RULES OUTLINE:

Omaha Champions Village will be using OFFICIAL USSSA RULES, with the following exceptions:

-Lead-Off runners are allowed in all divisions
-The dropped 3rd strike rule is in affect in all the age divisions.
-Substitutions will follow the Official USSSA guidelines. You may hit 9, 10 (extra hitter) or your full roster.
-Substitute players can be inserted into the game as a courtesy runner. In the event that all players have been used, the player that made the last out would be the courtesy runner.
-Runners missing bases require an appeal.
-Pitchers innings are at the discretion of the coach. The tournament director reserves the right to make changes as he deems necessary.

TEAM INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS: 

All teams competing at the Omaha Champions Village must have accident/medical coverage and general liability insurance. The required coverage limits are an excess of $100,000 accident/medical, and a minimum of $1,000,000 general liability which includes participant legal liability. Once your team is registered with USSSA you will be covered by the USSSA insurance policy. You should name Omaha Champions Village as “additionally insured.” Your team insurance certificate is required at check-in.

TIME LIMITS:
Each game will be 6-Innings or 1-hour and 50-minutes (1:50). No new inning may start after time has expired, except when a game is tied. In case of a tie, pool play games will be played with up to two innings of California tie-breaker when necessary (the last out starts on second base with no outs). If no winner is declared after the two additional innings the game will conclude in a tie. In championship play the California tie-breaker will be used until a winner is declared.

EXTRA HITTER:
A team may us an E-H, (extra hitter) if desired in any (Ages 10-12) Omaha Champions Village tournament game. The coach/manager must declare the use of an E-H prior to the start of the game. The E-H position shall be considered as any other position. Normal substitution rules apply. However, any team that begins play using an E-H, must maintain a 10-player line-up, throughout the game. 
If a team, due to injury, shall fall to nine players, an out shall be recorded each time the injured player (removed) was to bat. 
Once the game has commenced, the position of the E-H within the batting line-up cannot change during the course of play.

RUN RULE:
All games will be played according to USSSA run rules:
15 after 3 inning
8 after 4 innings

BETWEEN INNINGS:
Each team will be given 90 seconds, or 5 warm-up pitches between innings with the timing start upon the 3rd out. The umpire shall keep time. Automatic strikes may be called on the offensive team not ready, automatic balls may be called on the defensive team if not ready, after the umpire has directed teams to play. If an injury requires an emergency pitching change, the new pitcher will have 10 minutes maximum for warm-up, during which the time of the game clock shall be stopped.

CONDUCT & EJECTIONS:
1. Any Ejections of coaches, players, and fans based upon unsportsmanlike conduct, malicious contact, verbally abusing tournament officials, or throwing anything at another individual or onto the playing field, will result in an immediate ejection. Any ejected individual will be asked to leave and will not be allowed on the complex for the remainder of the week.
2. Post-Game Misconduct: If any team, or any member of a team (including manager, coach, player, parent or fan) displays misconduct or poor sportsmanship AFTER a game has concluded, or issues verbal assaults, trashes or damages park property, or physically threatens, or makes a physical assault against another person, the team shall be permanently disqualifies from further participation within the Omaha Champions Village, and all guilty parties will be subject to arrest and prosecution to the fullest extent of the law.
3. Use of profanity by coaches, players, parent or fans is considered unsportsmanlike conduct and may result in ejection, upon the decision of the Omaha Champions Village official or tournament director. Our events are for children, and Omaha Champions Village does not believe profanity is appropriate, nor acceptable, whatsoever in our environment. 
4. A manager or coach may not remove his team from the field, or refuse to continue play, due to a dispute with the game official. 
PENALTY: the game is immediately forfeited, and the team is disqualified from further participation in the tournament. The manager or coach is subject to indefinite suspension by the Omaha Champions Village. 
5. No coach, player, or team shall, at any time, whether from the bench, coaching box, or playing field, attempt to incite by word or sign, any unsportsmanlike conduct or demonstration by spectators.
6. Assistant coaches may not leave their field position, dugout, or bullpen area to appeal any play on the field.
PENALTY: Ejection after one warning
7. Razzing, heckling, chanting, or making disparaging remarks towards opponents, in any manner, is prohibited. Umpires are instructed to call time, and eject the fan or spectator. 
8. Any person making physical contact with a game official, tournament administrator, or an organization representative of the Omaha Champions Village shall be immediately disqualified from further participation in the Omaha Champions Village, and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Making physical contact with an athletic official is a felony criminal offense in the state of Nebraska.

