Our goal is to bring you a well-organized, enjoyable, safe event. We all know that games get delayed for various reasons but please stress the following to your teams:

1. Be at the field, ready to play 20 minutes prior to game time to avoid forfeit. The first game of the day will begin when both teams are ready but no earlier than 5 minutes prior to game time if teams are not ready before.
2. When you leave the field/dugout after a game, do so quickly and please pick up your trash.
3. Complete most of your warmups in between games. This includes pitchers who are not in the game (if you are playing back-to-back). Please warm them up during the game when able.
4. The umpires will be instructed to keep the games moving, please do not delay or get upset with them. If you have an issue, please bring it to the Tournament/Site Director or UIC.
   • Tournament/Site Directors and Umpires In Charge for your event
     • Lori Strode | 217-840-7929 | Tournament Director
     • Jenn Gallo | 618-927-6534 | Tournament UIC
     • Robbie Reeder | 618-926-1977 | Site Director/UIC
     • James Isaacs | 618-694-9623 | Site Director/UIC
     • Dusty Rhodes | 817-719-7678 | Site Director/UIC

• If you need to add a guest player for the weekend, do so via your team manager page. Guest players must be added 4:59am on March 15, 2025. Once a team has played a pool game, no guests player may be added.

• You will receive a computer-generated email from USSSA with the pool schedule and brackets. This email is generated and sent to everyone in the tournament with an email address (players and coaches).
• Download the USSSA App to see schedules, rosters, teams and if you can score the games.
• Pool games will be seven innings or 70-minute finish the inning. Pool games can end in a tie. Bracket Play will be 75 minute finish the Inning, higher seed is home. International Tie Breaker, higher seed is home, run rules in affect.
• This is a variation from the USSSA Rule Book: If an International Tie Breaker is required: 1st inning, Runner on second, no outs. 2nd inning, until a winner is determined, runners on second and third, no outs.

• Bracket Play will be seeded by pool play. The format of this event is a 2 pool games into a single elimination bracket.

• Courtesy runner: For the courtesy runner, if you are not batting your roster, the courtesy runner must be an unused substitute first! An unused substitute is a sub who has not entered the game in any capacity other than a courtesy runner. Once a sub enters the game, she cannot be used as a courtesy runner. If you do not have an unused substitute then you will use the last completed at bat, as in the example below.

• Climb the ladder from the batter. Go up the lineup until you find a player who is not a pitcher, not a catcher, not a player who has already run in the half inning for the opposite position, or not a player who is on base. THAT is your courtesy runner. See example: The courtesy runner for your catcher, Storm, is Sadie. Go up the lineup from the player you want to use a Courtesy Runner for, in this case, Storm. Skylar is on base, Sandy is your pitcher, and Sierra has already run in that half inning for the Pitcher. If the wrong Courtesy Runner is put on base and discovered by the defense, and the ball is live, the penalty is an out and the coach receives a warning! Please make sure you look at your lineup before using a Courtesy Runner. If you are unsure, ask the umpire! Please turn in your lineups with First name, last name, number, and position.
  • Sally
  • Suzy
  • Samantha
  • Sara
  • Shelby
  • Sadie
  • Sierra (has already run for the pitcher)
  • Sandy (Pitcher)
  • Skylar (on base)
  • Storm (Catcher)
• Note: A player of the opposite position means a Courtesy runner cannot run for the pitcher and catcher in the same half inning. Therefore, if you were using a Courtesy Runner for the catcher, you would skip a player who has already been used as a Courtesy Runner for the pitcher.

• The fields in OFallon are TURF! No metal cleats are allowed. The park STRICTLY PROHIBITS sunflower seeds and gum on the playing surface. The complex will impose a $200 fine for any team who violates this policy, for each occurrence!

• No buckets on the field
• Team Coolers are allowed for drinks and Frog Togs but please keep food coolers to a minimum.
• No warming up from the opposite on-deck batting circle
• BLUE GHOST AND SUNCOAST BACKLASH bats are not allowed. If a player steps in the batter's box with either of these bats, she will be ejected, and the head coach will be ejected for the remainder of that game and the next.
• All players must be on a permanent roster or listed as a guest player. If during the tournament, a player on your team is protested and they are not on your roster, your team will be ejected from the tournament, as per the rule book.
• Umpires are responsible for managing the game, coaches are responsible for managing their players, themselves, and their fans. If a fan is warned, a coach is warned. If a fan is ejected, a coach is given a bench restriction.
• Any coach who is ejected from a game will be ejected from the next game as well, NO EXCEPTIONS
• No refunds will be issued unless games are cancelled due to weather or other unforeseen events.
  • In the event of a weather cancelled game, games will be deemed complete based on the USSSA Rulebook (Rule 4, Sect 6, C, 1 &2).
  • Teams will receive a prorated refund based on the number of games played less than the game guarantee. Exception: If a team plays in 6 games in 7 in the Spring, no refund will be issued.
• Play it Forward Sportz will furnish the softballs for this event.
• Dogs are allowed in Cape Girardeau, Perryville, Mascoutah, and Caseyville but NOT in OFallon or Edwardsville!
• Pre-ordered T-shirts can be picked up at the sales tent, near the concession. If you forget to pick up your t-shirt, there will be a $5 charge to mail it to you. The deadline to pre-order a shirt for this event has passed. Pre-orders for future events can be placed at: https://www.playitforwardsportz.com/tournament-t-shirts-and-sweatshirts
• The address to your complex can be found under the venue tab on the tournament website
• There is a map of the complexes on the tournament page under the Event Info tab.
• If you are playing on Field 10, at OFallon, there is now a parking lot near the fields.
• OFallon Family Sports Park and Cape Girardeau allow overnight parking of RVs, others complexes do not!

If you have any questions, please contact me at 217-840-7929 or by email at [email protected].

Good luck to you and your team!

Thank you,

Lori