June 17-19, 2016 USSSA Open (8U) A & AA (9U-14U) - State Qualifier Ages: 8U-14U Entry Fee: $570 if paid with credit card online at www.usssa.com $590 if paid with check to Grand Island Riverdogs (includes gate fee) 3-game guarantee* Tournament Headquarters: Platt-Deutsche Fields 1315 West Anna Street Grand Island, NE 68801 Tournament Director: Angie Friesen 4132 Fleetwood Rd Grand Island, NE 68803 Phone Number: 308-258-4218 e-mail: grandislandriverdogs@gmail.com{best way to contact} Website: www.giriverdogs.org
Dear Coaches: The Grand Island Riverdogs would like to extend an invitation to you and your team to play in our DIAMOND CHALLENGE Tournament. We hope those teams, which have played in our tournament in the past years, have had a good experience and we hope those teams new to the tournament will also enjoy the DIAMOND CHALLENGE. Attached you will find: DIAMOND CHALLENGE tournament information, a tournament registration form, t-shirt order form and tournament rules. Please, complete the entry form and return to the Tournament Director prior to May 1, 2016. All information about the tournament can be found on our website: www.giriverdogs.org The tournament headquarters will be at the Platt-Deutsche Fields at 1315 West Anna Street. Game results will be posted on the USSSA website. This is a USSSA Open (8U) & A & AA (9U-14U) qualifying tournament. The tournament is filled on a first come, first serve basis and is limited to 8 teams in each age division. Additional teams may be added to a division if proper fields are available. There will be 7 age divisions: 8U, 9U, 10U, 11U, 12U, 13U and 14U. Each team is guaranteed 3 games* unless weather or unexpected events prevents it. Mounds will be used at each field and baseballs will be provided. Following pool play games the Championship Brackets will be posted on our website: www.giriverdogs.org The final tournament standings will be entered on the USSSA website and will be posted on the Riverdogs website. We look forward to the tournament and hope to see you here.
Tournament Entry Deadline The tournament entries are due by May 1, 2016. Tournament fee is $590 or $570 (includes player gate fees). Late entries will be accepted for any age brackets not yet filled. Late entry fee is $620/$640. Tournament Capacity We will be accepting entries on a first come first serve basis. We do have limitations on the number of teams we can host. Eligibility and Rosters All teams must be able to prove player eligibility according to the May 1 rules stated in the USSSA Baseball Tournament Rules. Tournament Sanctioning This is a USSSA Open (8U) & A & AA (9U-14U) STATE TOURNAMENT Sanctioning Tournament. Teams must provide proof of USSSA registration. Awards Medals will be awarded to each player for 1st and 2nd place teams in each age division. Champion T-Shirts will be awarded to each 1st place team as well. Refunds Cancellation by teams after the entry deadline will result in no refund. If t-shirts were ordered and paid for they will be shipped to the Team Contact person. No refund will be allowed for official games shortened by weather. If, due to weather conditions, the tournament is canceled or shortened, refunds will be as follows: 0 games played- All money to be returned other than a $250 administrative fee. 1 game played No refunds
TOURNAMENT ENTRY FORM Your entry will be confirmed upon receipt of your entry fee via e-mail. No spots will be held without entry fee. Team Name: Age Division: 8u 9u 10u 11u 12u 13u 14u (circle one) Team Contact Person: Address: City: State: Zip:_ USSSA Sanction Number: Team contact Cell Phone: E-mail Address: *MUST HAVE* *MUST HAVE* *MUST HAVE* Entry Deadline is May 1, 2016 Payment Information: $570 if paid with credit card online at www.usssa.com $590 if paid with check to Grand Island Riverdogs Late Entry Fee after April 1. $620 if paid with credit card online at www.usssa.com $640 if paid with check to Grand Island Riverdogs Make Checks payable to: Grand Island Riverdogs Baseball Mail check and entry form to: Grand Island Riverdogs Baseball Attn: Angie Friesen 4132 Fleetwood Rd Grand Island, NE 68803 Tournament Director: Angie Friesen: grandislandriverdogs@gmail.com
T-SHIRT ORDER FORM Teams have the opportunity to pre-order tournament T-shirts for their players and fans. To guarantee that your team will get tournament T-shirts, you must pre-order and we must receive that order by May 1, 2016. All shirts will have the tournament teams listed on the back. We use only the highest quality T-shirts. Do not order as individuals, but as a TEAM ONLY. We must receive your order & payment by May 1, 2016. THERE WILL NOT BE T-SHIRTS AVAILABLE AT TOURNAMENT!!!! Make check payable to: Grand Island Riverdogs Baseball. (Please mail one check) Team Name: Age Division: 8u 9u 10u 11u 12u 13u 14u (circle one) Team Contact Person: Team contact Cell Phone: TOURNAMENT T-SHIRT $15.00 each $20.00 XXL-XXXL Description # Ordered Youth Small Youth Medium Youth Large Adult Small Adult Medium Adult Large Adult Extra Large Adult XXL Adult XXXL AMOUNT DUE # of Youth (Sm-L) X 15.00 = _ # of Adult (Sm-L) X 15.00 = _ # of Adult (XXL-XXXL) X 20.00 = _ Total Amount Due _ (includes sales tax) You may print this form and mail it in with a check to: Grand Island Riverdogs Baseball Attn: Angie Friesen 4132 Fleetwood Rd Grand Island, NE 68803 Or you may scan and e-mail your order to: grandislandriverdogs@gmail.com Form & payment must be received by May 1, 2016. We will have orders bagged up and ready when your team arrives. Teams will be responsible for all preordered T-shirts.
