Home Run Showdown Kids Derby Rules

PARENTAL WAIVER

All contest participants must have a waiver signed by a parent or guardian. You can download the waiver form here.

HOME RUN SHOWDOWN

Home plate will be placed facing the left field fence.

For kids age 12, 13 and 14. the plate will placed at shortstop on the infield.

For kids 8, 9. 10 and 11, the plate will be placed in short left field.

The intent is to make it easier to hit home runs.

Each hitter gets 3 pitches to hit. All pitches must be hittable. If a pitch is not hittable the catcher calls for another pitch.

A ball hit for a home run counts for 5 points.

While not batting other contestants can field the balls hit in the Showdown. The fielders will be divided into at least two groups. If a ball is caught on the fly the fielder gets 2 points. A ball caught off the ground is 1 point.

If a fielder “robs” a hitter of a home run, the fielder gets 8 points. The scorekeeper will be the sole and final judge of determining if the ball was going to be a homer.

ROB A HOME RUN

Each fielder, while standing next to the outfield fence gets two chances to “rob” a home run. The pitcher will throw a ball over the fielder, above the fence at a height where the fielder needs to jump to catch the ball. The scorekeeper or catcher can disallow a throw if it is not catchable. Fielder gets 3 points for each catch.

NO INFIELD FLY RULE

The kids must organize themselves into teams of 4, by age. (for odd number of kids left over at the end we can ask some of the players that have already participated to fill out the teams of 4, but no scoring is recorded for the fill in players)

There will be two divisions of competitors:
Teams of ages 8, 9, 10, and 11.

Teams of ages 12, 13, 14.

The pitcher will throw the ball up on the infield as if a pop up is hit in the situation where the bases are loaded and there is nobody out. The catcher will cover home plate as one additional fielder.

Each team plays four pop ups on defense as fielders, then changes to play four pop ups as runners.

Fielders team plays 1b, 2b, SS, 3b. After each pop up fielders rotate positions counter clockwise. That is the first baseman shifts to play second base, 2b shifts to SS, SS shifts to 3b and the 3b shifts to 1b.

Runners team is positioned with runners on first, second, and third, and a runner who starts at home as if he was the hitter. Runners also rotate their starting positions counter clockwise after each pop up. That is the home plate runner becomes the 1b runner..etc.

The pitcher throws a pop up on the infield. Note that he can throw the pop up close to second base and make the play easier for the fielders, or he can throw it to deep shortstop and make it harder. This allows the pitcher to make the contest more interesting, and keep it fair and competitive. The fielder has the choice to catch the ball, or trick the runners and let it drop.

Scoring for the fielders is as follows:

Catch the pop up, but only get one out      no points

Drop the pop up, but only get one out      no points

Somehow get a double play      4 points

Get a triple play      12 points

Scoring for the runners team is 4 points for their team for each run scored.

Points for each team are divided among the players, each getting a one quarter share.

DETERMINING WINNERS

Total points from all the contests determine who the top 4 finishes are. In the case of ties, the first tiebreaker is who ever did better in the home run contest. Second, is the Rob Home Run contest. Third infield fly contest.

SHOWDOWN PLAYOFF

The top four players do the home run contest again in a playoff to determine the winner. Same number of pitches per player as the first contest.

Cash Prizes

300 first place, 200 second place, and 100 third place, 50 dollars for 4th place.