Dear Team, The Youth Baseball Nationals Staff NATIONALS FLORIDA NATIONALS KENTUCKY NATIONALS MYRTLE BEACH NATIONALS RENO-TAHOE NATIONALS TEXAS

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2 Dear Team, Thank you for participating in the 2016 Youth Baseball Nationals! We are confident that your kids, coaches, family members and friends will have an experience of a lifetime. There s nothing quite like the Nationals in youth baseball, you will create long lasting memories and have a great time as you enjoy everything this unique baseball event has to offer. Please take the time to read through this Welcome Packet in its entirety. It contains important information concerning expectations, rules, policies and other important information you ll need to know to prepare for your arrival. Once again, we d like to express our gratitude for choosing the Youth Baseball Nationals. We aspire to make this a memorable week of baseball, family fun and the greatest baseball experience your kids will ever have. We look forward to meeting you and hosting your team! The Youth Baseball Nationals Staff NATIONALS FLORIDA NATIONALS KENTUCKY NATIONALS MYRTLE BEACH NATIONALS RENO-TAHOE NATIONALS TEXAS 2

3 TEAM RELATIONS STAFF Austin Geer > Team Relations Specialist Jeanni McCallum > Team Relations Specialist Colin Strickland > Team Relations Specialist Emily Scott > Team Relations Specialist John Gastinger > Team Relations Specialist NATIONALS FANZONE / MERCHANDISE Youth Baseball Nationals branded merchandise will be on sale throughout the tournament at the Nationals FanZone under the main baseball pavilion. Various Nationals branded merchandise such as apparel, hats, pin towels, gifts and more will be available for purchase. AWARDS Customized team award and individual awards will be presented to the championship and runner-up teams in each age division. In addition, customized medals will be presented to the skills competition winners and to those selected for the Nationals All- Star games. Your team relations staff will be your main contacts up until the tournament begins and can assist you with any questions you have regarding any of the necessary documentation and or tasks you need to complete prior to your arrival. Our staff will maintain contact with you throughout the pre-event process and we highly recommend utilizing them to assist your team in preparing for your trip to the Nationals. To contact our Team Relations staff call us toll-free at or send an to support@athletx.com. BASEBALLS / EQUIPMENT / UNIFORMS Game balls will be provided for all games. Teams are to bring their own practice balls and any other necessary equipment (i.e. catcher s gear, bats, gloves, etc.). Uniforms are NOT provided at the Nationals. Teams are to provide their own uniforms. Each player on a team should have a unique number displayed on their jersey. All other baseball and safety equipment are the responsibility of each team. TEAM INSURANCE Each team is required to carry its own general liability and accident medical insurance with minimum general liability of $2,000,000 and minimum accident medical of $100,000. These amounts are the standard threshold of insurance offered through organizations such as USSSA, BPA, Nations Baseball, etc so it s likely you already have this coverage in place for your team. Each team will be required to submit a certificate of insurance to our baseball operations staff no later than May 15, The certificate must have YOUTH NATIONALS TEXAS listed as additionally insured in the following format: YOUTH NATIONALS TEXAS, LLC 9219 US Hwy 42 Suite D-127 Prospect, KY Once you have the certificate prepared by your insurance carrier, your certificate should be uploaded through the Online Team Check-In on our website. Continued on page 4 3

4 DIGITAL TEAM PHOTO & LOGO We require each team to send us a team photo and logo for the Youth Baseball Nationals Media Guide and tournament website. Please submit your team s photo, in full uniform, and logo, by April 15, 2016 by uploading this via the Online Team Check-In. ADMISSION Admission to all of the Youth Baseball Nationals games is included in the team entry fees. There will be NO GATE FEE for the event! We encourage family and friends to come to the complex to cheer on the athletes and show their support. FIRST AID The Nationals has a medical team that will be onsite for the duration of the event. It is important to remember that the members of our medical team are not medical doctors. They will provide basic first aid, determine the severity of injuries and make recommendations as to whether or not a player should see a doctor or go to an emergency room. The members of our medical staff are certified sports trainers and are employees of the local hospital closest to the facility, Hardin Memorial Hospital. DRESS CODE FOR COACHES Managers and coaches are not required to be in uniform during the games. However, we do expect the adults on the field to be dressed appropriately. All registered coaches will receive a coach s pass during the mandatory coach s meeting on opening night. Coaches MUST be wearing their pass in the dugout at all times. Nationals tournament staff reserve the right to make an on-site pass inspection at any time. Those found to be abusing their pass are subject to expulsion from the facility. DUGOUTS ONLY registered coaches and players are allowed on the field and inside the dugouts. Teams are NOT permitted to have a batboy/ batgirl at any time. PARKING Parking is FREE and available at designated areas within McInnish Park (see map on page 27). Vehicles are prohibited on turf surfaces, sidewalks, service driveways and emergency zones. Violators will be ticketed and towed at owner s expense. Overnight parking is prohibited. We are not responsible for any damaged vehicles, theft or loss of property. 4

