MID-SEASON TOURNAMENT RULES
It is recommended that all coaches are familiar with the Soo Minor Baseball Association Rules and Regulations (Revised June 2024) prior to the commencement of the Mid-Season Tournament. Some of the key rules are outlined and summarized below. These rules and regulations are in effect for all divisions in the Mid-Season Tournament.
SMBA Rules and Regulations (Revised June 2024)
ALL DIVISIONS: (as applicable)
R.13 MID-SESASON TOURNAMENT & PLAYOFF RULES
R.13.1 a) Both the mid-season tournament and playoff tournaments will be double-elimination tournaments. The bracket seeding will be drawn at random prior to each tournament beginning.
b) Home team for each game will be determined via coin flip prior to the start of the game.
c) All games prior to the final or potential final game will follow the SMBA regular season time limit, inning run limit and mercy rules (R.1.12, R.1.13, R1.14, R.1.19).
d) All final or potential final games will play regular season inning run limits but will have no time limit. The full 7 innings (5 innings for 9U) will be played unless a mercy rule is in effect. A game stopped due to weather, darkness or light failure will be resumed at a later date.
e) All games must be played until a winner is declared. Should a game be tied at the completion of 7 innings (5 innings for 9U) or the time limit reached, the following rules shall be in place for an extra inning:
i) International tie-breaker rules to begin each extra inning. Last at bat in prior inning goes on 1st base, the second last at bat on 2nd base with zero outs.
ii) Each extra inning is an open inning.
R.13.2 A forfeited game does not count as a suspended game.
R.13.3 The game shall be resumed from the exact point of suspension. All runners count; on the batter and outs shall be exactly as at point of suspension.
R.13.4 Any player who is absent from the completion of a suspended game shall be removed from the batting order and all other batters will move up 1 spot.
R.13.5 Any player who is absent for the suspended game shall be placed last in the batting order for the continued game.
R.13.6 Any player who has pitched in the suspended game shall not be allowed to pitch in the completion of the game unless the player was the pitcher of record at the time of suspension, and is a legal player.
LENGTH OF GAMES
R.1.12 Seven innings constitutes a regulation game, (5 for 9U). In case a game is called after 4 innings, (3 ½ innings if the home team is leading), it shall be considered an official game. (3 for 9U). In 9U, innings will be limited to 10 batters/inning, with no “open inning”.
In 11U, 13U and 16U, innings will be limited to 5 runs/inning, with only the 7th inning as deemed the “open inning", as declared by the umpire.
In the Open League, there is no inning limit on runs.
R.1.13 (a) In 9U, no new inning shall start after 1 hour and 15 minutes with a curfew of 1 hour and 30 minutes.
In 11U, 13U and 16U, no new inning shall start after 2 hours.
In the Open League, no new inning shall start after 2 hours and 30 minutes.
(b) On the lighted field, for weekday double headers, the first game shall start at 5:45 pm and the second game shall start at 8:30 pm.
For 9U weekly double headers, the first game shall start at 5:45 pm and the second game shall start at 7:30 pm.
R.1.14 A 10 RUN MERCY RULE will apply to all divisions, except 9U. If a team leads by 10 runs after 5 innings, (4 1/2 innings if the home team is leading) it will be considered a complete game. If the teams agree, the remaining 2 innings may be played for fun with no further score kept.
R.1.15 All teams will be given a pool of call-up house league players by the Divisional Directors. Under all circumstances, permission is to be obtained from the coaching staff surrendering the player.
R.1.18 On the days prior to and following the mid‐season tournaments for each specified age group, no games will be scheduled for teams from those divisions. (i.e. blackout the Thursday prior to the mid‐season tournament and the Monday after it for affected teams/divisions)
R.1.19 In 9U and above, when the hitting team has two outs with a runner on base who is scheduled to catch the following half inning, a courtesy runner for the catcher must be sent out to substitute for the catcher. The courtesy runner will be the last player that was called out and the catcher will return to the dugout to begin getting the catcher equipment on.
R.7.12 All 9U games shall be 5 innings with no mercy rule. A 15-run mercy rule will apply during the Mid-Season Tournament and Playoffs. If a team leads by 15 runs after 3 innings (2 1/2 innings if the home team is leading), it will be considered a complete game. If the teams agree, the remaining 2 innings may be played for fun with no further score kept.
R.7.36 There will be a two man umpiring system during the mid-season tournament and playoffs if sufficient umpires are available. Regular season games will only be a one man umpiring system.
SCOREKEEPING
Each team requires an official scorekeeper and is be identified before the start of each game. The winning team is required to get the game sheet signed by a coach and by an umpire. The scorekeepers will confirm the score and the pitchers used in the game.
All scores and pitchers must be reported to the Convener after each game by the winning team.
R.6 PITCHING RULES – ALL DIVISIONS (except 9U)
R6.1 EACH TEAM MUST DEVELOP AND ROTATE A MINIMUM OF 4 PITCHERS.
R6.2 In all cases, pitchers will be charged with the exact number of innings pitched. Any player assuming the pitching position in an inning is charged with an inning pitched.
R.6.3 Managers shall make pitching changes through the plate umpire, and will keep a record of all pitchers’ innings pitched.
R.6.4 In regular season, playoffs, and tournaments in all divisions, no player may pitch more than 4 innings in any 1 game, and no more than 7 innings in any 2 consecutive games. In the event a player pitches 5 or more innings in two consecutive games, he/she may not pitch in their teams’ next game. For playoffs and tournaments innings pitched start at zero. Violation of this rule must be made known to the SMBA executive prior to midnight of game day. If a team is in violation of this rule, they will forfeit the game.
R.6.5 Any pitcher who deliberately throws at a batter shall be suspended indefinitely.
R.6.6 A pitcher once removed from the pitching position, shall not return to pitch in that game.
R.6.7 No call-up player may be allowed to pitch.