Guns & Hoses Softball hosts a series of competitive slow-pitch softball tournaments that specifically cater to the “Public Safety” Community. We bring Police, Firefighters, Corrections Officers, EMT’s/Paramedics and Military personnel together in an organized environment designed to promote competition and camaraderie. We offer both “Upper” & “Lower” divisions, so regardless of the level of play your team is currently competing at, you will be pooled with teams of equal caliber from the very start. We follow modified SCMAF rules and ASA bat restrictions. Entry fees for all qualifier tournaments are set at only $315 per team.

We host one tournament a month during the months of March through October. The first 7 tournaments of the season are considered “qualifier” tournaments. Any team that merely participates in at least one of the first 7 tournaments will qualify for the “Best in the West -Tournament of Champions”, to be held in early October, 2008.

Teams must consist of local, state, or federal level Police Officers, Firefighters, Corrections Officers, EMT’s/Paramedics or Military personnel. Teams can use any combination of the aforementioned Public Safety employees to complete their rosters. Department/Branch of Service issued photo ID is required and enforced.

Starting in 2008, G & H will also offer a Public Safety “Co-ed” Division. Same rules will apply regarding qualifying personnel and ID cards. Typical Co-ed softball rules and line-up requirements will be used during G & H tourneys. If the Co-ed Division sparks enough interest, we will continue hold a Co-ed tourney every other, or every third month during our regular season and have a separate Co-Ed Division for our Tournament of Champions.

Most of our tournaments are held in the cool coastal climate of Orange County, CA., in the cities of Fountain Valley, Costa Mesa, Tustin, and Huntington Beach. Occasionally we will venture to other facilities in the greater SoCal area. These one-day events typically start at 8 a.m., and if you find yourself in the Championship game, it usually has a 5 p.m. start time. All teams will be guaranteed a minimum of 3 games to include 2 round robin games. No matter what your record is during pool play, all teams will advance to the playoffs and still have a chance of winning it all.

Some of our highlight tournaments are the “March Madness-St. Patty’s Party” held on St. Patty’s weekend, the “Drinko De Mayo” Tournament during the month of May, the “9-11 Memorial” tourney every September, and our annual “Oktoberfest Tourney”. The Oktoberfest Tournament is held in conjunction with the Oktoberfest celebration at “Old World Village” in Huntington Beach. The Oktoberfest celebration includes live bands flown in from Germany, German beers, German food, beer drinking competitions, steins, cigars, and dancing (including the infamous Chicken dance!). For the single gents out there, this festival has an abundance of beautiful girls that the OC has to offer!

G & H tournaments are for the most part, situated near the beach scene. We encourage those who choose to enjoy the sites and scenery after a hard day of softball battles, to partake in the nightlife of Huntington Beach and the surrounding area. North “OC” offers many great restaurants, pubs, and nightclubs! Two large and famous SoCal malls are “Fashion Island” in Newport Beach and “South Coast Plaza” in Costa Mesa. Both are within 15 minutes of the fields and the host hotel. Of course SoCal is known for its great theme parks, such as Disneyland, Knotts Berry Farm, Universal Studios, Raging waters, and many others, all within 45 minutes. The Huntington Beach Pier is of particular interest. Main St. (adjacent to the pier) has many shops and boutiques for those who enjoy the shopping experience. It’s also a great place to sun bathe on the sand or take a dip in the Pacific. At night, the pier area comes alive, and the nightlife is as good as it gets!

If you are traveling from out of the area, Orange County (John Wayne) and Long Beach airports are 15 minutes away while LAX is about 45 minutes away from the Host Hotel and Fields. G & H will always have a Host Hotel offering discounted rates to those participating. Also, we always have a Host Restaurant/Pub that is family friendly and offers at least a 20% discount off of your total tab (food & booze).

There are many affiliate hotels and bars that offer discounts to G & H players and their guests. Many of the affiliate establishments can be found throughout our website. Please make sure to mention “Guns & Hoses” when registering at the Host Hotel or when settling your tab with your waitress.

G & H Tournament weekends are designed to provide the best softball match-ups between public safety organizations and also create a total fun-filled getaway for couples, families, and bachelors. If you are bringing the little ones, all of the ballparks that we use have playgrounds and snack-bars adjacent to the fields. The beach is only minutes away, should the families decide to go play in the waves while dad is playing ball. G & H weekends are always action packed, on and off the field. So bring your “A” game, your sunscreen and be ready for a great weekend!

The Guns & Hoses Softball tournament series culminates with the final “Best in the West – Tournament of Champions”, to be held in October. This tourney will be capped at 32 teams (16 each for Upper / Lower Divisions). Qualifying for the TOC only requires previous participation in a G & H event during the same calendar year. This final tournament will establish which Public Safety Softball Team in each division is truly “The Best in the West”!