5 FACILITY RULES No alcohol, illegal drugs or tobacco products will be permitted on the grounds. Disorderly conduct and physical/verbal assault will not be tolerated and will result in expulsion from the park for the remainder of the tournament. Leashed pets are allowed at the park. Personal coolers are allowed in the park and at the fields. However, only one team cooler is permitted in the dugout. Glass bottles or containers are prohibited. Grills or cookers are permitted in parking areas only. No fireworks are allowed. No soft toss is permitted into the fencing or walls of the complex except inside the batting cages and the soft toss designated areas. Please place all trash in the appropriate trash bins. Teams are responsible for picking up trash in the dugout before they exit their game. No unattended children. Bikes, scooters, skateboards or rollerblades are not permitted on the field of play. Please be aware of an on guard for stray or foul balls. Unsportsmanlike behavior will not be tolerated. No fighting. No profanity at any time. Weapons are not permitted during the tournament. Metal cleats are not permitted for 12U and under, but are allow 13U+. 5

6 PHOTOGRAPHY SERVICE The Youth Baseball Nationals will have an on-site photography service, Select Photo-Graphics, to enhance the experience for your team. Outside photographers are NOT permitted on the playing fields or in the dugouts during games. SPG aspires to photograph every player throughout the week. Check in at their booth to view proofs of your child s pictures. TEAM BANNERS During opening ceremonies and the parade of teams you will want for your team to parade onto the field holding a team banner. If you do not already have a team banner made, most of your local printing or sign companies can produce these banners for you. We suggest a 3 X 5 banner size. 6

7 COACHES MEETING There will be a mandatory coaches meeting approximately minutes immediately following opening ceremonies on Friday night. This meeting must be attended by ALL registered coaches, including assistant coaches. The coaches meeting will address all tournament rules, activities, and all team and personal behavior expectations. There will be a sign-in sheet at the meeting that ALL registered coaches will be required to sign acknowledging their attendance. Coach passes will be distributed to each coach after this meeting and each pass can only be obtained by that specific coach, including assistants. PRACTICES There are no designated practice areas at McInnish Park. However, teams are welcome to utilize any of the open areas at their discretion. There are no public batting cages available on-site at the complex. 7

8 OFFICIAL YOUTH BASEBALL NATIONALS TOURNAMENT SHIRTS Pre-orders for the official Youth Baseball Nationals shirts were accepted through April 15. If you pre-ordered these shirts, then they will be ready to be picked up by your team representative during check-in on Friday. The official shirts are performance, moisture wicking shirts (dri-gear) and extremely high quality (not your typical tournament t-shirt). The shirts include a special 2016 Nationals design on the front. On the back will be a listing of all the participating teams for the specific week you are attending. This is a must-have keepsake for your players and coaches! Inventory for these shirts is extremely limited! If you did not pre-order, we strongly suggest you get to the FanZone on opening night to purchase these shirts. The official tournament shirts typically sell out in the first day or two of the event. FRONT [The 2016 Official Tournament Shirt Design is indicated to the right. The shirt will also show the week you are attending and all participating team names on the back.] BACK 8

9 PIN TRADING Pin trading is a big part of the Youth Baseball Nationals. We encourage all teams to have pins custom-made for their team to bring with them to trade with others. In fact, we have a Pin Trading Contest that all players are eligible to participate in. Collect a complete set of trading pins from all other teams (spanning all age groups, approximately teams) and you are eligible to be entered into the contest drawing for two tickets to the 2016 Major League Baseball World Series as well as hotel accommodations during your stay for the World Series! During check-in, the coach for each team will present our baseball operations staff with their team s pin and we will accumulate a complete set at this time. We will provide a checklist of all teams participating in the pin trading by Monday of your week for you to download from our website and distribute to your players to help them keep track of their collections. Once a player believes they have each pin, they will present their collection to our staff for verification (pins can be checked at the FanZone). Once verified, that player will then be entered in the drawing for this amazing prize! There will be one winner representing each Nationals location (Kentucky, Texas, Myrtle Beach, Florida and Reno-Tahoe). On Championship Thursday, we will announce the winner of the grand prize drawing for the World Series tickets. 9

10 HAWAIIAN FALLS All players and coaches receive complimentary week long passes, as part of your Nationals experience, to Hawaiian Falls Water Parks & Adventure Parks! Hawaiian Falls operates family-friendly water parks and adventure parks throughout Texas, including 5 parks in the Dallas metroplex. Your week-long pass entitles you to free admission to any one of the 5 Dallas locations including The Colony, one of the highest rated water parks in the state! Multiple water slides, wave pools, lazy rivers, tube rides, kiddie attractions and more await you and your family! If you do not pre-order, tickets will be available for purchase, starting Friday night of the week you are participating, for $39.99 at the Nationals FanZone. Week Long, 5 Park Hopper All Access passes cannot be purchased at the Hawaiian Falls gate! Only daily passes are available at the park gate and are only valid for that one, single park, for that day only! Remember, the passes you purchase from us, either pre-ordered from our website or at the event, are good for unlimited access to all 5 Dallas area Hawaiian Falls parks the entire week of your team s participation-go as many times as you want! 10

