ISST Championship Handbook 2017-18
About the ISST
The International School Sports Tournament (ISST) is 49 years old this year. The first tournaments were for boys soccer and girls volleyball and were held in Zurich in 1968. The ISST group now consists of 24 schools, and there are 19 annual tournaments. Only two schools, ASL and ISB, compete in all 19.
Schools are Full Members if they compete in 6 or more tournaments annually. They have full voting rights. Schools competing in 5 or less tournaments annually are classified as Sport Members. They only have voting rights for the sports in which they compete. Full members are required to host one tournament per school year. Sport members are requested to host one tournament per school year.
The Athletics Directors of the 24 member schools meet three times a year to review recent tournaments and to plan for future events.
Rules: U.S. High School Federation www.nfhs.org
The maximum number of players (including Managers) will be fourteen (14). Promotion/Relegation will be 1 and 1
In Division 1, the top four (4) teams from the previous year will be seeded with first (A) and fourth (B) in Flight A, second (W) and third (X) in Flight B.
In Division 2, the team relegated from Division 1 will be assigned to Flight A and assigned letter (A).
Promotion/Relegation will be 1 up and 1 down.
Flight B.
Flight A Flight B
DAY 1
A v D W v Z
B v C X v Y
A v C W v Y
B v D X v Z
DAY 2
A v B W v X
C v D Y v Z
3rd Flight A v 4th Flight B (Consolation Semi-Final #1)
3rd Flight B v 4th Flight A (Consolation Semi-Final #2)
1st Flight A v 2nd Flight B (Championship Semi-Final #1)
1st Flight B v 2nd Flight A (Championship Semi-Final #2)
DAY 3
Loser Consolation Semi-Final #1 v Loser Consolation Semi-Final #2 (7th and 8th place)
Winner Consolation Semi-Final #1 v Winner Consolation Semi-Final #2 (5th and 6th place)
Loser Championship Semi-Final #1 v Loser Championship Semi-Final #2 (3rd and 4th place)
Winner Championship Semi-Final #1 v Winner Championship Semi-Final #2 (1st and 2nd place)
A. All games will be 7 innings with a time limit of 105 minutes time limit on all games. No new innings may start after 105 minutes. Official must note the starting time as the time when the first pitch was thrown.
B. A 15-run mercy rule shall be in effect after five complete innings if the visiting team is ahead or 4.5 innings if the home team is ahead. Should a home run account for the deciding runs in a mercy rule situation, all runs resulting from the home run shall count in the final score, but per (c), the run differential shall be capped at 15.
C. The run differential in tie-breaker situations shall be capped at 15.
D. Two-man umpiring teams will be used for all games except the Championship Final when a 3- or 4-person team will be used.
E. The home team will be decided by a flip of a coin for all games, except in semi-final games, where the choice of home or visiting team be given to the Flight-winning team.
F. The visiting team will have choice of dugouts.
G. 65' bases, 50' pitcher’s distance and an 11" ball will be used.
H. A courtesy runner may be used (as per High School Federation Rule Book) in all ISST seasonal and Championship games.
I. Coaches may dress in any clothing considered appropriate by their school. The U.S. High School Federation Coaches’ Clothing Rule (3.2.1) will not apply.
Should ties occur between teams in Flight standings in the round robin stage of the tournament, Flight standings will be decided by the following procedures:
1) The team with the best win-loss record in the game(s) between or among the tied teams will place higher in the standings
2) If the tie persists, the placement of teams will be dictated by the ratio of runs against per DEFENSIVE inning for games between or among the tied teams
3) If the tie persists, the placement of teams will be dictated by the ratio of runs scored per OFFENSIVE inning for games between or among the tied teams
NOTE: When calculating the number of defensive and offensive innings that are to be credited to each team under procedures #2 and #3, innings will be calculated on a fractional basis (i.e. 2.1 or 2.2 innings for one out and two outs, respectively)
4)If the tie still persists, the team having the best win-loss record in games played against the highest placed team not in the tie, followed by comparison against the next highest placed team, etc. will place higher in the standing
NOTE: This procedure would only come into effect should
a) Two teams tie a ball game in Flight play and the same teams tie in Flight standings
b) Expansion to a 10-team, two (2) divisions of five (5) teams format
NOTE: When a multiple tie occurs and is only partially resolved, the remaining ties will be resolved by continuing on with the remaining tie breaking procedures until all four (4) procedures have been exhausted. Then and only then will the remaining tied teams return to procedure #1 and proceed through the order again.
NOTE: In a mercy rule game, the winning team will get credit for five (5) defensive innings whilst the losing team will only get credit for the number of innings actually played.
5) Should a tie still not be broken, the following tie-breakers will be used:
In the first instance only among the tied teams
In the second instance among all the teams in the Flight
a) Total number of runners to reach 3rd base
b) Total number of runners to reach 2nd base
c) Total number of runners to reach 1st base
d) Coin flip
Yankees, Red Sox and Dodgers are all tied after completion of Day 1
Procedure 1 Yankees defeated Red Sox, 6-3
Dodgers defeated Yankees, 6-4
Red Sox defeated Dodgers, 10-8
No tie resolved, move to procedure 2
Procedure 2 Yankees 9 runs against in 10 innings (9/10) = 0.9
Red Sox 14 runs against in 10 innings (14/10) = 1.4
Dodgers 14 runs against in 10 innings (14/10) = 1.4
Yankees win the Flight
Winner of the head-to-head game shall receive the higher placing.
Scenario 1
The home team wins the game in the bottom of the 5th by scoring the winning run with NOBODY OUT, the inning count will be:
Visiting Team 5 offensive innings and 4 defensive innings
Home Team 4 offensive innings and 5 defensive innings
Scenario 2
The home team wins the game in the bottom of the 5th inning by scoring a run with one out, the inning count will be:
Visiting Team 5 offensive innings and 4.1 defensive innings
Home Team 4.1 offensive innings and 5 defensive innings
Scenario 3
The same application of the rule is used in a mercy rule situation.
If the home team is awarded the game after two outs in the bottom of the 3rd inning, the inning count will be:
Visiting Team 3 offensive innings and 2.2 defensive innings
Home Team 2.2 offensive innings and 5 defensive innings
Officials: 2 umpires (3/4 for medal games) and 1 official scorekeeper
First, second, and third place permanent trophies will be awarded to the relevant teams. Appropriate medals will be awarded to the players and coaches of the first three placed teams. Participation patches will be given to all players involved in the Championships. Special patches will be awarded to the players voted as being, All‐Tournament. Please see page 28.