Rulebook

Tournament Rules

These rules govern all divisions of the 2027 Hard Knox Invite Tournament. Where they are silent, current National Federation high school rules apply. The Tournament Director has final authority on interpretation.

Division rules

11U Rules

Field Dimensions: Base paths are set to 70 feet and the pitching rubber to 50 feet.
Time & Length: Games are scheduled for 6 innings with a strict 1-hour and 45-minute “no new inning” rule to keep fields running on time.
Bracket Structure: Seeds 1 & 2 (Gold) and Seeds 7 & 8 (Silver) earn a first-round bye on Sunday, ensuring every single team gets a fresh bracket match.
Sunday Tie-Breaker: Incorporates a California Tie-Breaker (runner on 2nd base, 1 out) to ensure elimination games don’t logjam the Sunday schedule.
Pitching Safety: Includes standard youth pitching protections (85 pitch daily max, 110 tournament max, and a 40-pitch threshold on Saturday for Sunday eligibility).

Age Eligibility

A player's division age is their age on April 30, 2027.
Every player must present a certified birth certificate at check-in.
A player may appear on only one roster for the duration of the event.

Bat Rules

All divisions: USA Baseball or USSSA 1.15 BPF stamp required.
12U: bat barrel may not exceed 2 3/4 inches.
Illegal bats are removed from play; the at-bat is recorded as an out.

Pitching Rules

Daily pitch limits: 9U 50, 10U 75, 11U 75, 12U 85.
Pitchers throwing 41+ pitches Saturday may not pitch Sunday.
Pitch counts are logged by the official scorekeeper each half-inning.

Roster Rules

Rosters carry 11–15 players and lock 14 days before first pitch.
Injury replacements require Tournament Director approval.
Coaches must have a signed waiver on file for every rostered player.

Tournament Format

Pool games seed teams into a single-elimination bracket.
Pool games are six innings; bracket games are seven or time limit.
Run rules: 15 after 3, 12 after 4, 8 after 5.

Tie-Breakers

Head-to-head result, then runs allowed, then run differential.
If still tied, a coin flip witnessed by both head coaches decides.
Bracket games cannot end in a tie; extra innings use a runner on second.

Sportsmanship

One ejection carries a one-game suspension; two ends the event for that coach.
Spectator conduct is the responsibility of the team's head coach.
Umpire decisions on judgment calls are final.

Rainout Policy

Games are shortened before they are cancelled; brackets take priority.
If fewer than the guaranteed games are played, partial credit is issued.
Field status updates are posted to team dashboards and by text alert.

Last updated January 2026. Protests must be lodged with the field marshal before the next pitch and are limited to rule interpretation, not umpire judgment.