11 AT&T STADIUM TOUR AND OPENING CEREMONIES All players and coaches receive a complimentary tour of the amazing AT&T Stadium. An architectural marvel and home to the Dallas Cowboys! Your tour will allow you full access to the field that the Dallas Cowboys play on! Take your picture on the Cowboys star at mid-field, sprint to the end zone, view the huge, HD television, visit the Cowboys locker rooms and the famous Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders locker rooms too! It s an amazing tour that your kids will not forget, Cowboys fans or not! The stadium tour will take place at approximately 6pm on opening night, Friday, July 1st, right after check-in at the stadium. Immediately following the tour will be opening ceremonies inside the stadium! The costs of the tour are covered for players and coaches. Family members may purchase tickets at BaseballNationals.com. 11

12 GENERAL TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE / ITINERARY FRIDAY 4:00-5:30 PM : TEAM CHECK-IN At AT&T Stadium (see map on page 28), all teams must check-in within this time frame. Check-in should only take approximately minutes per team. You may choose to come at any time between these hours. It s a great time to get a head start on pin trading for your players. Concession stands will be open during this time and we will have music and games for the kids with DJ Double Play! Only the head coach or one team representative is needed for the actual check-in process. However, you will definitely want to bring your team and family members with you to explore the FanZone and enjoy the entertainment during this festive, fun time. 6:00 PM : TOUR OF AT&T STADIUM 7:30 PM : OPENING CEREMONIES Parade of teams and ceremony. All teams are required to attend opening ceremonies. Players should wear their uniform jerseys or other team gear with shorts (full uniform not necessary). Concessions will be available. Approximately Minutes Immediately Following Opening Ceremonies: COACHES MEETING (MANDATORY) All registered coaches, including both the head coach and all assistants, MUST attend this mandatory meeting. Coach passes will be distributed at the completion of this meeting. Each coach, including assistant coaches, will only be able to pickup their individual passes. Meeting will be held at the same location as the opening ceremonies. All coaches will be expected to sign a sign-in sheet indicating their attendance. SATURDAY, SUNDAY, MONDAY, TUESDAY 9:00 AM : POOL PLAY GAMES BEGIN Each team will be scheduled pool play games during these days. Most teams will play 1-2 games each day. One of these 4 days you will have off to spend a day at Hawaiian Falls water park or simply exploring the other attractions around Dallas, Texas! Your official game schedule will be distributed during check-in and posted to the Game Day section of our website approximately 1 week before your scheduled arrival. WEDNESDAY 8:00 AM : ELIMINATION ROUND BEGINS First, second round, up to the quarter-finals in all age groups are played on Wednesday. Teams could play as many as 3-4 games. 9:00 PM : NATIONALS GLOW PARTY Dancing, Games, Free Cash and Fun! All For A Great Cause! Glow party will be at the Omni Dallas Hotel at Park West located at 1590 Lyndon B. Johnson Fwy, Dallas, TX THURSDAY 8:00 or 10:00 AM : NATIONALS FINAL FOUR! Semi-final games in each age group. Potential quarter-final games could be played if the age division is large. CHAMPIONSHIP THURSDAY FESTIVAL AND FANFEST! Regardless if your team has been eliminated from the tournament or not, this is the BEST day of the Nationals and one your kids will never forget! Throughout the day during the Championship Thursday Festival and Fanfest there will be games, bouncies, photo booths, contests and tons of fun stuff for everyone! If your team has been eliminated from the tournament, this is a great way to rejuvenate your spirits and have a blast during the Nationals marquee day. We suggest arriving at the park as early as possible, ideally around 10 AM to participate in all the festivities. This will also be the players last opportunity to trade pins before the final cutoff as well as enter all the various contests that will be available for chances to win free bats, gloves and other items from the Nationals FanZone sponsors (Louisville Slugger, DeMarini, Evoshield, Wilson, etc.). 12

13 1:00 PM : AWARDS CEREMONY All teams will assemble at a field to be announced on site at McInnish Park (see map on page 27). During the awards ceremony we will announce the selections for the Nationals All-Star Games. Each player selected will come to the podium and receive their All-Star medal and jersey to wear for the game. We will also draw the winner of the Pin Trading Contest - that player will receive two tickets and hotel accommodations to the Major League Baseball World Series in October! 3:00 PM : YOUTH BASEBALL NATIONALS CHAMPIONSHIP GAMES The atmosphere is electric as the Nationals championship games begin for each of the age groups. 6:00 PM : TEAM SKILLS COMPETITIONS All the teams get to showcase their skills in Around The Horn, Speed Burner, 9 Hole and the Nationals Home Run Derby! Awards will be given to the winners of each competition. Approximately 7:30 PM At the conclusion of the skills competitions each player and coach will be presented with their Nationals parting gifts! (see page 20) 9:00 PM : NATIONALS ALL-STAR GAMES for each age group - Red takes on the Black in this fun, spirited competition! EVERY team will have at least one representative in this game. The general tournament schedule as indicated above is subject to change due to inclement weather or volume of teams. We reserve the right to cancel any activities necessary to ensure that our inclement weather policies and priorities are adhered to as outlined on page 14. We will make every effort to avoid cancellation of any and all of our planned activities. 13

