BESPOKE

PGF RULES AND REGULATIONS

PGF operates under the rules and guidelines set forth by National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS)

Team Conduct: All teams participating in PGF events must be in good standing and conduct themselves in a manner that promotes good sportsmanship and the spirit of fair play. Any team including coaches and players found to be in violation of committing acts of use of words to incite, profanity, intimidation, baiting or any form of taunting design to embarrass, ridicule or demean others under any circumstances, including race, religion, gender or national origin. Could face disciplinary action by the PGF BOARD.

ROSTERS AND ELIGIBILITY - Qualifying Tournaments and National Championship Tournaments

Rosters: 23 Player Roster limit for National Qualifiers and Championships. Final Roster deadline is at check-in of your first PGF National Qualifier. All Players and Coaches must be registered and approved by PGF. Your official roster is located on your Team Connect Page under Roster. Print your Official Stack Sports Full Roster.

2023 PGF National Championship Final Roster Deadline - July 13th, 2023

Age Divisions - The 18U Division will now be based on age as are the other Divisions. A player need not have attended HS in 2022-23 but may NOT have participated in any practice, conditioning or play with any JC nor 4 year college/university in the current school year (September through June).

All age divisions must be no older than the PGF age for their respective divisions as of January 1, 2023. This information will be verified when purchasing PGF insurance or registering as a PGF team.

Proof of age will be satisfied in the PGF registration process and no individual proof of age will be required at tournament check-in. Coaches will be required to present a printout of their team roster from their PGF Team Connect Page. Coaches will be required to complete an approved PGF background check. We will NOT ACCEPT a background check from any other sanctioning body.

Once a team submits its roster and plays at any 2023 National Qualifier, all players on that roster are locked on that team unless given a formal release by the Head Coach or winning an appeal by the PGF Board..

Releases: The Head Coach of a team MAY release a player after she has been on the roster or has participated in a PGF National Qualifying Tournament at any time prior to the National Tournament deadline. The following restrictions and conditions will apply to all releases.

A TEAM QUALIFIES FOR NATIONALS: Once a team has qualified for Platinum or Premier Nationals, ALL players on the roster submitted for the tournament in which the team qualified are frozen for that year and MAY NOT obtain a release except in the case of review by the National Office for cause.

EXCEPTION: If a team does not qualify at a given tournament but is given an invitation at a later date, players who were released via coaches approval will remain with the team they were released to.

All players rostered on a team that does not qualify for PGF will not be released from that team without one of the following:

Written release from the head coach. Release must be sent to PGF Corporate Office
Head Coach declares they are no longer pursuing PGF berth. This must be in writing to the PGF Corporate Office
After July 5th , 2023, all players from non-qualified/non-invited teams will be automatically released without written permission and free to play with any team at PGF as long as they are age eligible for that division.

The release must be in writing, signed and dated by the Head Coach of the team releasing the player. You can obtain a release form here, Player Release Form.

A copy of the release must be dated and signed by the Head Coach of the former team and mailed, emailed or faxed by that coach to the PGF National Office.

(email: bret.denio@pgf-mail.com Fax#: 714-841-8719)

The Head Coach of the new team must be prepared to present a copy of the release to any PGF Regional/State Director, PGF Qualifying Tournament Director or PGF National Tournament Director upon request.

A player may be released and added to another team only once during the qualifying process in any given year.

If any of the above conditions are not met, the player will be regarded as an ineligible player on the new team.

Refusal to release a player is the prerogative of any Head Coach however an appeal to the PGF National Office will be considered in extreme circumstance or accusation of abuse.

Individual players who compete in a qualifying tournament at any age division may be added to a team in a younger or older age division as long as they meet the guidelines for player transfers.

Teams or any size group of players under the direction of the Manager or Coaches of a team that compete in any age division MAY NOT collectively move to another age division once they have competed in a National Qualifier.

Eligibility: Any team using an ineligible player for a qualifying or national tournament will forfeit all games in which the ineligible player was on the roster or was a participant in any game. If the evidence or proof is presented during the tournament; the tournament director will halt any game involving the player(s) in question. If at all possible in a timely fashion, the tournament director will contact the PGF National Office and together decide the eligibility of the player(s) in question. If circumstance does not allow for immediate contact with the PGF National Office, the tournament director's ruling will stand.

If the player(s) is ruled ineligible the ongoing game will be forfeit with a 7-0 score and the offending team may be eliminated from further play, with or without the ineligible player(s). The tournament will continue until the berth award point is reached as normal. The teams that finish in the berth award order will be given their berths.

