S                                          New England Fusion Tournament Rules 2025

1. Current National Federation of High School (NFHS) softball rules and regulations will apply to all NE Fusion Tournaments unless modified in the document below.  It is the responsibility of ALL coaches to be familiar with the playing rules.

2. At least one Umpire-In-Chief (UIC) will be on-site during Tournaments.  In the event an on-field issue cannot be resolved by the field umpires the UIC will be called to the field.

3. Tournament Formats: Pool play to single elimination.

4. Games

1.  All games will have time limits except the finals.

             i Pool Games

                      1.  The game length is 1:30 finish the inning, if necessary

1.  If the home team is ahead and batting when the time expires, the game is over.

2. Pool games can end in a tie.

3. The international tiebreaker is used for Elimination games.

4. No new inning after 1:25. This is to discourage coaches from unsportsmanlike stalling to artificially extend a game.

ii  Elimination Games

1.  The game length is 1:30 complete the inning if necessary

1. If the home team is ahead and batting when time expires, the game is over.

2. No new inning after 1:25 

           iii  Semi-final Games

1. The game length is 1:30 finish the inning, if necessary if the home team is ahead and batting when time expires the game is over.  No new inning after 1:25.

           Iv. The final game shall have a time limit of 1:45.  The game is 7 innings unless the mercy         

                Rule comes into play.

b.      International Tie Breaker

         i.   implemented in an Elimination game that ends in a tie after regulations

         Ii.  implemented if a Final game ends in a tie after regulation.

c.     Choosing Home or Away team

         i. During pool play a coin toss determines home and away.

        ii. The choice of dugout is first come, first served.

       iii. During single elimination, the higher seeded team can choose home or away.

d.    Every effort will be made to complete every scheduled game within the scheduled time limit.  The Tournament Director reserves the right to reduce time limits and/or change the format of the tournament if the weather dictates changes.

e.     In single elimination of a Championship game is called due to weather, the higher seed will       be considered the champion.

 5.  Pool play seeding and tie-breaker criteria:

1. Total Number of Wins, followed by

2. Winning Percentage, followed by

3. Average Runs Allowed (total runs allowed/games played,) followed by

4. Average Runs Scored (total runs scored/games played) followed by

5. Head to Head is used only in situations where only two teams are tied at any level in the 

6. tiebreaker chain. If more than two teams are tied in any criteria, then head to head is ignored. 

 6.  The game is in control of the umpires on the field.

 7.  Teams Must be prepared to play 30 minutes prior to game time.  If circumstances permit games to start early, the umpires will do so.

 8.  No warming up on the infield prior to games.  Warmups must be beyond first or third base.

 9.  The manager is required at the plate conference (payment to the umpires is made at this time.

10. The manager is legally responsible for all the team’s equipment.

11.  The manager is responsible for the team’s spectators’ actions.

       a. Spectators/parents associated with a team are the responsibility of the Manager.  It will be the manager’s responsibility to control their spectators which may include ejection.

12. The clock begins immediately after the pre-game plate conference.

      a. Game time is in the control of the umpires.

      b. The clock is not stopped for any reason except in this circumstance: The clock is stopped if an injury requires the injured person to remain on the field while an ambulance is called to transfer the injured person. The UIC and the Tournament Director are the only people authorized to stop the clock.

13. Run Ahead (mercy rules) are in effect for all games including the finals: 12 after 3 innings,         

      10 runs after 4 innings, 8 runs after 5 innings.

14. Only coaches and rostered players are allowed inside dugouts and on the field. Defensive coaches are NOT allowed on the field of play when the ball is live during games.

15. At the conclusion of the game, both teams need to confirm the score and text the Tournament Director with the results of the game.  It is the Manager’s responsibility to make sure all scores of their team are listed accurately on the Tournament Website.  

16. Jewelry is allowed. However, jewelry that is judged by the umpire to be dangerous, must be removed and may not be worn during the game.

1. Penalty - illegal equipment shall be removed or made legal.  The umpire shall issue a team warning. The next offender and the Manager shall be restricted to the dugout/bench for the remainder of the game.

