Keep Calm & Baseball On - Bring the Thunder

Keep Calm & Baseball On is a 501 (c)(3) organization seeking to promote the Greatest Game! 

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS:

On Friday Afternoon around 2:30pm, it was decided, YES, we will PLAY BASEBALL this weekend! We are able to do that because we agreed to a one-hour delayed start time with our TOFM Athletics Department Supervisor. A notification was sent out to everyone, and the schedules were updated. WE ARE VERY EXCITED TO BE PLAYING BASEBALL, and provide the best playing conditions possible. Thank you and PLAY BALL!

Team Event Registration Fee (Number of Teams by Age/Div. that we are accepting: based on field availability at time of posting)

8U D3: $375 (We are accepting the first twelve {12} paid teams in 8U D3)

9U D3: $450 (We are accepting the first twelve {12} paid teams in 9U D3)

11U D3: $450 (We are accepting the first six {6} paid teams in 11U D3)

11U D2: $450  (We are accepting the first six {6} paid teams in 11U D3) 

13U D3: $475 (We are accepting the first twelve {12} paid teams in 13U D3) 

Gate Fee

$150 team gate fee

When do I pay the tournament entry fee? 

All KC&BO tournaments are first pay/first play. Your entry into an event is not secured until you have paid the Entry Fee and/or the Gate Fee. The age/division may sell out prior to the payment deadline (in most cases they do sell out quickly). The number of available spots in a division may fluctuate depending on the needs of all divisions that share the same field size. KC&BO does not accept checks. If you need to pay by cash, the payment deadline still applies and you will need to make arrangements with us to drop off a cash payment. Our Entry/Gate fees are due (AT THE LATEST) on the Friday, a week prior to the tournament dates (however most of our events sell out long before the payment due by date). The same thing applies for "Special Requests", they are due by the Friday before. (Our goal is to schedule over that weekend and post schedules on Tuesday). SEE TOURNAMENT PAYMENT & REFUND POLICY BELOW. 

How Does the Wait List Work?

Teams get "Wait Listed" when they Register but do not pay the Entry Fee/Gate, and the tournament sells out of available slots for their age group. I get a lot of emails, phone calls and text messages saying "hey, why did you put me on the wait list." The Wait List is an automated process. When age group sells out, all of the teams that have not paid the Entry Fee/Gate Fee, are automatically shifted to the Wait List. Thus, it is incumbent on the teams to both register and pay for tournaments they truly plan to attend. (A lot of teams register for multiple tournaments on the same weekend, and the only way for us to know if a team is going to play with us is if they pay with us.) Teams will NOT be scheduled unless they have fully secured entry to the tournament (registration and payment).

Do teams supply their own baseballs? 

Yes, teams supply their own baseballs for game play. 

RULES

We play by the rules listed on the playNCS.com website (CENTRAL DIVISION), with these noted exceptions:

Pitching: There are no enforceable pitching limitations for our weekend tournaments. We HIGHLY RECOMMEND PARENTS & COACHES ABIDE BY THE USA BASEBALL/MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL "Pitch Smart" GUIDELINES. We do NOT know the number of pitches thrown during the week, during league play, during private lessons, during practices, etc., leading up to tournament play, etc.; and do not feel we can effectively manage the safety of any child's arm. We believe that responsibility belongs with the PARENTS & COACHES who know the players pitch count leading up to, during, and after tournament play. PARENTS & COACHES, please do not overuse young arms. The WIN today is not worth it in the long run!

Sick/Injured Player: If a player is removed from a game due to sickness or injury, the lineup is simply compressed. (If removed by ejection, and no legal substitute is available, an out will be declared each time the ejected players spot comes up in the batting order.) If an offensive player is removed from the field of play due to an injury/sickness (e.g., a player breaks ankle after safely reaching first base), he will be replaced on the bases by a legal sub, or by the last batted out. This exception is used to promote player safety and in the spirit of fair play. 

Additional Rules Notes:

Our 13U tournaments are played at 54/80.

We do not allow metal cleats on any turf fields or temporary mounds, or in the batting cages or soft toss stations, or in our Pitchers and Catchers Practice Venue.

Additionally, metal cleats are only allowed at 13U and up.

Slashing is NOT allowed at 13U and below. 

NEW: Rule 7.06: One-way electronic communication devices are permissible from the dugout to the catcher while the team is on defense for the purpose of calling pitches. When using the electronic communication device, the coach cannot be outside the dugout/bench area.

Pool Play Time Limits are:

7U/8U: 1hr 15min
9U-12U: 1hr 30min
13U-18U: 1hr 30min

Bracket Play Time Limits are:

7U/8U: 1hr 15min
9U-12U: 1hr 30min
13U-18U: 1hr 45min

Awards

All Gold Bracket Champions and Finalist will receive Championship Rings
All Silver Bracket Champions and Finalist will receive Medals or Rings
All Brackets receive team Championship Banners

Can we bring outside food and coolers?

