RULES & REGULATIONS

TOURNAMENT RULES

The official rulebook for all NPB-sanctioned tournaments. Read carefully before registering — these rules govern eligibility, gameplay, pitching, equipment, and conduct.

ON THIS PAGE

01Game Format 02Player Eligibility 03Pitching 04Equipment 05Game Play 06Tie-Breakers 07Substitutions 08Conduct & Protests 09Weather & Delays 10Brackets & Seeding

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Game Format

Pool play games are 6 innings or a 1 hour 40 minute time limit (whichever comes first). Bracket games are 6 innings with no time limit in the championship.

Game Length6 innings for pool play, 6 innings for bracket play. Championship games have no time limit.

Time Limit1 hour 40 minutes for pool play. No new inning starts after 1:30.

Mercy RuleGame ends if a team leads by 15 after 3 innings or 10 after 4.

Home TeamDetermined by coin flip in pool play. Higher seed is home team in bracket play.

Player Eligibility

Players must meet age requirements as of April 30 of the current tournament year. Birth certificates required at check-in.

Age CutoffPlayers must not have reached the age limit of the division before May 1 of the current year.

Roster SizeMinimum 8 players, no maximum. Rosters frozen 48 hours before first game.

DocumentationOriginal birth certificate and signed waiver required at field check-in.

Pitching

Northeast Premier Baseball does not have specific pitching limitations at our tournaments. The responsibility ultimately lies with coaches and parents to ensure that each player’s health and development is maintained properly.

Equipment

All equipment must meet current league specifications. Illegal equipment results in an out and ejection of the offending player.

Bats8U–12U: All bats must be stamped BPF 1.15 or BBCOR or a USA Bat. Must be a baseball bat — no restriction on weight, length, or barrel size as long as the bat has the BPF 1.15 stamp. Wood bats allowed.

HelmetsBatting helmets required for all batters, on-deck hitters, and base runners.

Catchers GearFull catcher’s gear (mask, throat guard, chest protector, shin guards, cup) required.

CleatsRubber cleats only for 12U and below. Metal cleats permitted in 13U and above.

Game Play

Standard High School rules apply with the following modifications for youth play.

Leadoffs11U and 12U leading off is prohibited. 10U and below — runner may leave when the ball crosses home plate.

BalksOne warning in 11U and 12U. Standard High School rules in 13U and up.

Courtesy RunnerOptional courtesy runner allowed for pitcher and catcher only.

Infield FlyStandard infield fly rule applies in all age divisions.

BuntingThere is no ‘slash bunting’ allowed.

First-to-Third PickoffThere are no first-to-third pickoff moves allowed.

Force Play SlideAny runner is out when he does not legally slide and causes illegal contact and/or legally alters the actions of a fielder in the immediate act of making a play, or on a force play, does not slide in a direct line between the bases. A runner may slide away from the fielder to avoid contact or alter the play of the fielder. Runners are never required to slide, but if a runner elects to slide, the slide must be legal.

Tie-Breakers

When games end tied or pool standings require a tiebreaker, the following order applies.

Extra InningsInternational tie-breaker: runner placed on second base.

Pool Standings1) Wins/Losses, 2) Runs Allowed, 3) Runs Scored, 4) Run Differential, 5) Coin Flip.

ChampionshipInternational tie-breaker, same as above, until a winner is decided.

Substitutions

Free defensive substitution. Re-entry rules apply to the batting order.

Re-EntryStarting players may re-enter once, in their original batting position. Substitutes may not re-enter.

EH / DHExtra Hitter (EH) and Designated Hitter (DH) permitted. Must be declared at the beginning of the game.

Continuous BattingTeams may elect to bat all rostered players in a continuous lineup. Decision is per-game.

Conduct & Protests

NPB enforces a zero-tolerance policy for unsportsmanlike conduct. Coaches are responsible for their team, parents, and spectators.

EjectionsEjected personnel must leave the field complex immediately. One-game minimum suspension.

ProtestsRule interpretation protests only. Must be lodged with the umpire before the next pitch. $100 fee, refunded if upheld.

SportsmanshipTwo unsportsmanlike warnings result in ejection. Coaches are responsible for parent conduct.

Weather & Delays

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 use the following procedures/priorities as our guide.

Minimum GamesOur first priority always will be to make sure that each team plays its minimum number of games. We will try to maintain the original schedule as much as possible. In the event of weather or darkness, it may not be possible to accommodate schedule requests.

Time LimitsThe tournament may be changed to lesser time limits or fewer innings so as to complete the tournament.

One Day EventThe tournament may be changed to a one-day game event.

Official GameAll weather-shortened games are official if 3 complete innings have been played. If the home team is winning, the bottom of the inning does not need to be completed.

Suspended GamesGames stopped by weather issues (if not official) will be considered suspended and finished from that point.

CommunicationCommunication regarding weather and schedule changes will be handled via email to coaches and messages on the Northeast Premier Baseball website.

Refund Policy

Weather-related refund policy for 3-game minimum format (excluding One Day events):

Play no gamesFull credit voucher (good for 1 year)

Play 1 game9U–12U: $350 · 13U–18U: $400 credit voucher (good for 1 year)

Play 2 games$100 credit voucher

See the full Refund & Weather Policies

Brackets & Seeding

Seeding is determined by pool play results. Bracket play is single-elimination unless otherwise noted.

Pool PlayEach team plays 2–3 pool games. All teams advance to bracket play.

SeedingBy win-loss record, then tiebreakers (see Section 06).

Bracket FormatSingle-elimination through finals. Top seed receives bye if applicable.

Game GuaranteeEach team is guaranteed 2 pool games and 1 bracket game.