Can someone explain softball 'levels'

[SamG]

OK, I get that there's Rec/C, B, A, & Gold.

But how does a team determine where it plays? Is it simply a coaching decision? Does NSA/ASA have any kind of 'automatic' qualifier for a level (ie: you win 3 tournaments a year you need to move up)?

I also get that some tournaments have Rec/C, B, and A teams in it. I also get that some tournaments have only Rec (at least in our area). That all makes sense. But how does the qualification (for lack of a better term) happen?

Thanks

 

[Ken Krause]

There are some guidelines in various sanctioning bodies, but I don't know that they're enforced universally. Often times coaches will declare what level they are when they enroll with the organization. I've never been questioned -- not that I would go in at a lower level than I should, but they have no way of knowing whether we should be at a level or not.

I don't know of any requirements that say "If you win X number of tournaments you should move up." Again, that's probably a good rule of thumb, but no requirements.

 

[GOINGDEEP]

I have noticed in my years with softball the ranking enforcement is not as "enforced" as in baseball. And never understood why.

In travel baseball we had A, AA, AAA, majors. If you won or placed high in "said" tournaments you moved up. In softball that doesn't seem to matter as long as you pay the entry fee.

Fair? NO

But I've never met a tournament director that cared either. lol

 

[absdad]

Locally here, we have USSSA and ASA, pretty evenly divided. USSSA is pretty good about keeping tabs on teams, and keeping them in their level. I know of teams that were "asked" to move up to A, after winning quite a bit at B level. Thats not on a national level, just the local u-trip folks. But being that both orgs were pretty evenly split here.. we had teams who would play B in one, and A in the other. Face good competition in one org, and take trophies home in the other. Would be nice if there was universal enforcement.

 

[Ivy's Dad]

ASA requires that all players on a B level travel team participate in the same rec. league. An A level travel team does not have any limitations, and can accept any players who want to be on the team. An A level travel team can therefore be composed of a bunch of "hired guns", while B level travel teams can not (theoretically).

 

[Bouldersdad]

I have noticed in my years with softball the ranking enforcement is not as "enforced" as in baseball. And never understood why.

In travel baseball we had A, AA, AAA, majors. If you won or placed high in "said" tournaments you moved up. In softball that doesn't seem to matter as long as you pay the entry fee.

Fair? NO

But I've never met a tournament director that cared either. lol

I agree with that. It should be the same for softball. It keeps A teams from going down and beating snot bubbles out of a rec team. In softball though what you see more than that scenario is rec or b teams trying to make their way into the A travel circuit. And normally ends up in said rec team getting thumped.

But it does let the coach know where they belong for the season. If you dominate at your current level of play it is time to take the chance and go play with the big girls and see how you do.


Tim

 

[absdad]

ASA requires that all players on a B level travel team participate in the same rec. league. An A level travel team does not have any limitations, and can accept any players who want to be on the team. An A level travel team can therefore be composed of a bunch of "hired guns", while B level travel teams can not (theoretically).

I understand that this is in the rulebook. I guess i'm confused with what some call "rec". We have rec leagues, that are full of rec players. Mostly girls from the same area, since the league is operating in that area. The A, B, and C designations, are teams that play only in tournaments, and the level of competition is much better, going right on up and through A. In fact, most of our leagues have rules barring girls who are on tournament teams from competing in the rec leagues.

Is this just regional variations on what people consider to be rec ball? When my dd played on C and B teams, players were from all over the metro area (which spans two states). I'm specifically referring to ASA in our area.

 

[quincy]

Our League’s rules are:

Teams in the In-house “B” division may participate in a maximum of two (2) outside tournaments or round-robins in a calendar year.

Teams in the In-house “A” division may participate in a maximum of three (3) outside tournaments or round-robins in a calendar year.

Teams in the Travel division may participate in unlimited ASA “B” level tournaments or round-robins, but no ASA “A” level tournaments in a calendar year.

Some Team Roster restrictions are loosened up for the Travel division.

Both the in-house Teams are really Rec. Ball. Players need to tryout but if they want to play they will be placed on the B Team.

 

[Coach-n-Dad]

DD used to play local NSA 14U. If a team won 2 B level tournaments in a season they couldn't register for any other B tourneys in that age group.

It could be a local rule.

 

[sluggers]

Is this just regional variations on what people consider to be rec ball?

Yes...there are a lot of factors.

E.g., look at Naperville, IL. It has a population of 150,000 and is a suburb of Chicago.

The Naperville Park District runs a softball program made up of kids only from Naperville. That is clearly a rec league. Then, the Naperville Diamonds, the local travel ball organization has:

(1) A set of teams that play in a league based in a neighboring city.
(2) Another set of teams that play in a league that is composed of teams from a bunch of different suburbs.
(3) A set of teams that do not belong to a league, play friendlies, and play lower level tournaments during the summer.
(4) A set of teams that play in high level tournaments.

The top team in each age division may or may not play "A" level softball, although they certainly would be good enough to play "B" level ball.

In the south part of Illinois, many small towns have softball teams that play against each other in a league. The teams travel 45 minutes to an hour to the games. These teams are something above rec league level, but less than "B" level teams.

If you go to southern California, the top rec league teams are better than 95% of the travel ball teams outside of California.