1 General Rules: Run rule (20 after 3, 15 after 4 and 10 after 4 1/2 innings) for Men’s C and below and all Women’s and
Coed classes. For Men’s B and above 25 after 3, 20 after 4 and 15 after 4 1/2 innings. 1 courtesy runner is allowed in regular tournament play. 1 of each gender in Coed. The courtesy runner is the last out or the next available player. Courtesy runners are not allowed in post-season (NIT, Western and Super) play.

2 Men’s Home Run Rule: A dead ball out is assessed after the following home run limits have been reached: Men’s ELITE -8, One up, Men’s B -4, One up, Men’s C -2, One up, Men’s D - 1, One up to 2 max, Men’s E - 1, DBO, Progressive Penalty Men’s Rec -0, Double Progressive Penalty One up means that once both teams have reached the limit, above, that no team may be more than one home run ahead of the other team. Exception: Home team in bottom of official final inning cannot go one up. Progressive Penalty home run rule is in effect for E class teams. Once a player hits a home run, the batter is out and a run is awarded to the defensive team, the second home run the defensive team is awarded two runs, etc. Double Progressive Penalty home run rule is in effect for Rec class and is double the penalties for home runs as compared to the Progressive Penalty above.
Women’s and Coed divisions will mirror the Men’s Home Run rules per division of play.

3 Players: A team may bat 12 players (Coed 14). In non-post season play a team may start and/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 at 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 2, Coed 2. Pick up players must be on a registered NSA roster of the same class or lower.

4 Protest Committee: Tournament Director and UIC are the protest committee at each event. Picture ID must be provided upon request for deciding eligibility status.

5 Home Team: The Home Team will be decided by a coin flip. In the event of an equalizer, the higher classed team will have the choice if spotting runs. The home team is responsible for keeping the official score if an official scorekeeper is not provided.

6 Equalizer: Upper class teams will spot 4 runs per non. The lower team can either select the spot or the lower class home run rule. The lower class team must score ten runs plus the run spot to have the run rule come into play. The progressive penalty will not be used in an equalizer. Exception: E vs Rec - The E progressive home run rule will be in effect.

7 International Tie-Breaker: This rule will be used in extra inning games at the top of the extra inning or the time limit expires, whichever comes first. Start each extra inning with the last batter of the previous inning on second base, with no outs, and play regular rules until the tie is broken. This rule is not used in State, NIT, Western and Super play.

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

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

10 Player Removal: If a player is removed from the game for any reason and a substitute is not available, an out will be taken in the batting order. If the team drops below 9 players, then the game is a forfeit.

11 Tie Breakers:

A. Head to Head Competition
B. Total Run Differential (All Opponents) - Maximum of 10 runs per game. Forfeits will be recorded as 10-0.
C. Runs Allowed
D. Total Runs Scored
E. Coin Flip

12 Coed Rules for Qualifiers and State (Western Worlds is run strictly by the NSA rulebook) :

A. Either gender may lead off in the batting order.
B. Teams may position their players where they choose.
C. Teams forfeit if they drop below 4 of either gender at any time.
D. 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.
E. When playing with 6 women and 4 men, a man not in the lineup may be substituted for the 6th woman at anytime.
F. An out is taken in the batting spot vacated by any dropped player for any reason at anytime if a substitute is not available. In this situation a batter cannot be walked, intentional or not, to create the third out.
G. The male batter goes to 2nd on all walks. The following female batter has the choice to hit or walk.

H. 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.
I. The Home run limits as mentioned above apply per team - not per gender. IE - D is 1 and oneup to a max of two, then dead ball out. Doesn’t matter who hits them (male or female). Team only gets the limit per class.