2016 – 10U Tournament Rules
General Tournament and Field Information
BASE DISTANCE
PITCHING DISTANCE
INNINGS/GAME
NO NEW INNING AFTER
GAME OFFICIAL AFTER
OFFICIAL BALLS
60’
46’
6
80 MINUTES
4 INNINGS (3 ½)
W10/10
AGE LIMITS
The age limits for the THF Singapore Baseball Classic 10U baseball tournament are as
follows: The age of a player on January 1, 2016 will be their eligibility age for the
tournament with the following exceptions:
Any player who is still of age at the start of the tournament on 6 February 2016 will
be granted an automatic exception and will be eligible to play any position.
The tournament officials will consider all other age waivers on a case-by-case basis
with a maximum allowance of 2 per team and a strict NO PITCH rule for over-age
players. Applications for waivers received after January 15, 2016 will not be considered.
LINEUPS & ROSTER SIZE:
Each team Manager shall decide the number of players to roster or play in a game up to
the tournament minimum of 10 and maximum of 14 players per team. Special
allowances will be considered for rostered players sustaining an injury within 2 weeks
(14 days) of the start of the THF Singapore Classic. All 9 starting position players must
be in the batting lineup. Team managers may bat anywhere from 9 players to the whole
roster and have the option of using 1 DH (designated hitter) for any position player. The
number of batters in your lineup must stay the same throughout the game. Example: If
you have 14 players on your roster, you can bat anywhere from 9 players – 14 players.
If you bat 12 players – you will have 2 substitutes available – and the lineup must stay
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at 12 players for that game. All players starting in the lineup but not in the field are extra
hitters (except the DH), which are considered defensive starters for substitution
purposes.
The DH and the player being hit for are locked together in the same spot in the lineup
for substitution purposes.
Batting the entire lineup – When a team chooses to bat the entire lineup, each player is
considered a starter and the team has free defensive substitution for that game.
Furthermore, if a player is injured or ejected during the game in which a team is batting
the entire lineup, their spot in the lineup is skipped with no penalty. Once the spot in the
lineup is skipped due to an injury, that player is not eligible to return to the game in any
capacity.
Teams are permitted to start and/or end a game with 9 players. Anything less than 9
available players at any time during a game will result in a forfeit for that team.
Teams must provide their own line-up cards. A copy should be given to opposing
team each game.
It is the responsibility of the opposing team to verify the accuracy of the other team’s
lineup prior to the start of each game. Managers must bring any issues to the attention of
a Tournament Official before the game. If a lineup issue is discovered during the game,
the ruling will be that the lineup is corrected at that point for the rest of the game. If it is
brought to our staff’s attention after the game – there will be no penalty. There will not
be a forfeit in this situation since the opposing team is responsible for verifying the
other team’s lineup prior to the start of the game.
COACHING STAFF:
Each participating team shall have one person designated as the team’s “Manager” or
head coach. Each team may have two other persons designated as “Coach(es).” The
final team roster submitted to the Tournament Director should clearly indicate the
names of the Manager and Coaches.
 Aside from the rostered players for a team, only the designated Manager and
Coaches may enter the dugout or the field. The Manager should be the point of
contact for all direct communication with the Umpires.
INJURIES:
If a player is injured and no substitute is available, that spot in the lineup will be skipped
with no penalty. If an injury occurs during an at-bat and the player can’t continue the atbat, the next batter in the lineup will take over that at-bat and assume the count. If an
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injury occurs while on the base paths, the player that made the last recorded out will
take the place of the injured player on the bases
SUBSTITUTIONS AND RE-ENTRY:
If a substitute enters the game, she/he must play 6 defensive outs and have one at bat
before the starter can re-enter the game.
Only starters can re-enter the game. A Starter can re-enter anywhere in the line-up
and at any position
All substitutions and position changes on the field must be reported to the umpire and
official scoring table at the same time prior to play resuming after the change.
Pitcher Re-Entry: If a pitcher is removed from the mound and goes to another
defensive position, they may not return as a pitcher in that game. In other words, as soon
as another pitcher throws a pitch to a batter (becoming the new ‘pitcher of record’), the
previous pitcher is no longer able to pitch in that game. If a team substitutes for the
pitcher when on offense, but then re-enters the pitcher before going out on defense, that
pitcher is still the ‘pitcher of record’ and can continue to pitch in the game.