FORCE PLAY SLIDE RULE: 
The force play slide rule is a safety rule first and an interference rule second. Players advancing to second with the intent to break-up a double play must slide directly into the bag. (Exception: a runner does not need to slide directly into a base as long as the runner slides in a direction away from the fielder to avoid making contact or altering the play.) 
All calls regarding rough play, sliding, etc., shall be judgment calls of the umpires. Fake tags will be considered as “obstruction” by our umpires. Official will award the runner bases per their judgment.

COLLISION AVOIDANCE RULE:
This is a safety rule. It is the obligation of the runner to slide, or attempt to avoid contact or collision with the defensive player at any base, at anytime. If contact is made in a non-malicious manner (an umpires judgment) the player shall be judged safe. If contact is made in a malicious manner, the runner shall be called out and ejected form that game, plus an additional (1) game.

JUMPING OVER ANOTHER PLAYER:
Hurdling a player, who is the act of making a play, is not be allowed. The ball is immediately dead, time is called, the player is called out regardless of the outcome of the play. All players return to the last base legally occupied at the time of this act.

BASEBALL SPIKES:
METAL SPIKES ARE NOT ALLOWED.

SUSPENDED/COMPLETE GAMES:
A game shall be ruled as official and complete if it is called by umpires or the tournament director due to rain, inclement weather, lighting failure, or other reasons beyond our control, provided 4 innings have been completed. If four innings have not been completed, the game shall be suspended, and resumed from that point.

TIE-BREAKERS:
All Omaha Champions Village Tournaments shall utilize pool play format initially. Single elimination rounds will follow pool play. In the event of ties between two or more teams, the winner will be decided by the following priority:
1)head-to-head competition (if only 2 teams are involved)
2) total runs allowed
3) run differential (maximum of +/-8)
4)coin flip.
Head -to-head tie-breaker is to be used for TWO TEAMS tied only. If 3 or more teams are tied, the first tie-breaking criteria will be runs ALLOWED by all of the tied teams. 
Head-to-head tie-breaker is NEVER UTILIZED in championship events.

DUGOUTS:
A maximum of four adults per team are allowed in dugouts. Only three coaches are allowed outside of the dugout at any time. Absolutely no glass items are allowed in the dugouts. Team water coolers are allowed, unless provided by the tournament site. Teams must pick up trash and debris in the dugout before departure form all games.
Only ONE PLAYER (the on-deck batter) is allowed outside of the dugout. For safety reasons the on-deck batter may choose to warm up in the first or third base on-deck circle.

HOME/VISITOR:
The home team will be listed first on the schedule and should wear light colored uniforms if available.

WARM-UP’S:
All team pre-game warm-ups will be done in specified warm up areas, or in the outfield of the baseball field. Absolutely NO infield practice allowed on any infield; no pitching practice allowed on any baseball field mound. The local tournament director may set a time limit for an infield practice routine prior to championship games.

GAME BALLS:
Omaha Champions Village provides all game balls.

LINE-UP CARDS:
Each manager must prepare three written copies of his line-up, listing first & last names, numbers of all the players and substitutes prior to each game. Line-ups must be provided to the plate umpire, opposing manager, and opposing scorekeeper. A game shall not start until this is completed. Should a coach omit a player from his written line-up, once the game has started that player cannot participate in that game only . Manager are responsible for providing their own line-up cards.
ALL LINE-UP CHANGES AND SUBSTITUTIONS MUST BE REPORTED by the team manager to the home plate umpire before any substitute takes his offensive or defensive position in the game.

PITCHING LIMITATIONS:
NONE
Pitchers must be removed upon the second visit to the mounds or field by any coach in the same inning. If a coach calls time, and crosses the foul line to confer with any player, this shall be considered a visit for that inning.

PITCHERS RETURNING TO THE MOUND:
Any pitcher removed from the mound is not allowed to return to the mound for the remainder of that game.
PENALTY: Can be corrected without penalty.

DISORDERLY CONDUCT:
Any disorderly conduct, threat of , or act of violence, shall result in the removal and arrest of the responsible individual(s). Any person on the premises, who is intoxicated, shall be removed from the complex by security personnel. Any person(s) removed under these circumstances, shall be prohibited from entering park grounds, including the parking lots, for the duration of the tournament. Upon such ejection, refunds will not be given to any such individuals.

FIGHTING:
Should any player, coach, or team member take part in an fighting, those individuals shall be ejected from the tournament on the first occurrence. Should any member of the team subsequently become involve in a second incident of fighting, the entire team shall be ejected from all further participation in the tournament and subject to suspension by Omaha Champions Village.