14 INCLEMENT WEATHER POLICY In the event of rain we will do everything within our power to stay as close to the game schedule as possible. However, we may have to deviate from the original schedule. If we need to alter the schedule, we use the following procedures/priorities : Our first priority is always to make sure each team plays it s minimum number of scheduled games. Should weather push back the start of games we will push back those start times well into the night if necessary. We will start games as late as necessary should the need arise. Please be prepared to play late into the night should rain push back the start of games for that day. We will always attempt to have a championship game. 1) We may need to cancel activities scheduled earlier in the day on Championship Thursday if impending weather dictates that we play the championship games earlier to get them in. 2) We may need to eliminate the semi-final or quarter-final games to ensure a championship game will be played. In this instance, we will select the top two seeds based on the standard seeding rules (see page 23) and those top two seeds will play for the championship. We utilize the Youth Baseball Nationals App to notify team contacts about schedule changes and weather updates. See page 16 for information regarding downloading the Youth Baseball Nationals App. It is important all coaches and parents download this app to receive ample notification about all schedule changes! We will post schedule changes on the Game Day section of our website, baseballnationals.com. be considered suspended and will be resumed (if possible) from the point of suspension at the earliest time available. We also reserve the right to resume suspended games that have surpassed the minimum inning threshold if we feel the entire schedule permits time to do so. 2) If the schedule does not permit for the game to be resumed at the point of suspension then that game will be considered cancelled. Cancelled pool play games will not be rescheduled. However, as stated above, our first priority is to make sure each team plays it s minimum number of games so this scenario would only occur in extreme circumstances. Again, we will play games late into the night in order to get all games in if necessary. 3) If a game is suspended, but enough innings have been played to consider the game official, and the game is tied at the point of suspension, then that game will stand as a tie. This is the ONLY situation in which a game can end in a tie as tie-breaker rules are used for any other games not suspended due to weather. SUSPENDED / REGULATION GAMES POLICY All pool play games have a 1 hour, 45 minute time limit. Championship games do not have a time limit. Pool Play game suspended rules 1) In the event of rain after a game has started, a 6 inning game will be considered complete if 4 innings have been played, a 7 inning game will be considered complete if 5 innings have been played, unless the home team is ahead after 3 1/2 innings or 4 1/2 innings respectively. In this case, that game shall also be considered official. If the minimum number of innings have not been played to consider a game official then the game will Elimination game suspended rules 1) In the event of rain after a game has started, a 6 inning game will be considered complete if 4 innings have been played, a 7 inning game will be considered complete if 5 innings have been played, unless the home team is ahead after 3 1/2 innings or 4 1/2 innings respectively. In this case, that game shall also be considered official. If the minimum number 14

15 of innings have not been played to consider a game official then the game will be considered suspended and will be resumed (if possible) from the point of suspension at the earliest time available. We also reserve the right to resume suspended games that have surpassed the minimum inning threshold if we feel the entire schedule permits time to do so. 2) If the schedule does not permit for the game to be resumed at the point of suspension and there have not been enough innings played to consider the game official, then the higher seed shall advance regardless of the score at the point of suspension. If the game is tied at the point of suspension, and the schedule does not permit for the game to be resumed, the higher seed shall advance. 3) If the championship game starts and is not able to complete, and has not reached enough innings for the game to be considered official, then the higher seed will be named champion regardless of score at the time of suspension. LIGHTNING POLICY If lightning is visible, and is determined to be within a 6 mile radius of the park, the game shall be suspended until it is deemed safe to resume play. This determination will first be made by the home plate umpire and then further delay/resumption will be decided between the umpire crew and the tournament director. WEATHER RELATED REFUND POLICY No games played : 100% credit towards 2017 Nationals 1 game played : 30% credit towards 2017 Nationals 2 games played : 15% credit towards 2017 Nationals 3 or more games No credit or refund played: 15

16 THE YOUTH BASEBALL NATIONALS APP We utilize The Youth Baseball Nationals App to notify team contacts about schedule changes and weather updates. THIS IS THE PRIMARY NOTIFICATION/COMMUNICATION SYSTEM USED AT THE NATIONALS - MAKE SURE YOU AND YOUR PARENTS DOWNLOAD THE APP! The Youth Baseball Nationals App is available through the itunes store and the Google Play store. The App is also available to download through your operating system of choice by visiting The App is also a great tool to enhance your Nationals experience. 1. You can access the SCHEDULES, SCORES and STANDINGS throughout the tournament in real time. 2. Get DRIVING DIRECTIONS to the fields, waterparks and other places of interest. 3. Create your own account through Twitter or Facebook and compete with other Nationals App users to earn medals. 3. Share TOURNAMENT PHOTOS with other Nationals users and on social media. 4. Build your own Nationals BASEBALL CARD to share on social media. 4. Post cheers and shoutouts in the CHATTER MESSAGE BOARD 5. Particpate in Nationals POLLS 6. Watch VIDEOS uploaded from the Nationals Gameday TV 7. Get the complete PIN TRADING list for your tournament 8. Sign-up for the Nationals MAILING LIST 9. Receive SPECIAL PROMOTIONS and DEALS throughout your time at the Nationals Tournament 16

