The Gauntlet

    • A new division- ABOVE the Majors division called the APEX DIVISION

    • Events are EXCLUSIVE to the teams in the division. 

    • Rules designed to benefit players

    • 11u, 12u, 13u & 14u Divisions for Spring 2020

    COMING SPRING 2020- THE GAUNTLET



    FORMAT

    • 4-6 tournaments per season, spread throughout the spring/early summer

    • Each weekend is a separate tournament AND every game counts towards overall standings

    ROSTER RULES

    • 12 player minimum roster size

    • Rosters must be submitted one week before the first event

    • 3 adds throughout the event

    • No movement between teams in the division, except for special circumstances and has to be approved by NCTB

    RELEGATION/PROMOTION

    • Bottom 25% of teams in standings will lose their "grandfathered" status for the next season

    • Qualifier tournaments will be held to fill those spots

    • Qualifiers for the Spring will take place in Fall / Qualifiers for Fall will take place in spring or summer

    • The winning team in each age group of The Gauntlet will have their tournament fees waived for the following seasons Gauntlet.

    • The top 75% of teams in the overall standings for each age group will be invited to remain in The Gauntlet for the following season.

    PITCHING RULES

    • One outing per weekend (85 pitches maximum for 11u/12u; 95 pitches maximum for 13u/14u)

    • Pitcher may go over the weekend max to finish a hitter.

    • Exceptions

    • Player under 15 pitches can pitch a second time, but pitches count towards maximum pitches.
    • In a three day event, a player under 34 pitches on day one can come back and pitch on day three.  Pitches reset for day three.
    • Pitcher MAY NOT go over the 15/34 pitch limit to finish a hitter.

    COACHING CERTIFICATION/BACKGROUND CHECKS

    • All on field personnel will be background checked

    • Completion of NFHS Coaching Course or equivalent will be required for all team coaches

    TEAM SELECTION

    • For the initial season, all but 2 teams per division will be invited directly by NCTB

    • The final 2 teams will be decided by qualifier tournaments on November 30 & Jan 19. Teams MUST WIN that event in order to get into The Gauntlet. There will be no "PASS-DOWN" berths.

    ADDITIONAL BENEFITS

    • All players on teams in The Gauntlet will receive an NCTB Player Profile. We will test their metrics in multiple areas and the profile will show all that data plus videos

    • All games scored on GameChanger. Stat Leaderboards, etc.

    • Members only seminars/workshops for players and parents on training, nutrition, time-management, recruiting, etc

    • The Gauntlet will be an identifier for NCTB's signature events like: The League, The 100, Future of the Game, and NCTB Prime & Alpha Dogs showcase teams.

    Commissioner of The Gauntlet: NCTB

    Assistant Commissioner of The Gauntlet: Darius McClelland

    The core of the Gauntlet was Darius' idea. We are excited to work with him and others to create something special!

    IF YOUR TEAM WANTS TO PLAY IN THE GAUNTLET: REQUEST AN INVITE