Howards Grove Athletic Association

THREE DIVISIONS: 8 th Grade, 7 th Grade and 6 th Grade.( current school year).

WIAA Rules will apply with the following exceptions listed below:

8 th Grade:

Games will be played on a regulation high school sized diamond with a 5 innings per game pitching restriction. Individuals who have pitched 7 innings or more at the High School Varsity or Legion Varsity level any time during 2008 are not eligible. (No more than four(4)9th grade players are allowed if team is entering from a Pony League.)

7 th Grade:

Games will be played on a diamond with 75-foot bases and a 54-foot pitching rubber with a 4 innings per game pitching restriction. (Wood or non-wood bats can be used in this division.) Bats shall be no more than 33 inches long, or more than 2-1/4 inches in diameter for non-wood or 2-1/2 inches in diameter for wood. The WIAA Rule on bat weight is waived.

6 th Grade:

Games will be played on a diamond with 60-foot bases and a 50-foot pitching rubber with a 3 innings per game pitching restriction. (Only non-wood bats are allowed in this division.) Bats shall be no more than 33 inches long, or more than 2-1/4 inches in diameter. The WIAA Rule on bat weight is waived.

6th grade division base runners must hold their bases until the pitcher has delivered the ball. Thereafter they may steal any base but Home as long as the steal attempt is clearly committed to before the catcher returns the ball to the pitcher. Base runners may advance to any base, except Home, on a wild pitch or a passed ball. They may not advance from Third to Home on a throwback from the catcher to the pitcher after a pitch. Base runners are frozen at third and may not advance on any play on them or another base runner unless the catcher is forced to throw to First to retire a batter/runner on a dropped third strike. They may only advance on a batted ball, walk, if the defensive team allows the ball to enter dead ball territory on a throw or by umpire award.

ALL DIVISIONS:

One pitch delivered shall be considered an inning pitched.

Four and one-half (4-1/2) innings constitute a complete game if rain occurs, provided the home team is ahead.

A team leading by ten (10) runs in the fifth (5th) inning shall be declared the winner, providing the team which is ten (10) runs behind has completed its turn at bat for the fifth (5th) inning. The sudden death rule applies thereafter.

No inning shall start after the game has reached one hour and 45 minutes in length, unless the score is tied.

SPEED-UP RULES : RUNNERS 1. The team at bat may use courtesy runners for the pitcher and/or the catcher as soon as they reach base. The same runner may not be used for both positions. Neither the pitcher nor the catcher will be required to leave the game under such circumstances. 2. Players who have participated in the game in any other capacity are ineligible to serve as courtesy runners. 3. A player may not run as a courtesy runner for the pitcher or the catcher and then be used as a substitute for another player in that half inning; thereafter he remains an eligible substitute throughout the length of the game. FIELDERS 1. After a putout, it is the responsibility of all fielders to return the ball to the pitcher in the most direct manner. 2. Following the final out in any inning, the ball must be given to the nearest umpire.

An AH (Additional Hitter) is an option that can be used by teams. A team may insert an AH (Additional Hitter) into its line-up. The batting order must remain constant; however any nine (9) of the ten (10) players can take a defensive position throughout the game. If AH is used, team must finish with eight (8) players or game is forfeited. It is not mandatory that a team use an AH but failure to declare such a hitter prior to the game precludes the use of an AH in that game.

No pitcher may pitch more than seven (7) innings in a weekend.

NOTE : The "additional innings provision" allows an individual to pitch a total of ten (10) innings for the weekend, but only if these additional innings occur during the extra inning period of a game and they directly follow the pitchers' personal seventh inning. At times a total of ten (10) innings for the weekend will be granted by the tournament to maintain competitive balance for teams playing extra games.

All substitutions must be reported to the official scorekeeper prior to them entering the game. Starters may re-enter once.

Teams must have their lineup in and be ready to play one-half (1/2) hour before their scheduled game time. Uniforms are optional.

The Championship and Consolation Championship games will be complete seven inning contests, unless the coaches involved request otherwise.

GENERAL:

The Howards Grove Tournament Committee will not be responsible for any injuries.

Alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, snacks and sandwiches are available at concession stands.

Carry-ins are discouraged as part of tournament costs will be paid from concession revenues. There will be no admission charges.

The Howards Grove Tournament Committee reserves the right to reject any or all entries in any division if not enough interest is shown.

2009 CHUCK WICKESBERG MEMORIAL TOURNAMENT (click here to go back to more Tournament information)