NEW USFA RULE CHANGE

[NUTJOBFASTPITCHDAD]

I'm glad to see they (USFA) have changed the rule to push the players up in the Fall to the division they'll play in the Spring based on thier age. This has (to my knowledge) always been done in baseball. It really is ridiculious to see teams "stay down" that last fall season and "trophy hunt". Good job USFA!

[Coach11]

I'm glad to see they (USFA) have changed the rule to push the players up in the Fall to the division they'll play in the Spring based on thier age. This has (to my knowledge) always been done in baseball. It really is ridiculious to see teams "stay down" that last fall season and "trophy hunt". Good job USFA!

Mixed feelings on that. Agree with you on hate seeing teams remain down to trophy hunt, although that really doesn't happen too much around here.

More often teams play up because "it's only fall ball".

After a grueling summer schedule and season though, it can be a good thing to remain down and really work on fundamentals with certain teams. Some are ready to move up and play next seasons competition....some teams aren't.

[tex]

I'm glad to see they (USFA) have changed the rule to push the players up in the Fall to the division they'll play in the Spring based on thier age. This has (to my knowledge) always been done in baseball. It really is ridiculious to see teams "stay down" that last fall season and "trophy hunt". Good job USFA!

Mixed feelings on that. Agree with you on hate seeing teams remain down to trophy hunt, although that really doesn't happen too much around here.

More often teams play up because "it's only fall ball".

After a grueling summer schedule and season though, it can be a good thing to remain down and really work on fundamentals with certain teams. Some are ready to move up and play next seasons competition....some teams aren't.

Teams may as well learn to play up in the fall to see where their teams stand against the other teams in their age bracket. Practise against them in the fall then do what you need to do to get your team ready to compete in the spring. You should not wait until spring to decide you need more pitching, hitting etc. All the players may be gone by then that you might need to try and pick up.

[USFA]

This is not a new rule with USFA-Actually it is a rule that was put into place in 2008. We have found that due to the economy and other factors (like trophy hunting) that most teams do not want to move up in the fall. Beginning in 2010 the rule has changed back.

Here is the USFA official position: We do not encourage teams to play down. As a former coach, my team always played up year round and would rather be beat 1 to nothing than win by 15 runs. Teams that play their old age groups in the fall will not carry their points over to the following year or if they win a qualifier they cannot use it to qualify for the following year. Teams that reregister in the fall aging up will carry their points and qualifying over to the following year.

On a positive note, we have put in place 1 new rule that helps stop stalling tactics. If for any reason such as injury, change of pitcher, etc, and a timeout is called in the last 5 minutes of a game, the clock will be stopped until play resumes. While we cannot force tournaments to play by these rules (as we allow tournament directors to modify our rules to meet local needs), these rules will be followed in all NIT’s, Regional Qualifiers, State Tournaments, National Events, and The World Series.

USFA encourages tournament directors to start now in enforcing this latest rule concerning timeouts

Bobby Hair

USFA Western Region VP

[Coach11]

I'm glad to see they (USFA) have changed the rule to push the players up in the Fall to the division they'll play in the Spring based on thier age. This has (to my knowledge) always been done in baseball. It really is ridiculious to see teams "stay down" that last fall season and "trophy hunt". Good job USFA!

Mixed feelings on that. Agree with you on hate seeing teams remain down to trophy hunt, although that really doesn't happen too much around here.

More often teams play up because "it's only fall ball".

After a grueling summer schedule and season though, it can be a good thing to remain down and really work on fundamentals with certain teams. Some are ready to move up and play next seasons competition....some teams aren't.

Teams may as well learn to play up in the fall to see where their teams stand against the other teams in their age bracket. Practise against them in the fall then do what you need to do to get your team ready to compete in the spring. You should not wait until spring to decide you need more pitching, hitting etc. All the players may be gone by then that you might need to try and pick up.

Again....in these parts anyway.....you know in the Fall what you are going to need in the spring. Many/most of the more competetive teams are holding tryouts in August. Were they to play a Fall season in order to "find out what they need for the spring", it'll be shear luck that those players are available to pick up over the winter months.