17 SKILLS COMPETITIONS We will conduct a skills competition for each age group on Championship Thursday starting at approximately 6pm. Players are allowed to compete in multiple events ONLY when the team roster is less than 11 players. Each player on the team will be required to compete in at least one event. One (1) player will be designated for the Home Run Derby, one (1) player for Speed Burner, eight (8) players for Around The Horn, all remaining players on the roster, with a minimum of at least one (1) will compete in the 9 Hole competition. Home Run Derby 1. One (1) player from each team will participate in the Home Run Derby 2. A coach from each team will pitch to their player. Each participant will receive a total of 5 outs. An out is defined as any swing that does not result in a home run over the fence in fair territory. 3. The participant with the highest number of home runs will be the winner. If no home runs are hit, the player with the longest hit will be declared the winner. If there is a tie, those players tied will have a second round in which they will receive 2 outs. This process will continue until there is a clear winner. For instance if there are 3 players tied after the first round, they will compete in a second round with just 2 outs. If there are then 2 players tied after the second round there will be a third round in which those 2 players will compete with just 2 outs again and so on. 4. Distances to the fence will be set as follows : U : Approximately U : Approximately U : Approximately U : Approximately U : Approximately U : Approximately 250 Speed Burner 5. One (1) player from each team will participate in the Speed Burner competition. 6. Each participant is timed running the bases from home to home. A missed base results in a 3 second penalty. 7. The top four times will advance to the finals where their scores will be re-set and they will run again. The top time in the finals wins the competition. Around The Horn 1. Eight (8) players from each team will participate in the Around The Horn competition. 2. As the ball travels around the horn each base must be tagged or touched by any part of the player s body, as in a force-out. 3. Teams are timed on how quickly they can throw the ball around the horn. Best time wins the competition. 4. The order will be as follows: 1. Catcher starts the timer by throwing to 3rd base. Timer starts after the throw is released from the catcher s hand. 2. 3rd baseman receives the throw, touches his bag and proceeds to throw to 2nd base. 3. 2nd baseman receives the throw, touches his bag and proceeds to throw to 1st base. 4. 1st baseman receives the throw, touches his bag and proceeds to throw back to the catcher. 5. The catcher receives the throw, touches home plate and proceeds to throw down to 2nd base, with the shortstop covering the bag and receiving the throw. 6. The shortstop touches 2nd base then proceeds to throw to the right fielder. 7. The right fielder receives the throw, then touches the right field circle (we will provide touch areas in the outfield for all outfield positions). The right fielder then proceeds to throw back to 2nd base, with the shortstop covering the bag again. 8. The shortstop receives the throw, touches 2nd base then proceeds to throw to the center fielder. 9. The center fielder receives the throw, touches the center field Continued on page 18 17

18 circle, then proceeds to throw to 3rd base. 10. The 3rd baseman receives the throw, touches his bag and proceeds to throw to the left fielder. 11. The left fielder receives the throw, touches the left field circle, then proceeds to throw home to the catcher. 12. Once the catcher gathers or receives the ball, he must touch home and at that point the timer will stop. 5. There will be backup balls placed at each base and outfield spot in the case of overthrows (3 balls will be placed near 2nd base and 2 balls near 3rd base and home plate since there are potentially more overthrows to these bases). When a ball is overthrown to a position then the player has the option of going after the overthrown baseball or picking up one of the backup balls and proceeding to the next step with a three (3) second penalty assessed. It is normally best to use the backup balls rather than chase after an overthrown ball as this is normally faster, even with the penalty. The 9 Hole competition is a throwing accuracy event. Players will throw towards a special net with 9 pockets, 3 rows top to bottom, 3 pockets in each row. Each participant will get 5 tosses towards the net from approximately the pitching distance of their respective age group. For instance, the 9U and 10U age groups will throw from a distance of 46, the 11U and 12U age groups will throw from a distance of 50, the 13U age group will throw from a distance of 54 and the 14U age group will throw from a distance of 60. Points will be awarded depending on which pocket the throws land in as follows : 9 Hole 1. At least one (1) participant from each team will participate in the 9 Hole competition. If your roster is larger than 11 players, then the remaining players on your roster that are not competing in any other skills competition will be required to compete in the 9 Hole competition. 8. Any throw missing the net completely or ricocheting off the cross bars of the grid will receive 0 points. Balls must land in one of the pockets to count. 9. For teams with more than one participant in the 9 Hole competition, the average score of all participants of that team will be used to determine the team s score. The team with the highest score will be declared the winner. If there is a tie, then those teams that are tied will play another round until a winner is determined. In successive, tie-breaker rounds only 3 tosses will be allowed. 18