Yes, participants and fans are allowed to bring outside food and coolers (excluding alcohol). NO GLASS CONTAINERS. NO ALCOHOL! 

Can we bring our pets or comfort animals to the tournament?

Yes, but strict adherence to local municipalities Leash Laws and Cleaning Up after your pet is required. (Please consider weather conditions, and please consider leaving your pet at home. Please do NOT bring any aggressive pets to the ballfields.)

How do I submit a schedule request?

You must submit all schedule request using the schedule request tab on the event info menu. We will take schedule request until the Friday evening one week prior to the event. You can block out a 4 hour block on Friday or Saturday that you cannot play only! Schedule request that are more restrictive than a 4 hour "no play" block will be difficult to accommodate but we will do our best! (Do NOT email or text "schedule" request, they must be submitted via the NCS system.) ONLY LEGIT "Special Requests" please!

Example of a schedule request we will accept: "We cannot play between 10 AM and 2 PM on Saturday."

Example of a schedule request that we will have trouble accommodating: "We cannot play before 4 PM."

Teams must be prepared to play from Friday evening until Sunday evening, we will do our best to accommodate request. Please Note: We ONLY play on Friday's if absolutely needed, it is not our intention to play on Fridays. 

When do schedules post?

Typically, we post schedules on the TUESDAY preceding the tournament weekend. (We do reserve the right to post on Wednesday's during the Fall Tournament Season when "Special Requests" are exceedingly high, and during the Spring Season when waiting on NCS Classification Updates.)

When are our rosters locked?

All rosters are locked in the NCS system on the Friday evening prior to the event. All players must be listed on the public view teams page by the cutoff. Players that do not have signed waivers by the cutoff date are not eligible to play! 

SPORTSMANSHIP

Each Head Coach is responsible for the sportsmanship of his entire team, both players and parents and also for their assistant coaches and fans. Please always make sure and demonstrate GOOD SPORTSMANSHIP so that these young athletes see a good example presented to them. Remember, only Head Coaches talk with the Umpires regarding questions, etc. (The two Head Coaches and the two Umpires only, NO assistant coaches.) Assistant coaches must refrain from this and allow the Head Coach and the Umpire to work through any issues that may arise. KEEP CALM & BASEBALL ON!

BEHAVIOR AT EVENTS

KC&BO has a Zero Tolerance policy towards disrespectful and adverse behavior. Any fan, parent, player or coach will be ejected from the event for the duration of the event for adverse behavior towards a tournament official or umpire or another team or within teams, etc. Anyone ejected must immediately leave the facility & is EJECTED for the balance of the tournament. There is no ejected today, hang around the parking lot/facility, or come back tomorrow. Behave and it’s not a problem. (While we have some leniency with players being removed from the event, we do not have that same leniency for adults.) Remember these are GAMES played by CHILDREN. KEEP CALM & BASEBALL ON! 

INTERACTION BETWEEN COACHES AND UMPIRES

Please remember, as noted above, only Head Coaches interact with the umpires regarding questions, appeals, rules challenges, etc. (The two Head Coaches and the two Umpires only, no assistant coaches.) Assistant coaches must refrain from this and allow the Head Coach and the Umpire to work through any issues that may arise. KEEP CALM & BASEBALL ON!

Where will we play? 

Bakersfield Park: 1201 Duncan Lane, Flower Mound, TX 75028

Tournament Payment & Refund Policy

Payment Policy

Tournament "Entry Fee" payments are due a minimum of 10 days in advance of the tournament start date. No exceptions. Registrations are not complete until the "Entry Fee"/”Gate Fee” payment is received. In the event of an age group or division reaching a "waitlist", or "sellout", teams that have paid are "in" based on the order in which their payments are received. NO TEAM WILL BE SCHEDULED WITHOUT THEIR REGISTRATION FEE & GATE FEE BEING 100% COMPLETE.

Weather/Rainout Policy

If games are cancelled due to weather after pool play games are completed, awards will be given to the highest seed --- pool play is important!

• If no games are started/played = FULL REFUND (minus $75 admin fee) (credit card processing fees are non-refundable)
• If one game is started/played = 50% REFUND (credit card processing fees are non-refundable)
• If both pool play games are started/played = NO REFUND
• If a team chooses, they may accept a full credit towards a future tournament (no admin fee applied)

Withdraw Refund Policy

Refunds will be given to "withdrawing" teams based on the following:

• 10+ days in advance of tournament start date = FULL REFUND (credit card processing fees are non-refundable) ($75 admin fee will be deducted)
• 6-9 days in advance of tournament start date = 50% REFUND (credit card processing fees are non-refundable)
• 5 days or less = NO REFUND