Tournament Information

STATE/WESTERN/SUPER
qualification requirements

General Rules
Mercy Rule all divisions except men's B and above - 20 runs after 3, 15 runs after 4 and 10 runs after 5. Men's B & Above 25 runs after 3/20. After 4, 15, one is allowed in regular tournament play after 4 1/2 innings.

Courtesy runner - allowed one in qualifying tournament play. Coed allowed one in each gender. The courtesy runner is the last out or the next available. Courtesy runners are not allowed in championship play (NIT, State, Western World, Super World).

Home Run Rule
A dead ball out is assessed after the following home run limits have been reached:

A. 8 and one up
B. 4 and one up
C. 2 and one up
D. 1 and one up to max of 2, then DBO
E. 1, then DBO, then out and progressive penalty
Rec. 0 and double progressive penalty

One up - once both teams have reached the limit, above, that no team may be more than one homerun (untouched over the fence) ahead of the other team. Exception: Home team in bottom of seventh or official last inning cannot go one up.

Progressive Penalty - for each home run the defensive team is awarded run(s) as follows- 1st home run - one run for the defensive team
2nd home run - two runs for the defensive team
3rd home run - three runs for the defensive team and so on.

Double Progressive Penalty - for each home run the defensive team is awarded runs as follows-
1st home run - two runs for the defensive team
2nd home run - four runs for the defensive team and so on.

Players
A team may bat 12 players (Coed 14). In non-post season play a team may start or finish the game with 9 players. When playing with 9 players, the vacant 10th spot will be considered an out. A team may add the 10th player at any time during the game and add the player to the bottom of the line-up. Pick up players will be as follows:
Men's B/C 1
Men's D/E/ REC 2
Women's B/C/D/E 2
Coed 2
In post season play (State/NIT/Worlds) you must start with at least 9 and cannot drop below 9 or the game is a forfeit. In post season play teams may bat 9,10,11 or 12.
Pick up players must be on a registered NSA roster of the same class or lower.

Protest Committee
Tournament Director and UIC are the protest committee at each event. Picture ID must be provided upon request for deciding eligibility status. If you protest a players eligibility, then you will need to pay the tournament director $75.00 cash. If your protest is valid and the player is proved illegal, then you will be given the $75.00 back.

Home Team
Home team will be decided by a coin flip. In the event of an equalizer, the team awarding the runs may call the coin flip. The home team is responsible for official book if an official scorer is not provided.

Equalizer
Upper classed teams will spot 4 runs automatically to the lower classed team in equalizer tournaments. Minor teams will be spotted 2 runs by the same non minor classed team. Minor team spot the non minor team next lower class 2 runs. Lower class teams must score ten runs plus the spot before the mercy rule takes effect. You do not have to score a run before the spotted runs count.
The lower classed teams homerun rule will be in effect. The progressive penalty will not be used in equalizers. Exception: E Vs. Rec - progressive penalty rule.  The lower team can either select the run spot or lower class home run rule. 

International tie-breaker
This rule will be used in tie games in extra inning games or after the time expires, whichever comes first. At the top and bottom of each extra inning, the last out of the previous inning is placed on second base, with no outs and then you play regular rules until the tie is broken. This rule is not used in championship play.

Scheduling
Tournament Director reserves the right to institute time limits, run rules and time differentials appropriate to local field conditions and restrictions.

Unsportsmanlike Conduct
Ejection from a game will result in the possible ejection from more games or the entire tournament at the discretion of the tournament director.

Tie Breakers
1.  head to head
2. Total run differential in all common games played between tied teams(10 runs max per game)
3. Total runs differential in all games played.
4. Total runs scored.
5.  Coin toss

Special Coed Rules
Either gender may bat lead off
Teams forfeit if they drop below 4 of either gender at any time
When playing with 9, a team may use 5 men and 4 women and take an out for the 10th spot in the lineup, or use 5 women and 4 men without penalty
When playing with 6 women and 4 men, a man not in the line up may be substituted for the 6th woman at any time. Men may not bat consecutively in this situation.
An out is taken in the order vacated by any dropped player for any reason at any time if a substitute is not available. In this situation a batter may not be walked intentionally or not to create the third out.
The male batter goes to 2nd base on all walks. The following female has the choice to hit or walk.
If the wrong ball is used, the offensive team chooses the result of the play or do it over, resuming the count prior to the wrong ball being used. Decision must be made before the next pitch.

Tournament Registration
We ask that you call or email the appropriate tournament director to preregister your team as soon as your team in interested in playing in that tournament.

The entry fee is to be received no later than Monday the week of the tournament or until the tournament is full, whichever comes first.

Teams calling/emailing to enter after Monday at 6:00 PM are not guaranteed entry. We will try to accommodate these teams to the best of our abilities.

Teams will be called and/or emailed no later than Thursday evening with start times. Game times will also be listed for selected tournaments on www.nsawa.com message boards.

Any team may withdraw from a tournament up until Tuesday at 6:00 PM and receive a full refund. Any team withdrawing after Tuesday is not guaranteed a full refund. Individual tournament directors may change entry deadlines.

BAD CHECKS
Teams will be suspended for submitting a check that cannot, for any reason, be negotiated for payment for entry fees, accommodations, etc. Each member of the team will be held individually liable for an equal portion of the debt and will be suspended until the debt is paid in full. $30.00 NSF Fee will be assessed.

Classification Policy

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