to pitch again in that game.

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• Each pitcher is allowed one free mound visit per game.

• A second mound visit to the same pitcher requires that pitcher to be removed from the mound.

• A new pitcher entering the game receives 8 warm-up pitches.

• At the beginning of a new inning, the pitcher receives 5 warm-up pitches.

• Coaches are responsible for monitoring their pitchers and protecting their health and safety.

• STSA may establish additional pitching limits or rest requirements for specific tournaments.

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• Bats used in STSA tournaments must carry one of the following certifications: USSSA, USA Baseball, or BBCOR. Wood bats are also permitted.

• Bats must comply with applicable certification requirements and not appear on any withdrawn or illegal bat list.

• Altered, shaved, rolled, illegal, or modified bats designed to increase performance are prohibited.

• Marucci Cat5 MCB2(33/30 BBCOR model)

• Louisville Slugger Meta (33inch/30-oz 2020 [-3] BBCOR model)

• Nike BT0636 (Light Grey Model)

• Dirty South Kamo (Model BB KA 8in specific sizes: 30/22, 31/21, 32/22, 31/23, and 32/24)

• Easton Ghost X (30/20 USA Baseball marked model, numbers YBB18GX10 and LL18GHX)

• DeMarini CF Zen (Multiple 2017 balanced and drop-weight variants, including -10 and -8)

• The umpire or Tournament Director may remove any bat from play if its legality is in question.

• 10U-12U: Metal cleats are prohibited.

• 13U: Metal cleats are permitted, though STSA may prohibit them at specific facilities due to field or facility rules.

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•  STSA prioritizes player safety.

• Players must slide on any contested play at a base when required to avoid a collision.

• Players must make every reasonable effort to avoid collisions.

• At home plate, runners must slide on a contested play when a play is being made on the runner.

• Any runner intentionally attempting to run over, initiate, or create a collision with a defensive player will be called out and may be subject to ejection.

• Players must not intentionally initiate contact with a catcher, fielder, or other defensive player.

• Umpires will determine whether a runner made a legal attempt to avoid contact.

• Malicious or intentional contact may result in an immediate ejection.

• Strongly encouraged for pitchers and catchers.

• A substitute not currently in the batting lineup should be used.

• If a substitute is used, that player is committed to that pitcher or catcher for the remainder of the game.

• If no substitutes are available, the last batted out must be used.

• Purpose is to protect pitchers/catchers and keep games moving.

• If a player is injured and cannot continue, the umpire must be notified.

• The player may be removed from the game, and their batting position handled according to lineup rules.

• A player removed due to injury may not return unless permitted by applicable substitution rules.

• Player safety always takes priority over game outcome.

• Any ejected individual (player, coach, manager, parent, spectator) must leave tournament premises immediately.

• The individual will not be permitted to return for the remainder of the tournament, including all fields and facilities.

• Additional disciplinary action may be imposed based on severity.

• Teams are responsible for the conduct of their associated individuals.

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• Players must meet age requirements for their division. STSA may request proof of age.

• Using an ineligible player may result in forfeiture of games.

• All eligibility challenges must be directed to the Tournament Director.

• A $100 non-refundable fee is required to formally contest another player's eligibility.

• The Tournament Director investigates and makes the final determination

• Player safety is STSA's top priority regarding weather.

• Games may be delayed, suspended, shortened, or canceled due to lightning, severe weather, heavy rain, unsafe fields, darkness, or other safety concerns.

• The Tournament Director and umpires determine when play may resume, and may modify schedules, game times, field assignments, and formats.

• Tournament Director Authority: The STSA Tournament Director has final authority regarding rule interpretation, weather, scheduling, field conditions, player eligibility, protests, tournament brackets, game format, conduct, ejections, and emergency situations. The Director may make reasonable adjustments to safely and fairly complete the tournament.

• Pool Play & Tiebreakers: For teams finishing pool play with identical records, STSA applies the following tiebreakers in order:

• Head-to-head record

• Fewest runs allowed

• Most runs scored

• Coin flip

• For more than two tied teams, the Tournament Director applies the tiebreaker system in the appropriate order.