[Phantomz27]

This is not a new rule with USFA-Actually it is a rule that was put into place in 2008. We have found that due to the economy and other factors (like trophy hunting) that most teams do not want to move up in the fall. Beginning in 2010 the rule has changed back.

Here is the USFA official position: We do not encourage teams to play down. As a former coach, my team always played up year round and would rather be beat 1 to nothing than win by 15 runs. Teams that play their old age groups in the fall will not carry their points over to the following year or if they win a qualifier they cannot use it to qualify for the following year. Teams that reregister in the fall aging up will carry their points and qualifying over to the following year.

On a positive note, we have put in place 1 new rule that helps stop stalling tactics. If for any reason such as injury, change of pitcher, etc, and a timeout is called in the last 5 minutes of a game, the clock will be stopped until play resumes. While we cannot force tournaments to play by these rules (as we allow tournament directors to modify our rules to meet local needs), these rules will be followed in all NIT’s, Regional Qualifiers, State Tournaments, National Events, and The World Series.

USFA encourages tournament directors to start now in enforcing this latest rule concerning timeouts

Bobby Hair

USFA Western Region VP

Nice to see someone in your position come on here and clear up a rules question Bobby. What did USFA decide to do about the teams that choose to play B when they are kicking peoples butt in A?? Have ya'll put in place some guidelines that determine rather you are A or B??

Mark

[USFA]

Mark it is still a judgment call on our Directors part. I personally kick 5 10U teams to the “A” World Series last Year. I also heard that a 10U team that played in out “B” won the ASA “A” State. Shame on them for playing in our “B” State. We are watching closer this year and covet a better way to classify teams. If anyone has any ideas feel free to email me or post here.

[knucklecurve]

The problem that I have with the classification systems is this, and this is not the fault of USFA, this is the fault of coaches, tournament directors and the ASA JO's. In the Dallas area a large majority of the tournaments that are being posted are B tournaments. Sure their are a few A/Open tournaments, but for these so called better teams to keep competing and keep the skills sharp, what are they supposed to do if in one particular month all the tourney's are "B" even though they are forced to play "A" since that is where they probably belong? Most of the really good young teams will always be willing to travel to the biggest tourney's. Well there aren't really big open tournaments every month.

If you are a true "SELECT" team as you claim to be then you should play "A", if you are a "REC ALL-STAR" team you should be playing "B" and if you are a rec team then you are considered "C". Maybe if this system was still in place then you wouldn't have every rec coach (daddy ball coach) starting a select team. This would cut down on the over saturation, it would cut down on the sandbagging and it might just improve the rec leagues participation of girls and possibly even generate more competitive rec leagues. JMO

[Phantomz27]

Bobby, so if there is 5 minutes or less left on the clock, I cannot call time out and go talk to my pitcher even if I have not used a time out that inning? I see some problem's cropping up over that one?? Will the umpire be allowed to determine if I am trying to stall or if I really need to talk to my pitcher?? Seems as though the umpires have enough to worry about to put them in that situation would not be fair to them or to the coach that has a legal timeout left?? Of course, I have seen some umpires run a game smoothly and keep it going to where this would not be his problem. It is those umpires that want to stand there and chat for 2 or 3 minutes between innings and if the coach tells them to lets go we are ready, they get upset at the coach... Crap, got off on a different subject, sorry about that...

Mark

[SnocatzDad]

Bobby, so if there is 5 minutes or less left on the clock, I cannot call time out and go talk to my pitcher even if I have not used a time out that inning? I see some problem's cropping up over that one?? Will the umpire be allowed to determine if I am trying to stall or if I really need to talk to my pitcher?? Seems as though the umpires have enough to worry about to put them in that situation would not be fair to them or to the coach that has a legal timeout left?? Of course, I have seen some umpires run a game smoothly and keep it going to where this would not be his problem. It is those umpires that want to stand there and chat for 2 or 3 minutes between innings and if the coach tells them to lets go we are ready, they get upset at the coach... Crap, got off on a different subject, sorry about that...

Mark

I think you need to reread his post. As I read it you can call a timeout, but the game clock stops so you don't burn game time with stalling tactics in the last 5 mins.