Our Annual DRAFT Tournament!

REGISTRATION OPENS ON FRIDAY MORNING, JULY 10TH.

IMPORTANT: Before you register, please read below to find out if you are eligible for this tournament!  THERE ARE NO REFUNDS* so if you are not sure if you are eligible, please check your Rally account or contact sara@rallysocialsports.com to make sure.  If you register and can no longer play in the tournament, we will issue you a credit for $10 (the other $5 still goes into the food pantry pot) ONLY if we find a replacement for your spot.

There is also no Rain Date for this Tournament.  We will do everything we can to avoid a rainout (and may still play in a light drizzle), but if we can't play, your entry fee ($15) will go back onto your rally account as a credit.

*******$5 Of your $15 registration fee will be used to buy food for a local food pantry********

Thank you to all of our awesome Rally Softball Players who have stuck with us over the years! We wanted to put together an event for only you guys and gals - ONLY OPEN TO our players (and staff) who have been *ROSTERED* on any Rally Softball league team from Spring 2025 -- Summer 2026.   If you are unsure, please log into your Rally account and click on Past Registrations to see the last time you played softball with us.  We will open this up farther back if we don't fill up by August 5th.  If you have subbed in a bunch of times, but never fully on an actual roster...sorry, you are not currently eligible.

How it'll roll out: 

• This isn't your average tournament!  Please read the details below to make sure this is a great fit for you.
• Four captains (and 2 on reserve, should we have enough for 2 additional teams) have been selected and accepted.
• 2 fields; 4-6 teams; 11-13 players per team. 3 games guaranteed. We reserve to change the number of teams/players per team.
• Players will register at the tournament cost of $15 (includes $10 tournament fee and $5 food donation fee).
• We'll have a draft event the week of August 10th (M-W), at a local bar -- we're still deciding on a space, but it will be within a 10 min or so drive of Riverside Park in Piscataway.  Captains will select 3 draft picks by name; the remaining team members will be blind picks out of 'gender' and 'field position' buckets.  After the draft, there will be an opportunity for each captain to get a trade -- we learned from the past that sometimes captains get stuck with a lot of infielders/outfielder (poor strategizing!).  Hopefully this will even it out...unless no one else wants to trade. *Team selection date subject to change.
• While you don't have to be at the actual draft....why wouldn't you go? ... we strongly encourage players to join us.  There are advantages to being there, some of which are to find out on which team you land right away and to support your captain in strategizing.  If you are not at the draft party, you won't know which team you'll be on until we post it.  We will not be airing it via Facebook live this year.
• Teams will play each other in a tournament style event, with special rules and opportunity plays in different innings.  2 final teams will advance to the championship game.  
• This isn't your grandma's softball tournament.  Captains will have team power-ups to use during select games.  If you want a serious, leave-blood-on-the-field, there-might-be-a-scout-in-the-bleachers kind of tournament, this might not be for you.  At best, a captain might be like "hey, can you sub in next friday...?".  We had a fun All-Star Game in this fashion, a few Fridays ago -- ask those folks how it went.  A lot of fun for both rec and competitive players.

Selected Captains: 1. Rich G; 2. Serena P; 3. Christian C; 4. Cristina "Tooch" V.   

Captains in waiting: 5. Kyle L; 6. Anthony "Cheng" C.   

Limited Spots:  based on 12 players per team, we're generally looking at 72 spots for 6 teams.  First registered & paid, first IN.  We cannot 'save' spots. We cannot guarantee that you'll be with your BFF or not be with your nemesis.  Hug it out!  Registration will close when we are FULL and a waitlist will begin. In the past, we've always pulled in players from the waitlist.

CHARITY -- We will take $5 from each $15 registration to purchase food for a local food pantry.  In the past, we've had players bring food to the event; this is easier on players and makes sure everyone participates a little bit.

Where & When!

When: Saturday, August 22nd.    There is no raindate due to another tournament we have the following weekend, then the following holiday weekend, and Fall league play.  Please note -- if we get rained out, everyone's tournament fee will be put back onto their account as a credit.  There are no refunds, so if you're not good with that, please be aware and do not register.  

See below for refunds for players who can no longer play after registering (summary: there are none)

Where: Docherty Park, Hillsborough, NJ  

Tournament Registration Cost:

Tournament Registration Fee: $15/player (includes $10 tournament registration and processing fees + $5 for food pantry)

Umpire Fees: $25/game paid directly to umpire by each team before each game.  

Guaranteed: 3 games, a good time, and a solid heckling (if you can't take it, don't come because we can't control it).

*At registration, you will be asked if you want to register as a pitcher, infielder, or outfielder.  We're aiming for 12 pitchers (based on 6 captains/teams).  Disclaimer:  we cannot guarantee that you will play in your preferred/registered position.  You know, probably, but we have to say that.

Team Rosters: We will place at least 3-4 women on the team.  Teams will have up to 13 players.  BYO jerseys/shirts (and pants, please....).

Draft Party! Week of August 10th (Mon-Wednesday) at a local bar, TBD.  The details will be posted here and on the socials.  You do not have to be present at the draft event, but you'll want to.  This date is subject to change, but will be confirmed at least 2 weeks before.

At the draft: 4-6 captains will each have the opportunity to select 3 players, by name, onto their team; after this, every other player will be picked blindly from 'position' and 'gender' buckets to complete their teams: Women/Men/Pitchers/Infielders/Outfielders .  Lots of cheering and some booing.  

Format

• Co-ed (must have 3 women in the field, always).
• Slow Pitch, 6-12 Arc.
• 1:1 Count, No Courtesy Foul, Safety First Base/Home Plate, Commit Cone, Strike Mat.
• Current ASA/USA bats only. 
• 3 games guaranteed at 6 innings or 60 min, whichever comes first ("next inning is last inning" called at 50 min mark). "Last inning" will be played out.  No mercy rules. 
• Semi Finals at 7 innings or 75 min.  "Next inning last inning" will be called at 60 min mark.
• Championship Game: 7 innings, no time limit.
• 6 run limit per inning except for the 'last inning'.
• All players bat and everyone has to play at least 3 innings in the field.
• Captains will select "power-ups", with which to slam another captain.
• Complete rules will be shared with participants - they will mostly mirror our league rules. 
• Stats ranked by number of wins.  Tie breaker is Head to Head, and then if needed, lower number of Runs Scored AGAINST

There are no refunds, nor rain dates. If we are rained out, your tournament fee will be placed onto your account as a credit, and can be used toward one of your future leagues. If you can no longer play in the tournament, we can't give you a credit until (if) we find a replacement. If we do find a replacement, $10 will be placed on your account as a credit (the other $5 will still go into the food pantry pot).

Sportsmanship: This is a fun event -- the last one was so much fun and laid back. You know what to do and what not to do.  Please do it and please don't do it.  

Announcements & Messages