2024 Oak City Swing Tournament Rules & Guidelines

TEAMS & PLAYERS: RATINGS & RULES

ALL players/coaches/managers MUST sign their official Oak City Swing roster at registration OR at the field registration desk before their first game.
Photo ID will be required to register.
All players must be at least 19 years of age.
No player will be allowed to register once tournament play begins.
A team may not alter (or add to) their roster once tournament play has begun.
No player may be on the roster of more than one team.
All players in the C, D, & E Open Divisions must be rated using the current 28-point IPS/NAGAAA rating guidelines (2023) and these ratings must exist in the IPS/NAGAAA database to be eligible to play (please discuss with your league officials if you have ratings issues); player ratings will be verified by the Oak City Swing’s ratings committee. All Women’s+ players MUST be rated using current ASANA questions on team roster sheets.
Pool play schedules will be emailed to each team coach/manager prior to the tournament; pool play schedules will also be posted on Tourney Machine app under Oak City Swing Softball Tournament prior to June 8th.
A player found playing without signing the official tournament roster will result in a forfeiture of the game being played when the error is discovered.
Oak City Swing recommends that infielders, including but not limited to pitchers and catchers consider wearing safety equipment to play said positions.
Teams are REQUIRED to have like-colored uniforms (jerseys with the same logo but with different material will suffice here), with a number on them at least 6 inches high and must be visible at all times. Any team members wearing the same number are not permitted to play at the same time. Players will be required to change jerseys or substitute one of the players.
Tournament roster template sheets (Excel format) for both Open and Women’s+ Divisions are available for download via this website; these must be turned in by June 1st.
In the absence of anything mentioned specifically in these rules, the USA Softball rulebook will apply.

POOL PLAY

POOL PLAY DRAW

Pool Play draws are random. Where possible, teams from the same city will be distributed so that they will not have to play each other.

POOL PLAY GAMES

Each team will play 3 pool play games, and this data will be used for the seeding of tournament play.
Pool Play games will be 55-minute DROP DEAD. (At the end of 55 minutes, the game is called, and the score is reported.) Ties ARE allowed.
All pool play games begin with a 1-1 count, with ONE courtesy foul allowed.

SEEDING

For the purpose of seeding, the following priority will be utilized: (win-tie-loss) 2-0-0 > 1-1-0 > 1-0-1 > 0-2-0 > 0-1-1 > 0-0-2
Each team in each W/T/L category will then be ranked by run differential.
If any team ties after run differential, then total runs scored will be used next.
If a tie still exists, the teams will be drawn randomly.
Since the score of each pool play game is what will be used for seeding, each coach MUST sign the line-up card at the end of each game. This will help verify exact scores of each game.

GAME TIME

The assigned game time is the forfeit time. Any team not on the field at the top of the hour (game time) results in a forfeit (scored 7-0 to the winner). Oak City Swing recommends teams be at the fields 30 minutes before their scheduled game times.
At the end of pool play game, please leave the dugout immediately so that the next team can enter and prepare for their game.

HOME TEAM

For pool play, home team will be determined by a coin toss.
During tournament play the higher seeded team will be the home team.

TOURNAMENT PLAY

DOUBLE ELIMINATION

Tournament Play is double elimination. Once a team has lost one game on the first day of tournament play, they are done playing for that day (no team will be eliminated on the first day of play.)

SEEDING

The highest seed will be the home team for each game.
In the championship game, the winner’s bracket team will be the home team.
If the loser’s bracket team wins that round, they will be the home team for the championship game (the “if necessary” game).

GENERAL GAME RULES

RUN RULE

Twenty (20) runs after 3 innings.
Fifteen (15) runs after 4 innings.
Ten (10) runs after 5 innings.

BALL/STRIKE COUNT

Each player goes to the batter’s box with a 1-1 count, WITH a courtesy foul allowed.

