EVENT DETAILS

2026 USSSA SENIOR CHALLENGE CUP EQUALIZER & RULES CHEAT SHEET

M55 COMP/REC

Florida - Green 55 (M55COMP)

Florida - White 55 (M55REC)

Georgia 55 (M55COMP)

Michigan 55 (M55COMP)

Pennsylvania 55 (M55COMP)

Virginia 55 (M55COMP)

W35 COMP/REC

Colorado (W35COMP)

Florida - Black (W35REC)

Florida - Red (W35REC)

Hawaii (W35REC)

Illinois (W35REC)

Indiana (W35COMP)

Massachusetts (W35COMP)

Missouri (W35COMP)

New York (W35COMP)

Pennsylvania (W35COMP)

Texas - North (W35COMP)

W50 COMP/REC

Arizona (W50REC)

East Coast (W50COMP)

Great Lakes (W50COMP)

Southeast (W50COMP)

Tennessee (W50REC)

***EQUALIZER RULES HAVE BEEN ADJUSTED FOR SENIOR CHALLENGE CUP ONLY

COMP GIVES REC THE OPTION OF ONE RUN PER INNING FOR FIRST FIVE INNINGS OR 11TH DEFENSIVE PLAYER (NOTE: W50 PLAYS WITH 11 DEFENDERS SO THE ONLY OPTION WOULD BE THE RUNS). REC WILL PLAY BY COMP RULES. DOUBLE-COIN TOSS TO DETERMINE HOME TEAM.

COMBINED BRACKETS HIGHEST FINISHING TEAMS FOR EACH CLASS GET AWARDS. IF A CLASS FINAL STANDING FINISH IN A TIE, PLACING WILL BE DETERMINED BY OVER-ALL RECORD, THEN AVG RUNS ALLOWED, THEN AVG RUN DIFF.

IF BOTH TEAMS ARE THE SAME CLASS, THERE WILL BE NO EQUALIZER AND BOTH TEAMS WILL PLAY BY THE CLASS RULES. HOME TEAM WILL BE DETERMINED WITH A DOUBLE COIN-TOSS WITH THE EXCEPTION THE UNDEFATED TEAM IN THE PLAYOFF BRACKET CHAMPIONSHIP GETS THE HOME TEAM OPTION WHICH INCLUDES COMP VS REC CHAMPIONSHIP.

COMP - DHH+10HRs, 7 run limit per inning until OPEN inning

REC - DHH+6HRs, 5 run limit per inning until OPEN inning

1-1  count ball must be fair after 2-strikes

SEEDING GAMES is 55 minutes then OPEN inning

PLAYOFF GAMES is 60 minutes then OPEN inning

CHAMPIONSHIP & IF no time limit

MERCY RULE (ALL DIVISIONS) If a team is behind 20 runs prior to time expiring at the completion of an inning, the game will be declared a mercy/completed game with no open inning and the team in the lead declared the winner. Due to class run limits per inning (Rule 5.6.1), if it’s mathematically impossible for a team to bring a deficit down under 20 runs prior to time expiring and the completion of an inning, the game will be declared a mercy with no open inning and the team in the lead declared the winner.

FLIP FLOP RULE The flip-flop rule will be invoked in any game when there is a 10-run differential in favor of the visiting team at the start of the "OPEN INNING." If the visiting team is ahead by ten or more runs, the home team will remain at bat and start a new at-bats (beginning their seventh or last inning at-bats), meaning all runners on base will return to the dugout. It will be an open inning. If the home team fails to tie or go ahead of the visiting team, the game ends and the visiting team wins. If the home team ties or goes ahead, the visiting team takes its turn at bat. If the game is declared a completed game due to a mercy, flip-flop rule will not apply since there will be no open inning.

PITCHING RULES

?      Pitching arch will be a minimum of (six) 6 ft and a maximum of ten (10) ft from the ground. No faking of pitch will be allowed.

?      Pitchers may pitch up to 6 ft behind the pitching plate and must keep one foot within the width of the pitching plate, behind the front edge of the plate and within the 6 ft limit behind the plate.

?      A pitcher’s area will be utilized.

?      If no pitching screen is used, pitchers are encouraged to wear a protective face mask that covers, at a minimum, the area of the face from above the eyes to the lower part of the chin while pitching. All pitchers must wear the mask consistent with the manufacturer's intended usage of their product.

?      A pitching screen will be team optional.

?      If a pitching screen is used - Pitchers using a pitching screen must toe the pitching plate when delivering the pitch.

?      If a pitching screen is used – The pitcher can’t touch the batted ball until another defensive player touches the ball first. Once another defensive player touches the batted ball, the pitcher may engage on defense.

?      If a pitching screen is used - If the pitcher interferes with the batted ball, dead ball will be called, the batter will be awarded first base and runners will advance to the next base.

?      If pitching screen is used - Any batted ball hitting the screen will be a dead ball foul.

?      If pitching screen is used - Screen placement may not be moved for the entire inning once the first pitch of the inning is thrown with the exception of the screen being moved during a defensive play. Pitching Screen placement may be no more than 4 feet in front of the pitcher's plate and must cover at least half the pitcher's plate “left to right” or “right to left” on the pitcher’s glove hand side.

COURTESY RUNNER (UNLIMITED)

?      Any legal player on the team’s roster can be a courtesy runner, but only once per inning.

?      Once the courtesy runner occupies the base, the selected courtesy runner may not be exchanged for any other desired courtesy runner. Penalty for violating this rule is the base runner will be an out.

?      If the courtesy runner is still on base at the time his/her turn at bat comes up, that spot in the batting order will be an out.

?      A baserunner using a courtesy runner cannot run for any other players in the same inning. Penalty for violating this rule is the base runner will be an out.

SLIDING OR DIVING

?      Players may not slide or dive into 1st base, Home Plate Mat or Scoring Plate/Line. If they do, they are called out.

?      Sliding or Diving into 2nd base or 3rd base is NOT an out.

2026 USSSA Senior Challenge Cup Event Information

2026 USSSA Senior Challenge Cup Guidelines

2026 USSSA Senior Challenge Cup Uniform Policy