A team or B team

[sbfanatic]

I was just viewing a argument on VTD, which was about A teams and B teams classifications. You know the same ole argument about B teams trophy hunting that should be classified as A teams and B teams should be rec or all star teams. I know that every state and or district have their own interpretations of ASA classifications rules. I will like to see what everyone's opinion and/or interpretation is about classifications.

[hotwheels]

I was just viewing a argument on VTD, which was about A teams and B teams classifications. You know the same ole argument about B teams trophy hunting that should be classified as A teams and B teams should be rec or all star teams. I know that every state and or district have their own interpretations of ASA classifications rules. I will like to see what everyone's opinion and/or interpretation is about classifications.

Here in So Cal,
A = Travel
B and C = Rec
Cut and dry!

[coachEd]

Yes, the So Cal ASA rules are very clear. A teams are travel teams. B teams are rec league all star teams only and cannot have any players on them that played travel on or after April 1, and can only have 4 (or 5?) players that played travel after Feb. 1st. C teams are also rec all star teams, but from smaller leagues. If B (rec all star teams) play in A tourneys, or against A teams, they risk being classified as an A team (i.e., booted out of rec all star competition).

Triple Crown doesnt have clear-cut rules yet. So there are some (technically) So Cal A teams (as they would be classified by So Cal ASA) playing in the B division of TC events. That doesnt mean they are necessarily sandbagging; they just may not be able to really compete with even the middle of the road So Cal A teams.

USSSA and AFA also dont have clear-cut classification rules (that I know of).

[sbfanatic]

Are the rules different depending on where a team is from?

Bad question obviously they are different or Texas does not adhere to them. I guess a better question is what are the rules for classification nationally for ASA.

[MavFan]

I believe each district or state office is responsible for setting up rules.

This discussion is without a doubt the fastpitch version of Roe v. Wade!!!

[GIMNEPIWO]

Here in the East we see A, B and Rec for fast pitch ...

[Busted Shins]

Know what you mean about Texas. In DD2's last year in SoCal B (wrec ball), we went out of state (TX) to Western Nats (No overall Nats for B). In the mix, we played local teams with warm bodies that got free berths, plus local select teams that "petitioned" to play B nats because they weren't competitive in A (straight from the horse's "mouth"). SoCal took top 5, so the question of TX TB playing down was somewhat moot.

Went U-Trip in FL the next year, and the story wasn't too different.

[coolstuff]

USSSA and AFA also dont have clear-cut classification rules (that I know of).

Neither does NSA.

[SnocatzDad]

USSSA and AFA also dont have clear-cut classification rules (that I know of).

Neither does NSA.

Neither does ASA.

Most of the restrictions are placed by the local ASA association and are not national standards. I found about three sentences in ASA code that pertain to not playing down once you've played at a higher level, but that's it. And I found one strange sentence that basically says that a "B" team can't be an allstar team from more than one league.

It's all arbitrary. Around here our ASA says your obligated to play "A" if you have more than 3 out of draw area players. Having players from one location or multiple doesn't make them better or worse players. At the older ages like 18U it's not uncommon for rec level teams to form just to play that are from 5-6 draw areas. Our local ASA also restricts the younger ages to essentially B/Rec only and doesn't allow the formation of true "A" teams. You can play up to "A" level at 10U/12U but you have to comply to the 3 or less out of draw area rule which makes it more like little league than ASA "A" and the other rostering rules prohibit making an all star team out of several "B" teams at the end of the season to compete at Nationals.

[sbfanatic]

plus local select teams that "petitioned" to play B nats because they weren't competitive in A (straight from the horse's "mouth").

This is very common in Texas, maybe why Cali teams for the most part dominate us in nationals. I have seen a team who played in "A" nationals which was classified as a "B" Team. After nationals the team remained classified as a "B", although they continued to play "A" and open tournaments.

Thanks for the info I was very curious on how everyone else handled the classifications.