PLAYERS & SUBSTITUTIONS

Each team can bat up to 12 players (two EH’s) per game.
Teams can participate with 9 players, however the 10th player will count as an out.
Any player listed on the line-up card may substitute for any player in the lineup at any time during the game. The original player may re-enter one more time. If the substitute is replaced, they may not re-enter the game.
ALL substitutions MUST be reported to the Umpire. It is also common courtesy to inform the opposing coach/scorekeeper as well.

TIME LIMIT

Each tournament game will have a 50-minute time limit. Once time has expired, the inning will be finished, and no new inning will start.

PITCH ARC

The USA Softball pitch rule of six (6) to twelve (12) feet of arc is required.

BATS

All bats must be currently approved USA Softball (USA/ASA) bats. NO EXCEPTIONS.
Umpires have discretion to perform bat checks before each game. Place ALL bats that might be used during the game outside the dugout for inspection.
Any player(s) found in violation of the legal bat rule will be ejected from the tournament and the bat will be confiscated until the end of the tournament. The Tournament Director will have the bat until the tournament is over.

HOME RUN RULE

Open C Division: Each team is allowed one (1) over-the-fence homerun per game. Any additional over-the-fence homeruns will result in an inning-ending out.
Open D Division: NO over-the-fence homeruns are allowed. Any over-the-fence homeruns will result in an inning-ending out.
Open E Division: NO over-the-fence homeruns are allowed. Any over-the-fence homeruns will result in an inning-ending out.

COURTESY RUNNERS

A player may be a courtesy runner only once an inning for any player other than the pitcher; any other players can run for the pitcher anytime the pitcher is on base.
The courtesy runner can be any player on your line up including subs.
If the courtesy runner is on base when they come up in the line up again, an out will be assessed for that player.
Runners used for players as part of an ADA allowance do not count as a courtesy runner.

TIEBREAKER

The International Tie Breaker Rule will be used in the event of a tie at the end of a tournament game.
The last out of the previous inning will go to second base.
Play will resume with each team getting three outs, the count starting at 1-1 with ONE courtesy foul, playing complete innings until the tie is broken.
Each team will be given the same number of innings.

UNIFORMS & DRESS CODE

Oak City Swing recommends that infielders, including but not limited to pitchers and catchers consider wearing safety equipment to play said positions.
Teams are REQUIRED to have like-colored uniforms (jerseys with the same logo but with different material will suffice here), with a number on them at least 6 inches high and must be visible at all times. Any team members wearing the same number are not permitted to play at the same time. Players will be required to change jerseys or substitute one of the players.
No jewelry is allowed that is judged by the umpire to be hazardous or potentially dangerous (such as neck chains, watches, bracelets, or earrings that extend below the earlobe). This is COMPLETELY at the discretion of the umpire. Any player not obeying the dress code will not be allowed to play in that game.
Metal cleats are not allowed.

LINE-UP CARDS

Four-copy line-up cards will be provided by Oak City Swing tournament. They will be placed in the Coach’s Bag (and the coach/manager is responsible for bringing the cards to all games.)
Replacement cards will be available at the Tournament Table.
Each team is required to completely (including first name and last name/initial, and jersey numbers) fill out the line-up card and distribute—immediately prior to game time—as follows: White (top) copy to the umpire, Pink copy to the opposing team, Yellow copy to the scorekeeper, and bottom copy to the bench.
Each coach MUST sign the line-up card at the end of the game, and this will serve as verification of the score of the game.
Each lineup card must have 9 players minimum (see PLAYERS & SUBSTITUTIONS section regarding this) and a maximum of 12 players. Substitutes do not count in said 12 players.

FIELDS

The tournament will be played one location (all divisions): Walnut Creek Athletic Complex, 1201 Sunnybrook Rd, Raleigh, NC 27610.
City of Raleigh Parks & Recreation staff and Raleigh Police Department officers will be onsite during the tournament.

