MYBA 2023 Tournament Rules

Park Address: Westwood Park 2150 Veterans Rd. Morton, IL 61550

Visit the Tournament Central area for questions, information, or any other needs throughout the tournament.

For weather updates please check our website at www.mortonyouthbaseball.org or our Facebook page 

*General Tournament Information*

The MYBA (Morton Youth Baseball Association) is hosting this tournament at the Westwood Park Complex on Veterans Road in Morton, Illinois. The complex has eight fields total, six of which have grass infields. The facility also has bathrooms, drinking fountains, a pavilion, playground equipment, two batting cages (one indoor), and a concession stand featuring a wide variety of food and snack items. We will also be grilling throughout the entire tournament. NO DOGS ALLOWED (except service dogs) in the Park, per Morton Park District Rules.

Each team will play a minimum of three games unless weather or unforeseen circumstances forces changes to the tournament schedule. MYBA will award individual trophies for 1st and 2nd place. In some cases we may elect to form a consolation bracket depending on number of teams.

We will not be charging a gate fee for the tournament. We will have a full service concession stand, so please no food, beverage, or coolers allowed in the complex. The players can bring individual jugs of water for their own use. Please comply with these rules. All money made on this tournament will go back into the complex and youth baseball.  

*Facility Rules*

• Please park in the designated parking lot located at the end of the driveway at the East end of the facility. Please do not park along the driveway on the east, in posted areas, or along Veterans Road. If you have a special needs parking request or need special assistance please notify us in advance or see a tournament official.
• We have limited bleacher seating. Please bring lawn chairs for your convenience.

• Please do not hit or play soft toss on the grass in the outfield. We also prohibit any soft toss being hit into any facility fence. 
• Pre-game infield practice is prohibited.
• Please pick up the dugout after each game.  Parents, grandparents, relatives, and fans:  Please pick up your general area after each game. Please throw your trash away in one of the many trash receptacles located throughout the facility and in the parking lot when leaving. Thanks in advance!

PLEASE NO COOLERS OR FOOD BROUGHT INTO THE PARK.  ALL CONCESSION PROCEEDS ARE RETAINED FOR PARK MAINTENANCE AND TOURNAMENT EXPENSES.  YOUR PATRONAGE IS GREATLY APPRECIATED. DUE TO ABUSE OF THIS POLICY IN PAST YEARS WE ARE IMPLEMENTING THE FOLLOWING PROCEDURES:

• 1^st offense is a warning to the team’s Head Coach. The Coach will have to handle the problem to the MYBA’s satisfaction before play can start.
• 2^nd offense will cause the team to forfeit the next game in the tournament
• 3^rd offense, the team will forfeit all games played in the tournament and will be asked to leave the facility. 