19 NATIONALS ALL-STAR GAME During Championship Thursday Festival and Fanfest, we will hold the Nationals All-Star game. Selection of the players that will participate in the All-Star game will be determined by each player s statistical performance during the pool play portion of the tournament. Nationals staff keeps official books for each game and these statistics will be used to determine selections. Beginning on Monday afternoon, after the majority of pool play games have been played, head coaches will be allowed to nominate a total of 5 players from their team for consideration. The tournament directors for each age group will accumulate all statistics and determine selections based on those statistics from the coaches nominations. Factors that come in to play in this point system for All-Star selection are the following: 1. Batting average 2. On Base Percentage 3. Fielding Percentage 5. Extra base hits (doubles, triples and home runs) 6. Steals 7. Runs Batted In (RBI) Pitching statistics are not a determining factor, nor included in the point system for All- Star selections. This is due to the fact that not all players are pitchers. However, many of the kids that do pitch are typically good all around athletes as well so we should have plenty of available pitchers for the All-Star game. The nominated player on each team with the highest number of points will be selected for the All-Star game. Therefore, each team will have at least one All-Star selection. After that is determined, we take the highest number of points from every other nominated player, limited to a maximum of 5 selections from any one team. There will be a total of 28 players selected in each age group divided evenly (14 each) between the two-formed teams, Red and Black. The selections for the All-Star game will be announced during the Awards Ceremony on Championship Thursday at approximately 1pm. Each player selected will be called to the podium and receive an award for their selection as well as an All-Star jersey to wear during the game and keep as a souvenir. The head coaches and coaching staff for the All-Star game will be the head coaches and their respective staff of the two teams that played in the championship game earlier that day. These coaches will be required to make sure all selected players do get playing time in the All-Star game. Coaches must bat their entire lineup and are allowed free defensive substituations. The head coach of each team will receive a gift from the Nationals as appreciation for taking time to lead their respective All-Star team. We will assemble both teams on to the field approximately 30 minutes before the game for a group picture that may be uploaded to the Baseball Nationals website and can also be purchased from SPG, the official photographers of the Nationals. 19

20 PLAYER / COACH GIFTS At approximately 7:30pm, following the conclusion of the Skills Competitions on Championship Thursday, each player and coach will be presented with their Nationals parting gifts. Parting gifts will NOT be available for distribution any sooner than approximately 7:30pm on Championship Thursday unless inclement weather forces us to change scheduled events for that day. If you request your gifts earlier you will be turned away as we will not be setup for distribution until the scheduled time. Each team has a designated box containing that team s gifts. Only one coach for each team need be present to receive their team s gifts. Each coach will need to present their coach pass at that time. Players will receive the official Baseball Nationals ring. This ring comes with a desktop display holder and a decorative Nationals box. All rings for your team will be bundled together in one larger, team box and only ONE team representative should pick the team box up from our distribution area. Inside the team box will be a total number of rings equivalent to the total number of players on your team. Rings come in 3 sizes, 7, 9 and 11 and we will attempt to spread those sizes accordingly based on your team s age group. We will have an individual exchange booth setup next to the distribution area if one of your players would like to exchange his ring for another size. However, we DO NOT GUARANTEE we will have enough rings in a particular size to match what your player requires. It s important to keep in mind, these rings are to be displayed with it s respective desktop display holder as an award rather than necessarily worn on the player s finger. We understand that many players will want to wear their Nationals ring that day and will do our best to accommodate proper ring sizes for all, but it is NOT GUARANTEED! Coaches will receive a Nationals branded practice cap as their parting gift. Coaches do not receive rings. Coach caps will be distributed along with the team boxes of rings for the players. Again, only ONE team representative is needed to pick up both the team box of rings and coach caps. Distribution area for parting gifts will be relayed through the Nationals app notifications (see page 16 for instructions for downloading the Nationals app on your smartphone). 20

21 2016 OFFICIAL TOURNAMENT RULES We will follow Major League Baseball American League rules with the exception of any specific rules stated here. LEGAL BATS : Only BPF 1.15 stamped bats, BB- COR and wood bats are legal for game play for 9U-14U game play. Only BB-COR and wood bats are legal for 15U game play.any violation of this rule will be cause for the player to be called out and head coach to be ejected for that game. CLEATS : Metal cleats are legal for 13U and 14U age groups ONLY, plastic/rubber cleats required for all other age groups. HOME / VISITOR DETERMINATION : Home/ visitor for pool play will be determined by a coinflip before the game. Higher seed has the option (choice) of home/visitor in the elimination rounds. PROTESTS : There are no protests allowed. Coaches have the right, at any time, to call a Director to a field for a rules interpretation (Director Call). This does not include JUDGMENT CALLS made by the umpires. This action is to be taken in lieu of protests. In order to properly handle each Director Call, play must be stopped and the Director must be called BE- FORE the next pitch. Game time rules still apply during dispute (the clock does not stop). If the disputed call involves the last play of the game, the protesting team must appeal before the umpires leave the confines of the field. GAME WARM-UPS : No warm-ups on the infields. All pre-game warm-ups will need to be made in the outfield grass. No soft tossing into fences. BATTING LINE-UP : Coaches have the option of batting their entire lineup (every active, rostered player) with free defensive substitutions or batting according to MLB American League rules. DESIGNATED-HITTER : Teams may use a DH for any position player in the line-up. SUBSTITUTIONS : Re-entry rule (if not batting entire lineup): Starters may re-enter in the same offensive spot once. Substitutes cannot re-enter the game once they have been removed. IN-GAME INJURIES : When a team chooses to bat the entire lineup, if a player is injured during the game, their spot in the lineup is skipped with no penalty. Once the spot in the lineup is skipped due to an injury or illness, that player is not eligible to return to the game in any capacity. Game time rules still apply during injury (the clock does not stop) unless injury is severe and at the director s discretion. INTENTIONAL WALKS : When issuing an intentional walk it is not necessary to throw a pitch. Decision can simply be communicated with the umpire and the base awarded. COURTESY RUNNERS : Courtesy runner for the pitcher and catcher allowed at any time. If substitutions exist, the courtesy runner must be a sub. If not, the courtesy runner must be the player who made the last batted out. PITCHER RE-ENTRY RULE : Once a pitcher has been removed from the pitching position, he cannot re-enter as the pitcher. BALKS : Balks will be called following Major League rules. However, warnings will be given prior to any penalty as follows: 9U, 10U and 11U : One warning per PITCHER, per game before penalty 12U, 13U, 14U and 15U: NO warnings Continued on page 22 21

