Perfect Game Australia Tournament Rules
1. Governing Rules
1.1 These Tournament Rules apply to all Perfect Game Australia events for the divisions stated in Rule 2.
1.2 All games shall be played under the Official Baseball Rules except to the extent expressly modified by these Tournament Rules.
1.3 Where these Tournament Rules conflict with the Official Baseball Rules, these Tournament Rules prevail.
1.4 The latest published approved version of these Tournament Rules shall govern.
1.5 If any matter is not expressly covered by these Tournament Rules or the adopted base rules, the Tournament Director or Tournament Committee may make the fairest possible ruling, and that ruling shall be final.
2. Divisions
2.1 These Tournament Rules apply only to the following divisions: 10U, 12U, 14U, 16U, and 18U.
2.2 Modified-format divisions, including machine pitch, coach pitch, and kid pitch, do not form part of this core rulebook unless separately published for a specific event.
3. Player Eligibility
3.1 The governing age date for eligibility is 1 May of the relevant event year.
3.2 All players must satisfy the age, registration, and eligibility requirements published for the event.
3.3 Grade-based exemptions apply only where expressly published for the relevant event or division.
3.4 Each team is responsible for ensuring that all players are eligible before the player participates in the event.
4. Team Rosters
4.1 Each team must submit its official roster before its first game of the event.
4.2 Once the event commences, the roster is locked unless a change is approved in writing by tournament administration.
4.3 A player may not appear for more than one team in the same event, tournament, or tournament weekend unless expressly approved in writing by tournament administration under a published exception.
5. Line-ups and Batting Order
5.1 A team may bat nine (9), ten (10), eleven (11), or its full roster.
5.2 All eligible players must be listed on the line-up card submitted before the game.
5.3 The batting format declared at the start of the game remains in effect for that game except as modified by injury, illness, ejection, or other rule-based removal.
5.4 A team may start and finish a game with eight (8) players.
5.5 If a team is using a nine-player batting order and one batting position is vacant, that batting position shall be recorded as an out.
6. Participation Requirements
6.1 A tournament-wide participation requirement applies only where expressly declared for the relevant event or division.
6.2 If no participation requirement is published, no minimum tournament-wide participation requirement applies.
7. Bats
7.1 Bat standards shall be governed by the division-based event standard published by Perfect Game Australia for the relevant event.
7.2 Unless stricter event-specific standards are published, the core bat structure is as follows:
7.2.1 10U and 12U: USA Bat standard.
7.2.2 14U and 16U: division-approved alloy and/or composite bat standards as published for the event.
7.2.3 18U: BBCOR or wood.
7.3 The event organiser may publish stricter bat restrictions for a particular event, division, or venue. Any such published restriction forms part of these Tournament Rules for that event.
7.4 No altered bat may be used in tournament play.
7.5 An altered bat is any bat changed from its original manufacturer's condition in a manner that affects its physical makeup or performance.
7.6 No damaged bat may be used in tournament play. A damaged bat includes, without limitation, a bat that is cracked, warped, missing a component, rattling, or otherwise unsafe or non-compliant.
7.7 Tournament officials may inspect any bat at any time. Any bat determined to be illegal, altered, or damaged must be removed from play immediately.
8. Equipment and Safety
8.1 Cleats:
8.1.1 10U and 12U: moulded cleats only.
8.1.2 14U, 16U, and 18U: metal cleats are permitted unless prohibited by venue or surface restrictions.
8.2 Any player catching must wear all required protective equipment, including a catcher helmet with facemask, chest protector, leg guards, and any other protective equipment required by the applicable rules or safety standards.
8.3 All players must use legal and safe protective helmets appropriate to the division and activity.
8.4 Electronic communication devices are permitted only if specifically approved and published for the event.
9. Field Dimensions
9.1 Field dimensions shall be as follows unless a lawful event-specific variation is published before play begins:
9.1.1 10U: pitching distance 40 feet; base paths 60 feet.
9.1.2 12U: pitching distance 50 feet; base paths 70 feet.
9.1.3 14U: pitching distance 54 feet; base paths 80 feet.
9.1.4 16U: pitching distance 60 feet 6 inches; base paths 90 feet.
