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

3

NATIONALS FANZONE / MERCHANDISE

Youth Baseball Nationals branded merchan-

dise will be on sale throughout the tourna-

ment 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 champion-

ship and runner-up teams in each age divi-

sion. In addition, customized medals will be

presented to the skills competition winners

and to those selected for the Nationals All-

Star games.

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 pro-vide 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 gen-

eral 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 base-

ball operations staff no later than May 15, 2016.

The certificate must have YOUTH NATIONALS

TEXAS listed as additionally insured in the fol-

lowing format:

YOUTH NATIONALS TEXAS, LLC9219 US Hwy 42Suite D-127Prospect, KY 40059

Once you have the certificate prepared by your

insurance carrier, your certificate should be up-

loaded through the Online Team Check-In on

our website.

Continued on page 4

Your team relations staff will be your

main contacts up until the tournament

begins and can assist you with any ques-

tions you have regarding any of the nec-

essary 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

800-559-2849 or send an email to sup-

port@athletx.com.

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

4

DIGITAL TEAM PHOTO & LOGO

We require each team to send us a team pho-

to 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 Nation-

als 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 im-

portant to remember that the members of our

medical team are not medical doctors. They

will provide basic first aid, determine the se-

verity of injuries and make recommendations

as to whether or not a player should see a doc-

tor 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 ap-

propriately. 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 sub-

ject to expulsion from the facility.

DUGOUTS

ONLY registered coaches and players are al-

lowed 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 prohib-

ited. We are not responsible for any damaged

vehicles, theft or loss of property.

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+.

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.

7

COACHES’ MEETING

There will be a mandatory coaches’ meeting approximately

15-20 minutes immediately following opening ceremonies on

Friday night. This meeting must be attended by ALL regis-tered 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.

8

OFFICIAL YOUTHBASEBALL 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 spe-

cial 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 tourna-

ment shirts typically sell out in the first day

or two of the event.

[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.]

FRONT

BACK

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 60-

80 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 web-

site 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.

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 ad-

mission 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, start-

ing 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!

11

AT&T STADIUM TOUR AND OPENINGCEREMONIES

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 mem-

bers may purchase tickets at BaseballNationals.com.

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 approxi-

mately 10-15 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 dur-

ing 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 uni-

form not necessary). Concessions will be

available.

Approximately 15-20 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 ceremo-

nies. 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 explor-

ing 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 ap-

proximately 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

75234.

THURSDAY

8:00 or 10:00 AM : NATIONALS FINAL FOUR! Semi-final games in each age group. Poten-

tial quarter-final games could be played if

the age division is large.

12

CHAMPIONSHIPTHURSDAY FESTIVALAND FANFEST!

Regardless if your team has been elimi-

nated from the tournament or not, this

is the BEST day of the Nationals and one

your kids will never forget! Through-

out the day during the Championship

Thursday Festival and Fanfest there will

be games, bouncies, photo booths, con-

tests 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 par-

ticipate in all the festivities. This will also

be the players’ last opportunity to trade

pins before the final cutoff as well as en-

ter all the various contests that will be

available for chances to win free bats,

gloves and other items from the Nation-

als FanZone sponsors (Louisville Slug-

ger, DeMarini, Evoshield, Wilson, etc.).

13

1:00 PM : AWARDS CEREMONY All teams will assemble at a field to be an-

nounced on site at McInnish Park (see map

on page 27). During the awards ceremony we

will announce the selections for the Nation-

als 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 tick-

ets and hotel accommodations to the Major

League Baseball World Series in October!

3:00 PM : YOUTH BASEBALL NATIONALSCHAMPIONSHIP 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 en-sure that our inclement weather policies and priorities are adhered to as outlined on page 14. We will make every effort to avoid cancel-lation of any and all of our planned activities.

14

INCLEMENT WEATHER POLICY

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 rules1) In the event of rain after a game has start-

ed, a 6 inning game will be considered

complete if 4 innings have been played,

a 7 inning game will be considered com-

plete if 5 innings have been played, un-

less the home team is ahead after 3 1/2

innings or 4 1/2 innings respectively. In

this case, that game shall also be con-

sidered official. If the minimum number

of innings have not been played to con-

sider 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 sus-

pended 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 sus-

pension 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 in-

nings 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 situ-

ation in which a game can end in a tie as

tie-breaker rules are used for any other

games not suspended due to weather.

• Elimination game suspended rules1) In the event of rain after a game has start-

ed, a 6 inning game will be considered

complete if 4 innings have been played,

a 7 inning game will be considered com-

plete if 5 innings have been played, un-

less the home team is ahead after 3 1/2

innings or 4 1/2 innings respectively. In

this case, that game shall also be con-

sidered official. If the minimum number

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 nec-

essary 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 cham-

pionship 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 sched-

ule changes and weather updates. See page 16 for information regarding down-

loading 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, baseballna-

tionals.com.

15

of innings have not been played to con-

sider 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 sus-

pended 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 sus-

pension and there have not been enough

innings played to consider the game of-

ficial, 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 re-

sumed, 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 be-

tween the umpire crew and the tournament

director.

WEATHER RELATED REFUND POLICYNo 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:

16

THE YOUTH BASEBALL NATIONALS APPWe 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 avail-able to download through your operating system of choice by visiting www.manageapps.net/apps/nationals.

