Tournament Trail Reminders

As we prepare for the upcoming Babe Ruth League Tournament Trail, it's crucial to ensure that all participating teams adhere to the Official Babe Ruth League Rules & Regulations to maintain fairness and integrity throughout the competition. Please review the following reminders regarding bats, balls, and shoulder patches, as well as the playing rules outlined in the Babe Ruth League rulebooks (available in Print or Digital for Baseball and Softball). Tournament rules and regulations can be found in sections 11.00-11.07.

  1. League Eligibility: Each chartered league shall be eligible for representation in tournament play provided the league has complied with the following requirements:
    • Rule 0.01—paragraph 2- Application for Charter submitted.
    • Rule 0.01—paragraph 5—Geographical Boundaries. 
    • Rule 0.01—paragraph 6—Accident and Liability Insurance Coverage.
    • Rule 0.01—paragraph 7—Nationwide Background Checks, Abuse Preventative Training.
    • Rule 0.04—paragraph 3—Team Rosters
    • Rule 0.05—paragraph 1(a) - Team Composition. 
  2. Bats:
    • All bats used in the tournament must adhere to the Official Babe Ruth League bat rules as specified in Rule 1.10 of the Babe Ruth League, Inc. rulebook. No USSSA bats are allowed at any level of local league or tournament play.
    • CAL RIPKEN — All non-wood bats must have the USABat Marking. Barrel Maximum – 25/8”. No BBCOR Bats are permitted in the Cal Ripken Division. For T-Ball Division, bats must be marked with the USABat T-Ball Stamp.
    • Babe Ruth 13-16 — All non-wood bats must have the USABat Marking or marked BBCOR .50. Bat Barrel – 25/8”.
    • Babe Ruth 16-18 — All non-wood bats MUST be marked BBCOR .50. Barrel – 25/8”.
    • Babe Ruth Softball — The bat shall be marked “OFFICIAL SOFTBALL” or “OFFICIAL FASTPITCH” by the manufacturer.
  3. Balls: Rawlings is the only Official Tournament Baseball to be used for all District, State, Regional and World Series competition. The Rawlings baseballs marked BRO or RBRO are to be used for all 13-18 tournament competition. The Rawlings baseballs marked CAL or RCAL are to be used for all Cal Ripken Baseball tournament competition. The Rawlings baseballs marked PX11RYLBR or PX2RYLBR are to be used for all Babe Ruth Softball tournament competition.
  4. Shoulder Patches:
    • All Divisions – All teams participating in Babe Ruth local league and tournament competition are required to wear the Official Cal Ripken Baseball (4-12 year olds), Babe Ruth Baseball (13-18 year olds), or Babe Ruth Softball (4-18) shoulder emblem on their left outer uniform sleeve, or if vest type, sleeveless jersey, on the upper left chest of the jersey. The official shoulder emblem is required to be permanently affixed for World Series competition.
    • Unlicensed sublimation or silk-screening of the official emblems is not allowed.
      1. Baseball leagues have the option to purchase “Augusta Sportswear” jerseys from approved Augusta Sportswear dealers containing the Official Cal Ripken Baseball or Babe Ruth Baseball shoulder emblem.
      2. Softball leagues have the option to purchase “SCORE Sports” jerseys from approved SCORE Sports dealers containing the Official Babe Ruth Softball shoulder emblem.
      3. The jerseys with the officially sublimated shoulder emblems of Babe Ruth League, Inc. will satisfy the Official Shoulder Emblem requirement for local league and tournament play.
    • CAP EMBLEM OPTION – Leagues have the option to purchase caps or visors from approved dealers of Pacific Headwear and/or Outdoor Cap containing the Official Cal Ripken Baseball, Babe Ruth Baseball, or Babe Ruth Softball emblem. These caps from Pacific Headwear and Outdoor Cap with the Official Cal Ripken emblem and Babe Ruth emblem will satisfy the official shoulder emblem requirement for local league and tournament play.

We appreciate your cooperation in upholding the standards and traditions of the Babe Ruth League Tournament. Should you have any questions or require further clarification regarding the rules mentioned above, please do not hesitate to reach out to us.