If the evidence or proof is presented after the tournament is completed and an ineligible player is shown to have been on the official roster or did participate in any game, the team will be stripped of the berth, Head Coach of the team in question could face disciplinary action by PGF BOARD and the berth will be awarded to the next highest finisher.

Returning Berths and Invited Teams Rosters - Rosters will be locked as of Friday, June 16th, 2023 at 11:59pm, PST. After June 12th, you may add additional players to your roster provided these add-on players are not playing for another PGF sanctioned team, who is actively trying to qualify for the 2023 PGF National Championship unless they have been given a formal release by the head coach (see above).

Qualifiers: Teams will check-in with official PGF rosters, obtained from the PGF Stack Sports Team Connect Page, website. All teams will be required to show proof of Insurance at check-in. We will accept PGF Insurance ONLY at our National Qualifier Tournaments. Insurance from outside carriers is not accepted. Teams must carry $2,000,000 CSL Comprehensive General Liability and Medical/Accident Insurance with a minimum limit of $100,000.

NOTE: We will only accept PGF INSURANCE for ALL PGF National Championships and Qualifiers

Attending Qualifiers (Once Qualified or Invited)

Any team that has an invitation and/or qualifying berth for the Premier Division is ineligible to play in 2023 PGF Qualifier Tournaments, and will forfeit their invite or berth if that team registers and plays in a Qualifier. However, if a team is given a Platinum invitation and/or qualifying berth, that team can still play in 2023 PGF National Qualifiers in order to obtain a Premier Berth.

2023 PGFNational Championship Final Roster Deadline - July 17, 2023 at 11:59pm

At check-in each team must submit a roster printed from the PGF Stack Sports Team Connect web site. All players/teams must have a PGF Stack Sports Full Roster and show proof of Insurance at all Qualifiers. See PGF Insurance menu tab for specific PGF Registration requirements.

Key facts about PGF Registration

No more plastic ID cards. Everything is done on your computer. Official roster with pictures, age verification, and background checks will all be e-verified and approved in hours.

Age verifications and Background checks, requiring personal information will be performed on a securely protected site.

Once a member of your team has been verified and approved, your official roster will be the only thing required to show at PGF sanctioned events.

The Head Coach may monitor his/her roster at their convenience. It is suggested that each person inputs their own personal information into the system. The Head Coach must first establish the Stack Sports team page. Every player and assistant coach must complete the registration as required.

All coaches who will interact on the field with any player must have a PGF Background Check. No coach will be allowed to be in the dugout or on the field for warm-ups or game play without an approved background check obtained from the PGF website. Once a team has submitted its roster at a check-in for a Qualifying Tournament, all players registered to that team are frozen on that team until the team disbands, chooses not to enter further Qualifying Tournaments or until July 6th when all players are released without written approval. Once a team qualifies for the Nationals, all players on that team are frozen until August 2, 2023. Qualifying teams may add players until the roster deadline on July 13th, 2023, Players may be added from any team in a like or younger age group if the player to be added was not on the roster of a team that qualified for the Nationals in any age group or has a formal release. Invited teams may add to the roster until the roster deadline of TBD, provided the player to be added was not on the roster of a qualifying team at any time after the team qualified. Players who compete in a qualifying tournament at any age division may be added to a team in a younger age division as long as they are age eligible and were not on a qualifying teams roster. Players on an invited team are unrestricted within their age group or an older age group until the TBD, roster deadline a previously unregistered player may register with PGF and be added to a team until the TBD, roster deadline, and this player is eligible for all qualifying or national tournaments.

ROSTERS AND ELIGIBILITY-National Tournaments
At check-in each team must submit a roster printed from the PGF/Stack Sports Insurance Website. ONLY PGF Insurance and Rosters will be accepted at the all National Championships. National rosters must match the team roster as it was on your PGF Insurance team roster at 11:59 PM, on July 13th, 2023. No players may be added after this date for any reason. Players may only compete in only one age group.

GAME RULES

NO METAL CLEATS IN THE 12U/10U DIVISION

Playing Rules: All PGF tournaments and events will be played using NFHS rules with the following exceptions.

Pitching distance - 12U Division 40 Feet

Pitching distance - 10U Division 35 Feet

All other divisions will be 43 Feet

Both feet must be in contact with pitching rubber prior to forward stride.

If ejected a coach or player must sit out next game.

At check-in all coaches must show proof of a PGF background check.

Tie-breaker will begin at the top of the 8th inning, or top of the next inning after time expires in qualifiers that use time limits. Runner at 2nd base is the last player to complete her turn at bat the previous inning.

