SPBO Junior League
Home Run Derby Rules
1. Eligibility: All 12 year old (league/baseball age) players currently on a Shedd Park Junior League Roster are eligible to participate.
2. Equipment: SPBO will provide baseballs and batting helmets. Players must provide their own bats. Bats must be legal for Cal
Ripken league play as the standard is set in the Official Cal Ripken Playing Rules for the current season.
3. Pitchers: SPBO will provide pitcher(s) for each round. The SPBO designated pitcher(s) will pitch to all batters. Depending upon
the number of participants, time constraints and other factors, SPBO may allow batters in Rounds 3 and/or 4 to use a personal
pitcher (must be an adult). All pitchers will pitch from behind an L- screen at a distance set by SPBO.
4. Rounds:
Round 1 – All entrants: 10 outs per batter; 1 HR qualifies the batter for Round 2 and ends the batters Round 1 appearance.
Round 2 – All batters who hit at least 1 HR in Round1: 10 outs per batter; top 4 (plus ties) advance to Round 3.
Round 3 – Top 4 (plus ties) from Round 2; 10 outs per batter, top 2 in this Round qualify for Round 4/Finals; if more than 2
qualify, tie-breaker (see below) to reduce number to 2.
Round 4 (Finals) – Top 2 from Round 3: 10 outs, most HR in this Round is champion; If tied at end, tie breaker (see below).
5. Miscellaneous:
a. Tie-breaker (R3 and R4): (1) each tied batter will receive 3 additional outs, batter with most HRs advances; (2) if any
remaining ties after (1), tied batters alternate swings until one hits home run and other(s) do not (equal chances). In any
tie-breaker between more than 2 tied batters, batter with the lowest total will drop out and any remaining tied batters will
continue to participate to break the remaining tie(s).
b. No cumulative totals, each round total stands on its own.
c. An out is any ball swung at that is not a home run. Batters may take pitches – a pitched ball that is not swung at is not an
out regardless of the pitch location.
d. A ball hit out of the park must be judged fair to count as HR; otherwise it is an out. Junior League managers and coaches
will act as fair/foul “umpires” during the Derby.
e. Round 1 batting order will be determined by draw or some other equitable manner; Round 2 batting order will be the
same as Round 1 excluding non-qualifiers; Rounds 3 and 4 batting will be in ascending order (least to most) of home runs
hit in the prior Round (not including home runs hit in any tie-breaker) - if any ties in determining order, draw or some other
equitable manner for tied players to determine order.
f. Any question or matter arising in the course of the Derby, whether covered by these rules or not, shall be decided by the
Junior League President with the input of the SPBO Commissioner and such other SPBO Board Members then present and
available.
g. Round 2 will commence immediately following Round 1; There will be a 5 minute break between Rounds 2 and 3, and a
5-10 minute break between Rounds 3 and 4.