COYBL
Tournament Game Rules
Last updated July 24, 2026
Tournament rules are not the rules you play under all week. Four differences cost teams games every year. Read this table before your first pool game.
| Rule | Tournament play | Regular season league play |
|---|---|---|
| Pitching limit | Outs recorded, capped per day and per tournament | Pitches thrown, with required rest days |
| Time limit | 1 hour 15 minutes (7U, 8U), 1 hour 45 minutes (9U to 12U), 2 hours (13U and up) | 2 hours (2 hours 15 minutes at 13U and up) |
| Run rule | Varies by age and can end a game after 3 innings at 9U to 12U | 15 after 4, 10 after 5 |
| Ties | Pool games end in a tie and stay a tie | Division games cannot end in a tie |
Everything else follows OHSAA rules unless it is noted on this page.
Be at your field 30 minutes early
Teams must be at their assigned field and ready to play 30 minutes prior to the scheduled start time in case the game before them finishes early. Failure to do so could result in a forfeit.
Home plate meeting and the official start time
Both teams and the umpires agree on the official start time at the home plate meeting and record it. The home team is the official scorer and the official timekeeper.
The official start time must also be written at the bottom of the score card at the start of the game, and agreed upon by both head coaches and the home plate umpire.
Doug's standing advice: as the time limit approaches, both teams and the umpires should communicate so there are no surprises.
Who is home team
| Game type | Home team |
|---|---|
| Pool play | Coin flip between the two teams |
| Bracket play | Highest seed |
| Championship | Coin flip |
Game card requirements
Every game card must have:
- Pitcher names, no nicknames
- Pitch counts recorded for each pitcher
- Team names, home and away
- Age of the teams
- Game time
- Field number
Run rules
| Age | Run rule |
|---|---|
| 7U and 8U | 15 after 4 |
| 9U to 12U | 15 after 3, 10 after 4, 8 after 5 |
| 13U and 14U | 15 after 4, 10 after 5, 8 after 6 |
Time limits
| Age | Time limit | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| 7U and 8U | 1 hour 15 minutes | No new inning starts after 1:15 |
| 9U to 12U | 1 hour 45 minutes | No new inning starts after 1:45 |
| 13U and up | 2 hours | No new inning starts after 2:00 |
These limits apply to all pool games and all bracket games except the semi-finals and the championship game.
WE DO NOT PLAY DROP DEAD. When the limit is reached, the inning already in progress is played out. No new inning starts.
Championship games have no time limit.
The game clock stops for an injury to a player on the field, and for any stoppage to sort out a rules interpretation.
Ties, extra innings, and Ohio Sudden Death
Pool play: any game tied at the end of regulation innings or at the end of the time limit is recorded as a tie in the standings. No extra innings are played in the pool rounds.
Bracket play: every bracket game is played until there is a winner. If the game is tied at the end of regulation or at the time limit:
- Play one extra inning.
- If still tied, go to Ohio Sudden Death.
This applies to all bracket games, including the semi-finals.
Ohio Sudden Death method
The last two batters of record in the batting order from the previous inning are placed on the bases in order:
- The second to last batter from the previous inning goes to 2nd base
- The last batter from the previous inning goes to 1st base
- The offense starts with no outs
- No pinch runners are allowed for the two batters being positioned
Pitching limits: counted in outs
Once a pitcher is removed from the mound in a game, he cannot return to pitch in that game.
| Age | Outs in one day | Outs for the tournament |
|---|---|---|
| 7U and 8U | Not listed in the tournament rules | Not listed in the tournament rules |
| 9U to 12U | 18 | 27 |
| 13U and up | 21 | 30 |
For reference, at three outs per inning: 18 outs is six innings of work, 27 outs is nine, 21 outs is seven, and 30 outs is ten.
Pitch counts are still written on the game card for every pitcher, but the tournament caps above are stated in outs recorded.
Rule interpretations during a game
If there is a rule interpretation issue, and not a judgment call, play stops, the game clock stops, and the UIC and tournament director are contacted to make a ruling.
If an umpire deviates from the posted rules, do not wait until the game is over and complain. Get it taken care of at that time.
Protests
The protest fee is $200, paid in cash, before the protest will be heard.
- If the protest is upheld, the $200 goes back to the team that paid it.
- If the protest is not found to be valid, the $200 is donated to Nationwide Children's Hospital.
Contacts at the tournament
Umpires have the UIC number.
Doug Hare: 614-778-1391
Two league rules the tournament sheet does not restate
These are current COYBL rules and they still apply at tournaments:
- Footwear. Metal spikes are permitted at 13U and older. Metal spikes are prohibited at 12U and below, where rubber spikes are recommended.
- Age eligibility. A player's age on April 30 sets his division. In each division, a player who turns the next age up before May 1 is ineligible unless he is in that division's listed grade (7U/1st, 8U/2nd, 9U/3rd, 10U/4th, 11U/5th, 12U/6th, 13U/7th, 14U/8th). A player who turns two ages up before May 1 is never eligible. Players may always play up in an older division.