17.  Metal cleats are allowed for teams 13u and older.

18.  Line-ups/Rosters - There are multiple options to use in a line-up.

1. Traditional line-up with or without substitutes.

2. Traditional line-up, utilizing two additional players with or without substitutes.

         i. Up to two Additional Players (APs) can be used to increase the batting order to 10 or 

              11 batters. The AP(s) will be placed in the batting order in the positions to be occupied.

              The AP(s) can also be used on defense but must keep the same position in the batting

             order. The AP(s) if used, must be selected prior to the start of the game, and their name(s)

             must be included on the line-up card presented to the Umpire. Failure to declare the use of the

             AP(s) prior to the game precludes the use of the AP(s) in that game.  If a pinch hitter or pinch 

             runner for an AP, that player becomes the new AP.  The original AP(s) may re-enter like any

             other player under the re-entry rule.  If an AP is used, the position must be used the entire game.

        ii.  Aps may play defense for any player, that player is still in the lineup and bats. 

       iii.  If the AP plays defense for the Flex, the Flex leaves the game and counts as a substitution when

           she re-enters.

3. Traditional line-up utilizing two APs with or without substitutes and utilizing the DP/Flex option (Max 11 hitting).

4. Roster or continuous batting where everyone is in the lineup hits is allowed in all games in the tournament. However, then there are NO substitutions. This means all players in the lineup will bat. APs and DP/Flex can still be used.

5. NOTE: Whichever lineup is used, it must be declared when lineups are exchanged at the plate conference and remain in effect throughout the game.

19.      Courtesy Runners - will be allowed for the pitcher and catcher at any time by a legal courtesy 

           runner. If a team does not have a legal substitute remaining in their lineup, they can use the last 

           out as a courtesy runner subject to the same rules and restrictions as a regular courtesy runner.        

           NOTE: the same courtesy runner cannot run for the pitcher and catcher in the same inning.

20.      Ejections 

1. If a Manager, Asst. Coach or Team Personnel, or someone other than a player gets ejected from the game, they MUST leave the vicinity (out of sight, out of mind) of that playing field immediately and be prohibited from any further conduct directly or indirectly with the team during the remainder of that game. Failure to leave or comply will be a team forfeit.  Any ejection deemed extreme by the UIC and Tournament Director may warrant an additional game ejection. Any threat made to an official will mean ejection from the Tournament and the involvement of law enforcement.  

21.       Protests -

            Any protest regarding umpire judgement is NOT allowed.

            Protests regarding rule or procedural interpretations must be made prior to the next pitch of the 

            game and must be decided upon before the game can continue.

            Protests on rules or procedures that occur at the end of the game must be made before the next 

            game begins. 

           The protest committee will be made up of any part of the following people:

             Tournament Director

             Site Director

             Tournament UIC

             Site UIC

            Any of the above designates.

            Player eligibility protests made during the game must be declared to the Plate Umpire who will 

            confer with the UIC and Tournament Director. Player eligibility protests made after the game must           

            be declared to the Tournament Director.

22.       Roster Rules

1. Teams can roster up to 20 players.

2. Teams are free to add and remove players as they wish.

3. Rosters are never locked or frozen to prevent removal or adding players.

4. Players can be on more than one roster, hence a guest player process is not required.  However a player cannot compete for more than one team in a tournament other than in exhibition games.

5. The players on a team’s roster prior to the scheduled start of a team’s first game in an event, is their official roster for that event.

6. Once a team has started its first game in a tournament, a player cannot be added to a team’s roster unless injury forces the team to have fewer than 9 players. Then players can be added to the roster to bring the roster up to no more than 9 players.

7. Players added to a roster after a team has started their first game would be considered illegal players subject to the rules prescribed.

8. A team can play with 8 players but the 9th spot in the batting order is an out. If the 9th player arrives when the game is underway, she can be added to the 9th spot in the batting order.

23.       Forfeits

AJ Field (AJF)

1 Tracy Lane
Hudson, NH 03051


Darrah Pond (DP)

2 Woodhawk Way
Litchfield, NH 03052


LAFA Complex (LAF)

17 Sargent Road
Londonderry, NH 03053


Londondery High School (LHS)

295 Mammoth Road
Londonderry, NH 03053


Matthew Thornton Field (MTF)

275 Mammoth Road
Londonderry,, MH 03053


Windham Center School (WCS)

2 Lowell Rd
Windham, NH 03087