EVENT DETAILS

Thank you for choosing Play It Forward Sportz and USSSA.  Below you will find a series of information that will assist you in preparing for your upcoming tournament.  There is a significant amount of information but please read through it to answer all your questions about your tournament.  We pride ourselves on communication and hope that you find everything you need in this document.  If, after reading through the information, you still have questions please do not hesitate to contact us.

This document contains a list of general information rules for each USSSA Play it Forward Sportz tournament hosted by Lori Strode.  This information will apply to most of the tournaments and should be a guide for preparing for the event.  If your event is different from any of the information listed below, coaches will be notified via email.

Please reference the Event Info tab for complex maps & our Zero Tolerance Policy

PAYMENT:

Only teams who are registered and paid will show as approved. If your team has a pending status, you are not guaranteed a spot.

Payment deadline is the “last day to enter” date on the public website.

If, at any time, a team on the waiting list pays before a team in the actual event, the team on the waiting list will be moved into the actual event.  The last, unpaid, team to enter the event will be moved to the waiting list.

Teams are now required to pay their entry fees online via the USSSA website. No other form of payment will be accepted.

WHAT TO EXPECT AND WHAT INFO YOU NEED TO SUBMIT:

COACHES NEED TO SUBMIT THE FOLLOWING

• PAYMENT OF TOURNAMENT FEES – your spot is not secure until payment is received!
• EMAIL A COPY OF YOUR INSURANCE (only required for NON USSSA insurance holders)
• ENTER ROSTER ONLINE

Our goal is to bring you a well-organized, enjoyable, safe event.  We all know that games get delayed for various reasons but please stress the following to your teams:

1. Be at the field, ready to play 20 minutes prior to game time to avoid forfeit. The first game of the day will begin when both teams are ready but no earlier than 5 minutes prior to game time if teams aren’t ready before.

2. When you leave the field/dugout after a game, do so quickly.

3. Complete most of your warmup in between games. This includes pitchers who are not in the game (if you are playing back-to-back).  Please warm them up during the game when able.

4. The umpires will be instructed to keep the games moving, please do not delay or get upset with them. If you have an issue, please bring it to the Tournament/Site Director or UIC.

5. Copies of birth certificates must be available for inspection, in the event a player on your team is protested.

6. Divisions and/or classes may be combined if there are not enough teams to fill up a division. Example 9U and 10U or 12A and 12B may be combined.

7. You will receive a computer-generated email from USSSA with the pool schedule and brackets. This email is generated and sent to everyone in the tournament with an email address (players and coaches). You will receive the email no later than Wednesday prior to your event.

8. Download the USSSA App to see schedules, rosters, teams. The app will be used to communicate event information such as weather updates, delays, etc… This is how teams, parents and spectators will be informed, please ensure everyone is aware of the USSSA App and downloads it to their mobile device.

9. Pool games will be seven innings or 70-minute finish the inning. Pool games can end in a tie. Bracket games will be seven innings or 75-minute finish the inning.  If tied at the end of 7 innings or time expires, International Tie Breaker will be used to determine a winner. During bracket play, the higher seed is home.  Run rules are in effect throughout the event (pool, bracket international tie breaker).

10. Bracket Play will be seeded by pool play. The format of the event is 4 pool, single elimination unless otherwise stated on the event page.

RULES:

USSSA rules will apply.  If you do not have a hard copy of the USSSA rule book, please ask one of our staff to assist you and provide you with one.  There is a digital copy on the USSSA website. The rule book is only printed every two years, the online version is the most up-to-date version.

1. This is a variation from the USSSA Rule Book: If an International Tie Breaker is required: 1st inning, Runner on second, no outs. 2nd inning, until a winner is determined, runners on second and third, no outs.

2. Teams can bat their roster in pool play or bracket play. It is the coach’s responsibility to submit a lineup card to the home plate umpire prior to each game. Lineup cards MUST have first name, last name, uniform number, and position.

3. If a team chooses to bat their roster and a player is injured, they will be required to take an out every time the injured player’s spot comes up in the batting order.