* Tournament Rules *

• We will follow the National Federation of State High School Associations Baseball Rules (NFHS) with tournament exceptions as listed below. Rule modifications during the tournament will be at the Tournament Directors discretion.  
•  
• The 12U division base length will be 70’ and pitching will be 48’
• The 13U division base lengths will be 80’ and pitching will be 54'
• The 14U division base lengths will be 90’ and pitching will be 60.5'
• We will be using the EH not the DH. If a team elects to start the game with an extra hitter (EH) the team must use a 10 player line-up   throughout the game. If, due to injury the 10 player line-up cannot be maintained by substitution then an out will be recorded when the EH is scheduled to bat.  
• A team can elect to bat the entire lineup as well if they so choose.  If a 9 or 10 (EH) boy roster is submitted then normal baseball re-entry rules apply.
• Time Limits:
  • 90 minute time limit for U9-U12 and 100 minute time limit for U13/U14.
  •  If a game gets within 10 minutes of the time limit, then the game must be within 8 runs to start a new inning.
  • The home plate umpire will keep the official time and call it out at the beginning of the game. No inning will start after said time limit expires.
  • Time starts for the next inning upon the last out at the bottom of the just completed inning. 
  • In pool/preliminary round play, if the game is tied at the end of regular innings and there is still time left, the game will continue until the game is won OR the time runs out.  At the end of the time limit, a maximum of 1 extra inning will be played. If the game is still tied after the 1 extra inning, a winner will be determined by the following tie breakers; (1) number of walks allowed, (2) number of walks allowed through 3 innings, (3) coin flip,
  • In the championship tournament final, after the time limit expires, we will continue with extra innings until the game is won.
  • We have a lot of games to get in over the weekend so the umpires are asked to help keep the games moving.  Any perceived stalling / delays will be handled by the umpires at their discretion.
• Innings:
  • ​Pool play/preliminary rounds:
    • U9-U14 division will play 6 innings.
  • In the championship tournament final:
    • The games will be 6 innings or 110 minute time limit, whichever comes first for U9-U12.
    • The games will be 7 innings or 120 minute tme limit, whichever comes first for U13-U14.
• Courtesy runners for the catcher or pitcher are allowed any time. Have the catcher ready to go at the start of the inning. Courtesy runner must be someone not currently or previously in the game. If all players have been used, the last out from the previous inning will be the courtesy runner. No single individual player can courtesy run more than once in an inning.
• Run Rule: U9/U12- 15 after 3, 10 after 4, and 8 after 5. U13-U14 15 after 4,10 after 5, and 8 after 6 
• The game is official after 4 innings if called because of weather. If called before that it will be considered a suspended game and play will resume at that point.
• Have teams warmed up and ready to go at listed game time. No Infield will be allowed.
• Dugout determination -1^st team listed on the pool play / preliminary round game schedule will have the 3^rd base dugout. During the tournament round, the higher seed will have the 3^rd base dugout.
• Home Team determination - Per schedule or flip before the game will determine home/visitor in the pool play rounds. The team with the higher seed will have the home team designation during the Championship Tournament.
• Runners must slide to avoid excessive contact in umpire’s complete discretion.
• Warm up pitches -8 warm up pitches before the game and when a new pitcher comes into the game. 5 pitches between innings.
• Pitchers innings - Will not keep track or specify a limit on innings pitched. Coaches are responsible for using good judgment and not overusing a young pitcher
• Balks/Walks/Other. No balk warnings for the U-13/14 division.  One balk warning per pitcher for the U-11/12 in Pool Play.  No balk warnings for U-11/12 in bracket play. U-11- U14 are allowed to lead off. For U-9/10 there are no lead offs until the pitched ball crosses home plate, and no balks, no infield fly, no dropped third strike.  In U-9/10 if a runner departs early from the bag it will be the umpire’s discretion to call the runner out or not. 
• The home team is responsible for filling out a game report form at the end of each of game. The score and each coaches signature must be on the form. Please give the filled out form to the Field Umpire who will take it to the Information Tent for posting.    
• Seeding / Tie Breakers – All teams will be seeded after the completion of Pool Play and will advance into the single elimination Championship Bracket Tournament OR Consolation Bracket on Saturday / Sunday. The following rules will be used to determine seeding after Pool Play: 
• Record in Pool Play
• Fewest runs allowed in Pool Play
• Most runs scored in Pool Play
• Head-to-Head
• Coin flip

For Round Robin Tournaments, the following rules will be used to determine standings/ranking:

• Overall Record
• Head to Head
• Fewest runs allowed
• Most runs scored
• Coin flip

• Umpires rulings are final. No protests. Please support the umpires.   
• Anyone ejected will not be permitted on the premise during the continuation of the game ejected as well as the next game played  .
• Baseballs will be provided by MYBA for each game with the exception of the ask from the tournament director to bring the pre-determined amount of baseballs. Umpires will pick up and return baseballs to the Information Tent.
• Each team must have birth certificates for each player on the roster. April 30 is the cut-off date for age in each division. All managers
    must make player birth certificates immediately available upon request by any tournament director or official.  ***Note:  MYBA follows USSSA age restrictions for tournaments.***
• Steel Cleats - NO STEEL CLEATS are allowed for U-9, U-10, U-11, and U-12. Steel cleats are allowed for U-13 and U-14.
• Maximum of 3 coaches allowed on the field.                    
• Substitutions - Starters may re-enter one time in their original batting position if batting 9. Substitutes removed from a game are ineligible    to return. All substitutions shall be reported to the home plate umpire, who will inform scorekeepers. 
• The MYBA reserves the right to alter the format of the tournament due to weather or other unforeseen circumstances. 
   

   Bat Regulations:

    - U11/U12 and U13/U14: No length/weight restrictions or barrel limitations. All bats must be stamped with a USSSA, USA, or BBCOR label. 

Refund Policy: If only 1 game is played, 50% refund will be applied.  If 2 games are played, 25% refund will be applied.  If 3 or more games are played, no refund will be applied.

Batting Cages

Outdoor Cages

There is one outdoor batting cage with two lanes.  The outdoor batting cage may be used on a “first come, first serve” basis. Please cooperate with other teams so that all teams have an opportunity to use the batting cages. Only coaches may feed balls. Only one player is allowed in the cage at a time. Balls are to be provided by teams using the cages. Please use caution while using the cages.

Indoor cages are off limits.