Courtesy Runner for Catcher: the player who made the out previous to the catcher’s
at-bat may stand as courtesy runner for the catcher. There shall be no courtesy runner in
the top half of the first inning. The catcher for whom the courtesy runner is designated
must have caught the previous inning.
 Minimum Play Rule - Any player who is substituted into the game must bat at least
once in the lineup and play in the field for 6 defensive outs. If a game cannot be
completed due to the time limit rule, then the minimum play requirement will not be
enforced.
PITCHING DISTANCE/BASE PATHS
The pitching mound will be 46 feet from home plate and the distance between bases will
be 60 feet.
TIME LIMITS:
The maximum innings allowable for a complete game is 6 innings. No new inning can
start after 80 minutes. Games can go into extra innings as long as the time limit has not
expired. If the time limit is reached during an inning, that inning will be the last one of
the game. If the home team is winning after the top half of that last inning, they will be
declared the winner of the game and will not hit in the bottom half. If the home team is
trailing and must hit in the bottom half of the last inning, the game will end at the
moment the home team scores the winning run or at the moment of their third out. If the
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time limit is reached during the bottom half of an inning and the home team is winning
at that moment, we will let the current batter complete the at-bat and then the game will
end.
There is no time limit in the championship game. The championship game will be 6
innings, or played until there is a winner. See ‘Tie Game in Championship for further
explanation.
A game becomes official after 4 innings (3 ½ depending on home/away).
Round-robin games can end in a tie.
Scorers shall keep time starting from the first pitch and shall notify the plate umpire
when the time limit is reached.
Umpires, managers, coaches, players and scorers are all responsible for speeding up
the game to try and ensure that full innings are played, and shall not unduly delay the
game in any way.
Time in-between innings - Our expectation is that teams will take 2 minutes in
between innings. Pitchers are permitted to throw 8 warm-up pitches in their first inning
of work or 5 warm-up pitches every other inning. If a catcher is still getting dressed, a
coach should be ready to warm-up the pitcher.
Game starting times may not allow for in-field practice. Teams and umpires should
be ready to start play immediately at their scheduled game time. Warm-ups can and
should be done on spaces allocated prior to start of the game.
Intentional Delays: Intentionally delaying a game to achieve a victory through the
time limit is considered unsportsmanlike conduct and will not be tolerated at the THF
Singapore Classic. 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.
WEATHER-RELATED DELAYS:
Weather is often a factor in Singapore but it typically comes and goes quickly. In the
event of rain, we will do everything within our power to stay as close to the game
schedule as possible. However, because of limited field availability, we may have to
deviate from the printed schedule. If and when we need to alter the schedule, we will
use the following procedures/priorities as our guide:
1. Our first priority will always be the safety and well being of our players, coaches,
umpires and spectators. There is a lightning detection system in operation at the
Singapore Sports School. If the siren sounds and/or security receives a lightning
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2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
advisory, ALL PLAY CEASES with immediate effect, and all players, coaches,
umpires and spectators must take shelter under cover until the lightning detection
system is turned off.
Even if the schools’ lightning siren has not sounded, the plate umpire has
discretion to call for a delay of play if he/she feels that lightning is present and
poses a potential danger to players and/or spectators.
It is our goal to ensure that each participating team has the opportunity to play its
minimum 4 games.
We will attempt to maintain the original game schedule as much as possible
We will prioritize the championship game
We reserve the right to alter the format and/or schedule of the tournament in order
to achieve these goals.
Games will continue play in the event of drizzle/moderate rain. The umpire will have
discretion to call for a delay of game if rain is such that it causes a safety concern (ie,
pitchers cannot properly grip the ball, batters cannot properly grip bats, or low
visibility).
A game is considered official after 4 full innings are completed (3 ½ innings if the
home team is leading).
If a weather delay occurs, the officials will stop the running of the game time and ask
the scorekeepers and team managers to agree to the official elapsed time of the game.