9.1.5 18U: pitching distance 60 feet 6 inches; base paths 90 feet.
10. Game Length and Time Limits
10.1 Game lengths shall be as follows:
10.1.1 10U and 12U: one (1) hour and forty (40) minutes or six (6) innings, whichever occurs first.
10.1.2 14U, 16U, and 18U: one (1) hour and fifty (50) minutes or seven (7) innings, whichever occurs first.
10.2 No new inning may start after the applicable time limit expires.
10.3 Any inning that begins before the applicable time limit expires must be completed.
10.4 The method for determining the home team shall be the event schedule, seeding, coin toss, or other event procedure published by tournament administration.
11. Regulation, Tied, Suspended, and Abandoned Games
11.1 A game becomes regulation once the required minimum innings have been completed under the applicable game format, or where the home team is ahead after the visiting team has completed the required innings.
11.2 Where a regulation game is called and cannot continue, the result shall stand subject to these Tournament Rules and any published event format.
11.3 Where a game is called and cannot continue, and the score is tied after a regulation game has been reached, the game may be recorded as a tie if the event format permits ties.
11.4 A game halted before becoming regulation may be suspended and resumed from the point of interruption where scheduling permits.
11.5 If a suspended game cannot reasonably be resumed, the Tournament Director may declare the game official, tied, abandoned, or otherwise ruled in the fairest manner consistent with the event format.
12. Extra Innings
12.1 If extra innings are required, the Texas tiebreaker shall apply.
12.2 The inning shall begin with one (1) out.
12.3 The last hitter from the previous inning shall be placed at first base.
12.4 The hitter immediately preceding that player in the batting order shall be placed at second base.
12.5 The hitter immediately preceding that player in the batting order shall be placed at third base.
12.6 Normal substitution rules apply to all placed runners.
12.7 Play continues until one team is ahead at the end of a complete inning, subject to the applicable time limit or any other applicable tournament rule.
13. Mercy Rule
13.1 For six-inning games, the game shall be complete if one team leads by:
13.1.1 fifteen (15) runs after three (3) innings; or
13.1.2 ten (10) runs after four (4) innings.
13.2 For seven-inning games, the game shall be complete if one team leads by:
13.2.1 fifteen (15) runs after four (4) innings; or
13.2.2 ten (10) runs after five (5) innings.
13.3 The losing team must have completed its turn at bat unless the home team is already ahead by the applicable margin.
14. Pitching Regulations
14.1 Pitching shall be governed by the pitch-count and required-rest framework published for the relevant event or division.
14.2 The applicable pitch-count and rest thresholds are listed below.
14.3 If a pitcher reaches a threshold during a plate appearance, that pitcher may complete the current batter before removal, provided no additional batter is faced beyond what is permitted by the applicable rule.
14.4 Once a player has been removed as a pitcher, that player may not return to pitch in the same game.
14.5 No pitcher may appear as a pitcher on three (3) consecutive days.
14.6 No pitcher may appear as a pitcher in three (3) games on the same day.
14.7 An event-wide pitching cap applies only if specifically published for the event.
14.8 Pitches thrown in forfeited, abandoned, suspended, or otherwise shortened games still count toward pitching limitations.
|
|
Age
|
Daily Limit
(Pitches)
|
Assignment (Pitches)
|
|
No Rest
|
1 Days Rest
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2 Days Rest
|
3 Days Rest
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4 Days Rest
|
|
10U
|
9-10
|
75
|
1-20*
|
21-35
|
36-50
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51-65
|
66-75**
|
|
12U
|
11-12
|
85
|
1-20*
|
21-35
|
36-50
|
51-65
|
66-85**
|
|
14U
|
12-13
|
95
|
1-30*
|
31-45
|
46-60
|
61-75
|
76-95**
|
|
16U
|
13-15
|
95
|
1-30*
|
31-45
|
46-60
|
61-75
|
76-95**
|
|
18U
|
16+
|
120
|
1-30*
|
31-45
|
46-60
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61-80
|
81-105**
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15. Pitcher-Catcher Workload Protection
15.1 Any Player who has played the position of catcher in four (4) or more innings, is not eligible to pitch on that calendar day. For example, if a Player plays the position of catcher and catches a single pitch in their fourth innings as catcher in a day, they are not eligible to pitch for the remainder of that day.
