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2023 Top Gun-USA Sports Baseball Rules:
Please use the General Rules on our website as this is just the Rules Exceptions from the Score Card, and General Rules as all Points of Emphasis can’t not be included on the back of the score card.
Unless noted prior to the beginning of the event, NFHS Rules will be used with the following exceptions.
Top Gun Baseball reserves the right to enforce particular invitational tournament rules.
1. Protest Fee: $100.00(Only on rule interpretations only) Protest must be filed at the time of the pitch and before the next pitch is thrown. Games are not played under Protest and may not be protested after the game is complete for any reason.
2. Game Time: Starting time is forfeit time, unless delay is created by Top Gun. Game time starts at the completion of the home plate meeting. Games may be started early up to one (1) hour if deemed necessary.
3. Home Team: All pool games will be determined by a coin toss and will be the official scorebook. Highest seed will have choice for all bracket games.
4. Player Minimum: A team must have a minimum of (8) players to start the game. The 9th player will be counted as an out until that player arrives. A player arriving late that is not listed on the score card, may be added to the bottom of the line-up card with no penalty.
5. Batting Lineups: Teams have the option of batting (9) players up to their entire roster if desired. The rule to bat more than (9) is not mandatory and is left up to each individual team. If all rostered players bat, there will be no subs and an injury or sickness is an out when that position comes up to bat. Teams will receive only (1) out for the sick or injured player, however, the injured or sick player may not return to the game. You may use the last recorded out made to be the courtesy runner if you are batting the entire lineup. If you are not batting the entire line-up, then a sub or burnt sub must be used as courtesy runner. In case of an ejection and no eligible subs are available that position will be an out each time at bat. DH Rule: Top Gun will allow the High School DH rule for any position player. If a team elects to use a DH, only (9) players may bat. Top Gun did NOT Adopt the 2020 High School New Rule.
6. Pitching Rules: 9u-10u-7 Innings, 11u-12u-8 Innings, 13u-15u-9 Innings, HS Unlimited. In age’s 9u-12u a pitcher may not pitch more than (6) Innings in a calendar day. In age’s 13u-15u a pitcher may not pitch more than (7) Innings in a calendar day. Athletes may pitch the established number of innings in consecutive calendar days, once the athlete has reached the allowed number of innings in consecutive days then the athlete must rest one calendar day before being allowed to pitch again. Courtesy Runner for the pitcher is not mandatory. See General Rules for Penalty/Violation of Pitching Rules. A pitcher innings will reset after a day of NOT pitching.
7. Balks: No Balks will be called in the 9u age modified division. This means if a Pitcher Does Balk trying to pick off a base runner the Ball is Dead and all Runner Return to original Base with No Penalty. Balks will be called in 9u-HS open bases. There will be NO warnings.
8. Time Limits Tournament Play:
All Games for (1)-day events will be: 8u: 1hr 15min, 9u-HS: 1hr 30min.
Pool Games for (2)-days + events will be: 8u: 1hr 15minutes, 9u-HS: 1hr 45min.
Championship Games for (2)-day + events: 8u: 1hr 30min, 9u-HS: 2hrs.
All Consolation Games will have a time limit of 1 hr 30 minutes.
Run Rule will be in effect for all games. If time expires after third out is made, a new inning would start.
9. Baseballs: Top Gun Logo Baseball must be used for all events.
10. Bat Rule: There are no bat size restrictions in age’s 9u-12u but all must be stamped with a (BPF) of 1.15 or have a USA Baseball Logo to be Legal in any Top Gun Baseball Event. In ages 13u a minus -8, -7, -6, -5, -4 with BPF 1.15 or USA Stamp and -3 BBCOR bats are legal. In Ages (14) to High School BBCOR approved bats are now required and High School Federation Rules Applies. Wooden Bats are always approved. See General Rules for definition of a Wooden Bat. The penalty for using an illegal bat will follow NFHS guidelines and the Top Gun Exceptions. Top Gun will follow the National Federation Rules on Banned Bats.
11. Tournament Director: oversees all operations and shall have final decision on all tournament questions.
12. Forfeits: Umpires may eject coaches, players, and/or Fans, but DO NOT have the authority to forfeit games under any circumstances. If an individual is ejected, they must leave the venue immediately and game time will be stopped. The Site director must be notified immediately! If the ejected person(s) do not leave the premises immediately, police will be called. Game time will resume once issue is resolved. Players are not required to leave the venue for ejections.
13. Run Rules: 8u: (15 after 5) innings of play. 9u-HS: (12 after 3 innings), (8 after 4 innings).
14. Trips to the mound: The Top Gun rule is two (2) trips per inning, per pitcher will disqualify that pitcher from the game from pitching. On the 2nd trip in the same inning, the pitcher must be removed as a pitcher ONLY. Any pitcher removed from the game on the 1st trip of an inning, may re-enter the game later as a pitcher after one batter is retired if needed. Pitchers may NOT use metal cleats on portable mounds. Penalty is Head Coach and Pitcher are ejected.
15. International Tie Breaker Rule: All Top Gun Games will use the ITB Rule. At the end of regulation or when the time limit has expired, teams will place the last three hitters for the previous inning to load the bases to start a new inning. The last hitter goes to 1st base, the hitter before him goes to 2nd base, and the hitter before that goes to 3rd base. There will be one (1) out to start the ITB inning. When time expires in pool games only and the score is tied, only one (1) additional inning will be played and if still tied after the one (1) inning, the game will end in a tie. For all other games, each team will bat until a winner has been determined. There will be no courtesy runners for the pitcher or catcher with this rule. Only eligible substitutes would be allowed to pinch run. This rule is used for all games in 2023 including Championship Games. See General Rules if a player has been ejected during ITB Game.
16. Coaching Appeal Protocol Rule: No Coach may come onto the field or the home plate to contest a call. Penalty is automatic ejection. The Head Coach only may come to respective foul line in front of their respective dugout, midway between home plate first/third Base to confer with the crew chief and base umpire to ask for the appeal.
17. 9u Open Bases will be begin in the Spring of 2023.
Spring Season by definition is January 1, of each year.
1. The 9u division will be Open Bases in the Spring Season each year starting Spring 2023.
2. Open Bases will mean NO (10) feet modified line in the spring.
3. Open Bases means runners on base are free to steal bases and advance on their own on the 3rd strike.
4. Base Runner may advance on dropped 3rd strikes.
5. Balks will be called.
18. 9U Modified Open Bases with 65-foot base-paths will be used in the Fall Season of each year only.
1. Fall Season by definition begin August 1, of each year through December 31 of each year.
2. In the Fall Modified Division the catcher does not have to catch the Third Strike.
3. No Balks are called in 9u Modified.
19. Bunting is allowed.
1. Fake bunts (followed by a swing) are NOT allowed in ages 8--12u. This is commonly called Slash Bunting.
a. Penalty is Player is out and the ball is dead. All base runner returns to previous base.
b. If a batter shows bunt, all defensive players may “charge”.
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