 Round-Robin and Play-Off Weather-Related Delays:
 If a game is suspended after it becomes a regulation game (ie, 4 innings or
3 ½ if home team is leading) and the weather delay is such that the game
cannot be resumed at least 20 minutes before the scheduled start of the
subsequent game, it will be considered official at the end of the last
complete inning, even if the game has not lasted at least 110 minutes.
 Games that do not make it to regulation (4 complete innings or 3 ½ if home
team is leading) due to weather will be considered a suspended game and
will be resumed (if possible) from the exact point of suspension (the count
on a batter will resume and runners will be placed back on the bases they
occupied when play was suspended). In such an instance, the following
guidelines apply:
 Umpires will not re-start a suspended game once we are 20 minutes
away from the scheduled start of the subsequent game on that field.
 All suspended games that cannot continue will be allocated a makeup game slot for that day or the following day in order of occurrence
(ie, the first delayed game of the day plays in the first available
make-up slot for that field, then the second and so on).
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 If there are two or more games in line for a field’s make-up slots, each of
those games will be limited to 4 complete innings (3 ½ if the home team is
leading), irrespective of elapsed time or a tied score with a 110 minute
game time limit.
 Special Considerations for Play-Off Round:
 If less than one full inning has been completed at the time of a
weather delay and there is not enough time to resume prior to the
start of the championship game, the higher seed would advance to
the championship game.
 If tied at the end of the last complete inning and there is not enough
time to go into extra inning before the start of the championship
game, the higher seed would advance to the championship game.
 If tied at the end of the last complete inning and the two teams are
the same seed from different divisions entering the game, we will
revert back to tie-breaking system to decide which team will advance
to the championship game
Championship and Consolation Game Weather-Related Delays:
 If the championship and/or consolation game starts and is not able to
complete due to weather and there is no time to resume, the game will be
considered official at the end of the last complete inning.
TIE GAMES IN ROUND-ROBIN PLAY:
Round-robin games can end in a tie. A tie game in round-robin play equals 1⁄2 of a win
and 1⁄2 of a loss for both teams toward their overall record and/or winning percentage.
Therefore, a team that is 2-0-1 would have a winning percentage of .833 and a team that
is 2-1-0 would have a winning percentage of .667. In other words, the 2-0-1 record is
better than the 2-1-0 record.
TIE BREAKER SYSTEM:
2-TEAM TIE BREAKER SYSTEM:
If 2 teams are tied at the completion of round-robin play, follow the list below
until the tie is broken:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Head-to-head results (if applicable)
Least runs allowed (average per games played)
Lowest single game runs allowed
Each subsequent lowest single game runs allowed (2nd lowest for each
team, 3rd lowest, etc)
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5.
6.
7.
8.
Highest average run differential for games played
Highest single game run differential
Each subsequent highest single game run differential
Coin flip
3-TEAM TIE BREAKER SYSTEM:
If 3 (or more) teams are tied with the same record or winning %, use the
following to break the tie:
1. Head-to-head results (only applicable if all of the tied teams played each
other)
 If one team beat all of the other tied teams, they will be the highest
seed of the tied teams
 Continue to use head to head results to seed the rest of the
teams in the tie
 If all tied teams have the same record against each other, then they
are tied at head-to-head and you move to the next item on the list
(least runs allowed)
 If all of the tied teams did not play each other, head-to-head is not
applicable.
2. Continue down the 2-Team Tie Breaker list as stated above
If 2 teams are tied at any one of the criteria, we revert back to the beginning of the
2-Team Tie Breaker system (head-to-head).
3 (or more)-TEAM TIE-BREAKER EXAMPLES:

Team A
2-1
15 runs allowed
Team B
2-1
16 runs allowed
Team C
2-1
16 runs allowed
 Team A beat Team B / Team B beat Team C / Team C beat Team A
 All 3 teams are tied at head-to-head
 Go to next criteria - least runs allowed: Team A is the highest seed of the 3
tied teams
 There now exists a tie between Team B and Team C and since this is now a
2-team tie, we revert back to the beginning of the 2-Team Tie System
(head-to-head) which makes Team B the next highest seed of the 3 teams
since Team B beat Team C.