15.2 A pitcher who exceeds a Short Assignment in a game cannot play the position of catcher for the remainder of that day.
15.3 PENALTY: Immediate removal from the game for first and subsequent offences. The offending team shall forfeit the game, and the Manager/Head Coach shall be reported to the Tournament Director.
16. Balks
16.1 The live-ball balk rule applies.
16.2 When a balk is called, the ball remains live and is not an automatic dead ball unless otherwise required by the adopted rule code or an event-specific published modification.
17. Trips to the Mound
17.1 A coach or manager may make one (1) mound visit per pitcher per inning without requiring removal of the pitcher.
17.2 If the same pitcher is visited a second time in the same inning, that pitcher must be removed from the mound.
18. Courtesy Runners
18.1 Courtesy runners are permitted for the pitcher and catcher.
18.2 A courtesy runner must be an eligible substitute.
18.3 The same substitute may not courtesy run for more than one player in the same game where such use would conflict with substitution rules.
18.4 If a team is batting its full roster, the courtesy runner shall be the last batted out.
19. Infield Practice
19.1 No infield practice shall be allowed during the tournament.
20. Protests
20.1 Only the application of a rule may be protested. Judgment calls may not be protested.
20.2 A protest must be lodged before the next pitch or play, or before the umpires leave the field if the protest concerns the final play of the game.
20.3 A protest must be submitted in writing and accompanied by a one hundred dollar ($100) fee.
20.4 Protests shall be heard and determined by the Tournament Committee.
21. Ejections and Sportsmanship
21.1 All players, coaches, managers, officials, and spectators must display proper sportsmanship and respectful behaviour at all times.
21.2 The Tournament Director may eject any person from the site or event for unruly, dangerous, abusive, or unsportsmanlike behaviour, including physical aggression, threats, fighting, abusive language or gestures, destruction of property, false identity, or any conduct that brings the event into disrepute.
21.3 Any player, coach, manager, or official who is ejected is removed from the current game.
21.4 Serious offences may result in suspension for the next game, removal for the remainder of the tournament, forfeiture, or any other sanction imposed by the Tournament Director or Tournament Committee.
21.5 A repeat ejection in the same tournament may result in removal for the remainder of the tournament.
21.6 Any event involving fighting or serious misconduct before, during, or after a game may result in ejection, suspension, forfeiture, or any other sanction deemed appropriate by tournament administration.
22. Official Scoring
22.1 Tournament staff shall keep the official scorebook where possible.
22.2 If tournament staff cannot keep the official scorebook, the home team shall be the official scorer.
22.3 If necessary, the visiting team shall become the official scorer.
22.4 Line-up cards must be properly completed and submitted before the game.
23. Seeding and Tie-Breakers23.1 Seeding and ranking shall be determined by winning percentage.
23.2 If only two (2) teams are tied and those teams played each other, the head-to-head result shall determine the higher seed.
23.3 If three (3) teams are tied and one team defeated both other tied teams, that team shall rank highest among the tied teams.
23.4 If the tie remains unresolved, the following tie-breakers apply in order:
23.4.1 least total runs allowed;
23.4.2 total runs scored;
23.4.3 total runs allowed, subtracting the game in which the team allowed the most runs;
23.4.4 total runs allowed, subtracting the two games in which the team allowed the most runs;
23.4.5 runs scored inning by inning, starting with the first game, until the tie is broken after a complete inning.
23.5 If the tie remains unresolved after application of Rule 23.4, the Tournament Committee shall determine the fairest available method.
24. Residual Authority
24.1 If any matter is not covered by these Tournament Rules or the adopted base rules, the Tournament Director or Tournament Committee shall make the fairest possible ruling, and that ruling shall be final.
Event Publication Requirements
For each event, tournament administration should publish any event-specific provisions required for operation, including the applicable pitch-count and rest matrix, pitcher-catcher workload thresholds, any stricter bat standards, home-team determination method, and whether ties are permitted in pool play.