Game RuleS
Sportsmanship  | Code of Conduct

Sports at the Beach has many years of experience in the youth sports industry and it is our NUMBER ONE PRIORITY that players, coaches & fans experience baseball at it's very best during every SATB tournament. We have a ZERO TOLERANCE POLICY for disrespect to each other, umpires, guests and staff on and off the field. We expect EVERYONE who attends SATB Tournaments to handle themselves in a manner that displays good sportsmanship and sets a good example for every ball player and participating team. We will not tolerate coaches, players or fans acting out or displaying what we consider unsportsmanlike conduct. Such conduct will result in removal from the game and/or the tournament at the discretion of an SATB Tournament director. It is our responsibility to our guests to maintain a fun and positive baseball experience.

Coaches: it is your responsibility to enforce the code of conduct to your players and fans.

Promote good sportsmanship, both on and off the field.

• Any player ejected from a game will be suspended for the next SIX Innings from that point, likely carrying over into the next game. For example: Ejected in the 4th Inning of Game 1, the Player sits for innings 5, 6, and 7 of Game 1 plus innings 1, 2, and 3 of of the next game. Extra innings count toward meeting the suspension requirement. If by chance the player does not sit the required six innings the player will be removed at the time it is brought to the umpire's attention and an additional 3 innings will be added the suspension. Please note that the Director will have final say on all suspensions. 
• Any coach or fan ejected from a game will also be suspended for the next SIX Innings from that point, including those that carry over into the next game. 
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Sports at the Beach has final say on appropriate and inappropriate behavior.

Coaches, please remind your players to respect the upkeep and beauty of the baseball fields and facilities at Sports at the Beach. 

Please Note: These rules are not all inclusive.

Common sense should be used at all times: Violations of these Rules may lead to team or individual suspension from tournament play and/or park activities. Parents and family guests of Sports at the Beach assume all risk and danger of personal injury, losses, damages to person or property and all hazards arising from or related in any way to, the events at Sports at the Beach that they are attending.  Sports at the Beach management reserves the right to refuse admission or eject any person whose conduct is deemed by management to be disorderly or who fails to comply with the rules and regulations of Sports at the Beach. 

Official Baseball Tournament Rules

Any rule not covered will convert to American League Major League Rule Book.

Game Times

The start and end of games will be determined by the following procedure. Sports at the Beach employs a Fairness Rule as outlined below.

Start of Game 

Bocce Ball (Courtesy of Ed Bradford) determines Home and Visitors for all Pool Games. Once Seed is determined, Top Seed will have choice of Visitor or Home. A team may start with 6 players and add the remaining players at any time. The spot(s) missing in the batting order will be an out(s). 

End of Game 

Pool Play games may end in a TIE after the time limit is reached. However, all single elimination games, including the Championship game, must have a winner. All extra innings games, or when Time Limit is reached in Single Elimination, will use the following rule: The new inning(s) will be started with Bases Loaded, utilizing the last 3 batters from the previous inning as the runners. Pool Play games must be within the time limit to continue using this rule. ALL GAMES that go to EXTRA INNINGS or reach the Time Limit will start with BASES LOADED. If a mistake is made by not starting with bases loaded, proceed without. 

Fairness Rule

One run will be added to the winning team for purposes of Runs Allowed/Runs Scored in Pool Play. Ex. Extra Inning starts tied at 5 to 5 and the visiting teams scores 5 and the home team scores 4; the winner is the visitor, but the final score is 6-5 visitor for Pool Play. It is not fair to either team to tack on runs when we start the inning or innings with the bases loaded. 

Time Limit

During Weekend Tournaments, there is a 2:00 time limit (unless altered by weather) on all games except the Championship Game. No new inning may start after 2:00. In the Spring and Fall we may go to 1:50 minute games depending on the size of the tournament. For the purpose of determining if a new inning may start, the time is determined at the time of the last out in the bottom of the inning. All games should stop in the bottom of the inning if the Home Team is winning when the time runs out, meaning that the visiting team will not be able to bat. In the event that for some reason, play continues (ie. umpire is unaware of score or time), all runs added to the score will count. 

Mercy Rule 

Regardless of age, fifteen (15) runs after three innings, ten (10) runs after four innings and eight (8) runs after five innings. Home team does not bat if ahead by Mercy. Home team will bat if visiting team goes ahead in top of Mercy inning. 

Dugout 

All dugout selection is based upon a first come first serve basis; any disputes will be determined by tournament director. 