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
Team A
2
2-1
15 runs allowed
Team B
2-1
16 runs allowed
Team C
2-1
17 runs allowed
 Team A beat Team B / Team B beat Team C / Team C beat Team A
 All 3 teams are tied at head-to-head
 Go to next criteria - least runs allowed: Team A is the highest seed of the 3
tied teams
 Revert to 2-Team Tie-Breaker System, starting with head-to-head results
WINNING %:
If teams play an uneven number of games during round robin play, winning percentage
will be the first tie-breaker used to determine the final seeds. Example: Team (A) goes
4-1 in pool play and finishes with a winning % of .800. Team (B) goes 3-1 in pool play
and finishes with a winning % of .750. Therefore, Team (A) will be seeded higher than
Team (B) due to having a higher winning %.
TIE GAMES IN PLAY-OFF ROUND:
If there is a tie at the end of regulation in a playoff game, the visiting team will start the
top of the next inning with a runner on second base and one out. Each team will begin
their subsequent innings in this fashion, until a winner emerges.
TIE GAME IN CHAMPIONHIP:
If the championship is tied at the end of the 6 th inning, the visiting team will start the top
of the 7th inning with a runner on second base and one out. Each team will begin their
subsequent innings in this fashion, until a winner emerges.
AVOID CONTACT RULE:
Players must attempt to avoid contact with other players in tag-out situations.
A runner is out when the runner does not slide or attempt to get around a fielder who
has the ball and is waiting to make the tag or in the umpires opinion is in the process of
receiving the ball with the intent of making a tag.
If, in an umpire’s judgment, there is intentional contact by a runner, that umpire may
call the runner out on that play or eject the player from the game.
If the contact is judged as intentional and malicious, the umpire must eject the player
from the game. If a player is ejected for this reason, they may face suspension for their
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team’s next game with the possibility of further sanctions as well. The Tournament
Director on-site will make the final ruling on a possible suspension.
If a runner makes a legal slide directly into the base and contact is made with the
fielder, interference will not be called.
A fielder without the ball must yield the right of way to all runners or be subject to an
obstruction call.
 Advancing runners are prohibited from making head first slides, but they are
permitted to return to a base head first.
ON-DECK BATTER:
All on-deck batters must stay behind the current batter on the warning track with a
helmet on.
PITCH COUNTS AND SPECIAL PITCHER-SPECIFIC RULES:
Pitch counts for the tournament are as follows: A pitcher may throw a maximum of
150 pitches for the tournament, and a maximum of 65 pitches per day. If a pitcher
throws 45 or less pitches in a given day, no rest is required and he/she may pitch the
following day. If a pitcher throws 46+ pitches in a given day, he/she is required to take
1 day’s rest from pitching.
 It is the coach’s responsibility to ensure that his/her pitcher’s do not exceed
the limits. We encourage all coaches to confer with the official scorers
throughout and at the end of each game to confirm pitch counts. After each
game, pitch counts for every team will be tabulated and displayed at the
tournament scoring center.
 The scorer shall be responsible for advising the umpire if a pitcher is close
to or at his/her pitching limit, and shall be required to provide the current
pitch count for any pitcher when requested by either manager or the
umpire.
 A failure by the scorekeeper to notify the umpire, and/or a failure of the
umpire to notify a team’s head coach, that a pitcher is nearing his limit
does NOT relieve the head coach of his/her responsibility to remove the
pitcher when that pitcher is no longer eligible to pitch.
 Players who violate the pitch count rules are subject to disqualification
from the tournament.
 Once a pitcher reaches his daily or tournament limit and is in the middle of
facing a batter, the pitcher has these options. (a) he can continue pitching as
long as he has not hit his maximum pitch count for the tournament or (b) he
can continue pitching but will be subject to a day’s rest if he exceeds the
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daily limit of 46 pitches or (c) can remove himself as pitcher (without any
further pitches) to prevent a rest day.
Curve balls: pitchers may throw curve balls.
Intentional Walks: These are allowed, pitches thrown count toward pitch count.
Pitcher’s equipment: Pitchers are allowed to wear a protective helmet or headgear.