4. Courtesy Runners can be used at every at bat for the Pitcher and Catcher.

• Courtesy Runners are not tied to a player (pitcher or catcher)
• Courtesy Runners must be a substitute first. If the team doesn’t have a substitute, then the runner will be the last completed at bat.
  • To determine the last completed at bat, go up the line up until you find a player who is not a pitcher, not a catcher, not on base and has not already been used in the half inning for the opposite position you are courtesy running for.
    • For example: If your pitcher gets on base and she is batting 7th then ask yourself where is number 6? If number 6 is on base you skip her. Where is number 5? If number 5 is the catcher, you skip her. Where is number 4? Number 4 is in the dugout. Number 4 in the batting order is your courtesy runner. “Climb the ladder, from the batter!”
  • The same Courtesy Runner cannot be used for both the pitcher and the catcher in the same half inning.
  • If an incorrect courtesy runner is discovered on base, while the ball is live, the runner will be out and the Head coach will be issued a warning.

ROSTERS:

1. Please understand that we do not require (OR ACCEPT) hard copy rosters

2. All players must be on your permanent roster or listed as a guest player on your roster.

3. Your roster must be online, and that roster is your official roster!

• If at any time during the tournament a player on your team is called into question and the player is not on your online roster, your team will be ejected from the tournament, as per the rule book.
• Other teams can see if your roster is online and which players are online, this is intentional for the purpose of transparency for all teams. For this reason, there is no negotiating this policy.  I will not make exceptions for any team.  If your roster is not posted online or your roster doesn’t have a player on it who is playing in the event, your TEAM will be forced to forfeit the game they are playing and will be ejected from the tournament. No placing, points or awards will be issued, regardless of how far you advanced in the tournament.
• When you are looking at a team’s roster, make sure you are looking at their roster for the tournament you are playing in. When you look at a team roster online, you are more than likely looking at their permanent roster.  To see guest players, you must click the drop-down menu at the top of the roster and select the tournament you are playing in to see their official roster for the event. Guest players will appear at the bottom of the roster.

GUEST PLAYERS:

1. All guest players must be entered no later than 4 hours prior to the start of the tournament (the first game of the event, NOT YOUR FIRST GAME). I cannot fix, override, or adjust your roster or this process after that time, so please make sure the deadline is met.

• Some things to keep in mind:
  • Players can only be on one USSSA PERMANENT ROSTER
  • There is no limit to the number of times a player can be used as a GUEST PLAYER.
  • To add a player as a Guest Player, they must be on a USSSA roster.
  • If you are using a Guest Player from a team who is playing in a USSSA tournament the same weekend you are using their player, they must deactivate the player from their roster for the other team to pick her up.
    • For Example: Sally is on Heat’s permanent roster but is being used as a guest player for Fire. Heat is playing in a USSSA event in Springfield and Fire is playing in a USSSA event in O’Fallon.  Heat must deactivate Sally for the weekend so Fire can add her as a guest player for the weekend. After the weekend is over, Sally will be available.

2. For a complete overview of the Guest player system to include who can guest play where, go to https://www.usssa.com/docs/2019/guest_player_guidelines.pdf

WEATHER:

1. In the event of a weather delay the Tournament Director will post updates to all users subscribed to the USSSA App. I strongly encourage coaches, parents, players, and fans to DOWNLOAD THE USSSA APP! Ultimately it is the responsibility of the Head Coach to stay in contact with the Tournament Director during a delay.
2. Lightning delays will be 30 minutes from the last known/seen strike and updates will be provided via the USSSA App. Please exit the complex to your vehicles or find appropriate shelter under a pavilion.  Players are not allowed to remain on the field, in dugouts or in batting cages during a lightning delay.

REFUNDS:

1. REFUND POLICY: No refunds will be issued after the tournament deadline. Any team who drops after the tournament deadline or after the schedule is published (whichever comes first) will not receive a refund for their registration fee. The payment deadline, when looking at the tournament website, is the same day as “last day to enter.”
2. There may be occasions when deadlines are moved up (if the event is full). This information will be communicated to the team representative via email. If a tournament is cancelled prior to the start date (not due to weather), by Play it Forward Sportz:
   1. In the event of a weather cancelled game, games will be deemed complete based on the USSSA Rulebook (Rule 4, Sect 6, C, 1 &2).  Basically, games can be deemed official after 2 1/2 innings of play (with home team winning) or 45 minutes of elapsed game time.
   2. Teams will receive a prorated refund based on the number of games played less than the game guarantee.
   3. Refunds will be issued for entry fee only. Gate fees (typically $210 of the cost of the event) will not be refunded.
   4. The only exception to this is 7 in the Spring. There will be a $75 administrative fee held
3. There are events (7 in the Spring and Battle for the Bling) that, due to the size of the event, have much earlier deadlines established.