Official Roster

Team rosters are weekend to weekend rosters and may be changed from week to week at the discretion of the organization. Once a team has started a tournament, players may be added to their roster, provided the player is of legal age (legal age is based on age as of April 30th) and has not played for another team of the same age bracket during said tournament.

PENALTY: An ineligible player, due to roster rules, shall be removed from the game at the time of notification. There will be NO FORFEITS because of an ineligible player. A substitute may replace the ineligible player if one is available, otherwise an automatic out will take place in the same manner as an injured player. No new players can be added to the roster once Single-Elimination has been begun. 

Age Determination

The Sports at the Beach age/division determination runs from September 1 through August 31 the following calendar year. ( On September 1st of every year your team moves up to the next age division.

For example: If you played 12U in the summer - you would play 13U as of September 1st. 

Sports at the Beach determines the age of a player by an April 30th cutoff. 

Tournament Season Runs September 1, 2023 through August 31, 2024

The age of the player is determined by their age on April 30th, 2024.

Please note: Sports at the Beach has not changed age determination and is currently NOT following Little League New Age Determination. 

Protests 

No protest will be allowed for judgment calls. Protests will be allowed for rules only and must be decided before restart of play. A $200.00 payment must accompany protest and will be returned if protest is upheld. A Protest is only “Official” if accompanied with a $200.00 fee and done before the next pitch. This same fee will apply for protests of age and Birth Certificates. 

International Team Age Rule 

The tournament director has the discretion to allow each Country to use their age dates in determining the age of the participants. Example: Some countries use January 1 to determine their age for the season. 

Determining Starting Line-up 

We want to let the Coach play as many players as he/she wants. The only information needed regarding a "Starting Lineup" is the number of batters. We do not care who plays in the field. 

Offensive 

Team may bat 9 players, the entire lineup, or in-between. Once the number of batters is determined, it must remain for the entire game. An injury or ejection will result in an automatic out if a substitute is not available. A substitute is anyone not placed in the batting order. Once a substitution bats or runs for a player, the sub and the original starter are locked into that batting position and either one may bat or run in that position ONLY. 

Defensive 

Any player on the roster may play in any defensive position at any time, regardless of being in the batting order. For example - A team may have 18 players: Bat 9 of them and play the other 9 in the field. No one player in a game can assume more than one offensive position. 

Pitching Restrictions 

There are no pitching restrictions; pitching is coach's discretion. 

Second visit to the mound per inning will result in removal of pitcher. Once a pitcher is removed from the mound, they may re-enter and pitch after one batter (an inherited batter is considered one batter) is pitched to regardless of whether they left the field or not. Basically. the old MLB mound visit resrictions, not the current visit rules. We leave this discretion to the coach, but we strongly recommend the USA pitching guidelines. Everyone is competitive by nature, but please keep in mind the health and career of the player and no game is as important as the player remaining healthy. 

Balks Dead Ball

• No Warnings. The fake to third is not allowed; the new rule for Third Base is the same exact rule for First Base. 
  

Cleat Restrictions 

• 9U -12U divisions: Rubber Cleats only 
  
• 13U and over: No restrictions 
  

Bat Restrictions 

• 8 thru 13U division: No Restrictions 
  
• 14U division -3 BBCOR bats will be required 
  
• 15/16U division: Wood Bats only (wood composite bats are acceptable) 
  
• 17 & Over division: Wood Bats only (wood composite bats are acceptable) 

In the 15/16U and 17 & Over divisions, wood bats only; however, wood composite bats are acceptable.

Wood composite bats are considered to be a composite handle (i.e. bamboo, birch, etc.) and wood barrel. All composite bats must be inspected and approved by the Tournament Director. If you have any suspicion that your bat does not meet this requirement, please leave it home. 

Altered or illegal bats will be removed and player may be ejected. 

• Designated Hitter 
• NONE. Offensive rule takes care of Designated Hitter. 
  
• Courtesy Runner  NONE 
  
• Avoid Contact Rule A player may not intentionally run over anyone at any time or place on the field. (Umpire's discretion.) 
  
• Head First Slide Permitted at all bases.
  
• Intentional Walk Pitches do NOT need to be thrown for an intentional walk.
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Umpires

SATB will be using Single-umpires for 12 U & younger games regardless of Pool Play or Single-Elimination. We will use 2 umpires for all Championship Games! We will also use Single umpires for Consolation Games. The last 3-years have been a struggle to find umpires (issue across the country)so we have decided to go with single umpires. It is not ideal, but it is fair for both sides.