22 EJECTION RULE : Any player/coach ejected for the game, must leave the field/dugout area for the remainder of that game. A Second Ejection by same player/coach will result in a meeting with the Tournament Director. Tournament Director will have the option at that point to disqualify player/coach from the remainder of the event dependent on meeting and Tournament Director s judgement. At a minimum, that player/coach will be suspended their next scheduled game LEAD OFFS : Leads/stealing is allowed in ALL age divisions. SLIDING : Must slide/avoid contact. A player must slide or attempt to avoid contact on all close plays (umpire discretion). If, in an umpire s judgment, there is intentional contact, that umpire may call the runner out on that play. If the contact is judged as intentional and malicious, that umpire may also eject the player from the game. Headfirst sliding is permitted only into first, second, or third base. Headfirst sliding IS NOT allowed into home plate if there is a play at home plate. If there is a play at home and the baserunner slides headfirst then that player shall be called out automatically. However, if a player slides headfirst into home and there was no play at the plate then the team will receive one warning, but no automatic out will be called (umpire discretion on if there was a play at home). Any future headfirst slides at home will be an automatic out regardless if there was a play at the plate or not. PITCHING LIMITS : There are no pitching limitations at the Nationals, coaches discretion. We expect all coaches to use good faith in how they utilize their pitchers and the amount of innings and pitches thrown throughout the tournament. Although we do not enforce any specific pitching limitations we expect that all coaches have their own reasonable limitations built in for each of their player s arms to protect them from overuse. REGULATION INNINGS : Ages 9U through 12U play 6 innings for a complete, regulation game. Ages 13U and 14U play 7 innings for a complete, regulation game. TIME LIMIT / IN GAME TIE-BREAKER : No new inning may start after the time limit elapses. The standard time limit for all age groups is 1 hour and 45 minutes. There is no time limit for the championship games. Nationals tie-break rules will apply should a pool play game be tied at the end of the time limit or at the end of the regulation innings. Should this occur, each team will start the next inning with the player who made the last out placed at second base as a base runner. If neither team has won the game after one extra inning, the players that made the two previous outs will then be placed at second and third and the inning will start with 1 out. Play will continue in this fashion until a winner is determined. Nationals tie-break rules do not apply to elimination round games. However, time limits will apply in the elimination round up until the championship games on Championship Thursday. RUN / MERCY RULE : A Run rule will be enforced for all games, including both pool play and elimination games. The run rule shall be 12 runs after 3 innings, 10 runs after 4 innings or 8 runs after 5 innings. If the home team is behind at the point of the defined run rule, they will still get their last at-bat. If the home team is ahead by the run rule they will not bat in the bottom-half of that respective inning. For example, if the home team is already ahead by 10 runs after 3 1/2 innings, they will not bat in the bottom half of the 4th inning and the game will be official. AGE REQUIREMENT : Age, as of April 30, 2016, is the determining factor for the team s age division. Take the oldest player on your team, determine that players age as of April 30, 2016, and that is the age division your team will be required to play in. PLAYER MINIMUM : A team can start with just 8 players ONLY if all other rostered players are injured, sick or otherwise incapacitated. That team will be allowed to bat only 8 with no penalty. If the number of players dips below 8, then an automatic out shall be recorded for those spots in the lineup less than 8. DROPPED THIRD STRIKE : Running on a dropped third strike is legal for ages 11U through 14U. There will be no running on a dropped third strike in the 9U and 10U age divisions. INFIELD FLY RULE : There will be no infield fly rule for the 9U, and 10U age divisions. All other age divisions will have a infield fly rule in place. SLASH BUNT : A slash bunt (aka butcher boy ) is illegal in the 9U-11U age divisions. The player will be called out immediately if the play is attempted. A slash bunt is defined as a player showing bunt at any time during the pitch and then swinging at that same pitch. This is a legal play for ages 12U through 14U. 22

