MISSISSIPPI DIXIE YOUTH BASEBALL
Tournament Format Guidelines
REVISED 2009
The Mississippi Dixie Youth Baseball State Championships for all Divisions will be formatted as follows:
SECTION 1.
REGIONAL TOURNAMENTS
Tournament Format Criteria
The state will be geographically divided into two (2) sections called Regionals
There will be a North Regional and South Regional Tournament
The North Regional consists of the following Districts:
District 1
District 2
District 3
District 4 (District 3b)
The South Regional consists of the following Districts:
District 5
District 6
District 7
District 8
There will be a Regional Division Tournament for each of the following age groups in both the North and South Regionals:
O-Zone
Majors (12 year olds and younger)
11 Year Olds (11 year olds and younger)
AAA (10 year olds and younger)
9 Year Olds (9 year olds and younger)
AA (8 and under)
7 Year Olds (7 and under)
Each Regional Division tournament site must have 2 (two) fields that must meet or exceed the required specifications for State tournament play and must be inspected and approved by the State director or his designate before the tournament begins
There will be three (3) combined Divisional tournament sites in each geographic Region as follows:
North Regional Sites
1. Majors/11 Year Olds - @ 1 site
2. AAA/9 Year Olds - @ 1 site
3. O-Zone/AA/7 Year Olds - @ 1 site
South Regional Sites
1. Majors/11 Year Olds - @ 1 site
2. AAA/9 Year Olds - @ 1 site
3. O-Zone/AA/7 Year Olds - @ 1 site
8. If a particular District does not have any teams for a certain age Division then the Host District where the respective Regional Tournament is being held will be allowed to fill in a team or teams to ensure there are the required number of teams to hold the tournament.
B. Playing Format for Regional Tournaments
The Official Dixie Youth Baseball Nine Team Double Elimination bracket will be used for each Regional Division Tournament
The Divisional winner and runner-up of each respective District will compete in the North and South Regional Tournaments for each age division
Pairings for each Regional tournament will be decided as follows:
District winners and the Host will be randomly drawn and placed in the bracket first
District Runner-Ups will then be randomly drawn and placed in the tournament bracket playing a District winner or the Host team
Home/Visitors will be selected by traveling distance to the Host site on the first day of the tournament only
Subsequent Home/Visitor designations will be flipped out for each game on the bracket except for the final Championship game(s)
Home/Visitor designation for the Championship game(s) will be flipped before playing of the game(s)
The Host team will have the choice of game time only on the first day of the tournament. The host will flip for home and visitor designation.
C. Voting & Bidding Procedures and Guidelines
Bidders on any Regional Tournament must have 2 fields that meet or exceed the minimum requirements for tournament play and must be inspected and approved by the State Director or his designate when selected as the Host site.
Bidding for any Regional Tournament will be held at the annual State Mississippi Dixie Youth Baseball annual business meeting.
Bids shall conform and meet or exceed the Minimum Requirements & Guidelines for Hosting Tournaments as established by the Mississippi Dixie Youth Baseball State Board of Directors.
All bids shall be turned in to the State Director when called for and inspected by the Tournament Committee to ensure bids meet the specified requirements.
No bids shall be altered or changed after being presented to the State Body unless deemed necessary by the Tournament Committee in order to meet the Minimum Requirements & Guidelines For Tournament Hosts.
Only leagues in the respective geographical Districts shall be eligible to bid on Regional tournaments in their geographical region:
North Region leagues can only bid on North Regional tournaments
South Region leagues can only bid on South Regional tournaments
Voting on North Regional Host sites shall be limited to those leagues that are located in the North geographic region
Voting on South Regional Host sites shall be limited to those leagues that are located in the South geographic region
If no bids are received for a particular Regional tournament then any qualified franchised league may bid on hosting any Regional tournament – North or South - regardless of the geographic location. This is to ensure that there are two separate geographic Regional Tournament sites.
Regional Tournaments bidding process deferred for any reason in the North-South geographical regions shall not alter overall year-to-year sequence of the bidding procedure.
*NOTE: Commencing with the year 2010 - Division Tournaments in each respective geographical Region may be bid as follows:
A Divisional bid from no more than 2 (two) sites in one (1) District will be accepted provided it is presented as a combined single bid.
Example: In a District a league desires to host a Majors Regional tournament and another league desires to host an 11Year Old Regional tournament. Both leagues can get together and present a single bid for the combined Regional Majors/11 Year Old Tournament. The single bid shall meet the minimum requirements of these Tournament Guideline.
SECTION 2.
STATE CHAMPIONSHIP PLAYOFF TOURNAMENTS
A. Tournament Format Criteria
The State Organization will conclude its current season with Championship Playoff Tournaments for the following divisions:
O-Zone
Major League
11 Year Olds
AAA
9 Year Olds
AA
7 Year Olds
The 1st, 2nd and 3rd seeds from each Divisional North and South Regional Tournament shall compete in the Championship Playoff Tournament for their respective age division
The Championship Tournament shall be divided into the following 3 categories:
O-Zone/AA/7 Year Olds - Tournament A
Majors/AAA/ – Tournament B
11/ 9 Year Olds – Tournament C
Any North or South Championship Playoff Tournament site deferred for any reason shall not alter the overall year-to-year sequence rotation of the Tournament
B. Playing Format for Championship Playoffs
The playing format for the State Championship Playoff for both the A, B & C Championship Playoffs shall be the Official Dixie Youth Baseball, Inc. Official brackets in the Rules & Regulations Guide
Host sites must have 2 (two) fields that meet or exceed the minimum requirements for tournament play set forth by the State Board of Directors and must be inspected and approved by the State Director or his designate when selected as the Host site.
