Welcome to the 2016 Wolverine-Buckeye World Series! My name is Matt Sandles and I am your tournament director. I have posted the schedule on the website (leaguelineup.com/WolverineBuckeyeWorldSeries). Go on there, click on WBWS Schedule, search for your age division, and then find your team's schedule. Just a heads up, I may have to make some small changes to the 18U division and their Sunday playoffs. I will also be posting the rules on the website and tweeting them.

Please print out a copy of these rules and have them with you at all times so that you can reference them if needed.

During the tournament, please send all e-mails to Novisandles@aol.com since that is my main e-mail address. My cell phone number is 248-752-8185. Norm Sandles can be reached at 586-246-2588 if I cannot be reached for any reason. 

All scores must be e-mailed to me and tweeted to the Twitter handle @WBWorldSeries91 as soon as your games are over. Please do it this way. Please text me about anything else regarding the tournament except scores. I want to keep them separate. Also, I need all players, parents, coaches, and fans to follow the Twitter page and sign up for text updates so that no one ends up missing anything important. To sign up for the text alerts, please text @WBWorldSer to 81010 or to  (248)282-4129. You can also send an e-mail to wbworldser@mail.remind.com

I believe the television station BCSN in Toledo will be broadcasting part of the tournament.

Here are the primary rules and policies surrounding the tournament. Rules not specifically outlined below are covered by the NFHS Baseball Rules.