The helmet/head gear can’t be glossy nor have anything else on it that can be deemed
distracting to the batter (umpire’s discretion). It is the umpire and tournament director’s
discretion to deem whether any other equipment or clothing that the pitcher is wearing
is distracting to the opposing batter. This includes but is not limited to: Batting gloves,
sunglasses, long sleeves, compression sleeves, athletic tape on wrist/arm, and two-toned
fielder gloves.
MOUND VISITS:
The THF Singapore Classic follows Major League Baseball rules regarding mound
visits. Coaches may visit the mound. If a coach or manager visits the same pitcher
twice in the same inning, the pitcher must be removed from pitching duties for the
remainder of the game. The pitcher is, however, permitted to remain in the game in
another fielding position. Crossing of the foul line into the field is considered a “mound
visit.”
SPECIAL BATTER-SPECIFIC RULES:
A batter is out if:
1) A fair or foul fly ball (other than a foul tip) is legally caught by a fielder;
2) A third strike is legally caught by the catcher;
3) A third strike is not caught by the catcher when first base is occupied before there
are two outs;
4) A third strike is not caught by the catcher when first base is unoccupied but the
batter is tagged or thrown out at first;
5) He/she shows bunt at any time during the pitch and then takes a full swing at the
same pitch (ie, no slap bunts or slash bunt);
6) Bunting foul on a third strike;
7) An Infield Fly is declared by the umpire; or
8) Batting out of turn.
**This is not an exclusive list, but rather specific circumstances that may differ in
the international leagues of many participants are listed here for clarification
purposes.
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 Thrown bats: If the batter throws the bat excessively during their turn at bat, that
batter shall be issued a warning by the umpire. The umpire will note the first warning
for any respective team with the scorer and the coaches. Any subsequent player from
that team that throws the bat excessively while at bat will be called out.
LEADING OFF AND STEALING:
No lead offs are allowed in the 10U age division. A player is allowed to steal only after
the ball has crossed the plate. Enforcement of this stealing rule will be a judgment call
by the Umpires.
MERCY RULE & RUN LIMITS:
The mercy rule for this tournament will be enforced if a team is ahead by the total
number of runs listed below after the completion of the associated innings:
12 runs after 3 innings, 10 runs after 4 innings, or 8 runs after 5 innings.
Example: If the home team is down by 12 runs going in to the bottom of the third
inning, they will be given a chance to decrease the deficit and continue play. If after the
bottom half of this inning, the home team is still down by 12 runs, play will be
suspended.
Per Inning Run Limit
 With the exception of the last inning, all innings will have a 5-run limit. Once
the 5th run of an inning crosses home plate, play ceases and the half-inning is
over.
SLASH BUNT:
A slash bunt (a.k.a ‘butcher boy’) is illegal and the player will be called out if this play
is attempted. A slash bunt is defined as a player showing bunt at any time during the
pitch and then swinging at that same pitch.
BAT RESTRICTIONS:
The 10U division will not be allowed to use big barrel bats. Bats of 2 1/4-inch width or
smaller will be permitted. All bats must be -12 ('drop 12'). This is determined by
calculating the difference between the length and weight of the bat (i.e. 26 inches, 14
ounces would be -12). Nothing with a larger differential will be permitted. However, a
heavier bat may be used (i.e. -10,-8,-5, etc.). All bats must also have the USSSA BPF
1.15 stamp or the BBCOR stamp to be permitted for use in the tournament. Bats with
the Japanese Safety Stamp approving the bats for Japanese play that are still within the
size requirements will also be accepted for use. Additional bats that are within size
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requirements but may not have any of these stamps will be assessed for safety by the
umpires before the start of the game. Any bats that need to be assessed must be shown
to the umpires before the game begins. This will ensure all bats being used are approved
for play and will not delay any time during the game. These bats to be checked for
safety reasons will be determined by the umpire’s discretion.
HOME TEAM DESIGNATION
For round-robin games, home team will be as designated by the tournament schedule
For play-off games, the higher seeded team will be home team. For the consolation and
championship game, home team will be determined by a coin toss.
The home team will use the dugout on the third base line; the visiting team will use the
dugout on the first base line. Upon completion of each game, teams should make
attempts to vacate the dugout as quickly as possible and clear it of all trash.
