Can a player play down?

[SoCal_Dad]

Pa director said if she is on a 16u roster she can not play down, no matter what age. Is tha a national usssa rule or just one directors spin on it?

According to the USSSA website, you have to work through the state directors. From Team Web Help:

I have questions about my teams roster, classification and player eligibility. Can you help me?

No. Please contact your state director for assistance. Go to www.usssa.com and click on the sport you are interested in to enter the site. Click on Find A Director on the left. Highlight your state by clicking on it and then click submit. State Director and local director information will display here.

I would ask the NY and/or PA director for the regulation that covers this.

I suspect you're with the 14U team. If so, a couple of things to think about:
- If the roles were reversed, how would you feel if the 16U team picked up your player against your wishes?
- Are you trying to pick her up because you're shorthanded or to strengthen your team? If you're not shorthanded, how is the rest of the team going to feel about picking up a player, especially the ones from whom she takes playing time?

 

[blighdog]

Wasn't looking to pick her up on our roster, just as a guest player. Her team doesn't play tourneys all winter long ad we do and we're short. 1 tournament that's all.

 

[Scarecrow]

As far as I remember, she cannot 'play down' just like the PA Director says...

However, up until the time that rosters are frozen (which is usually sometime in June as Humpty said) you can remover her from the 16u team roster, put her on the 14u roster, then switch her back after the tournament.

Now the problem for you lies in the fact that the 16u coach doesn't want her playing, and he's the one that has to release her. I have heard of similar problems in our area in the past (since our HS girls can't practice or play until HS season is over), and TDs have 'looked the other way' in these early, non-qualifying tournaments.