The North and South Championship Playoff Tournament Host Sites will not have host teams entered in the Tournament. Only Regional Tournaments will have Host teams entered in their respective tournaments.
C. Voting & Bidding Procedures and Guidelines
Host sites will be determined by a sealed bid basis held at the annual Mississippi Dixie Youth State business meeting.
Bidders on any Championship Playoff Tournament must have 3 fields that meet or exceed the Minimum Requirements & Guidelines for Tournament Hosts and must be inspected and approved by the State Director or his designate when selected as the Host site.
Bids shall conform and meet or exceed the requirements as outlined and prescribed by the Minimum Requirements & Guidelines for Tournament Hosts established by the Mississippi Dixie Youth Baseball State Board of Directors.
All bids shall be turned in to the State Director when called for and inspected by the Tournament Committee to ensure bids meet the specified requirements.
No bids shall be altered or changed after being presented to the State Body unless deemed necessary by the Tournament Committee in order to meet the Minimum Requirements set forth by the State organization.
Any franchised league in the respective geographical Districts shall be eligible to bid on the Championship Playoff tournament in their geographical region.
A) North Region leagues can only bid on North Regional tournaments
B) South Region leagues can only bid on South Regional tournaments
All qualified franchised leagues in the State are eligible to cast 1 (one) ballot in voting on the Championship Playoff Host sites.
If no bids are received for a particular Championship Playoff tournament then any qualified franchised league may bid on hosting any Championship Playoff Tournament – North or South - regardless of the geographic location. This is to ensure that there will be an A and a B Championship Playoff Tournament site.
Any Championship Playoff Tournament bidding process deferred for any reason in the North-South geographical regions shall not alter overall year-to-year sequence of the bidding procedure.
SECTION 3.
O-ZONE STATE TOURNAMENT
The O-Zone State Tournament shall be an Open Invitational type tournament play for those leagues of the State Organization that choose that option for tournament competition.
Leagues may choose the option of either Closed Bases or Open Bases type play for Regular Season but must choose between the two for tournament play and shall not participate in both.
The Host site will be determined by a sealed bid basis held at the annual Mississippi Dixie Youth Baseball State business meeting.
The Host for the O-Zone State Tournament shall be rotated between the 2 geographic regions of the state as follows:
The O-Zone Division shall be seperated into two Regional Tournaments - North and South
The Official 8 Team Dixie Youth Baseball Bracket from the Rules & Regulations Guide shall be used for the O-Zone Championship Tournament
Bidders on any O-Zone State Tournament must have 2 fields that meet or exceed the minimum requirements for O-Zone tournament play and must be inspected and approved by the State Director or his designate when selected as the Host site.
Bids shall conform and meet or exceed the Minimum Requirements & Guidelines for Tournament Hosts established by the Mississippi Dixie Youth Baseball State Board of Directors.
All bids shall be turned in to the State Director when called for and inspected by the Tournament Committee to ensure bids meet the specified requirements.
No bids shall be altered or changed after being presented to the State Body unless deemed necessary by the Tournament Committee in order to meet the Minimum Requirements set forth by the State Organization.
Any eligible franchised leagues shall be eligible to bid on the O-Zone State Tournament provided they meet the requirements of the Minimum Requirements for Hosting State Tournaments.
All qualified franchised leagues in the State are eligible to cast 1 (one) ballot in voting on the O-Zone Division Tournament Host site.
If no bids are received for the O-Zone Division Tournament in the designated geographic region for that year then any qualified franchised league may bid – North or South – regardless of the geographic location.
Any O-Zone Tournament bidding process deferred for any reason in the North/South geographic regions shall not alter the overall year-to-year sequence of the bidding procedure.
SECTION 4.
TOURNAMENT FINANCIAL CRITERIA
A. Tournament Financial Requirements
The minimum bid fee for any Mississippi Dixie Youth Sanctioned Tournament shall be $1800.00. This includes the following State sponsored tournaments:
Regional Tournaments – North & South
Championship Playoffs – A, B & C
All Tournament financial bids will be made payable to the State Organization and are due within 30 days of the respective hosts being awarded their respective tournament.
There shall be no required per diem, however, bidders may choose to provide a per diem to enhance their bid.
All Tournament Hosts shall provide a signed letter of guarantee of their payment of their tournament financial bid to the State Director at the awarding of the tournaments at the State business meeting.
B. Host Financial Responsibilities
Minimum financial bid of $1800.00
Individual participation awards for all participants and individual trophies for the 1st and 2nd place finishing teams for Regional & Championship Playoff Tournaments
Cost of Umpire fees
Cost of Baseballs
Specified financial responsibilities as outlined in the Minimum Requirements & Guidelines for Tournament Host
Normal Tournament expenses other than those specified by the State responsibilities
C. State Organization Financial Responsibilities
Sportsmanship Awards for O-Zone & Championship Playoffs
Championship Flags for Divisional Championship Playoffs
Championship T-Shirts (Where required by the World Series Requirements)
1st and 2nd place Team Trophies For All State Sponsored Regional & Championship Playoff Tournaments
Minimum $10000.00 Donation to State Champions For World Series Expenses
(When & Where Applicable determined on a yearly basis by the State Board of Directors)