TOBACCO & ALCOHOL:
Use of tobacco products is prohibited on all fields and in dugouts during games. The sale, or consumption on the premises, or in the parking lots, of alcoholic beverages is strictly prohibited at all Omaha Champions Village events. Anyone who appears intoxicated, or under the influence of alcohol or drugs, shall be ejected from the ball park.

PROTESTS:
All protest will be resolved immediately. Time will be called and game time stopped until the protest is resolved. Only managers may protest. Judgments called by umpires may not be protested. Upon a protest, a manager shall remit $100.00 protest fee. If the protest is upheld, the $100 shall be immediately refunded. If the protest is denied, the deposit shall be forfeited. Protests shall be resolved by the tournament director and his designees, in consultation with the umpires of the game.

FORMAT ALTERATIONS:
All Omaha Champions Village tournament directors reserve the right to alter, change, or abbreviate tourney formats when necessary due to weather conditions beyond their control, in order to complete the tournament.

DISRESPECT FOR THE GAME:
Any team(s) that conspire with another to determine the outcome of any game; or any team that makes a mockery of the game by intentionally failing to play to the best of its ability; or any team that intentionally, by its play, attempts to limit the score, or lose a game, which could affect other teams and standings, shall immediately be disqualified, and will be prohibited from any further participation in Omaha Champions Village events.

JEWELRY RESTRICTION:
Players shall be prohibited from wearing jewelry in any game (exception: Medical Alert bracelets, Phiten type jewelry). One warning will be given per team-followed by player ejection for ensuing infractions by players of the team for the remainder of the game.

THROWING EQUIPMENT:
If a player throws equipment, a bench warning shall be issued. Any further infractions will result in an ejection with an additional 1-game suspension. If the umpire judged the initial throwing of equipment to be flagrant, the individual my be immediately ejected at the discretion of the game officials.

UNIFORMS:
Teams need to provide their own uniforms to compete. All player uniforms should match and coaches apparel should coordinate with their team colors.

CASTS, SPLINTS OR BRACES:
All cast, splints and braces must be padded with at least 1-inch of closed cell, slow recovery rubber or other material of the same minimum thickness and having similar physical properties. No protective equipment shall have any exposed metal or other hard material. A Note: a pitcher cannot wear any casts, splints or braces of any kind.

BAT BOYS/GIRLS:
All bat boys/ girls must wear a double-ear batting helmet at all times when outside the dugout.

AGE CUTOFFS:
Omaha Champions Village will adhere to the USSSA age cutoff date of May 1st for all ages. 
To determine your team’s age in Summer season:
Determine the age of your OLDEST player as of April 30th of the current calendar year.

ALTERED BIRTH CERTIFICATES:
Anytime a registered player’s certificate of birth is found to have been altered or changed, the TEAM shall be disqualified and will be subject to suspension and indefinite disqualification. The player whose certificate has been altered will be permanently disqualified from further participation in Omaha Champions Village events, and the altered certificate will be submitted to county officials. Alterations to official Birth Certificates is against the law in most states.

PROOF OF AGE:
All managers must carry, and provide upon request by a tournament director, birth certificates for all players. Failure to produce a certificate of birth upon request, shall result in disqualification of the team in that event, and possible suspension by the Omaha Champions Village.
1)All players will be required to go through check-in procedures to ensure proper age and identity.
2)Team managers must SHOW a copy/original certificate of birth, or a U.S. Passport containing the individuals photo for every player.
These documents will be used to verify the dates of birth for each player.
No player will be allowed to participate without providing an accepted document, to verify age.

TOURNAMENT DIRECTORS AND OFFICIALS:
No tournament official, nor tournament director, may mange, coach, or participate as a player in any tournament in which he serves as an official or director.

RIGHT OF PARTICIPATION:
All teams, individual, patrons, spectator, officials, and players, attending or participating in Omaha Champions Village events are subject to the approval of the Omaha Champions Village. We, as a privately owned company, retain the right to prohibit attendance or participation of any team or individual who, displays improper conduct, character, integrity, sportsmanship, or issues any threats of harm, violence, legal action or disruption towards the Omaha Champions Village, its officials, or administrators.

FINANCIAL FRAUD:
Any team, or individual failing to remit payment for money owed to an Omaha Champions Village event, for fees due, or products purchased, shall be suspended from further participation, and subject to prosecution to the full extent of the law. Checks returned due to insufficient funds, or stopped payments, shall be submitted to the local district attorney for collection. Fraudulent credit card charge-backs will be remanded to federal banking authorities. Fraudulent insurance claims are a felony, and will be prosecuted.