Run-Rule, 10 after 4, 8 after 5, 6 after 6. In the 12U Qualifiers, the tournament director has the option to not use the 6 after 6 tie-breaker. No 6 after 6 run rule in 10U and 12U National Championship play. PGF reserves the right to modify Run-Rule clause in broadcasted Television Games.

Time-Limit, No time limit in National & Regional Championship bracket games. Time limits may be imposed for National/Regional Qualifiers on Bracket games with the permission of the State, Regional or National Director. Time limits for pool games will be posted on the pool schedules based on the time restraints we have on some fields.

Team listed first in pool or top of the bracket to occupy the third base dugout unless a team from the prior game is in that dugout.

Protests to be handled on the field by the UIC of that site, a tournament official and the Umpire who made the call, there will be a $50 cash PGF Protest Fee to be returned if the protest is upheld.

Coin toss for home/visitors will be at home plate before the game begins.

The home team scorebook will be used as the official scorekeeper unless the team has no score book in which case the visitor book may be used. In the complete absence of a scorekeeper from either team, the umpires scorecard will be used. Both teams should check the umpires score card after every inning and after the game.

Jewelry is permitted unless deemed dangerous by the umpires in which case it shall be removed.

Headwear may be mixed and can be any color.

No penalties for the following: exposed undergarments that are not white, grey or team colors, sleeves rolled up, coaches attire

Two offensive players may do warmup swings on the field between innings - first batter of the inning in foul territory but not close to home plate, and the second batter of the inning in the on-deck circle

The tournament director (PGF President/CEO) decides whether media will be allowed on any and all playing fields and all playing facilities. If so, a media area does not have to be drawn on the field.

Softballs must have the PGF mark and be approved by PGF. At this time, Diamond manufactures the only ball with the PGF mark.

A coach from each team must be at the pre-game plate meeting and verify that players/equipment are legal.

RULE CHANGES AS OF 2020:

Unreported substitute rule

An unreported substitution is an appeal play:

If the coach in violation informs the plate umpire before the offended team appeals - no penalty and the unreported player is officially in the game.
If reported to the umpire by the opposing team before a pitch is made - no penalty and the unreported player is officially in the game.

If the offense has an unreported player and the defense appeals:

If the batter is still at bat and pitches have been thrown - she is called out; all other play while she was at bat is legal.
If the batter has completed her at-bat but the next pitch has not been thrown - she is out; all other play as a result of her becoming a batter-runner is nullified.
There are other rules if the unreported player is the tie-breaker runner or pinch runner, if appealed and she is still on any base - she is out; and if a pitch runner she is declared officially in the game.

If the unreported player is appealed by the offense before the defensive coach informs the umpire:

If the unreported player has made a play and the next pitch has not been thrown - she is declared officially in the game; the offense has the option of taking the result of the play or having the last batter return and assume the ball/strike count she had before the hit; each base runner must return to the base legally occupied at the time of the last pitch.
If the unreported player has made a play and the next pitch has been thrown - she is declared officially in the game and all play will stand.

If the unreported player has not made the last play - she is declared officially in the game and all play will stand

PITCHING RULE CHANGE:

Pitcher's stride foot positioning

The stride (non-pivot) foot may be on or behind the plate as far back as desired. Once the pitcher initially sets the toe of her stride foot, she may not step, drag or slide it back any farther.

This will be following the NCAA rules for pitchers this season.

I have attached the actual rules as stated by the NCAA

Pitcher taking signal

• Pitcher must take the pitching signal only from the required pitching position (on the pitcher's plate, hands apart).

• Hand signals/verbal may come from the dugout prior to the pitcher being on the pitcher's plate

• However, armband information must be gathered by the pitcher while on the pitcher's plate and in the pitching position.

• Pitching signals from the catcher may be given only when the pitcher is in the pitching position on the pitcher's plate.

NCAA is emphasizing that illegal pitches be called for violations of this rule.

ORDER OF FINISH-SHORTENED TOURNAMENT In the event that a tournament cannot be played to its completion of berth awards the following procedure will be used to break ties between teams in the same bracket positions if 50% or more of the tournament was completed. If less than 50%was completed all berths return to the PGF Advisory Board for distribution. Head to head competition. The team that advanced the furthest in the winner's bracket. Won-loss records except among undefeated teams. If only two teams are tied for a position and have played each other, the winner of that game. The teams will be ranked according to fewest runs allowed per game played. The teams will be ranked according to the most runs scored per game played. A coin toss. The Tournament Director shall have the right to initiate procedures to complete the berth assignations at any time in the tournament.

"WHERE THE LOVE OF THE GAME IS NEVER LOST"