EVENT DETAILS

Event Info

Thank you for playing with Mattoon Pride Softball. 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. If, after reading through the information, you still have questions please do not hesitate to contact us.
This information will apply to most of the tournaments and should be a guide for preparing for the event. A copy of tournament rules and information, Pool Schedule, Bracket, for your specific tournament, will be emailed to your coach and players and be posted the USSSA tournament site NO LATER THAN WEDNESDAY before your tournament. Please look them over and share with your parents and spectators.
PAYMENT:
Accepted forms of payment are listed below:
1. Pay online via manager page on USSSA website
2. VENMO - @Mattoonprideathlectics – Indicate team name and event you are paying for
WHAT INFO TO EXPECT AND WHAT INFO YOU NEED TO SUBMIT:
COACHES NEED TO SUBMIT THE FOLLOWING:
EMAIL A COPY OF YOUR INSURANCE (only required for NON USSSA insurance holders)
ENTER ROSTER ONLINE
USSSA rules will apply. Copies of birth certificates must be available for inspection, in the event a player on your team is protested.
Teams must be ready to play 30 minutes prior to their scheduled game time. The first game of the day will not begin more than 15 minutes prior to game time but can begin when both coaches are ready.
Pool games will be 7 innings or 65 minutes -Finish the Inning and can end in a tie. Bracket play will be 70 minutes – Finish the Inning – International Tie Breaker (ITB). If ITB goes to a second inning, there will be runners on 2nd and 3rd, no outs. This will continue until there is a winner.
Bracket Play will be seeded by pool games. Unless otherwise stated on the event page, events are 2 pool, Double Elimination.
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.
All Teams must be warmed up and ready to play 30 minutes prior to game time. Failure to do so can result in a forfeit.
RULES:
USSSA rules will apply. 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.
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.
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.
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, then where is number 5? Number 5 is the catcher. 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.
Teams must use the official USSSA softball. We will supply all softballs for your event.
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.
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.
We have a ZERO TOLERACE POLICY. Be advised, the umpires are in charge of controlling the game, coaches are in charge of controlling themselves, their players and their fans. Coaches can receive a warning, a bench restriction and even an ejection if their fans are disrespectful, disruptive or display unsportsmanlike conduct.
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)
1. Winning Percentage – Descending
2. Tied Teams (vs. each other) Winning Pct - Descending (Not valid if all tied teams have not played each other)
3. Average Runs Allowed - Ascending
4. Average Run Differential with a maximum of 8 - Descending
5. Ranking Points - Descending
6. Date Team Entered USSSA Database
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.
ROSTERS:
Please understand that we do not require (OR ACCEPT) hard copy rosters
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.
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, your team will be forced to forfeit the game they are playing and will be ejected from 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:
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.
WEATHER:
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.
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:
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.”
•     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.
•    Teams will receive a prorated refund based on the number of games played less than the game guarantee.
•    Refunds will be issued for entry fee only.
GENERAL TOURNAMENT INFORMATION:
Our events ARE NOT Stay to Play Events
Addresses to the parks can be found in the Venue tab on the tournament page.
The fields are dirt fields.
Thank you for playing with Mattoon Pride Athletics!