NEXT NINE BASEBALL EVENTS 13U–14U TOURNAMENT COMPETITION RULES Competition Rules v1.3 — Effective July 25, 2026 STATUS Adopted competition standard for the 2027 Derby City tournaments. The team withdrawal, refund, and games-played weather policy is adopted. 1. GOVERNING RULES - NFHS baseball rules govern unless a published Next Nine event rule states otherwise. - The latest online version controls if a printed copy conflicts with it. - The tournament director makes the final fair ruling on issues not covered here or by NFHS rules. - Next Nine is independently operated and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Perfect Game. 2. 2027 AGE ELIGIBILITY - 14U: born on or after May 1, 2012. Class of 2031 or younger is also eligible. - 13U: born on or after May 1, 2013. - A 13U team may use no more than two seventh-grade exemptions. An exempt player who turns 14 before May 1, 2027 must have been born on or after January 1, 2013. - Managers must have an accepted birth certificate, passport, or digital copy. Grade exemptions also require a current report card or transcript. - A player may appear for only one team during the same Next Nine weekend. 3. PITCHING - Next Nine does not impose or enforce a tournament pitch-count, innings-pitched, recorded-outs, appearance, or required-rest limit for 13U or 14U. - Each team's head coach is responsible for managing every pitcher's workload, rest, health, and availability throughout the event. - Next Nine strongly recommends MLB Pitch Smart guidance for ages 13–14, including a 95-pitch daily maximum and age-appropriate rest. - A player showing pain, injury, or unsafe fatigue must be removed from pitching. An umpire or tournament director may stop a player from pitching when an immediate safety concern is observed. - A removed pitcher may not return to the mound in the same game. - MLB balk rule; a balk remains live. 4. BATS AND EQUIPMENT - 13U Open/Major: -5 or -3 BBCOR, legal wood, or event-approved USSSA/NTS BPF 1.15 bat. - 14U Open/Major: -3 BBCOR or legal single-piece wood. A specifically labeled AA/AAA event may publish a -5 option. - Altered, damaged, cracked, rattling, missing-cap, unidentifiable, or currently prohibited bats are illegal. - First illegal-bat team violation: batter out and head coach restricted to the dugout. Second violation in the same game: batter out and head coach ejected. - Metal spikes are allowed at 13U and 14U. - Catchers must wear complete protective equipment. - One-way electronic pitch calling is allowed. Direct live audio is limited to the defensive catcher. 5. GAME PROCEDURE - 13U and 14U play on 60/90 fields. - 13U: seven innings; no new inning after 1:40 in pool play and semifinals. - 14U: seven innings; no new inning after 1:45 in pool play and semifinals. - Championship games are seven innings with no time limit when conditions allow. - Pool-play home teams are assigned. Higher seed is home in bracket play. - Pool games may end tied and count as one-half win and one-half loss. - Bracket tiebreaker after time expires: bases loaded with the prior three hitters and one out. - No pregame team infield. Teams must be ready up to ten minutes early. 6. LINEUPS AND SUBSTITUTIONS - Bat nine, ten, eleven, or the entire eligible roster. The format locks at first pitch. - DH, EH, XH, and properly listed P/DH are allowed. - A team may start and finish with eight eligible players; the ninth spot is an automatic out. - With roster batting, an injured or ejected player becomes an automatic out when no eligible replacement exists. - Courtesy runners are allowed for the pitcher and catcher. With roster batting, use the last eligible batted out. - Lineup cards must list all starters, substitutes, positions, and jersey numbers. 7. MOUND VISITS, MERCY, AND FORFEITS - Three charged defensive conferences in seven innings; one additional conference per extra inning. - A fourth regulation visit or second extra-inning visit removes the pitcher. - 13U–14U mercy: 15 after three innings, 12 after four, or eight after five. - Only the tournament director declares a forfeit. - A forfeit is scored one run per scheduled inning to zero, subject to committee review. - Leaving before scheduled tournament play is complete may eliminate playoff eligibility. 8. WEATHER AND STOPPED GAMES - Weather may require shortened games, altered formats, rescheduling, or cancellation. - If play cannot resume within one hour, the director may resume later, shorten the game, or declare it official. - 13U–14U games are regulation after five innings, or 4 1/2 if the home team leads. - Suspended games resume from the stoppage point when possible. - If championship play cannot continue, placement follows published seeding and tiebreakers. - No games played because of weather: full refund minus a $75 administration fee. - One game played because of weather: 50% refund. - Two or more games played: no refund. 9. PROTESTS AND SCORING - Judgment calls cannot be protested. - Eligible protests involve rule interpretation or player eligibility. - Protest before the next pitch, or before umpires leave after the final play. - $100 protest deposit; returned if upheld. Committee ruling is final. - Tournament staff keep the official book when available, followed by the home team, then visitor. - Both teams should verify the official score during and immediately after the game. 10. SPORTSMANSHIP AND SAFETY - Threats, fighting, abusive conduct, discriminatory language, property damage, false identities, or physical contact with an official may cause immediate removal. - A first ejection normally covers that game. A second event ejection removes the person for the tournament. - Legal slides must be completed on the ground before contact. - Hurdling a standing or crouching fielder and diving over any fielder are prohibited. 11. SEEDING TIEBREAKERS Pool-to-bracket seeds are determined after pool play. Apply these criteria in order: 1) Pool-play winning percentage 2) Head-to-head result when exactly two tied teams played each other 3) In a three-team tie, a team that defeated both other tied teams receives the highest available seed among the tied teams. If the tie is for the final bracket position, that team advances. 4) Fewest total runs allowed in pool play 5) Most total runs scored in pool play 6) Fewest runs allowed after removing each team's highest runs-allowed game 7) Fewest runs allowed after removing each team's two highest runs-allowed games 8) Compare runs scored inning by inning, beginning with the first inning of each team's first pool game and continuing chronologically until one team has more runs after a complete inning - When one team is separated from a multi-team tie, place that team and restart the process for the remaining tied teams. - If weather or another interruption leaves tied teams with unequal numbers of completed pool games, or if the tie remains after all listed criteria, the tournament committee makes the fairest possible seeding decision. Its decision is final. 12. TEAM AND GATE CREDENTIALS - Rostered players and up to four coaches per team receive complimentary credentials. - Four coach names must be submitted before gates open on the first event day. - Gates open 90 minutes before the first scheduled game each day. - Every entrant receives a wristband at the front gate; it is required for re-entry. SOURCE MODEL NFHS baseball is the base code. Portions of the youth-tournament structure are independently adapted from Perfect Game's rules current on July 25, 2026. Next Nine's no-limit pitching policy is its own and differs from Perfect Game's pitching restrictions. Next Nine is not affiliated with or endorsed by Perfect Game.