2 Annual
nd
Tim John Memorial
Horsham Little League Summer Classic
9U June 12-15, 2014
GENERAL INFORMATION
&
POLICIES
Our goal is to give each and every team an experience to remember. From the
moment your team tournament experience begins, until the last inning is played,
we will make sure that your team has had a rewarding baseball weekend.
Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us anytime.
Colin Dittus – Tournament Co-Director (610) 529-1611; [email protected]
Elise Schlosser - Tournament Co-Director (267) 688-6268; [email protected]
2014 Tim John Horsham Summer Classic Rules
Unless otherwise noted, the 2014 Horsham Classic Baseball Tournament will be governed by
Little League rules for 9u age group.
The following rules are the exceptions to Little League Rules:
1. The tournament director reserves the right to amend any rule, schedule, Field
Location, format due to weather situations or any other unforeseen situation to accommodate
time constraints etc.
2. All participants are competing at their own risk and by participating agree to hold the
Horsham Little League, Horsham Township, tournament officials, all facilities and umpires,
harmless from any liability resulting from participating in the tournament.
3. BIRTH CERTIFICATES: Copies of birth certificates or age verification of all players will
not need to be submitted with your roster. All managers must be able to provide proof of age
documentation for their players at every game. If a situation arises and one of their players is
challenged, proof of age is required. The request must be made with the Field Coordinator or
Tournament Director before the start of the game. The Tournament Director or Field
Coordinator will determine the validity of the age verification documentation to determine the
player’s eligibility. Failure to provide the proper age verification documentation will result in
the challenged player (s) disqualification from tournament play until proper verification can be
obtained. If documentation is not provided prior to the completion of the tournament, all games
that the challenged player participated in will be deemed forfeits.
4. BASE PATH AND PITCHING DISTANCES: 9U will have a standard pitching distance
of 46’ feet from the mound rubber to home plate and the base path distances will be the standard
60’ feet from base to base.
5. GAME TIME: Teams must be at their assigned field ready to play 30 minutes
prior to game time. All games, including pool play and elimination contests will be 6 innings.
Please be advised that we may start some games early if time allows.
6. FORFEIT TIME: Is 10 minutes after the official scheduled game time, unless the delay is
caused by the tournament. Umpires may use their judgment and discretion to extend the forfeit
time an additional 10 minutes if it is warranted.
7. TIME LIMIT (Games): All Pool Play games and Semifinal only will have a hard stop at 1
hour and 40 minutes from the official start time, which is the actual time of the first pitch. The
umpire is the official time keeper. Once started, an inning must be completed. If an inning is
started and not completed prior to the 1 hour and 40 minute hard stop deadline, the game score
will revert back to the score at the end of the prior inning. Time limits apply to All Pool Play
and Semi-final games only! The Finals will play the full six (6) innings with no time limit. The
mercy rule will be in effect during the Semifinal and Championship rounds. After each game is
completed, each team is requested to immediately gather their belongings and vacate the dugout
so that the next team can enter.
8. HOME /VISITING TEAM: Home / Visitor for all pool play games is listed on the schedule.
For Semi-Final and Championship games, the team with the highest seed will have the option to
select if they want to be the home or visiting team.
9. DUG OUTS: Teams that travel the furthest distance to the tournament will
occupy the third base dug-out.
10. INFIELD WARM-UP: There will be no-pre-game warm up or practice on the full
infield. Teams may use the dirt areas behind shortstop and second base to do some infield work
(coaches can hit grounders from behind third of first) as soon as the field maintenance staff has
had an opportunity to prepare the infield. Outfield grass may also be used.
11. MERCY RULE: All age groups will invoke a mercy rule if after 4 full innings of play are
completed and winning team is up by 10 runs. If the home team is up by ten in the fourth inning,
they will not bat. Mercy rule will be in effect for all games, including the championship games.
12. BATTING ORDER: We want to let the Coach of each team play as many players as he/she
wants. The "BATTING ORDER" is the number of batters being used. To start the game, teams
must bat at least 9 players, their entire lineup or in-between. Every player listed on the line up
card must bat, if they do not bat in the game it will be ruled a forfeit. A win will be
awarded to the opposing team.. Since every team is batting a full line up an injury or ejection
will not result in an out. That player will be skipped in the batting order the next time that batter
is to be batting . Line up cards consisting of all starting players must be submitted to the
opposing team and the home plate umpire before a tournament game can proceed.
