Sparktacular Showdown
live198 Townsend St, Fitchburg, MA 01420, USA
Next up
Pool play11:30 AM
18A - Raiders Softball 18u Coulson
vs
18B - Blackstone Valley Venom 18U Orff
Field 3 · Coolidge Park →Tournament rules▾
- 2026 North County Softball Association Tournament Rules
- 12U, 16U, 18U and 18+ Divisions
- May Mayhem 12U May 23-24
- Dick Hurley Memorial Tournament 18+ June 13-14
- Spark-Tacular Showndown 16/18U June 27-28
- Battle N The Burg 16/18U July 18-19
- We would like to thank you for registering for one of the 2026 North County Softball Association
- Tournaments. This welcome package should include (almost) everything you need to make the weekend an enjoyable one for you and your families. Please adhere to your schedule game times and fields guidelines. Please arrive at least 30 minutes before your scheduled time. If you are moving between fields, your team will be given a few minutes grace time to arrive and setup. We are a 100% VOLUNTEER run program which means no one is paid during these weekends so please be respectful and understanding to all those volunteering their time. Let the girls play and have fun! We hope that all the information you need is included in this package and is easy to understand. Please call or e-mail us if you need additional information, now or at any time during the tournament. Thank you again for entering our tournament and good luck.
- Fields
- Coolidge Fields #1, #2, and #3: can be accessed using the 198 Townsend Street Fitchburg, MA 01420 entrance.
- FSU Field #4: can be accessed using the 1000 John Fitch Highway Fitchburg, MA 01420 entrance located directly in between the DEK Hockey Rinks and the Wallace Civic Center.
- Rest Rooms
- Each field complex will have port-o-potties available for use throughout the weekend. We will do our best to check them for toilet paper and sanitizer throughout the weekend.
- Tournament Contact Information
- Josh Koziol
- Tournament Director
- Cell: 508-361-5418
- Email: kozioljoshua21@gmail.com
- * Text is the preferred method of contact during tournament weekend
- *Email is the preferred method of contact prior to tournament weekend
- General Information and Rules
- ● USA Softball Rules will be in effect except where noted in the tournament guidelines (see below)
- ● The Tournament Directors reserves the right to change the location, opponent and times of games
- based on weather and field conditions. The Tournament Directors may also change the game time
- limits if necessary to ensure equal pool games.
- ● The home team is the official scorer
- ● Each team is responsible for their first aid needs and cleaning their dugout of trash after games.
- ● Umpires:
- ○ 12U will have 2 umpire per game for pool play – 2 umpires for Sunday
- ○ 16U will have 2 umpire per game for pool play – 2 umpires for Sunday games
- ○ 18U will have 2 umpires for all games
- ■ The Umpire in Chief reserves the right to change this alignment if there is a shortage of
- umpires available during a given weekend
- ● During game play NO metal cleats allowed at 12U; Metal cleats are allowed at 16U and 18U.
- ● Use of private grills at the fields or in the parking lots are strictly forbidden. Please do not bring gas or
- barbecue grills.
- ● You will not be contacted after the last game on Saturday with your game time & field for Sunday. Please go to www.itournamentbrackets.com to get your game time and location for Sunday’s games.
- ● Report scores to Tournament Officials immediately upon game completion VIA TEXT. Your text
- should include age group and team names. TEXT Josh Koziol at 508-361-5418. Failure to do so will slow the seeding process. We make every attempt to have up to the minute results and that can only be done with your help.
- ● Seeding: Scores may be posted at the concession stand as a courtesy, but the official results will be posted at itournamentbrackets.com.
- ● Check In: The tournament director will ask for rosters and insurance to be emailed one week prior to the tournament so no check-in will be needed but please have all information available upon request, including birth certificates and coaches badges.
- ● Concessions: Concessions are available all weekend serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner. We offer a variety of items including our ‘Famous “ breakfast sandwiches, burgers, dogs, nuggets, fries, assorted chips, assorted candies, water, sports drinks, soda, and more. Please check us out as all proceeds go directly back into the complex.
- ● Apparel: On-site apparel will be custom made by DW Designs. They will be located next to the Concession Stand and be available both Saturday and Sunday unless otherwise noted. They have a variety of items to choose from.
- ● Pets are allowed at the facilities but MUST always be leased and controlled by their owners.
- ● EACH HEAD COACH IS RESPOSNIBLE FOR THEIR TEAMS’ BEHAVIOR INCLUDING, PARENTS AND
- SPECTATORS AND ADHERING TO THE RULES. We will be forced to remove spectators who do not
- follow the Complex guidelines.
- ● Trash – each team is responsible for cleaning up the bench areas before they leave. Trash barrels are
- available throughout the Complex.
- Tournament Guidelines
- Time Limits
- Games will be 7 innings or a 1 hour and 20-minutes finish the inning.
- Time limits are in effect through the quarterfinals. The Semi-finals and Final are not timed.
- Time begins as soon as the first warm up pitch has been thrown.
- The Umpire’s clock is the official clock. Any others (such as a scoreboard or coaches’ clock) are
- unofficial.
- Pay-At-The-Plate
- These are pay-at-the-plate events. Each team is expected to bring $70 cash to the home plate meeting before each game. One payment will go to the base ump and the other will go to the plate ump. The tournament with cover the umpire fees for the final game only (Championship) in each age division.
