How every Prime Sports event is run
The same rules, the same format, the same standards — wherever the tournament is. Specific events may post additional local rules on their own page; those supplement, not replace, what’s here.
Age eligibility
A player’s age division is based on their age as of August 1 of the tournament’s season year — not the age they are on the day of the event. Divisions run 10U through 18U in two-year bands, plus Open and 35+ for adult play.
Every player must have proof of age on file before their first game — a birth certificate, passport, or government-issued ID. Coaches upload documents once per player; they carry over to future tournaments once approved.
Playing up an age division is allowed with coach and tournament director approval submitted at registration. Playing down is not permitted.
Age is calculated as of August 1 of the season year, not the event date. A specific tournament may only offer some divisions — check that event’s page for what’s open.
Format & tiebreakers
Each division follows one published format: pool play into a single-elimination bracket, a straight bracket, pool-to-bracket, or a showcase format. The format for a given division is posted on that tournament’s page before registration opens and does not change once games begin.
When pool standings are tied, ties break in this order:
- 1Head-to-head result between the tied teams
- 2Run differential across pool games, capped at +/-7 per game
- 3Fewest runs allowed across pool games
- 4Most runs scored across pool games
- 5Coin flip at a coaches' meeting, run by the tournament director
Mercy rule
A game ends early when one team leads by:
- 15 runs after 3 innings
- 10 runs after 4 innings
- 8 runs after 5 innings
Adult divisions and showcase-format games may run their own thresholds, posted on the event page.
Weather policy
A game is official once four innings are complete (three if the home team is ahead). Games stopped before that are resumed from the point of stoppage if fields allow, or rescheduled at the tournament director’s discretion.
Lightning within 10 miles of the venue holds every game for 30 minutes from the strike — the 30-30 rule. Any further strike within that window resets the clock back to 30 minutes, so play only resumes once 30 minutes pass with no new strikes anywhere in the 10-mile radius. Umpires and tournament directors are notified automatically the moment a strike is detected.
Full-tournament weather cancellations are rare and handled case by case — teams are notified by email and in the coach dashboard as soon as a call is made, with a make-up plan or refund per the refund policy below.
Pitch count & arm care
Baseball divisions follow pitch count limits and mandatory rest days in line with national youth arm-care guidelines. Pitch counts are tracked by the home plate umpire and posted with live scores.
| Age division | Max pitches / day | 0 days rest | 1 day rest | 2 days rest | 3+ days rest |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8U–10U | 50 | 1–20 | 21–35 | 36–50 | — |
| 11U–12U | 65 | 1–20 | 21–35 | 36–50 | 51–65 |
| 13U–14U | 75 | 1–20 | 21–35 | 36–50 | 51–75 |
| 15U–18U | 95 | 1–20 | 21–35 | 36–55 | 56–95 |
Roster & guest players
Rosters lock 48 hours before a team’s first game. Teams may carry up to 3 guest players per tournament from another registered team in the same or a younger division, added through the coach dashboard and approved by the tournament director before they take the field.
A player may appear on only one roster per division, per tournament.
Code of conduct
Coaches, players, and spectators are expected to treat umpires, staff, and opposing teams with respect. Umpires may issue warnings or ejections for abusive language, arguing calls beyond a single measured question, or unsportsmanlike conduct. An ejected individual leaves the venue for the remainder of that game day.
A second ejection for the same person at the same event results in removal from the rest of the tournament, without refund.
Refunds & cancellations
- Full refund if a team withdraws 21+ days before the event
- 50% refund or credit toward a future Prime Sports event if a team withdraws 7–20 days before the event
- No refund inside 7 days, except for a full tournament cancellation by Prime Sports
- Tournament-caused cancellation before any games are played: full refund or credit, team’s choice
Protests
Protests are limited to player eligibility and misapplication of a playing rule — never a judgment call. A protest must be raised with the umpire and the tournament director before the next pitch, and confirmed in writing within 30 minutes of the game’s end. The tournament director’s ruling is final.