13. DEFENSE: Free Substitution, defensive changes do not need to be reported to the
umpire or opposing team, with the exception of pitchers.
14. INFIELD FLY RULE: No infield fly rule will be in effect for the tournament.
15. BATS: The only bat restrictions for tournament play are No Big Barrels, the maximum
barrel diameter for a metal or wood bat is 2 ¼ inches. Bats with a barrel diameter greater than 2
¼ inches are not authorized for use in tournament play in any age division.
16. TIME IN-BETWEEN INNINGS: Teams will take 2 minutes in between innings
to come on and off the field and warm up. Pitchers are permitted to throw 8
warm-up pitches in their first inning of work or 5 warm-up pitches every other
inning that they pitch in the game. If a catcher is still getting dressed, a coach or
another player should be ready to warm-up the pitcher. By following these
guidelines, we expect more games to go to completion instead of being cut short
due to the time limit.
18. INTENTIONAL DELAYS: Intentionally delaying a game to achieve a victory
through the time limit is considered unsportsmanlike conduct and will not be
tolerated. The umpires and/or tournament officials at the game reserve the right to
eject a coach or player for intentionally delaying a game and possibly declare a
forfeit to that team.
19. TIE GAME :
If a pool play game is tied after 6 innings of play, and it is before the 1 hour and 40 hard stop
limit, the game will end in a tie.
19a. SEMIFINAL AND CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND TIE GAMES:
The traditional baseball extra-inning rules will be used in the extra innings.
20. COURTESY RUNNERS: Team may use a courtesy runner for the Catchers with 2
outs. Since all players are inserted in the lineup, then the last “Recorded” out will be the runner.
21. LEADS/STEALING:
 No leads will be permitted for the tournament. Stealing (of all bases including home)
will be allowed after the ball crosses home plate. When a pitcher is in contact with the
pitching rubber and in possession of the ball and the catcher is in the catcher’s box ready
to receive delivery of the ball, base runners shall not leave their base until the ball crosses
the plate. There will be no delayed steals of home or any base. Specifically, once the
catcher has the ball and is returning it to the pitcher who is in contact with the pitching
rubber area, all base runners must return to their respective bases.

When a base runner leaves the base before the ball crosses the plate and the batter
does not hit the ball, the runner must return to that previous base. If a play is made on that
runner and he is called out, the out stands.

When a base runner leaves the base before the ball crosses the plate and the batter
hits the ball, the runners are permitted to continue. If a play is made on the runner or
runners and they are put out, the out or outs will stand. If not put out the runner or
runners must return to their original base or bases or to the nearest unoccupied base that
is nearest the one they left. In no event shall a batter advance beyond first base on a
single or error, second base on a double, or third base on a triple. The umpire shall
determine the base value of the hit ball.
22. ADVANCING ON DROPPED 3RD STRIKE: No runners can advance on a dropped third
strike .
23. LINE-UP CARDS: Lineup cards must be submitted to the opposing team and the home
plate umpire during the ground rules. The lineup cards must have the batting order .
24. OFFICIAL SCORE BOOK: The home team will keep the official score book. This
information will be verified by the field coordinator and signed off on by the coaches of the two
participating teams. If the home is using an electronic device as their score book and there is any
issue with it during the game (Breaks, battery dies, crashes etc.) the visitors hand written book
will then be recognized as the official score book. Please verify score with the opposing team
after each inning.
25. ON-DECK BATTER: No on-deck batter can be on the field at any time!! The on deck
batter must remain in the dugout, until his turn to bat in the game.
26. NUMBER OF PLAYERS: You must have nine players to start a game. Teams will be
permitted to continue a game and play with 8 players due to ejection and/or injury
situations only. Every player listed on the lineup card must bat in the line up.
27. EJECTIONS: The tournament Director reserves the right to handout stiffer penalties for
extraordinary circumstances, i.e. fighting, contact with umpires etc.