23 ELIMINATION ROUND SEEDING DETERMINATION The Youth Baseball Nationals takes great pride in our attempts to create a field with team parity during the pool play portion of the tournament. We aspire to ensure that no team is completely out-matched competitively when taking the field during their pool play games. Although this is certainly not a perfect science and lopsided results will still occur occasionally, we make best efforts in this regard. We know that lopsided scores are not beneficial to either team and do not play in to a great experience for those involved. For this reason, we collect data and ask for team classification when participants register for our event. Due to the fact that team classification is considered when scheduling the pool play match-ups it is possible for some teams to have a more difficult or easier schedule than others. Therefore, one of the unique factors in seeding determination at the Nationals is a strength of schedule (SOS) factor that plays in to the overall seeding of teams for the single-elimination tournament rounds. This SOS factor is based on the make-up of the A, AA, AAA and Major classified teams your team is scheduled to play against during pool play. The SOS points will be assigned in the following manner based on the classification of the teams you play during pool play: If you play an A Classified Team = 15 points If you play a AA Classified Team = 20 points If you play a AAA Classified Team = 25 points If you play a Major Classified Team = 35 points For example, if your scheduled pool play games were against two A teams, two AA teams and one AAA team your SOS score would be 95 (two A s = 30 + two AA s = 40 + one AAA = 25). Obviously, the higher the score the better your team s SOS. Likewise, Achievement Points (AP) will be awarded based on your team s won/loss performance during pool play in the following manner: Win = 20 points Tie = 10 points Loss = 0 points Forfeit = (-10) points Seeding determination will be based on the following factors in the order presented here: 1. AP + SOS It is possible for a team with a better record to be seeded below a team with a worse record if the second team has a significantly stronger schedule. 2. Head-to-head matchup results (if applicable) 3. Total runs allowed in all pool play games (lower number = higher seed) 4. Run differential (maximum +/- 8 runs per game) in all pool play games 5. Win/Loss Percentage 5. Coin-flip Seeding for the tournament will be posted as early as possible after the completion of all pool play games. The seeding will be posted on the tournament website, under the Game Day section and through the Nationals app. 23

24 TEAM ROSTERS EVENT AGREEMENT PARENTAL WAIVERS The Nationals official team rosters are to be completed on the provided official roster Microsoft Excel document that can be downloaded at Online Team Check-In on the Baseball Nationals website. Each roster will need to be completed, saved and then uploaded no later than May 15, Changes to the roster can be made up until 2 weeks before your team s arrival. However, roster changes will not be reflected in the Nationals media guides available at the event. BIRTH CERTIFICATES All teams are required to upload photo-copies of the birth certificates of each player on their team roster by May 15, Teams should make photo copies of each birth certificate, consolidate them into one PDF or ZIP file and then upload that file through our web form at Online Team Check-In on the Baseball Nationals website. All head coaches will be required to sign the event agreement on behalf of their team. The event agreement can be downloaded from our website from the Online Team Check-In page. The head coach will need to read and sign and then upload the signed copy of the agreement no later than May 15, 2016, through our web form at Online Team Check-In on the Baseball Nationals website. COACHES CODE OF CONDUCT All coaches, both head coaches and assistant coaches, will be required to sign the Coaches Code of Conduct. This form can be downloaded from website from the Online Team Check- In page. Once the form has been completed it will need to be uploaded no later than May 15, 2016 through our web form at Online Team Check-In on the Baseball Nationals website. The parent or legal guardian of every rostered player will need to complete and sign the Parental Waiver and release of liability form by May 15, This form is also available via download from our website in the Online Team Check-In page. Once this form has been completed and signed by the parents of all rostered players it will then need to be uploaded through our web form at Online Team Check-In on the Baseball Nationals website. ACCOMMODATIONS FORM All teams are required to complete the accommodations online form located on our website at Online Team Check-In on the Baseball Nationals website no later than May 15,

25 NATIONALS GLOW PARTY Wednesday nights from 9-11 at the Nationals is time to let loose! Every Wednesday night when the lights go down it s time to party at the Nationals! One of the many fun events during your week is the Glow Party. DJ Double Play revs up the music and plays all the kids favorite tunes and some of the parents favorite ones too! And best of all, the Nationals Glow Party is for a great cause benefiting the local chapter of the Boys & Girls Clubs! At the party glow sticks and other glow merchandise is sold at a nominal price and 100% of the proceeds go towards charity! It s an awesome way to give back to the community who have hosted us and our families all week. Not to mention, everyone who attends has a blast! We encourage all families to attend this fun night. The bigger the attendance, the bigger the impact! At this point in the tournament, most teams are eliminated and anticipating all the fun coming in Championship Thursday festivities the next day so it s a great way to relieve all the tension from competing all week and just have a great time and a lot of fun. THE NATIONALS GLOW PARTY WILL BE HELD AT: Omni Dallas Hotel at Park West 1590 Lyndon B. Johnson Fwy Dallas, TX NATIONALS MEDIA GUIDE Nationals Media Guides are a great keepsake to commemorate your team s time at the Nationals. The Media Guides include the participating team s picture, roster and logo with each player named so you ll definitely want a copy! Guides are available for purchase at the FanZone for $5 or FREE with a FanZone purchase of $15 or more. 25

26 VISIT THE NATIONALS FAN ZONE BATTING TUNNEL DJ DOUBLE PLAY INFLATEABLE BACKSTOP INFO BOOTH SPEED PITCH TENT VIDEO GAMES WIFFLEBALL GAME BOOTHS FROM 26

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28 AT&T STADIUM DIRECTIONS OPENING CEREMONIES 1 AT&T WAY, ARLINGTON, TX I-30 I N Collins St. N Collins St. 360 At&t Way Stadium Dr E Division St E Abraham St 28