- Warm-ups
- There is plenty of space to warmup. Please be respectful of all teams and give each other enough space to complete warmups. Teams with first games may use the field. Teams may also use the fields in between games if they are available, please just give field crew space when they are grooming.
- Run Ahead Rule
- We are using the USA Softball run-ahead rule of 15 runs after 3 innings, 12 after 4 and 8 runs after 5 innings.
- Batting
- Pool Play – Straight 9, DP/Flex Option OR Continuous Batting as per USA Softball Rules
- Elimination Play – Straight 9 the option of using a DP/Flex as well. NO
- continuous batting allowed as per USA Softball of MA rules during elimination play.
- Courtesy Runners
- Per USA Softball of MA only substitutions can be courtesy runners for the PITCHER and CATCHER during the weekend. No substitutions equate to no courtesy runners.
- Ties and Playoff Tiebreaker
- Ties are allowed in pool play. However, if a game is tied after 7 innings and the time limit has not expired, the game will continue with the International Tiebreaker in effect starting with the 8th inning and until the time limit has been reached. If the teams are still tied at the conclusion of the last completed inning and the time limit has expired, the game is scored as a tie.
- On Sunday elimination games, the time limit is in effect through the quarterfinals. The International
- Tiebreaker will be used starting with the 8th inning or at the time limit, whichever comes first. [Example: 6 innings complete at the time limit, ITB begins in the 7th.]
- For the Semifinal and Championship game there is no time limit. The International Tiebreaker will be in effect for all elimination games starting with the 8th inning and until a winner emerges.
- Seeding
- Seeding will be based on the following:
- Win/Loss/Tie record within the division. (Total Points)
- 2-points will be awarded for a win; 1-point will be awarded for a tie; 0-points will be awarded for a loss.
- In the event of 2 teams being tied with the same win/loss/tie record, the following tiebreaker rules apply:
- Head-to-Head Competition (only if 2 teams are tied and have played each other)
- Least Runs Allowed
- If still tied after least runs allowed, a coin flip will occur
- In the event of 3 or more teams being tied with the same win/loss/tie record, the following tiebreaker rules apply:
- Least Runs Allowed
- If still tied after least runs allowed, a coin flip will occur
- If a team forfeits a game, the Tournament Director may choose to drop them in the seeding.
- THE TIE BREAKING PROCESS DOES NOT REWARD TEAMS FOR RUNNING THE SCORE UP, DEFENSE IS
- REWARDED OVER OFFENSE. Seeding and scores will be posted for each division online at www.ITOURNAMENTBRACKETS.COM so please be prompt when reporting the scores. North County reserves the right to rearrange field assignments based upon volunteer coverage requirements (i.e. a field switch needed to accommodate a North County team).
- Home Team Determination
- Pool Play:
- The home team will be decided by a double coin flip with the umpire prior to the start of the game.
- Elimination Play:
- The highest seed will have the choice of being the home team.
- Team Requirements
- As noted, all teams are required to have signed rosters, verification of insurance and birth certificates. Teams are required to have these items in their possession at all games, available for inspection, at any time.
- Disputes
- The on-field umpire will settle disputes pertaining to USA Softball rules. The Umpire-In-Chief and the
- Tournament Director (or other duly authorized North County official) will settle disputes pertaining to these tournament guidelines. No protests will be accepted after the game. Just a friendly reminder the clock keeps running on a dispute.
- Rain/Inclement Weather Policy
- Tournament Director retains the right to change and or modify the format of the tournament due to any
- inclement weather.
- Pool Play
- If a game is interrupted by rain at the end of an inning, and the time limit has expired, the game will be
- declared complete. If a game is interrupted by rain during an inning, and the time limit has expired during the delay, the score shall revert to the previously completed inning. Games subsequent to the delay will remain at seven innings and the 1 hour and 20-minute time limit, unless in the tournament director’s opinion, all subsequent games should be shortened to keep the schedule on track.
- The above rule can be applied to any portion of the tournament at the Tournament Directors
- discretion. If the tournament is back on schedule the games will return to 7 innings and the 1 hour and
- 20-minute time limit. During pool play, games will be considered complete after 1 complete inning. Games that do not make 1 complete inning will recorded a 0-0 tie for seeding purposes.
- Championship Round
- If the rain occurs on Sunday and it is impossible to complete the tournament, the Champion will be the
- highest seed remaining. If the tournament is declared over due to weather or field conditions being deemed unplayable during the Championship game, the score of the last COMPLETED inning will be used to determine the Champion, starting with the last completed inning and rolling back each inning until one team was ahead at the end of that inning. If all rolled back innings were tied the result will be Co-Champions for that age division. The objective of the rain policy is to be fair to all participants and give everyone the same amount of games. Every effort will be made to be fair to everyone. However, there may be unforeseen and complicated circumstances that make a totally acceptable conclusion impossible to obtain.
- If the tournament needs to be canceled fully money will be refunded according to USA Softball Tournament refund rules based on the number of games played.
- Trophy Ceremony
- Trophy ceremony immediately follows the Championship game directly on that game field.
- REMINDER - TEXT ALL SCORES, ALL WEEKEND TO:
- Josh Koziol
- 508-361-5418
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