LWF 2026 Garfield McQuire Grand Slam

Garfield McQuire Tournament Rules

1. General Rules & Field Setup
Umpires will be used for all tournament games.
Bases are set at 60 feet for the safety of runners and fielders.

2. Game Pace, Length, and Scoring
Game Length: Timed for 1.45 hours or 6 innings. Mercy Rule: 10 runs after 5 innings.
Max Runs per Inning: 4 runs, except in the open inning (last inning).
Score Caps & Differentials: Max 10-run differential used for standings.

To speed up games, coaches are encouraged to have catchers ready when there are 2 outs. The batter who was last out may replace catcher on the bases.
Pitchers are allowed a maximum of 4 warm-up pitches (division 1 only).
The 6th inning of the game is designated as an open inning.
All players can bat if three outs are not recorded, but they may only go through the batting order once.

3. Batting & Base Running
There is no bunting, stealing, lead-offs, walks, or infield fly rule.
All players must bat in a continuous batting order.
Sliding is permitted, except when advancing into first base.
Batters who are hit by a pitch are awarded first base automatically, provided they are hit by a player pitcher and not a coach pitcher.
Runners may not advance on wild pitches or passed balls.
If defensive interference occurs while a base runner is advancing, it will be handled at the umpire's discretion.
If an injury occurs, the ball is considered a "dead ball" and play will stop, with runners staying at the base they were closest to.
Hits:
Division 1 - Cannot advance once the pitcher has possession of the ball.
Division 2 - Cannot advance when the ball reaches the infield (cross baselines)
Overthrows:
Division 1 - Runners are allowed to advance until the ball is returned to the pitcher.
Division 2 - No advancing on overthrows

4. Pitching Machine (Division 2 only)
Coaches only to feed balls or touch pitching machine
Must draw a circle around the machine to determine a deadzone where players are not allowed to retrieve a ball.
If a ball hits the machine it is a dead ball
Batters have 5 chances to get a hit. If no contact they are out (no tee).
They cannot strike out if the last ball is a foul tip.

5. Pitching Rules (Division 1 only)
A pitcher may only pitch a maximum of 2 innings per game and 25 pitches per day.
The last batter must be declared before the pitcher reaches their 25-pitch limit, and the pitcher may finish that batter even if it exceeds 25 pitches.
Pitchers must pitch from the pitching rubber.
Players cannot catch in the same game after they have pitched.
Player pitchers may throw a maximum of 3 balls to a batter. If the count reaches 3-2, the pitcher gets one additional pitch to try and retire the batter.
If the pitcher does not retire the batter, a coach enters to finish the at-bat.
When the coach steps in, the player must remain in the "pitcher position".
The coach is permitted a maximum of 3 pitches to complete the at-bat.
Maximum allowance for a pitcher is 4 walks or 2 hit-by-pitches in an inning, after which a coach must complete the inning.
A batter cannot strike out on the third coach pitch if it is fouled off.


6. Pitch Count Tracking (Division 1 only)
Pitch counts must be tracked using provided pitch-count sheets.
Sheets must be signed off by both teams and submitted to the canteen/organizer after each game.
Coaches track their own totals and reconcile after every half-inning.

7. Fielding & Defense
All players must play both infield and outfield in all games.
Courtesy Runner Rule: If the catcher is on base when two outs are recorded, they may be replaced by the player who made the last out, allowing the catcher time to put on their equipment.

Number of Fielders: 10 defensive players permitted, only 6 allowed in the infield.
Positional Restrictions: Players are allowed to play the same position twice in a game.
Coaches on Field: Prohibits coaches from being on the field while on defense.

8. Tiebreakers
percentage won (PCT) > head-to-head (H2H) > points against (PA) > coin toss

9. Awards
The winning team (1st place) and the runner-up (2nd place) will receive medals.
Players will line up after each game to receive awards.
An MVP is awarded to one player from each team every game (each team selects its own).

10. Inclement Weather
Teams must show up for their scheduled game times in the event of rain unless notified otherwise by tournament organizers.
All round-robin games will be played regardless of their impact on the final standings.