ISST Championship Handbook 2017-18
About the ISST
The International School Sports Tournament (ISST) is 49 years old this year. The first tournaments were for boys soccer and girls volleyball and were held in Zurich in 1968. The ISST group now consists of 24 schools, and there are 19 annual tournaments. Only two schools, ASL and ISB, compete in all 19.
Schools are Full Members if they compete in 6 or more tournaments annually. They have full voting rights. Schools competing in 5 or less tournaments annually are classified as Sport Members. They only have voting rights for the sports in which they compete. Full members are required to host one tournament per school year. Sport members are requested to host one tournament per school year.
The Athletics Directors of the 24 member schools meet three times a year to review recent tournaments and to plan for future events.
Baseball Guidelines
Championships will take place on Thursday, Friday and Saturday during the weekend that contains the last Saturday of May.
Rules: “US High School Federation”
The maximum number of players (including Managers) will be 14.
Format
There will be 2 groups to be called group 'A' and group 'B' of 3 teams seeded based on the previous year’s results. Day 1 consists of the round robin games for each group. These games will be 6 innings with a time limit of 90 minutes with no new inning starting after the 90 minute time limit. Upon completion of round-robin play cross-over semi-final games between the top two teams from group play will be played. The semi-finals would be played on Day 2. These games will be 7 innings with no time limit but mercy rule will apply.
The two 3rd place teams from group play will play a mini 3 game series to determine 5th & 6th place. Two games on Day 2 and one game on Day 3. These games will be 6 innings with a time limit of 90 minutes with no new inning starting after the 90 minute time limit.
Both medal games will be 7 inning games on the final day of the tournament (no-time limit but mercy rule will apply).
A game officially starts with “Play Ball” and finishes at the time the final out is made in an applicable inning. There shall be a provision for a maximum of three (3) minutes injury time determined by the home plate umpire in the event of a serious injury, after which the appropriate coach must decide whether or not to make a substitution.
No pitcher may pitch more than 15 innings during the entire tournament. Any appearance in an inning counts as a full inning pitched.
Designated hitters are allowed, but their use is governed by NFSHSA rules (Rule3,Section 1,Article 4.) All games will be officiated by TWO Umpires. It is STRONGLY recommended that an umpire who is directly related to any player/coach involved in the Championship should not be used.
One (1) infield per team per field per day with a maximum of 10 minutes. In all games a 10 run mercy rule will operate after three (3) innings.
Tie-Games
a) If at the 90 minute mark (end of the inning) the scores are the same the game is recorded as a tie.
b) If after 6 innings the game is tied BUT the 90 minute mark is NOT reached then one extra innings will be played. If still tied and the 90 minute mark is NOT reached a second BUT final inning is played. If STILL tied then the game is recorded as a tie.
Final Team Placings:
The round–robin record (Win/Loss/Tied) shall determine final places.
Tied Teams in Final Placing: If TWO teams are tied then the Head to Head result shall count. If the Head to head result is tied then the following shall be applied: 1) The ratio of runs against per DEFENSIVE inning in ALL games 2) If the tie STILL exists then the ratio of runs scored per OFFENSIVE inning in ALL games.
NOTE: When calculating the number of defensive and offensive innings that are to be credited to each team under steps 1 & 2 above, innings will be calculated on a fractional basis (ie. 2.1 or 2.2 innings for one out and two outs, respectively).IMPORTANT: refer to Fractional Inning Scenario. ALSO In a mercy rule game, the winning team will get credit for 5 DEFENSIVE innings whilst the losing team will only get credit for the number of innings actually played.
3) Should a tie still not be broken, the following tie breakers will be used. In the first instance only among the tied teams and in the second instance among all the teams in the division
a. Total number of runners to reach 3rd base
b. Total number of runners to reach 2nd base
c. Total number of runners to reach 1st base
d. Toss of a coin
If THREE or MORE teams are tied then the team with the best win-loss record in the games between or among the tied teams will place higher in the standings. If the Head to head result is tied then the following shall be applied:
1) The ratio of runs against per DEFENSIVE inning in ALL games
2) If the tie STILL exists then the ratio of runs scored per OFFENSIVE inning in ALL games
NOTE: When calculating the number of defensive and offensive innings that are to be credited to each team under steps 1 & 2 above, innings will be calculated on a fractional basis (ie. 2.1 or 2.2 innings for one out and two outs, respectively). IMPORTANT: refer to Fractional Inning Scenario. ALSO In a mercy rule game, the winning team will get credit for
6 DEFENSIVE innings whilst the losing team will only get credit for the number of innings actually played.
3) Should a tie still not be broken, the following tie breakers will be used In the first instance only among the tied teams and in the second instance among all the teams in the division
a. Total number of runners to reach 3rd base
b. Total number of runners to reach 2nd base
c. Total number of runners to reach 1st base
d. Toss of a coin
NOTE: When a multiple tie occurs and is only partially resolved, the remaining ties will be resolved by continuing on with the remaining tie breaking procedures until ALL four (4) procedures have been exhausted. Then and only then will the remaining tied teams return to procedure 1 and proceed through the order again.
Tied Team Scenario
Yankees, Red Sox and Dodgers are all tied after completion of the tournament
Procedure 1
Yankees defeated
Red Sox, 6‐3
Dodgers defeated Yankees, 6‐4
Red Sox defeated Dodgers, 10‐8 No tie resolved, move to procedure 2
Procedure 2
Yankees 9 runs against in 10 innings (9/10) = 0.9
Red Sox 14 runs against in 10 innings (14/10) = 1.4
Dodgers 14 runs against in 10 innings (14/10) = 1.4
Yankees win the Flight Dodgers and Red Sox remain tied, move to procedure 3
Procedure 3
Red Sox 13 runs for in 10 innings (13/10) = 1.3
Dodgers 14 runs for in 10 innings (14/10) = 1.4
Dodgers have the better average and are placed 2nd in the Flight Red Sox are 3rd
Fractional Inning Scenario:
Scenario 1
The home team wins the game in the bottom of the 5th by scoring the winning run with NOBODY OUT, the inning count will be: Visiting Team: 5 offensive innings and 4 defensive innings Home Team: 4 offensive innings and 5 defensive innings
Scenario 2
The home team wins the game in the bottom of the 5th inning by scoring a run with one out, the inning count will be: Visiting Team: 5 offensive innings and 4.1 defensive innings Home Team: 4.1 offensive innings and 5 defensive innings
Scenario 3
The same application of the rule is used in a mercy rule situation. If the home team is awarded the game after two outs in the bottom of the 4th inning, the inning count will be:
Visiting Team: 4 offensive innings and 3.2 defensive innings
Home Team: 3.2 offensive innings and 5 defensive innings
Officials: 2 umpires and 1 official scorekeeper
Awards
First, Second and Third place permanent trophies will be awarded to the relevant teams. Appropriate medals will be awarded to the players and coaches of the first three placed teams. Participation patches will be given to all players involved in the Championships. Special patches will be awarded to the 14 players voted as being All Tournament