Tournament Rules Grand Island Riverdogs Rules: USSSA Baseball Rules will apply, unless stated below. 2016 USSSA Bat Rules will be enforced Appeals: The decision of the umpire is final. No appeals will be allowed on umpire judgment calls. Appeals will only be allowed for rules violations such as innings pitched, etc. Team must present $100 to the Tournament Director/Site Supervisor before an appeal will be heard. If the team wins the appeal, the money will be refunded. Umpires: 8U & 9U will have one umpire assigned to the games. All other age divisions will have two. Shoes: Metal spikes allowed in the U13 and U14 divisions only. No metal spikes allowed on the portable pitching mounds. Pitching: 1. All age divisions will follow USSSA Rule 8.05 for pitchers. a. 13U-14U: 3/7/8 b. 8U-12 U: 3/6/8 A pitcher may not re-enter a game, as a pitcher, in a game he has already pitched in. Please refer to the USSSA National By-Laws Handbook for further explanations. All innings pitched by a player are to be recorded at the end of each game by the coach and the pitching cards turned into the site supervisor. All innings will be recorded in the Tournament Pitching Notebook and will be available for public view during the tournament. Pitching and Base Distances: 14U 60/90 13U 54/80 11U-12U 50/70 9U-10U 45/65 8U 40/60 Re-entry: Starters may re-enter the game once, in their original batting order. Extra Hitter: Teams may bat 9, 10(with an EH) or their entire lineup. See USSSA Rule 8.03.D. Length of Games: 13U-14U: 7 Innings 8U-12U: 6 Innings *Pool Play games will consist of 6/7 innings or 1 hour and 50 minutes. In the case of a tie, each team will be awarded ½ point towards a win and equal runs allowed. No new inning will start after 1 hour and 50 minutes. The home plate umpire is the official clock. *Tournament Play games will be 6/7 innings or 1 hour and 50 minutes with extra innings, using the California Rule, if needed, to determine the winner. *Championship games will be 6/7 inning games (no time limit, daylight permitting) with extra innings, using the California Rule, if needed to determine the winner. Tournament Director reserves the right to modify tournament format or innings per game in the event of inclement weather. Run Rules: 8U-12U: 15 runs after 3 innings; 8 runs after 4 innings 13U-14U: 15 runs after 3 innings, 12 runs after 4 innings, 8 runs after 5 innings Forfeit: Game time is forfeit time. Warm-ups: Infield warm-ups are not allowed. The complexes will open one hour prior to the first games each day for pre-game warm-ups. Home Team: Determined by coin flip prior to game for all Pool Play games. Highest seed is Home Team in Tournament Play games and Championship game. Home team is the official book. Please check with official bookkeeper after each inning to ensure accuracy. Championship Bracket -- The following rules will be used to seed the Championship Bracket. 1.Win/Loss record 2.Winnner of head to head games 3. Fewest runs allowed 4. Highest run differential (maximum of 5 run differential) 5. Coin Flip ***When 3 or more teams are tied, only fewest runs allowed and highest run differential shall be used to determine which team is the highest seed. Ejections: Players, coaches or fans who are ejected from a game will miss the reminder of that game and will miss the next game as well.