USA Rule Change on Time Limits

Yes, by making it worse for everyone. Yay!!!! Typical USA Softball - kick the can down the road on issues that really need to be addressed to solve a minor issue by creating a much larger issue. Believe me - during the 'extra inning' teams certainly do not consider the clock or hurry up and that is not good.

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Then the umpires need to be more diligent in enforcing pitch time limits and time between innings. And I really do not see it adding any extra time to the tournaments over the current rule of complete the inning after the clock expires. Remember, the rules are for championship play, local associations can do whatever they want for regular tournaments. Locally we have always used 1:20 no new complete the inning. While I have no inside information since the rule just came out my guess will be the game time will be shortened to 60 minutes or 1:10 and complete the inning plus 1. I really do not see it adding any additional time to the tournaments over what is currently happening under time limits now. What really throws off a tournament is tie breakers that go on forever. Teams that are that closely matched tend to go 2 or 3 extra innings to finally end the game.

Comp said:

Any tournament other than national play they can do what they want, but if they are holding national qualifiers or national tournaments then they have to follow the national rules.

Our local USA association has some of their own rules they use during regular tournament play also, but when it is for national play it is by the book. Remember, the rule book is for national play, any other tournament the local association holds they can use whatever rules they wish.

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Unfortunately they don't follow national rules. USSSA and PGF have a very limited presence here. They're the only game in town so they can do what they want. They do things like combining USA A and Gold qualifiers in same tourney. Their worst IMO is apparently approved by the national office. In MN no open travel teams are allowed below 14U. ALL 12U eligible girls must play rec ball. If a MN team accepts them the entire organization is banned from all USA qualifiers or postseason play.

My daughters have played for an organization that hosts two tournaments, using 60 minutes, finish the inning, plus one. Been doing it for a number of years and I thought it worked out just fine. Using a 60 minute base and run rules, the games are scheduled 90 minutes apart.

I personally like this new rule. My daughter plays 10u and I think this will equate to more innings played. Most of her games seem to go 3 innings, I can see some games going 5 innings with this new rule. Most tournaments this fall were 75 minutes finish the inning. I don't have an issue with games running behind if need be.

MNDad said:

Unfortunately they don't follow national rules. USSSA and PGF have a very limited presence here. They're the only game in town so they can do what they want. They do things like combining USA A and Gold qualifiers in same tourney. Their worst IMO is apparently approved by the national office. In MN no open travel teams are allowed below 14U. ALL 12U eligible girls must play rec ball. If a MN team accepts them the entire organization is banned from all USA qualifiers or postseason play.

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IMO, the MN ASA has been a maverick of sorts Not a fan I believe the code and rules are there for a reason and the teams should know what to expect so they can make an informed decision on which was to go

My DD's are second year 12's in Minny. It seems like Minnesota ASA does anything possible to make it hard for "club" teams. My twins love playing with some of their friends from school, But at the same time get frustrated when their city team is half "A" players and half "C" players.

Same with parents to. Most don't blame us for going to club ball in 18/19. But a few have already said we are traitors for wanting to leave.

From what I've heard on here MN ASA feels like they own the state and implement some very travel-stifling rules about participation.

Twintrouble said:

My DD's are second year 12's in Minny. It seems like Minnesota ASA does anything possible to make it hard for "club" teams.

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What do they do?

No Open teams before 14U.
12U players can’t move up.
Girls must play with their community rec team or get waiver to play for another team. Doesn’t matter if your community only fields rec C teams. They own you until 14U.
All USA teams are required to play in a league. (Six game minimum)
All USA teams are required to attend the USA state tournament to advance to Nationals.
No tryouts are allowed before USA Nationals have finished.
No recruiting a player who has “committed” to another team.

Not all of these are bad ideas. It’s just very restrictive.

More and more teams here are playing PGF regionals or nationals. The trouble is most of the orgs here have developmental teams that can’t compete at that level. If they’re top teams go against any of these rules it could cause the entire organization to get banned from USA sanctioned tournaments. With nothing local to play other than USA they’re stuck. The club/travel orgs that don’t have developmental teams are all in the “B” range and best suited for USA or its local partner NAFA so they won't go against the grain.

Had one team Actually this last summer At 12u get f'd over by some of these rules. According to the MN board they had to many non city players on a team. Long story short almost all kids went to same school ( that's what is considered your home by the Stupid ASA bylaws, where you would be playing high school ball).

But four/five of the girls that went to the school lived out the district lines, but parents drove them because it was a math/science magnet school.

There was some bad blood from the area they lived but did not go to school and some of the parents went and cried to ASA.

ASA ruled them an illegal 12U club team.


Worst part was the Coach's went to the board before hand to make sure things were ok and got the go ahead from ASA.

then after 2 games into season got the rug pulled out from under them

The NAFA tournys are kind of a joke. The better MN "A" teams that play in them have a rude awakening when the out of state teams come to town. Cant remember when a MN team won a top division last.

There are a few PGF tournys. But the better teams go to Il and IN to face better competition.

Had one team I believe a few years ago finish 6th in the upper PGF level in Cali at 16U. Always get the premier and platinum mixed up to which is the high division.