• Pool play games may not start a new inning after two hours unless it is the last game of the day on a field with lights, in which case that game may be played to completion. The only exception to this is if it is a tie game after two hours, in which case we will play what I like to call the "Sandles Shootout." 
• Metal cleats and spikes are not allowed at Adrian College except that they may be worn by pitchers. Any players caught wearing metal spikes will be asked to change shoes immediately.
• Seeds will not be allowed at Adrian College, Siena Heights, and at Mercy Field.
• All umpire decisions are final and will be handled at the field. There are no protests. Please contact Ollie Lacourse about any umpire issues. His number is419-410-1459.
• Pool play games may not end in a tie. Playoff games must be played to completion.
• Sandles Shootout: In the event a pool play game is tied after two hours, we will go to a Sandles Shootout (let's face it; I had a chance to name a rule after myself, I had to take it). Each team will start their new half of each inning with the bases loaded with the three hitters in the batting order prior to whatever hitter is leading off the inning. Each team will also start with two outs and each hitter will start with a 3-2 count. This should determine a winner pretty quickly. Also, a rule unique to the Sandles Shootout is that both teams may choose where to start in the batting order each inning and can choose to start with the same hitter for every inning of the Sandles Shootout if they choose to. This will continue until we have a winner.
• Playoff games must be played to completion except in the case of inclement weather or the mercy rule coming into effect. There is no time limit for playoff games.
• The tournament directors reserve the right to reformat the tournament in any way they see fit due to inclement weather. We will try to be as fair as possible.
• Teams may use one Designated Hitter (DH) and as many Extra Hitters (EH) as they like. We want to encourage participation by as many players as possible and we want as many players playing as possible.
• Teams must designate who each player is and for what player the DH will be hitting for in the field of play.
• Should teams enter the DH in to the field of play, the DH position will be eliminated for the rest of the current game.
• The EH(s) may also enter the field of play but MUST remain in their current batting position.
• The player for which the EH(s) (has/have) replaced in the field will now become the EH but will remain in the same batting position.
• Teams will be given adequate time to warm up between games but they need to hurry at Ned Skeldon, Adrian College, and Siena Heights.
• Pool Play: Coaches will be subject to a coin flip prior to the start of each game to determine who is Home/Visitor.
• Please complete this as soon as possible to provide pitchers an adequate amount of time to get loose.
• In the 14U Division, because there are currently an odd number of teams, A. Green is playing an extra game at the moment. For their tiebreakers in regards to seeding, I will be using 75% of their total runs against, runs for, and run differential. When it comes to their record for seeding, their third and fourth games will each count as half a game in their record to make the games fair and meaningful. For example, if A. Green is 2-0 and then splits their last two games, for seeding purposes only we will consider them to have a 2.5-0.5 record (even though they are really 3-1). I am hoping that one more 14U team signs up so we are back to an even number in that division and so that this will not be an issue. Also in the 14U division, all of the teams will play two games on Sunday once they are seeded. The top four seeds will be in the semifinals on Sunday. Teams will be seeded regardless of what pool they are in. The 14U Championship Game will be played at Ned Skeldon Stadium.
• In the 15U Division, all teams will play two games on Sunday. The top eight seeds at that point will still have a chance to win the tournament. The 15U Championship Game will be played at the University of Toledo's Scott Park.
• In the 16U Division, we have eight pools. Two of the pools are playing a crossover game. The eight pool winners will advance to the quarterfinals on Sunday. All 16U playoff games will be played at Siena Heights. 
• In the 18U Division, we have nine pools. The nine pool winners will advance to the playoffs on Sunday. All 18U playoff games will be played at Adrian College.
• Anyone playing at Ned Skeldon Stadium, please do not use the bathrooms and instead use the portijohns. I highly recommend this.
• The higher seed will have the choice to be the home team in all playoff games.
• In the 14U and 15U age groups we will be using the May 1st birthdate cutoff date. In the 16U and 18U age groups we will be using the Legion age cutoff of January 1st since we have Legion teams joining us and hope to have more in the future.
• Courtesy runners are allowed at all times for the pitcher and catcher only.
• There will be no time limit for playoff games and they must be played to completion.
• In determining seeding, we will go by record, head-to-head, run differential, runs against, runs scored, and then coin toss. If teams have played a different number of games due to weather then we will go by average run differential, average runs against, average runs scored, etc.
• Rain and inclement weather can play a role in any tournament. If rain comes into play, we will try to play every game. If that is impossible we will play as many games as possible and play the most important games first. Tie Breakers can become confusing.
• Verbal and physical abuse of umpires will not be tolerated. 
• This tournament has no gate fees and no required hotels.
• Umpires reserve the right to eject fans.
• Weather delays are at the discretion of umpires and on-site staff.
• I will do everything I can to keep the Twitter feed and the website as updated as possible throughout the tournament.
• No pre-game batting practice or infield may be taken on the field between games but ground balls may be hit in foul territory.
• All teams must provide two new baseballs to the home plate umpire prior to the start of each game. This is due to the fact that we have no gate fee and no required team hotels. The baseballs should be of high school baseball quality. Each team must provide used baseballs as needed during the course of the game. Coaches, please see that each team retrieves foul balls on their respective sides.  The Buckeye Elite Showcase and Triple Crown Sports have similar policies.
• Teams may use either wood or -3 BBCOR bats. 14U teams only may use -5 bats.
• Mercy Rules: If a team is leading by fifteen runs after three innings, nine runs after four innings, or eight runs after five innings, the game is over.
• Teams should be prepared and ready to play 15 minutes before their scheduled game is set to begin.
• Games completed early will result in an early start for the following games, weather permitting.
• The tournament director has the right to shorten or forfeit a game should teams not be ready to start their scheduled game on time.
• I will not ask teams to submit rosters. However, on Championship Sunday, please have rosters for the PA announcers.
• A team may start a game with eight players.
• Any ejected player may return for the following game but may be removed from the tournament altogether at the tournament director's discretion (and if their actions warrant it).
• A team may not compete past pool play with a forfeit during pool play for any reason.
• In regards to weather, four and a half innings will signal a complete game. However, if half an inning is played prior to the game being called, the score will revert to the previous inning. For example, let's say Team B is beating Team A 2-0 heading into the top of the fifth. Team A takes a lead and after four and a half innings Team A leads 3-2. Then the game is called due to weather. Team B would win the game 2-0 due to reverting back to the previous inning.
• As stated on the website, there are no refunds.
• Baserunners must slide or attempt to avoid contact. If they do not, they risk ejection.
• I reserve the right to add and change rules as I see fit. Sometimes you have to adapt.
• Players may only play for one team in the tournament.
• Any player caught using an illegal bat is done for the tournament. There's a difference between arguing a play or arguing balls and strikes and cheating.
• Any player that throws a punch is banned from the tournament permanently.
• Anyone who makes unwanted physical contact with an umpire is banned from the tournament permanently.