GENERAL TOURNAMENT INFORMATION:

1. Teams must use the official USSSA softball. Play It Forward Sportz will supply all softballs for your event.

2. Teams must have the USSSA “thumbprint” on all bats. BLUE GHOST AND SUNCOAST BACKLASH bats are not allowed in USSSA If the batter enters the batter’s box with either of these bats or any other illegal bat, the player will be ejected from the game.  In addition, the Head coach will be ejected for the remainder of that game and the next game.

3. No buckets on the field

4. No warming up from the opposite on-deck batting circle

5. Old BLUE GHOST AND old SUNCOAST BACKLASH bats are not allowed. If a player steps into the batter’s box with either of these bats, she will be ejected, and the head coach will be ejected for the remainder of that game and the next game.

6. Umpires are responsible for managing the game, coaches are responsible for managing their players, themselves, and their fans. If a fan is warned, a coach is warned.  If a fan is ejected, a coach is given a bench restriction.

7. Any coach who is ejected from a game will be ejected from the next game as well, NO EXCEPTIONS!

8. Please reference our Zero Tolerance Policy, located on the event page, and share with parents and spectators. Any bashing, berating, or belittling of an official, a player, a coach, tournament staff or other fans will result in the offender being removed from the complex. Blatant unsportsmanlike conduct from coaches, spectators, or players is cause for immediate ejection. This includes a pattern of unsportsmanlike conduct over the course of a tournament. Meaning, you may receive a warning and a bench restriction in one game but if the behavior continues in subsequent games, you will be ejected without a warning or a restriction. Offenses of blatant unsportsmanlike conduct include, but are not limited to kicking a bucket, throwing a bat, a helmet, or a chair, grabbing a player, taunting/mocking players, or the use of threating language to a player, coach, umpire, staff member or fan. This is a game; these are young athletes! Please be understanding, patient and most of all KIND!

9. Protest fee is $100 cash and is refundable only if the protest is upheld by the Tournament Director. All protests must be communicated to the Homeplate Umpire by the Head Coach.

10. TIES: If teams are tied going into bracket play teams will be seeded in the bracket or awarded placement by the following: (Once past a tie breaker do not return to previous tie breaker)

• Winning Percentage – Descending
• Tied Teams (vs. each other) Winning Pct – Descending (Not valid if all tied teams have not played each other)
• Average Runs Allowed – Ascending
• Average Run Differential with a maximum of 8 – Descending
• Ranking Points – Descending
• Date Team Entered USSSA Database

11. Ties in bracket games will be decided by using the international tie breaker (after time limit or in the eighth inning). See “Game Times” above.

12. Our events ARE NOT Stay to Play Events.

13. Addresses to the parks can be found in the Venue tab on the tournament page or on the USSSA App. If you are entered in an event with multiple complexes, this page will typically identify where each division is playing.  If divisions are not specifically annotated, it is because the registration is not complete, and venues have not been determined.  Check back periodically, but the venues will be decided no later than 30 days prior to an event to provide time to make hotel reservations.

14. Edwardsville and O’Fallon complexes are TURF – No METAL cleats. Molded cleats, turf or tennis shoes are allowed.

15. Please refer to the Park’s website for their policy on overnight parking for RV’s

16. Please reference the Park’s website for their policy on pets on the property.
    • Edwardsville, O’Fallon and Caseyville, do not allow pets.
    • Cape Girardeau, Perryville, Mascoutah, Murphysboro, and Sesser are very pet friendly.

17. Most complexes allow one team drink cooler.

18. Cape Girardeau strictly prohibits outside food.

19. I will do my best to accommodate your requests, please understand if you enter an event scheduled for Friday-Sunday, you can expect to play on Friday. If you are unable to play on Friday, you may be required to forfeit a pool game.

T-SHIRTS:

1. Pre-order t-shirts to receive a discount: https://www.playitforwardsportz.com/shop
2. $1 of every T-shirt purchase will be donated to the charity associated with the tournament.
3. After T-shirts are purchased, refunds will only be granted if your team’s division doesn’t make. All other sales are final. If the tournament is rained out prior to the start date, shirts will be mailed to your head coach for distribution.  All T-shirts will be picked up at the event.  Any T-shirt not picked up can be mailed to the customer; however, shipping cost will be at the expense of the customer.

Thank you for playing USSSA!

If you have any questions, please contact me at 217-840-7929 or by email at [email protected].

Good luck to you and your team!

Thank you,

Lori