Passaic County 12U Baseball Tournament!

General Tournament Details

• Date & Location: June 21, 2025, at 12 Elm St., Hewitt, NJ.
• Teams Accepted: The first 6 Passaic County-based teams to register.
• Insurance Requirement: All teams must provide a valid Certificate of Insurance before the tournament.
• Cost: $300 per team

Team & Player Requirements

1. Roster Limit: Maximum of 20 players per team.
2. Player Eligibility: Players must be 12 years old or younger as of April 30, 2025. Proof of age may be required.
3. Uniforms: All players must wear matching team uniforms, including hats, jerseys, and pants.
4. Minimum Players: A team must have at least 9 players to start a game. A team may play with 8 players in emergencies but must borrow a defensive player from the opposing team (rotating per inning). No out will be assessed for a missing 9th batter.

Gameplay Rules

1. Game Time Limits:
   
   • Preliminary Games: 6 innings or no new inning after 2 hours.
   • Playoff/Championship Games: No new inning after 2 hours, 10 minutes.
   • Games can end in a tie during the preliminary round if the time limit is reached.
   • For playoffs and the championship, extra innings will be played if needed. After one "straight" inning of extras, subsequent innings start with bases loaded and one out.
2. Mercy Rule:
   
   • 15 runs after 3 innings.
   • 10 runs after 4 innings.
   • 8 runs after 5 innings.
3. Run Rule Exceptions: The home team will always get their last at-bat if they are losing.
4. Bat Rules:
   
   • All bats must meet USA Baseball standards and display the USA Baseball logo.
   • 1-piece solid wood bats are allowed without a USA stamp.
   • Tee ball bats are not permitted.
5. Pitching Rules:
   
   • A pitcher cannot re-enter as a pitcher after being removed.
   • Follow MLB Pitch Smart Guidelines to manage pitch counts and protect players’ arms (recommended, not enforced).
6. Courtesy Runners:
   
   • Allowed for pitchers and catchers at any time. Use the last recorded out as the runner.
7. Sliding Rules:
   
   • Players on 46/60 fields must slide feet-first, except when returning to a base.
   • Contact must be avoided; collisions may result in ejection.

Sportsmanship & Conduct

1. Respect the Umpires: Arguing calls or heckling umpires, players, or spectators is strictly prohibited. Violators may face ejection and escalating suspensions (up to a lifetime ban).
2. Chanting/Heckling: No chanting, fence-shaking, or loud outbursts targeting pitchers or batters.
3. Ejections: Ejected individuals must leave the field. Players under 16 may remain on the bench but must stay silent.
4. Coach Accountability: Coaches are responsible for their team’s parents and spectators’ behavior.

Tournament Format

• Preliminary Games: Each team is guaranteed 2 games.
• Playoff Structure: The top 4 teams will advance to a single-elimination playoff.
• Tiebreakers for Playoff Seeding:
  1. Head-to-head record.
  2. Run differential.
  3. Fewest runs allowed.
  4. Coin flip (if necessary).