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 so-

cial 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

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 Derby1. 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 :

4.1. 9U : Approximately 130’

4.2. 10U : Approximately 150’

4.3. 11U : Approximately 175’

4.4. 12U : Approximately 210’

4.5. 13U : Approximately 250’

4.6. 14U : Approximately 250’

Speed Burner5. 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 Horn1. 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 pro-

ceeds 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 pro-

ceeds 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 pro-

ceeds to throw to the center fielder.

9. The center fielder receives the throw, touches the center field

Continued on page 18

18

circle, then proceeds to throw to 3rd base.

10. The 3rd baseman receives the throw, touches his bag and pro-

ceeds 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 over-

thrown baseball or picking up one of the backup balls and pro-

ceeding 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.

9 Hole1. 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.

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 dis-

tance 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 :

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 competi-

tion, 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.

19

NATIONALS ALL-STAR GAMEDuring 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. Nation-

als 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 statis-

tics and determine selections based on those

statistics from the coaches nominations. Fac-

tors 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 fac-

tor, 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 num-

ber 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 play-

ing 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 Nation-

als 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 photog-

raphers of the Nationals.

20

PLAYER / COACH GIFTS

At approximately 7:30pm, following the conclusion of the Skills Com-

petitions 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 re-

quest 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 accord-

ingly based on your team’s age group. We will have an individual ex-

change 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 under-

stand 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 down-

loading the Nationals app on your smartphone).

2016 OFFICIAL TOURNAMENT RULESWe will follow Major League Baseball American League rules with the exception of any specific rules stated here.

21

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 coin-

flip 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 (Di-

rector Call). This does not include JUDGMENT

CALLS made by the umpires. This action is to

be taken in lieu of protests. In order to prop-

erly 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 in-

fields. 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 bat-

ting 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 dur-

ing 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 inten-

tional 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 Ma-

jor 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

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. Tour-

nament Director will have the option at that

point to disqualify player/coach from the re-

mainder 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 um-

pire’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 baserun-

ner 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 dis-

cretion. 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 limita-

tions 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 in-

ning with the player who made the last out

placed at second base as a base runner. If nei-

ther team has won the game after one extra

inning, the players that made the two previ-

ous 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 Champi-

onship Thursday.

RUN / MERCY RULE : A Run rule will be en-

forced for all games, including both pool play

and elimination games. The run rule shall be

12 runs after 3 innings, 10 runs after 4 in-

nings 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 respec-

tive 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 play-

ers are injured, sick or otherwise incapaci-

tated. 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 de-

fined 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.

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 tour-

nament. 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 schedul-

ing 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 clas-

sification 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, http://baseballnationals.com, under the Game

Day section and through the Nationals app.

TEAM ROSTERS

The Nationals official team rosters are to be

completed on the provided official roster Mi-

crosoft Excel document that can be download-

ed 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, 2016. Changes to the roster can

be made up until 2 weeks before your team’s

arrival. However, roster changes will not be re-

flected 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, 2016. 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 Nation-

als website.

EVENT AGREEMENT

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 download-

ed 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.

PARENTAL WAIVERS

The parent or legal guardian of every rostered

player will need to complete and sign the Pa-

rental Waiver and release of liability form by

May 15, 2016. This form is also available via

download from our website in the Online Team

Check-In page. Once this form has been com-

pleted and signed by the parents of all ros-

tered 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 accom-

modations online form located on our website

at Online Team Check-In on the Baseball Na-

tionals website no later than May 15, 2016.

24

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 FwyDallas, TX 75234

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 defi-

nitely want a copy! Guides are available for purchase at the FanZone for

$5 or FREE with a FanZone purchase of $15 or more.

BATTING TUNNEL

DJ DOUBLE PLAY

INFLATEABLE BACKSTOP

INFO BOOTH

SPEED PITCH TENT

VIDEO GAMES

WIFFLEBALL GAME

BOOTHSFROM

26

VISIT THE NATIONALS

FAN ZONE

27

28

AT&T STADIUMDIRECTIONSOPENING CEREMONIES

1 AT&T WAY, ARLINGTON, TX 76011

I-30 I-303

60

36

0

N C

oll

ins

St.

Sta

diu

m D

rAt&

t W

ay

E Division St

E Abraham St

N C

oll

ins

St.

Week ONE

09U Miken Mafia (Houston TX)

10U Oklahoma Redhawks (Oklahoma City OK)

11U Southern Utah Wolfpack (Saint George UT)

12U Twin River Bandits (West Columbia TX)

13U Cruz Baseball Navy (Houston TX)

14U Pinecrest Pumas (Miami FL)

Week ONE

10U Legacy (Driftwood, TX)

11U Mudcats Baseball (Marble Falls, TX)

12U NTX Rangers (Dallas, TX)

13U Twelve Silver (Katy, TX)

Week TWO

9U Midland Aces (Midland, TX)

10U Houston Bengals (Alvin, TX)

11U Gladiators Baseball (Beaumont, TX)

12U RBI Baseball (Mont Belvieu, TX)

13U Southwest Select Show (San Angelo, TX)

Week THREE

9U Texas Blaze (Edinburg, TX)

10U Legends Baseball (Wichita, TX)

11U AP Dynasty Blue (Albuquerque, NM)

12U Lubbock Raiders (Lubbock, TX)

13U Dynasty Jacks Black (Houston, TX)

TEXASYOUTH BASEBALL NATIONALS CHAMPIONS

2014 2015