SPORTSPERSONSHIP

Good sportspersonship is expected (and required) at the tournament.
At the discretion of the field umpire or any tournament official, any team or fans making excessive noise (horns, noise-makers, loud or obscene music, whistles, etc.) or using obscene language or gestures will first be asked to cease the action, and if they continue it will result in removal from the park. Please respect the teams playing on the field when walking up with loud music, if they ask you to turn it down or off please do so.
Umpires or any tournament officials have a right to eject any player for unsportsmanlike conduct. (fighting, arguing, baiting, etc.)
Only a coach or manager should ask an umpire for clarification on a call.
Any player ejected from a game for unsportsmanlike conduct will automatically be disqualified from the next game. However, depending on the severity of the issue, the player may be disqualified from the tournament at the discretion of the Oak City Swing tournament management team.

SCOREKEEPERS

Each team must provide a scorekeeper for each game. Oak City Swing tournament will NOT provide any scorekeepers.
The home team’s scorebook will serve as the official scorebook for each individual game.

FORFEITS

Any forfeit will be scored 7-0.
Game time is forfeit time. A forfeit will be called once the umpire calls game time and a team is not on the field.

PROTESTS

Committee: All protests will be judged by the Oak City Swing Protest Committee. This committee may be comprised of any of the following: Oak City Softball League ratings committee members, Oak City Swing management team members, past/present GSWS protest committee members, NAGAAA/ASANA board members (if present), and coaches/managers/players.
Fee: There is a $100 fee to lodge a protest, plus $50 per question per player that is up for challenge. The fee must be paid in cash. The protest fee ($100) will be returned if the protest is won, however it will not be returned if the protest is lost.
Protest Timing: The protest must be submitted to the umpire before the last out of the game. The fee must be presented at this time. The game will continue as normal and the protest will be held after the game is completed.
Protest Requirement: The protesting team must identify specific questions that the player being protested can or cannot complete. The protesting team must provide evidence to back up their protest (ex. Scorebook or video). Scorebooks and evidence from other games may be considered during a protest. Game umpires may also be called in and questioned during the protest.
Result #1: If a player is successfully protested but their revised rating does not exceed the limit for their team’s division and their revised team rating is still below their divisional limit, the team and player will both be allowed to continue, and the protested game’s result will stand.
Result #2: If a player is successfully protested and that player’s revised rating exceeds the limit for their team’s division, but their team revised team rating is still below the divisional limit, that player will not be allowed to continue to play. The protested team will be assessed a loss, but no further sanctions will be imposed on the team.
Result #3: If a player is successfully protested and their revised rating causes their team’s rating to exceed the limit for their division, that team will be assessed a loss and will be disqualified from the tournament.
Championship and Trophy games: NO protests will be allowed during the championship/trophy round(s) of the tournament.
Reporting of Protest: If any player and/or team is successfully protested during the tournament, the protest and the results will be reported to the NAGAAA database and to the NAGAAA Commissioner, as well as the league commissioner of the team.

WEATHER

In the event of inclement weather, the Oak City Swing management team reserve the right to alter the format of the tournament in order to attempt completion of the event. This may result in reduced game time or one-pitch rules being implemented.
Team game jersey/shirts with numbers MUST be the top layer of clothing.
No refunds will be given in the case of inclement weather.
City of Raleigh Parks & Recreation has final say on field play. Oak City Swing has no control over this issue.

CHAMPIONSHIP GAME(S)

The Championship Game is the game between the winners of the Winner’s and Loser’s Bracket.
The Winner’s Bracket team will be the home team.
If the Loser’s Bracket team wins the game, a “If Necessary” championship game will be played, with the Loser’s Bracket team being the home team.
Both the Championship Game and an “If Necessary” championship game will be 7 innings.

ADA ACCOMMODATIONS

Coaches/managers must state that they have a player who needs ADA accommodation in the email submission of their team roster form (sent on or before 5/31/24) to contact@oakcityswing.com noting the full name of the player requesting ADA accommodations; we will respond with tournament accommodation information.

Any questions or issues about the tournament should be made directly to the tournament table, or prior to the tournament, to contact@oakcityswing.com. The Oak City Swing management team has final authority on all matters (other than weather-related or park-related issues, as mentioned above in Weather section). Oak City Swing reserves the right to make modifications to tournament rules prior to June 8th, 2024 to address issues that may arise.