Official Game 

All Pool Play games played at Sports at the Beach are Official at the end of one (1) complete inning (same rules as if it were a 4-inning complete game) regardless of age or reason for the stoppage (weather, darkness, etc) This ruling is in place due to weather or darkness and to determine standings for Single-Elimination. All Single-Elimination games including Championship are complete after 3 innings.

Determining the Winner 

All tournaments will have a Championship Game if possible. In the event of cancellation of a tournament due to weather, a tournament must have two complete games to be Official; we will determine a winner and appropriate finishes based on the following procedure: 

In the event that Pool Play has concluded and Single-Elimination has started and we are unable to finish the tournament (usually rain), the places are determined in the following manner: 

All teams eliminated in Single-Elimination are eliminated and we proceed to the highest remaining Seeds left standing. The Tie-Breaker system has already determined seeds from the previous day and that is how we will determine a winner. The games played during Single-Elimination have NO BEARING on the final outcome as far as runs allowed, won-lost record and so forth. Games played during Single-Elimination can only eliminate a team. EX. Seed 1 may have played and won while giving up 5 runs and Seed 2 may have played and gave up 0 runs, therefore giving up less runs for the tournament. This IS NOT a factor in determining a winner. The highest seed left standing from Pool Play will be the winner and so forth. 

Tie Breakers 

Two Way Tie 

• Head-to-Head (ONLY applies when 2 teams are tied) 
  
• Lowest average runs allowed per game played (if head-to-head, does not apply) 
  
• Highest average runs scored per game played 
  
• The team that registered for the tournament first will win the tie breaker (We realize that a coin flip would usually take place, but this is easier due to coaches being in different places). Please be clear if your team is involved in a Tie with 3 or more teams that head to Head does not matter unless your team beat both teams. 

Three Way Tie or More 

• Lowest average runs allowed in All Pool Games will determine highest seed, if still tied the Highest Average runs scored will be used and if teams are still Tied then the team that *registered first will win the Tie-Breaker. Exception: If one team beats ALL teams involved, they are the top seed.
  
• *The Tournament Director has final decision when making adjustments to schedule due to game delays or cancellations. 
  

Seeds 

We will be using many different formats during the course of the season. The schedule will show what format we are using for each tournament. The website is real time. As soon as a score is entered in the system, the website updates the standings and brackets. 

Determining seeds from Pool Play when all teams do not play an equal amount of games: We will take win-loss percentage and the average of runs allowed determining seeds. 

There is a possibility that a team does not play all of their Pool Game due to weather or other circumstances, in this case that team and their opponent will be given a tie for purpose of determining seeds. This will only be used when a team or teams have not played all of their Pool Play games. We realize that this could result in an outcome that would seem unfair to someone, under the circumstances we have no other choice. In the event that all games are canceled for Pool Play, we record all Pool Play games as a tie for purposes of seeding for single elimination play. The seeds will now be determined by order of registration, in the event that part of the age group has completed at least 1 of their pool play games and some of the age group has not played any games.

In the event that this puts a team into the consolation bracket, we will make every effort to eliminate the consolation bracket when possible. Refund policy will come into effect at the conclusion of the tournament. 

8U Rules & 9U "No Leads" 

• LEADS - 8U No Leads | 9U- No Leads unless specified as an option for select tournaments 
• STEALING - ALLOWED (all Bases) after the ball crosses plate; leaving early will result in dead ball and an automatic out 
• BUNTS - ALLOWED 
• BALKS - No Balks will be called 
• DROPPED 3RD STRIKES - Batter is Out 
• PITCHING DISTANCE - 42 feet for 8 U & 44 feet for 9 U 
• BASES - 70 feet 
• Basic Little League rules apply - any discrepancies will be handled on a case by case basis by the Tournament Director. 

7U Rules

COACH PITCH - No balls and strikes-3 swings and misses will result in an out-a fielder may position him or herself in the area of the coach pitching, but not in front.

LEADS - NO LEADS

10 Fielders are Allowed 

Runs per Inning: 5 Runs per inning until the last. No Limit on Runs in the Sixth Inning. 

STEALING - Not Allowed-Leaving early (before pitch reaches batter) is a Dead Ball and an OUT

BUNTS - NOT ALLOWED 

BALKS - No Balks will be called 

DROPPED 3RD STRIKES - Batter is Out 

BASES - 70 feet 

Basic Little League rules apply - any discrepancies will be handled on a case by case basis by the Tournament Director.

 ALL DECISIONS REGARDING TOURNAMENT RULES ARE MADE FINAL BY TOURNAMENT DIRECTOR