World Championship Over-The_Line Tournament July 21, 2007

Beer, babes, and bats on the beach!!

Admission is free, but guests are asked to observe OTL's "Five B Rules." No bottles, babies, bowsers (dogs) and new this year, no birds or Boa Constrictors.

The game is called Over-the-Line, but this tournament, held at Fiesta Island over two weekends, should be named Over-the-Top.
More than 50 years old, the Old Mission Beach Athletic Club's (OMBAC) ball-and-bat Over-the-Line (OTL) tournament is still going strong.

The tournament has a knack for producing adult themes and motifs; team names, often variations of the sport's equipment-namely bats and balls-are seen as explicit enough to discourage any youth attendance. Combined with copious amounts of alcohol, the tournament has gained a negative reputation for its hedonistic and sexual overtones.

This is is no place for the easily offended. Let's just say this event doesn't have a reputation for being politically correct. Some of the team names alone might make Larry Flynt blush. In other words, this event is not necessarily recommended for families.

So what is the OMBAC OTL Tournament? Is it a sport, or is it a party? It's really both. The "sport," which was born here in San Diego, is softball played on a small field in the sand. The tourney features nearly 2,500 games and draws about 52,000 people annually, according to organizers. OTL is four days of "fun" over two weekends and, simply put, if you enjoy the humor of "The Man Show," you'll have a blast. If not, don't bother.

For more information on the Over-The-Line Tournament, call (619) 688-0817.

Official Website: http://www.ombac.org/over_the_line/