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North Texas USSSA
2007 Rules Clarifications
Combining Classes of Tournaments
If a tournament is advertising as a “combined” D/E tournament, the tournament will be played using the upper class rules. If a “lower classed” team enters the tournament, they do so knowing the rules and will receive double-points based on their finish in the tournament.
If two tournaments, for example, advertised as a Men’s “D” and a Men’s “E” are combined by the tournament director, then the tournament will be played using the ‘equalizer’ rule. The tournament will use the “upper class” home run rule and the “upper class” teams will spot the “lower class” teams a total of three runs per class at the beginning of the game. In the event of a women’s tournament combining three women’s classes, for example, a Women’s “B” team will spot a Women’s “D” team a total of six runs to begin the game.
Team Rosters
All teams must have their rosters entered online for any NIT tournament and, beginning with the tourneys scheduled for April 7, 2007, any local tournaments in the North Texas USSSA area. Each tournament participant must have a photo-ID in his possession at all times during a tournament and must be able to produce this ID if requested by the Tournament Director. Failure to do so will result in this player and his team being suspended from the tournament and could face additional penalties.
If a team’s online roster does not show a player’s prior ‘softball’ history because of his being listed by the name on the player’s driver’s license, it is the coach’s responsibility to provide a list of any and all names used by that particular player or any and all dates of birth used by that particular player. If a player is using an illegal spelling of his name or an illegal birthdate, BOTH the player and the coach will be suspended for a period of 30-days (first offense) from the time of the discovered infraction. If there is a second offense, both the player and the coach will be suspended for a period of one year. If you, as a player, or you, as a coach, have any questions, it is your responsibility to contact the State Director in writing to assist in the determination of your prior history.
“Upper Class” Players
A team may carry up to three (3) “upper class” players on their online roster at any time. During an NIT, all three (3) “upper class” players are eligible to participate. However, in a “local” qualifying tournament, only two (2) of the three (3) “upper class” players are eligible to participate on a given weekend. It is the coach’s responsibility to identify to the Tournament Director which two of three “upper class” players will be playing on a particular weekend. The third player may participate as a “coach” on the weekend he has been designated as “not participating.” However, any “upper class” player caught playing after having been designated as being “inactive” for the weekend will face a suspension for a period of one year, as well as the coach. This infraction does not have to be protested and can be a result of the Tournament Director “observing” the particular player in action. At that time, the TD will stop the game, call both the player and the coach to the fence and will inform both of them of his decision. The game will be forfeited and the team will be removed from the tournament and will be placed last in the standings and will receive zero points.
Hot Checks/No Shows
A team that gives a tournament director a “hot check” for his tournament entry fee payment or “no shows” a tournament after being placed in the bracket will be placed on the North Texas USSSA Hot Check/No Show List and will be suspended from any future participation in any USSSA-sanctioned events. This will include all the players listed on the team’s roster, both paper and the online roster. Until the debt has been paid to the satisfaction of the tournament director, the team and all of its players will stay on the suspended list until the State Director has been notified.
Most of the area parks have their own specific date and time as to when a team can legally be removed from a tournament without penalty. It is the coach’s responsibility to make sure that this deadline is met. Otherwise, your team is liable for the entry fees so designated for that particular tournament.
Tournament Run Rules
For all “local” tournaments (including the State tournaments), the run rules in effect will be the following:
20 runs after two innings
15 runs after three innings
12 runs after four innings
10 runs after five innings or thereafter
Mixed Play Participation
Based on a new rule in 2007, a Men’s “C” player or a Women’s “C” player can legally participate on a Mixed “D” team. Based on the North Texas USSSA rule, a Men’s or Women’s “B” player cannot play on a Mixed “D” team. A Men’s or Women’s “B” player can play on a Mixed “C” team. Since there isn’t a limit to the number of Men’s or Women’s “C” players that can play on a Mixed “D” team, let me remind you that the State Director has the authorization to reclassify a Mixed team at any time.
As far as “upper class” players in the Mixed program, this refers to players on Mixed teams that were “bumped” to a higher Mixed class in 2007. A 2007 Mixed “D” team can only have a total of three (3) “upper class” players from a 2006 Mixed “C” team on their NIT roster. The same rules for local qualifying tournaments is in effect for the Mixed Program, as well.
2007 Altered Bat Announcement
To address the concern of altered or just excessively used softball bats, USSSA is asking that players no longer use any bat that shows any visible sign of wear on the barrel, knob, cap or plug. USSSA umpires and tournament directors in 2007 are authorized at their discretion to remove from play any bat which shows wear such as worn off or cracked graphics or damaged barrels, handles, tapers, plugs, caps or knobs. Umpires or directors, at their discretion, may either remove the offending bat from the game or tournament and return it at the end of play. If such a bat is brought back into USSSA play, the owner and user of such a bat may be suspended from USSSA play for up to a year.
Included in the USSSA view of what is an altered or doctored bat are any bats that are subjected to pressure in any manner that exceeds that of striking the bat against an approved ball traveling at game-like speeds. Such excess pressure would include, but is not limited to, any compression, rolling, placing in a vise, hitting a stationary object such as a pole, etc.
“One Up” Rule
The following rule ONLY APPLIES to the following programs in North Texas USSSA:
Men’s B Men’s C
Mixed B Mixed C
This rule DOES NOT APPLY during National Invitational (NIT), National or World Tournaments.
The “one up” rule is in effect during the following circumstances:
Once both teams have reached their respective home run limits, either team may hit an additional home run. However, no team may ever go more than one home run “up” on the other team. Any additional home run above the “one up” limit will be scored as an out.
The home team can win a game in the bottom of the seventh (or last) inning of a game by hitting a home run to go “one up” for the game.
For example, both Men’s “C” teams have hit their respective two (2) home runs by the bottom of the fourth inning. In the fifth inning, the time clock has expired. The visiting team is now allowed to hit another home run, and does so. In the bottom of the fifth inning, the home team can now hit two (2) home runs, which is allowed, because the home team is no more than one (1) home run “up” on the visiting team. If one team does not hit their allotted number of home runs, then the “one up” rule will not be used.
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