Section III - Tournament Rules

• Safety Rules
• Tournament Rules & Procedures
• Public Address Announcer Requirements
• Forms
• Tournament Announcer Form
• Tournament Protest Form
• No Show/Forfeit Form

Safety Rules

The following safety rules shall be strictly enforced for all District 52 sponsored tournaments:

• No jewelry (bracelets, necklaces, rings, earrings, etc) or pins (with the exception of Medic-Alert jewelry) are allowed to be worn by a player. Pins on players, managers and coaches’ hats shall be removed.  Medic-Alert bracelets and necklaces shall be covered with skin-colored tape.
• Players who throw a bat, a helmet or any other equipment while on the field shall be removed from the game if in the judgment of the umpire the act was deliberate and intentional.
• In the event of an injury to a player during a play, no one may enter the playing field until the umpire calls “time” or the ball has become dead from other legal causes. The Tournament Director is to make sure that all players stay away from the injured player. No parent is allowed on the field unless called for by the personnel attending to the injured player.
• The plate umpire may allow the lead-off batter out of the dugout with a bat between innings.  In levels of play where the on-deck batter is permitted (Junior, Senior, and Big League), the on-deck batter shall remain in the dugout until the lead-off batter is called to the plate. Base coaches (both adults and/or players) may not leave the dugout for their appropriate position until the pitcher has completed his preparatory pitches.  
• No adult shall warm-up pitchers at any time before, during or after a game. A player shall wear a catcher's helmet and mask with dangling throat guard during pitcher warm-up and infield practice.

Tournament Game Rules & Procedures

The following rules and procedures shall be followed for all District 52 sponsored tournaments:

• Line-up cards shall be made out in quadruplicate (listing ineligible players/pitchers) on a District 52 approved form with a copy given to the official scorekeeper, umpire and other manager. Line-up cards shall be clearly legible and all starters and substitutes and include the players’ jersey number, first and last names, and position, if starting. Managers shall turn in one copy of their completed lineup cards to the Official Scorekeeper at least 35 minutes prior to the start of the game and bring one copy and 2 additional copies to the umpire's plate meeting 5 minutes prior to the game. The lineups are official once they are verified by the plate umpire. Mangers may make changes or correct errors right up to that point.
• All games shall be completed in accordance with the Little League Rule Book. Players shall hustle on and off the field.  Between innings, umpires are directed to allow for six warm-up pitches or one minute (whatever occurs first) between each half-inning. (Remember, by rule, the next half-inning begins as soon as the third out is made!)
• Managers shall not leave the dugout until recognized by the umpire.
• Managers, coaches and players shall not be permitted to leave the field during the game to smoke. Chewing tobacco is not allowed anywhere on or near a Little League field.
• All protests must be resolved before the next pitch or play. No protest shall be considered once the next pitch or play has been made. Umpires may (but are not required to) consult with the Tournament Site Director to assist with a rule interpretation or help resolve a protest. If a problem cannot be resolved, the umpire-in-chief shall suspend the game and refer the problem immediately to the Tournament Site Director who will develop an understanding of the protest and contact the appropriate party.
• The Tournament Site Director will go to make the call regarding the protest.  Both managers may accompany the Tournament Site Director, but will not be allowed to speak during the phone call.

1. 1. The Tournament Site Director will develop a clear understanding of the protest prior to the call and then inform the protest committee of the situation.  
   2. The Tournament Site Director can delegate the phone call to the plate umpire.
   3. Absolutely no more comments shall be accepted from the managers after the decision is rendered and play shall resume immediately.

• Tournament Site Directors should immediate contact the District Administrator whenever a protest situation exists.
• Please complete form included in the end of this section for all protest.  You will be asked this information by Western Region when calling for a ruling on your protest.  Tournament Field Directors are provided with the necessary phone number in their Tournament Book.

1. 1. Western Region will call Williamsport after a ruling has been issued and either manager chooses to continue a protest.
   2. After the protest is resolved, please phone the District Administrator to inform him of the details of the protest and the decision by Western Region or the Tournament Committee in Williamsport.

• Note:  Western Region will only speak to a Tournament Director or Chief Umpire.  Williamsport will only speak to Western Region.
• If a manager, coach or spectator is ejected from a game, the individual shall leave the playing field and the host League's premises immediately. For a player ejection – if there is no parent or guardian in attendance, the player must remain in the dugout in the custody of his manager or coach.
• At the conclusion of All-Star tournament games, the official scorekeepers shall complete the Little League All-Star tournament pitching affidavit in ink. Each team has a separate affidavit.  Umpires do not need to sign scorebooks.

1. 1. Pitching affidavits must be delivered to the tournament director prior to each game and shall be available for review by the opposing manager, upon request, prior to the game.  
   2. If there is a discrepancy between the pitching affidavit and a team’s scorebook prior to or at a subsequent game, the affidavit rules.
   3. Managers must be sure to review their affidavit and resolve any discrepancies through the Tournament Field Director before leaving the game site.

• No cell phones, pagers or other electronic communication devices are permitted on the fields or in the dugouts one the game has started.
• No artificial noise makers are permitted during the games.

Public Address Procedures

Public Address announcers for all District 52 tournaments shall strictly comply with the following procedures.

• All personnel working as public address announcers must remember that each District 52 tournament game is considered to being played at a “neutral site” and that at no time anytime any type of favoritism or other unsportsmanlike or unbecoming behavior is to be exhibited or encouraged by the public address announcer. Every announcer shall use the following procedures for all District 52 tournament games:
• At least thirty minutes prior to the first pitch the public address announcer shall obtain from the official scorekeeper a copy of both of the teams’ line-ups and rosters.
• The public address announcer shall review each player’s name and the proper pronunciation with a coach or manager of the player’s respective team.
• During pregame introductions, the public address announcer shall read the initial welcome (see the Announcer’s form located in this guidebook) and then introduce the Visiting team, either alphabetically by last name or numerically by jersey number, then the manager and coaches.  

1. 1. The announcer shall then introduce the Home team in the same manner.  
   2. The Umpires are then introduced, beginning with the Home Plate umpire, and then followed by 1st Base, 2nd Base, and 3rd Base.

• Once all of the teams and umpires have been introduced, the public address announcer will request that everyone stand for the National Anthem and remain standing for the Little League Pledge.
• Following the conclusion of the Little League Pledge, the public address announcer shall direct the teams back to their respective dugouts and ask that the managers meet with the umpires at home plate. Once the "play ball" signal has been given by the Home Plate umpire, the public address announcer shall announce the name and number of the player that is coming to bat.  AT NO TIME, SHALL THE PUBLIC ADDRESS ANNOUNCER ANNOUNCE THE NAME AND NUMBER OF THE PLAYER WHO SHOULD BE AT BAT. IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT THE PUBLIC ADDRESS ANNOUNCER ONLY ANNOUNCE THE NAME AND NUMBER OF THE PLAYER WHO IS ACTUALLY PHYSICALLY AT BAT.  This is extremely important procedure to follow because games have been lost and won when public address announcers were following their score card and not what was actually happening in the game. This procedure is in accordance with the Little League Rule Book, “The umpire and scorekeeper shall not direct the attention of any persons to the presence in the batter’s box of an improper batter.” (Rule 6.07, Note)
• At no time shall the public address system be used when the ball is in play or about to be pitched.
• All changes, once officially recorded by the official scorekeeper, shall be announced, during an appropriate break in the game, by the public address announcer.
• At the conclusion of each half inning, the Public Address Announcer shall announce the previous pitcher’s cumulative pitch count.

Tournament Forms

• Tournament Announcer Form
• Protest Form
• No Show / Forfeit Form