OFFICIAL SCOREBOOK:
The THF Singapore Classic utilizes Game Changer to score all tournament games. For
each game of the tournament, Game Changer – and the data stored within the
application – will be the official scorebook. Each game will have a designated Scorer,
who will be in charge of operating Game Changer from the start of the game until the
game is completed. The home team is required to supply one Assistant Scorekeeper at
the scoring table to assist with following the game and communicating directly to the
Scorer.
JEWELRY:
In general, jewelry is not permitted during game play. Breakaway nylon necklaces are
allowed (must be breakaway such as Phiten or Monsoon necklaces). Rubber bracelets
that are not a distraction are also permitted. Jewelry worn for medical reasons is also
allowed (in this case, it must be taped to the body). Any item that is deemed unsafe or
distracting (Umpire and/or Tournament Director’s judgment) will not be allowed.
FORFEITS:
Teams participating in this THF 2016 Baseball Classic travel from around the region to
be here. The tournament organizers expect all participating teams to show up on time,
ready to play all scheduled games.
If a team chooses to forfeit a pool play game, they are not eligible for the
championship round and face suspension in future THF Singapore Baseball Classic
tournaments. The final score of the forfeited game will be based on the team giving up a
run per inning for a complete game (e.g. for a 6 inning game the score would be 6-0; for
a 7 inning game the score would be 7-0).
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If a team chooses to forfeit a play-off game, they are no longer eligible for the
championship round and the tournament organizers will attempt to replace them with
the next-eligible team in their bracket if possible.
If a team chooses to forfeit a consolation game, they face suspension in future THF
Singapore Baseball Classic tournaments.
If a game becomes a forfeit after it has started due to a team having less than the
required 9 available players, the official score of that game still follows the guidelines
listed above under time limits no matter what the score was at the time of the forfeit.
PROTESTS:
It is the responsibility of the manager and/or coach of a team to stop the game at the
time of the play and ask for a Tournament Official if they feel that a ruling during a
game is incorrect. A game should never be stopped for umpire judgment calls as those
cannot be protested. Our staff will do everything possible to resolve issues as they
occur. Protests after-the-fact will not be accepted.
Only the designated team manager or coach may approach the umpire to protest a
matter. No other persons, including, but not limited to, team mothers, parents of
players, delegation officials, coaches of other teams, spectators, etc, may enter the field
or protest a matter with the umpire. Infractions of this rule may lead to ejection from
the game and/or the tournament grounds for the duration of that game and/or longer.
EXPECTED BEHAVIOR:
Negative behavior/bad sportsmanship at youth sporting events has become a major
issue. All players, coaches, managers and parents attending the tournament are required
to sign, and abide by, the tournament rules of conduct. Please remember that the games
are for the kids, not the adults, and we expect each adult to set a positive example for
the players through their words and actions.
Everyone that attends a tournament is expected to act in a positive manner, no matter
the outcome of a play, call by an umpire, or the game itself. We simply ask the
following:
Let the players play
Let the coaches coach
Let the umpires umpire
PROPER CHEERING / NOISE MAKERS:
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All individuals (players, coaches, parents, and fans) are expected to cheer in a positive
manner for their own team and never in a negative manner toward the opposing team.
Noise makers are not permitted in the dugouts and if they are used by parents/fans, they
must not cause any sort of distraction to the opposing team. Because the term
“distraction” can be subjective, if an issue arises at a field involving noise makers, then
Tournament staff may mandate that they not be used during moments of game play.
They would only be permitted to be used when the ball is dead or in between innings. If
that stipulation is not followed, the noise makers would be prohibited all together for
that team for the remainder of the tournament.
EJECTION / SUSPENSION POLICY:

the dugout or on the field during a game) that are ejected from a game (either by an
umpire or by a Tournament Official) must leave the facility immediately. The
Tournament Director may also lengthen the suspension to more games or expulsion
from the facility for a period of time.

, they are prohibited from remaining on
the playing field or in the dug-out for the duration of that game. They may remain on
the tournament grounds as long as they cause no further disruption or interference to the
game. They may face further suspension.

Tournament Official), they must leave the facility immediately and will be suspended
for the remainder of that game. They may face further suspension from the tournament
grounds
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