If a parent or fan is abusive and does not heed the warnings of the umpire to stop, they will be
asked to leave the area. Failure to do so could result in the team having to forfeit the game.
28. SEEDING TIE BREAKERS After Pool Play games:
1. Best won/loss record
2. Head to Head
3. Fewest Runs Allowed (All Pool Play Games)
4. Run differential (maximum of 6 run differential for any single game)
5. 1st fewest runs allowed in a single pool play game.
6. Most runs scored (maximum of 6 per game)
7. Coin Flip (team travelling farthest will call heads or tails)
30. PROTESTS: Are permitted at time of incident only and must be presented and accepted by
the home plate umpire (Prior to a pitch being thrown after the incident). The game will not
continue under protest. The tournament director and the umpiring crew will consult and will rule
immediately on all protests. Roster challenges will not be treated as a protest (Must challenge
prior to first pitch). The tournament director’s decisions are final and not subject to appeal.
31. SLIDING: The slide or surrender rule will be enforced. If a player does not slide and there
is a play, he / she can be ruled out. No head first slides ! There will be a team warning
issued the first time a player slides head first, each additional time after the warning the
player will be ruled out. Players can dive back to the base.
32. AVOIDING CONTACT: Players must attempt to avoid contact with other
players in a tag-out situation. If, in an umpires’ judgment, there is intentional
contact, that umpire may call the runner out on that play. If the contact is judged
as intentional and malicious, that umpire may also eject the player from the game.
If a player is ejected for this reason, they will automatically be suspended for their
Team’s next game with the possibility of further sanctions as well.
33. ROSTER: A maximum of (14) fourteen players are allowed per team. There can be
no change to the supplied roster after the first game has commenced.


Players must have been a full-time player in the applicant’s league (or equivalent intramural
program) during the year.
Only rostered players, a bat boy, a score/ book keeper, and up to 4 adult coaches may occupy
the dugout / bench area during tournament games
34. TOURNAMENT PLAYER AGE: This is a 9U age group tournament. To be eligible to
play in the age division, players must be the division age or younger on April 30th, 2014.
35. MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS:
A. Any player warming up the pitcher must wear a catcher’s mask.
B. In the event any item is not cover in the rules, the Tournament Director will make the fairest
possible ruling and that ruling will be final!
C. A pitcher cannot have white or bright colored clothing or objects on the sleeves or wrists.
D. All team players must be in complete uniform.
E. One offensive time out per inning only.
F. Injury time outs do not count towards either.
G. No batting practice allowed on game fields
H. No soft toss into any fences.
I. No pepper games near dugouts.
J. Players may wear the baseball type necklaces, including the pitcher. Umpire discretion)
K. On appeal plays you must ask the umpire for permission to appeal the missed base.
L. For the safety of all players on surrounding fields, no noise makers of any sort are
permitted to be used at any Horsham Tournament game. (This rule includes Fans, Players
and Coaches).
36. PITCHING:
A. Each pitcher may pitch a maximum of 2 innings per game. One pitch will constitute as an
inning pitched. Max innings pitched for the tournament is 10 innings. Innings pitched will be
handed in to the field coordinator after every game.
B. Once a pitcher leaves the Pitcher position he / she cannot return as a Pitcher in that game (No
exceptions).
C. A pitcher must throw to a batter during an intentional walk situation.
D. Pitcher must be removed on second mound visit in same inning or third visit for
the same pitcher in a game.
E. A pitcher may not be reinserted into this position later in the game after being removed as a pitcher in
any circumstance.
37. Thrown Bats: When a bat is thrown by a batter (regardless of whether the batter makes
contact with the ball or not), the offending team will be issued a warning by the umpire. Any
subsequent thrown bat by any batter on that team will result in that batter being declared out, the
ball being declared dead, and any runner or runners returned to their original base. If, in the
opinion of the umpire, a batter maliciously throws a bat, then the batter is declared out and is
ejected from the game.
38. PICK UP YOUR GARBAGE: We would greatly appreciate your teams
assistance in keeping the parks clean. Please pick up garbage in your dugout and
spectator’s area after your games.
*The Tournament Directors shall have final decisions on all tournament
questions.