EVENT DETAILS

BOUNTY HUNTER RULES

2024 USSSA Bounty Hunter

Games will be played at:

Arroyo Grande Sports Complex, located at 298 Arroyo Grande Blvd, Henderson NV 89014

The Tournament Director, Assistant Tournament Director and UIC have the right to change the format and schedule as they see fit in order to conclude the tournament due to weather or any other unforeseen circumstances.

50-minute game times (60-minute championship and if). Game time is forfeit time, except the 8am games, which will start at 8am. Teams MUST be ready to play at least 15 minutes prior to the scheduled game time. We will be giving all teams a break but if both teams and the umpire ALL agree to start the game early, they may do so.

Coaches: Please check-in at the check in table AT LEAST 30 minutes prior to your first game.

At check-in, you will be given two tournament balls, pay your entry fee and you will have the option to purchase a homerun band ($20). Someone on the team MUST wear the DHH band for the duration of the tournament. Should your bracelet person leave, you will have to purchase another one. The DHH does NOT have to be the person wearing the band as the band can change each game!

Coaches are responsible for the behavior of your players and fans. Please make sure everyone reads the complex rules which are posted at the front gate and available online.

Bat Testing

All bats must confirm and continue to perform within the current USSSA 240 bat standards. All bats will be checked-in prior to the first game played in the Qualifiers, Regionals and State Events. All bats MUST display the new USSSA stamp. All bats that fail compression will be kept by the tournament director until the team has been eliminated from the tournament. If a pitcher is hit at ANY time during the tournament, the bat will be pulled and tested. If the bat passes the compression test, it will be returned. If the bat fails compression testing, it will be pulled from tournament play until the team has been eliminated or the tournament has concluded. Should ANY bat fail compression testing, the serial number, make, model, team name and player name will be notated and any further use of the bat WILL result in a minimum of a one-year suspension from USSSA/GSL Softball.

Any bat without the 240 Thumbprint will be removed and the user/owner of the bat will be ejected for the duration of the tournament.  If no owner can be identified, the manager of that team will be ejected for the tournament. All ejection rules will apply to this ejection, so the offending player/coach/manager will not be allowed to attend the tournament.

Pitchers

All pitchers are required to toe the rubber (Pitchers must have a part of their foot touching the rubber) There is no more pitchers’ box.

Substitutions

All OFFENSIVE and DEFENSIVE substitutions must be announced to the home plate umpire and be recorded.  Any unannounced substitutions, which is properly appealed by the opposing manager/team, will result in the ejection of the illegal player. A new substitute may then be allowed to take the place of the illegal substitute. An illegal substitute appeal must be done before a pitch is delivered.

Balls

The official ball of the 2024 Nevada USSSA season will be the USSSA Thunder ZN 12” Softball. For this tournament, you may use ANY USSSA or GSL stamped ball, besides a stadium.

I have a very limited number of balls for purchase at the event so please plan accordingly!

One dozen 12” Thunder ZN: $80

Protests

You can protest a specific player, not an entire team at once. Protest fee is $100 per player protested. Protests must be done BEFORE the end of the game.

A DHH (Designated Homerun Hitter) is allowed (must be purchased) and can be anyone in your lineup. The DHH will remain the same for the duration of the game. If the DHH is walked, it allows your team a free homerun until that DHH comes back up in the lineup. If the DHH is removed from the lineup, the DHH will be forfeit until that player returns. Your DHH may be change after each game.

ALL TEAMS MUST TURN IN A LINEUP CARD PRIOR TO THE GAME BEGINNING. YOUR DHH MUST BE CIRCLED ON THE LINEUP CARD. FAILURE TO DO SO WILL RESULT IN YOUR FORFEITING THE DHH FOR THAT GAME!

Home Run Rule

5 homeruns per team PLUS your DHH.

Any untouched fair fly ball over the fence that exceeds the limit will be an out.

Courtesy Runner

One courtesy runner, per inning. The courtesy runner can be any player on the roster. If the courtesy runner is still on base at the time his turn at bat comes up, that spot in the batting order will be an out.

NOTE: A COURTESY RUNNER CAN BE USED FOR THE PITCHER AND WILL NOT GO AGAINST THE TEAMS COURTESY RUNNER LIMIT. THIS IS OPTIONAL AND NOT MANDATED!!

*In extra innings, you may courtesy run for the runner at second once they’ve obtained the base.

Tie Breaker Rule: At the end of the time limit, the last completed at bat goes to second base and ONE PITCH begins.

Run Rules

20 after 3, 15 after 4, 10 after 5. Flip flop rule IS in affect

All games (except games with equalizers) will be decided by a double coin toss, except in the championship game, which the undefeated team has the option of home team or visiting team. A double coin toss will determine home team in the “If” game.

Profanity Rule: ZERO F Bombs will be tolerated. This is your first warning. Your second warning will be advised at the coin toss. Watch the bat flips. UMPIRES CAN USE DISRECTION IN GIVING WARNINGS OR EJECTIONS FOR EXCESSIVE BAT FLIPS!

All coaches are encouraged to keep a home and away book. The home book will be the official book. Umpires will confer with the home book between each half inning. Any disputes on score MUST be brought up before the first pitch of the following half inning.

Bounties

There will be two teams who have a bounty on them! Knock that team out, collect their $100 bounty. I will draw the team on Saturday morning. No one will know who it is, including them, until they are knocked out. Should the bounty team win the tournament, they will collect their own bounty.

Should an E team knock a C team out of the tournament, a $200 bounty will be collected.

Should an E team knock out D team out of the tournament, a $100 bounty will be collected.

Should a D team knock a C team out of the tournament, a $100 bounty will be collected.

Pitching Screens

Should a pitching screen be used, the team MUST complete the inning the way they started. You cannot switch the screen out in the middle of the inning or chose to use it in the middle of an inning. One of the pitching screen bottom legs MUST be in contact with the pitching rubber at all times. Should a foul ball hit the screen for the first strike, it will be deemed a foul ball. Should a ball hit the screen on strike 2, the play will be declared dead and the batter is called out. A pitcher using the pitching screen CANNOT be the first person to touch the ball at any point.

Equalizers

E vs C- E team has the option to utilize the pitching screen and start with runners on 2nd and 3rd for the first four innings. The game will play a minimum of four innings in this format. Should the E team want to only chose ONE equalizer, they can become the home team automatically. Should the E team choose to utilize BOTH equalizers, they will forfeit the coin toss and the option will be up to the C team to take home or away.

E vs D- E team has the option to utilize the pitching screen OR start with a runner on 2nd for the first four innings. The game will play a minimum of four innings in this format. Should the E team NOT chose to use an equalizer, they can choose to become the home team. Should the E team choose to utilize an equalizer, they will forfeit the coin toss and the option will be up to the D team to take home or away.

D vs C- D team has the option to utilize the pitching screen and start with a runner on 2nd for the first four innings. The game will play a minimum of four innings in this format. Should the D team want to only chose ONE equalizer, they can become the home team automatically. Should the D team choose to utilize BOTH equalizers, they will forfeit the coin toss and the option will be up to the C team to take home or away.

Prize package

The last remaining E and D team will win half off for a future tournament, not including State, Regional or Worlds.

The winner of the tournament will get free entry into 2024 USSSA or GSL States.

PLAY USSSA! PLAY GSL! PLAY THE BEST!

Jason Buffington- USSSA Nevada Director

Christopher Cherry- USSSA Nevada Assistant Director

Darryl Stewart- Nevada UIC